thought he recognized the little brunette beauty behind the wheel.
Madison Hodge. She had to be about Brady’s age. She was Sheriff Teddy Hodge’s granddaughter—and Lonesome Way’s resident pageant queen.
Everyone in town knew Madison. She’d collected a slew of titles before she quit the pageant circuit. The glimpse he’d caught of that girl in the truck was nowhere even close to resembling the glamorously made-up, rhinestone-adorned princess whose photos he’d seen in the local newspapers Lissie used to send him. Tonight the girl’s famous sweep of thick, straight, dark brown hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and he hadn’t spotted even a lick of makeup on her face.
Why was she headed to the Farraday place? Were she and Brady friends?
Or maybe something more….
He suddenly wished she
would
find Brady at home. A female could be an excellent influence on a man. On any man other than himself, that is.
He loved women, loved the way they looked and smelled and felt and tasted, and he respected the way they thought and reasoned on almost every subject—except on that settling-down thing. Some women just didn’t get that it wasn’t for everyone, and Jake avoided women like that. He didn’t want anyone getting hurt. Ever since Melanie, he liked to keep his attachments simple, short term and no strings attached.
But if Madison Hodge was interested in helping Brady get back on track, he was all for it.
If she’s not up for it, though
, Jake reflected as he listened to Garth on the radio and the gentle snores of Bronco on the seat beside him,
I’ll just have to sit the kid down myself sooner rather than later—and I damn well will.
Chapter Three
Madison punched the doorbell. Still broken, just as it had been when she stopped by three days ago.
Brady, come on. Have you even been home since then?
She rapped on the door until her knuckles reddened. Called Brady’s name.
Damn it, where could he be?
Only a deep, cool silence enveloped the clearing as the first crystal stars popped out in an amethyst sky.
Worry bit through her. She hadn’t spotted him in town even once since he got out of jail for decking her grandfather’s deputy. As far as she knew, no one else had seen him, either.
She’d slipped a note under his door after she learned what had happened to Cord. She’d come by again when she heard about Brady quitting his job with McDonald Construction. But there was no way of knowing if he’d even been back to find her note.
Not that he’d care.
She was probably the
last
person he’d expect to hear from. They hadn’t exactly been friends for years now, notsince the seventh grade. They hadn’t even spoken to each other since that day he’d gotten so mad at her years ago.
But before then—when they were kids—Brady had been her
best
friend. He was the one who’d always told her she had to stand up to her mom if she didn’t want to go the pageant route. He’d actually told her mom himself, when Madison hadn’t had the courage to do it. He’d spoken up for her—not, she thought ruefully, that Mabelle Jane Cullen had listened.
Pushing the memories of those days from her mind, Madison vaulted back up into her Silverado and roared out onto the road. Driving toward Lonesome Way and her small apartment on the edge of town, she knew she had other matters to worry about—like making it on time tonight to the last rehearsal with Eddie and the guys before the gig in Big Timber, and having to get up on that dumb stage at the Double Cross Bar and Grill within a matter of weeks and sashay across it during the charity dating event. In front of practically the entire town! Then stand there while men bid on her for a date, like a cow at auction or a painting or a piece of furniture on sale at eBay.
She loathed being the center of attention, detested being center stage. And she had all along, all through those awful pageant years.
Now, playing keyboard with her country band, the Wild
Madison Hodge. She had to be about Brady’s age. She was Sheriff Teddy Hodge’s granddaughter—and Lonesome Way’s resident pageant queen.
Everyone in town knew Madison. She’d collected a slew of titles before she quit the pageant circuit. The glimpse he’d caught of that girl in the truck was nowhere even close to resembling the glamorously made-up, rhinestone-adorned princess whose photos he’d seen in the local newspapers Lissie used to send him. Tonight the girl’s famous sweep of thick, straight, dark brown hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and he hadn’t spotted even a lick of makeup on her face.
Why was she headed to the Farraday place? Were she and Brady friends?
Or maybe something more….
He suddenly wished she
would
find Brady at home. A female could be an excellent influence on a man. On any man other than himself, that is.
He loved women, loved the way they looked and smelled and felt and tasted, and he respected the way they thought and reasoned on almost every subject—except on that settling-down thing. Some women just didn’t get that it wasn’t for everyone, and Jake avoided women like that. He didn’t want anyone getting hurt. Ever since Melanie, he liked to keep his attachments simple, short term and no strings attached.
But if Madison Hodge was interested in helping Brady get back on track, he was all for it.
If she’s not up for it, though
, Jake reflected as he listened to Garth on the radio and the gentle snores of Bronco on the seat beside him,
I’ll just have to sit the kid down myself sooner rather than later—and I damn well will.
Chapter Three
Madison punched the doorbell. Still broken, just as it had been when she stopped by three days ago.
Brady, come on. Have you even been home since then?
She rapped on the door until her knuckles reddened. Called Brady’s name.
Damn it, where could he be?
Only a deep, cool silence enveloped the clearing as the first crystal stars popped out in an amethyst sky.
Worry bit through her. She hadn’t spotted him in town even once since he got out of jail for decking her grandfather’s deputy. As far as she knew, no one else had seen him, either.
She’d slipped a note under his door after she learned what had happened to Cord. She’d come by again when she heard about Brady quitting his job with McDonald Construction. But there was no way of knowing if he’d even been back to find her note.
Not that he’d care.
She was probably the
last
person he’d expect to hear from. They hadn’t exactly been friends for years now, notsince the seventh grade. They hadn’t even spoken to each other since that day he’d gotten so mad at her years ago.
But before then—when they were kids—Brady had been her
best
friend. He was the one who’d always told her she had to stand up to her mom if she didn’t want to go the pageant route. He’d actually told her mom himself, when Madison hadn’t had the courage to do it. He’d spoken up for her—not, she thought ruefully, that Mabelle Jane Cullen had listened.
Pushing the memories of those days from her mind, Madison vaulted back up into her Silverado and roared out onto the road. Driving toward Lonesome Way and her small apartment on the edge of town, she knew she had other matters to worry about—like making it on time tonight to the last rehearsal with Eddie and the guys before the gig in Big Timber, and having to get up on that dumb stage at the Double Cross Bar and Grill within a matter of weeks and sashay across it during the charity dating event. In front of practically the entire town! Then stand there while men bid on her for a date, like a cow at auction or a painting or a piece of furniture on sale at eBay.
She loathed being the center of attention, detested being center stage. And she had all along, all through those awful pageant years.
Now, playing keyboard with her country band, the Wild
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