Page 15 of Eye of Her Storm

“Spread that shit wide,” Connor Quist told them.

“Oh my God,” Madison exclaimed as the first cowboys dropped their gifts and took off. “What the hell was that?”

“Hey, Madison. I’m Connor and that there is Edison, Franklin and Neal. Franklin has an appointment with Dr. Walker.”

“And you all needed to come in?” River asked, trying hard to hide her smile while her friend checked the schedule.

“Oh, right.” Madison tapped the computer screen with the end of her pen. “Franklin Quist for a diabetic consultation. You’re a little over an hour early. We’re not busy today. Let me check with the doctor to see if he can see you early.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary, darlin’,” Connor said, leaning on the counter. “We can wait. We’d love to chat with the new girl in town. You know, since you’re not busy.”

River stepped between them, forcing Madison to push back her chair a bit. “As amusing as this is, gentlemen, you can’t camp out in this office. Come back in an hour.”

“You feeling okay, honey? You look great—um, not sick I mean,” Franklin said. She’d seen him frequently over the past few years. Though his Type I diabetes had been in control for a long time, recently his numbers had been a mess, so he came in often and she considered him a friend.

“I’m actually doing pretty well, thanks.” It seemed news of her tumor was spreading fast. She wasn’t so sure she liked that, but that was Daly. They might be widespread across the area, but the community was still close-knit.

“That’s good.” He patted her hand while his brothers sported tight smiles and nodded. No one really knew how to deal with this.

“It is. And…y’all still can’t hang out here. Go check out the new shipment at the Farm and Feed or hang out at Leena’s. Madison is working.”

Unhappily, the four left.

Madison watched them go, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. It was the most interest River had seen from her since the hardcore courting had started. Madison looked up at her. “That was…something.”

“Buckle in. This is just the start.”

“And you’ve had four years of this?”

“No. Like the boys said earlier, Seth and Tai dissuaded the full-court press from the other men around here.”

“I’m not sure if that makes you lucky or not.”

“I think the Quists will decide that for you. Do yourself a favor; if you end up being interested in them, don’t wait years like I did. You never know what will happen next week.”

“I promise.” Madison leaned back in her chair. “I can’t believe it’s Friday already. Do you guys have big plans?”

“Not really. Just settling into their house. It’s…weird. I mean, they want me all unpacked, my stuff—what that I have of it—mixed in with theirs, but should I?”

“Yes! I know what you’re thinking, and stop it. You want to be treated normal, and you want to live life to the fullest.” Madison looked around to be sure she wouldn’t be overheard. “So fucking do it,” she hissed.

River laughed, her amusement uncontained. She hugged Mads. “I love you. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Madison’s arms were tight around her. “Promise me you’ll settle in.”

“I promise. Promise me you won’t keep your ranchers in a holding pattern. I was fresh from a bad relationship when I came here, too, and I let it affect too much of my time. Hell, I still let it screw up things. Don’t do that. Be honest with them about what happened, tell them you want to go slow…but—”

“Okay. I get it. I promise. I promise.”

* * * *

The conversation was still on River’s mind that night: What she’d done and what she needed to do. The advice she’d doled out. That she was now out of a job, replaced because she was fucking dying. That she was going to fully move in with the two most generous, gorgeous men in the world, men who were the center of her universe when she allowed herself to admit it.

She had everything. She’d lose everything.

“I’m taking a walk,” she told Tai, as she grabbed a light jacket.

“I’ll come with you.”

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