Chapter Twenty Four #2
"That goes for Maddox, too, in case you were wondering," Leo said.
"Oh, I wasn't. I realized that from the second I met him. Although, I wasn't very impressed by that particular quality in the beginning." I grinned.
"Ha, see!" Leo exclaimed triumphantly. "That means Gran wasn't right. You didn't actually like him from the get-go."
"I think your gran works in a more subtle manner," Diane said as if they were debating current news or something. "She always thinks long term, not just about the first meeting. Anyway, I think she's had a hunch from the second Maddox told us about you."
"What exactly did he say?" I asked, now interested in earnest.
"Basically that you roasted his ass," Nick informed me as he tied himself to the zip line.
"And Gran found that amazing," Leo said.
Diane grinned at me. "I think she figured he needed someone to challenge him. And if she asks, I’ll tell her that my honest opinion is that you two need the same."
"Wait, Gran has convos about this with the rest of the family?" Nick exclaimed.
Leo seemed too stunned to speak.
"No," Diane said. "But, you know, just in case she asks, I'm going to be ready with an answer."
Leo stared at her for a beat, then patted Nick's shoulder. "Right, we need to bribe the girls better to be on our side."
Diane and I burst out laughing. This conversation was bizarre, but in the best way possible.
"Yes, you do that," Diane said.
Leo cocked a brow.
"You were riling us up on purpose? Well, damn, I'm impressed," Nick said.
"So am I," I confessed.
"All right, I'll go first," Nick declared.
He didn't need much help. Then again, the zip line was one of our most self-explanatory activities. Once he was gone, Leo went next.
As Diane took her position, she said, "You know, I wasn't totally kidding. But I do think it's best for these two to think I was. They don't seem to be ready for the truth."
"I quite agree."
"The guys think Jeannie is the only one who has feelings about these things. But from the first time Maddox told us about you, I've had an inkling that you were right for him too."
On that mysterious note, she went down the zip line.
Oh, be still my beating heart. They were all talking as if Maddox and I were meant for each other. But we were just having fun, and I didn't want to think beyond that. I was going through so many changes, what with selling the park and deciding what to do next.
But still, being with the Whitleys was filling me with an infectious energy.
The rest of my group returned soon after, demanding to go once more.
They needed a more hands-on approach than the Whitleys because three of the members were underage, and I didn’t allow them to secure themselves but rather did it for them.
By the time the last person went down the line, the Whitleys came up again.
“This is great,” Nick said. “I don’t know why you call this a park. It’s a forest.”
"Oh, by the way," Leo said lazily as they approached. "We forgot to tell you. Our brother sent you a package.”
“Oh, what is it? You brought it?” I asked.
“No, he sent it with a messenger,” Leo explained. “Which makes me wonder… What could he have possibly sent you that he couldn't entrust to us? But we saw the delivery guy when we arrived.”
“So you don’t know what it is?” I double-checked.
“No.” Nick laughed. “But we’re under strict instructions to report if you got it.”
"Um, you know what? I'm going to go check my reservations."
The three of them burst out laughing, knowing exactly what I was doing.
"You couldn't even wait long enough to come up with a good excuse, huh?" Diane laughed.
"Do you mind waiting here for a few minutes while I go check?" I asked.
"We can just go down by ourselves," Nick said.
"No, that's a liability issue. You can't do that." I bit the inside of my cheek. "I'll stay here until you’re farther down the line and I can’t see you anymore. Then we’ll meet at the end of the line.”
"You know, we could not tell Maddox about it," Leo said, looking at Nick.
"Tell him what?" I inquired.
"How eager you sound," Leo replied.
"Yeah, you're right. It might go to his head," Nick added.
I couldn't help but laugh. "Hmmm… but he does deserve it.”
“We still don’t want it to go to his head,” Nick said. “All right, let’s go down. Meet you at the main building? Or is the other group coming back up?”
“No, they’re done. I’ll meet you inside,” I said.
This time Diane went first, followed by Nick and then Leo.
I had exactly fifteen minutes before my next group arrived. That gave me plenty of time.
I walked leisurely on the trail even though I did want to break into a run. That might be a bit too obvious. I was going to be there before them anyway.
I quickened my pace during the last few feet and then darted into a run up the front steps. Dad was manning the counter. He winked at me, throwing his thumb over his shoulder to the back room.
"You’ve got a delivery. I put it in the back."
"Thank you." I tried to act as neutral as possible. I felt like a teenager, sneaking around Dad.
Heading to the back, I saw a big blue bag on our small coffee table.
The box inside was nondescript—like any delivery.
I quickly ripped it open. There was an elegant box inside, tied with a bow.
It was impossible to peek inside. At first, I tried to undo the bow to keep it intact, but then I ran out of patience, so I just tore it off and glanced inside the box.
Holy shit.
Maddox had sent me lingerie.
My face heated all the way to my ears.
There was a note inside too. Handwritten.
I can't wait for you to wear this for me.
My chest filled with joy—and relief. I realized that up to this moment, I'd had a small fear that maybe Maddox wasn’t just too busy to come, but that he wasn't interested anymore. Well, clearly that wasn't the case.
I put everything back in its place. I couldn't seal it again, but I knew for a fact that no one was going to snoop.
My cheeks were still hot as I headed back to the front. I tried to school my features as I went past Dad, but once I stepped onto the front porch and saw the Whitleys perched there, my face exploded into a grin.
"Maddox did well, didn't he?" Nick asked.
I nodded. "Very well."
Leo groaned. “Damn. Maybe he does deserve to know.”
"It was nice seeing you. Thanks for having us," Diane said. "This place is great. I’ll definitely recommend it to my tourists while it's still open."
"Thank you, Diane," I said wholeheartedly.
They all gushed over the park and how great a time they'd had, then headed out.
After they left, I glanced at the clock. I still had five minutes before my next group, and I planned to go look at my amazing lingerie once again.