* * *

Madeline inspected herself from head to toe in the full-length mirror.

Pulling on the bodice of her strapless dress, she adjusted it to create an

illusion of cleavage, made possible by a padded, underwire bra. She'd

pulled her hair back at the crown with a sequined bow, and let the rest fall

in soft waves midway down her back. On her feet, she wore a pair of

formal, satin pumps, though she worried about their functionality on

slippery outdoor driveways and sidewalks. She was contemplating whether

or not wear her winter boots, and then change into her dancing shoes

once safely indoors, when she heard her mother calling from the foyer.

"Maddy, Kenny's here!" Her heart leapt in her chest. With one last

glance in the mirror, she ran to the top of the banister, where the image

below sent shivers of excitement up and down her spine. She looked

down to see Ken standing by the front door, gazing up at her with his

ever-present smile from behind a gorgeous bouquet of white roses. Her

equally enthralled mother took in the scene with delight.

"Oh my gosh, Kenny I am so glad you made it here safely!" Maddy

exclaimed, rushing down the stairs to throw her arms around him. He

gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek as he carefully held the flowers around

her back.

"Ken, these are beautiful," Monica stated. "Why don't I go put them

in some water?" With that, she took the blooms and went off in search of

the perfect vase.

"You look incredible, Madeline Rose," he whispered, taking in the

sight of her; she'd been so very worth the harrowing ride in the blinding

snow.

"You're pretty handsome yourself," she replied, hugging him tightly.

He looked like a department store catalog model in his black suit and

double-breasted winter coat, which he'd unbuttoned but had not yet taken

off. She could still feel the cool moisture of melted ice as she pressed up

against him. "I'm so thankful you're here," she added. "I was so worried

about you!"

"Nah!" he laughed. "It's gonna take a lot more than ice and snow to

keep me away from you, sweetheart."

Maddy felt a wave of gratitude wash over her as she contemplated

what this New Year would bring.

* * *

"Go Kenny!" Greg and Damian egged on as Ken displayed his

break-dancing skills for the group. Even the band members seemed

pleasantly amused by the sight of a six-foot, two-inch male spinning

around on his back on the hardwood floor. Maddy, Lori, Vanessa and

Laura were equally entertained, laughing and clapping along. At Maddy's

request, Ken also showed off his Michael Jackson moonwalk, to the

amazement of her whole family, particularly her brother Greg, who

couldn't seem to get the hang of it, try as he might.

Throughout the evening, Madeline's heart was warmed by the easy

rapport Ken shared with her brothers, laughing and joking along heartily

with them. She realized if she could ever get beyond her irrational fears

and marry Kenny, he'd fit into her family perfectly. And from what she

knew of his relatives, especially his mom, she'd enjoy them immensely,

too. At one point, while she and Lori were powdering their noses in the

ladies room, Lori remarked, "Maddy, that guy is absolutely gaga over you!

He keeps telling all of us how beautiful you are, how he's gonna marry

you, the whole bit. Ooh, I'm so excited for you, baby girl!"

"I'm just relieved we got beyond that little misunderstanding," Maddy

sighed. "God, I was so stupid to write him that letter. But I don't know;

this reunion almost feels too good to be true. It's like I'm waiting for the

other shoe to drop."

"Maddy, don't do that to yourself!" Lori admonished. "He looks

perfectly content to me right now. Apparently, he's forgiven you and

moved on. Frankly as much as I love you, I'm getting tired of hearing

about how wonderful you are!" Her tone was playful.

"Lori? Do you ever get scared about sex?" Maddy asked, suddenly

serious. "I mean, you're getting married soon. Do you ever think about

it?"

"Of course," her sister replied. "But Maddy, it's a natural part of life.

Look at it this way-if it was so horrible the human race would've ended

a long time ago!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Kenny's so good about waiting, but

sometimes I wonder how long that can go on."

"Maddy, like Greg said when it's real love, the guy's willing to wait.

Look at all of us."

"True," she agreed.

"C'mon," Lori urged, placing an arm around her, "Let's get back out

there and dance. Our dates are waiting!"

It felt like heaven as Ken held her close in his arms and swayed with

her to the Prince ballad, Diamonds and Pearls. As always, he sang softly in

her ear, creating a flood of warm sensations throughout her body and

soul.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024