Page 23 of Ever With Me

Sure, she’d had Dan take a report, but it wasn’t official.

Her family was going to kill her.

Maybe she was too naive and trusting. Emotional. Whatever the hell else Naomi and Lindsay had called her last night.

She had photo evidence, though.

Photo evidence that could be used in more ways than one.

Seething, she stormed back inside. Naomi’s head shot up from where she was bent over a broken display table. “We have so much inventory to figure out—where are you going?”

Maddie breezed past her, heading to the back of the store. “I need the day, Naomi. I have some important things to take care of.” Thank God she hadn’t told Naomi about the deal she’d made with Brooks Kent to take care of the damages.

I can still fix this.

And maybe even get Brooks Kent to solve another problem for her. He owed her. And now she understood just how much.

She had to find Cormac Doyle.

8

BROOKS

Sittingon a dock in an Adirondack chair with a beer in hand wasn’t a bad way to end what had started as a goddamn awful day.

Brooks took a long pull from his beer, then leaned back into his chair, his gaze lazily sweeping over the red-hot flames licking the logs in the firepit a few feet away.

See?He didn’t need an assistant or manager or anyone else handling his every movement. He’d run into trouble and had solved it. The wreck this morning was well in hand, and now the cabin situation was too. He’d found the most expensive, luxury-filled short-term rental near here, and he and Cormac had headed over there by mid-afternoon, when the rental began.

While waiting, he’d even snagged some sleep in Cormac’s cabin on an old cot. Not enough, but at least his eyelids weren’t burning now. Cormac had gone out for supplies and steaks for them to grill tonight, and Brooks planned to find a private chef to take care of meals for the week.

Another problem solved.

The best part of it? This place had five full glorious bars of cell phone service.

He had even called Kayla to see if she and Audrey wanted to come and spend the week with him. With Audrey starting school next year, their ability to visit him for last-minute trips would be hampered.

Now all he had to do was come up with a reasonable plan for Ava, and he’d be set.

Brooks stretched his long legs in front of him.

“Hey, I’m back,” Cormac said from behind. “Brought a family friend with me.”

Brooks turned to see Cormac standing on the gravel path that led from the driveway, two paper bags in his arms.

Beside him was a stunning blonde wearing a plaid minidress and knee-high boots. Her hands were on her hips as she stared boldly in Brooks’s direction.

Maddie Yardley?

Stunning didn’t quite describe her.. .

And she had daggers in her eyes.

“Brooks, this is Madison Yardley. Maddie, Brooks Kent. Feel free to grab a seat,” Cormac said to Maddie, nodding toward the dock. “I’ll grab you a beer.”

Cormac made his way inside, and Maddie’s lips curled into a sneer as she approached him, her hips swaying naturally as she walked.

“Hi, asshole,” she said, her voice dripping with anger.

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