Page 21 of The CEO

They arrived at Madelyn and Rocky’s home pulling into the driveway.

Madelyn rushed out of the front door and was down the steps and next to the SUV practically before Adam cut the engine.

At just over five feet tall, with a slender frame, the woman wasn’t very big. Her still blonde hair was shot through with gray and pulled into a long braid down her back.

“Where is my baby?” the older woman said as she opened the back door and extricated Lilly from her car seat. “There is my girl.” She pulled the baby into her arms and hugged her, then placed little kisses all over Lilly’s face.

Lilly giggled at her grandmother’s antics.

“Come on inside. You have a few minutes, don’t you?”

“Yes, we can come in for just a minute.” Adam came around the vehicle and helped Bree to the ground.

Madelyn turned her gaze toward Bree. “You look beautiful, my dear.”

“Thank you. I want us to make a good impression on his future client.”

Adam grinned and placed a hand at her waist as they headed inside. “She sounds so sure this guy will be my client. I like a wife with a positive outlook.”

“You should,” intoned a gravelly voice. Adam’s father, Rocky, stood just inside the screened-in porch. It faced west so they could see the mountains. He and Madelyn came out here and had coffee in the spring, summer and fall months. He held the door open for Madelyn and Lilly. And then for Bree.

In looking at Rocky, Bree saw what Adam would look like in thirty years. Tall and fit, with wide streaks of silver shooting through his dark hair on each side of his head at the temples. Those same blue-gray eyes twinkled with mischief. And at the outer corner of his eyes were wrinkles from a lifetime of sorrows and laughter.

Adam held the door, while his father followed the women in.

Rocky began tickling Lilly, making her giggle. And he talked baby talk to her, eliciting laughter from the rest of the adults.

“What?” He lifted his shoulders and put out his hands, palms up. “She understands me, don’t you buttercup?”

Adam shook his head, but he was smiling. “We need to get going. I don’t want to be late to this function.”

“No. Definitely not.” She turned her gaze toward Madelyn. “Call if you need us.”

Madelyn rolled her eyes. “We’ll be fine. I raised six rambunctious children. I think I can handle one sweet baby.”

“And I’ll help, too.” Rocky kept his attention on Lilly. “Son, I know you and Bree are nervous leaving her for the first time, but everything will be okay. Your mom and I are good at this. You’ll see. Now, go. Have a good time at your party tonight, and we’ll see you tomorrow for brunch.”

Adam chuckled. “Okay, we’re going.”

Bree leaned over and gave Lilly a kiss. “You be good for Grandma and Grandpa. Can you do that for Mama?”

“Mama. Mama.”

Bree still wanted to cry from happiness.

“Oh, when did our girl start talking?” Madelyn smiled at Lilly.

“Tonight, as we were about to leave. I almost cried,” said Bree.

“But I made her angry, and then she didn’t want to cry anymore,” said Adam.

Bree widened her eyes. “Are you saying you did that on purpose?”

Adam shrugged. “It worked, didn’t it? Does it really matter if I did it on purpose or not, as long as the desired outcome was achieved.”

“Oh, men!” cursed Bree.

Adam laughed. “Let’s go. You can be mad at me in the car on the way to the party.”