“Mads?” I stepped out of the bathroom. Sure, I was breaking my rule about yelling across the house, but the tension building in my stomach gave me all the permission I needed.
No response came. I made my way down the stairs, heading into the kitchen where I’d hoped to find Maddie with a clean plate in front of her and Daniel Tiger still on the TV.
My heart stopped when I didn’t. She was gone.
“Maddie?”
No response came. My heart racing, I hurried over to the entry room to see that the front door was opened a crack. It was my worst nightmare. I stood still for a moment, realizing that Maddie had left the house, and that she could be anywhere.
Fear took hold of every part of me. Every parent’s worst anxiety was coming to life.
I tried to take a deep breath, to calm myself. She could be right in the front yard. I stepped over to the door and opened it all the way.
There was no sign of her.
Without thinking, I stepped into my slippers and ran out onto the front lawn.
“Maddie? Maddie, baby, where are you?”
There was no response. Tears formed in my eyes, and it took every bit of strength I had not to start bawling on the spot.
“Maddie? Please!”
I prepared myself for no response once again.
But thankfully I got one. Maddie’s unmistakable laughter sounded from off in the distance, followed by a loud bark that I recognized instantly.
I listened a bit more, craning my neck to confirm that it was coming from the direction of Valentino’s backyard. Relief and urgency hit me all at once, and I rushed off toward the sound of my little girl. As I made my way around Valentino’s house, however, I quickly realized that it would be impossible to get through to the yard—the big, stone wall between my backyard and his was solid and too tall to climb. The only way in from the outside was through a thick, wooden door that was generally closed and locked.
I had to go through the house. Without wasting a moment, I ran to the front door, and trudged up the stairs, my slippers plodding on the hard stone. I reached the front doors and began banging.
“Valentino! Hey!”
More laughter sounded from the backyard. Maddie was safe, but I wasn’t going to be at ease until I had her in my arms.
“Valentino!” I banged more.
The doors finally opened. Valentino was dressed in blue slacks, a gray V-neck shirt, and sand-colored, suede loafers. Even through my worry I noted how damn handsome he looked.
His sharp, well-put-together outfit quickly reminded me of what I was dressed in—nothing more than a towel.
“Uh, hi?” he asked, his eyes trailing over my body.
“No time to talk!”
Embarrassment taking hold, I ran through his house.
Chapter 13
VALENTINO
“Sorry! I’ll explain later!”
Piper tossed the words over her shoulder as she rushed through the house. She was upset about something, and that was my main concern. However, I was also a man with blood in my veins, which meant that it was impossible for me to not notice that she had nothing on but a towel.
I hurried after her, watching her make her way through the first floor all the way to the backyard. On the way there, I stepped into the nearby guest bathroom and pulled a white robe off the hook, taking it out with me. I figured that once Piper realized that she’d run into my house wearing nothing but a towel, her next thought would be a desire to cover up.
“Shoot!”
