Chapter Fourteen MADISON
Chapter Fourteen
MADISON
Not much later, I was on autopilot and had turned down my own driveway. It was only when I stopped that Allie asked, “Can we go over to my house?”
Glancing sideways, I said, “Oh! I wasn’t thinking.”
She shrugged. “I want my nail polish so we can do our nails together. Let’s just walk through the trees. I promise it’s only a few minutes.”
“Um…” I began because I hadn’t considered this.
“I need to refresh my nails. You can pick a new color too,” she offered.
“I don’t want to leave Wilbur alone for too long.”
“Oh, you can bring him inside. I promise it’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure that won’t be a problem for your dad?”
Allie’s brows hitched up as she rolled her eyes. “It’ll be fine. Come on.”
The next thing I knew, I was walking with Allie through the trees along a path while Wilbur trotted beside us, sniffing madly.
I hadn’t even taken the time to explore the woods around my new home.
I was still adjusting to the fact that this was my home.
I also wasn’t particularly comfortable tromping around the woods by myself.
I knew from the paperwork on the property that I’d inherited over thirty acres.
The distance from my house to theirs through the trees, as the crow flew, was roughly a ten-minute walk.
It gave me comfort to know that I wasn’t completely alone out here.
I scanned the area once we reached the edge of their driveway.
The home was a single-story ranch set amidst a cluster of trees.
Off to the side was a view of the mountains in the distance.
“Pretty,” I commented.
I stepped onto the porch that ran the length of the house and looked around curiously as we entered.
The door in the center led to a small entryway.
Through an archway were a living room and kitchen area with a small hallway off to one side, but that was it.
I presumed that led to their bedrooms. The space felt masculine.
It was decorated in charcoal gray and beige tones with a few splashes of color.
“I’ll be right back.” Allie kicked her shoes off, and I followed suit.
She gestured me toward the kitchen table. I crossed over to sit down as Wilbur began investigating the house. “Should I put him on a lead?” I called just before she began walking down the hallway.
She glanced back, shaking her head. “He can look around.” She smiled down at him before looking back up at me. “I’ve been trying to persuade Dad to get a dog for a while. Our dog Banana passed away a while ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” I pressed my palm to my chest.
“Me too. Dad says he’s too busy for us to get a puppy right now, but I’m working on him. Be right back,” she repeated.
I looked around while I waited, sipping the delicious caramel hot chocolate.
The combination of flavors was decadent.
A few minutes later, Allie returned, setting down colors for me to choose for my nails.
She also brought a bag of cotton balls and nail polish remover.
I opted for a bolder shade—a rich plum—while Allie alternated bright blue with pearly white.
“What do you think?” She held her hands up and wiggled her fingers a little while later.
“They look great!”
I was starting to feel antsy, but not because I felt like I was doing anything wrong. I enjoyed spending time with Allie, but Graham had only asked me to pick her up because he didn’t have any other option.
I knew our last explosive kiss was something he regretted.
I didn’t know how I knew he regretted it, but I just did.
I also knew he didn’t think we should be involved.
Not that I was looking to be involved, but my confidence was so banged up.
Sensing his hesitance about me only added to the uncertainty I felt about myself.
Long story short, I wasn’t sure how wise it was to spend much time here with Allie.
Before I could sort out what to do, Wilbur let out a bark when the front door opened.
A moment later, I heard Graham’s low voice as he greeted Wilbur and prayed that he wasn’t upset that Allie had invited me in, along with my dog.
He stepped through the archway from the entrance and looked over toward us.
My belly swooped at the sight of him. His dark curls were mussed, and he had a smear of dirt on his cheek. He was clearly in his work clothes, and he was so sexy, it took my breath away. Apparently, I had a thing for men looking roughed up and dirty. Or maybe I just had a thing for Graham.
His arms swung as he crossed over to us. “Allie invited me in. She said it was okay for Wilbur to come in,” I said quickly.
He grinned as he looked over at her. “I figured. Wilbur’s no problem. Thanks for picking her up. Where’s your car?”
“I wasn’t thinking and automatically drove to my place. Allie wanted to paint our nails.” I held up my hand. “She showed me the path here.”
Graham nodded. “I need to take a shower because I’m filthy, but I can drop you off after that.”
“Don’t forget I have a slumber party tonight,” Allie called as he angled toward the hallway.
He glanced over his shoulder. “Right. Okay, I’ll drop you off after I take Madison home.”
“Dad, you promised we could go to Wildlands for an early dinner before you drop me off.” She paused, her eyes bouncing from her dad to me and back again. “Can Maddie come with us? Please.”