Page 79 of Claimed by my Bestie's Dad

“The dogs are nosy for sure. Doors are my friend.” Madison takes a tentative bite of toast as though she doesn’t trust my cooking. After a moment, she nods and takes a larger bite.

“Would you like to see the space today?” I ask. The dogs distracted me from getting a real answer.

“Yeah, I’d love to see it today.”

“Good. I can’t wait to show you.”

“I just need to get the dogs taken care of. I’m surprised they aren’t whining. James, the smaller dog, is a whiner. He’s woken me up at six a.m. the past few days ready to go to the bathroom. And what can I do? If I ignore him, he just keeps whining. But if I get up and take him out, I’m up for the day.”

“They’ve been out. They should relax once they realize they aren’t getting any of our breakfast.”

“They’ve been out?”

“Yeah, I took them out. I knew they probably had to go, so it was just easier for me to go ahead and get it done.”

Madison’s eyes linger on my face, and I know she’s grateful. She doesn’t have to say anything. I take another bite of scrambled eggs, having pushed mine onto my toast like a sandwich.

When I look at her, she’s still watching me. “Everything okay? Areyouokay?”

She shrugs, then nods. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Well, eat up. As soon as we’re done, we can head to the space. If you’re feeling up for it.”

“Why would I not feel up for it?” she asks.

“I just…seems…” I don’t know how to say that she seems off, as if something’s bothering her. When I glance at her plate, I see she’s only taken a few bites. “Wasn’t sure if you felt okay.”

“Just…not that hungry, I guess. Sorry, I don’t usually eat a lot of breakfast.”

“Don’t apologize to me. I’ll enjoy it even if you don’t.” I’m smiling widely, but the truth is that I’m worried. She isn’t acting sick, but…she’s acting sick at the same time.

She nods, but I can see her mind is somewhere else, her gaze distant as she sets her plate aside and sips her coffee.

“What do you have planned over the next few days? I have an overnight shift tonight and tomorrow night, so I probably need to get some sleep this afternoon if I can.”

“I… Well, just taking care of the dogs, I guess. That’s my job right now. And maybe, once I’ve seen the space, I’ll get some ideas together of what needs to be done to make it ready for business.”

A smile graces her lips, and I can tell she is excited about the prospect, even if she’s not jumping around, pumping her fists in the air.

We finish breakfast, and I take the dishes back to the kitchen while Madison gets dressed. My mind is spinning as I rinse off the plates. The dogs, of course, are right at my feet for a few minutes before they realize all the food is gone. Then, they walk through the house, looking for something else to do.

By the time I finish cleaning up, Madison is ready. She’s dressed in jeans and a thick sweater, her hair pulled back ina messy bun. She looks beautiful, but there’s a tiredness in her eyes that I can’t shake.

“Ready to go?” I ask, grabbing my keys from the counter.

She nods, but I notice she hesitates for just a second before following me out the door. I make a mental note to keep an eye on her. Something’s going on, and I need to be there for her when she’s ready to talk about it.

38

MADISON

Ethan pulls upin front of a wide-open lot near the beach, and my heart starts racing the moment I see it. There’s a shack-like building with a perfect view of the ocean. My only concern is that it could be easily flooded, but I don’t want to think in practicalities right now.

I want to run up to the shack and wrap my arms around it. I can see all my dreams blossoming right in front of me.

It’s perfect—better than I could have imagined. I’m sitting in the passenger seat, trying to keep my breathing steady, but it feels like the world is spinning around me. Ethan’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

“We’re here. Ready to take a look?”

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