Page 25 of All Because of You

Evan paced. Alex was out today, so he was alone in the office for once. Too bad. He could have used a friend about now—or a buffer at the very least. Any minute, Dad would burst through that door. He’d blame Evan, though Evan had no idea how he could have prevented this. It’s not like he had any control over what Madison did.

And now that she wouldn’t talk with him, he couldn’t even claim credit for helping the hardware store to reopen, which left a big fat blank on the achievements section of his resume where there should have been a major win for the town. Applications for Denise’s job were due next week, and he’d be at a disadvantage with this looming over him.

Not that he blamed Madison for not talking to him. Evan hadn’t told her the whole truth. He’d messed up big time. Again.

But that didn’t stop him from missing her, and his regret tasted even more bitter for it.

A knock sounded on the door. Evan shook himself out of his momentary stupor and braced for a barrage of familiar disappointment. “Come in.”

The door creaked as it opened in painfully slow motion. But instead of his father, Madison stood in the doorway.

Evan pivoted, knocking his knee against his desk. He cringed as the bang resounded through the office and pain radiated through his leg. “Madison. Hi.” Wow, he sure sounded intelligent. What was it about this woman that made him so nervous? “How are you? Come in.”

“Hey, Evan.” She folded her arms across her chest, and her right fingers held her left upper arm in a death grip. “Actually, I was hoping we could go for a walk. Or just . . . out. Somewhere.”

“Absolutely.”Don’t sound so eager.He slowed his pace as he shut down his computer, snagged his phone and keys, and walked toward the doorway. “There’s a nice patio with tables and chairs off the back of the building.”

“OK.”

After locking up, he led Madison down the hallway, waving hello and nodding greetings to several local politicians and city employees as they passed. Soon, they came to the door that led to the patio dotted with wire tables and chairs. Being nearly lunchtime and a warm sixty-five degrees or so, most seats were taken, but he located an empty table toward the back and indicated that Madison should follow him.

City Hall was one of the main structures—and one of the most longstanding—on Main Street in the historic district, and it backed to the lush green hills. Tall pines dotted the landscape in front of them, offering a spectacular view of the rolling scenery. Birds twittered somewhere above, and the sound of the ocean crashed and swelled in the distance.

He pulled out a chair for Madison then took a seat across from her, though not before he caught a whiff of her sweet-scented shampoo. “What did you want to talk about?” His words fought to release against the tacky pull of his tongue. Man, he could go for a glass of water right now.

The breeze tugged at Madison’s hair, and a few wisps caught against her pink lips. “I know you’ve been trying to get ahold of me this week. To . . . explain things.” She sighed as she fiddled with her light scarf. “A friend suggested I hear you out. So, here I am.”

Evan coughed through a lump in his throat. He didn’t deserve a chance to explain, but she was giving him one anyway. “Thank you, Madison.” How to begin? He studied her hands, wishing he could reach out and take them in his own. But that might scare her away. It’s not like she knew him well or what he was thinking or feeling. And any trust in him she might have had had been shattered.

He placed his hands flat on the table. “I’m really sorry for hurting you. And I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t purposefully keep certain information from you, but it’s not for the reasons you may think.”

She quirked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

“I started pursuing the agreement with Herman after Chrissy died. Please believe me, I would never ever have entertained the idea if she’d been alive or if I’d known that you’d be coming back and want to reopen the store.”

“But now that I am? And I do?”

“I actually just found out that the agreement is dead in the water, so it’s a nonissue.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He paused. “But even if they did decide to open a branch here, I think, well, if anyone could succeed at something out of their depth, it would be you.”

Madison opened her mouth as if to say something then closed it again. Her jaw flexed. “Why do you say that?” Her voice trembled as the words spilled out.

He couldn’t help himself anymore—he placed his hands over hers, and while she stiffened, she didn’t pull away. He waited for her to look him in the eyes before speaking again. “Your aunt always told me you could do anything you put your mind to. And I just have this gut feeling that there’s a lot more to you than I even know.”

She just stared at him for a moment. The scent of pine rolled from the hills, surrounding them. Finally, she spoke. “I have a feeling there’s a lot more to you too.”

“Would you give me a chance? To find out?” He cringed as the longing spilled into the question.

“What do you mean?”

Evan squared his shoulders, preparing for rejection. “I’d like to take you out. Tomorrow, if you’re free.”

“I don’t know, Evan. I want to believe that you didn’t mean to hurt me. . . .”

But his own reputation preceded him. Roxy’s words from last weekend taunted him.“You didn’t exactly rush to her defense either, though, did you? And she won’t easily forget that.”

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