Trouble in Sudden Falls: A Sudden Falls Romance (18 page)

“Uh huh. Sell that brand of crazy somewhere else.”

“Seriously. We’ve known each other since birth. We’re more like brother and sister.”

Emma scoffed. “Brother and sister? I’m really glad
my
brother doesn’t look at me like that.”

Maddie shrugged. “Okay. Maybe not brother and sister. He’s such a…”

“Man whore?”

Maddie gasped. “I’m not sure I would’ve called him that, but…” She sat down on a short stool and sighed. “Kinda.”

“I’ve lived in this town for my entire life. I know his reputation. But I have to say this: He hasn’t looked at anyone else like he looks at you.”

“I still think it’s the challenge.”

“So you’re testing him?”

“Sort of. I originally asked a couple of women who I trusted to, you know, flirt with him. I told them why, so they weren’t walking into a potential rejection situation. But somehow it’s spiraled out of control without me. The gossip changed the story, and suddenly everyone thinks he’s looking to settle down. Are you going to out me?“

“Nope. Secrets of the sisterhood should be kept.”

Maddie grinned, got to her feet and motioned absently toward the front of the store. “Let’s get back to it. Maybe I can get out of here before nine for a change.”

On their way out, Emma paused beside a door that had been closed every time she’d been back here. “Where does this door lead?”

There was evidently something very interesting over Emma’s left shoulder as Maddie made an effort not to meet her eyes. “The basement. There’s a bunch of junk down there.” Maddie flicked her hair behind her ear. “So when are you going to tell your husband?” she asked, very swiftly, but not very subtly changing the subject.

Very Interesting.
Emma didn’t say anything, of course. She’d delved into enough of Maddie’s secrets for today. But it was very intriguing.

“You interested in lunch?” Eli asked as he stepped into Maddie’s store later that day.

Maddie looked up from the counter where she was reviewing a folder full of papers with Kristin Mason, a woman he’d pursued at one time—and who’d shot him down repeatedly. She was a transplant from somewhere in the south. Atlanta, he thought. She was cute, but kinda blah next to Maddie, particularly when Maddie smiled, which she did as she noticed him.

Her whole face lit up and he had one thought that caused every other process in his brain to stop. He stopped breathing, his heart ceased beating, and he only stayed standing because falling would take his eyes off her face.

Mine.

For a guy who’d avoided forever—or even a facsimile of commitment—it was a heady and terrifying moment.

Eventually, he sucked in a breath, his heartbeat resumed—at a significantly elevated pace—and he continued to stand, somewhat dumbfounded, again because he refused to let his gaze move from anything but her.

“Sure,” she said, as if he hadn’t discovered the answer to the universe.

“Do you know Kristin Mason?” She indicated the fair-skinned blonde next to her. “She’s doing the website for the store.”

He nodded absently. “Uh, yeah. How’ve you been?”

Kristin came around the counter and stepped about six inches too far into his personal space. “Hey, Eli. Maddie was telling me that your son is now living with you.”

Eli looked up at Maddie whose attention went immediately back to the papers in front of her.

“Yes. He moved to Sudden Falls in February.”

“That’s nice,” she said. “Let me know if you still want to go out for that movie.” She brushed his sleeve with one finger, and he had to school himself not to step back. What was with her? He’d asked her out no less than four times last fall and she’d always had a reason not to accept. He’d received the message and backed off.

Why now, after his attention was firmly on someone else, was she interested?

Not that it mattered. It was too late for Kristin. He knew what he wanted and it wasn’t her.

“I’m pretty busy these days,” he said. “But thanks.”

He glanced back at Maddie and found her studying him with a confused expression on her face. She realized he’d caught her staring and she smiled absently as her eyes darted away.

“So,” he said in Maddie’s direction. “You ready for lunch? Mama DiSalvo’s? I don’t have time to go farther than across the street.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a meeting at one.”

“Sure,” she said, looking somehow… disappointed? No not disappointed. Like she’d received news that was unexpected.

Jeez. It was only lunch. Their other options were the strip of fast food joints near the highway right outside of town and the deli across from the courthouse which was where gossip spread the fastest. The only nice restaurant in town wasn’t open for lunch, and he planned to take Maddie there in celebration on Saturday in honor of the store’s grand opening. Besides. Mama DiSalvo’s was good food.

“Is that all right?”

Her face cleared as she smiled again. “Sounds good,” she said, pulling her purse from underneath the counter, before turning to Kristin. “Is there anything else you needed for the site?” she asked. “If so, you’re welcome to join us.”

Eli had the urge to yell, “No she’s not!”, but he fought it.

Fortunately, Kristin declined. “I’ve got everything I need. I’ll let you know when you’re up and running.” Kristin winked in Maddie’s direction, then packed her papers into her briefcase and headed out the door without looking at him.

Well. That was weird.

“Here’s to the success of Aunt Millie’s Antiques.” Eli smiled across the table at Maddie as he clinked the edge of his wineglass against the lip of hers.

When Eli had offered to take her to the
Chez Jean Claude
, the nicest restaurant in town, she’d hesitated. First, she wasn’t convinced she should give him any encouragement. Second, she had a feeling small-town Ohio wouldn’t be able to do French like the place down the street from her apartment in D.C. However, so far, she’d been pleasantly surprised. The restaurant smelled amazing and the ambiance was lovely.

The main difference was that she knew almost everyone in the restaurant, which never would have happened in D.C. She caught Emma’s eye as she and the mayor came in, but Maddie didn’t want to interrupt. She did shake her head at her assistant, however. Sudden Falls, Ohio wasn’t the place to try to keep a secret.

Among the other patrons in
Chez Jean Claude
, Maddie saw her high school Biology teacher, the owner of the local pet store—whom she always thought Aunt Millie had a crush on—and two town council members. It was both charming and weird to know everyone around you.

Well, it was charming until Lisbet Roarke came in with her usual band of followers. For someone whose crown was stripped from her—literally—seventeen years before, she certainly held court fairly often.

Lisbet noticed Maddie and Eli as she sat down. If looks could kill, Maddie would be face-planted in her
Coq au vin
at that moment.

“Problem?”

Maddie shook her head. “Think Lisbet will ever forgive me?”

He glanced sideways. “No. Never. Not a chance.”

“That’s what I figured.”

Before Eli could respond, Cherri Rogers, a teller at the bank came up to their table. “Hey Maddie. I hear the store opened today. Congrats.”

Maddie was momentarily caught by surprise. When she’d gone in to open a business account, Cherri had been particularly icy to her. What had caused her change in attitude?

Maddie took a breath to tell her about the opening, but Cherri turned toward Eli, her focus complete. “Hey Eli,” she said, all smiles in his direction. “How’re you doing? Haven’t seen you in a while.”

Cherri was cute with a capital “C”. Maddie tried not to feel jealous at the way Cherri was pursuing Maddie’s dinner date. It would be stupid to feel resentful, since she had started this ball rolling down the hill. That it went off the rails without her couldn’t have been predicted.

“I’m fine,” he said, clearly confused at the attention. “You?”

Maddie was pleased to hear him ask it as an afterthought brought on by good manners, not because of an actual desire to know.

“I’m great. I got a promotion at the bank. We should go out and celebrate some time.”

He grinned absently. “You don’t want to celebrate with me. I heard you were dating the guy who bought the dry cleaners.”

“Not anymore.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that.” He gave her a look that clearly telegraphed, ‘Move along now’. “Well, it was good to see you. Enjoy your dinner.”

Cherri pouted as she walked away.

“What is it with the women of this town this week?”

“What do you mean?” Maddie went for blind innocence, but she wasn’t sure she was able to pull it off.

“That was the third time I got hit on today. I can’t walk down the street without getting propositioned.”

“Your reputation must precede you.”

“My reputation?”

“That’d be my guess.”

“You wouldn’t know anything about this would you, Madeline?”

“Huh? I just moved back to town. I assure you, I hardly have my fingers on the pulse of the Sudden Falls social scene.” She ran her finger around the base of her wine glass, refusing to meet his gaze. “And even if I did, I’d hardly be in a position to influence it. The vast majority of this town still hates me.”

“I think they may be mellowing.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.” She wasn’t sure she bought it, but he seemed to let their earlier conversation go for the moment.

“So how was your first day of sales?” Eli asked.

Maddie looked away from her wine, focusing on him again. “Sales were…okay.” Not as good as she’d hoped, but it was the first day. “A lot of window shoppers, but that’s to be expected. I sold a hall tree, a bunch of knick knacks and the Lutheran Church quilting circle has agreed to sell their quilts on consignment. I’m pleased.” She took a sip of her water. “How goes the world of Interweb Security?”

“Don’t tell anyone we’re friends, okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Interweb? I won’t be able to show my face in the geek circles again.” He shook his head sadly. “And you used to be a geek, too. How sad.”

Maddie stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t worry. You’re enough of a geek for both of us.”

A grin pulled at the side of his mouth and Maddie had two simultaneous thoughts. First, she hadn’t much thought about that fiasco of three years ago in more than a week, and second, the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted him. Especially now that he kept passing her tests.

She was also starting to worry about the future of her car. Too bad the library didn’t have any books entitled,
How to Avoid Getting Seduced by Your Best Friend
.

She knew. She’d looked.

Chapter Ten

Rogan’s hands shook as he stood beside the mailbox in front of the house. He knew report cards were sent out yesterday and that they would be in today’s mail. He pulled out the innocuous-looking white envelope. The contents would determine whether or not he spent next term at the local community college or in his present hell, high school.

He’d poured his heart and soul into his work during the entire term. He had to have all A’s and B’s. Feeling torn between never wanting to open the envelope and ripping into it while still standing at the end of the drive, he slid it in front of the rest of the mail and trudged toward the house before letting himself in the front door.

“Hey, Fluffy.” He reached down to give the dog a scratch behind the ears as he dumped the mail into the bill basket hanging in the entryway. Rocking back and forth from one foot to the other, he took his grades back out of the basket. Then returned the envelope. Then retrieved it.

Fluffy’s rump hit the floor and she cocked her head to the side and gave Rogan the “You’re-an-odd-little-human” look which she did so well.

Finally, Rogan plucked the grade card from the basket, stepped over to the breakfast table, dropped his backpack on the floor and plopped down in a chair, placing the envelope on the table so it could stare at him some more. Did he want to know or not?

He slid his index finger under the flap and pulled the single sheet of white paper from the packet and prepared to meet his destiny, hoping of course, that he wasn’t being as big a drama queen about the entire situation as he suspected. Either he got a “B” in Cannifarm’s class or he didn’t. If he did, he was headed for college. If he didn’t, he’d suffer through three more months of her class and it would be over.