Page 5 of Moonlight With Maddox
I’m going to need to make sure I keep my distance, at least as much as I can since I’m picking her up in twenty minutes.
“Get it together, Walker,” I say out loud to myself, before turning off the water and stepping out of the shower.
Maybe with all the people around, it will help allow me to keep my distance without it being too noticeable.
I pull the towel off the rack and wipe it over my body before wrapping it around my waist. Scooping up my work clothes off the bathroom floor, I catch the soft whiff of vanilla still clinging to my shirt from when Leni threw her arms around me and hugged me.
She only did that because she just found out I helped Miss Connie. That was nothing more than the gratitude of a niece, nothing more.
At least that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself.
6
Leni
Aunt Connie looks far too smug as I hover by the front door, camera bag slung over my shoulder.
“Don't say a word, “ I warn her, feeling her eyes watching me over her book.
“I wasn’t going to say a thing.” She grins, unconvincing. “But if I were, I’d say you made the right call with the green floral dress instead of the red one.”
The second Maddox left earlier, I’d sprinted to my room and tried on every outfit I’d packed. The green dress won—its soft print made my eyes pop, and the deep V-neck offered just enough cleavage to be interesting without screamingdate night. Not that I wanted him thinking this was a date. But if that happened? Well, I wasn’t about to object.
A knock at the screen door makes me jump.
Maddox stands on the porch, freshly showered, and impossibly put together in a way that makes me want to forget every reason this isn’t supposed to be a date. His dark Henley fits a little too well across his broad chest, and the sleeves are pushed to his elbows, showing off his toned forearms.
I didn’t even hear him show up.
“Ready?” he asks, his voice low and steady.
“Umm, yeah,” I say, hoping I don’t sound as breathless as I feel.
This is not a date.
This is not a date.
Hell yes, it is!The inner voice of my teenage self screams in my head. I try to ignore the embarrassing happy dance she’s just broken into and focus on the man standing in front of me.
He steps aside and pulls open the screen door for me.
“You have a good night, Miss Connie,” he calls in the door to her.
“You kids have—fun.”
I shoot a glare over my shoulder at my aunt, but I can’t help but let it soften when I see the wide smile on her face. I haven’t seen her smile like that since I’ve been back.
“You call us if you need anything,” I tell her.
She waves me off with her good arm.
Maddox falls into step next to me as we make our way down the porch to his truck. Before I can even reach for the passenger handle, his hand shoots out and pulls open the door for me, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
This is not a date.
“Thank you,” I manage, as I climb up into the passenger seat. The cab feels warm and I wonder if he had the heat on, or maybe it’s just me overheating.
He closes the door behind me and rounds the truck to get in.
