34. Maddie
34
MADDIE
“Are you sure it’s not a problem?” Kayla’s face was anxious as she looked out from the passenger side window of Logan’s car.
“It’s fine. I’m here. And even if I wasn’t, Brooks is never, ever going to do anything to put Audrey in danger again. You can trust him. And my grandfather is taking us fishing,” Maddie said. She wasn’t about to tell Brooks that Kayla had displayed such a high level of concern—he’d be hurt—but she understood it, too.
Maddie leaned forward and smiled at her brother. “Have fun on your date, you two. And don’t worry about being back early. I can put Audrey to bed in my room if she gets tired.”
Logan grinned. “Thanks, Mom.”
She blew him a kiss and straightened as the window rolled up.
Flicking her gaze across the street, she frowned at the familiar sight of a paparazzi photographer parked across the street. Maybe Dan Kline had made her more aware of it, but in the week since they’d come back from staying at the Serendipity, she’d started seeing more of them.
Everywhere she and Brooks went.
Often, they seemed to arrive minutes after they got somewhere, like someone had tipped them off.
When they’d come to stay at her apartment for the weekend yesterday, they’d already been waiting in the parking lot. The more paparazzi arrived, the more Brooks seemed to grow agitated, too.
Whatever small semblance of peace Brooks might have felt in Brandywood before was clearly gone.
So when Pops suggested taking Audrey out on his fishing boat, Maddie jumped at the opportunity. She’d adored going out on the lake as a kid and had occasionally joined Pops on his morning fishing trips while she and Josh had been dating since Josh loved fishing.
Maddie headed into the Depot, glancing through the large store toward the darkened stage in the back. These days, they mostly used the stage area to display more retail items, but Pops had first built it as an area to film his home cooking show. Since he’d slowed down a year ago, he hadn’t been doing a lot of shows, but he had an annual Christmas special to film soon.
The energy that filled the Depot on filming days was unmatched. The crew came in from out of town, the store was abuzz with excitement, and ticketed guests waited in a line to get into the store early.
She missed the days when Pops filmed more. Partially because he’d lost a bit of bounce in his step the last couple of years despite being happier than ever married to Bunny.
Pops was showing his age more, and that worried Maddie.
She weaved her way through the displays toward the back of the store, passing a pine- and holly-scented section that reminded her of her favorite holiday.
Even though she and Brooks hadn’t talked about Christmas yet—it was too far off—hopefully, she’d have the chance to show him the magic of Brandywood around the holidays.
But don’t get too far ahead of yourself.
He’d only booked the lake house until the end of September, after all. And if he had plans to stay for any longer than that, he hadn’t said so.
Climbing the stairs in the back, she went into her apartment, where Brooks and Audrey sat on the floor. The room smelled like nail polish, and Audrey was dutifully painting Brooks’s fingernails black.
Maddie laughed. “What are you guys doing?”
“She found it in your bathroom,” Brooks said, his mouth twisting wryly.
“Uncle Books said black was asseptable.” Audrey’s brow furrowed in deep concentration, her mouth opening and closing with each stroke of paint—which was all over Brooks’s fingers.
She plopped down beside them and kissed Brooks’s temple. “Well, you’ll be the prettiest fisherman out there.”
“If Brian says something, remind me to show him pictures of a long line of musicians who paint their fingernails black.”
“You know, you could beat him to the punch and just wear thick kohl eyeliner. Brian would be so distracted by that, he wouldn’t even notice the nail polish.” Maddie leaned toward Audrey. “You ready to go fishing?”
Audrey shoved the nail polish brush into the bottle and hopped up. “Yes! I get Mr. Fluffy!” She raced toward the bedroom, clearly having made herself at home.
“You’re just going to leave me like this? Half finished?” Brooks displayed the one hand Audrey had painted. His pinky finger remained untouched.
“I think it looks good,” she said as seriously as she could muster.
Reaching a hand over, he smeared a line of wet nail polish across her forearm with his pointer finger.
“Hey!” She jerked her arm back with a giggle. “Audrey is going to be very offended that you ruined a lovely manicure like that.”
“Oh shit, can you throw more paint on it for me?”
“Polish, Brooks. Nail polish. Geez, what sort of C-lister rock star are you?” She retrieved the bottle of nail polish and leaned down, fixing the area he’d ruined. “Although, in reality, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you’ve probably had way more professional makeup jobs than I’ve ever had.”
His lips twitched. “How many have you had?”
“Um . . . two. One for Naomi’s wedding and one for Jen’s wedding. Oh no, three. I also got one when Pops and Bunny got married.”
He held her gaze, his eyes amused. “Yeah. Same. Three for me, too.”
“What, three thousand?” She capped the bottle as Audrey’s footsteps approached. “Audrey, you did a beautiful job painting Uncle Brooks’s nails. Think you can paint mine when we get back?”
Audrey beamed proudly and nodded, the ringlets in her pigtails bouncing.
She is such a little doll. Maddie had initially felt inept at entertaining Audrey, but she was such a great kid. She loved her Uncle Books, and it seemed Audrey loved Maddie as an extension of that.
Brooks stood. “What do we need to bring with us?”
“Nothing. Knowing Pops, he’ll overpack food. He’ll have towels, too, even though we won’t need them. Lake’s too cold this time of year.”
Brooks took Audrey by the hand and they headed out the door. This time, when they got to the bottom of the stairwell, they went toward the back, rather than through the Depot, to where Brooks’s car waited in the parking lot. They’d switched the car seat he’d bought from Maddie’s car to his after he’d gotten it back from Travis a few days earlier.
Brooks scowled as they stepped outside, confronted by a handful of paparazzi. Flashes blinded them, and the photographers did not bother to step out of the way.
Brooks lifted Audrey into his arms and grabbed Maddie’s hand. “Get the hell out of here,” he snapped at one of them as he took Audrey’s picture repeatedly.
Maddie had a feeling he’d restrained himself because of Audrey.
They pushed their way toward the car, then Brooks loaded Audrey in as Maddie climbed into the passenger side.
Audrey’s eyes were wide. Terrified.
“Hey, honey,” Maddie said, leaning back from her seat and grabbing the little girl’s hand. “Hey, look at me.” She yanked her phone out of her purse and clicked on one of her favorite social accounts. “Have you seen this guy before? He makes the most incredible things all out of chocolate. Look at this. This is a train he made.”
Audrey’s gaze refocused away from the outside, where the paparazzi had continued taking pictures, to the video playing on the screen. Slowly, her little face relaxed as she got sucked into the video, mesmerized.
Brooks shut her door and then hopped into his seat. “Jesus,” he muttered, raking his fingers through his hair. “They’re fucking relentless. How many pictures do they need of me putting my niece in her car seat?”
“I don’t know.” She took his hand with her free hand. His half-polished fingers were trembling.
She’d figured he was used to this by now. “They do this all the time, though, right?”
He met her gaze and flexed his fingers. “It’s one thing if it’s me, Maddie. I invited this sort of attention into my life. But you? Audrey? Kayla? That’s another thing entirely. They should have the decency not to harass the people I care about, but they don’t.”
“They should have the decency not to harass you, either, Brooks.”
He released a slow, deeply held breath and started the engine.
“I see more?” Audrey asked from the back seat.
Maddie smiled and scrolled to another video. “Here. He makes a big banana out of chocolate in this one.”
“Thanks,” Brooks said as he drove. “You’re pretty good with kids, you know that?”
“It’s because of Emily and Olivia. I have practice. It does not come naturally.” Truth was, since Brooks had come into her life, she hadn’t seen much of her own nieces, and she felt a little guilty about that. Naomi hadn’t complained yet, thank goodness, but she’d have to make up for lost time soon enough. Before it became any more obvious.
“Where are we headed?”
“Pops keeps his pontoon on a little slip near the Serendipity, actually. So just head in that direction, and I’ll give you better directions as we get closer.”
“Shit, they’re fucking following us,” Brooks said with a growl, his eyes focused on the rearview mirror.
“I take it you don’t normally go out with Audrey in public?”
“Rarely. And never when these assholes are around.”
“Mommy said that’s a no-no word,” Audrey said without taking her eyes off the phone.
Maddie put another video on for Audrey and handed her the phone. Reaching over, she rubbed the back of Brooks’s neck, which was knotted with tension. “Relax, it’s gonna be okay. Don’t let it get to you.”
Brooks didn’t respond, his gaze continuing to dart with annoyance at the mirror.
By the time they’d arrived at the pontoon, his mood seemed to have soured altogether and Maddie could hardly wait until they got on the water. At least the paparazzi couldn’t follow them out there.
Pops was waiting for them with a tiny life jacket for Audrey, and Maddie helped her put it on, then handed her over to her grandfather to seat her on the boat.
“Hold up,” she told Brooks as he moved to follow his niece. She caught his hand.
Brooks gave her a steely-eyed look.
“Let this go, or this won’t be fun for anyone,” she whispered. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him slowly as though no one else was around.
He didn’t return the kiss, and she pouted. “Come on, babe.” She searched his gaze. “Can’t you just try not to let it get to you? Yes, they suck, but they’re keeping their distance now. And once we’re on the lake, they’ll stop following.”
He chuckled bitterly. “Yeah, I’ve had them chase me on a boat before. More than once. Not that I think they’ll do it here, but that’s not the point.”
“The point is that your niece is here. I’m here. And we want you to have fun with us.”
Brooks gave a stiff nod after a moment, then climbed onboard wordlessly.
This was not going well.
Even the weather seemed to be against her. The sun had been shining in the blue sky but was now stuck behind increasingly thick clouds, everything a lot grayer in appearance.
Maddie sidled up beside Pops, glad for his presence. “Have any chocolate in your picnic basket?”
“For cranky pants?” He smiled at Brooks.
“No, for me. I’m going to need it to survive his mood.”
“You know I can hear you,” Brooks said, setting his arm around Audrey, whose feet swung from her seat.
She tossed him her best smile. “Oh, can you? Good. Maybe you’ll work on cheering up.” Unable to admit that it bothered her he wasn’t putting any effort into making the most of an unpleasant situation, she looked away from him.
Yes, he could be grouchy.
But why did it also feel like sometimes he just dug in his heels about things that had other solutions? He seemed to make up his mind about some things and only increase in inflexibility if he was questioned.
That side of him . . . scared the shit out of her.
A determined Brooks was a force to be reckoned with. The negative side of that might have consequences she didn’t want to consider.
Then again, while they continued to be in this “one day at a time” situation, who knew if she would even have to consider it? The label had been easy enough to accept at first, because she didn’t want to lose him. As more time passed without them really figuring out what they were doing together, though, the more it weighed on her.
So far, she’d been doing what had been the easiest—avoiding thinking about it. She had a feeling he was doing the same.
That couldn’t last, though.
They were soon cutting across the lake, speeding toward the dock where Pops always met Brian. She’d put her sunglasses on to shield her eyes from the wind, and the cool air stung her face. With her hair whipping past her cheeks, she glanced over her shoulder to look at Brooks and Audrey.
She was holding on to his arm but eagerly looking out over the water, her face radiating her excitement.
He . . . clearly needs to cheer up.
She knew something that might help, actually.
Pops seemed completely at ease as he approached the dock, but Brian didn’t appear to be there yet. “Want to hop out and see if Brian is up in the parking lot?” The dock was a community one near the state park. “We’re early, but sometimes he beats me up here and then sits in his truck listening to the radio.”
Maddie nodded and started toward it. “Hey, come with me. I want to talk to you,” she said to Brooks. She glanced at her grandfather. “You have Audrey for a minute?”
Pops smiled. “Sure. I can show her some lures or something but tie me up on the dock.” He handed her the dock lines.
After tying the boat off, she tugged Brooks off the boat. At least here there weren’t any paparazzi. With it being September, they also had the advantage that the park was empty. Few people were on the water this time of year. They checked the parking lot—no Brian—and then Maddie started into the woods.
“Where are we going?” Brooks asked with a frown. “This the part of the movie where you leave me in a shallow grave for being an asshole?”
She gave him a sly smile, then stopped and got to her knees. “No. I just thought you might need some relaxing. And we’re completely alone . . .”
A devilish smirk came to that kissable mouth of his. “Oh really?”
Unbuttoning his jeans, she pulled the zipper down. The hardening head of his erection was already peeking through the top waistband of his boxer briefs, and she leaned forward and kissed him right there. He groaned softly. No matter how many times they’d been together the past two weeks, the sight of him instantly aroused her. But this wasn’t about her.
“I want to take care of you,” she murmured as she tugged him free, her hand wrapping around his length. “And considering I can’t stop dreaming of fucking you . . .”
“That dirty mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble,” he growled.
She trailed the tip of her tongue down his length, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from him and a shiver from herself. She wanted to savor him, this freedom she had with him.
I’m his. He’s mine.
That’s all that matters.
But they didn’t have time to draw this out the way they might if they were in a bedroom and the uneven surface of the forest floor was digging into her knees.
Taking the head of his length into her mouth, she swirled her tongue around him, then slowly drew him into her mouth fully. His size meant that he hit her throat and she drew deep breaths, her lips locked in a perfect circle around him.
“God, Madison. You’re fucking incredible.”
His hands wound their way to the back of her head, his fingers slipping into her hair as she pulled away, using one hand to stay completely wrapped around him, the other to grab his balls and squeeze.
“Fuck,” he breathed.
As she drew him back in again, she tried to ignore her own growing need for him. Maybe just a few minutes of having him inside her . . .
Focus. Just him right now.
She wanted his cock inside her so badly that she threw her efforts into stroking him more fully, deeply, increasing her pace. He could last for a long time, and that would only work to make her insatiable.
Drawing her mouth to the tip of him once again, she sucked lightly. “I need you to come soon, baby, or I’m gonna have to push you down and climb on top of you,” she said.
He got the hint. “Open that dirty mouth and take me.”
Dammit. I want you so much, Brooks.
He thrust into her mouth, and she slid her hands around his hips to grab his ass as he fucked her mouth, her body warm with desire for him. She moaned as she took him.
“I’m gonna come, babe. I’m gonna shoot my load right down that throat. Swallow it.” He throbbed into her mouth, then she tasted him as he let out a deep, low groan.
She pulled back slowly and swallowed, then stood, her knees shaky. Smiling at him, she met his gaze. “Better?”
His face had visibly relaxed and he simply nodded in response.
She kissed him gently. “See you at the boat.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna need a minute.”
Leaving him there, she found her way out of the woods, her heart bubbling. She’d always enjoyed sex, but something about being able to bring a man like Brooks to his knees made her . . . giddy. Maybe it was the dynamic. He truly could have his pick of women in the world.
And he wants me.
He’s mine.
Brooks Kent is my boyfriend.
For now.
That was a startling thought when she dwelled on it for longer than a second.
She was more content with him than she’d ever been with anyone. Wanted him more than anyone. The sexual energy between them was insatiable sometimes. She never would have done something like what she’d just done for another boyfriend.
But.
She’d also never had as little discussion about being in a committed relationship, either.
What are we doing here? Such a simple question with everyone else.
She’d let herself be complacent with the boyfriend and girlfriend titles . . . but that didn’t mean long-term anything. And she was starting to feel long term for this man.
Don’t lie to yourself, Maddie.
She wasn’t starting anything at this point. The last few weeks, she’d been oh-so-casually falling for a man she was in a one-day-at-a-time relationship with. A man who treated their relationship as anything but casual.
They needed to talk about this.
When she was almost at the dock, she saw that Pops and Audrey appeared to be eating cream puffs—because Pops always fed people and usually started with sweets if it was a kid. Bunny worried about his health, but Maddie thought it was cute. Same old Pops. Always sneaking sweets and salty snacks.
Maddie almost didn’t see a woman jogging from the parking lot down the narrow path toward the dock. The woman caught up to her just as she reached the first wooden plank.
“You Madison Yardley?”
Maddie turned back toward her and smiled. “That’s me.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. She shoved Maddie, hard, with both hands.
Maddie went flying backward against the dock, her butt and head smacking against the planks, sending spots into her vision as she cried out.
What the hell?
“Stay away from my boyfriend!” the woman screamed, hovering over her.
What? She stared at the woman, frozen with confusion.
“Brooks is mine, you hear? You keep your bitch hands off him.”
What the hell?
A shiny flash of metal glinted against the cloudy sky as the woman pulled a knife out from under her jacket.
“I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking kill you!”
“What? No!”
Suddenly, Pops appeared beside Maddie, and without an ounce of hesitation, he reached out, snatched the knife from the woman’s hand, then pushed her over the dock and into the water. The woman continued to scream, thrashing in the water, as Pops tossed the knife off the opposite side of the dock. It sank instantly.
What is happening?
Brooks came into sight.
Thank God.
A younger, more heart-breaking scream punctured Maddie’s horrified mind.
“Maddie!” Brooks cried. He bolted toward them.
She turned to get to Audrey, who stood screaming and clearly terrified in the boat.
Please don’t fall out of the pontoon, Audrey. Oh my God, what if that woman gets to her first?
Thankfully, the woman was swimming away and toward the shore, away from them. Maddie leaped into the pontoon, which rocked violently, knocking Audrey into her arms. Audrey wailed, trembling. But I have her.
Maddie attempted to scramble to her feet. Then she saw the dock, her heart slamming into her ribs.
Blood. Oh God, Pops.
Pops held his wrist to his shirt, but there was so much blood already dripping from his wrist. Did the knife nick him in the scuffle? She refused to believe it could be anything else.
“Maddie,” Pops said in a low voice. Brooks wasn’t far from them now, but Maddie scooped up an inconsolable Audrey and stood on wobbly legs, then climbed onto the dock. She hurried toward Pops. She could only hope that it was the adrenaline keeping the pain in her back and head subdued.
“What the fuck happened?” Brooks yelled as he reached her, grabbing Audrey from her arms. His face was reddened with rage.
“Pops!” Maddie turned toward him. Please be okay.
“Tell me what happened,” Brooks demanded again.
“Stalker,” Maddie managed, then pointed at the woman, still swimming away. She’d need to get out of the water soon—it had to be freezing cold. “Came at me with a knife.”
Pops had gone ashen, and he clutched his chest, taking one stumbling step forward. Brooks caught him by the arm.
No.
“Pops!” Maddie grabbed his arm. “What is it? Are you okay?”
Distress crossed his features. “Heart attack.”
“Call an ambulance,” Maddie said to Brooks. “And the cops.”
He took out his cell phone immediately, turning away from them to talk.
Shit. Keep it together, Maddie. How in the hell is this happening? How did that woman find us here?
The sight of Brian Pearson coming over the hill nearly undid her.
Thank God, thank God, thank God.
“Can you walk?” she asked Pops. No way they could carry him.
He nodded shakily.
“Grab Audrey,” Maddie ordered Brooks. She didn’t wait for him as she started off the dock toward Brian.
Brian stopped. “What happened?”
“Pops is having a heart attack. We need to get to the hospital.” The sound of her own voice was strangely distant, as though her mind and body were disconnected somehow.
Keep going, Maddie. Keep going.
Pops’s face looked more ashen, his footsteps unsteady.
Brian hurried to his other side. “All right, buddy. It’s all right. We’re gonna get you taken care of.”
Please don’t die, please don’t.
Please, God, help me!
“Ambulance is on its way.” Brooks came up beside her. Audrey had stopped screaming, but her eyes were wide, her cheek plastered into Brooks’s shoulder. “What happened to his arm?” He nodded at the line of blood.
“The woman pulled a knife on me.”
“What now?” Brian looked aghast.
“Motherfucker.” Brooks’s jaw clenched, his eyes lit with fury.
And guilt.
Guilt she shared.
She’d been horny and stupid and hadn’t listened to him.
Left herself exposed, not paying attention to her surroundings. Tears stung her eyes.
But that didn’t matter now because Pops was all that was important. Getting him to the hospital.
Brian led them to his truck. “I can take him. Maybe meet the ambulance if necessary.”
“We’ll all go. None of us is staying out here with that lunatic,” Brooks said in a voice that left no room for argument. Not that she disagreed.
Pops looked back toward the dock. “The boat?—”
“Don’t give it another thought. It’ll be fine.” Maddie held the passenger side door open for Pops, and Brooks helped him in.
As Brooks closed the door, their eyes collided. “You okay?” He scanned her face, his expression anguished.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Bruised and sore—she shoved me—but I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry.” His gaze held an intensity to it, a level of pain that she didn’t know how to interpret.
I can’t handle this right now.
Maddie shook her head. She couldn’t talk about this right now or she’d start crying. Opening the back door to the truck, she slid inside, then Brooks followed with Audrey.
No car seat, but it didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered but getting Pops to the hospital.
Please, you can’t die.