23. Maddie
23
MADDIE
Nothing sounded worse than going to family pizza night tonight, and as Maddie drove back from dropping off Brooks, she turned down the street for Pops’s house instead.
Maybe she could catch him before he and Bunny left for her parents’ house.
Pops’s house had long been one of Maddie’s favorite places in the world. After he and Bunny had married, the strangest part of going over there was how Pops’s place no longer felt like his quite as much. They’d remodeled some, and Bunny’s favorite furniture and decorations graced the space. Grace Wagner had moved into Bunny’s old house and kept most of the furniture, and it made sense that Bunny and Pops have a place that was theirs.
. . . but that doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes get nostalgic about what it was before.
As it so happened, Bunny was on the front porch with her closest friend, Millie Price, when Maddie pulled up. Maddie smiled at both women as she approached the front door, genuinely happy to see them.
“Hiya, sweetheart,” Millie said, jumping from her seat to give her a hug. “Bunny tells me you bagged yourself a fine-looking new man.”
Oh gosh.
Not who she wanted to talk about right now. “Just a friend,” Maddie corrected gently as Millie took her hand.
“I don’t know, sweetheart. He seemed to watch you with a lot more interest than just friendship,” Bunny said with a knowing glance. She gestured to her cell phone. “I was just showing Millie his picture online. Whole town is buzzing about him, you know.”
Maddie leaned against the front porch rail and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Yeah, I figured they would be. But he really is just a friend. He’s leaving in a couple of days and going back to LA. I doubt he’ll be back after that.”
“Well, don’t give up that easily. Brandywood had a way of charming those big, tough men into staying. Just look at Jason,” Millie said with a shrug. No one had been happier when Jason Cavanaugh had fallen in love with Jen than Millie. She’d finally gotten one of her grandsons to move to Brandywood.
But life isn’t a fairy tale. The conversation she’d had with Pops a few days earlier came hurtling back. Things didn’t work out so charmed all the time. Even when the not-so-obvious arrogant prince with a secret heart of gold did roll into town.
Or crash.
Ugh.
Dammit. I really, really like Brooks.
Tears pricked her eyes.
Millie’s face turned to instant alarm. “Oh no, honey, what happened?” She gripped Maddie’s elbows.
“Nothing.” Maddie shook her head, trying to blink the tears away. “Nothing at all. Is Pops here?” she asked Bunny.
Bunny watched her thoughtfully. “No, sweetie, he already left for your parents’ house. I’m staying in tonight on account of my arthritis acting up.”
Oh. Damn.
She could really use his advice.
But, then again, what was she going to ask him?
“Hey, Pops . . . turns out I have a bad crush on a man I really shouldn’t. He’s leaving in three days and has no interest in Brandywood. Oh, also, Naomi might hate him. But I took care of him after he got plastered last night, and it turns out, he’s not the terrible person everyone in the world thinks. What am I supposed to do here?”
Even Pops couldn’t solve that one.
Because there’s nothing to solve.
The decision not to get further involved with him physically and to part as friends was rational. Maybe the smartest thing I’ve done all week.
Sex would have been fun, but it was dumb. He wasn’t offering anything else, either, and she didn’t expect him to.
Hell, what was he supposed to offer? He was a rock star with a career. His life could never be here. And long distance? That would be ridiculous.
That’s if he even wanted a relationship, which she doubted he did.
She swallowed back a breath, then looked back at Bunny. “It’s fine. Tell him I dropped by. I’m skipping pizza night, too. I’m pretty exhausted.”
“You sure you don’t want to stay here with us and have some dinner? I’m cooking a frozen chicken pot pie,” Bunny said, warmth in her gaze.
“Yes, stay.” Millie squeezed her arm. “We need someone young to keep us entertained. Otherwise, we’ll just keep talking about the same damn people over and over again.”
Tempting as Bunny’s chicken pot pie—and even their company—sounded, Maddie shook her head. “I think I really need some sleep.”
She said her goodbyes, then headed back to her car.
Tonight, she needed some time to settle back into her own loneliness. Get used to the idea.
Otherwise, she might be tempted into seeking comfort and company in the wrong place again.
She needed to be wiser. Learn her lesson and let go of Brooks before she got hurt.