Page 58 of Mountain Dreams

“Yes?”

“Never mind. It’s stupid.”

She started to move away, but he tightened his grip on her hand, somewhat surprised he had that much strength left in it. “Tell me.”

“I used to wonder…” She took a deep breath and then continued. “I used to wish that you would look at me the way you looked at the other girls.”

“Maddie.”

“It’s stupid, I know.”

“No, Maddie. Don’t say that.”

“You don’t have to try and make me feel better. I get it. I’m not your type.”

He shook his head vehemently, and it felt like the room was spinning. It was almost like he’d been the one punched in the face instead of Wyatt. What the hell was happening here?

“Just forget I said anything. It’s been a long, exhausting day, and I’m not thinking straight.” She let go of his hand and moved away. “I’m going to bed now.”

Like a fool, he just sat there and nodded, too flummoxed to speak.

“You might want to take some aspirin for that hand,” she called over her shoulder.

Then he heard the basement door open and close, and her footsteps receded as she went down the stairs. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, his thoughts racing through his head at breakneck speed.

After all these years of wondering how she truly felt about him, he’d just received confirmation. Maddie wanted him to see her as a woman and not just a friend. It was something he’d been dying to know, but now that he did, he had no idea what to do about it… Or did he?

Eighteen

Maddie stood at the bottom of the stairs and tried to catch her breath.

What was I thinking? For years, she’d kept her attraction to Cody to herself, burying it so deep she’d doubted it would ever see the light of day, yet just like that, she’d blurted it out in his kitchen.

The only explanation was that her emotions were still running high from the confrontation with Wyatt. If he hadn’t been here tonight, none of this would have ever happened, or would it?

I can’t deal with this right now, she thought as she went into the bedroom. The best way to escape this madness was to get into her cozy pajamas and crawl into bed with her book. She’d always found books to be the greatest escape, even if it was only temporary.

She peeled off her jeans and sweater and hung them up in the closet in the appropriate places. Even in her frazzled state, she still took the time to be organized. Cody would probably tease her if he saw her color-coordinated closet.

Just then, she heard a noise in the living room, and she froze. She waited a moment, and when she didn’t hear another sound, she decided she must have imagined it. Dressed only in her bra and panties, she padded across the room to the dresser to get out her pajamas.

As she crossed in front of the open bedroom door, she saw a shadow and yelled, “AHH!”

“It’s okay. It’s just me,” he said, stepping into the light.

“Ohmigod! Cody!” She placed a hand over her racing heart, and then she realized how she was dressed.

In a panic, she turned away and inadvertently presented her backside as she frantically searched for her robe. Then she remembered it was hanging on the back of the bathroom door, where she always kept it.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know… I’ll leave,” he stammered.

Faced with a decision, she did something that was so out of character she surprised herself. Instead of rushing into the bathroom for her robe, she slowly turned back around and faced him.

The light in the bedroom was dim, but not enough to hide his expression as his gaze roamed over her. She forced herself to keep still and let him look.

“What are you doing down here?” she said, her voice catching.

He didn’t speak. He just kept staring at her like he’d never seen her before, and he hadn’t, not like this. She’d never been a fan of racy lingerie, finding most of it to be over the top, itchy, and uncomfortable. However, she did invest in silky fabrics that felt good against her skin. Tonight she was wearing a blush push-up bra and matching panties, which, apparently, he appreciated too.