Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game(53)

As we started to the car, Maddie and Josh walked ahead of us with Joe and me trailing behind. Breaking the silence, Joe said, “I hope we won’t go ten more years before we see each other again, Noah,”

“No, I don’t want that,” I answered honestly.

“I’d really like to keep getting to know you. Would you object to getting together when I’m in town?”

Shrugging, I replied, “Sure why not.”

“I could even fly you out to San Diego. I could show you the sights, introduce you to your step-mother and half-sisters.”

Scuffing the pavement with my shoe, I finally bobbed my head. “I’d like that.”

Joe smiled. “I’d glad to hear it.”

After silently debating whether or not to ask him, I finally blurted, “Speaking of getting together. I’d really love for you to come to my graduation in a few weeks. I mean, if you can…”

“I’ll make it work.”

We then hugged each other one last time. “So, I’ll talk to you soon,” I said.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

***

Chapter Sixteen

Josh was out cold by the time we got on the interstate. Maddie looked back at him and grinned. “I can’t thank you enough for today, Noah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy or excited.”

“I’m glad he had a good time. I want to thank you guys, too.”

“Us?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have had the courage to call my dad if it hadn’t been for you guys,” I said.

“Then I’m glad we could help. Your dad seems like a really nice guy,” Maddie said.

“Yeah, he does.”

Maddie was quiet for a minute. Always playing the peacemaking Dr. Phil she asked, “Do you think you can forgive him?”

I took one of my hands off the wheel to rub my eyes. Once again, she was totally intune with what I was thinking and feeling. I kept wondering myself if I could forgive Joe and move on—if he could actually have a place in my life as a father. “That’s a hard one.”

“Yeah, forgiveness is a hard,” Maddie murmured.

I sighed. “I really want to forgive him. I mean, he is totally changed from the jerk who knocked up my mom and ran off. It would be nice to have him in my life. I guess we can start over.”

Maddie smiled encouragingly at me. “It’s never too late.” As she turned to stare out the windshield, her expression momentarily darkened. “Sometimes it’s easy to forgive. It’s forgetting that’s harder.”

I raised my eyebrows. I wanted to know if she might be talking about Jake, so I pressed her for information. “Who have you had to forgive?”

Maddie didn’t answer me. She stared ahead into the dark night. “Maddie?” I prompted.

“My brother Will.”

“Oh, I see.”

“He’s hurt us all so much—my parents especially. Sometimes I want to hit him really hard for what he’s put them through.” She glanced down at her hands folded in her lap. “But in the end, I always forgive him…I just can never forget everything bad.”

“I’m sorry.”

She turned to me and smiled. “Thank you.”

We spent the rest of the drive in silence with only the muted sound of the radio filling the car. When I pulled into her driveway, Maddie’s house was still dark. “Where are your parents?”

“My dad had a wedding tonight. They won’t be home until around eleven, I guess.”

I hopped out of the Jeep and pulled Josh to me. He snored slightly as I carried him up the front stairs. Maddie held the door open for me. At the thoughts of taking him up the flight of stairs to his bedroom, I groaned.

Maddie must’ve read my thoughts because she giggled. “Just put him down here on the couch. He sleeps better there than he does in his own bed.”

I nodded and eased him down. When I turned around, Maddie was gone. She returned in an instant with Josh’s pajamas.

“Can you help me?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

I pulled Josh into a sitting position. Maddie lifted his shirt over his head and then eased the pajama top over him. She noticed my hesitation at his shorts, so she unbuttoned them and slid them off. I had to bite my tongue from laughing. He was wearing Scooby Doo underwear.

Once she was finished, Maddie pulled the blanket over him.

A noise in the kitchen caused us both to jump. “Wait, I thought you just said your parents weren’t going to be home until eleven,” I whispered.

“They’re not.”

I grabbed the poker off the fireplace and started for the kitchen. Maddie was right behind me, her hand rested on my belt loop. When I flicked on the light, a disheveled-looking figure stood with the refrigerator door open.

“Hey Maddie,” a slurry voice said.

I glanced over my shoulder at Maddie. Her eyes widened. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

“Who is that?” I demanded.

Maddie blushed. “It’s Will.”

Speak of the devil. I stared in disbelief at the ragged figure before me. Somewhere in his dirty face I saw some semblance of Josh. I couldn’t believe he was really standing in front of me.