Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Garrett unlocked the door to his condo and stepped aside so Madison could walk in first.
She stopped just inside the entryway, taking in the soft glow of the lamps Garrett had left on before the storm. Exhaustion settled over her.
“You okay?” he asked quietly behind her.
She nodded automatically. “Yeah.”
It was a lie. Her head still hurt and her body ached.
Garrett shut the door and locked it immediately, then checked it again.
The deadbolt sliding into place shouldn’t have made her feel safer, but it did anyway.
“Come sit down.” His tone had shifted into something gentler. Steadier. “Doctor’s orders.”
“You’re being bossy.”
“One of us has to be responsible.”
She tried to smile, but Garrett’s expression never fully relaxed—tension was carved into every line of his face.
He helped her settle onto the couch, filled the hospital ice bag, and poured her a glass of water.
“Are you sure you don’t want to lie down on the bed?” he asked.
“No. I’m fine on the couch.” Madison’s eyes were tired, but she still smiled.
“Okay, if you’re sure, I’ll grab you a pillow and blanket.”
The air conditioner kicked on and Madison shivered.
Garrett sat next to her and draped a blanket over her lap before propping a pillow beside her.
Then, without asking, he disappeared into the kitchen.
She heard cabinet doors open, the hum of the microwave, the clink of a spoon against ceramic.
“You hungry?” he called.
“Not really.”
“Tough. You have to eat something.”
A few minutes later, he returned carrying soup, crackers, and another bottle of water balanced carefully in his hands.
Madison blinked. “You made soup?”
“I heated soup,” Garrett corrected.
He set everything on the coffee table before crouching in front of her instead of taking the spot beside her again.
“Eat.”
She took a few reluctant mouthfuls of the minestrone soup while he watched her like she might disappear if he blinked too long.
“This is good. Thanks.”
He nodded. “I’m going to go next door and assess the damage. Where did you hide the envelope from Frankie?”
“In the master closet.” She swallowed. “Taped underneath the shoe rack shelf.”
She reached into the front pocket of her purse, pulled out the key, and held it out to him. “You’ll need this.”
He took it. “Eat. Drink water. Rest.”
Normally, she would’ve insisted on going with him. Right now, she didn’t have the energy to argue.
“Yes, sir.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
When Garrett returned, Madison sat up too quickly and instantly regretted it when the room tilted.
He placed a hand on her legs. “Hey, easy.”
“The envelope?”
He held up a slightly crumpled manila envelope like a trophy.
Relief hit so hard her eyes burned.
“Oh, thank God.” She sagged backward against the cushions.
“You hid it well. I almost missed it myself. But Madison,” he said quietly, “they trashed everything. Closets, drawers, couch cushions . . . They were definitely searching for the evidence. I cleaned up a lot of it.”
“But they didn’t find it,” she said.
Garrett shook his head.
Madison looked at him then—really looked at him.
Exhaustion lined his face, but he kept checking her expression every few seconds like he was afraid she’d suddenly stop being okay.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” she said.
He stared at her like the idea itself offended him.
“Yeah,” he said. “I did.”
The softness in his voice nearly undid her.
He reached over and brushed his thumb carefully along the bruise forming on her cheek. “You could’ve been killed tonight.” He swallowed hard. “I don’t think you understand what that did to me.”
Madison stayed quiet, waiting.
Garrett heard himself. He knew he wasn’t handling this well, but damn it, she could have died. And the thought of that—of walking into a room and her not being there—was something he couldn’t survive.
What was happening to him?
He’d spent the last year building walls. Hiding behind work. Hiding in Deer Creek Falls. Putting distance between them wherever he could.
For what?
Because she was Mason’s sister?
What if I had lost her before letting myself have this?
Madison laced her fingers through his. “May I say something?”
He turned toward her.
“This isn’t the first dangerous situation I’ve dealt with,” she said softly. “But . . . nobody’s ever taken care of me like this before.”
Something in his chest cracked wide open.
“You don’t always have to be the strong one,” he said quietly.
Madison’s breath caught and she sat up straighter.
He scooted closer, searching her eyes. “I don’t want to lose you. I can’t even imagine my life without you.”
Her gaze dropped briefly to his mouth.
Say something else. Slow this down. Give her a choice.
He gave himself exactly one second to think.
Then he kissed her.
Soft at first. Careful. Waiting.
But when she fisted his T-shirt and leaned into him, his restraint shattered. His hands slid into her hair, and the world narrowed to the taste of her, the warmth of her—and the overwhelming, bone-deep relief that she was still here. Still his to hold. Still alive.