Page 32 of Mad About Her Cowboys

“Yeah,” Franklin agreed. “And we need to find out what’s going on in her head.”

“We’ll stay here and hold down the fort,” Neal told them.

“Call me if any of them start up something. They’re already on thin ice,” Connor replied. Franklin frowned, knowing they had to deal with the crew of physicians until Wednesday. After them, they didn’t have any clients until a winter wedding around Thanksgiving. November tended to be slow, but things would pick up for the holiday season and then people came here, wanting to ice fish, ski and do other outdoorsy winter activities.

He shrugged on his jacket that had hung by the front door and made sure he had his gloves, phone and emergency insulin kit. Though chances were slim he’d need it, he never left home without it—especially lately with his levels out of control. The doctor was getting closer to figuring it out, but not enough for anyone in the family to feel secure.

Beside Franklin, Connor tugged on his coat, too. “Ready?”

“Ready?”

“Don’t rush back,” Eds called. “If you’re not back by dark, we’ll expect you worked your charms on your woman.”

Franklin narrowed his eyes at him, surprised.

“Oh come on,” Franklin laughed. “We all know she’s yours. Neal and I are down for fun and her pleasure, but we have each other and we’re both leaving. It’s no different than most everyone else in Daly—they might start out as five, but they always whittle down to two or three.”

“What if Madison wants all of us?” Franklin asked, uneasy with her being disappointed with just him and Connor. “Maybe she doesn’t want only two.”

Neal chuckled, something strange for him. He was always so serious. “Were you there last night? She enjoyed us, but she was totally into you. I don’t know what happened before she left, but I bet she’s not real happy right this second. What was happening between the three of you was pretty strong.”

Franklin had thought so. But she’d left.

Connor opened the door. “Let’s go.”

Nodding, Franklin followed.

“You think Neal’s right?” he asked once they were on the road. Neither of them had spoken since leaving a good ten minutes ago.

“About?”

“Madison being into us, the three of us together?”

Connor shrugged. “I want to believe it, but then, I remember she left. Just left. Why?”

“Maybe she got scared. It’s a whole new lifestyle for her, and after what she’s been through…” Franklin trailed off, rage spiking through him when he thought of what Dr. Asshole Bradley had done to her. It had taken everything in him not to kill the guy that morning. He was normally fairly laidback, but when they’d first come upon the scene this morning, Eds had needed to hold him back for a minute while Connor had taken charge.

“Guess we’ll find out in a minute,” he said, nodding to the car a quarter mile ahead of them. She seemed to be going along okay, and the roads were thankfully fairly clear. Madison was crawling along in her vehicle, too.

“Yep,” Connor replied as he slowed the truck so they wouldn’t get too close to her. Neither spoke another word as they followed the tiny car, though they both sucked in worried breaths each time her vehicle fishtailed. Franklin wasn’t driving, but he was still white-knuckled when they pulled into the small lot beside the doctor’s office. Madison was already heading up the snow-covered steps. He and Connor exchanged a quick glance. Oh, hell no to those stairs!

They both bolted from the car, intent on getting to her before she slipped.

“Mads…” Franklin murmured behind her when he was close enough to steady her if she startled—not that she would. There was no way she hadn’t seen them pull in or heard them clomping up the wooden steps behind her.

“No,” she said.

No? What the hell did that mean?

“What do you mean, no?” Connor demanded as she tried to fit the key into the door. He took over then held the door for her to enter, making it clear they were coming in with her and there would be a discussion.

Madison huffed, yet she didn’t seem all that put out. More sad, truth be told. Franklin frowned as he followed Connor into the upstairs apartment after she’d entered.

“What’s going on?” he asked after he shut the door. They were all standing in the small entry vestibule, none of them moving to remove their coats. “Everything was fine when I was holding you and you fell asleep.”

She shook her head, her lips pressed together. She blinked as her eyes got glassy. “I made a mistake.”

“It’s no fucking mistake,” Connor growled.

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