Page 42 of Ever With Me

Naomi shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be someone you’re dating. You could ask one of your girlfriends, too. Maybe Amanda?”

“Nah, she doesn’t like to compete against Jason in anything.” Maddie wrinkled her nose. She’d become good friends with Jason Cavanaugh’s ex-wife a few years ago through a book club they were both in. She had to hand it to Amanda—she and Jason did an amazing job co-parenting their son together. But Maddie was certain that part of the reason it worked so well was that Amanda did her best to avoid any situation that could be tricky, like a competition.

“Well, do some of the solo events. Like the singing competition. You usually do pretty well in that one.”

“Maybe.” The thought of seeing Josh gave her anxiety. But she could at leastsingbetter than Gina, right? Josh had told her he loved her singing, and their shared love of music brought them together.

Maybe if Josh hears you singing, you can at least show him what he walked out on.

She drew in a breath and shrugged. “We’ll see. Anyway, I better get moving. Let me know if you need anything at all.”

Naomi smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Go. I’m not your boss.”

Maddie removed her apron and hung it on a locker. She didn’t have time to change before heading out to Brooks’s place.

Hopefully, he’ll be dressed when I get there this time.

She hurried to the back employee parking lot and got in her car. Taking out her phone, she looked for a playlist to download for the drive before she left the comfort of Wi-Fi, then paused, her thumb hovering over the search bar.

Brooks’s face, those soulful eyes, flashed in her mind.

“Wildfire” was her favorite of his songs. She typed it in.

The cover art, featuring a younger version of Brooks, filled her phone screen, and her heart lurched.

The man really was hot.

Hot. Rich.Yet miserable.

Turns out money and fame couldn’t buy friendship.

The sound of a piano filled her car as she drove. She knew he played that instrument in addition to the guitar—was this him playing, too?

As his deep voice started on the first verse, she slid deeper into her seat, relaxing back. Whoever he was now, young Brooks had been soulful. She’d cried to this song more than once. Maybe even made love to it—a slightly awkward thought.

“. . . love is the flood she drowned in . . . washing me away. Taking all my feeling, until I couldn’t stay. You want me to give, but there’s nothing left . . . lost in the water . . . and molded by the flame . . .”

The words were sad. Haunting.

Like he’d written them from something deeply personal.

Maybe listeningto his songs would give her a better insight into who hereallywas.

She gripped the steering wheel harder.

“What difference does it make?” She flicked her gaze at the rearview mirror. Brooks was here for the week, but then he’d leave, and she’d never see him again.

Except, hopefully, for the concert.

That he’d asked her to come out to his place again today was only because he wanted to waste her time like he’d done last night. Because he could. Not because he really wanted her around.

She shut the music off and drove in silence instead.

When she pulled up to the lake house fifteen minutes later, she was in an irrationally bad mood and feeling feisty. She slammed the car door, then practically stomped her way up to the front door. As she got closer, she heard a deep male voice call, “Come on in.”

“You’d better not be naked aga?—”

Maddie tumbled into the doorway and stopped short. Cormac stood a few feet away from the door, Audrey beside him. Heat flooded Maddie’s face. “I mean?—”

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