Almost Perfect

Chapter 19

Never underestimate gut instinct.

– How to Have a Perfect Life

Joe couldn't remember ever being happier. Which made him very nervous. Especially as the weeks flew by with increasing speed. Every day brought him closer to the end of summer and the time to relaunch Phase Two of his plan.

When the initial launch had nearly ended in disaster, he'd decided to retreat, regroup, and wait for better timing.

The month between the end of summer camp and when Derrick arrived seemed appropriate. This time, he would test the waters more carefully by mentioning the future casually in conversation so he didn't scare her off. No way would he blurt out a marriage proposal and ruin everything.

He did, however, have a ring picked out, and had even made a down payment. It was a custom design by one of the most talented jewelers in the area-much more Maddy-esque than the traditional solitaire he'd tried before. What a dumb choice that had been! Maddy needed something unique, like her, which made this ring perfect.

She was going to love it. He was sure

At least he hoped.

First, though, he had to talk her into moving to Santa Fe permanently, since the last day of summer camp had somehow arrived. How had that happened? How had weeks vanished while he wasn't looking? Granted, between running his mother's camp, making plans for his own, and being with Maddy, he'd been having the time of his life. Plus, he accepted from his past experience that being in love made the brain malfunction, which was why he'd messed things up so badly before.

Not this time, though. This time, he was doing it right, moving in stages, so that when he popped the question, she'd say yes.

Even as he told himself that, he broke out in a nervous sweat. Or maybe that was the sun, he decided as he stood in the parking lot supervising the chaos of loading buses. All around him, little girls ran and screamed. Older girls cried and hugged.

Maddy stood with his mother, exchanging a few last words with the campers as they climbed onto the first bus. Looking at her never ceased to stir him up on every level. She excited, soothed, mesmerized, and… enchanted him. Yeah, he thought with an admittedly goofy smile, she flat out enchanted him.

Today she wore a cropped T-shirt covered with hand-painted flowers-the result of one of her craft projects-with a denim miniskirt she'd obviously made from an old pair of jeans. He'd long since accepted that uniforms and Maddy simply didn't go together. Since none of the other coordinators complained, he let it slide without comment. Besides, once she was his wife, not an employee, it wouldn't matter what she wore.

His smile got a bit goofier as she bent to accept a macaroni necklace from one of the little campers. She gushed with praise and thanks, which had the little girl beaming. What a great mom she'd make.

Finally the first bus was full. With a whoosh of brakes, it started down the hill toward the front gate. The chaos dimmed only momentarily, since they had several more buses to go, plus parents arriving in private cars.

Maddy turned and spotted him, then moved through the maze of campers lined up with their trunks, pillows, sleeping bags, and stuffed toys to join him.

"Is it always this hard to watch them go?" she asked.

"I'm afraid it might be." He offered her a sympathetic smile, barely resisting the urge to kiss the frown line away from her forehead. "All last summer, I thought I'd be relieved to have quiet and sanity return to my life. Then I remembered the scre wed-up home life some of these kids are going back to, and I wanted to climb on the bus and go with them. Maybe knock some parents' heads together. I still do."

"I know what you mean." She shaded her eyes as the next bus pulled into position. "It's not so hard with the good kids. It's ones like Cory and her gang who get to me."

"Me too." He chuckled, since thirteen-year-old Cory had spent half her summer at Camp Enchantment on probation for smuggling in cigarettes-not once but three times. Carol blew her whistle and started calling roll. "We get them for five weeks every summer, though. I like to think it helps."

He tensed a bit at the Freudian slip. We get them every summer. Would she realize he'd meant the two of them, not the camp staff at large? He shifted his gaze sideways, but she showed no visible reaction. Although, the slip did fit the timetable for his plan, since camp was over. He was supposed to start dropping in references to the future to gauge her reaction. Only, she wasn't reacting. She was just standing there as still as stone.

Finally, she lowered her hand, but kept her gaze on the campers as she quoted the camp motto. " 'Building character and memories to last a lifetime.'"

"Yeah," he agreed, thinking of the two of them. He wanted more than a lifetime of remembering Maddy. He wanted a lifetime of making memories. He thought of the ring he'd picked out and fresh sweat broke out on his forehead.

Somewhere over the den of noise, he heard the phone in the office ringing.

"I better get that," he said, leaping on the excuse to get away from this conversation before he said something stupid. He stepped gratefully into the cool, shady office and snapped up the handset. "Camp Enchantment."

"Yo, Scout."

He grinned at the sound of Derrick's voice. "What's up, Socrates?"

"Good news, my man. We have us our first victims."

"Campers. They're called campers."

"Ho-no, these guys definitely be victims." Der-rick's deep chuckle came through full of good humor. "My sister told her boss about the boot camp. Apparently it's just the sort of team-building experience he's been wanting for his programmers. He wants to sign up for a corporate package."

"What?" The words wouldn't quite register in Joe's brain. "You sold a corporate package?"

"Yep. Looks like we're getting a whole slew of computer programmers to turn into super geeks."

"Wow, that's…" Way ahead of schedule. The main reason Maddy was staying was to help them sell the programs. "That's great, man."

"Do you think you could tone down the enthusiasm just a little?" Derrick asked in the same flat tone Joe had just used.

"Sorry." Joe shook his head, laughing at himself. "It is great. Really."

"So what's the problem?"

"You're messing with my plan."

"Uh-oh. You and the word 'plan' always scare me. So what are you planning to death this time? No, wait, let me guess. This has something to do with your lady, right?"

"I don't plan things to death." Joe scowled in offense. "I never heard you complain when we were on an op. I happen to excel at planning things out."

"In other words, you haven't followed Brother Derrick's advice for your love life, have you?"

Heat climbed up Joe's neck as he remembered how much he'd revealed to Derrick over the last several weeks. But if a man couldn't let down a few barriers with his Ranger buddy, who could he confide in? Besides, after working side by side in some extreme situations, they didn't need words to know what the other was thinking.

"So," Derrick persisted, "have you managed to articulate the big three words?"

"I told you," Joe said. "I have a plan."

"I'll take that as a big negatory."

"A plan that now I'll have to rework, since you just blew half of it out of the water."

"Joe, Joe, Joe." Derrick sighed. "You can't treat relationships like an op, working out every detail down to the last possible contingency."

"Well, why the hell not? That's what I'd like to know."

"Because…" Another sigh. "Terrorists are predictable. Women are not."

"I know. That's what worries me." He walked over to watch Maddy through the window. "Plus, I have this gut instinct telling me that something's wrong."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I can't put my finger on it, but…" He remembered some of his conversations with Maddy lately, when he'd asked her how things were going with Sylvia and she'd changed the subject. "I have this nagging sense that she's keeping something from me. Something to do with her artwork."

"Isn't that what you said happened last time?"

"They say history repeats itself." Except this time she had no reason to keep things from him. Not that she had last time either.

"Have you considered the possibility that you're seeing ghosts from the past, inventing things to obsess over?"

"Maybe." He turned away from the window. "So, are you still coming next month?"

"Actually I thought I should come up sooner, for us to get rocking on the obstacle course for the super geeks."

"How much sooner?"

"I can be there week after next."

"Oh, man, you are shooting my schedule all to hell."

"Joe, get a grip," Derrick said dramatically. "Even on an op, sometimes your plan gets screwed and you have to go in with what you've got, guns blazing."

"Which, if you'll remember, is how I got shot."

"True. But have you considered this? If you hadn't taken that hit, you wouldn't be sitting in New Mexico right now. We'd both be sweating our asses off in some desert dodging car bombs. And your high school sweetheart would still be just a wistful memory."

"Are you saying I should be thankful I got shot?"

"Out of adversity comes opportunity. See ya in a couple of weeks, man. And, hey, good luck with your lady."

"Yeah. Thanks a lot."

The instant Joe hung up, he remembered a second reason he didn't want Derrick to come ahead of schedule. Maddy's show in Taos. He couldn't miss it. Her friends were going to be there, and he'd finally get to meet them.

Besides, it was the only show she had scheduled, which he found strange. Sylvia didn't seem to be doing much to promote Maddy's work. Was that why Maddy tensed up when he asked her how things were going?

Ill ease tickled the back of his neck, that sixth sense alerting him to danger. Something was definitely off kilter. Or maybe Derrick was right. Maybe he was seeing ghosts from the past. Maybe.

"I can't believe another session has come and gone." Sitting on the edge of the patio behind the office, Maddy stared up at the stars.

"Feels weird, doesn't it?" Joe dropped down beside her and held out a beer. "Here you go."

"Thanks." She popped the top with a satisfying spew, then drank quickly, before the foam spilled down the side. "Ah! I never knew beer could taste so good."

Joe took a long pull from his can and sighed loudly. "Abstinence makes the taste buds grow fonder."

They sat in easy silence watching fireflies blink off and on throughout the camp. Lights glowed from the various lodges where the counselors would spend one last night, then depart in the morning. A shriek of laughter drifted from the Chiefs Lodge. Through the screen windows, she could make out the shapes of the coordinators moving about. A pillow flew, hitting the back of someone's head. More laughter followed.

Maddy smiled. "I just realized what this reminds me of."

"What's that?" He draped an arm over her shoulder.

"The last day of college." She leaned comfortably into him. "Classes are over, removing your reason for being there, yet you're still there, along with people who have been such a big part of your life. Then suddenly you realize you have no reason for seeing them every day. Everything inside you ping-pongs back and forth between excitement- because, yippee, you're finally out of school, ready to take on real life-and outbursts of tears because, oh my God, you're not going to see your friends every day anymore."

"Transitions are always tough," he said quietly.

"Yeah." She sighed, grateful that she wasn't leaving with the others tomorrow. She had one whole month to be with Joe before his friend Derrick arrived. Plenty of time for working up to the things she'd promised herself she'd tell him as soon as they had the camp back to themselves. Although there was no time like the present to start laying the groundwork. "It's very tough to say good-bye, but sometimes it's not necessary. If the bonds are strong enough, all those promises to stay close actually stick."

"Do they?" he asked.

"They did for Amy, Christine, and me. Three out of four's not bad."

"What happened to your fourth suitemate?"

"Ah, that would be Jane Redding."

"From the morning show?" He pulled back in surprise.

"Yep."

"You never told me that." He settled back against her, fitting her snugly to his side. "So what happened with her?"

"She went off to become rich and famous, and we fell out of touch." Oh man, she thought. This was not a good way to lead up to asking how he'd feel if she took Sylvia up on the offer to be in the spring catalog. "But it didn't have to be that way. We could have stayed close if Jane had been willing to put in the effort."

"Long-distance relationships are tough." He paused. "I'm, um, not sure I'd want to go through another one."

Why had he said that? she wondered. Oh yes, Janice. The woman he'd dated while still in the Army. The one he'd considered marrying until he realized she valued career over family.

And weren't those all the problems she and Joe would face if she moved her career up on her list of priorities, then had to travel to make it work?

From the Chiefs Lodge, Carol's voice rose above the others, calling for quiet. Maddy glanced over at the sound. The screens obscured the figures inside, but she could see that they were making a toast. Cheap wine, paper cups, and promises.

Which of those promises would hold?

"I've always wondered, is it the same for men when you have to move on?"

He chuckled. "We have our own way of doing it. Generally without the emotional outbursts."

"Really?" She tipped her head to see his face. "What about the last day of Ranger school? I imagine that was pretty emotional."

A smile moved over his face. She loved the way he smiled, his muscles moving in such a masculine way. "It was… intense."

Laughing, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sure it was."

"Speaking of…" He stared at his beer can. "I heard from Derrick today."

"Oh?" She frowned at his flat tone. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Not at all. Actually, things couldn't be better. He, um, sold a corporate package."

"Really?" Twin jolts of elation and concern hit her at once. How fabulous for Joe-but where did this leave her? "Wow, that's… great."

He chuckled, which made her frown deepen.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." He took a sip of beer. "I don't have all the details yet, but he's coming earlier than expected so we can start building the obstacle course."

"How much earlier?" She shifted to face him.

"He'll be here in two weeks."

"But-"

"I know." When his arm dropped off her shoulder, he took her hand. "Your art show in Taos. This won't affect that. I promise. I'll just tell Derrick to entertain himself while we're gone."

"Is that what you want to do? We were just talking about the importance of friends, and I know you haven't seen Derrick in nearly two years. I don't want to interfere with that."

"Maddy…" He chuckled. "I'm not going to miss your art show."

"Good." She squeezed his hand. "I really do want you there."

"You know…" he said cautiously, gathering his thoughts and his courage. "I'm a little surprised that you don't have more shows coming up."

"Oh?" Her hand jerked.

"Yeah." An alarm went off in his head. Something was definitely wrong here. "You were such a big hit the night of Sylvia's show, I expected things to take off faster."

"Ah. Well, you know." She shrugged as if that should explain things.

He frowned at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Irritation edged into her voice.

"Everything is going okay, though, right?"

"Of course." She scowled at her beer.

"It's just that I've noticed you haven't been spending much time on your artwork, so I wondered-"

"Everything's fine. Really." Her eyes pleaded with him in the dark. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Shit! It was worse than he'd thought. Although fortunately the only thing she'd been hiding was her disappointment. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "It's okay, Maddy. Sometimes the things we want take longer than we thought they would. That doesn't mean they won't happen."

"I'm not so sure. Joe, I want-" She hesitated, then gripped his hand tightly. "I've been wanting to tell you for weeks that… I want very much to make this work."

"This?" His mind whirled. What "this" did she mean?

"I want to stay here and… give this time. I don't have to have a huge art career, just something quiet and satisfying. That's enough for me, I swear. I just want… the chance to make this work."

"It will work for you, baby. I'm sure of it." Disappointment swamped him as he realized she was talking about her art, not what was growing between them. An ache of sympathy quickly followed. "And of course you can stay here as long as you need to while you're waiting for things to take off."

He kissed her forehead, his mind racing ahead. "In fact, something just occurred to me. Since Derrick and I got our first account, we're going to need to step up all our plans. You know, set up a bank account, office records, all that stuff. Which means we'll need some staff." He leaned back, beaming at the brilliant simplicity of the idea. "What do you say? Would you be interested in the position of office manager for our boot camp?"

"You mean"-her eyes went wide-"like what Carol does for the summer camp?"

"Exactly! Then you can live here as long as you like-which certainly appeals to me-while you wait for things with Sylvia to work out. And it will happen." He lifted her hand and kissed it. "Never lose faith, Maddy. Promise me that."

She blinked, as if overcome. "I'll try not to."

"Then you'll take the job?"

"I-I…" She smiled up at him. "I'd love to."