Beautiful Sacrifice (Maddox Brothers #3)(46)

“Tomorrow.”

“It’s about time.”

Kirby eyed my small makeup bag. “You going out?”

“I don’t know. Taylor’s brother is in town, and he wants me to go to Cowboys to meet them.”

Her eyes lit up. “That’s a good sign! I guess today went well then?”

“Mostly. We saw your mom at the top. She was picking up Kostas.”

Kirby made a face. “He is obsessed with that trail. He thinks he’s going to Macho Pikachu or whatever in Peru.”

“Machu Picchu?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Maybe he will,” I said.

“He needs to climb something bigger than Pikes Peak.”

“Machu Picchu is almost half the size of Pikes Peak, Kirby.”

“Stop acting like Phaedra! Did Mom give you a lift into town?”

“To the trail head. Taylor’s truck was there. She doesn’t like him.”

“He’s a hotshot. Of course not.”

“She Greeked at me.”

“Oh. She must have really not liked him.”

“Why do you like him?” I asked.

Kirby shrugged. “Just because he’s a hotshot doesn’t mean he’s like my father. Besides, it’s hard to dislike someone because he chose a job to save things.”

“Things,” I said, amused.

“Trees. Homes. People.”

“Should I worry that’s what’s going on here?”

Kirby wrinkled her nose. “He’s, like, in his mid-twenties. You think he hasn’t come across a damsel in distress before? That’s not it. He just likes you.”

I opened the cosmetic bag but only stared at the contents.

Blurring lines with Taylor was dangerous. He’d agreed to take me to Illinois. But when? So many things could go wrong between his promise and Eakins. He didn’t want my truth now, but what if he required it later? What if there were more conditions?

What if I want more conditions?

Kirby smiled. “Are you wondering if he’s worth putting on makeup for?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Get out of my head. I don’t understand why he wants me to meet his brother. What purpose would it serve? What would it mean if I did?”

“You need to get out of your own head.”

I considered that for a moment. Taylor had been behaving the opposite of what I’d expected from a hotshot, especially one who looked like him. He was all badassery and confidence until I threw him a curveball, and then he’d turned into Jim Carrey.

I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

I shook my head. “Taylor, earlier. It’s nothing.”

Anything more than a chuckle felt foreign in my throat, and Taylor had been the reason for two emotional outbursts. He had held me, made sure I was okay, made plans, and asked me to meet his brother.

For the first time in years, a guy hinting that he was interested in me didn’t feel like a violation.

I rubbed on foundation and then ran the mascara wand over my lashes.

After some quick blush and lip gloss, I halfheartedly modeled for Kirby. “Good enough?”

I had made a decent effort at fixing my hair and makeup with the limited tools I had at my disposal, but I still seemed to look the same.

“You look hot. And he’s hot. You would make beautiful babies.”

My face fell, and I groused at my reflection in the mirror. I was a screwup. Assuming I was going to mess this up, too, was not unreasonable. Taylor had that something about him, more than just charm. He wasn’t the * he tried to be—at least, not to me.

But is he worth the risk?

“Falyn, go. Stop overthinking it. You spent the entire day together, and you still want to see him. That’s saying something, especially for you.”

Thinking of the disappointment on his face, I grinned at Kirby. “You make a good point. Wait here for Gunnar.”

“Are you sure?”

I grabbed my keys and trotted down the stairs, leaving Kirby alone in the loft.

The muffled music from Cowboys could be heard before I even made it out of the Bucksaw. My heart beat faster, knowing Taylor was less than a block away.

I pushed open the glass door, breathing in the night air. People were passing by in groups, already making their way toward the ridiculously long line snaking down the sidewalk. I wondered if I could slip by even though I wasn’t with Taylor.