Ever With Me (Brandywood #5)

1. Maddie

1

MADDIE

“No, no, no . . . don’t do this to me,” Madison Yardley breathed, feeling the blood drain from her face.

Across the small table from her, Josh Hawkins refused her eye contact, his fingers curling around a paper coffee cup.

Josh.

Who, until three weeks ago, she had been certain would put a ring on her finger any day.

Sure, it had been a whirlwind relationship of four months. They’d moved in together after two weeks, and Mom had freaked out about that fact, but— when you know, you know.

Or something like that. Maddie had been sure she’d “ known .”

“I’m in a really hard position, Mad, you know that. Gina’s family is sponsoring the main stage on Friday night. And Luke is my cousin, after all. She just?—”

“Doesn’t want her boyfriend’s connections going the way of his ex? Yeah, I get it,” Maddie managed. She wrinkled her nose, the smell of the stale brew Josh had grabbed from the coffee cart making her feel physically ill.

It had been his idea to meet here at the town hall—in “neutral” territory—before the fall festival committee meeting. Here, where Gina wouldn’t get jealous about their meeting. She was one room over, already waiting in the main hall, while Maddie had to endure the humiliation of being spotted talking with Josh in an awkward corner near the entrance by everyone arriving.

Maddie breathed as calmly as possible. “I understand that it’s your cousin who’s in River House, but I’m the one who scheduled them to play for the last night of the festival. If they play on Friday, who the hell am I supposed to get for Saturday night? The festival is a month away, Josh. Booking a musical act bigger than River House would take months, not weeks.”

He shrugged. “No one says Saturday night’s act has to be bigger than Friday’s. That’s just your family wanting their sponsored event to be the biggest and best.” A guilty streak of red crawled up his face despite his words.

She clenched her fingers into fists. “You’re completely screwing me with this. All because the Stricklands can’t let go of their hatred of my family. Everyone knows the last night of the fair is the biggest night. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. Get a local act?” Josh stood abruptly. “It’s not my problem. Figure it out yourself. I’m just the messenger.” Josh slid the envelope across the table. “This is the deposit back from Luke. Gina’s family has paid him for Friday night instead.”

Maddie resisted the urge to shred the envelope to pieces. Seriously?

“Deposit or not, I should sue Luke and River House for breach of contract.”

Josh shoved some of his blond hair out of his eyes. “I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t make him sign one, then.” He smirked smugly, then tossed his coffee cup in the nearby trash can. “See you at the meeting.”

A fresh wave of tears stung in Maddie’s eyes as he disappeared.

Dammit. He would know she hadn’t officially signed a contract with River House. Maddie had been so excited about getting such a big-name country band for the festival that she hadn’t worried they’d screw her over like a lesser-name band might.

But none of that hurt as much as the way Josh had done a one-eighty.

And here I am. Still half in love with him.

God, she wanted to hate him so much.

Maddie pushed a strand of honey-blond hair behind her ear, cursing at the perfect wave she saw out of the corner of her eye. Why did I put so much effort into my hair tonight?

But Josh’s callousness toward her was unexpected. He never would have done something like this to her—or her family—before.

She stuffed the deposit into her purse and searched for a tissue. After dabbing the tears from her eyes, she swiped her nose. Somehow, she needed to compose herself so she could go into the meeting tonight.

What the hell am I going to do?

She already imagined the triumph on Gina’s face when she’d announce to the committee that River House would take the main concert stage on the Stricklands’ sponsored day. All for what? To make Saturday’s concert look less important?

The pettiness of it all was sickening. Gina wanted a win.

But damn if I have to let Gina know how defeated I feel.

Maddie sniffled, then stood. She found her way to the bathroom to take a minute and calm down. Make sure her expression didn’t read on the verge of tears.

She wouldn’t let Gina see a single tear on her face.

Checking the time, she took a few deep breaths. The committee meeting would start in five minutes. She’d slip in after it had already started to avoid any of the small talk that took place beforehand.

Maddie paused in front of the mirror and pulled out a tube of lip gloss, then reapplied. Her face looked blotchier and more pinched than she wanted it to—a side effect of how red she got every time she cried.

There would be time for her tears later when she got back to her place.

Not now. Right now, just get through this meeting.

She concentrated on breathing deeply, thankful no one else came into the bathroom. When enough time had passed, she hurried back out to the foyer, then found her way into the main hall.

The group had gathered toward the front of the hall. Usually, the main hall was packed for town hall meetings, as Brandywood wasn’t a town content to have a few octogenarians running things. Everyone wanted a say.

However, at committee meetings like this one, the groups that gathered were considerably smaller. Josh didn’t need to be here—but he’d come with Gina to represent the Stricklands. Maddie had always taken town fair committee duty for her family, a fact she now regretted.

Luckily, TJ was chair of the town fair committee this year. As a transplant to Brandywood, he was neutral on the most divisive issues in town. Friendly and funny, TJ was easy to get along with.

“Did you get the handwashing station rented from Larson’s?” TJ was asking Dottie Perkins.

Dottie, a sixty-year-old Black woman who’d handled the petting zoo for years, smiled politely. “I told you I did last time.”

TJ scratched his beard. “Sorry about that. We’re mostly down to crossing T’s and dotting I’s at this point.” He struck through a line item on a paper attached to the clipboard in his hand, then grinned at the group of eight. “In the interest of saving everyone’s time, is there anything new we need to add to the agenda today?”

Predictably, Gina raised her hand. “I have a change to announce in the lineup for one of the main events. It turns out River House isn’t available on Saturday night for the fair, so they’ve agreed to play on the main stage on Friday night. I already spoke to the band that we’d scheduled, and they’ve agreed to be an opening act instead.”

Just breathe.

Maddie’s heart ached against her tight chest.

“Oh.” TJ furrowed his brows at Maddie. “I mean, I guess that’s fine for Friday night—we’ll have to edit the website and any associated social posts—but what about Saturday? Who’s playing then?”

Maybe if Josh hadn’t just sprung this on me, I’d have an actual answer.

Maddie’s throat went dry as everyone’s gazes trained on her. Conveniently, Gina pulled out her phone and looked at it. As though anyone has proper service in the town hall.

“Uh, so I’m working on it still and don’t want to make any official announcements until I’ve got a signed contract in hand.” Maddie cleared her throat. The weight of expectation on everyone’s faces was clear.

Gina quirked a brow, a mocking laugh on her lips.

Fury rankled Maddie. She leveled her gaze at Josh, then TJ. “I am very close, though, to booking a national act that will blow everyone’s socks off. Maybe the biggest band that’s ever come to Western Maryland and definitely to Brandywood.”

Now why in the hell did I say that?

“Really?” Gina said dryly. “And who might that be?”

Shit. She really shouldn’t have opened her big mouth.

“Someone huge.” Maddie glared at Gina. “But they’d prefer I not make any announcements until it’s official. It’s an old friend—someone I’ve known for years.”

Dammit, dammit, dammit. This lie kept getting worse and worse. All because—what—she wanted to save two seconds of face in front of Gina now? This would just make her look so much worse in the future.

She should just admit the truth and be done with it.

But that little smirk in Gina’s eyes made her temper flare.

Maddie drew a thin-lipped, plastic smile, then flipped her hair over her shoulder coolly. “I should have a confirmation by the end of the week,” she told TJ.

“Great. Can’t wait to hear more.” TJ gave her a thumbs-up, then turned toward Dottie again. “Any way we can get baby kangaroos at the petting zoo?”

As the conversation turned, Maddie’s bravado faded.

For his part, Josh continued to stare at TJ’s face—as though if he broke eye contact, his head might explode.

But Gina gave her a daring look.

Because she knows I’m full of crap.

Maddie didn’t look her way. She might fold if she did.

What the hell am I going to do now?