Page 40 of Almost True
“She’s been greeting people in the living room but made me promise to let her know when you arrived.” Anthony winked, gesturing for us to move ahead.
It was all a little more casual than I’d anticipated, if Anthony’s holler to Maddie, or even referring to her as Maddie versus Madeline, indicated the level of decorum.
We rounded the corner to the kitchen and living area. My heart kicked at the sight of her in a light purple dress that hit just above her knees. Her hair fell in spirals over her shoulders, and she listened intently to what someone was saying to her until something made her look up.
Right at me.
Those eyes hit mine, and I exhaled from the direct hit.
“Hey, there you are! Thank you for coming.” She spoke to me and as she did, set her hand on the arm of the person who’d been speaking to her and moved toward us. In seconds, she’d not only reached us but thrown her arms around me.
She pulled back before I could even respond in kind. Her beaming smile was poison to my anxiety, and at least half of my worry shriveled up in an instant.
“Glad to be here. This is my cousin, John Wallace.” Because I’d planned that as my intro, that’s what came out. I should’ve thought more creatively. Something like,I like your dressoryou look beautifulorlet’s find somewhere to be alone together.
Okay, maybe not that last one, though I wished for that with an intensity I hadn’t anticipated. I wished I had the boldness to say it and mean it, damn the consequences.
“Nice to meet you, John. Thanks for coming this evening.” She let go of me entirely and extended a hand to John, who was absolutely beaming.
“It is a pleasure, Ms. Reynolds. I—”
“Please, just Maddie.”
He nodded. “So glad to meet you. Aidan’s really enjoyed the project here.”
Her eyes glittered. “He does amazing work. I think you’ll love it.”
John grinned. “I have no doubt I will.”
“Well, follow me inside. We’re slowly filtering people outside since it’s finally starting to cool down. We’ve got some appetizers ready to come out soon, and I think the music’s starting now, too.”
Her hand on my back guided me forward, the light contact drawing all my mental and physical attention. The small group she’d been chatting with had made it outside, so John and I continued toward the back deck. I wondered at her warm greeting—did she greet everyone that way? It wasn’t that she didn’t typically seem friendly or open, but something about being ushered through the door just like the last people had been made it seem suddenly very… planned.
John opened the door, and I moved to follow him out until her hand slipped into mine. Surprise and no small amount of thrill fizzed through me.
“Can I grab you for just a minute?” she asked when I looked back at her.
“Uh, sure. John, I’ll—”
“Yep. I’m good. Just come find me.” He didn’t look back, and I knew he wouldn’t have any issues talking with people. I shut the door and turned to her right as she started walking, pulling me along after her through the kitchen and into… the pantry?
She flipped on the light as we entered, guiding me past her, then shutting the door. The small room was probably three by six and held all manner of food.
“Everything okay?” I asked, more than a little off-balance at this detour.
She bit her lip and crossed her arms. “I need to ask you a favor.”
“Okay.”
“Only for tonight, I promise.”
“Uh, okay…”
She shook her head once, frustration so clearly broadcasted in the gesture. “My mother is here. She wasn’t supposed to come for another few weeks.”
“And you don’t get along?”
She exhaled slowly and her eyes shut like she was praying for patience. “It varies. But the bigger issue is that she’s renewed her quest to set me up after everything that’s happened. She’s the reason Chad showed up out of nowhere, and she only backed off because I told her she needed to stop because I was seeing someone.”
