Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The bell above the door jingled as Madison stepped into Rosie’s Diner, and the smell of strong coffee and sizzling bacon made her mouth water with anticipation because, seriously, who didn’t love bacon?
A few locals looked up and nodded in recognition—the kind of familiar acknowledgment she’d started to get used to.
The chalkboard menu boasted the day’s special: Frank’s famous veggie omelet and hashbrowns.
She noticed Elsie perched on a stool at the counter, chatting with Rosie.
Elsie lifted a hand and waved Madison over. “Are you alone or meeting someone?”
“Alone.”
“I was just going to order. Would you like to join me?”
“I’d love to.”
Rosie grabbed two menus and motioned them toward a booth tucked in the back, away from the bustle. They settled in as Rosie poured coffee and set down napkin-wrapped silverware.
“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind,” Elsie said.
Madison hesitated, fingers tracing the edge of the menu. “It’s been a long few days.”
Elsie leaned back, eyes sharp and amused. “That I believe. You’ve been neck-deep in opening prep, Brewfest, committee business, and now . . . that look in your eyes says you’ve found something else entirely.”
Madison studied her across the table. Elsie wasn’t prying—it wasn’t in her nature. She was offering a lifeline, if Madison wanted to take it.
“How did you know who to trust when you were mayor?” Madison asked. Her voice came out steadier than she felt.
Elsie tilted her head, thoughtful, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You learn. Sometimes the hard way. But mostly, you watch who shows up when there’s nothing in it for them.”
That hit Madison somewhere deep. She let it settle and sipped her coffee before speaking again. “What if what you find could cause a lot of disruption? To people you haven’t even met yet?”
Elsie didn’t flinch. “Then you make damn sure your instincts are right. And if they are, you don’t let the fear of disruption stop you. Because the people who do show up? They deserve better than the ones hiding behind loopholes and handshake deals.”
Madison nodded slowly, heart thudding. She’d taken down corruption before—bigger, uglier, and halfway across the world. But this was different. This wasn’t faceless. This was a town. Her town, whether she’d meant it to be or not. And that was what made her hesitate.
“I wasn’t planning on getting involved,” she admitted quietly. “Not really. But . . . something’s off. And I can’t unsee it.”
Elsie’s eyes gleamed proud and fierce. She sat forward and pointed at Madison. “That right there? That’s why I’ve been keeping my eye on you.”
Madison lifted her coffee, hiding the self-conscious smile that tugged at her lips. She felt steadier than when she walked in, steadier than she had in days.
“Do you think I could do it?” she asked, surprising herself with the words. “Run this town?”
Elsie’s answer came without hesitation. “Let me ask you this. Do you care about the people in it?”
Madison had to pause. She hadn’t expected the question, but the answer slipped out before she could overthink it. “I didn’t realize I would. But yeah, I do.”
Elsie’s smile turned knowing. “Then you’ve got a better start than most.”
Before Madison could reply, Rosie appeared, sliding two veggie omelets and toast onto the table with a wink. “If this breakfast doesn’t give you clarity, nothing will.”
Madison laughed softly and took her first bite. Somehow, the fog didn’t feel so heavy anymore.
Later that night, Garrett stepped out onto his patio, no longer wearing his sling.
Madison had worked alongside him most of the day, but she’d slipped out a couple of hours before closing.
He hadn’t realized how much he missed her until now, the quiet hitting harder without her laughter cutting through it.
He had it bad, no sense pretending otherwise—and he couldn’t help wondering if she felt the same.
And there she was, already settled into her chair across the way.
She always looked out at the water first, like she needed that moment before turning to him.
He found himself waiting for it now, the quiet pause before her gaze shifted his way.
Tonight, the soft light spilling from her patio door caught in her hair, gilding it like fire, and he couldn’t help thinking he liked her best in moments like this .
. . unaware, unguarded, and entirely herself.
What surprised him most was how much he craved it, this simple ritual that had become theirs.
The easy rhythm of two people ending their days in the same place, no matter how different those days had been.
He told himself it was just comfort, just habit—but deep down, he knew better.
He looked forward to being with her more than he wanted to admit.
“What’s going on, Madison?” he asked gently.
He’d noticed immediately. He always did.
She blinked, caught but not embarrassed. If anything, she looked . . . resolved.
“I’ve been trying to figure out the right time to say something,” she said. “And I realized there won’t be a right time.” She stood. “Follow me in?”
He did as she asked, and she disappeared down her hallway. When she came back, she carried a manila envelope. She set it on the kitchen island, fingertips lingering on the edge like it might burn up if she let go too soon.
“Frankie, Mayor Benson’s assistant, gave this to me.”
Garrett straightened. “Okay . . .”
“She texted me out of the blue,” Madison continued. “Asked to meet outside of town. Said she had something to give me—something she didn’t feel safe handing over in Deer Creek Falls.”
Garrett glanced at the envelope. “What’s in it?” he asked.
“Inspections. Permits. Signed-off repairs that were never completed. Zoning issues swept under the rug. Names of businesses that got harassed or pushed out. Notes that link most of it back to Mayor Benson.”
Garrett let out a low whistle, walking around the island to stand beside her. “This is big.”
Madison nodded. “Yeah. There’s enough here to raise red flags. And Frankie . . . she’s scared. She asked me to look into it because I’m an outsider. Because she knows I won’t let it go.”
Her eyes lifted then, locking on his, and Garrett felt it deep down—she trusted him.
“I didn’t know who to tell,” she admitted. “Elsie or you. But I trust you, Garrett. And I figured if anyone knew this town well enough to help me figure out what’s real and what’s just noise—it’s you.”
“Thank you for trusting me.” His hand brushed over hers before pulling the envelope toward him. “You didn’t have to do this. You could’ve kept your head down, gone back to Minneapolis. But instead, you’re here, protecting a town that doesn’t even realize it needs protecting.”
Her lips curved in a small, vulnerable smile. “I guess I needed something to fight for. This town’s starting to feel like home.”
He swallowed against the tightness in his throat and nodded. “Let’s look through it together. Figure out what you’ve got. If the mayor’s doing what it looks like he’s doing, we’ll make sure he doesn’t get away with it.”
Her shoulders eased. Relief softened her expression, and that smile—gentle, genuine—told him everything. Something had changed tonight. She trusted him. And he’d be damned if he ever gave her a reason not to.
Hours later, the TV hummed softly in the living room, credits rolling across the screen. The couch had become a makeshift bed, and somewhere between conversation and exhaustion, Madison and Garrett had fallen asleep.
Madison stirred first. Her head rested under his chin, one hand splayed across his chest in a way that felt far too natural for two people who weren’t supposed to belong to each other. She blinked, registering how tightly they were curled together.
Carefully, she tried to slide away, one arm pulling back, her body shifting.
“Where are you going?” Garrett’s voice was rough with sleep, low and warm.
She froze. His eyes were half lidded, hazy but fixed on her, and his arm tightened around her waist to keep her close.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispered. “I was just going to move.”
“You were perfect where you were.”
His hand lifted, brushing a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. The touch was feather-light, sending a shiver straight down her spine. His fingers lingered at the curve of her neck, close enough for her to feel the heat of him everywhere.
“You’re beautiful,” he said softly.
Her breath caught. Wanting flickered in his gaze, raw and unguarded. He didn’t close the distance. He waited.
Madison leaned in, lips meeting his in a kiss that was slow, certain, and devastating in its simplicity. Like she’d been holding her breath since she first met him—and could finally exhale.
He cupped her cheek with one hand, anchoring her against him with the other as they kissed.
And then—his thumb brushed lightly across her bottom lip.
She stilled.
Not because of the kiss. Because of that. That move.
When they parted, breathless, Garrett studied her like she’d rewritten the rules of everything he thought he knew.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to kiss you,” he said quietly.
Her smile was soft, but something deeper flickered behind it. “Me too. I really wanted you to ask me out.”
Garrett let out a breath, his forehead resting briefly against hers. “I couldn’t. You’re Mason’s sister. And the last time I—” He stopped himself, jaw tightening slightly. “I don’t exactly have a great track record with that kind of thing.”
Madison’s fingers lifted to his wrist, stilling him before he could pull away completely. Her thumb brushed lightly over his, right where it had touched her lip.
“That night. The masquerade,” she said softly.
Garrett froze.
“I wasn’t sure,” she continued, searching his face. “But I had a feeling.” A shy smile curved her lips. “I hoped it was you.”
Something in his expression shifted—surprise, then something warmer. Hungrier.
“I wondered if you knew.”
His hand tightened on her waist, pulling her closer this time instead of letting distance settle between them. Like he’d finally stopped fighting himself.
He lowered his forehead briefly to hers, his next words rough and unsteady. “Because I’m not making that mistake twice.”
He kissed her again. Not tentative this time.
His mouth claimed hers with a depth that stole the breath from her lungs, all restrained tension and want finally breaking loose between them.
Madison’s hands slid up into his hair as he pulled her flush against him, the kiss deepening until the rest of the world disappeared.
The man who’d kissed her once in a ballroom and walked away, kissed her this time like he had no intention of letting her go.