“Especially if yourboyfriendkeeps pulling stunts like that cheek kiss,” Daphne adds with a grin.
I wave them off, fighting a smile. “Okay, okay, out before you blow my cover.”
After a few more hugs and promises to FaceTime soon, they head out and Dawn and I finish the last of the cleanup.
She flicks off the lights, then pauses mid-step. “Oh, wait.” She doubles back behind the counter and reappears holding a leather wallet. “Ryan left this earlier.”
I frown. “Seriously?”
“Yup,” she starts, handing me the wallet. “You better return it to your hotshot.”
I snort, slipping it into my coat pocket. “Very funny.”
She pulls me into a quick hug before we split off in opposite directions. I head toward my car, Ryan’s wallet now noticeable in my pocket.
13
RYAN
Didn’t know Madelyn Hazel Gracelyn could get nervous
Jesus Christ—my back is killing me. Hot water pounds down my shoulders, steam already thick in the bathroom as I let my head fall forward and breathe it in.
Training’s been brutal this week. Running, lifting, getting thrown into mats, and then doing it all again the next morning. And somehow I pushed even harder in the gym today. No wonder everything hurts like a bitch.
I head downstairs in nothing but my grey sweatpants, because I feel like a marshmallow on a stick, so a shirt is not happening. My hair’s damp, water sliding down the back of my neck and the doorbell rings just as I hit the bottom step.
“I got it!”
I yank the door open and my brain blanks for half a second, because Maddy’s standing on the porch.
“Uh… hey,” I say.
She’s still in her Hazel & Bean shirt, something clutched in her hand. Her eyes flick across my bare chest before she looks back up. I don’t bother covering up because she has seen me likethis a million times, but I can’t say I don't like the way she looks a little flushed.
“Hey,” she says, clearing her throat. “I was, uh… driving by and figured I’d drop this off.” She holds out my wallet.
“Thanks.” I take it, running a hand through my wet hair. “Didn’t even realize I left it.”
“Dawn found it,” she says. “Figured you might want your identity back.”
A breath of a smile pulls at my mouth, but before I can say anything else—
“WAIT—are those surfboards in your car?!” Bailey comes flying down the hallway like she was personally summoned by some kind of supernatural surf alarm, skidding to a stop beside me before immediately leaning halfway out the door.
“You surf?” she asks Maddy, who smiles back. “Hey, Bailey. Yeah, I do.”
Bailey lights up. “That’s so cool. Can I see your board? What kind do you use? Have you ever seen a shark? Do you wax it yourself?”
Maddy laughs, a little caught off guard by the rapid-fire interrogation. “Uh… yeah, sometimes. And no sharks. Luckily.”
“You’re so cool,” Bailey decides on the spot. Then she grabs Maddy’s wrist and starts tugging her inside. “I have to show you this insane surf video, don’t move.”
And then she’s gone, almost taking a full sprint and Maddy leans a little closer to me, lowering her voice. “Do they… know?”
I shake my head. “No. I didn’t tell them yet. Bailey’s probably picked up something, but—”
“Hi, Maddy!” Mom appears from the kitchen like she’s been waiting for this exact moment all evening, drying her hands on a dish towel.
