Cold feet(53)
Author: Brenda Novak

Turning so that Madison could see the boy dangling halfway down his back, he said, "This is my nephew Jacob."

Jacob didn’t bother looking up at her. He was half-heartedly trying to free himself from his uncle’s grasp. Like his brother, he was on the thin, gangly side and had the usual jumble of large and small teeth so characteristic of the age. But Madison suspected they’d grow up to be almost as handsome as their uncle.

Almost. Madison was beginning to believe no one was or ever would be as handsome as Caleb.

"And–" Caleb brought the red-faced boy in the headlock around "–this is Joey."

"I’m not Joey," the boy complained. The other was laughing too hard to care whether or not his uncle had gotten his name wrong.

"Don’t believe ’em," Caleb warned in a conspiratorial whisper. "They love to screw with your mind."

Madison had the impression that it was Caleb who was trying to confuse her. "Hi, Joey," she said to the one he’d introduced as Jacob.

"She got you, Uncle Caleb," Joey squealed.

"So there’s my long-lost brother," a tall, large-boned woman interrupted from the doorway. With her facial structure, dark hair and dark eyes, Madison knew it could only be Tamara. But the features that served Caleb so well looked too exaggerated for real beauty on his sister. "He’s living in town now, but does he ever spend any time with us?" she asked facetiously. "Nooo. Does he ever come by? Nooo. Not unless he needs something."

Caleb gave her a grudging smile. "And here we have the woman responsible for having my new bicycle impounded just two days after my thirteenth birthday."

"You were riding in the street without using your handlebars," she said as primly as a schoolteacher.

"A crime if ever I heard one," Caleb responded.

"She won’t let us ride without handlebars, either," one of the twins complained. "We lost our bikes for a whole month just for riding without helmets. And she still won’t let us have skateboards. We’re the only two kids in the whole school who don’t have skateboards."

"Skateboards are dangerous," Tamara said.

"You’re the only ones? I doubt it," Caleb said, surprising Madison by supporting his sister. He set Tamara’s children down and hugged her, and Madison sensed that he didn’t dislike her half as much as he pretended to. "Where’s Mac?"

"He’s running late," she said. "You know how he is, always on the phone. Most wives worry about losing their husbands to another woman. I’ve already lost mine to computers and cell phones." She glanced at Madison. "Is this your new lady friend?"

Madison stood and smiled. "I’m Madison Lieberman."

"I’m glad he’s finally decided to bring home someone besides that crackpot he married," Tamara said. "After this past week I thought he was moving on to marriage and divorce number three." She flipped her long brown hair out of her eyes. "Holly’s come by here twice over the last couple of days, Caleb."

"Tamara, let’s not discuss Holly in front of Madison, please," Justine said. "And unless you can say something nice, don’t talk about her at all."

"I can’t help it if the truth hurts," Tamara muttered as an older, raw-boned man entered the room.

"Ah, there you are, dear," Justine said, and introduced Madison to Caleb’s father, Logan.

Logan shook her hand, but was far more reserved in his greeting than Justine had been. From beneath the ledge of a prominent brow, his eyes seemed to look right through her, and the lines on his forehead indicated that his intense expression was habitual. She decided it probably took a great deal to impress this man–or figure in his affections at all.

"You’re Purcell’s daughter, eh?" He rubbed his chin with a large callused hand, making a scratching sound.

She nodded, feeling a bit apprehensive about what he might ask her next. But when Justine took his hand, his face immediately mellowed. "That whole thing couldn’t have been easy on you," he said. "We’re happy to have you here."

Madison was pretty sure Justine was behind that sentiment. But Madison muttered the same polite remarks she’d been saying since she’d arrived, then had to repeat them one more time when Tamara’s husband, Mac, finally showed up. Mac had just started to say, "Nice to meet you," when his cell phone rang, and he stepped out to take the call.

"See what I mean?" Tamara complained.

Caleb gave one of the twins a raspberry on the head. "What’s this I hear about you having a girlfriend?"

"I don’t have a girlfriend," the boy argued. "Joey’s the one who has a girlfriend. He likes Sarah."

"I don’t like Sarah!" Joey cried.

"Then why do you always give her your chocolate milk at lunch?" he challenged.

"Because I don’t want it."

"Right," Jacob said. "I ask you for it every day, and you won’t give it to me."

"That’s because you’re my stupid brother."

"Everyone knows you like her."

Joey’s face went even redder than when Caleb had held him in that headlock. "Only because you told them."

"Did not."

"Did, too."

"Hey, what’s wrong with liking a girl?" Caleb broke in, putting an arm around both children’s waists and dragging them up against him. "Occasionally you meet one who’s not half-bad," he added, winking at Madison.

"They just…they can’t even play tetherball," Jacob said with disdain. "They spend their whole recess walking around the playground talking."

"So? Talking’s bad?" Joey said.

"It’s boring," Jacob retorted.

Justine gestured them to silence. "That’s enough, boys. Your uncle Caleb tells me that Madison has a daughter who’s just a bit younger than the two of you. I was sad that she couldn’t make it tonight, but now I’m beginning to wonder if she isn’t better off."

"You don’t have to worry about Brianna," Caleb said, with what sounded suspiciously like pride. "She’s tough. She could take these two, no problem. One look down her dainty little nose, and they’d be knocking themselves out trying to please her."

Madison thought of her daughter opening the door to Caleb that first morning and saying, "Oh, it’s you," and nearly laughed. Her daughter was tough. She’d faced down an adult and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that she didn’t approve. Of course, Caleb had won her over pretty easily since then. But Madison had difficulty believing any female could withstand his charm for long.

"If she’s anything like her mother, she’s probably darling," Justine said.