“Jesus.”
“Maddox Thane, do not take the Lord’s name in vain.”
My mother had been an alcoholic with loose morals, but she never used the Lord’s name in the incorrect way.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a smile.
“I know you’re upset, Maddox, but I make do.”
“It’s not fair.”
She shrugged. “It’s my penitence for the way I lived my life. I’ve accepted it and made peace.”
She might have accepted it, but I hadn’t. Not yet anyway.
The three of us finished breakfast, and I cleaned up the kitchen. My brother was outside, smoking, and I went to go talk to him.
Our mother had smoked in her home my whole life, but now that she had emphysema and quit, my brother had to go outside.
“Those things will kill ya, ya know.”
Foster took in a long drag and exhaled. “Thanks for the PSA. I hadn’t been told that yet.” He kicked a rock at his feet. “You know, you used to smoke, too.”
I snorted. That had been a long time ago. I had stopped when Addison told me she didn’t like kissing me after I smoked. I would have done anything for those kisses. And speaking of Addison…
“Why did you call her last night?”
Foster knew exactly whom I was talking about. He shrugged. “She’s the only lawyer in town. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you again.”
While I appreciated the sentiment, I still didn’t like having her involved. I wanted to stay as far away from her as I could.
“Yeah, this time, the worst thing he could have gotten me on was speeding. You didn’t have to bring her down to the station.”
Foster shrugged again. “Better safe than sorry.”
“Just…just don’t do it again, okay?”
My brother raised an eyebrow and took a drag off his cigarette.
“Unless they’re going to haul me off to jail. But then maybe try to find someone else first. I don’t care if they’re from another town. I don’t want Addison involved in my business.”
Foster held up his hands in surrender. “Fine. But you should know, she’s a damn good lawyer.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t need her.”
“Understood. What are you going to do today?”
“Look for a place to live.”
“You don’t want to stay with Mom?” Foster asked with a laugh.
“I’ve been on my own for twelve years, so no. Besides, I don’t feel like sweating my balls off every day.”
“Yeah, she does keep it warm. I try to visit in the morning or evening, so I don’t roast in there.”
“She’s really sick, isn’t she?” I asked. I knew my mother wasn’t well, but the reality of her condition was just starting to hit me.
“No, she’s not.”
“Do you always take her to the hospital?”
“Kelly and I take turns.”
“Well, now, you can count me in on the rotation.”
“You don’t have a car.”
I rubbed a hand down my face. “Yeah, that’s the other thing on my to-do list today. I might have to borrow one of the loaners from the garage to go looking.”
“Fine by me. It’ll be nice to have help for Mom’s appointments.”
I suddenly felt guilty for having been gone so long. I hadn’t realized how much my siblings needed me. “Sorry I didn’t come home sooner.”
“No way,” Foster said, shaking his head.
“No way what?”
“You don’t get to feel guilty. I’m the reason you went away in the first place. No guilt.”
“You know you can’t just order someone not to feel guilty.”
“Why not? You’re a soldier. You’re used to taking orders.”
“SEAL,” I corrected him.
“What?” he said as he threw his cigarette to the ground and used his shoe to put it out.
“I’m—I was a SEAL. Soldiers are Army. I was Navy. I’m a SEAL.” I clearly hadn’t been around enough if I had to explain this to my brother.
“Well, la-di-da.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“I learned from the best.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t take orders from you. Besides, I’m your older brother.”
Foster grinned. “I can always try.”
“Will you give me a ride to the garage?” I said, changing the subject.
“Sure.”
“Okay, let me go say good-bye to Mom,” I told him. I opened the squeaky door.
“Maddox.”
I looked at my brother. “Yeah?”
“I just thought you should know, the building next to Addison’s has an apartment open for rent.”
I gave my brother the finger and walked into the trailer. My brother’s laughter followed me in.
9
Addison
I leaned up against the front of my building, off to the side of the big crowd taking up the main drag in town, which had been closed off from traffic. The sun had gone down a while ago, but the streetlights and the lights from the band’s trailer on one end of the block put off plenty of light.
I’d said hi to almost everyone I saw and made small talk with a few, but otherwise, I wasn’t participating much. I was doing a lot of people-watching as I sipped on my beer. Even though I might have to bail someone out tonight, I wasn’t on duty yet.
“Hey, what are you doing over here, alone?”
I looked over to see Pete joining me.
“Not much. Just observing everyone. Wondering if anyone’s going to jail tonight.”
Pete laughed. “My money is on Jason Mueller.”
“Where is he?” I asked as I straightened from my post and got up on my tiptoes.
“Over there.” He pointed to the corner where Jason Mueller was stumbling around, clearly drunk.
He yelled at something someone had said and threw his beer can on the ground. It was people like him who’d made glass bottles against the rules at this thing.
“Isn’t he too young to drink?” I asked as I dropped down to my heels.
“Nope. He turned twenty-one earlier this year.”
“Well, at least he won’t get charged with underage drinking.” I crossed my fingers he wouldn’t be arrested for any other reason, too.
Pete put his hands in his pockets and nodded to the crowd. “How do you feel about that?”
I turned to see whom he was talking about. Despite the event being called a street dance and there being a live band playing, only a few people actually danced. It was more like a street party than anything.
I squinted as I searched the crowd. It took me a second, but once I spotted Maddox, my eyes zeroed in on him. At the moment, he was very close to Dani, who had her hand on his chest and was grinning.
I shrugged. “Eh, I told her she could have him.”
Sure, these were the words I’d said, but inside, I was holding myself back from marching over there and punching her in the face.
I had thought about Maddox often over the years, but it seemed I’d forgotten the jealous streak he brought out in me. I had never felt that way about another guy before or since.
That was surely a bad sign.
Maddox looked up from Dani and met my eyes.
“You told Dani she could have him?”
I looked back at Pete. “Yeah. I saw her this morning, and she said something about how fine he was.”
“And you’re really okay with that?”
Pete had been in college when I dated Maddox, but he knew the same history as the rest of the town. Plus, I’d talked to him a few times about what had happened. He knew how much it had hurt me when Maddox left and didn’t contact me.
“Sure,” I said. “Maddox and I dated a long time ago. We’re ancient history. He doesn’t owe me anything, and I don’t owe him anything. If he wants to date Dani, he can.” Although I couldn’t exactly wish them a happily ever after.
“It’s best you stay away from him,
Addison.”
I spun around to see Simon had come up on the other side of me, looking as stuffy as ever. It was a street dance in a small town in the Midwest. He was the only one wearing a suit, and it made him stick out like a sore thumb.
“Your father wouldn’t approve.”
I chugged the last of my beer, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and threw my cup in one of the many trash cans lined up on the street. I crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you want, Simon?”
“You should really act more like a lady. You represent your father.”
“No. I represent myself, and I will act any way I please. If anything, you represent my father. That’s why you’re here, correct?”
Simon pursed his lips.
I smiled. I was right.
“Your father insisted I make an appearance.”
I didn’t understand why. My father acted like he was the king of Brook Creek because he had some money when, in reality, nobody cared what he thought.
I never wanted to be like my father.
I waved Simon off. “You made your appearance. You can leave now.”
Simon looked at Pete and then took a step closer to me. “Addison, you must consider whom you date. It reflects upon your father.”
I pretended to be confused at first. “Oh, you mean, Pete?” I laughed. “You’re mistaken. You see, Pete is more likely to date you than he is me.”
Pete wasn’t gay, but he had an older brother who was, and he knew just what to say to get rid of a closed-minded fool like Simon.
Pete studied Simon. “Nah…he’s too skinny. I’d break him in half. He couldn’t handle me.”
Simon blanched and took a step back. He looked horrified, and I had to pinch the inside of my arm to keep myself from laughing at his reaction.
“You need to consider whom you’re friends with, too,” he bit out.
“You let me worry about that. Buh-bye now.” I turned my back to Simon and faced Pete.
Pete watched him from behind me for a few seconds. “He’s gone now.”
The two of us burst out laughing.
“That was classic,” I told Pete and held up my hand.
He high-fived me. “The look on his face was the best.”
After our laughter died down, I told him, “Thank you for your help.”
He put his arm around me. “Anytime. That’s what friends do.”
I stepped out of his embrace after hugging him back. “I think that signals the end of my night.”
I took a quick glance toward Maddox again. I could only see his profile now, which probably meant he’d already forgotten all about me. That was my other reason for calling it a night.
I had a comfy bed and a good book that was more fun than watching my ex with a beautiful woman. I was going to have to grow some thicker skin when it came to Maddox and seeing him with other women, but today was not that day. I just wanted to be alone and go to bed.
“See you tomorrow,” I said to Pete. “And be good. I don’t want to bail you out of jail tonight.”
He laughed. “I will. I was just going to talk to Dana Schmidt.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “See how she’s doing since her divorce.”
“You are a bad boy,” I told him with a grin.
“Not yet, but I hope to be.”
I punched him in the arm. “Good luck. Let me know how it goes.”
I said good-bye and walked around to the alley to enter the back of the building and then my apartment. Once I was upstairs, I went straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I went to the living room and snuck a peek outside.
I knew I should go to my room, but my body didn’t agree with my rational reasoning. I looked down at the crowd to where I had last seen Maddox.
He was gone now, and so was Dani.
I scanned the whole crowd. They were nowhere to be seen.
I didn’t want to think about what they were doing together, but now, that was all I would be thinking about. I should have just headed straight to bed.
Calling myself all kinds of a fool, I went to my room, stripped off my clothes, and got in bed. Before I climbed under the single sheet, I checked to make sure my robe was behind my bed in case someone knocked on my door.
It was summer, and I lived in an upstairs apartment in an old building with crappy air-conditioning. The only way to stay cool was to sleep naked with barely any covers and with a fan.
I grabbed my book and tried to shut Maddox from my mind. It took way too long to push him from my thoughts, and it only made me go to bed, feeling confused and crabby. I could only hope sleep would be a little better than reading.
10
Maddox
I handed Dani my plate that I had practically licked clean. Two minutes ago, it had been filled with blueberry cheesecake. We were in the kitchen of her family’s diner. They had closed early tonight and were serving food outside at the street dance instead, so it was just the two of us in there.
“That was the best damn cheesecake I’d ever had.”
Her eyes lit up from my praise. “Do you want another piece?”
“No, thank you.”
I hadn’t eaten a lot of sweets when I was in the Teams, always wanting to keep my body in full physical form, and while I was retired now, it didn’t mean I was going to go crazy.
“Well, you know where to come if you ever get a craving,” she said and took my plate to the sink.
It was obvious she was talking about more than cheesecake, but I had no desire to go there with her.
When she was done washing both our dishes, I asked her if she was ready to get back out there. “I’m planning to meet up with my sister and brother.”
Dani’s face fell. “Oh. I thought maybe we could stay here…and talk.”
“Sorry. Maybe some other time.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
I felt bad for her, but I wasn’t going to let her know that. I just played like I didn’t know she’d been hitting on me.
Once outside, I told her, “I’ll talk to you later. I have to go find Foster and Kelly. Thanks again for the cheesecake.”
She looked crushed, and I felt like an asshole, but I wasn’t going to fuck her just because I felt bad about hurting her feelings. It wasn’t right, especially since it wasn’t her I wanted under me.
I found my brother and sister a couple of minutes later.
“Hey, man. How did the car- and home-hunting go?” Foster asked me as he shoved a huge bite of hot dog in his mouth.
“I found a vehicle.”
“What’d ya get?”
I hesitated. “A RAV4.”
“What the fuck, man? A foreign car? You always go American.”
And this was why I’d hesitated.
I shrugged. I’d fallen in love with Toyota while living in Virginia. I just hadn’t found the time to break the news to my brother.
“You’re a disgrace,” Foster said as he shook his head.
I laughed. “Tell me something that I don’t already know.” I looked over at my sister, who had her arms crossed and was scowling at me. “Still mad at me, huh?”
After my incident with the sheriff, Foster had brought me home. The two of us had told my mom and Kelly what had happened to me. My mom had just been happy to see me again. Kelly had been pissed. And, apparently, she still was.
Her eyes somehow narrowed even more. “You were gone for twelve years, and you let me think you were in prison.”
I shrugged. “I’m sorry. It was better this way.”
“I’m your sister.”
I put my arm around her. “And I love you.”
She pushed me away. “I’m still mad. I haven’t forgiven you yet.”
Just then, a blur of a person ran toward me and jumped in my arms.
“I’m not mad at you, Uncle Maddox.”
I set the young woman down at my feet and put my hands on her shoulders. “Serena?”
She nodded.
“Wow. You’ve changed so much.”
The last time I’d seen my niece was when she was six years old. Now, she was eighteen and looking way too much like a woman.
I looked at my sister. “How do you let her leave the house?”
The corner of my sister’s mouth twitched, but she held her frown. “I say a lot of Hail Marys.”
“If I were your mom, I’d never let you leave.” I gave Serena the side-eye. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
She giggled. “Maybe.”
I yanked her into my arms. “I missed you, kid.”
Her father hadn’t been around from day one, and I had helped my sister out a lot with Serena. I felt like I’d helped raise her in the beginning.
“I missed you, too,” she said so softly, I almost didn’t hear her over the band and people talking.
As Serena stepped back, I saw one of the two men who’d been talking to Addison earlier. The first guy was Pete. It had been over a decade, but he looked like an older version of himself. And he was currently hanging out with someone who wasn’t Addison, so I dismissed him.
But the second guy…there was something about him I didn’t like.
I nodded to the man. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Simon,” Serena said.
I was surprised she was the one who’d answered.
“Who’s Simon?” I asked.
“He works for Addison’s dad. He wants to marry her, but she’d rather remove her eye with a dull spoon.”
I raised my eyebrow.
Serena laughed. “That’s what she said, not me.”
“So, Addison doesn’t like him?” I asked.
“Nope. But he doesn’t take the hint. She told me he brings up marriage at least once a week.”
The Simon guy was puny and looked like a weasel. He was wearing a suit and stood out in the crowd. People were actually laughing at him behind his back.
Yet I couldn’t stop the possessive feeling that came over me that this guy was trying to push my Addison into marrying him.
Who does this asshole think he is?
“Uncle Maddox?”
“Hmm?” I said while keeping my eyes on Simon.
Take Me in the Night (Take Me #1) Page 4