Page 6 of Tangled Passion

“Come on, man, you’re killing me. Finish it,” Trey demanded.

“I am attracted to everything about her, but the woman terrifies me.” Garrett looked away from Trey. “I can’t wait for you to see her, but I know you will want her. She’s everything we love in a woman.”

“But … you think she’s like Abby because we thought the same thing about her and were wrong.”

“Yeah.”

“Not everyone is like Abby, Garrett.”

“I know that, but what I feel for Madelyn surpasses what I ever felt for Abby, and I’ve only known the woman a few days and barely talked to her.”

“Why haven’t you tried?” Trey asked.

“I have, but then something holds me back, and I get mad and take it out on her.”

“How?”

“I’m rude and abrupt with her, and I can’t stop it, but I’m so frustrated because I can’t touch her.” Garrett pinched the bridge of his nose. “I need you to meet her. I’m hoping you don’t feel anything for her, and then it will make it easier for me to ignore her.”

Trey snorted out a laugh. “You already said you think I’ll like her.”

“Yeah, but part of me hopes you don’t like her because if you do and we try to have another relationship, and it fails … I’m never going to want another woman we both agree with, and I don’t want to have one without you. It’s what we’ve always wanted.”

“Yes, but it will never happen if you’re afraid to move forward and forget about Abby.”

Garrett nodded. “I know. It wouldn’t bother me so much if I had normal feelings for Madelyn, but it felt like I got hit with a two-by-four the second I saw her.”

“Let’s take it one day at a time. Let me meet her, and then we’ll talk again.”

Garrett relaxed and exhaled. He felt better having Trey around. His brother had always kept him on an even keel, and he desperately needed that now.

“Let’s go find her,” Trey said.

Garrett nodded and headed toward the lodge. “Daisy will know where she is. The two have become chummy.”

“That’s good to know. Abby didn’t like anyone, and no one liked her.”

Garrett nodded. He’d noticed that right off the bat, too.

He hadn’t found anything about the woman he didn’t like. He would just have to see where it went.

One thing he promised himself was that he needed to rein in his frustration because he knew Madelyn took it as he didn’t like her, and that was far from the truth.

Chapter Five

Trey stood outside the back door to the lawn, where the pool was and many of their guests lounged around while the kids played in the water.

“She’s there.” Garrett pointed to a petite woman with dark red hair playing soccer with a few of the younger kids.

Trey knew what his brother had been talking about when he felt something close to a bolt of electricity race through him. She was in blue jean shorts and a black short-sleeved shirt that hung on her, not showing any of the curves he glimpsed when she twisted a certain way, and her clothes pulled tight against her. He wanted to yank the offending clothes off of her and put her in a pretty dress that hugged her curves.

“She’s beautiful.”

Garrett nodded. “You feel it, too?”

Trey chuckled. “Yeah. I see what you mean. Look how her face lights up and how the kids approach her. Abby hated kids, remember?”

Garrett nodded. “Abby hated everything about us and the lodge except the money.”

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