Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
The birds were chirping, and a soft breeze created a billowing effect on the sage-green sheers in the bedroom.
Madison stretched and glanced at the alarm clock.
Six a.m., Sunday morning. Surprisingly she’d slept the entire night.
Refreshed and eager to explore town, she tossed the covers aside and made her way to the kitchen.
Garrett had mentioned she should explore the town and that’s exactly what she’d do. After coffee.
With mug and phone in hand she stepped onto the patio and claimed the Adirondack chair, staring at the lake. This is the life. No wonder Mason and Eve enjoyed this place. A reminder that life didn’t have to be so demanding. Taking time to relax was a necessity.
Her phone buzzed. Sophie:
Good morning, Mom, any plans today besides laundry?
Good morning, sweetie, planning on shopping in town and then sunbathing on the beach with a good book.
Sounds nice. Are you wearing the camo bikini I bought you?
I have it on under my T-shirt and shorts.
Yay!! You look great in it.
Madison smirked as she typed:
I don’t know about that, but I’ll find a coverup to slip on over it.
Oh please! Show off your body! You run and lift for a reason, and it’s not to hide behind clothes ;)
I love you.
Love you too, Mom. Have a great day. A bunch of us are getting together to explore Philly.
Be careful.
Always.
Madison set her phone down and finished her coffee while leaning back and letting her shoulders drop into relaxation mode.
Sophie had been so excited to start at Penn State that she’d headed out early for the summer semester, determined to get used to campus life before the chaos of freshman year officially began.
Madison understood it. Sophie had always thrown herself fully into new experiences, eager and fearless in ways Madison both admired and worried about.
Now, she was the one who was figuring out what her future looked like when it no longer revolved around being someone’s full-time mom.
After watching the sun rise over the lake, she placed her mug in the dishwasher, pulled her purse over her body, and headed toward town.
Two older gentlemen in a souped-up golf cart waved and smiled, and she waved and smiled back. She waited for a line of trucks pulling boats to pass before crossing the street.
The Popcorn Shoppe wasn’t open yet, but oh, did it look good. She made a note to stop on her way back to the beach. She looked at her watch—five minutes to eight. The town wasn’t quite bustling yet, and she hoped Rural Chic Boutique opened early.
Perfect. To her surprise, the neon OPEN sign in the window was lit, so she pulled the door open and stepped inside.
An upbeat ’80s ballad played over the speakers.
Rustic wooden tables held neatly folded stacks of T-shirts, while black pipe racks lined the walls, filled with dresses and shirts in different styles and colors.
“Good morning, welcome to Rural Chic Boutique,” the salesclerk greeted. “What can I help you find today?”
“I’m just going to look around.”
“Absolutely. Anything with a red dot is twenty percent off. Beachwear is on that wall”—the salesclerk pointed behind her—“and shoes are in the back by the dressing rooms. Please let me know if you have any questions.”
“Great, thank you.”
Madison started rummaging through the racks and found several shirts. She draped them over her arm.
“Here, let me take those. I can start a dressing room for you.”
“Thanks.” Madison handed over her clothing choices and continued to peruse the shop.
After an hour of trying on the selection of shirts, skirts, shorts, and beachwear, she made her way to the cash counter. She’d stopped at a table of fun gift items when she heard Chloe’s voice.
“Great work, everyone,” Chloe said, coming down the stairs to greet her employees. “The new display looks awesome. I’ll be out the rest of the day but will stop in before closing.”
She turned and noticed Madison.
“Hey, Madison! How are you?” Chloe was dressed in cutoffs and a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert tee. She gave her a quick hug.
“Hi, Chloe. I had to stop in and do some shopping. I love your boutique.”
“Thank you. What are you doing today?”
“Planning on hanging at the beach, getting some sun and reading a book. Nothing too exciting.”
“How about you join me on the lake? I’m heading to Paige and Ethan’s. We’re spending the day on their pontoon.”
Madison thought that sounded divine. “It sounds fun, but I don’t want to impose.”
The salesclerk finished ringing up her purchases and came around the counter to hand her the bags. Chloe took the bags. “You’re not,” she said. “I asked. Let’s go. We’ll drop these off at your house then head to Paige’s.”
Madison laughed. “Okay, I guess I’m spending the day on the lake. Thanks.”
Chloe whistled. A black lab came out from behind the counter. “Boat ride, Indy!”
Madison bent over and petted the dog. “Is this beautiful girl yours?”
“Nope, I’m dog-sitting for my brother Cole.”
“Wow! What a beautiful home,” Madison said when Chloe turned into Paige’s driveway.
Chloe nodded. “Ethan had it built when he retired from baseball and moved home.”
Madison opened the back door for Indy and grabbed Chloe’s cooler. “Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here?”
“Of course!” Chloe carried an oversized beach bag. They headed toward the lake. “I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Garrett hadn’t planned on coming out to the lake today. He’d planned on working alone at the brewery. He wanted to keep busy and avoid anything that felt like a distraction, mainly Madison Mitchell. But Ethan had texted him. Come out. Paige wants to celebrate her sixth book. Bring a cooler.
He should have asked who else would be there, but he didn’t, and now the woman he’d been trying to avoid and not think of daily over the last year, stood in front of him.
The second Chloe stepped onto the dock with Madison behind her, everything in Garrett went still. Well, not everything. His pulse kicked up hard. Which annoyed him.
He dragged his gaze away, focusing instead on tightening the strap on the cooler, like that somehow mattered.
“Didn’t think your brother would be here,” Madison said quietly to Chloe.
Garrett caught it anyway.
“Ethan probably invited him so he wouldn’t be the only guy,” Chloe said with a laugh.
Garrett huffed under his breath.
When Madison stepped onto the dock, her heart stuttered.
Garrett’s hazel eyes zeroed in on her and she couldn’t look away from his sculpted body, shirtless and wearing board shorts.
Some women didn’t like gym muscles, only appreciated muscles earned by hard work.
She never much cared; it took discipline to look that good.
She knew he lifted weights, but owning a brewery also required physical labor, moving kegs, grain sacks, and cases of beer.
Indy bounded onto the boat, and Ethan held out a hand for guidance. “Thank you,” Madison said as she accepted the help.
Garrett stepped up and she relinquished the cooler to him. When their fingers brushed, he stepped back like he’d been shocked.
Chloe made introductions. “Madison, I know you’ve already met Paige. This is her husband, Ethan. Ethan, this is Madison Mitchell, Mason’s twin sister.”
“Nice to meet you, Madison. Thank you for your donation to the vets’ center, even though you now are obligated to have dinner with him.” Ethan patted Garrett on the shoulder.
“Ha-ha,” Garrett said.
“It was purely a business transaction,” Madison said, smirking.
“She wants her cider on the menu at the brewery,” Garrett added, keeping his tone neutral.
“Ooohhh, I love a good ulterior motive,” Chloe said.
Garrett smiled.
Madison settled onto a bench seat next to Paige, and Ethan pulled away from the dock, driving slowly.
The lake was smooth as glass, and a couple of loons glided across its surface.
They passed charming cabins and elegant lake homes and docks alive with children scrambling over floating islands.
Music drifted softly from the shore, carried on the breeze beneath a wide blue sky brushed with wisps of clouds.
Every stretch of land was well cared for—nothing overgrown or neglected.
Garrett leaned back against the side rail, letting the breeze hit his face.
Focus. Three weeks. That’s all this was. Three weeks until the brewery opened. Three weeks until Madison went back to Minneapolis—back to her world, where things made sense again.
Ethan slowed toward the center of the lake and found a spot away from most of the other boaters. Paige and Chloe stood and removed their T-shirts and shorts. Ethan grabbed the suntan lotion and rubbed Paige’s back, and Paige in turn lathered up Chloe’s back.
Madison removed her outer layer of clothing and began spreading on suntan lotion.
Chloe said, “Turn. I’ve gotcha.”
Madison lifted her hair and gathered it over her shoulder.
He shouldn’t have looked at her when she pulled her T-shirt off. He knew that, but he was a glutton for punishment. Camouflage bikini. Of all things. His jaw tightened as he looked away, reaching for the sunscreen like that would fix anything. He rubbed lotion over his arms and shoulders.
“Garrett, get over here,” Chloe called.
He stepped forward, letting her finish his back quickly. “Thanks.”
He grabbed a drink from the cooler and held one out to Madison. “Iced tea?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
“This is the last time I’ll be wearing a bikini for a while,” Paige said.
Madison smiled. “Chloe told me on the way here. Congratulations, you two.”
“Thanks. We’re excited,” Ethan said as he wrapped his arm around Paige.
Garrett stayed just outside most of the conversation, listening more than talking, and watching more than he should have.
Madison laughed easily and talked with her hands when she got into something, but she listened closely when others spoke. Every now and then, she glanced over at him.
They spent the next hour soaking up some Vitamin D while conversation ebbed and flowed.
A gentle breeze swept over them, giving them some relief from the heat.
When the sun was high in the sky, Ethan rolled out the large water mat, and Garrett removed his sling and slid into the lake without hesitation.
Cold water helped ground him. He needed to clear his head.
Chloe looked over the rail, holding his sling in her hand. “Shouldn’t you be wearing this?”
“I’m fine,” he grunted. “The only reason the doctor wanted me to wear it is because he thought I’d overdo it.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself.”
When Madison hovered near the edge, eyeing the mat, Garrett asked, “Have you ever gotten onto one of these before?”
“Never. I’m trying to figure out the best way.”
“I could tell.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Use the sea lion technique,” he said. “Watch.” He swam to the edge, put his stomach on the mat, and with a combination of a shimmy and a roll, he settled onto it.
“Okay, I can do this.” She pushed onto the mat and immediately rolled into him.
Garrett reacted out of instinct, his hand landing at her waist to steady her before she slid off. And just like that, she was right there. Too close.
Her breath caught and so did his.
The lake rocked beneath them, but everything else went still. Her hair brushed his shoulder and her hand pressed lightly against his chest.
His gaze dropped, just for a second, to her lips before snapping back to her eyes. “Careful,” he said, his voice low.
Madison swallowed. “I had it.”
“Did you?” One corner of his mouth tipped up.
He needed to end this now before it turned into something. He shifted, rolling slightly so she could steady herself. “You’re good.”
“Thanks.”
He nodded once, already pushing himself off the mat and back into the water.
Distance. He needed distance.
The rest of the afternoon slipped by in a blur of easy banter, sun-warmed skin, and laughter that came without effort.
Madison couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun.
She found herself watching Paige and Ethan with their quiet, easy love, Chloe with her effortless confidence, and Garrett.
He kept his distance and she wondered why, since every time she’d glance at him, their eyes met.
When it was time to go, Garrett told Chloe he’d take Madison home. She climbed into his truck, and he put her at ease by saying, “I’m glad you came.” He started the engine. “I’m sorry I didn’t think to invite you.”
“I had fun.”
“Yeah.” He glanced over at her, then back to the road. “Me too.”