Page 73 of Worthy

″So, what are you saying? You want to stay here and take over?” He seems surprised. I guess after years of shunning responsibility I can see why.

″That’s the plan.” I sip my beer. I may have been putting it off, but I resigned myself to this fate long ago.

″But would you be happy?” Finn frowns.

″Sure, why not? Having my own company would be a nice setup, and I’d still have the mountains.” I stuff my free hand in my pocket.

″The only thing I’ve seen you really truly happy about is Maddox, and if he’s not here I’m not sure your nice setup will cut it.” He actually looks worried. Shit.

Finn isn’t telling me anything I haven’t thought about already but hearing it out loud has a way of making it real. So real, the thought of living here without Maddox makes it hard to breathe, and that feeling doesn’t go away until he’s sitting between my legs with my arms wrapped around him as we watch the fireworks.

Chapter nineteen

Maddox

“Where is he taking you?” Ally’s eyes sparkle as she hands me a shirt to try.

″He didn’t say, he just said to wear something nice.” Technically he asked me to wear the Trent Crimm jeans that “make my ass look edible” although I’m not using those words with Ally. Then he took off to help out at a different job site, leaving me without any other information, and since the only shirts I have with me are t-shirts I find myself at Ally’s mercy.

″So mysterious,” she murmurs, passing me another one.

I look at the charcoal button down she hands me and shake my head. “This feels too fancy.”

″What do you mean?” Ally frowns.

″I mean it’s the kind of shirt you wear with a suit. I don’t even think Cade owns a suit.” I haven’t looked in his closet or anything, but he doesn’t strike me as the suit type.

″Just roll up the sleeves to make it look more casual.”

“I guess.” I put the shirt on and face Ally, who smirks proudly.

“Definitely this one. The gray matches your eyes.”

″So, you don’t have any guesses?” I ask her as she rings up my purchase. “There has to be somewhere in town you need to dress nice to eat at.”

″Not really.” She scrunches her lips together. “I mean, there are nice places and people sometimes dress up to go there, especially up at the resort, but there isn’t a dress code or anything. People go there in their ski gear in the winter.”

″Well, I’m officially stumped, then.” I put my credit card back in my wallet.

″AndI’mofficially jealous,” Ally says. “I’d love it if Finn surprised me with a dress up night. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I may have to tell him to get some date night pointers from Cade. No offense.”

″None taken.” I bite back a laugh. “I know it’s not really in his nature to do dates and things.”

″It’s really not. Just goes to show what the right man will do.”

″Right.” I snort.

″Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’re unaware of how monumental this is for Cade.” She gives me a disappointed look.

″Taking me on a date?” I frown, wondering why she’s repeating what we just established.

″That, sure. And putting so much effort into it. You’ve turned that man upside down and inside out, Maddox. I know you know that.” She passes me the bag.

″I know he’s out of his element, sure,” I agree. “But you make it sound like he’s a changed man.”

″What would you call it then?”

″I don’t know. Living in the moment.” I grasp at the first thing that comes to mind, which makes sense to me since it’s what I’m doing.

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