Page 22 of All Because of You

He could understand why she’d think he’d fooled her this time, but when else had she felt that way? It must have something to do with what he’d done to her in high school.

His fingers pulsed with the need to punch the wall. Would his past ever let go of him? “Can we please just talk?”

“So you can lie to me some more?” Madison pushed the door wider. “I don’t know why you’ve chosen me as the butt of your jokes, but I’m tired of it. We’re adults now. Try acting like it.”

The door slammed in his face.

Chapter 5

She realized too late that she’d chosen paint the same color as Evan’s eyes.

Madison pushed the paint can across the counter and groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Ashley looked up from the wall she was taping behind the counter. Her height gave her an advantage over Madison, and apparently, she simply adored home improvement type projects. Was there anything the woman wasn’t good at?

“Just not sure I like the paint I picked.”

“For the accent wall?” At Madison’s nod, Ashley turned and pried the lid off the can nearest to her. “I like it. It’s bright and bold and welcoming. It’ll be the perfect color.”

During the last three days, Madison had worked nonstop to tidy up the store, getting inventory situated and the books in order. There was still more to do, but she needed a break from staring at the numbers—thus, why she’d invited Ashley to help spruce up the front of the store. Painting was the first logical step. Then she could tidy the space, restock, and dust and polish a final time. After that, she’d be ready for business.

Well, as ready as she’d ever be.

“OK.” Madison didn’t have time to order more paint or travel to the nearest town to buy a different color anyway. If she wanted to stay on schedule to reopen in less than two weeks—an ambitious but doable goal—then today was painting day.

“Let’s do this.” Madison turned Aunt Chrissy’s old radio on low to provide some musical motivation while they worked.

Ashley finished taping the walls while Madison poured the paint into paint pans and readied the brushes. They each grabbed a roller and started to turn the massive accent wall blue.

“How is your job going?” Madison leaned into the roller, attempting to ignore how the aqua made the wall come to life before her eyes.

“It’s good. Pretty busy right now. Last weekend was rare. From now until the end of the summer, I probably won’t have much of a break.” Ashley dipped her roller into the paint, which globbed onto the end of the foam.

“And you like it?”

“Yeah, it’s great. I have a boss who works me hard, but he’s fair. I’ve learned a lot from him.”

“Are you still planning to open your own wedding planning business someday? Wasn’t that always your dream?”

Funny. Madison had never considered herself entrepreneurial but just look at her now.

“You have a good memory. And yeah, that’s what I’ve always wanted to do, but it would take money and time. Between work and the library board and family obligations, I don’t have much of either one right now.” Ashley ran her roller over the wall in smooth, even strokes, the picture of serenity. “But I’m gaining experience in event coordination and building a reputation. And those things are important when running a business.”

And they were two things Madison didn’t have at all. Yet here she was, thinking she could reboot a business her family had successfully run for fifty-something years. All because she’d read a few books.

She set down the roller and picked up a brush for edging. Attempting to copy Ashley’s calm movements, she pushed the brush up and down, but her hand trembled.

Evan’s words from last weekend floated back to her.“You spent the last two years studying to become a librarian. Do you really want to stop pursuing that dream?”

The truth was she’d asked herself the same question. But no, she’d made the decision to stay, and she needed to stick it out. She couldn’t allow him—who’d clearly had an ulterior motive—to get into her head.

“So, what’s going on with you and Evan Walsh?”

“Excuse me?” Madison’s hand swiped the tape, nearly hitting the wrong wall.

“You heard me, girl. People talk. Apparently, you two had quite the argument on Saturday.”

Madison took a deep breath. Now she remembered why she hated small towns. When she’d lived in Los Angeles, people had barely noticed her, but here, everything she did was under a microscope.

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