Chapter 10 Maddox
MADDOX
The forest is dark and quiet. A thick layer of snow crunches beneath my feet as I drag the handcart toward the firewood stand, restocking it with bundles of logs.
I empty the cash box, satisfied with the stack of bills inside.
I’ve been saving up lately, setting aside as much as possible for an engagement ring.
Making Sophia my wife is all I can think about.
It’s been three weeks since she moved into my cabin, and every second with her has been magical.
Hell, I still can’t believe I get to call her mine—kiss her, hold her, wake up next to her every day.
I can’t believe I get to touch her soft curves, fuck her, taste her sweetness on my tongue.
It feels like a dream I never want to wake up from.
Now I just need to make it official. I’ll have to use a false identity.
Keep it under the radar. But I’ll do whatever it takes to marry my girl.
Thinking about Sophia is enough to make my heart thud, and I’m suddenly desperate to get back to her. I leave the firewood stand, dragging the empty handcart behind me and storing it in the woodshed. Then I head into the cabin.
Sophia is curled up on the armchair by the fire, her nose in a children’s book.
After the snowstorm ended, she got a call saying one of her job applications had been successful, and now she’s a librarian at Cherry Hollow Elementary School.
She already loves it. Encouraging the kids to read and sharing her favorite childhood books with them brings her so much joy.
She often brings books home with her to read, so she knows the best ones to recommend to the kids at her school.
Hell, she said she even prefers it to her old bookstore job, and I’m so proud of her for finding something she loves to do.
Sophia looks up from the page as I stride into the living room, her warm brown eyes twinkling at me.
She’s so fucking beautiful. I swear I could stare at her all day.
She’s wearing dark sweatpants and one of my old t-shirts—tight on me, but baggy as hell on her.
Her hair is tied back in a messy bun, eyes still a little puffy from last night.
I kept her up late. No sleep until she orgasmed at least five times; that was the deal.
I cross the room and press a kiss on her head, catching the sweet scent of her shampoo.
“How’s the book, sugar?”
“Awesome.” She smiles up at me. “I think the kids will really like this one. Fantasy books are always a hit.”
“Good.” I bend down to stoke the fire, keeping it warm and roaring for her. “They’re lucky to have you, baby. Best damn librarian in the world.”
She glows at the praise. “Thank you.”
“Prettiest, too.”
She giggles, closing her book and reaching up to wrap her arms around my neck. I pull her up, and she straddles my hips, resting her head on my shoulder. I love holding her like this. Feeling her soft curves against me. Breathing her in.
“You hungry, sugar?” I ask, her stomach rumbling against me. “Ready for dinner?”
“Yes, please.”
“How do spaghetti and meatballs sound?”
She hums in approval. “Sounds perfect.”
I set her down, taking her hand as we head for the kitchen.
“We should probably have an early night tonight,” Sophia says, shooting me a smirk as I reach for the spaghetti.
“No promises, sugar.”
She lets out an exaggerated groan. “But we didn’t sleep until two last night.”
I set the spaghetti aside and drag Sophia toward me, my gaze locked on hers. “You weren’t complaining when you were coming all over my cock, princess.”
She bites her lip with a knowing smile. “I guess not.”
“Also, it’s Saturday. So we can wake up late tomorrow and have a long morning in bed. A very, very long morning…”
“Sounds like heaven.” Sophia rises on her tiptoes to kiss me. I suck her plump bottom lip into my mouth, savoring her cherry-sweet taste as my hands roam her curves. My cock stirs in anticipation, but I force myself to be patient. I need to make my girl some dinner first.
We pull apart, and I give Sophia’s rounded ass a quick squeeze before focusing on the dinner. I’ve just taken the meat out of the fridge, ready to start on the meatballs, when a knock sounds from the living room. Someone at the front door.
A bolt of paranoia zips through me as I turn toward the noise before meeting Sophia’s gaze.
“It’s okay,” she says softly. “It’s probably just a late delivery, or maybe someone asking about the firewood. I’ll get it.”
“No, stay here, sugar. I’ll go.”
I’m annoyed with myself as I leave the kitchen and head for the door. Sophia shouldn’t have to deal with my paranoia. She’s right—it will be someone asking about the firewood. Wouldn’t be the first time somebody has come to my door trying to haggle.
I open the door with a scowl. I feel a flicker of relief when I see it’s a young woman by herself—not a fleet of cop cars. She looks pale and anxious in the glow of the porch light, a mane of red hair framing her face.
“Can I help you?” I ask, already impatient to get back to Sophia.
“M-Maddox?”
My stomach turns to ice when the stranger says my name. My real name. For a second, I think it must be a trap. Maybe this woman is a cop after all, trying to sniff me out. But then she takes a step toward me, tears welling in her eyes. Realization hits me like a freight train.
It’s been so long. She was barely nine years old when I last saw her, a tiny little thing with wide eyes and scraped knees. But as I stare at the woman, I see it. The same eyes. The same freckles. The same pale face. My litter sister. All grown up.
“Ruby…”
She bursts into tears, throwing her arms around me.
For a second, I’m too shocked to move. She’s sobbing against my shoulder, squeezing me so tightly I can hardly breathe.
My arms hang limply at my sides as my brain struggles to catch up with my heart.
Then a lump rises in my throat. With a ragged breath, I wrap my arms around Ruby, hugging my sister for the first time in fifteen years.
“I can’t b-believe it’s r-really you,” she weeps.
My chest floods with emotion. I always thought my sister would hate me after what I did. But when we finally pull apart, there’s nothing but elation in her teary eyes.
“How did you find me?” I ask her dazedly.
She lets out a wry chuckle through her tears.
“You didn’t make it easy. But I’ve been keeping track of your money orders over the years, looking at the postmarks.
I marked them all on a map and figured you must be living somewhere in the middle of them all.
Somewhere in Colorado. Then your last one… it was different.”
I understand her immediately. The last money order I sent was from Winterdale, just a town over from where I live.
It was a risk. A dumb one. But my truck had broken down.
I couldn’t drive, and I couldn’t bear the thought of Ruby thinking I’d forgotten her.
So I walked to Winterdale and sent the money order from there.
“I found Winterdale on the map,” Ruby says, “and it was right in the middle of all the other places. I figured you made a mistake, so I didn’t cash the money order…just in case it could be traced.”
Smart kid.
“Then I traveled to Winterdale,” Ruby continues breathlessly, wiping her eyes.
“I knocked on doors, asking if anybody knew a guy called John Evans, since that’s the name you always used on your money orders.
Nobody had heard of you. So I tried the next town over.
Somebody mentioned a guy selling firewood on Cherry Mountain.
They said his name was Evans or Edwards or something.
So I drove up the mountain, and when I saw the firewood stand, I figured it was worth a shot.
I never imagined it would really be you. ”
Damn.
It breaks my heart knowing how hard she’s been working to find me. I rest a hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Ruby. Fuck, you have no idea how sorry I am. I wanted to reach out so badly, but I thought—”
Ruby shakes her head, cutting me off. “Staying hidden was the right thing to do. The cops would have tracked you down in no time if you tried to contact me. I’m just so glad you’re okay.”
I swallow hard. “It wasn’t just the cops I was thinking about. I thought you would hate me for what I did to your dad.”
Ruby’s face crumples, but she doesn’t cry.
“No, Maddox. Of course I don’t hate you.
The coroner explained how my dad died. How his injuries were consistent with being punched, then falling backward and hitting his head.
I knew it was an accident.” She takes my hands in hers.
“My father was a dangerous man. You were more of a parent to me than he ever was. Even after you joined the army, you were always there for me. You always cared.”
“Of course I cared, Ruby. You’re my sister.”
She lets out a gentle sob and hugs me again. “Thank you for the money orders,” she whispers. “You don’t know how much they helped.”
“It was the least I could do, Rue.” The old nickname slips out naturally. “I’m just so sorry you had to handle everything all by yourself. Especially after my mom passed away.”
Ruby pulls away, pressing a hand to her mouth as she looks at me. “Oh God. I was…I wasn’t sure if you knew…I thought I was going to have to break the news.”
“Saw the obituary online.”
Ruby nods, wincing. “It was very sudden.” She squeezes my hand. “But she didn’t suffer. She passed in her sleep.”
Grief wells up in my chest. It’s still raw, even now.
“Was she…happy?” I ask.
To my relief, Ruby smiles. “Yes. She missed you like crazy, of course. We talked about you all the time. But a couple of years after you left, she married a guy called Gary. A really nice guy. She had lots of friends and was always out doing something. She was really happy, Maddox.”
The heaviness in my chest eases, relief washing over me. Instinctively, I look back over my shoulder, seeking Sophia. I want to share all this with her, and I spy her hovering in the kitchen doorway, watching us nervously like she’s scared to intrude. I reach a hand out, beckoning her to join us.
“Come here, sugar.”
She walks gingerly toward us, and I sling an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“Ruby, this is Sophia…the love of my life.”
My sister’s eyes widen in surprise, then she beams at us. “That’s amazing! It’s so good to meet you. I never thought my brother would settle down. He’s always been too grumpy to have girlfriends.”
Sophia chuckles warmly. “It’s great to meet you, too. Maddox has told me so much about you. I’m so happy you found us.”
My chest surges with affection for my sweet Sophia, and I press a kiss on the top of her head before stepping back from the doorway.
“Come on in, Rue. Let’s talk inside. We have a hell of a lot to catch up on.”
My sister smiles. “I’ll be right in. Just need to move my car off the road.”
Sophia and I watch as she heads back up the forest path toward the firewood stand. Her car is parked in the same spot where Sophia’s ran out of gas, and I smile to myself.
“This is so amazing,” Sophia says, turning to me. “You finally have your sister back!”
I let out a whoosh of breath. “It’s crazy. Still haven’t processed it.”
I wrap an arm around Sophia’s waist, and she melts against me, sweet and soft as a peach. Her body fits mine perfectly, like she was made for this place in my arms.
“I’m so glad you’re here to share this with me, sugar,” I tell her hoarsely. “Means a lot that you and Ruby get to meet.”
Sophia smiles, her pretty brown eyes glistening. “It means a lot to me, too. I’m so happy for you both. You deserve to be reunited.”
Fuck, she’s so perfect.
What did I ever do to deserve this angel?
“I love you so much,” I murmur.
“I love you too, Maddox. More than anything.”