Chloe grimaced. “I can’t believe you just reduced this temple of knowledge to a pickup joint.”
“You’ve known me how many years? So yes, you can,” Summer shot back with a grin as they headed out the door.
They stalled on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to turn so they could cross over to the farmers market. Madison’s phone rang.
“Knox? I thought you were busy taping the podcast today.”
“We’re getting ready now. And by getting ready, I mean Josh is trying to push a tray full of his newest food truck idea on the crew; Riley’s trying to decide if the control room needs its own fire extinguisher; and our producer, Lara, looks ready to explode that we aren’t lined up in front of the mics.”
“So you decided to aggravate her further by calling me?”
“I couldn’t wait. Got some good news for you.”
Madison grabbed on to Chloe’s arm. “You found Logan?”
“Not yet. And if finding your long-lost brother is now the bar you measure everything against, well, maybe you won’t be as excited as I thought.”
Letting out the breath she’d held, Madison also loosed her death grip on Chloe. Knox was right. Logan couldn’t be the be-all and end-all of…well, everything. Only two minutes ago she’d been thinking how completely wonderful and full her new life was. She dialed back into that mindset. “I like all surprises, big or small. What is it?”
“I got you into a book club.”
Madison blindly groped for Chloe’s arm again. Because the only thing more magical than combining books and food? Combining books and friends. A book club instantly provided friends. She couldn’t believe Knox had done this for her. “How did you manage that? The only people I know besides colleagues are standing right here next to me.”
“I emailed my assistant a couple of days ago. He asked around at the office on my behalf. It turns out that you made one hell of an impression on everyone with that home-baked bread. Not only did I find you a book club, but there’s also a wine-tasting club that wants you. They’re sort of fighting over you.”
“Knox, that’s a simply wonderful surprise.”
“I had to find some way to thank you for putting up with me for the past week.”
Madison almost burst out laughing. Right. Like he needed to pay her back for the best week of her life. Notwithstanding her obvious concern and sympathy for his splitting headaches. “This is a wonderful present. Thank you.”
“Notice anything special about it?”
She thought for a second, since it was all kinds of special. Then it clicked. “It didn’t cost you a cent.”
“Correct. Take a mental picture, because this is me not throwing money around to romance you.”
“The moment is burned into my brain,” she promised.
“Gotta run. Apparently the entire country might just be waiting for this conversation to end so they can listen to our live podcast.”
Summer and Chloe dragged her across the street into the shoulder-to-shoulder mob of the Sunday farmers market. “What just happened?”
“Knox gave me the best present ever. He found me a book club.” Madison was surprised her smile wasn’t acting like a spotlight on the rows of tomatoes in front of her. The man just kept surprising her.
“That’s it?” Annabeth’s jaw dropped. “This from the man who gives Louboutins out after a one-night stand like butter mints? You’ve been dating him for weeks. When do you get the pretty, budget-busting stilettos?”
Summer hip-checked her. “You wouldn’t be asking because you two wear the same size, would you?”
“Immaterial.” Her nose lifted in the air as if she thought the question was beneath her notice.
“You know the rules.” Chloe gave a quick triangulation of looks between all of them. “Knox hands out the expensive presents when he moves on.”
Madison sat behind a library desk all day. She didn’t need fancy shoes. Just the love of the right man. “You’d better start saving to buy the shoes for yourself, Annabeth. Because Knox isn’t moving on. He’s the man of my dreams. And I’m fairly certain that he’s finally clued into the fact that I’m the right woman for him.” She elbowed her way through two rows of strollers to get to the vegetable stand. “Start shucking. I’ll need a dozen ears of corn. No worms or pecked-down cobs.”
Summer held out her perfectly manicured coral fingertips. “I can’t shuck with a day-old mani. Besides, I thought we were just walking off breakfast. You’re actually shopping?”
“There’s a dinner at the rectory tonight, to welcome Knox back home.” Madison pulled a canvas tote from her bag that had been part of her Library on-boarding—it bore a photo of leather-spined books with the words THOMAS JEFFERSON’S LIBRARY. She stuffed in two cobs.
Chloe diligently dug into the pile of corn and began pulling back husks. “I know. Griffin invited me. But he also said that Jerry started cooking yesterday for it. Jerry doesn’t take well to interference in his kitchen.”
All it had taken was the bribery of a loaf of dill cheese bread. Not that Madison intended to reveal her methods. “I care about Knox, which means I had to pitch in. So I talked Jerry into letting me make an appetizer. Hearty enough to satisfy men, but full of summer’s bounty, and delicious enough so that he doesn’t regret letting me borrow a corner of his kitchen. It took lots of scanning through Pinterest on my lunch hour, but I finally found a grilled corn dip that should blow them away.”
“Okay. You’ve got Jerry wrapped around your finger. You went shooting with Griff.” Chloe did that thing again where she looked around at each woman. “Um, Madison? I know you’re all about putting down roots, but—” She broke off, circling her hands in the air.
Annabeth took the corn straight out of Madison’s hands. Held on tight. “Chloe’s too tenderhearted to finish the sentence. But I’ll do it because I care enough to not want you blindsided. What happens when Knox cuts off those roots when he breaks up with you?”
They really were sweet to worry. Misguided, but sweet. Madison pulled free, handed a stack of ones to the seller, and resumed her search for the perfect, golden and white mix of cobs. This would’ve been a concern before his accident. But after spending a week living together, she was positive they were a great fit. That they’d go the distance. “Knox isn’t breaking up with me.”
Annabeth sighed. Actually, more of a short, frustrated huff. “Did you ever hear the old adage You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink? Knox Davies is the least thirsty horse in the history of the male gender’s frightened retreat from committed relationships.”
That was true. Or rather, used to be true. He’d been totally up front with her about that. But people—and circumstances—changed. Before, Madison had hoped for that to happen. Now she knew.
“Knox never spent the entire night with a woman…until me. Until this week. He isn’t just flashing his credit card. He’s putting effort into connecting and making me happy. He’s falling in love with me.”
“Is he?” Chloe asked with a pensive expression clouding her hazel eyes. “Or is it that you’ve already fallen in love with him? And won’t accept any other possibility?”
The other two women she could understand. But Chloe walked around with cartoon hearts hanging over her head, she was so nuts for her lieutenant. She was the last person Madison expected to push back. “What’s so bad about falling in love? About recognizing all the special qualities of a person that mesh with your own? About realizing you want to spend the rest of your life with someone? For Pete’s sake, you just did it. I heard it took less than a month for you to go gaga for Griff.”
“You need corn for this recipe, right?” Annabeth stuffed four more ears into Madison’s bag. “There. You have what you need for the end result. No need to check them. It’ll be good enough, as long as there’s dip by dinnertime, right?” She yanked Madison away from the table and around the corner, out of the throng of foot traffic.
“Hey. What’s the r
ush? Why can’t I be selective about my corn?”
Annabeth pounced. Literally hunched forward to stab a finger at Madison. “Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing with Knox? You want a husband. You moved out here to get a husband. Knox is the first eligible man who fits that description that crossed your path. Any chance you shoved him into your bag without checking under his husk?”
“Stop.” Chloe waved her arms, giggling. “No more corn metaphors. I have to be able to look Knox in the eye tonight without laughing.”
“You have to eat the dip, too,” Summer pointed out.
Madison put a hand to her suddenly churning stomach. Either the crab cakes weren’t sitting well, or Annabeth’s very blunt point had stabbed its way home. “Isn’t there just as good a chance that I’m the first woman to make Knox think about forever?”
After pursing her bright red lips in thought for a second, Summer asked, “Have you told Knox yet that you love him?”
“No. Of course not.” Talk about something that would send him running in the opposite direction! Knox would have to lead that particular charge. “And I said I’m falling in love. Not one hundred percent there yet.”
“Has he said those three magic words to you?”
“No. But even when he gets there, in his heart? I’m sure it’ll be much longer before he can verbalize them. The man’s spent his entire adult life avoiding love, avoiding relationships. He’s got to fight free of that baggage, of that mindset, before being able to say he loves me. I get that. I can wait.”
Then she bit her lower lip. Because Madison didn’t know how long it would take. What if they were right? “What if I’m his rebound girl?” she murmured.
“Rebound from what? You’re his first real girlfriend.”
“Exactly. After a big breakup, no matter how great the next guy is that you date, he won’t stick. He’s just the rebound guy. The one who helps you finish exorcising your ex and makes you feel good again.”
“Ohhhh.” Chloe nodded, hard. “You could be his rebound from one-night stands. The training wheels on his relationship bike. The one he practices with before finding someone else to seal the deal.”
It made horrible sense. Undeniable sense. “I can’t believe you made me think of that. What if I’m teaching him how to be a real boyfriend? What happens when he wants to try it out all by himself?”
“Well, that’s not where I was going when I assumed he’d break up with you—but plausible. Which brings us back full circle. What are you going to do when Knox breaks up with you?”
“Stop saying it like it’s predetermined,” Madison snapped. She bit her lip again. “Look, I truly appreciate you all being worried about me. To answer your first question, about my roots, they are sunk in deep. Jerry and I both love to cook. He’s going to take me to his next cooking class. That has nothing to do with Knox. Griffin and I are going shooting again next month. Again, nothing to do with Knox. He may have been the bridge leading me to all of you, but he’s not the glue keeping us together.”
Annabeth squeezed Madison’s shoulders. “Don’t worry—we’re not going anywhere.”
“What about Logan?” Chloe shifted from one pink flip-flop to the other and then back again. Either like she really needed to pee, or really didn’t want to say whatever was coming next. “Griffin filled me in on how your missing brother is one of the ACSs. Most guys aren’t thrilled to see their best friend date their little sister.”
Head swirling, Madison sat down on a wooden bus bench. “One problem at a time, okay?” Even to her ears, her voice sounded shaky. Because they had filled her with doubt. Worry. Concern. Uncertainty. All sorts of things that never, ever clouded her mind.
Madison had spent her whole life being the one with the plan. With an unshakeable belief that perseverance, passion, and a healthy dose of stubbornness were enough to turn any plan into reality. Here she was, in the middle of her Grand Plan, suddenly wondering if it was, indeed, doable.
“We want you to have all the fun you possibly can with Knox. But we also want you to be prepared for what happens when it’s over.”
White-knuckling the back of the bench, Madison tried to muster up a cocky grin. Felt a lot more like a grimace, though. “Dating Knox will end when we walk down the aisle. You can all be my bridesmaids. As long as I get to say I told you so.”
Except suddenly she wondered if they would be the ones saying it.
Chapter 17
There were a hundred different perks people looked for in a job. Some wanted stock options, others wanted paternal leave, and some people would sell their souls for a job at Google with its free cafeteria and bike share program.
Knox, however, really, really liked the perk he got with his once-a-week gig at SER, recording the Naked Men podcast. Their producer, Lara, looked like a model. Supermodel. She was a dead ringer for Kate Upton, with her long and wavy blond hair, killer body, and clothes that barely covered all those mouthwatering curves. You could spend your day looking at gray cubicle walls…or at Lara.
Sadly, they’d discovered on day one that it was strictly a look-but-don’t-touch approach when it came to her. Lara would pick Madison over Knox for a date any and every time. Which was one of the reasons she’d landed the gig of producing a show manned by five guys who talked all the time about dating and sex and playing the field.
Still, all that meditation crap urged you to stop and admire the flowers for three minutes a day. Ogling Lara was no different than admiring the artistry of a Monet lily pond to gain mental peace. Knox made it a point to watch Lara with her sinuous grace every week as she moved around behind the glass of the control booth. Longer today, since she’d asked them to hang tight after the show for a powwow.
A knock sounded on the door. Josh looked puzzled. “The record light is off, right? We’re off the air. What’s with the knock? Do they think we’ve got some secret post-show mojo we do in here?”
“Moron. Some people are just polite.” Knox got up, shook out the knife pleats in his pale gray trousers, and threw open the door. “You know we’re not actually naked in here, right?” His voice trailed off at the end. Because Lara stood in front of him…except he’d just seen her in the control booth. In a white dress. While this version of her wore the orange of the coral reef he’d scuba dived off of in Belize.
“You know that if you were all naked, I wouldn’t complain a bit?” she drawled.
Griff, Josh, and Riley were all doing the head swivel thing, looking from the woman at the door to Lara behind the glass and back. “Guess it’s Christmas in July,” drawled Riley. “Knox finally got those twins he asked Santa for.”
While everyone laughed, the orange-sheathed siren stuck out her hand. “Hi. I’m Lila.”
“And I’m very, very lucky.” The flirting flowed off his tongue without thought. Because, hello, twins! They ranked right up in the top three of every man’s hot fantasy list. Still, as Knox shook her hand—soft skin, softer grip—he regretted his comment. He shouldn’t be flirting. Or at least, he shouldn’t be flirting with anyone but Madison.
That had never happened to him before. He didn’t like the taste of regret in his mouth. On the other hand, what was wrong with being social? Flirting didn’t have to go anywhere. It was complimentary. Friendly. Plus, Lila had brought up her other hand to sandwich his, which was a dead giveaway the lady did not play for the same team as her sister. It’d be ungentlemanly not to respond accordingly.
“Lara told me you were all ten times more handsome in person than on the billboards. She was right.”
“It’s our natural charisma.” Josh appeared at Knox’s side. Shook Lila’s hand and didn’t let go. “You can’t catch animal magnetism with even the best digital camera. And you can’t ignore it in person.”
“Do you work here, too?” Now Riley was elbow to elbow with them. Not that Knox blamed him. They’d all but steamrolled over one another the first time they met Lara. That was, until Knox realized the chemistry with her was decidedly a
one-way street, going the wrong way. Looked like now they all got a second chance to score.
“I’m just visiting for the week. When Lara mentioned she had to come in for your show today, I’ll admit that I begged to tag along.”
“Let’s save the begging for later. Someplace more private,” Josh said with a waggle of his eyebrows.
But Lila kept her gaze focused on Knox. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to go for a drink after this?”
The inner teenager in him still drew a tick mark in the air every time a woman chose him over one of his friends. They were all cool with it—no real competition ever went down. Easier to hook a fish if you didn’t have to chase it. But Knox would never forget being skinny and short and picked last both for sports and dates. No matter how many notches he put on his headboard—and he’d probably wrapped around to the footboard with them by now—he’d never lose the thrill of realizing that a woman finally, actually wanted him. Albeit the bulked-up, braces-free, contact lens–wearing multimillionaire version of himself. It still counted as a personal win.
“I’m sorry. I’ve already got plans tonight. Even though I’m sure they’ll pale in comparison to the fun we could’ve had.”
Huh? That last part came out on autopilot. It was just how he turned women down. Always leave them feeling good about themselves was his motto. But…he’d stopped there. Hadn’t suggested a rain check for tomorrow night. Lila said she’d be here a week. That gave him plenty of time to bring things with Madison to a polite conclusion and move right on to a new blonde. That’s how he rolled. Here was a brand-new, steaming, fresh hot dish being served onto his woman buffet, and he’d walked away without a single serving added to his plate.
Knox put a hand onto the back of a chair to steady himself. It seemed pretty obvious that the world was tipping beneath his feet. He’d agreed to stick with Madison as long as it was still fun. But he’d also told her it was bound to end. He was bound to get antsy and start looking for the next good thing, good time.
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