Page 31 of All Because of You

“Yet you still haven’t convinced her to close the hardware store.”

“No.” To be honest, he hadn’t tried, but he didn’t have the energy at the moment to get into that.

The air between them crackled as Evan waited, fists clenched, for more judgment to come his way.

Instead, his dad grunted, turned, and left.

So now Evan wasn’t even worth a response? Figured. He’d finally done something he was proud of and it wasn’t enough. In fact, it was the exact opposite of what his dad wanted from him.

Evan snagged his laptop and headed back to his office.

Madison stood there, hands behind her back, teeth tugging at her bottom lip.

He halted. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” She stepped forward as if to hug him then stopped. “I was hoping you were free tonight.”

He’d planned to grab take out and go over the details of the proposed festival one more time. But now that she was here? No way. “I’m all yours.”

“I’m all yours.”

Evan hadn’t meant his words the way Madison was taking them, yet she couldn’t help feeling warm despite the cool Friday night air that hit as she climbed from the cab of his truck. She’d directed him first to the Frosted Cake to pick up an order, and then about five minutes away, up into the residential area that hugged the hills. Trees surrounded them on all sides except for the open space before them, where a park was nestled inside the neighborhood. Clouds gathered on the horizon, threatening her plans, but she prayed they’d hold off the rain until she’d accomplished what she came here to do.

“So are we planning to swing and hit the slides?” Evan joined Madison on her side of the vehicle, the food bag in hand.

She hoisted a large duffel bag from the back of the truck. “Nope.”

“When did you stick that in there?”

“Before I came to snag you from your office.” They started off toward the picnic tables. Surprisingly, the park was almost deserted, with just an older man and woman walking their dog in the distance. Perhaps the chilly evening weather was keeping others away, or maybe they simply had more happening places to be on their first night of the weekend. Whatever the case, Madison didn’t mind the alone time with Evan.

“You were so sure I’d say yes, huh?” He bumped her as they walked.

A smile tugged at her lips. “When a woman offers a man food, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll take her up on it.” Not that she’d cooked. She hadn’t had time, what with the grand reopening tomorrow. But after working hard all week—with Evan and Ashley pitching in when they could—she’d done everything possible to be ready.

“The food smells great, don’t get me wrong, but the company’s not bad either.”

They arrived at two picnic tables underneath a blue ramada. “You’re right.” Madison set the duffel onto the ground and slid onto a bench. “The food does smell great.”

“Ha ha.” He put the food bag on the table and sat across from her, granting her an easy excuse to watch him. Even in his casual wear, he was easy on the eyes. Tonight, his hair curled slightly over the collar of his long-sleeved T-shirt. Normally, he kept his hair neat and tidy, but he’d been so busy helping her this week, he hadn’t even taken time to shave. Madison found she preferred the rugged and scruffy look on him.

The buttoned-up guy was the one he wanted everyone else to see. She liked thinking that he was willing to show her a different side of himself.

“Do I have something on my face?” His lips twisted into a wry smile.

“Sorry.” She turned her attention back to their food, rustling in the bag to pull out two containers.

“I don’t mind.”

Goodness, if the tips of one’s ears could blush, she had a feeling hers were. Madison cleared her throat and pushed Evan’s still-warm food container toward him as thunder rumbled in the distance.

He peeked inside and whistled. “Meatloaf and potatoes. You really do know the way to a man’s heart.”

“You’re not that hard to please.” She’d meant the comment flippantly, teasingly, but something twisted unexpectedly in the pit of her stomach as she popped open the lid to her chef salad.

Because despite all Evan had done for her, she couldn’t help but wonder whether he was being so nice because he had cared about Chrissy and, therefore, Madison as an extension.

Or was there more to it for him?

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