Letters From Al by Pieper, Kathleen (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

very own front lawn and knock Leland's sign down? My first official act of residence."

"That's the best news I've had all day." Holding out his hand, Alec let Maddy pull him out of his mini-depression. Laughing together they ran over and pushed the gaudy sign back and forth until it fell over.

"It's really mine now." Maddy looked at the fallen sign like the victor of a battle. Alec slipped his hand around her waist.

"Hope I can say the same thing sometime." He looked at Maddy tenderly with eyes that just couldn't get enough of her.

"We just talked about that, deputy. Patience, remember? But just so you know, there's no one else in my life right now." Teasing she ran a finger over his shiny badge.

"Come on in. I'm calling my friends in Chicago right this minute to tell them the news. Boy, are they in for a shock. Maybe you'll get to meet them when they bring my car down. Oh brother, what am I going to do with my apartment? There’s a lot to think about." She closed her eyes and rested her head on Alec's broad chest for a moment before they walked in.

Maddy settled in the chair to dial her friend.

"That's strange. No one answers. They knew I was calling. I wonder why they don't answer?"

"Yeah, that would be weird." Alec replied dryly. "Big city people are weird."

Chapter 11

After a busy day of establishing her residence in Nielsen, Maddy stopped by the grocery store to tell Tommy the good news.

"Hey, that's great Miss Morris. I can sure use any work, I'm saving up for a new computer."

"Well, I'll be needing help, Tommy. There's yard work and a couple upstairs bedrooms need to be cleaned up after the rain, there's a bad leak in one of the rooms."

"Yeah, I remember helping Miss Madeline fix that room one time. It's the one with the striped wall paper."

"That's the one. The paper's peeling right off. We're going to have to pull the rest of it off, and then I'll have someone come in and re-plaster the whole thing."

Tommy waved and grinned, "Just let me know when. And, I'll be over on Saturday's to mow."

Driving away, Maddy felt on top of the world. The faces she passed were beginning to look familiar. Her early morning jogs made her familiar to the townspeople too.

Turning on to Main Street, her street, Maddy leaned forward in surprise to see two vehicles parked in her drive.

"What’s going on? That's my car." She squealed and flew from the car the minute she'd parked. Four people stood on the porch casually waiting.

"Marie." Maddy squealed excitedly, giving the pretty dark-haired woman a hug and then turned to the others. That's when the shock set in. "Marie?" Maddy said again, only her voice was verging on anger as her eyes met those of a dark haired man. Turning in obvious rebuff, she lightened again seeing the couple who held hands. "Buffy and Skip, how nice."

She could hardly believe her eyes, her dear friends from Chicago had indeed shown up on her doorstep just as her intuition had suggested. "No wonder I couldn't get you on the phone last night. Whose bright idea was this?" She said between laughs and tears. No one claimed responsibility.

Hugging each one in turn, she couldn't ignore the fourth person, a man, as he stepped slowly from the back of the porch. He wore tan Gucci loafers, impeccably pressed brown slacks and a tan silk shirt.

"Hello, Madeline. Remember me, your fiancée?" She froze at the sound of the familiar voice. A ghost from her past was rising before her very eyes. He came over and tried to give her a kiss but she turned her face, and it was merely a peck on the cheek.

"What are you doing here, Larry?" Maddy didn't hide the displeasure in her voice and pulled away. She looked at the others in astonishment, letting her eyes tell them she wasn't pleased. Buffy and Skip shuffled nervously, obviously uncomfortable, but Marie grabbed Larry's arm and Maddy's and tried to pull the three of them together.

"When Larry heard we were coming out to see you, well, I said why not just come along and surprise her. It's just like old times."

Maddy stared at Marie in disbelief and slipped out of her grasp.

With an innocent smile her friend shrugged. "I told you he was asking about you, well, it was perfectly logical to include him." Marie stood there grinning like the Cheshire cat and Maddy could have easily committed murder.

"Don't I at least get a hello and a hug?" His lips drew back in a wide, winsome smile as if nothing was wrong.

"No, Larry, you don't. I'm really surprised you came all the way out here for nothing. It's been a while. I meant to call, as they say, but I've been busy." The words came out icy and she thought she might become physically ill. Her body language said it all, and for a moment everyone was caught up in the melodrama. Stepping back again, she waved for them to follow her.

"Nice place you have here. A little rustic, but I bet you can get a good price for it." Shoving his hands in his pockets and looking around, Larry seemed not to notice or care about her cool reception. He knew Maddy, her weaknesses and strengths and he also knew how to bide his time.

Marie, intent on making it all one big happy family setting, kept her arm linked with Larry's and chattered on, seemingly oblivious to the fact her friend was furious with her.

"I told him you were way out in the sticks and when we picked up your car and decided to deliver it in person; he thought he might be of some help. He knows all about real estate too, he was telling us on the way down." Marie gushed.

Shocked, Maddy remained silent. Marie was talking like an idiot. She knew how