Maddie pursed her lips, embarrassment washing over her. “I guess. Um … I’m sorry.”
Sharon knit her eyebrows together. “About what?”
“She’s mortified that John burst into our cabin this morning and she thinks you’re all whispering about her being loose,” Nick supplied, squeezing Maddie’s hand to reassure her. “I’ve told her that’s not true but … well … she’s got a weird prudish streak that I can’t quite get her to shake.”
“You have nothing to feel embarrassed about,” Sharon said.
“That’s for sure,” John interjected, wiggling his eyebrows.
Nick reached for his brother, his hands ready to close around his neck, but John easily evaded him.
“John, you know better than letting yourself into someone’s private space without knocking,” Sharon chided. “How would you feel if someone did the same thing to you?”
“I think I would be fine with it as long as I got to see Maddie naked,” John replied.
Nick swiped at him again, causing Sharon to frown.
“That is not funny, Jonathan Winters,” Sharon snapped. “I don’t care how you and your brother choose to go at each other. Maddie should feel safe in her own bedroom … or the bedroom she’s rented for the week, as the case may be. It’s not okay to force yourself on women.”
John’s mouth dropped open. “I … who … what … I did not force myself on her.”
Maddie was confused. While she wasn’t thrilled with John barging in, she never felt threatened by the situation. “I’m not sure … .”
Sharon cut her off. “Really? You don’t think that peeping on a naked woman is the same thing as forcing her to do something?”
“No,” John said, glancing at Nick for support. For his part, Nick looked just as confused as his brother.
“You’re a police officer, John,” Sharon reminded him. “If a woman came to you and said a random man walked into her bedroom and stared at her, what would you do?”
“I … .” John moved his mouth, but he couldn’t find the words to answer his mother.
“That’s right, you’d arrest him,” Sharon finished. “You did a dirty and perverted thing this morning. I’m ashamed.”
“But, Mom … .”
“You apologize to Maddie and Nick,” Sharon ordered. “You apologize and tell them it will never happen again.”
“I’m sorry,” John said, his brown eyes wide. “I’m really sorry, Maddie. I didn’t think of it that way. I was just messing with Nick. I honestly didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s okay,” Maddie murmured, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
Sharon leaned in close so only Maddie could hear her. “When you want to deal with them, the easiest way is to shame them until they start behaving,” she whispered. “Boys are different than girls. When you want to make girls behave you threaten to take makeup and cell phones away. When boys misbehave you threaten them with a mother’s wrath. It works every time.”
Maddie fought the mad urge to laugh. “I see.”
“I have a feeling Nick is already putty in your hands,” Sharon said, patting Maddie’s shoulder. “You’re going to have to exert control if you want to rein John in. He needs a firm hand.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Sharon moved in the direction of the picnic table and returned to her cooking task. As soon as she was out of earshot, Nick and John converged on Maddie.
“What was she whispering to you?” Nick asked.
Maddie tilted her head to the side, considering how to answer the question before offering a response. “She said that I should think long and hard before filing a police report about John barging into the cabin this morning,” she lied. “She agrees John committed a criminal act, but she’s hoping we can agree to a compromise before I bring the police into this.”
John’s face slackened. “What? Maddie, I swear to God that I didn’t mean to upset you.” His voice climbed an octave, becoming shriller with each word. “I didn’t mean for you to feel threatened. I … seriously, that wasn’t my intent.”
“I’ve decided against calling the police.”
John exhaled heavily. “I’ll make it up to you, Maddie. I promise.”
“I know you will,” Maddie replied, her tone solemn. “As part of your penance, you have to … wait on your brother hand and foot the entire camping trip.”
Nick’s handsome face split with a wide grin. “I think that’s a great idea. Way to get my back, love. You’re always thinking.”
It took John a moment to realize what was happening. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”
“Do you really think I would call the police because you walked in on us?” Maddie asked, her expression rueful. “This isn’t even the first time you’ve done it.”
“I’m going to have to beat you now,” John warned, extending a finger. “You know that, right?”
“Then I’m definitely going to have you arrested,” Maddie teased, hopping out of the way as John reached for her. Unfortunately for Maddie, instead of the open space she thought she was stepping she crashed into a grumpy-looking Kelly. “I’m so sorry,” Maddie sputtered, fighting to keep her footing.
Kelly scrunched her face up into a nasty frown. “Watch where you’re going!”
“It was an accident, Kelly,” Nick snapped, moving to Maddie’s side. “She and John were fooling around. If you want to blame someone, I suggest blaming him.”
“He’s not the one who smacked into me, is he?”
Maddie licked her lips, uncertain. “I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to her,” John said. “I was chasing you. Nothing bad happened. Just ignore her, Maddie. She’s crabby before noon. She can’t help herself.”
“Whatever,” Kelly muttered, rolling her eyes and stalking away.
“She really hates me,” Maddie said, watching her go.
“She really hates her life,” Nick countered, exchanging a knowing look with John. “You’re just an easy scapegoat this week. Don’t let her get to you, Mad.”
“Nick is right,” John interjected. “Kelly is only happy these days if she’s making someone else miserable. If you let her get to you it’s the same as letting her win. Don’t let her win.”
“I … .”
Whatever Maddie was going to say died on her lips as Sharon clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. The Winters family was spread out across multiple campsites, so it took a moment for everyone to jerk their heads in Sharon’s direction.
“The men want to go fishing today,” Sharon announced. “I figured us women could just hang out. I don’t want to be sexist, though, so everyone gets to make their own decision. Decide now if you want to relax or … catch smelly fish.”
Sharon’s opinion of fishing was as obvious as the smile she flashed in Maddie’s direction. “Do you want to stay here and hang out with Kelly and me or go with the boys?”
Maddie risked a glance at Kelly, who was standing next to one of Nick’s cousins and whispering something that looked mildly hateful. Maddie had no doubt what the conversation entailed.
“I think I’m going to go fishing,” Maddie said. “I’ve never been one who enjoys … relaxing.”
Seven
“Now, this is how you bait a hook.”
Chester Winters had all the appeal of burnt toast. Maddie had never liked the man. Even when she was a teenager she worried about his unfortunate staring habit. Now she was convinced he was trying to stare down her tank top.
Maddie dressed down for the excursion, climbing into a simple bikini and pulling cutoff shorts and a tank top on to cover it. Chester appeared to be trying to ascertain how tight her bikini top was beneath the tank top.
“I know how to bait a hook,” Maddie said, forcing herself to remain calm. She was the only woman who opted to fish – something that she was sure would give Kelly grist for her afternoon gossip session – and Chester seeme
d to have taken her on as something of a project.
“I’m sure you do, sweetie,” Chester replied, winking. “You look like you definitely know how to bait a hook. This is a different kind of hook, though.”
Maddie scowled. “You know what?”
Nick smoothly slid in behind her and claimed her pole from his uncle. “Uncle Chester, Maddie and I have been fishing since we were kids. She knows how to bait a hook. In fact, she usually baits mine because worms give me the creepy-crawlies.”
John snorted. “I forgot you were funny about worms.” He leaned over to dig in the bucket of worms the younger boys spent the morning collecting, returning with a particularly fat specimen to wave in his brother’s face. “Give it a kiss.”
“Knock it off,” Nick warned, jerking his head back.
Maddie sighed, snatching the worm from John and her pole from Nick. “You guys are going to give me a headache,” she grumbled. “I’ve decided that when we have kids we’re having a boy and a girl, Nicky. I can’t take two boys constantly trying to out macho each other.”
“I’m fine with that,” Nick replied, nonplussed. “I want a girl to spoil anyway.”
“You’d better hope she looks like Maddie,” John interjected. “If she looks like you I’m guessing you’ll never marry her off and get her out of the house.”
Nick made a face, blowing a raspberry at his brother as he grabbed another pole. “I’ll have you know that many people find me handsome. Isn’t that right, Mad?”
“I find you very handsome,” Maddie agreed, bending over so she could search through the worm canister. “I’ll get a worm for you, too.”
Chester’s eyes were keen as Maddie bent over, latching onto her chest as the tank top slipped forward and gave him a better view. Nick cuffed his uncle, sending him a warning look as he moved closer to Maddie.
“He doesn’t have much of a sense of humor about that stuff,” John warned. “I’d be careful about leering too much. He will beat you if he thinks you’re moving in on his turf.”
“What’s going on?” Maddie asked, straightening.
“Nothing,” Nick replied, narrowing his eyes to dangerous slits as he glared at his brother. “John and I were just talking about turning this afternoon’s fishing excursion into a competition.”
“We were?” John furrowed his brow.
“We were,” Nick said, nodding. “I think the winner has to … teach the kids our famous fire dance. You remember the one we made up as kids, right?”
Now it was John’s turn to scowl. “I remember. I hate that dance.”
“Are you suggesting you’re going to lose?” Nick challenged.
“Oh, puh-leez,” John said, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes. “You’ve never beaten me at anything.”
“Look at my woman,” Nick countered, gesturing toward a fed-up Maddie. “I’ve beaten you at everything.”
“Fine,” John said, his hands landing on his hips. “Whoever catches the most fish gets to take a video of the loser teaching the little ones our special dance … and post it on Facebook.”
“Deal,” Nick said, extending his hand for John to shake. It wasn’t official unless they shook on it.
“I want to play, too,” Chester whined.
“We’ll have teams,” Nick suggested.
“I’ll take Maddie on my team,” Chester suggested.
“Maddie is on my team,” Nick corrected. “You can be on John’s team.”
“You’re going to wish you’d never been born when I’m finished with you,” John taunted.
“Boys are definitely stupid,” Maddie said, shuffling away from Nick and John as they continued to puff out their chests. “So incredibly … stupid.”
“THERE you are,” Nick said a half hour later, hopping over a fallen tree branch and sliding down to the muddy shoreline where Maddie stood. “Why did you wander off?”
“Someone has to actually catch fish if you don’t want to teach the kids that dance,” Maddie replied, casting her line into the fast-moving river. “You’re not exactly known for your rhythm.”
“Hey, I’ll have you know that white men everywhere look at me and wish … I would stop making them look bad.” Nick graced Maddie with a charming smile. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
Maddie stilled, surprised. “Why would I be mad?”
“I … I’m not sure,” Nick admitted. “You left pretty quickly. I didn’t realize John and I were going to be messing around as long as we were. I’m sorry.”
“He’s your brother, Nicky. You’re allowed to spend time with him.”
“But I left you alone,” Nick pointed out. “That probably wasn’t fair.”
“You know I spent ten years alone, right?” Maddie said. “I was always alone when I was away from you. I’m perfectly fine spending thirty minutes fishing. I’m not angry. You have no reason to be sorry.”
“You’re not going to be alone again, Mad. I won’t ever let it happen.”
Maddie risked a glance at Nick’s earnest face. She knew he meant every word. “Nicky, I love you. I’m still capable of spending a half hour alone. You can spend time with your brother. In fact, I want you to spend time with your brother.
“When he moves to Blackstone Bay, I expect that you’ll be together often,” she continued. “He’s your brother. I think he’s probably your best friend. I would never want to get between the two of you.”
“You’re my best friend,” Nick clarified.
“We’re together now, Nicky. I don’t have to be your best friend and your girlfriend.”
“You’re always going to be my best friend, Mad,” Nick said. “You’ve been my best friend since kindergarten. That doesn’t change just because we moved in together. You’re capable of being my best friend and the love of my life.”
Maddie lowered her eyes, her cheeks burning. “That could be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Then I guess I need to say more sweet things, because that smile on your face is worth hundreds of words,” Nick said, leaning in so he could kiss her. “I love you, Mad. I’m going to love you until the day I die. You’re also going to be my best friend until the day I die. I don’t make the rules. I do have to follow them, though.”
Maddie pursed her lips. “I really do love you.”
“Of course you do,” Nick said. “That’s why you have to help me catch some fish. I do not want to do that dance tonight.”
“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you made the bet.”
“You’re an only child, so you don’t get it,” Nick explained. “Brothers have to compete.”
“Is that one of those rules you were just talking about?”
Nick nodded.
“I see,” Maddie said. “I think I’m glad I’m an only child … and a girl.”
“I’m definitely glad you’re a girl,” Nick said, giving Maddie another sweet kiss. “Now, get moving, woman. We have a fishing competition to win.”
Maddie arched an eyebrow, remaining still for a moment as she watched Nick gather his gear. When Nick realized she wasn’t hauling in a big trout, he clapped his hands together. “Get moving, Mad. If I have to teach that dance it’s going to cut down on our stargazing.”
Maddie leaned over, retrieving the rope Nick missed upon initial arrival. When she lifted it out of the water Nick was stunned to see she’d already caught four trout – and each one was huge.
“I knew this partnership was going to work out,” Nick said.
“Tell me the truth,” Maddie prodded. “Would you still love me if I hadn’t already caught these?”
Nick placed his hand over his heart. “Maddie, I will always love you no matter what. That being said … you’re going to get so lucky tonight, love. I’m going to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Maddie smiled. “That’s good … because I’m really going to be craving s’mores tonight.”
“That’s not really what I had in mind,” Nick admitted, def
lating.
“I guess it’s good that I want to eat one naked while you give me a back rub then, isn’t it?”
“Now that’s what I had in mind, Mad.”
“MAD, I need you to bait my hook.”
With only thirty minutes left in the fishing competition, Nick was starting to get desperate. He had no idea how Chester and John were doing at their fishing site. Maddie was a dynamo and she’d caught fifteen fish on her own. Nick only managed eight and he wanted to make sure he had a few more scaly friends to join the pack before the competition ended.
“Mad, are you listening to me?”
Maddie’s attention slid across the river to where two teenage boys whispered and stared. Nick smirked when he saw what she was looking at.
“I see you’ve managed to find a fan club even in the middle of nowhere,” Nick said, jolting Maddie back to reality.
“What?”
“Why are you so fascinated with them?” Nick asked, handing his pole to Maddie so she could bait it. He really wasn’t a fan of using live bait. That’s why he had Outdoor World bookmarked on his laptop. He could order fake lures whenever the mood struck. Still, he marveled every time he saw her deft fingers working to prepare his hook.
“I don’t know,” Maddie admitted, the boys’ dark hair glinting under the sun as she watched them. “They seem kind of calm compared to you and John. They look like brothers. How come you two don’t get along as well as those two?”
“Those two are mesmerized by you, my love,” Nick replied. “They don’t care about fighting with each other right now because they’re desperate to see if you manage to get wet.”
“Why would I get wet?”
“You’re next to a river and boys love a wet woman,” Nick answered, enjoying the way the double entendre caused Maddie’s cheeks to redden. “I meant they want to see you fall into the river so your tank top will cling to you. They want to see your boobs.”
Nick’s clarification didn’t alleviate Maddie’s embarrassment. “Nicky, that is a horrible thing to say. Those boys are being perfectly nice and you’re casting aspersions on them.”
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