Without a word, she turned and walked out of the coop. Was the silence her answer? Was she telling me to go to hell? Was I dead in the water?
“Madison!”
She kept walking as if she hadn’t heard me. Shit, was this it? I felt panic boiling up. “Madison!”
She turned and walked backward for a few steps, wearing a smile that lit up the whole mountain canyon. Relief washed over me when she gave me a wave before turning back and running up Daisy’s porch stairs. Whew.
There was a lightness in me as I walked over the hill, unable to get the damn smile to leave my face.
I walked into the she-shed and pulled the door closed behind me before plopping on the love seat. She’d never been there, but it felt like her. Unexpected, beautiful, and relaxed like nobody else.
I wanted her there. I wanted her sitting in the blue chair, wearing that pizza slut sweatshirt, with Grant rolling around on the rug like a wild man. Yeah, I was in over my head. I may talk a good game, but the woman had the power to crush me with a single word.
Once in my house, I grabbed a beer from the kitchen and was in the shower when Grant burst through the bathroom door.
“Hi, Jax. Daisy walked me home.”
He was home.I liked the sound of that.
“I’m drawing Funny Bunny and Firequacker on the steamy mirror. Daisy said she wants me to be at her house at six for the movie. Then we’re going for ice cream. Just so you know Jim and I both love popcorn and ice cream. I think we’ll be best friends soon.”
“He’s a cool dude. A great best friend to have.” I switched off the water, wrapped a towel around my waist, and slid open the shower curtain.
“Wow, you have six-pack muscles.”
“Yes.” I grabbed my phone from the counter and texted.
Jax:
I’ll pick your sweet ass up at six.
Madison:
Is this Joel?
Jax:
Is this sass? I told you what that’ll get you.
Madison:
CAN’T WAIT…
“I want muscles. How do I get them?”
“Well, you can start by doing some work and exercise. Your room looks like a bomb went off. Go clean it up and do twenty push-ups.”
He scurried off while I shaved, but he returned in five minutes. “I did twenty push-ups and nothing.”
“Bro, you need to do twenty push-ups, like ten times a day. It’s not a one and done kind of thing.”
Grant followed me inside my closet.
“Where are you eating fancy food at?”
“You’ll be happy to hear, I have a friend who owns a restaurant in town, and I’ve got him setting up a special dinner.”
“Yay.” Grant’s eyes narrowed at me. “He has all the forks, right? Some guys don’t need the forks, but I think you do.”
