“Pub opens then, yes,” Ryan said.
Madison led her off. Ryan watched for a moment, but it was clear she didn’t need him running interference. She fit in with his friends.
She fit in with him.
It was a slightly disturbing thought after how much energy he had put into making sure he had dealt with the whole lust issue, so he pushed it aside, motioning for Mack to join him. They joined the lineup of people picking up food products and loading them into individual boxes. Chatting easily.
Nothing but here and now. Because that was simpler than trying to untangle the confusion that rose every time he thought about Madison. His good friend. His best friend.
Or was she something more?
* * *
It was clear the people who’d come to Rough Cut that afternoon had done this before. The group gathered to assemble the food hampers didn’t need much direction, looping through the lineup multiple times as the stack of filled food boxes beside the front door grew. Beside Madison, Brooke chatted easily, which was good because Madison was not at her best.
She was distracted and not very proud of the reason why. Jealousy had rushed in unexpectedly, and in very intense measures.
Rose Fields was one of the most beautiful women she had seen in her life.
But…so what? This hard knot inside Madison’s belly shouldn’t be there.
It’s not as if she hadn’t spent time around beautiful people. Heck, Justina had been gorgeous as well, and yet all Madison could think of after meeting her new friend was how she hoped the other woman was as shiny on the inside as she was on the out. And when Justina proved to be an awesome person, all Madison had wanted to do was introduce her to Ryan because she just knew that they belonged together.
Seeing Rose chat innocently with Ryan—
Madison deliberately turned away and focused on Brooke and Yvette, who had joined them. “Good turnout to help with the hampers.”
Yvette leaned past her to grab a package of spaghetti and add it to her box. “It’s a busy season, so the committee suggested nothing longer than a two-hour timeframe. Makes it easier for more people to commit to come out.”
That was a good point. Madison was still trying to juggle all the details for the fundraiser, but this seemed like a good time to ask. “So an event that lasts maybe an hour and a half would get people coming?”
“If there’s food involved, definitely.”
“Pie? Cake? Cookies? Would those be enough?” It was a doable solution to one problem with the fundraiser Madison had still been worrying about.
“You offer sweets and a hot drink, and you’ll get a lot of people interested.” Brooke looked her over. “What are you up to?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Madison promised. She changed the topic. “Is this a busy time of year for you as well, Yvette?”
“I don’t think there’s a slow time of year as a veterinarian, to be honest,” Yvette said.
Alex sauntered past, catching the last bit of the conversation. “The kitten chasing that you were doing in the barn today didn’t seem too strenuous. Cute, but not very strenuous.”
Yvette raised a brow. “Spying on me?”
“Working,” Alex said back. “Always busy as a ranch hand, you know. With things bigger than kittens.”
“Veterinarians work with all animals, because we’re skilled that way,” Yvette said dryly, turning her back on Alex. “I hope you were enjoying your time with the goats. Since that’s your area of expertise. Or was it the donkeys today?”
Brooke snorted before covering her face with a hand.
Alex grinned good-naturedly. “Nothing wrong with being a kitten wrangler.” He eyed Yvette up and down before walking away.
Madison tilted her head toward the cowboy. “What was that about?”
“He and Yvette have something going on, but none of us are sure what,” Brooke shared. “They argue about everything from what kind of mac and cheese is best to making weird comments about kittens.”
“He’s just impossible,” Yvette said. “And we do not have something going on.”
Brooke was desperately trying not to smile. Once Yvette was busy again, she leaned in and quietly shared, “She does like him, but he keeps pushing the wrong buttons. At some point the two of them are going to go up like nitroglycerin. That’s my bet.”
“Why are you constantly making comments that involve explosions and/or fires?” Mack shuddered comically as he joined them.
“Because it’s so much fun to tease you, honeybun,” Brooke said sweetly before draping her arms around his neck, preparing to give him a kiss.
“Ouch.” Mack stepped back quickly. “These sweaters were not meant for public displays of affection.”
The boxes on the table were nearly empty, and the pile by the door was enormous. People pulled on their coats to load the full hampers into the trucks parked outside, then everybody came back in for a final drink and snack before leaving.
Ryan motioned them toward the now-empty tables. “We have hot chocolate and gingersnaps before you leave. Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to help us.”
Madison caught his eye, and he nodded, gesturing her forward.
She offered a wave as the group settled, smiles falling on her as they took in her sweater. “Before you go, I have one last thing to share on behalf of the Heart Falls Hope Fund. While I’m visiting, Ryan has been generous enough to allow me to meddle in his life, which means possibly meddling in yours.”
Laughter rippled across the room.
Madison glanced at her new friends in the room and found both Brooke and Yvette smiling, although with a great deal of curiosity on their faces.
“It’s been pointed out this is a busy time of year, but it’s also a great time for us to count our blessings and give a hand to people who need it. Just like you did tonight in helping put together the hampers, I hope you’ll be interested in a fun way to get some money into the fund so we start this coming year off right.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be ringing bells if you’re asking us for money?” Alex asked.
“I’ll ring bells if you want, but we have an idea that will be even more fun and involve more people. If you’re interested in helping, or are even mildly curious to find out exactly how embarrassing this potentially could be for people, put down your email. I’m getting the details together now, and I’ll let you know as soon as everything’s finalized. The one thing I can tell you is the event will be December twenty-first, starting at six p.m.”
She held the paper she’d been waving in the air to Ryan, and he moved to pass it around the room, a pen along with it.
“This isn’t going to require hard labour, is it?” someone asked.
“Nothing kinky, right?”
There were a few laughs, and a few more when somebody else added “nothing but kinky.” That got them a smack with the back of a hand and a lot more giggles.
“You want details? You’re so demanding,” Madison said with a grin. “Think about someone you know and love up on the stage in front of all of Heart Falls—presenting their best ‘How I Love Being a Cow’ interpretive dance.” A hearty laugh burst from the crowd. She raised a hand to hold off the rest of their questions. “I’m making this up as I go along. But I promise you will know exactly how much it will cost to embarrass your friends by Monday.”
“Sounds promising.” That was from Alex. He had an evil glint in his eyes as he focused across the room. Madison followed his gaze to discover he was watching Yvette.
Oh, boy. This was going to be interesting.
10
Not everyone who had come out to help with the hampers left. Some of them stuck around once the doors to the pub were officially open, dancing and drinking and enjoying each other’s company.
They also talked up the fundraiser, and in the end, Ryan posted sign-up sheets in multiple places around the bar. Curiosity was rising, and there were a lot of grins as he and Madison stayed working
until midnight.
“Don’t bother coming in the morning,” Grace told him. She waved off his protest. “I’ve been working through the inventory; I’ll put in the orders for this coming week. I plan on asking for a vacation in January, so let me butter you up now so that you can’t say no.”
“You’re a treasure,” Ryan assured her. “We’ll figure out your vacation time. But for now, it’s nice to have extra time with Madison.”
“That’s what I figured,” Grace said with a smile. She waved at Madison. “Thank you. It was good to have your help behind the counter.”
The crowd moved forward, hands raised as some shouted out orders.
Ryan took Madison by the hand and pulled her away before they could both end up back in the thick of things.
Madison breathed out a huge sigh as she relaxed back into the truck seat. “I love the excitement of working in a bar, but it does get loud. It’s so nice to just be able to have quiet.”
“You’re good around people,” Ryan told her. “I mean, I knew that, but I had kind of forgotten exactly how much of a Pied Piper you are. Only with people, not rats.”
“Oh, goody. I’m the real Pied Piper who creepily lured all the children away.” Madison twisted her head and smiled tiredly. “We should just sleep on this and let you come up with a new metaphor in the morning.”
The great idea of the morning was an invitation to join his friends at Buns and Roses. Late morning, thank goodness. They both slept in again, making it over to the café for the ten o’clock meetup with only minutes to spare.
“Mack and I are treating you all,” Brooke said, catching Madison by the hand before she could settle in a chair. “But the ladies get to decide what we’re eating. Come on.”
It was amusing to see Madison slip an arm through Yvette’s, tucked in close as they examined the menu on the wall.
“So.” Alex leaned toward Ryan.
Ryan waited, but Alex didn’t do anything except bounce his gaze between Ryan and where Madison stood laughing with the other women.
Oh. Oh, no. The whole thing about being unexpectedly attracted to Madison was not a topic that would be discussed with anyone.
Ryan made sure to keep his expression blank. “Did you have a question, or have you developed a visual tick we need to get checked?”
“Just wondering how the reunion is going.” Alex raised his brows. Repetitively. Wait—he was waggling them.
Good grief. “We’re just friends,” Ryan insisted.
Alex dipped his chin. “Anything you say.”
“You’re such a jerk,” Mack muttered, leaning back so far in his chair, Ryan thought he’d tip over.
Ryan followed the man’s line of sight to discover Mack was staring at his wife’s hips as she stood at the counter. “Stop drooling.” Ryan smacked his friend on the arm. “And stop gloating. The gloating is really beneath you.”
“That’s not what was beneath me this morning,” Mack said softly, a contented sigh escaping as he eyed Brooke. A second later both Ryan and Alex pelted him with their gloves, and Mack raised his hands with a laugh. “Hey. Can’t help pointing out my fantastic good sense of finding a wonderful woman.”
“You can help it. Try,” Alex warned. He leaned forward. “Also, next time you tell me to come for breakfast, I want a heads-up if you’re also inviting that woman.”
Mack looked confused for a moment. “Yvette?”
Alex made a face. Glanced over at Ryan. Glanced up to make sure the ladies were still at the counter before he leaned in and lowered his voice. “She’s mad about me.”
“I’m pretty sure she’s mad at you,” Mack corrected. “I think that’s what Brooke told me.”
Ryan wiped at his mouth and tried to hide his amusement.
Alex shook his head in disgust. “And you still asked me to come for breakfast with her?”
Mack shrugged. “I like your company. Not quite sure why at this moment, but anyway. Brooke likes Yvette’s. Get over it.”
“She constantly contradicts me,” Alex complained.
Ryan thought about it for a moment then shook his head. “Actually, I think you kind of do that to her.”
“Maybe you do it to each other,” Mack suggested. He lowered his voice warningly. “Just don’t do it while we’re eating breakfast. Simple. Be nice.”
The last came out as a sharp order. Alex shook his head but offered an exaggerated sigh. “I will be a paragon of virtue,” he promised.
At the table behind them, Ryan spotted Sonora Fallen. The older woman, grandmother to Tansy and Rose, was contentedly sipping coffee while she nibbled on a muffin and read something on her phone.
A comfortable Sunday morning out. Ryan smiled. He’d have to introduce Madison to the woman who was also in charge of the local pet rescue.
It took a moment before Ryan realized that the older man sitting with his back to Sonora was none other than Ashton Stewart. Ryan hesitated before calling out a greeting.
Ashton had to know they were there. The arrival of their group of six—including Ryan, Mack, and Alex—had not been quiet enough to overlook. There had to be some reason that the other volunteer supervisor from the fire hall hadn’t at least offered a good morning. Instead, he stared resolutely at his plate, cutting into his breakfast and quietly gazing off into space between bites.
Before Ryan could decide what to do, the girls returned with the first round of food and drinks. Madison settled beside him, Yvette beside her. Which meant the six of them in a circle with the three men on one side of the table, the three women on the other.
At least that kept Alex and Yvette apart so they couldn’t do childish things like stick forks into each other.
“Bacon and cheese quiches, cream cheese pumpkin muffins, gingersnap something or other,” Yvette said, pointing to each item. “And there are cinnamon buns coming later. Tansy says ten minutes and a fresh batch will be out of the oven.”
Everyone helped themselves. Even Alex didn’t seem to have anything to complain about the choices before him.
Mack asked Alex something about changes at the Silver Stone ranch, but Ryan was more interested in eavesdropping on the girls. Especially when Yvette started with the question he’d been meaning to ask Madison all along but for some reason had continued to miss it.
“Brooke said you’re heading to a new job. Leaving behind any broken hearts?” Yvette asked.
Madison choked for a moment, before apologizing with a laugh. “No boyfriends or girlfriends. No romantic entanglements whatsoever.”
Brooke frowned. “Not interested?”
“No time,” Madison shared, snagging one of the pumpkin muffins and spreading the cream cheese icing over the side. She glanced up and continued quietly, “I’ve been helping take care of my little brothers since my dad died. Not a lot of guys want to date someone who has two twelve-year-olds to do homework with and take to sports practice.”
“Damn. That must’ve been tough.” Brooke’s expression didn’t lighten. “You were chatting with your brother the other day.”
“They’re eighteen now, so they just needed a guiding hand.” Madison looked a little uncomfortable. “They’re good kids. I’m really happy I got to make a difference.”
Considering how little she talked about herself, this had to be awkward. Ryan twisted to the side, slipping his hand around her waist and giving her a squeeze. “You okay?”
She dipped her head and offered a smile. “Of course. I keep forgetting that what’s normal to me is kind of not normal. You might have to reassure your friends that I’m all right.”
He reached up and tapped her nose. “Don’t kid yourself, Maddy. Your life is not normal, but it suits you. You’re a rock star.”
That got a snort out of her.
“Please.” She fixed her gaze on Alex, who had just finished making a laughing comment to Mack. “Alex. I was told I might be able to go for a horse ride while I was here. Is that something I should talk to you about?”
&n
bsp; “If you’re setting up rides, I want to come,” Brooke said, raising her hand in the air and shaking her fingers eagerly.
“Me too,” Yvette said before making a face. “Damn, I can’t believe I just said that. I’m going to owe you one, Alex.”
Alex grinned. “Always good to have a pretty girl owing me a ride.”
The silence that fell instantly was deafening. Ryan was shocked and displeased. His friend was not usually an asshole. “Alex. I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I can’t believe you said that moments after my wife asked for a favour.” Mack folded his arms over his massive chest and looked very disapproving.
Alex tilted his head to stare at the ceiling, his tan skin flushed. “Well, that’s kind of not what I meant. Damn.”
For a moment, Ryan wasn’t sure what the women would respond with when suddenly, Yvette laughed. “Are you blushing?”
Alex was. He definitely was.
“That was more trouble than it’s worth.” This comment from an unexpected source. Sonora stood at the side of their table staring disapprovingly at Alex. She turned her gaze on the three women sitting with Ryan. Crinkles formed at the side of her eyes as she smiled and held out a hand to Madison. “Sonora Fallen. If you three would like to go for a ride, I can make that happen.”
Madison grinned. “That’s wonderful. Thank you.”
Yvette was still peering at Alex in wonder, but she answered Sonora as well. “That is great. Both the going for a ride and the fact that Alex feels about this big right now.”
She held up a hand with her finger and thumb barely separated.
He met her gaze, his lips now curled into a rueful smile. “I apologize. I had about three smart-ass comments that wanted to come out at once, and they tangled together in a bad way.”
“Then maybe you should try avoiding smart-assery,” Yvette suggested smoothly. She turned back to Sonora. “Let’s set up a time that works for everyone.”
Conversation moved on, but Ryan noticed that Alex kept watching Yvette with something more than simple embarrassment as the meal finished up.
A Hero’s Christmas Hope: Holidays in Heart Falls: Book 3 Page 10