Page 14 of Moonlight With Maddox
Leni
A low voice drifts through the fog of sleep.
“Do you think that’s them?”
I blink awake, squinting against the pale morning light spilling across the valley. The air is cool, our makeshift blanket damp with dew. Maddox’s arm is snug around my waist, solid and warm.
When I turn, Aunt Connie is standing a few yards away with Randy from the ranger station. Connie’s sling is bright against her sweater, her free hand planted on her hip.
“I told you they’d be fine,” Randy mutters.
“Fine?” Connie huffs. “I was worried, Randolph.”
Maddox groans softly beside me, rubbing a hand over his face. “Morning,” he says, voice rough from sleep.
“Morning?” Connie arches an eyebrow. “Do you know what time it is? You didn’t come home, Leni. I had to ask Randy to come look for you.”
I sit up quickly, clutching the blanket to my chest. “I’m sorry, Aunt Connie. We—”
Randy lifts a palm. “It’s alright. Let’s give them a minute to get dressed.”
They turn and move toward the front of the truck, Connie muttering something about “young people and common sense.”
Maddox and I exchange a look, both half-laughing, half-mortified. We scramble to gather our things and smooth ourselves into some semblance of order before sliding off the back of the bed.
Randy is crouched by the front tire, pointing at a jagged rock jutting out from the sidewall. “We’ve got a problem,” he says.
Maddox crouches beside him. “I guess we wouldn’t have made it back last night either way on this.”
While they work to swap out the flat, Connie fishes a phone from her pocket and waves me over. “This has been ringing all morning.”
I take it, recognizing Frank’s number. “Thanks.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense,” she says, retreating toward the guys to give me some privacy.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Leni!” Frank’s voice booms through the line. “Those shots you sent yesterday are amazing! Exactly what I didn’t know I needed. I want you to do a whole series like this. Small-town America through your lens.”
I smile despite the wind tugging at my hair. “That’s flattering, Frank, but I think I’m ready for a break. I want to slow down for a bit.”
I thought a lot about this last night in Maddox’s arms. I’m ready for the next chapter of my life to begin. I’ve done all I can do traveling the world. I’ve seen more than most people will see in a lifetime. Staying here in Maple Ridge feels so right.
He pauses, then says warmly, “I get it. If you decide to come back, you’ll always have a place here.”
“Thanks.”
We say our goodbyes and I hang up, heart steady in a way it hasn’t been in years.
When I look up, Connie is talking with Randy, leaving Maddox alone by the truck, wiping his hands on a rag. His gaze meets mine, unreadable for a beat.
“So,” he says walking over to me slowly, “Are you going to be leaving?”
I shake my head, a smile tugging at my lips. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I want to stick around—see Maple Ridge at Christmas.”
Something bright flares in his eyes. He closes the distance in two strides, scoops me up as if I weigh nothing, and kisses me full on the mouth.
“How did I get so lucky?”
