Free Playing for Keeps by Jamie Hill Page B

temple.
    She grabbed a handful of his t-shirt and brought him to her for a real kiss. "Why didn't you wake me this morning?"
    He smiled. "You were sleeping so pretty, I just couldn't. Besides, I wanted to get a jump on the day."
    " Hmph," she snorted as he headed toward the kitchen. "Rather jump the day than me? Blasphemous."
    He chuckled and reached for the phone. "I'm going to have some pizzas delivered for lunch."
    " Didn't you have pizza yesterday for lunch?"
    " It's the easiest thing for a group like this. We need to eat and keep working. I'm sure we'll get her finished if we do."
    "I saw a bunch of hamburgers in the freezer. Couldn't I grill them for you?"
    He looked at her skeptically. "You wouldn't want to do that."
    " Sure I would. I don't have that much left to do in here, and I've got the whole afternoon."
    He looked around. "You're cleaning. Why are you cleaning?"
    She gave him a look. "Houses need to be cleaned every now and again, you know."
    He smiled. "But you don't have to do it. I'm perfectly capable."
    She leaned in to him for a kiss. "Oh, yes you are. Quite capable indeed. But you're busy, I'm bored, and this way it'll be done before Sophie gets back."
    " What a woman." He pinched her butt. "Well, if you don't mind cooking, I'll let you. Use whatever you find in there."
    " Great!" She hugged him, and watched him go back outside.
    Maddie got out hamburgers and buns, and all the condiments to go with them. She'd make some fried potatoes and serve the chips and cookies she found in the pantry. She carried the hamburgers out to the patio where Rob had a gas grill.
    " Madcap!" someone yelled at her.
    " Mad hatter!" another voice called.
    Fred grinned at Maddie. "They're trying out nicknames. Let us know when we hit one you like."
    She grinned back .
    Rob spoke up , "I kind of like Madi-licious." He leered at her.
    She hollered , "Get back to work! No time for this nonsense." She studied the grill for a minute, and realized she had no idea how to operate it. She lifted the lid and walked around it a few times.
    The men were watching her by this time. Smoky winced and said , "She's going to ruin your grill, Coop."
    Rob chuckled. "She'll figure it out."
    Maddie pushed a few buttons and nothing happened.
    Smoky winced again. "She's going to blow us to Kingdom Come, Coop."
    " All right!" Rob shook his head. "Go help her. But the rest of you lugnuts get back to work. We are going to finish this today."
    Smoky smiled politely as he approached Maddie and the grill. "Allow me, Ma'am."
    " Thank God!" Maddie kissed his cheek and went inside to fry the potatoes as Smoky grilled the burgers.
    She laid out a spread for them on the picnic table, and they were all polite and jovial with her while they ate. She laughed hard at some of their jokes, and smiled politely at the rest. It was obvious they were trying to impress her.
    " So what do you have left to do?" she finally asked Rob.
    " We're building the deck that'll go around the pool halfway, with stairs up to it, and a locking gate."
    " Good." She nodded, thinking of Sophie.
    " Actually," he continued, "we should be able to start filling the pool this afternoon. We need the water to warm up by Monday night."
    Fred shook his head. "Probably not going to be too warm by then, Coop. It usually takes a week of sunshine to warm it up just right."
    Rob shrugged. "We'll get what we get, I guess. We're going to have a couple of ninety-degree days, so that'll help. But if it's still cold, I suppose we'll just need more beer Monday night to take the edge off." He stood up to throw his plate away.
    " I'll take care of that, Rob," Maddie told him.
    "Rob?" The guys teased him, as if it was an incredibly funny name. "Oh Rob? Rob!" they all clamored around him.
    " Shut the fuck up," he muttered good-naturedly, and dipped Maddie backwards for a long, passionate kiss. He stood her back up and dusted off his jeans. "Make fun of me now, will you."
    They stood in a row next to Maddie and Shorty