“I had to go get Daisy’s centerpieces, and since you were out of it, I left you here with Madison to ensure you didn’t try to kidnap the cattle and run them to the border.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Bro. She hung out here until I got back. She said you pretty much passed out.”
There was a moment of panic as I tried to remember the night before. I saw a flash in my mind of me falling on the coffee table, and relief shot through me. Thank God I hit the table instead of me getting frisky with Madison and her decking me.
“She seemed okay when you got here?”
“Yeah.” He pointed to the room and nodded. “And she did some real good work here. I hadn’t realized how stupid the living room looked until she worked her magic.”
Her magic.
Austin went to the kitchen, cracked open the bottle of pain medication, and handed me a bottle of water. “It’s five in the morning. Take these, go back to bed for a while, and you’ll feel better in a few hours.”
“Okay.”
“Well, since you’re not dead, I’m going home to my own bed. Daisy said to be over at nine for her breakfast plan.”
“Got it.”
Austin headed out the door while I headed back to bed. I tossed and turned for a bit when I remembered laughing and, I thought, dancing with Madison. Dancing with Madison? But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember anything else. Eventually, I dozed off, and before I knew it, the morning sunlight was poking me in the eye.
My headache had diminished, and once I poured some caffeine into me, I was feeling more like myself. I was still missing several hours of my memory, but I knew I’d been close to Madison. It bugged the snot out of me that I couldn’t remember any of it.
Daisy had warned me that she and Jim had a special day planned for Madison, but I was baffled when I went throughher front door. Apparently, the two had come up with a new holiday. The large banner that hung across the fireplace read, MERRY EASTMAS.
“It’s the celebration of every holiday in one day. It’s freaking fabulous!”Daisy jumped up and down with a few hand claps.
I nodded when she ordered me to put up the fake Christmas tree while Austin was given plastic Easter eggs he tossed onto the branches. Just when I thought we were done, Jim threw ugly Christmas sweaters at us, as Daisy hit a button on her old boom box and “Jingle All The Way” assaulted my ears. This was going to be interesting.
I pulled on my red holiday sweater that had a fat Santa drinking a beer on it. Daisy fiddled with a button and lit up my festive attire, the sleeves flashing on and off, which I thought was the tackiest thing I’d ever seen until I turned to see Austin. His lighted, bright green sweater had a flashing reindeer on the front with two huge Christmas tree ornaments positioned suspiciously to look like the beast’sballs.
He shook his head. “Really?”
“Austin, if you dance around, the reindeer’s balls jingle.” Daisy giggled. “They’re jingle balls!”
Sure enough, Austin started dancing and jumping, and the tinkling of jingling balls filled the air.
We were all laughing so hard that nobody noticed Madison standing in the doorway with confusion written all over her face.
I watched her eyes skimmingthe room while I surreptitiously took in every inch of the unbelievably hot woman who stood before us. Her hair hung in soft curls, that cute little wrinkle forming between her brows. But it was thosejeans she wore along with a gray wrap-around shirt, hugging her curves and showing off her amazing, mind-blowing, over-the-top, sexy figure that held me dumbfounded in the best of ways, even as the blinking lights from my sweater danced about in my peripheral vision.
I imagined pulling the little bow at her waist that held it all together, throwing her on the couch, and having my way with her. Well, everyone around me would disappear in my extremely inappropriate daydream, of course.
I stared at her while trying to control the smile on my face, which I knewwas way too happy by half.Come on, be cool, damn it!
Daisy saw her and started clapping as a beaming Jim spun around.
“Surprise!” Daisy jumped up and down.
“What’s happing?”
Daisy giggled, and Madison’s eyes landed on me, her lips rolling inward in an attempt to hold back her laughter. A battle I was sure she’d lose. Sure enough, snorts made their way through her nostrils, and her previously sealed lips released a bout of laughter, the tear-drawing kind, all at my expense.
“Good morning, Sweetie. Come on in.” Daisy waved Madison into the room with more excitement than she had exuded in a while.
“What’s going on?” Madison’s voice cracked as she attempted to get her laughter under control.
