Unconditional

“She wasn’t home? Where is she?” I immediately hear the mother in her voice.

“No, she was, but I only saw her briefly.”

Aria’s eyebrows furrow, but she doesn’t press further when a waft of very strong perfume floods my nostrils. I take a step back, hoping to put some space between myself and the oppressive scent when it just moves closer. I turn my head to see a woman with reddish-blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and bright pink lips coming at me. A smile finds her mouth and her eyes as she sticks her hand out. “Hi, I’m Penelope.”

“Cal.” I know how to perform even when I’m not particularly in the mood, so I turn on the charm. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Penelope.” I smile and cock my head to the side, my obvious move that allows me to unashamedly check out a woman who would then think I was interested.

It inflated their ego and made them feel more comfortable. Even though I was far from interested in this moment. I can’t stop the nagging thought that keeps flaring up that Maddie is upset that I’ve gone out but I try to put it out of my head. We make our way to the table, my hand resting on the small of Penelope’s back as she yammers on about being so excited to try this restaurant. If I’m being honest, her voice is grating on my goddamn nerves. We are sitting at a table near a window, allowing us to stare into the forest behind the restaurant which is illuminated by hanging lights.

“I’m so glad we did this.” Aria smiles as she takes another sip of her champagne. Henry nurses his whiskey ginger and I fight the urge to text Madeline to make sure she’s okay. As if she can hear me, my phone vibrates in my pocket. Aria and Henry are no strangers to my having to respond to messages, so I don’t think anything of it when I pull my phone out. “Excuse me a second.”

I frown when I realize it’s not Madeline and really is work-related. Whatever, this actually could wait.

“Everything good, boss?” Aria asks with a raised eyebrow, and I nod.

“So, Aria says you’re the Chief of Police. Do you like it?” Penelope’s voice chirps from next to me.

“Yeah, it’s great. Love it. I’ve always wanted to be a cop, always wanted to help people, and the power to make a difference is a responsibility I don’t take lightly.”

“Wow,” she tucks a hand under her chin and smiles up at me, “that’s really admirable.”

I nod. Maddie admires me. She’s told me time and time again that I’m her hero. That she believes I was put on this Earth solely to change her life and the lives of so many other people. She is immensely proud of me, and I wear that pride with honor that shines brighter than any badge I have. “Thank you.”

“She also said you have a…umm…kind of daughter?”

I chuckle and my heart races as it always does as I prepare to explain to a potential romantic interest about Maddie. I don’t explain it to everyone, but a few people know the story of what went down in that shack across town all those years ago and are curious. I could practically hear the ovaries bursting every time I told the story, but I typically ignore it, as Madeline’s story isn’t one that did much besides gut me.

Her shaking body in my arms. Her fear of abandonment. The way she screamed for me when they tried to separate us. It took me to a dark place that sometimes takes me a second to break from. I scratch my beard as my eyes scan the restaurant, looking for someone that could bring me a drink. “Yeah, Madeline. She’s not my daughter.”

“But she lives with you?” I don’t think I hear the malice or judgment but it is borderline, so I already feel the defense coming as I prepare my statement.

Aria and Henry exchange a look, like they know that it’s too early to go down this road and that I’m seconds from reading her for giving her unsolicited opinion. “Yes.” I give her a look, warning her to watch her next step, which she must understand because her eyes widen and she shakes her head.

“I didn’t mean…I was just curious that’s all.”

“Curious about what? Do you go around asking people that adopt children that go through traumatic experiences why they felt the pull to take care of them?” Even as I hear the words, I know why I’m defensive, but I ignore the blaring light that tells me I no longer have those feelings for Maddie. That she is slowly shifting categories in my life and there is nothing I can do about it. I never technically adopted Maddie, so I don’t even know why I feel the need to make that analogy, and Aria and Henry must wonder too because they look at me curiously.

“I…sorry.” She lets out a

breath and looks at Aria. “Ummm, I’m going to go to the ladies room.”

She and Aria depart the table and Henry shoots me a glare. “Calm the fuck down, Cal. What is wrong with you?”

“You know how I feel about people giving their opinion about Maddie.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose and squeezes his eyes shut. “She was just asking, and you bit her head off, preaching from some soapbox about adoption, when you never even adopted Maddie.” He eyes me from over his glass as he takes a sip.

“Sorry,” I grumble, realizing that maybe I was too quick to snap at her. It wasn’t her fault that I’d been wound up tight as fuck after this morning. Hell, more like the last fucking year.

He leans forward and his eyes narrow worriedly. “What is with you, man?”

“Nothing.”

“Is something up with Maddie? That’s the only time you’re really in a bad mood. Unless it’s something work-related, but Aria said things have been mild lately.”

I roll my eyes thinking about how my brother and his wife think that my mood could be controlled by a seventeen year old girl.

Almost eighteen, my mind decides to remind me and right on time, my cock jumps in my pants.