Two Bar Mitzvahs (No Weddings #3)(21)

As I rounded the corner, I sensed Madison still stood down the hall. No need to glance at her to know she fumed, wishing she had more control of the situation—control over me.

But she didn’t.

I was happy. In love with a real woman who knew what love meant. And Hannah and I were invincible together.

My step lightened along with my mood. Nothing could touch that. Not the outside world, not fate, and certainly not one Madison Kensington.

The best revenge is living well.





9


Creative Therapy


After searching the front lobby of the country club for any clues of where the spa area might be, I spotted the girls through the glass doors that led onto the patio.

All of them were laughing, Kristen shaking her head and Kiki clapping Kendall on the back. But my gutter mind suspected Kendall had lost her filter with her potent long island iced tea and voiced a naughty thought they shared, because every one of them held a guilty expression.

I’d been outnumbered by women enough to know when girl talk went wild by casual observation. My gaze trained on Hannah, however, the one girl I hadn’t been around long enough to read all her little nuances. After the Madison encounter in the hall, I wanted to be sure Hannah was okay.

It didn’t take rocket science, however, to know she wasn’t her comfortable free-spirited self. A subtle sign was in the smile that failed to hold true. But the moment she saw me approach, she tilted her head and her concerned expression changed into a reassuring smile.

“How did it go? Are you okay? Do I need to knock Selfish Bitch on her ass?” Hannah’s eyebrows raised in hope.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “What I wouldn’t pay to see that happen. And yeah, I’m good. Madison may be trying to change, but I saw glimpses of her old self shining through.”

“Selfish Bitch?” Kendall snorted. “That shit’s hilarious.”

Kiki blinked. “Am I missing something? We know you guys broke up. But do we need details? Should I deck Selfish Bitch too?”

I shook my head, needing to diffuse the situation. This wasn’t the time or place. “Someday, I’ll fill you guys in. Let’s just say, it’s a bitch of a story. That’s why I’ve never shared it.”

Hannah asked, “What’s she even doing here?”

I cleared my throat. “We have the luck of Madison being GM of the club.”

Kendall shook her head. “How is that even possible? Wouldn’t the club want years of experience in a GM?”

I shrugged, not wanting to give more brain cells to the matter than necessary. “We were all born with country club silver spoons in our mouths, raised in a place like this. That’s a qualification right there. When we dated, she took a handful of undergrad courses in hotel and restaurant management. Maybe she got a degree in Europe. The place seems to run smoothly, so she hasn’t botched things up yet.”

Kristen crossed her arms as understanding washed across her expression. Of all my sisters, she likely suspected how bad my breakup with Madison had been. She glanced at Hannah, then looked pointedly at me. “Cade, what’s your gut tell you? Is she the one behind the games?”

I exhaled a slow breath, thinking about it again. “Madison is plugged in to the industry. Our suppliers are likely the same as hers. With her connections, she could probably draw our network map in the span of a lunch hour.”

I glanced at them all. “It’s possible. Can’t rule it out. But we also can’t do or say anything about it without proof, so keep your eyes and ears open. If it’s her, and there’s an opportunity for us to catch her, we need to jump on it.”

Kristen pursed her lips, staring hard at me. “You still good with running point on this?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, giving Hannah a tight squeeze of reassurance. “If Madison decides to meddle, we’ve got her. And if she catches wind that I’m running the show, she might be more inclined to toss a wrench in the gears. Besides, you’ve got too many other things on your plate to take this on too.” Plus, the business side of me railed at the thought of stepping aside because of Madison.

“Madison attempted to flex her authority already. She tried to dictate how a detail was going to go down. But I snapped back full force, reminding her who her client was and that we didn’t operate from under anyone’s thumb. She either gave us unrestricted authority to serve the client who hired us, or we didn’t play ball at all. Still, I’m willing and able to handle the project in spite of her being a nuisance. I’m more motivated than anyone else because of it.”

“Good. Let’s get out of here.” Kristen nodded, then turned, leading us out through the lobby.

Kiki pulled on the door heading out the front of the club, but then paused, glancing back. “What detail did she try to dictate?”

“We use her baker, not Hannah.”

“Fuck that!” Kiki scowled, whirling around.

Kendall’s and Kristen’s mouths dropped opened.

Hannah simply shook her head and huffed out a laugh.

Kristen’s deepening scowl was epic. “We’re in this together. Period.”

I grinned. “Damn straight.” I gave Hannah another tight squeeze as I guided her through the door. I squinted in the midafternoon sun, then unclipped my sunglasses from my T-shirt and slid them on.