Page 106 of Ever With Me

Brooks yanked his sunglasses off, his face flaming. “Look, it’s complicated.”

“Complicated? I thought you were hooking up. I didn’t realize you actually liked her this much.”

“I didn’t actuallywantthe kiss,” Brooks tried to explain. “I just didn’t want her to get such a low bid.”

“So youdidn’twant to kiss her?” The confusion on Cormac’s face was only increasing. “Not that it’s any of my business, but this isn’t one of those ‘kissing is extra’ arrangements between you and Maddie, is it?”

“For the last time, I haven’t slept with her.” This whole conversation sounded insanely juvenile. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had any sort of discussion about his love life—or lack thereof—with Cormac. Or any other friend.

“So you haven’t slept with her, and you don’t want to kiss her?”

“No, I want to. I just haven’t.”

“And she knows this?”

“That I want to sleep with her? Yeah, I told her. You know, when I tried to kiss her while I was drunk, thanks to a certain friend of mine that sent her my way when I was in no condition to make sound decisions. Anything else, Father Cormac? Should I say fiveHail Marysand come back tomorrow? I’m sure I’ll have more to add to the list by then.”

Cormac chuckled, his posture relaxing. “I wasn’t trying for a confession, but I’ll note your guilt for the file. Holy fuck, Brooks. Do you have feelings for Maddie Yardley?”

Brooks replaced the sunglasses slowly. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know, or you’re just not ready to admit it?”

“What I feel is irrelevant. I’m not like Kayla, ready and able to date the first person I meet from this town. My life doesn’t have room for a woman right now.”

“Why the hell not?” Cormac’s gaze traveled to the cornfield that served as a perimeter to the wide, open field where the festival was being held. “Look, I may not know a lot about what’s going on with you in general or between you and Maddie, but I left this town thinking the world could offer me so much more. And the more I’m out there, the more I understand that meeting someone who makes you act as crazy as you just acted is . . . rare. The more people you meet, the rarer it becomes. The lonelier it gets.”

“So youareplanning on moving back home?”

“Not anytime soon. And don’t change the subject.” Cormac shook his head. “I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about the fact that you met a girl who makes you feel something. That’s not something you should dismiss so easily.”

Brooks didn’t know what to say.

But it felt as though he was running out of chances.

Their lives didn’t naturally intersect, and Brooks knew that. He had so many time-consuming and life-changing undertakings ahead of him, but he knew one thing for certain.

He didn’t want to go through all of that alone.

He could share his troubles with Kayla and Cormac, sure, and he was going to work on that. But Maddie?

She’d cracked open the door to his past without trying.

He’d shared things with her he’d never felt he could share with anyone.

That was what wasrare.

She calms me.

Her kisses consume me.

And her heart? It.. .shecompelled him to be a better man, one who had more drive to do the right thing.Ifshe’d consider giving whatever they could be a go.

He couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her anymore. The look on her face just now had damn near crushed him. If she wanted something more, he’d be a fool to turn her away.

“Do you know where Maddie is heading later? She doing any more competitions?”

A slow smile spread over Cormac’s face. “I know of one.”

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