Page 51 of Her Summer Hope

“Not even Madison?”

“She’s a lady, decent. Still don’t make the rest of them any good though.”

Kyle thought Murdock was struggling pretty hard with his whole ‘woman-hating’ thing right about now. He wouldn’t push him on it. It wouldn’t do any good.

Murdock could never be pushed, cajoled, or threatened into doing anything.

Murdock’s sense of right and wrong might be a bit…battered, but Kyle knew that he’d never do something repugnant, like taking a woman against her will. None of them would, which is why he was now in big trouble.

Did he love her?

He didn’t want to answer that. He was going to have enough pain from now on without bringing that ax down on his head.

“She’s here,” Evans said, coming into the room and rubbing his hair with a towel.

Kyle couldn’t help the feeling of anticipation that statement caused. He stood, uncertain, then he sat back down. He needed to keep his distance. It was the right thing to do.

“She looks upset,” Evans added with a sly gleam in his eyes.

Murdock gave him a threatening look which simmered him down, but the damage was done.

Kyle got up and left the men to their own devices. Madison was upset and any number of things could have caused it.

His head was running through all possible scenarios. She and Christian could have had a fight, the baby could be sick, she could have had a car accident, she could have fallen again, or someone could have died…there were so many possibilities.

He pushed through the kitchen door before he thought better of it. She was leaning on the island in the center of the large room, a sheaf of papers clutched in her hand. She was staring at them, but he couldn’t see her face. He couldn’t make out what was on the papers either.

“Is everything okay?”

She spun, clutching them to her chest and then looking back down at them once more before shoving them into her purse. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her lips were a little swollen. She looked devastated, but she quickly covered it up with a poor imitation of a smile.

“Everything’s fine,” she said, her nose stuffy.

“Yeah, I can see that,” he said sarcastically.

He ached to help her, to have her confide in him. He walked closer and she stood her ground as he leaned on the island next to her. He wasn’t touching her, but he felt the heat of her body near his.

It was intoxicating.

“It’s just…” she hesitated.

“You don’t have to tell me, but I promise I’m a good listener. I’m also a damned good problem solver if that’s what you need,” he teased, hoping to lighten her mood a bit.

She looked at him so dejectedly before lowering her eyes to the floor. He didn’t understand.

“I can’t.”

Her tone was final and he stayed there while she put her purse away, pulled on her apron, and washed her hands.

She wasn’t going to tell him and he’d have to be okay with that because he had absolutely no right to know.

He forced himself to nod. “That’s fine. I’m always here if you need to talk.”

Chapter Thirteen

Madison

She wanted to tell him everything. It was on the tip of her tongue just begging to jump out, but she couldn’t.

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