Nash opened his mouth to say something, but Maddie squeezed his arm, then turned her focus to me. “Come over for dinner this week. We’re finally settled into the new kitchen.”
I grinned, and the curve of my mouth was authentic for the first time all day. “A Maddie meal? Twist my arm.”
Nash frowned at her. “You gonna make double?”
Holt choked on a laugh as he strode up. “I’ve never met someone more possessive of food.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “You’re one to talk. Wren said you practically called off the wedding when she ate the last of the leftovers.”
Holt’s face reddened a fraction. “I was saving them for my lunch.”
“She’s pregnant,” Maddie said incredulously.
“It was Wildfire pizza,” Holt shot back as if that justified everything.
Maddie threw up her hands. “Men.”
Nash wrapped her in his arms and dipped her to kiss her soundly. It started out playful but turned heated in a way that spoke of a level of intimacy I’d never experienced. It made my skin itch as if it were too tight for my body, and I had to look away.
Someone in the crowd let out a whistle, and Maddie broke away, her cheeks pink.
“What was that about men?” Nash asked with a smirk.
She pinched his side. “That you’re barely worth the trouble, but you come in handy with the sexual favors.”
He snorted and draped an arm across her shoulders. “Want to go home and take advantage of those favors?”
Maddie’s eyes softened in a way that had a bit of that panic flaring to life in my chest again. “Always.”
Nash gave his brothers and me a chin lift and guided Maddie toward the door.
As I watched them go, I couldn’t imagine what Nash had exposed himself to. It was as if his heart were walking around outside his body, and he was completely okay with it. Nothing on this planet could get me to sign on for that. But as I watched Maddie stretch onto her tiptoes to brush her lips across his cheek, I knew it meant my life might be a damn lonely one.
* * *
I guidedmy G-Wagon around the last bend in the road before reaching The Peaks. The resort’s beauty struck me as it came into view. It didn’t matter that a million dark memories haunted it. This place held my best memories, too: Making cookies with my mom in our kitchen. Racing Clara down to the barn to go on a trail ride. Exploring with her and Gabe. Even softer memories of my father before he turned, but then again, maybe I’d just been blind to the ugliness that lived in him and my brother all along.
I slowed at the massive iron gates as a security guard stepped out.
“Good evening, Mr. Shaw. How was your night?”
“Loaded question, Alex. But at least I’ve got an ice-cold beer in my future.”
He grinned. “Always helps me after a long day. Have a good one.”
“You, too. Tell Suzanne I said hello.”
“Will do.”
Just as I was about to take my foot off the brake, my phone buzzed in the cupholder. I glanced down and grimaced.
Dad
Come to the house. I need to speak with both of you.
He’d sent the text to both Gabe and me.Great.The last thing I needed was an eight o’clock family board meeting. I wanted a long, cold shower and my bed. But like a good dog, I turned toward my parents’ house on the other side of the lodge.
The resort had just about everything you could want in a getaway: five-star dining, an award-winning spa, a movie theatre, and a nightclub. There were facilities for tennis, golf, horseback riding, and every outdoor activity under the sun. And guests were guaranteed a level of privacy that was difficult to find anywhere else. Titans of industry, celebrities, and even royals came to stay.
