Page 21 of Fake Spring Fling

“A…while?” I have to give them something, or they won’t leave me alone. “Can we just say maybe not quite as long as I implied to Mom?”

“If she’s not a serious girlfriend, why did you bring her this weekend?” Christine snaps.

“So that I would have someone to go hiking with?” I glance over to see Madison staring dreamily out at the lake, and the truth bubbles out. “To have a romantic getaway with a beautiful girl so I can make her fall for me completely?”

My sisters shoot each other a look that I’ve seen far too many times. They always know when I’m trying to fudge details.

“She’s not the right girl for you,” Christine says quietly. “You know that, right?”

My jaw tightens. “I don’t recall ever asking for your opinion regarding who I date.”

“Look, I know you’re the older brother, but we’re both married and you’re not. You’ve never evenhada serious relationship before. You need to listen to us,” Andrea says.

“I really don’t.” Although I keep my voice low, I hope they hear my tone. “Madison means the world to me. No, it hasn’t been that long. But she and I will be the ones deciding whether we are right for each other. Not you two. Back off.” A smile suddenly slides across my face. “You wouldn’t want me to tell Tanya you two are trying to create drama on her special weekend, would you?”

Another shared look. “Okay, fair,” Christine murmurs. “But we’re going to talk about this again in a few weeks,ifyou two are even still together.”

They walk away, and although I do want to bring some treats to Madison, I need a moment to collect myself. I head out of the lounge toward the front lobby but only make it halfway to the door before Lauren and Sarah step in front of me.

“Good morning, ladies. How are?—”

Sarah’s finger lands in the center of my chest. “Look, buddy. We’ve been talking about this…fling or whatever. You need to understand that Madison isn’t really aflinggirl.”

“Yeah,” Lauren chimes in. “We’ve seen the way she looks at you. Especially after you were coming back from that hike. If you really care about her, you need to man up and turn this into a real relationship immediately.”

“That is my plan. I swear.”

“Oh.” Sarah steps back, blinking in surprise. “Okay then. Please don’t tell Madison we said anything. We really admire her, and don’t want to tick her off. But she deserves the best, so we need to make sure you step up.”

“Hugesteps.” Lauren tosses her hair. “Gigantic. Impress her.”

I look back and forth between them. “Ladies, I assure you, I plan to put on my biggest shoes and take the biggest steps with her. Things have just been very quick, that’s all. But my honest intention is to make Madison happy for a very long time.”

They share a glance, then grin. “Good.” They flounce away toward the back of the lodge, finally giving me a moment to step outside for some well-needed deep breaths.

That’s the problem. Everything is going so fast that Madison and I haven’t had a chance to breathe. To talk about any kind of future. Everything has been centered on this weekend, and our respective goals.

Have I actually told her flat out that I want this relationship to continue? My poor sweet girl is probably wondering what’s going to happen tomorrow.

I need to talk to her about us. How I am positive we belong together. How I would do anything for her.

How I want to step up and be her man. Forever.

13

MADISON

This truly is a lovely hotel. Every detail is intentional. Meant to be there.

Unlike me, unintentionally stuck smack between a family shindig and a networking fandango.

I babysit the bags in the lobby as Wyatt checks out. We’re going to pack up the car now while most of his family is distracted, then take a walk on the beach before leaving.

I look around for Adaline, hoping to spot her to say hello again before I leave, but I can’t. She’s probably busy in the back somewhere.

Crap. I was supposed to come here this weekend to make a connection to improve my career. To use the one extra card I had to play, a relative who is with the Aadland Group, not fall madly in love with a gorgeous man who is way out of my league.

Sure, we click physically. I can feel how much he wants me with every touch. Every single kiss. But what about the rest of it?

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