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“Yes,” she said. “I don’t even know you but I trust you.”
“Why?”
The answer seemed important to him and he was making it important to her.
“Because you’re a gentleman, Sam. You treat me like a woman but you also treat me as an equal. And you open doors for me and carry heavy things for me even when you know I’m capable. You’re kind and respectful to my parents and you came here in spite of hating every minute of it because your friend asked you to be his best man. You’re willing to step outside of your comfort zone to help others. You signed up to protect this country and you’ve served all of us with your heroic efforts.”
“I’m not that heroic,” he said, shaking his head. “I did things—.”
“You did what you had to do to protect the country we all love.”
“Is that the way I should look at it?”
“Is there any other way to look at it?” Madeline asked. “Does it bother you, what you had to do over there? Is that why you’re afraid to ... get close to people?”
He sank down on the rocker and held his hands tight against the old, worn arms of the chair. “Are you trying to analyze me, Maddie?”
“No.” She put down her pen and started rocking her own chair, her nerves unraveling one by one. “I’m trying to understand you. You’re a good man. Anyone can see that. But you shut down on me when I first suggested you help me get even with Evan.”
“Or get him back,” he blurted, his eyes avoiding her. “I didn’t see the point. If he was such a jerk, why even try?”
Mercy, Sam thought she wanted Evan back with her? Madeline closed her eyes to the shock of that reality. Had she been sending out the wrong vibes to everyone? Her parents still held out hope even after she’d let go.
Wanting to set the record straight, she shook her head.
“I want to get him back for hurting me, yes. But I do not want him back in my life. And it was wrong of me to try and use you for my own sinister purposes.”
His slow, sweet smile dazzled her. “You make me laugh,” he said. “Did you make him laugh?”
Now they were treading into the dark territory she didn’t like to venture into. “He didn’t get my lame jokes. Sarcasm was lost on him.” Shrugging, she lowered her head. “A lot of things were lost on him.”
“He’s an idiot.”
“We can agree on that.”
“What did he do to you?”
“You’re deflecting, aren’t you?”
“We can talk about other things.”
“Maybe we should finish this best-man speech.”
He grabbed her notes and skimmed over them. “Got it. I’ll take it from here.”
“Wow, aren’t you suddenly sure of yourself?”
“Yep. You cured my stage fright. Let’s go for a walk.”
Madeline didn’t believe him for a minute. He didn’t want to talk about anything personal either. He just wanted to get this over with.
“There’s a trail along the river,” she said.
“I know.”
She gathered her tote and pulled out a turquoise cashmere scarf and wrapped it around her neck.
“What all you got in that bag, lady?”
“You’d be surprised.”
“I guess a woman’s purse carries many secrets.”
She had to laugh at that. “Why, Sam Hinson, that is the mushiest thing I’ve heard you say.”
“See, you taught me already. I’m a fast learner.”
They walked down the steps and headed along the trail. Winter had stripped the woods of any significant leaves, but the tall cottonwoods and old oaks towered in gray, hulking stands along the way. Clumps of leaves that had yellowed and turned dry crumbled and crunched underneath their feet. Scrawny squirrels chirped and fussed inside the trees.
“This sunshine is nice,” Madeline said, her sigh content for the moment. “I have to go to Mom and Dad’s and make sure everything is being delivered for the reception.”
“Need any help?”
She almost said yes, but hesitated. She didn’t want Sam to run into Evan. It would be just like her ex to show up and boss everyone around just because her dad had made the deal with him to rent the tent and other items.
“No. This is just girl stuff. Flowers and dishes and sparkling lights. Lots of hearts and chocolate.”
Sam shuddered. “I’m supposed to meet up with Brodie for the last of the bachelor get-togethers and then it’s on to the rehearsal dinner.” He kicked at a bit of old wood. “I went online and got him a gift certificate to that big sporting goods store.”
“Good move. Tomorrow’s the big day,” she said. “Valentine’s Day and their wedding.”
“That’s about as sappy as you can get.”
She laughed at that. “So you wouldn’t want to get married on Valentine’s Day?”
He stopped on the path and took her hand. “What time of year did you get married?”
That question caught her off guard, but she knew he was doing the deflecting thing again. “Summer. June.”
“Oh, that’s a big wedding month, right?”
He knew things that surprised her. “Yes. But it was humid and hot and a storm was coming and my groom had a bad hangover.”
She looked away, shame rising up as it always did whenever she remembered her wedding. “The church was packed and ... I just wanted to run out the back door.”
Sam tugged her around, his eyes searching hers. “Are you telling me you didn’t want to get married?”
Madeline rarely talked about this. It was just too humiliating. “Oh, I wanted to get married. I was in love and I thought we had it all planned out. You know, that perfect life that takes your breath away. The one where you send a Christmas card picture and write a goofy letter about your wonderful year.”
“Yeah, I understand,” he said on a soft whisper that shouted through the trees. “Yeah. So what happened, Maddie?”
“My groom slept with another woman the night before the wedding,” she said. “I walked down the aisle with my dad, knowing what Evan had done. But ... it was too late to back out. I didn’t have the gumption to run away. So I stayed and tried to ... make him love me. He promised me the moon, told me it was a big mistake and that he’d been so drunk he didn’t even remember picking up that girl at the bar. He blamed everyone else. I wanted the marriage to work so I tried to forgive him.”
Sam’s expression burned with rage and disgust. Would he tell her how stupid she’d been? How naïve and desperate she’d felt?
“I can still beat him to a pulp for you.”
Madeline’s wiped at her eyes, laughter mixing with the tears she refused to shed. “No, you will not do that. It’s been years. I’m free now. I don’t want him back and he’s not worth beating to a pulp.”
“I get the feeling there’s more to this story,” he said, his hand on her face.
“Yes. He didn’t live up to his promises. My husband was promiscuous the whole five years we were married. He traveled a lot and ... well ... you know how that goes.” She shrugged. “He didn’t think I’d find out, but ... people love to tell you those kinds of things. They give you a pitying stare, glee in their eyes. I heard all about his philandering ways.”
She wouldn’t tell him the rest of the story. She wasn’t ready to open up that particular wound yet.
Sam grunted and pulled her into his arms. “It will be my honor to make that man extremely uncomfortable, Maddie.” Then he lifted his head and stared down at her. “But it would be even more of an honor to take away that hurt I see in your eyes and make you see what a special person you are.”
Madeline blinked back tears. “You are a quick learner, Sam. That is the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
He stared into her eyes, a flare of awareness making him look way too good, way too open and raw and honest. “But actions speak louder than words,” he said as he leaned in.
His mouth came down on hers in a sweet, slow way that stole her heart and her breath. She understood Sam now. His actions were his way of proving himself. He didn’t have to say beautiful words or tell her all about his feelings.
The proof was in his kiss.
Madeline accepted that proof and she also accepted that even when this weekend ended, her feelings for Sam wouldn’t go away. How was she supposed to get over him?