CRY BABY

“You are special,” Oscar commented in return and it was the truth. It had never not been the truth, though Oscar had not been the best at showing it. “Oh, you are?” He raised his brows in response to hearing that she was on the dunk list. “I guess I’ll have to come take a chance and see how good my throwing arm is,” Oscar teased her, unable to help the images that flashed through his mind of his wife in a soaking wet, white t-shirt. The images that he was thinking of quickly left when the woman let loose a name he didn’t care to hear. “Oh,” he knew she was being open and honest with him, which is what their relationship needed. Oscar didn’t want to really help out but with the idea of Seth being there with his wife, he found himself nodding his head. A slow smile touched his lips, “I’d love to help out. I didn’t sign up for anything this year,” he figured, just in case he had to work or needed to get out of town if things weren’t going well, “so I am all yours, for as long as you need.”

...

Maddox let a smile come along her features as she raised her arms, letting them settle on his shoulders. “So are you,” she cutely scrunched up her nose as she leaned in to poke the tip of her nose against his for a second before she pulled back, furrowing her brows at his words about dunking her himself. “You wouldn’t,” she laughed as she nudged him playfully as she turned towards the stand, grateful for the people that were tending to it so she could talk to her husband. She focused her attention back on Oscar as she heard his little oh, her head tilting oh the side a little as her brows raised. “Have I told you recently that I love having you home?” 

Maddox stood by the baking stand, crossing her arms over her chest as she used her hands to warm up her arms. She told Oscar to go enjoy the festival a little since she was stuck at the stands but it was nice he was willing to abandon work to spend time with her. But she had a hint of regret because she was starting to freeze due to the wind. She bounced on her feet a little as she turned her head to see Seth heading in her direction with Maverick. “If isn’t my favorite Fallbrook dog,” she chuckled before raising her eyes up towards Seth. “And my baking helper. I’m mostly waiting for the next batch of cupcakes that Lydia went to go get so we can start another decorating table.”

Oscar had renewed his relationship with his wife. He had spent so much time wallowing in his feelings, burying his insecurities that it led him to affairs as a way to feel something, anything. Since the day before Valentine’s Day, when Maddox made a move to rekindle their intimate moments, it hadn’t slowed down. He was greeted at the door by the woman after work, spending few nights at the bar with Jeremy anymore. In the mornings, he was the one to wake her up with peppered kisses everywhere. Spotting Maddox, he snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. Her fingers touched his hand, her head tilting back to look up at him as she planted a kiss on his cheek. He kissed her hair, holding her tight as he looked at the scene before him. Children. A guilt built up in the pit of his stomach but he turned away from it at her question, “A partner has his ways.” He teased back to his wife, “Plus, I wanted to spend the weekend with you and only you.”

...

Maddox felt like for the first time in years the both of them were going to be okay. She stopped trying to keep track of her ovulations and enjoyed the moments with him. She smiled as she turned around to face him, raising her arms up to drape around his neck. “I feel so special,” it was true, the fact he had put work aside to come spend some times with her during the Cherry Blossom festival. “I don’t know if you saw but I’m on the list of volunteers to get dunked,” she mused, wiggling her eyebrows with a sly smirk on her features. “I can’t promise that they won’t make wear a white t-shirt.” She teased as she slipped her fingers through the strands of his hair on the back of his head. “You should also know that Seth was put on the volunteer list for the bakery stand.” She had to be open about these sort of things, the reason they had become so distant with one another is because they stopped communicating. “So, it might be a pretty busy day for me unless you want help out too?”

Ever since Valentine’s day, Maddox had taken full advantage of the rekindling between her and Oscar. They were practically back in the honeymoon stage of not being able to keep their hands off each other and there were even nights where she met him at the door when he came home from the office. Pressing her lips together to keep a full smile from appearing on her features her eyes focused on the table of children who were decorating cupcakes. See, this could be her life. She may never have her own children but at least she could observe. She felt arms slide around her waist and as her fingers touched his hand she knew exactly who it was. Her head lead back as she tilted it up to look at him, turning her head to place a kiss on his cheek. “How did you manage to break free?” She teased.

Maverick was a big dog, strong too. That was why Seth worked on training him from the day he got him from the rescue shelter and he’d never seen that dog run away from him as fast as when he saw Maddox. To be honest, it almost made Seth cringe. The last conversation the two had hadn’t gone too well. Actually, it had and that was the problem because Maddox was married and Seth wasn’t supposed to be thinking about the person who was supposed to be his high school sweetheart. He walked towards the two and laughed as easily as possible. “Sorry about that.” He replied, bending down to snatch Maverick’s red leash and securing it in his hand. “He probably smelled the sugar on you.” He knew she was always baking something, if not at Busy Bee then at home. The constant smell of baked goods was one of the reasons he’d fallen in love with her but that sparkly diamond ring on her finger reminded him that they were living very different lives now.

...

Maddox did her best to keep the man standing in front of him off her mind especially since Oscar was finally back in town for the first time in months. Somehow the last seven weeks she had been able to avoid running into Seth so it was easier to focus on being the good wife she was trying to be but as she knelt down in front of him... She realized she had been holding her breath since the moment Maverick ran into her arms. She brushed her hands on either side of the dog’s head, shaking her head at his words. “Don’t apologize, I love Maverick.” She again realized she was looking a little too long at Seth so she cleared her throat, dropping her eyes down to the dog. “Ah, he takes after his owner with the whole love of sugar thing, doesn’t he?” She teased as she stood up, brushing her hands against her jeans. “How have you been? It’s... been a while.”

Maddox had tried to bury it, the emotions that boiled up to the surface during her last conversation with Seth. After the truth had been exposed she kept wondering in the back of her mind what would happened if she hadn’t come home with the clear thought of Seth moving on and happy with someone else? She hated that feeling especially now she was trying to bury herself back into her marriage because Oscar deserved more than what she had been doing the last few years. Suddenly, a nose was poking at her leg. She glanced down at the dog, knowing almost instantly it was Seth’s. She leaned down and put her hands on each side of his neck, petting the top of his head. “I missed you too,” she chuckled as she raised her eyes to see his owner standing over them. “Hey. Guess he couldn’t help himself, huh?”

Jeremy laughed and nodded. “We definitely have been gone more lately. I finally finished things up in Texas so I think I’m back for a bit now.” He knew that Oscar was planning another trip, though. He just wasn’t sure if he had told his wife so he wasn’t about to burst that bubble. “That’s great. I’m sure the Spring Breakers are on their way then summer will hit so it’ll never be a dull moment.” He smiled. “I’m glad things are good for you both. You deserve it.”

...

“I’m glad. I was about head to Texas to grab you both by your ears to drag you back here... or maybe give you a swift kicking for kidnapping my husband for weeks on end.” After their little rekindling the night before Valentine’s Day, Maddox had been doing her best to be the good wife. The one who didn’t put pressure on their marriage to have kids because she had to start accepting the fact that if it was meant to be that... it would have happened. “You’re right... I forgot Spring Break was coming up although I’m excited about the Cherry Blossom Festival. I plan on making cupcakes.” She let a smile come along her features. “Yeah, we’ve been through a lot... Haven’t we? What about you? When do you plan on finally settling down, Mr. Lieberman?”

Waking him up nice and slow, bring him coffee in bed Listen to his problems, tell him that I understand Touch him so he knows in his heart, he's the only one Try to loosen up and be more fun Yeah, I could be more fun

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He grinned at her as he repeated his name and took the flower. “Always, Maddox. It’s the truth” He assured her of that. The woman was definitely gorgeous and he always thought so. If she wasn’t married, he would’ve definitely flirted and give it his all, but she was and he wouldn’t do that; even if he knew of Oscar’s wandering eye. “Oh, I’ve been great. Never anything to complain about my way, you know that.” Jeremy smirked at her. “And the cases have been good. I have court next week so here’s hoping I win.” He laughed a little. “How about yourself?”

...

Denial. It was the one thing, Maddox had been living in for the last few months. Each interaction with Seth creating a pool of guilt in the depth of her chest because the organ that beat a little quicker whenever he was near. After Oscar came home, the brunette swore she would be a better wife and do everything she could to make up for the thoughts and feelings she had while he was away. “You’re too kind,” she smiled as she chuckled, nodding her head. “Of course. It’s nice to see the both of you back in town at the same time. I feel like the both of you tag team the traveling.” She teased, nodding her head as she turned her head to look back at the B&B. “Things are great even though it’s not the holidays we’ve still managed to stay busy. And with Oscar being home. Everything feels... It feels good.”

Oscar didn’t expect this from Maddox, not after everything they had been through. Her fingertips moved along his arm and he lifted his gaze to meet her own. He loved Maddox, despite the way he found himself taking other women to bed when he was away on business trips. He didn’t always feel that she loved him the same, feeling especially threatened since Seth’s return to town. “You,” he shook his head, swallowing hard when he knew he was the reason for their lack of children. He had never come forward about the procedure, never being able to confront the fact that he was the reason for their marriage going downhill. “you don’t have to apologize,” Oscar reached out to place one of his hands on top of her own. “you deserve for me to show you the same. I think we can do that for each other.” Didn’t she deserve that same curtesy? 

...