Page 24 of Ever With Me

Well, at least she’d lost any sort of flustered fangirl embarrassment. Brooks pushed his sunglasses off his eyes and leaned forward.So much for a nice evening.

“You missed me so much you stalked me down? I’m touched.” His eyes narrowed. Just why had Cormac brought her back here?

She laughed without humor and stopped near his chair. “Stalked? No. Turns out, you’re not that hard to find. Especially when you rent out a good friend’s property. She called my sister, freaking out about it. Then, when I heard Cormac Doyle was in town and staying here, too, it was easy to snag an invite.” She smiled prettily.

“Should I tell him you only came back with him to see me?” He took another pull from his beer. “He might not like that too much.” She’d clearly dressed up. Probably flirted with Cormac.

“Should I tell him how you wrecked my family’s place and failed to mention you’d been injailthe night before?” She sat in the chair next to his, making herself comfortable.

Too comfortable.

He shrugged. “My personal business is none of yours.”

“Unless the news outlets are saying you were under the influence last night when youassaultedsomeone. Do you honestly think I would have let you step foot in my place?—”

“Oh please. I punched my niece’s deadbeat dad in the face. That’s not assault. It’s him getting what he fucking deserved.”

Whatever retort she’d had coming stayed stuck in her throat. She blinked at him a few times, then said, “Still doesn’t excuse you for driving after being incapacitated. No wonder you crashed into my store.”

“Well, see, that’s a simple answer too. Because I wasn’t. I don’t drink. Or smoke. Or anything else.”

She gaped at him. “You’re literally holding a beer.”

He turned the label toward her. “Nonalcoholic. I’ve been sober for five years.”

“But the news?—”

“You honestly think the media tells the truth about anything? You probably believe in Santa Claus, too, don’t you?”

She scowled. “They can’t just publish straight-up lies. That’s called libel.”

“That’s calledlife.If I had a nickel for every lie that’s ever been published about me, I would have more money than I’ve ever made with any record.” Brooks pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, what do you want? I’m about ten seconds away from getting up and throwing your ass out of here, whether or not Cormac invited you.”

Maddie sat straighter, not an ounce of remorse on her face. “You walked out this morning without settling anything with me about payment or otherwise.”

“I gave you mycell phone number. You think I just hand that thing out to anyone? You’re welcome to call me. Better yet, text me. I’ll pay the bill. What else were you looking for? A goodbye kiss? Did I hurt your feelings by sneaking out of your apartment first thing in the morning? Don’t worry, no one saw me, princess. Your reputation won’t be tainted by me.”

“Hope you like IPAs,” Cormac said from the end of the dock.

Both Maddie and Brooks turned to look at him. A flush lit Maddie’s cheeks. No doubt she was wondering the same thing as Brooks—how long had Cormac been standing there, and what did he overhear?

Cormac’s gaze traveled to Brooks, and he raised a brow, just slightly, but said nothing. He’d clearly heardsomething,and Brooks’s last statement was damning—especially if Cormac liked this girl.

Maddie stood from the chair, abruptly. “IPAs are great,” she said with an unfaltering smile. She accepted the beer as Cormac held it out. “You know me. Good beer is part of the family business.”

“That’s true.” Cormac clinked his beer against hers and winked. He turned back toward Brooks. “I’ve known Maddie since she was practically born. I used to play Little League with her eldest brother, Logan.”

“Eldest? How many siblings do you have?” Brooks asked Maddie in a tone that almost sounded congenial.

“Five. I’m in the middle of the pack.”

“How old does that make you?” Cormac couldn’t know Maddie that well. He had to be a lot older than her if he’d played with her eldest brother. “You must have been in pigtails when Cormac left town.”

Maddie cocked a brow at him. “Are you asking my age? I’m thirty, thanks for asking.”

Oh. She was only four years younger than him. For some reason, that gap had seemed wider.

“Don’t pay any attention to this jackass.” Cormac settled into one chair near the firepit “You’d think he’d know his way around women, but he’s got the social grace of an elephant.”

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