20. Maddie
20
MADDIE
Bunny’s Café on Main Street was already crowded with diners for breakfast, as Maddie held the door open for Brooks. She grinned as he walked inside. “You gonna wear those sunglasses inside the whole time?” she whispered.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You’ll probably draw more attention to yourself wearing the sunglasses.” The funny thing was, the “disguise” was fairly effective. He was recognizable, of course, but no one was actively looking for him here. But while she wanted Brooks to experience some of Brandywood, she didn’t want him feeling uncomfortable. “I might start calling you Clark Kent, instead. Change of glasses and hairstyle and tada! Superman.”
He humored her joke with a practiced smile. “We’ll just sit in a corner booth, and you can take the seat that faces out.”
Maddie didn’t answer as she grabbed them both menus and got in line. He’d clearly done this before, and it was a strange thing to get used to—worrying about who might be looking. But for him, it was just daily life. No wonder it had changed him.
And last night he’d seemed...haunted. It was the only word that fit. It reinforced that he was just a man, like every other man. He wasn’t perfect. He had scars that weren’t on the surface, and he’d learned to hide them away so no one ever saw them. He must be so damn lonely.
All it would take was one person in Brandywood recognizing him and the whole town would know he was here. He had to know that was a risk, though, and he’d still come out here with her. Which felt oddly . . . encouraging?
Fortunately, there was also a level of civility that people in town had given Maddie confidence that they wouldn’t harass Brooks. Brandywood folks might gawk and stare and whisper when his back was turned, but they would leave him alone.
“Why don’t you walk around with a security guard?” she asked, the thought suddenly occurring to her. Didn’t most famous people always have bodyguards with them?
He shrugged. “Too much attention. I have to have them sometimes, of course. But when I’m doing something like this, I skip it and just try to blend. I had a few stalkers for a couple of years that made that next to impossible, but they moved on thankfully.”
Stalkers? As in legitimate people who hunted him down? That Brooks had a whole different life she couldn’t even imagine was unsettling.
She didn’t get the feeling he’d want to talk about that, though.
“What are you in the mood for?” Maddie asked, handing him a menu.
“Gatorade.”
She rolled her eyes. “Eat something. And drink some water.”
“Maaaaaybe some chicken broth.”
“Serves you right,” she said with a shake of her head.
“I forgot how much I hate hangovers.”
“Well, here’s to no more. Ever again.” She leaned across him and pointed at his menu. “Bunny doesn’t offer her chicken soup for breakfast, but she’ll do it for me if I ask because I know she’s already got it simmering back there.”
“Sold.” They got to the front of the line, where Bunny stood taking orders, a pumpkin-decorated apron over her plump figure. Some things in Brandywood never changed, and Bunny working the front register at Brandywood was one of those things that comforted Maddie.
Bunny’s blue eyes lit as she saw Maddie. “Good morning, darling,” she said, leaning across the counter and planting a kiss on her cheek. She looked over at Brooks and gave Maddie a questioning look. “Who’s the dish?”
“Bunny, this is my friend .” She purposely left off his name in case anyone close by was watching. “And this is Bunny Wagner Yardley . . . my step-grandma. Bunny is married to my grandfather. My friend would like a bowl of chicken soup, and I’ll take the smoked salmon and avocado on a croissant, both of which are the most delicious in the world.”
“Hello, friend,” Bunny said with a knowing look. She chuckled. “You don’t have to flatter me to get the soup, kiddo. I’m more than happy to get it for you.” She directed her attention to Brooks. “I should warn you that you’re in the hands of someone mildly exaggerating my talents.”
“To be honest, your café was the first place I was recommended when I came into town—by someone else. So it’s not just Maddie,” Brooks said smoothly.
Really? Who else had he talked to in town? Maddie gave him a curious look.
“I’m not exaggerating anything.” Maddie took her card out to pay.
Bunny waved her off. “You’re family.”
“But I want to.”
“Family doesn’t need to pay, sweetheart.”
Brooks stepped in, slipping his card out of his wallet and sliding it over. “What if I pay? I’m not family. And I’d really love to treat Maddie to breakfast.”
Bunny sighed reluctantly, then took the card. She swiped it and handed it back. “I’ll bring the food out to your table, love.”
Maddie turned to lead Brooks toward the table, then froze.
Josh and Gina were walking through the front door, hand in hand.
A squeal sounded from someone at a nearby table—one of Gina’s friends—who stood, flapping her hands. “Let me see, let me see!” She rushed up to Gina, reaching for her hand.
Holy shit.
Is that a DIAMOND?
Feeling like the floor was opening beneath her, Maddie reached for the first thing to steady herself on, which happened to be Brooks’s arm.
The whole café seemed to be watching Josh and Gina now, and a few people started clapping and handing out congratulations.
And there were the inevitable eyes on Maddie, too.
What the fuck?
They’d only been dating for a few weeks . . . right?
Maddie’s throat quickly went dry, tears pricking her eyes as Josh met her gaze.
Brooks’s smooth, deep voice was in her ear. “Someone you know, I take it.”
She let his voice ground her, then tore her gaze away and nodded.
Brooks took her by the hand, then led her to the farthest corner booth. But instead of taking the seat that faced in, out of sight from the rest of the café, he plopped her in that seat and then sat beside her.
The familiar black-and-white-checkered pattern of the tabletop grew wavy in her vision.
Brooks said nothing but interlaced his fingers with hers. “An ex?”
A tear slid onto her cheek, and she brushed it away. “We just broke up four weeks ago.” She swallowed hard. “He left me for her.”
God, I’m so pathetic.
She’d told herself she wouldn’t shed any more tears over Josh.
But it still hurt.
“Why, Josh? Why are you doing this?” she’d asked him the day they’d broken up.
“I just . . . we have so much fun together. She makes me feel alive, Maddie. I think we just settled into an ordinary, boring routine. Forgot to have fun anymore.”
Ordinary. Josh Hawkins—the king of gray polo shirts and khakis. Who had oatmeal for breakfast, peanut butter for lunch, and baked chicken and rice for dinner—every day. Who had been voted in high school “Most Likely to Stay the Same.”
He had called her ordinary.
“Maybe she gives him really good head,” she muttered, barely realizing she’d voiced the snarky thought.
“Doubtful. Madison, if he went from you to her, he’s an absolute fucking moron. Anyone with eyes can see that,” Brooks said in a low growl.
If he’d said it another time, maybe it would have made her feel better, but it didn’t right now.
Because Josh proposed to her.
After four weeks.
“Hey,” Brooks tried again. He slid his arm around her shoulder. “Hey, look at me.”
“I can’t look at you,” she complained miserably. “You have sunglasses on.”
Brooks sighed, then pulled the sunglasses off, setting them on the table. “Better?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes locked with his concerned gray ones.
My God, he smells good.
And he was close. Like, really, really close.
Her heart pounded as she remembered his words the night before, the feeling of his thumb and lips against hers.
She’d wanted to kiss him so badly.
Being the sober one in that situation had put her completely at a disadvantage now, though. Because she knew what she’d been feeling wasn’t because of alcohol—it was real.
But what about Brooks?
Drunk people said many untrue things. Especially men.
“How long were you together?” Brooks asked softly.
“Four months. But we were living together, so I thought he was . . .”
“I get it.” Brooks glanced over his shoulder at Josh and Gina. “Want me to punch him for you? I’ve been told my punches land so hard I should be in jail.”
She laughed, despite the terrible truth to his joke. “That would be antithetical to my ‘let’s take care of Brooks’s plan.”
“Eh, fuck Brooks. Let’s take care of Madison.”
“You’re ridiculous.” But he’d made her smile.
A bowl slid in front of Brooks, then Bunny set Maddie’s croissant sandwich down and sat on the opposite side of the booth. She wore a worried, serious look. “Want me to kick them out of the café?”
Thank God Lindsay and Travis stopped the feud between our families. I love Bunny.
Maddie smiled. “No, you don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind doing it. Nothing would give me more pleasure than putting a Strickland in their place. I heard what they did to you—crossing your name out on the Applepalooza sign-up sheet. And also about that River Boat band. Your grandfather was livid.”
Really? Pops hadn’t displayed that level of emotion in front of her. Then again, she imagined there was a side of Pops that only Bunny got to see.
“River House,” Maddie corrected. She felt Brooks’s eyes on her, then remembered how he’d said the night before he wouldn’t be playing at the fair. They’d have to come back to that topic eventually, but right now it felt like a hot-button topic to bring up amid a fragile truce.
Especially now that I’ve apologized for blackmailing him.
“Same difference.” Bunny shrugged. Then she looked at Brooks. “You in town this weekend?”
Brooks nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“You’re a good-looking young man. You should sign up with our Maddie for the Applepalooza contests. Show those two up. You’ll be the best-looking couple, that’s for sure.”
“Bunny, I’m sure Brooks has better things to do than go to Brandywood’s Applepalooza. I’m not even sure I’m going.”
“Hmph. Well, he should. And he should take you. Josh hasn’t been able to take his eyes off your table.” Bunny nodded in Josh’s direction, then winked. “Just say the word, and I’ll tell them to go somewhere else.” She stood and headed back to the counter.
Shit. Is Josh really staring at us?
Maddie checked over her shoulder toward him. He was —but his gaze was fixed on Brooks.
Dammit.
Bunny might not know who Brooks was, but she didn’t expect any of the older crowd in Brandywood to be familiar with young rock stars.
Josh definitely will, though. It appeared he already had.
And so had several other people in the café.
Maddie cringed. “Don’t look now, but I think your cover is blown.”
“I don’t care,” Brooks said, tucking his thumb and forefinger under her chin and lifting it so she focused on him. “Don’t pay any attention to him. What’s an Applepalooza?”
A smile curved on her lips. Tucked in the booth with Brooks, sitting on the same side, she could almost pretend they were in their own little bubble, even as the volume level dropped slightly and the whispers began.
“It’s one of Brandywood’s fall traditions. There are all sorts of different apple-themed contests throughout the day. Bobbing for apples, an apple pie contest, an apple-picking contest, apple barrel racing, Auction-a-Peck, a few other things . . . and then there’s a singing competition at the end of the day.”
“Singing competition?” Brooks furrowed his brow. “What does that have to do with apples?”
“Well, it used to be that you had to use a song that had the word ‘apple’ in it, but then people got bored with hearing one too many renditions of ‘My Favorite Things,’ ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life,’ and ‘Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,’ so they changed the rules a few years ago and just let people sing whatever they want. But the winner gets the Golden Apple trophy.”
“I’ve officially left real America and entered New Christmastown on a romance movie set, haven’t I?” Brooks snickered.
She dipped her finger into the collar of his dark gray T-shirt and tugged it out. “Don’t worry, city boy. We’ll have you wearing flannel and chopping wood soon—oh! There is a wood-chopping contest, actually. Apple wood, that then gets used in the following year’s pork butt smoking competition.”
“Of course there is.”
“You laugh, but it is many a woman’s favorite part of the weekend.”
“The pork butt or the wood chopping?” Brooks raised a brow.
She shared a laugh with him, amazed at how well he’d been able to lift her spirits. “Both. But if you are still in town, consider coming. Audrey would love it. You don’t have to do any of the contests, obviously. Most of them are for teams of two, so a lot of couples do them together.”
Like Josh and Gina.
Then she made the mistake of glancing back toward the café. Everyone was staring.
Everyone.
Including Gina, who looked less than thrilled that Brooks’s presence was supplanting her big news. All her friends, who had gathered at a table to celebrate, were looking at Brooks instead.
Maddie rolled her eyes.
Was this what his life was like?
God, this had to be annoying.
She pulled away from Brooks and stood on the seat. “Listen, people. Yes. It’s Brooks Kent. He’s here visiting one of our own—Cormac Doyle. And I’m trying to show Brooks around Brandywood today, so I’d really appreciate it if you’d all do me the favor of acting like chill human beings and treating him that way, too.” Her gaze snapped to Henry Clayton, who had taken his cell phone out. “What are you taking a picture for, Henry? You going to stare lovingly at it night after night? I have a feeling you won’t look at it again after today, so why bother take it at all?”
A couple of people snickered, looking away, embarrassed.
“Can I ask for an autograph?” another woman asked.
“For what purpose? Hanging it in your living room?” Bunny spoke up from behind the counter.
“Couldn’t have put it better myself. So maybe let’s show Brooks the side of Brandywood we all know and love and let him enjoy himself. Text your friends and family. Anyone who messes with Brooks will have Maddie Yardley’s wrath to pay. And I am not as nice as the rest of my family. For that matter, you can count on the rest of the Yardleys giving you hell, too. Right, Bunny?”
“You got that right.” Bunny crossed her arms in a no-nonsense look.
Maddie’s face burned with a delayed sense of awareness as she sat again, but a moment later, normal conversation seemed to resume in the café. “That should take care of that.”
Brooks was giving her an odd look.
“What?” She avoided looking at him, lifting her breakfast sandwich. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now.
The package of oyster crackers beside her bowl crinkled as he opened it and popped one into his mouth. “No one has ever done that for me before,” he said at last.
“Told people to stay away from you? Don’t bodyguards do that?”
“I meant stand up for me when they didn’t have to.” He emptied the crackers into his soup and lifted the spoon.
Really? No one? Ever?
Sadness filled her. He wouldn’t want her pity and hadn’t been asking for it, though.
“Well, you had the good fortune of falling in with a Yardley.” Maddie put on her brightest smile. “Everyone knows who my family is.”
“So you’re a celebrity around here.” Brooks grimaced as he hesitated, then sipped at the broth. He gave a look of surprise. “This is better than I thought it would be.”
“I told you.” She took a large bite of her breakfast and tried to keep from groaning. Jen Cavanaugh, who had learned from Bunny, had some of the best baked goods in town, but nobody beat Bunny’s croissants. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stick with me, Brooks.”
He chuckled, then sipped his soup again. “You want to know a secret?”
She looked over her shoulder at him, batting her eyelashes prettily. “I’m a girl. Of course I do.”
“I wouldn’t want to be in Brandywood with anyone else.”
Maddie smiled, but her throat clenched. Man, he had a nice smile. It was easy to forget how gorgeous he was when he was scowling.
Crap.
No. Don’t even think about it, Maddie.
He’s leaving. He’s famous. His life isn’t here.
So don’t get attached.
But she had a feeling it might already be too late for that.