The story of Maddie hitting Brad Rickson dominated social media for almost twenty-four hours. It even got it’s own hashtag – #suckerpunched. But then a national politician was caught on camera with a Hollywood actress and nobody was talking about Maddie and Gray anymore.
Gray couldn’t help but feel grateful that someone else had taken their place in the Twittersphere as they landed in Baltimore airport. It meant that their transfer from the plane to the car waiting for them outside was almost seamless. Only a couple of teenage girls noticed them.
“I guess we’re already yesterday’s news,” he said as the car drove down the highway toward Hartson’s Creek.
“Thank goodness.” Maddie leaned her head against his shoulder. Her hand was bandaged tightly, thanks to the doctor who’d arrived at Gray’s house two nights before. He’d told her to rest it up for a few days, and apply cold compresses if it ached any more. Gray laughed every time he looked at their matching injuries. “Maybe they’ll leave us alone for a while now.”
“Here’s hoping.” He kissed the skin on her brow. It was impossible to describe how warm he felt right now, driving toward his father’s house with the woman he loved next to him. The emptiness was gone, replaced by her. Maddie Clark. The woman he intended to spend the rest of his life with.
There was a reception line
waiting for them when they arrived at his dad’s house an hour later. Becca was there, grinning, with her fists held up as though she was about to fight. Next to her was Ashleigh, dressed to the nines in what looked like a brand spanking new pair of shoes and silk skirt suit, along with Maddie’s mom, and Aunt Gina. Gray swallowed hard when he looked up to see his dad standing at the top of the steps that led to the front door, his back ramrod straight, his face almost impassive.
Almost because Gray swore he could see a hint of a smile there before he turned and walked back into the house.
“I guess this is Hartson’s Creek’s version of paparazzi,” he murmured as the car came to a halt.
“They look innocent, but they’ll break you in thirty seconds,” Maddie agreed, her eyes bright with happiness. “We should go face the music.”
“Yeah we should.” He turned her to face him, then pressed the sweetest kiss to her lips. He wasn’t in any rush to get out and talk to them. Not when he could be kissing Madison Clark to his heart’s content.
“Gray?”
“Mmm?” His words vibrated against her lips.
“I think they’re watching.”
“Let ’em.” He kissed her again. “They need to get used to it. Because I intend to kiss you a lot.”
“Sounds terrible.” She kissed him back breathlessly.
He laughed. “That’s why I love you. You know how to stroke my ego.”
“Your ego doesn’t need stroking. It’s big enough.” Her voice dipped, her eyes softening. “I love you, too, Gray Hartson. Even though everything about us shouldn’t work.”
“But it does,” he told her, his heart growing about ten sizes bigger. She loved him and it lit up his world like a firework. He could never get enough of hearing it.
“Yeah, it does.” She leaned forward to kiss him again. “Now let’s go and face the inquisition. They’re starting to get restless.”
Sure enough, Becca was bearing down on them, along with Ashleigh and Aunt Gina.
“Okay,” he agreed, his eyes bright with love. “Let’s do it.”
Epilogue
Money didn’t just talk, it worked its ass off for you, Maddie thought as she stared up at the house. It had taken just under eight months to build. From the moment they put in the plans to the zoning committee, to the day the last contractor drove away, his orange van kicking up a cloud of dust as he disappeared into the distance.
And now it wasn’t just a house, it was a home. Their home. The one they would live in and work in. The one where her mom would eventually move into the specially built annex to the left of the main house, that was adapted to her needs.
There was a huge music studio at the end of the grassy yard. Along with the recording studio for Gray, it housed a separate music room for Maddie. There, she could teach the students she’d kept on, and work on writing her own music. She’d written two of the songs on Gray’s latest album, and they sounded great. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to believe it.
And when it was just the two of them working at the studio, the overstuffed leather sofa in Gray’s office was the perfect place for them to reconnect.
Yeah, that might have happened that morning. So sue her. He was her boyfriend and he was hot. Some things were too good to pass up.
“What time is it?” Gray asked, his shadow falling over her as he embraced her from behind.
“Almost four,” Maddie said, leaning her head back on his chest. He leaned down to kiss her neck and she felt it all over again. Those shivers, that need. Would they ever go away? She grinned as she pictured them being the kind of parents who drove their kids mad with too much affection. “People should start arriving by six. Your brother called to say they’d landed.”