Page 22 of Deception

“Not then, but when I saw your name tag, I figured there weren’t too many Clayton Bradshaws in Natchez.”

He thought back to his first summer in Natchez. “I was only ten and you were, what? Six?”

“Seven.”

“I must have made quite an impression on you.”

“You did. How could I forget how you and my cousins bullied me every summer?”

“Whoa!” He raised his hands. “I never bullied you—”

“But—”

“No buts. Think back. The first time I met you, they were teasing you, calling you names, and I made them stop. Later I told them I’d give them a knuckle sandwich if I caught them doing it again.”

She frowned and folded her arms across her chest. “That’s not how I remember it.”

“If you don’t believe me, ask your cousins.” Warmth spread through Clayton’s chest as he remembered Madison standing up to the boys. “You were a plucky little thing.”

It’d been hard to take a stand against them. He’d just moved to Natchez from Jackson after his dad died, and they were the only boys his age he knew. Funny thing was, they’d respected him for it. “They were jealous, you know.”

“You’re kidding.”

A memory of her throwing one of the boys over her shoulder flashed in his mind. “Wait—you put one of your cousins in his place. Buddy, wasn’t it?”

She pressed her lips together, but not before a tiny grin tugged at them. “They wouldn’t let me in your stupid club because I was a girl and I wasn’t ‘real’ family—but they letyouin. Said I had to whip one of them. Like that was going to happen—they were older and bigger.

“So I did what all little girls do—I tattled to Grandfather, and he paid for me to take martial arts training. I’d been practicing that move all winter.”

“You did good. I’ll never forget the look on Buddy’s face when he hit the ground.”

Her face softened. “I can’t believe he went on to become a preacher.”

“You stay in touch with them?”

She nodded. “Mostly through Facebook. Except for my dad and grandfather, they’re the only family I have.”

She might be wrong about that, but he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. Instead, he asked if she still practiced judo.

“Not judo so much, but I reached a level three in tai chi before life got busy. I still practice, though.”

“That’s...?”

“It’s for self-defense and keeping me in shape.” She grinned. “I’m really good at flying kicks.”

“Remind me not to make you mad.”

Madison stared into space for a minute, then tilted her head. “I still don’t understand why you thought it was me at Coles Creek.”

“You’ll understand when you see the victim—who’s now a Jane Doe. I really thought it was you at the restaurant tonight. The woman I mistook you for was with a girl who could’ve been in her late teens or early twenties. I’m sure she wondered why I bought their dinner.”

“You bought someone’s dinner thinking it was me?” Madison propped her hands on her hips and held his gaze. “Why?”

His heart stuttered. Did she not feel the chemistry between them? For him it was like electricity. He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind all day, even though he fought it—acting on those feelings was the old Clayton. He stood straighter. “I was a little rude to you this morning. It was my way of apologizing.”

Her blue eyes softened, and for the first time, he noticed her cheeks were flushed and they hadn’t been when she first came into the waiting room. Maybe the feelingwasmutual.

“Well, thank you. I’d like to see this person now, if you don’t mind,” she said and waited expectantly.

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