Take a Chance on Me(32)

Maddie craned her neck, glancing back out the window. Sam bordered on pretty, with those blond California surfer looks, as she suspected his sister knew full well. Still, Maddie could sympathize. “Oh, I hear you there. You have no idea how many conversations I’ve had to endure over the years about my brothers. Annoying, isn’t it?”

“Immensely.” Gracie winked. “Good thing Mitch caught you first so I don’t have to worry about any gushing.”

Mitch ran down the length of the driveway, his movements graceful and lithe. Even sweat-soaked, with his hair a mess, he was unbelievable.

Maddie didn’t know what to say. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and shrugged. “He’s certainly something to look at. The sheriff isn’t bad either.” An extreme understatement.

“He rocks between the sheets, too.” Gracie grinned as widely as a Cheshire cat.

Maddie burst out laughing. “Ah, you’re not a saint after all. I was wondering.”

Gracie gestured toward the window with a dismissive sweep. “Yeah, well, Mitch and I have been friends since I was about six and he was eight. He spent a month up here every summer while his grandparents were alive. Mitch and his sister, Cecilia, were summer staples.” She propped one jean-clad hip against the counter and placed her palms on the laminate, thrusting out a pair of breasts so magnificent that Maddie couldn’t help the stir of envy. On the smaller side of a B-cup, Maddie only dreamed of filling out a T-shirt that well.

Gracie’s head cocked to the side and a curl flopped over one eye. “I’ll admit, when I was fifteen I developed a mad crush on Mitch for about fifteen minutes. We were hormonal teens and he was different from the boys I’d known since kindergarten, being from the big city and all. We spent a few weeks circling each other, flirting shamelessly, before breaking down and engaging in a hot-and-heavy make-out session. He was an awesome kisser, but after all the tension broke it didn’t feel right, so we high-fived and called it friends.”

The confession brought back the memory of Maddie’s own, frantic, knock-you-on-your-ass kiss with Mitch earlier that afternoon. Except in her case it had felt all too right. Dangerously right. Maddie said, keeping her tone casual, “You’re only human. And it looks like you did all right in the end.”

Gracie glanced toward a side window that provided a much better view of the men than the one Maddie had been looking out of. “Yeah, I guess. Charlie’s great, and we suit each other’s needs, but we’re not together, together. You know?”

Maddie had no idea, but nodded anyway.

Gracie gave a wry chuckle, shaking her head. “It’s complicated.”

Not wanting to press, Maddie said, “Isn’t it always?”

“Yep.” Gracie gave one more passing glance toward the window, an odd expression crossing over her face before returning her attention back to Maddie. “How are you doing, by the way? Mitch told us about your troubles. I hope you don’t mind, but he asked Charlie to see if he could find anything out.”

“Charlie doesn’t have to do that.” Shane had friends everywhere and Maddie didn’t want to take any chances at Charlie’s inquiry tipping her brother off to her whereabouts. “Actually, I’d prefer if he didn’t.”

Gracie studied her, head tilted to the side. “You’ll have to talk to him about that. But how are you?”

“I’m fine.” She took a sip of the water she’d been holding but forgotten. Even room temperature, the liquid cooled her dry, scratchy throat.

“I know we don’t know each other,” Gracie said, flashing a genuine smile. “But we’re girls. If we don’t talk, our heads will explode.”

Maddie laughed, and some of the tension in her shoulders eased. “Thanks. I think I’m okay. I have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t want to go home, but I worry I’m imposing.”

“I hope you’re not talking about Mitch.”

Maddie shrugged, pushing back the desire to be a teenage girl and grill the woman about what he had said about her.

Gracie cast a sideways glance toward the window as if ensuring herself that the men were still playing. “Trust me, you’re not an imposition. Mitch wants you to stay more than I’ve seen him want anything in the last three years.”

Maddie bit her bottom lip, staring at the blue and white checked pattern on the kitchen floor as an unexpected giddy pleasure made her dizzy.

What was wrong with her? She was supposed to find her independence, not her inner slut. All those years of Catholic school had clearly failed her.

“Look, minding my own business isn’t really my strong suit,” Gracie said.

Almost breathless with interest, Maddie perked her head up.

“I’ve never seen Mitch like this and I love him like a brother. You’re the only thing he’s shown even a spark of interest in since he’s come to live here. Around you, he acts like the boy I remember growing up. I love seeing him happy, and breaking out of the rut he’s been in, but he’s been hurt enough.”

“Hurt?” The question slipped from Maddie’s lips. Of course, she’d already figured something had made him leave Chicago, but she didn’t have a clue about what.

“No. Shoot. Forget I said that. It’s not my story to tell.” Gracie dragged her fingers through her curls, her lips pressed together. “Just please, try not to hurt him.”