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Madison reared back. She’d met Todd’s venerable grandfather exactly twice. Why did the man care what she did? “He would?”
“He says Todd is quite happy since meeting you. He thinks you’re exactly what he needs.” Uncle Martin leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “He was wild in college, and they’ve been trying to get him to settle down for years. Winston says he’s quite changed since you arrived, and he’s hoping you’re the one for his grandson.”
“It’s really too early to tell. We’ve only had a few dates—”
“But you like him?”
“Sure.” Even if he’d once been wild, he seemed like a decent guy now. On paper, he was everything she should want—good education, good family, good sense of humor. It was Matt’s fault she wasn’t over the moon with Todd. She had to stop letting their past distract her future. “He’s been wonderful so far.”
Uncle Martin smiled big. “Excellent. He’ll be pleased to hear that. I have an idea. Would you consider staying another six weeks and trying the job on for size? If you don’t love it by the middle of August, I’ll fly you back home in time to start the school year in Louisiana. You’ve got nothing to lose, and I’d love the company. It gets lonely rattling around this house all by myself.”
She almost asked why he’d hadn’t taken a husband, but he’d never openly admitted to being gay, and she didn’t want to put him on the spot. He was probably just of that older generation who didn’t feel comfortable being as open about their sexuality as her fellow Gen Zers.
His suggestion sounded great…except the anger and broken heart currently weighing her down made decision-making almost impossible. “Can I think about it overnight and let you know?”
“Of course. I’ve talked to your dad. He thinks this is a good opportunity for you, too. And he likes Todd a lot.”
Madison wasn’t surprised. Plus, if her dad knew the incredibly sexual things Matt had done to her and all the emotional upheaval he’d already put her through, he’d hate the big cowboy on the spot. It made her wonder what she was waiting for, a fairytale ending that was never coming?
“Thanks. I’ll sleep on it.”
“Perfect.” He patted her shoulder. “Oh, if you do stay, Todd is going to ask you to accompany him to a benefit dinner. The event is small, almost intimate. No more than a hundred people. That singer you love so much—her name escapes me—will be performing there. You know, the blonde who writes all those catchy songs about her myriad ex-boyfriends.”
Madison’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
A chance to see her girl-crush live was almost worth staying.
“Of course.” He stood, bent to kiss her forehead, then flashed her a wry smile. “Sleep good, my dear. I’m sure your father will be in before five a.m. to ask if you’re going with him.”
She groaned. “I know he will.”
With that, her uncle was gone. And the possibilities nearly crushed her. Go home to the safe and known where she would be vulnerable to a man who’d made it clear tonight that he only valued her body? Or take a chance on a new life and a new man and hope for the best?
Wishing she knew the right answer, she flipped off the bedroom light and settled onto her pillow with a sigh.
She’d no more than closed her eyes when her phone vibrated on the nightstand behind her. She flipped over, half afraid to pick it up. What if Matt was calling again?
With a sigh, she lifted the device to find a text from Haisley.
Guess who just walked into Highrise, ready to get his freak on?
An instant later, a picture appeared in the message string that made her heart stop. Matt with Hannah Jamison, the mean girl she’d hated most in high school, the one who had stolen her first boyfriend. In one hand, he held a shot glass while he licked salt from her exposed stomach as she lay supine across the pool table.
Madison reared back. She probably had no right, but betrayal burned.
She meant nothing to him. Since he’d replaced her the minute she’d declined his booty call, it seemed obvious she never had. After all her pining for him and hoping they had some future that included more magical nights together… She felt like a fool.
Hurtling from the bed, she paced the room, her temper flaring even as her heart broke. Screw him. She was staying in DC, and she would make things work with Todd. He would be the perfect antidote for her irrational attachment to the hot cowboy whose pleasure had been like a sweet, sweet drug, and he would replace it with something real. Because Todd was charming and kind. He was also interesting and worldly, probably because he came from a wealthy, powerful family. But that hadn’t gone to his head. Most of all, he seemed to care about her. She resolved to invest her emotional capital in him in return. And someday, she’d forget that Matt Montgomery even existed.
* * *
August 8
Matt pushed into Highrise, ready to get his Saturday night under way. The place was a little too pretentious and purple neon for him, but it had one thing to recommend it: Madison’s friends hung out here. They would have info about her. Yes, the move was desperate, but that’s how he felt.
Despite everything, he still fucking missed her like an amputee seeking a limb that no longer existed.
Beside him, Nash grinned and scanned the room. “Lots of fine looking ladies here tonight.”
