“He’s gone back to the city, and we’re back on friendly terms with the agreement we will never see one another again.”
“Sounds kinky,” Grant said. “I don’t know what the big deal is. Why are you here moping when you could be winning your woman over?”
“Grant, she doesn’t want me.”
“No, she doesn’t want that asshole at the diner that day. You’re not him. In front of the whole club, you admitted your feelings for this woman. They weren’t fake. They were very much real, and you can’t deny that now. We all heard you become a pussy. Now embrace that pussiness, and go get your woman.”
Bull glared at his brother.
“Too much?”
“I think you’ve been pampered for way too long,” he said.
“Pampered? Bull, please, there is no such thing.”
Bull got to his feet. He wasn’t going to get anything done sitting around the garage. “You need to start rounding up clients,” Bull said.
“You scared everyone away.”
“Win them back with that charming smile of yours.” Bull slapped his brother on the back. He got to the door and turned. “How did you know I was telling Maddie how I felt about her?”
“Wasn’t out for long. I came too long enough to feel a nice swift kick in the back, and I just knew you would’ve remembered the GPS tracker in my cell phone. Once you did, it didn’t take too long for you to figure out.” Grant smiled. “Now go. Go and win that woman you want so much.”
Bull left the garage, wrapping his jacket tight around himself as he walked out into the cold. His balls were fucking freezing.
Christmas was everywhere, apart from inside the garage.
Arriving at the diner, he spotted Maddie instantly. He’d always been able to see her. He wanted to check out how he looked, but he quickly shook his head. There was no way he was turning into his brother, and Grant was obsessed with his looks.
After stepping into the diner, he took a seat at the counter, where Beatrice glared at him.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
“I thought I said I didn’t want your kind in here.”
“I was figuring that was before I helped save your daughter, told her who you were, breaking the ice, and I think you should know I’m still very much in love with her.”
Beatrice glared at him. “I don’t know if I like you.”
“Join the club. I don’t think a lot of people like me.”
He waited.
“Fine. Fine. You can stay, but if Maddie gets upset by seeing you, then you’re out. Got it?”
He put a hand to his heart as if he was hurting.
Beatrice kept her glare.
Maddie’s soft laughter could be heard over the noise of the diner and the constant run of conversations between each table.
“Go easy on her,” Beatrice said.
“I love her. I’m not here to hurt her.”
Beatrice licked her lips, looking back at Maddie, then to Bull. “The Frenches weren’t good people. Maddie has talked a little about her life with them. That Delia, she made my girl feel like she was ugly and fat.” Beatrice had tears in her eyes, and Bull tensed up. “I know she deals with weight and appearance issues, but I didn’t realize they stemmed from the people who claimed they were going to love her.”
Bull reached across the counter and put his hand on Beatrice’s hand. “You’ve got her back, and nothing is going to take that away from you. Not even me.”
“You treat her like a fucking princess.”
“No, I’m going to treat her like a queen.” He pulled his hand away as Maddie rounded the counter. The smile she had on her lips died.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey.”
“I got the flowers. They were pretty.”
“I’m glad,” he said. It had been Pat’s idea to send her the flowers. “What about the chocolates?”
“I’m not eating chocolate anymore. They … er…”
“I ate them,” Beatrice said. “Maddie didn’t want to see them going to waste, and she didn’t.”
Maddie nodded. Her face was bright red.
He watched her. He couldn’t not.
She was so beautiful, and it killed him that she didn’t see it herself. It was a shame Delia and Neal were already dead. He’d have gladly killed them for the damage they had done.
Bull drank some coffee. Then another cup. Watching Maddie, keeping an eye on her. When his stomach began to grumble, he ordered a burger and fries. Ate them while also watching Maddie.
The uniform she wore was too big for her.
By the time five o’clock came, he knew what it meant. She was going to leave and would be heading to the gym.
Bull paid his bill for all of the coffee and the food.
Grant had given him the spare key to her apartment.
Standing at the bottom of the steps in the freezing cold, he was tempted to use it, but he decided against it for that day. Maddie didn’t need to be scared out of her mind.