Take Me Home (The Heartbreak Brothers 1)

“Yes!” He did a fist bump that made Maddie want to laugh.

She slid her phone in her pocket, and pushed away thoughts of Ansell and all those who’d graduated from it.

It was a lifetime ago. It didn’t matter any more.

“Come on,” she said, putting her hand on Charlie’s shoulders. “Let’s go fix you a glass.”

* * *

When Friday night came around, Maddie found herself wishing for rain, even though she hated getting wet and being stuck indoors. Right now it felt preferable to wheeling her mom to Chairs and subjecting herself to the good townsfolk of Hartson’s Creek.

But like a dutiful daughter, she did it anyway, loading up a cooler with drinks and helping her mom get ready. The only silver lining she could see when she carried the cooler of drinks and cupcakes to the large table in the center of the field was that Gray’s Aunt Gina and sister, Becca, were there, unloading their own baskets of baked goods.

“Hey.” Becca greeted her. “Long time no see.” She was pouring lemonade from an oversized glass jug into cups. “Want one?”

“That’d be great.” Maddie took the proffered glass. “Thank you. Is this your Aunt Gina’s recipe?”

“Yup. And we’re lucky to have it. Until an hour ago we had no water in the house.” Becca sighed. “I have to be up by six every morning if I want a shower. Right now I’m counting down the weeks until I get to sleep in.”

“How’s the plumbing going?” Maddie asked. “Has Gray drenched anybody yet?”

“You know about that?” Becca asked.

“Gray told me…” Maddie trailed off, noticing Becca’s curious expression. “Nothing’s secret around here for long,” she added quickly.

“I heard about you rescuing him,” Becca told her. “But that was before he agreed to replace all the pipes. Have you seen him since?”

Maddie’s thoughts drifted back to the other night, and their long talk in her backyard as they watched the fireflies. She’d loved listening to him talk about music, about his homecoming album, and the songs he wanted to write.

Becca was staring at her, waiting for a reply.

“He came in the diner the other day,” Maddie told her. It wasn’t a lie.

“Oh. I didn’t know.”

“So apart from the early mornings, how is the job going?” Maddie asked her, hoping Becca didn’t notice the abrupt change in subject. After they talked about Becca’s work at a local distillery, Maddie made her mom a plate of sweet treats and poured a cool drink, telling Becca she’d catch up with her later before heading back over to her mom.

“Thank you, honey,” her mom said when she’d laid a napkin and plate on her lap. “This looks delicious.”

“The tea is Aunt Gina’s finest,” Maddie told her.

Her mom took a sip. “Like drinking a little piece of liquid sun.”

An hour later, her mom was in deep conversation with Jessica’s mom. Although Maddie ached to go home, she didn’t have the heart to interrupt her. Taking a cookie from the still-laden buffet table, she wandered across the grass toward the field where a group of teenagers had set up a flag football game. Her lip curled up as she watched them run and bicker, reminding her so strongly of a decade earlier, when she’d been one of them.

“Maddie, come sit with us.”

She turned to see Jessica looking at her expectantly. When Maddie hesitated, she tapped the empty chair to her right and smiled.

Maddie opened her mouth to refuse when she saw that Laura and Becca were among the group seated there. It couldn’t be all that bad, could it?

“I hear you’ve been hurdling over fences,” Jessica said before Maddie’s behind hit the seat. “I didn’t believe it when Della Thorsen told me. What woman our age goes climbing fences?” She gave a fake laugh. “I guess it helps that you’ve never given birth.”

“What?” Maddie asked. “Why would that matter?”

“Oh, you’ll understand when it happens to you.” The woman next to Jessica grimaced. “Let’s just say that trampolining, acrobatics, and even coughing can cause a problem after childbirth.”

“That’s why I always do my pelvic floor exercises,” Jessica proclaimed, flipping her hair behind her back. “Use it or lose it, ladies. Plus Matt appreciates the… ah… difference.” She winked.