Page 92 of Ever With Me

Maddie looked over her shoulder to where Logan was behind the bar. In a similar way to how she and Naomi ran the Depot, Logan and Lindsay ran the pub. Jake did a lot of administrative work for her grandfather’s brand and floated between the two locations.

Logan caught her eye and waved. Maddie made a face and turned back to Jake. “Cormac’s the one who invited us over. Take it up with him.”

“No, because according to the whole town, Brooks Kent seems to have taken a particular interest inyou.”

Maddie’s fingers fumbled as she reached for another fry, hoping that Fred hadn’t told too many people about that kiss.

She didn’t want to think about the way that thought made her heart skip a beat.

She gave a patient smile to humor him. “Well, they’re wrong. Brooks is leaving in a couple of days.”Back to a life that doesn’t have room for a small-town girl from the middle of nowhere.

He had a lot going on. Some of which, if she was honest, scared her.

Quite a lot of what had been printed in the media about him was extremely unflattering. And while she’d scratched the surface of some of those claims, only to find out that they weren’t entirely true, it worried her.

And he’d gone back on doing that concert without batting an eyelash. The past few days were reduced to a simple business transaction—not that she could argue. She had broken her side of the deal.I just didn’t expect him to back out like that.But it had never mattered to him. He’d only agreed to it because she’d blackmailed him.

I never should have done that.

Still, his offer to help her find another band was . . . unexpectedly kind.

He didn’t owe her anything. Wanted nothing with her. So why bother?

Jake frowned and took a fry from her plate. “Listen. All I know is that if you don’t introduce me, I’ll resent and hold it against you for life. This is where siblings are supposed to pull through, you know. I’ll never have an opportunity like this again.”

“Aw, Jake. You have a crush? I have it on good authority that Brooks is straight.”

Jake glared at her. “So am I.” Then he tilted his head. “Wait, what do you mean ongood authority?”

Maddie bit the inside of her lip, a shiver running through her as she remembered Brooks’s hands on her hips, the hardness of his length pressed against her, his lips devouring hers.Nope, don’t think about that.

“I mean, it’s a fact. Hehasdated some famous women.”

Jake shrugged. “Could be lavender setups. Celebrities use matchmakers all the time.”

How am I the only person who didn’t know about this?“Yeah, well, in this case, I’m pretty certain.”

Jake eyed her suspiciously. “You didn’t sleep with the guy, did you?”

“Give me a little credit. I’m notthateasy.”

“You moved in with your ex-boyfriend after two weeks, Mad,” Jake deadpanned.

She couldn’t argue with that, so she wrinkled her nose. “Don’t remind me of that unfortunate fact. I can’t believe I thought I was in love with that asshole.”

“Weren’t you just sobbing over him a week ago? Naomi and Lindsay said you were pretty torn up about him last weekend.”

Huh.Had it only been a week since that had happened?

Yet . . .

Much as even finding out about Josh and Gina’s engagement the day before had been like a punch in the gut . . . the same level of angst was just . . . gone.

Gina could have Josh for all Maddie cared. She didn’t want him back anymore.

The thought brought such a profound sense of peace that she sat back against her seat, mesmerized by it.

I don’t care anymore.

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