Shaking away the memories, she stepped from the shower, grabbed a fluffy pink towel, and dried off. Going out to dinner was the last thing she wanted to do. The temptation to cancel was strong but it wasn’t fair to Zach. Sighing, Madilyn strolled into her bedroom and dressed. The light green summer dress matched her eyes. She applied light make-up and slid her feet into green wedge sandals. The three inch wedge heels put her just under five eleven. Zach stood at five eleven. Madilyn never wore higher heels when she was going out with him. She’d never had a problem with Brody since he topped six four. Stop thinking about him! Madilyn blinked quickly to keep the tears back. Huffing, she took a seat on the sofa and waited for Zach to arrive.
* * * *
Brody and Mark sat at the counter of the diner eating dinner. His shift had just started, and not much was going on in the town. Brody was fine with that after the trouble at Dewey’s bar last night. The bell over the diner rang and he instinctively glanced in that direction. He was sure his mouth fell open as he watched Madilyn walk in with Zach Johnson behind her. It was evident they were together. Brody flattened his mouth into a thin line as he glared at them. He knew the instant she spotted him; she faltered in her steps but moved her gaze away from his. Brody swung his gaze to Zach and saw him smirk. Son of a bitch! What the hell was she doing with Johnson?
“They’ve been dating a while,” Mark muttered.
Brody whipped his head toward him. “What?”
Mark shrugged. “You asked what she was doing with him.”
Shit! Brody hadn’t realized he’d spoken the words aloud. “How long is a while?”
Mark rubbed his chin. “Close to a year, I believe.”
Brody clenched his jaw as he swung his gaze back to the woman he’d always love. No matter how many he’d been with in the past five years, Madilyn was the only one he wanted. Now she was dating Zach and had been for almost a year. Zach’s hand was on her lower back and Brody wanted to snap it like a twig. In all likelihood, she was sleeping with Zach. Brody’s fist tightened around his coffee cup so hard he was surprised it didn’t shatter.
“Don’t break my cup, Brody,” Connie, the owner of the diner, scolded him.
He loosened his grip but still clenched his jaw as he watched them sit in a booth. Madilyn sat with her back to him. Zach stared at him. Brody raised an eyebrow at him. They’d never gotten along. Zach had been a year ahead of him in school. The school jock. Quarterback of the football team. Blond hair with blue eyes. Brody kicked his ass once and Zach never got over it. Brody knew Zach was enjoying himself.
* * * *
“Are you all right with him being here?” Zach asked her.
“I’m fine. It just took me by surprise when we first came in.” Madilyn shrugged. “I have to get used to seeing him for as long as he’s here.”
“As long as he’s here? You think he’s going to leave again?”
“It’s what he does.”
“I sure as hell hope he does,” Zach muttered.
Madilyn glared at him. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
“I’m sorry. I’m just thinking of you.” Zach smiled at her.
Madilyn scoffed. “Sure.”
Connie took their orders and moved away. Madilyn knew it wouldn’t matter what she ordered. It would taste like sawdust. Zach was jealous of Brody. He always had been. Madilyn was aware of their history. Everyone in Clifton was. The high school quarterback didn’t make it to college. His dream of going pro fell apart when his parents divorced before he graduated from high school. Zach started selling real estate and although he made a good living at it, he was in no way near as wealthy as Brody’s family. Brody’s parents had, at one time, the most lucrative beef ranch in northern Montana. They’d made more than enough money to retire on and travel. The house sat empty for the past two years and they sold off all the Angus. Madilyn wanted to look over her shoulder at him but knew she couldn’t. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her tea and drank. Her gaze moved to Zach when he snorted.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“He’s dying to come back here.”
“What makes you think so?”
Zach glanced at her. “He keeps looking back here. I wish he would.”
Madilyn snickered and then sobered when Zach glared at her. She shrugged. There was no way Zach would win in a fight against Brody. For one thing, Zach wasn’t in as good of shape as she was sure Brody was. Brody always kept in shape by working out. His body was hard. He had to keep in shape being a Marshal and she couldn’t see him letting himself go. Zach, on the other hand, was soft. He didn’t work out and although he wasn’t fat, he didn’t have the body or muscle Brody did.
“You’re still in love with him,” Zach sneered.
Madilyn gasped. “I will not discuss Brody with you or anyone else for that matter.” She set her tea down, slid out of the booth, and strode from the restaurant. She heard Connie yelling at Zach as she went out the door.
“You need to pay for your dinners, Zach. Whether you ate them or not.”
* * * *
Brody watched as Madilyn left the restaurant and Zach halt when Connie called out to him. Zach tried to dig his wallet out, all the while gazing out the door to where Madilyn marched down the sidewalk. Zach seemed to be all fingers.
Brody spun around on his stool and stood. He nodded his head at Zach and moved out the door. He spotted Madilyn a block ahead and ran after her, catching her before she crossed the street.
“Problem with your date?”
Madilyn spun around and narrowed her eyes at him. “Go away.” She crossed the street.
Brody chuckled and trotted behind her. When she spun around, he almost ran into her.
“I mean it Brody Thomas Morgan. Leave. Me. Alone.”
“Shit, using the middle name. That’s cold, Maddie.” He drew back when she slapped her hand at him.
“Don’t call me that.” Her jaw clenched.
“Sorry,” Brody muttered then swore when he saw Zach running toward them. “Here comes your boyfriend.”
Madilyn growled. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Brody raised his eyebrows. “You’ve been seeing him for almost a year and he’s not your boyfriend?”
“How do you know how long I’ve been seeing him?” Madilyn placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.
He grinned. “I asked.”
“You…” Her jaw went slack.
Zach stopped beside Madilyn. “Is he bothering you?”
Brody grunted. “What if I am?” He folded his arms across his chest. “What are you planning on doing about it, Johnson?”
Zach stepped forward but when Brody didn’t budge, he halted in his tracks. “You’d love it if I took a swing, wouldn’t you? You’d arrest me.”
Brody glanced at Zach. “We can finish this when I get off duty.” He raised an eyebrow. While Brody and Zach stared at each other, Madilyn swore softly and walked away.
“Your…date’s leaving.” Brody sneered and then chuckled when Zach ran off after her.
Zach stopped and spun around and glared at him. “I won’t have you hurting her again.”
“What happens between Madilyn and me is our business, not yours.” Brody stepped toward him. He smirked when Zach backed up a step.
“I’m not afraid of you, Morgan.”
Brody smiled. “Yes you are.”
Zach glared at him before he turned and ran after Madilyn. Brody folded his arms across his chest and stared after them.
* * * *
Madilyn unlocked her apartment door just as Zach got to her. When he touched her arm, she spun around and glared at him.
“Go away, Zach.”
“Come on, Madilyn. It isn’t my fault,” Zach pleaded.
“Seriously? You were the one saying I’m still in love with Brody.” Madilyn clenched her jaw.
Zach sighed. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. Let me come in, and I’ll make it up to you.”
No way in hell! ran through her mind. Going to bed with him was not going to happen. Especially after seeing Brody in his khaki deputy shirt with his badge pinned to it and the short sleeves tight around his biceps. He wore jeans and the way he filled them out made her bite the inside of her cheek to hold back a groan. She knew every inch of his hard body and loved it. Even the tattoos he had under his shirt. Madilyn wondered if he’d had her name removed. It was across the top of his left pec, in cursive. She’d loved it when he showed it to her and she never got the chance to reveal his name she’d had tattooed on the front of her right hip.
“No. I’m done. I can’t go out with you anymore. Throwing Brody in my face shows me how you really feel.” She started to push the door shut when he stuck his foot in it. “Go away, Zach.”
“I don’t think so.” He shoved the door open and wrapped his fingers around her arm. “I really don’t care if you’re still in love with him or not. I’ve had it with all the sexual frustration you put me through the past year.”
“Let go of me,” she shouted.
Zach jerked her to him and tried to kiss her. She kicked his shin and screamed.
“I think she wants you to let go of her.”
Madilyn gasped as she spun around to see Brody leaning against the doorjamb with his arms folded across his broad chest. Her gaze swept down his body, lingering on the worn fly of his jeans, where they emphasized his sex, and down to his worn boots. Her eyes traveled back up to land on his gorgeous face, but Brody wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was trained on Zach and she’d seen him mad enough times to know he was furious.
Zach stared at him with his fingers still wrapped around her bicep. She watched as Brody’s gaze moved to Zach’s hand and back to his face. “Remove your hand, or I’ll remove it for you. Now,” he said with deadly calm as he pushed himself away from the door and stared at Zach. Madilyn could see a muscle in his jaw twitching, a sure sign he was on the edge.
Zach let go of her. “This is none of your business, Morgan.”
“I’m a sheriff’s deputy of course it’s my business. Do you want to press charges?” He turned his gaze to her and raised an eyebrow. She shook her head. “Leave.” Brody jerked his head toward the door behind him.
Zach started toward the door but Brody didn’t move, making Zach step around him. When he was even with him, Brody growled. “Touch her again and we’ll finish this.” When Zach started to walk past, Brody gripped his arm. “We clear on that?” Zach nodded and Brody gave him a shove.
Madilyn let out a breath when Zach stormed out. Brody pushed the door closed.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Madilyn nodded. “Thank you. He…” She shrugged. “He wouldn’t leave.”
“I heard. I’m glad I decided to follow you.”
“Why did you?” Madilyn folded her arms.
Brody shrugged. “I didn’t like the look in his eyes after you took off. Call it a cop’s intuition.”
Madilyn tilted her head. “I’m glad you trusted your gut.” She shivered.
Brody stepped toward her and ran his hands up and down her arms. Madilyn gazed up into his brown eyes and smiled.
“Still wearing the glasses, huh?”
Brody grumbled. “I went through this with Sam. I can’t stand to put anything in my eyes.” He shrugged. “I’ll always have to wear them and the older I get, the more I’ll have to.”
Their eyes held. His hands ran up to her shoulders, to her neck and into her hair. Madilyn moaned. Brody lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Her arms circled around his waist. Brody pulled her tight against him, and took her mouth in a deep kiss. His mouth moved across her cheek to her ear. Taking the lobe between his teeth, he sucked it into his mouth, making her shiver.
“Brody…” she moaned when his lips came back to hers.
“I want you, Madilyn. I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered against her lips before sliding his tongue between them.
She pulled away. “Don’t…please.”
“What is it? You want me, I know you do.” He ran his tongue along her neck and then inhaled deeply. “God, you smell fantastic. You always did.”
“Brody…” His mouth interrupted her. She pushed at his shoulders, making him pull back. “I can’t do this. Not now. Not ever.”
Brody stepped back. “You’re not going to let it go, are you?”
Madilyn shook her head. “Did you think I was joking when you left? I said I’d never forgive you. I’ve moved on.”
“By sleeping with Johnson?” Brody growled.
“That is none of your business,” she shouted. “Tell me you haven’t slept with anyone since you left.”
Brody glanced away from her and back. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”
Madilyn huffed. “That’s what I thought. You can go now.”
Brody gave her a brisk nod and walked out, leaving Madilyn staring at the door.
Chapter Three
The next morning, Brody was in the office filling out his work sheet when Sam walked in.
“How’s it going?” Sam asked.
“Good.” Brody didn’t look up as he filled out the form. He glanced up when Sam didn’t move. “What?”
“It’s all over town you ran out of the diner to chase Madilyn.” Sam grinned.
“Jesus Christ!” Brody took off his glasses and tossed them on the desk then he ran his hand down his face. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Sam chuckled. “No, you shouldn’t. So what was that all about?” He leaned his hip against the table.
“I wanted to find out why she stormed out on Johnson.”
Sam snorted. “I don’t know what she sees in him. I never did like him.”
“Hell, you know I never got along with him. They came into the diner and were having dinner when she got up and stormed out.” Brody shrugged. “I wanted to know why.”
“Brody…”
“I know, Sam. I know. She’s still so beautiful…I just,” He sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Christ,” Sam muttered. “Don’t hurt her again. You didn’t see what you did to her when you left her.”
“I asked her to go with me. She refused.” Brody stood and glared at Sam.
“You know why she refused. Hell Brody, she’d just buried her father.”
“Tell me this, Sam. What would you have done?”
“I don’t know.” Sam shook his head. “I honestly don’t know.”
Brody nodded. “Right. It was what I wanted to do with my life at the time.”
“At the time. We need to talk about that.” Sam narrowed his eyes. “I want to know why you left the Marshals.”
“Suffice it to say, I burned out.” Brody handed Sam the paperwork.
“You know all I have to do is make a phone call?”
“I know, but I’m hoping you’ll give me some time.” Brody shook his head. “I’ll tell you what happened. Just give me time.”
Sam nodded. “You got it. Go home and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Brody hesitated, and then nodded. He strode from the office, hopped on his bike, and glanced toward Madilyn’s apartment complex. Sighing, he started the bike and pulled out of the lot, heading home. He was tired. Damn nightshift about killed him. The bike wound down the curved road and knolls as he headed home. Going around the turn known as ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ he moved closer to the right. It wasn’t close enough. A truck came around the curve on the wrong side and it took every bit of Brody’s power to keep the bike upright but when it hit the gravel, he lost it and the bike flipped. Brody hit the ditch and rolled several times. He laid there stunned and tried to catch his breath. The truck kept going.
When he tried to stand, he couldn’t. He tried to take deep breaths. He’d bet his last dollar he had a few cracked or broken ribs. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Sam as he lay flat on his back in the ditch.
“Some jerk in a truck just ran me off the road,” Brody told Sam when he
answered.
“Are you all right?”
“I think I might have some cracked ribs. Son of a bitch kept going but I saw the truck enough to give you a description.” Brody couldn’t breathe without feeling pain.
“Tell me,” Sam demanded. He swore when Brody described it.
“You know who it is?” Brody asked.
“Sounds like Joe Baker. He’s always drunk. I’ll send Rick out to his place. Do you need an ambulance and a tow truck?”
“Yes to both. I think the bike’s totaled and I know I need to see a doctor. Why the hell is the guy drunk at seven thirty in the morning?” Brody sighed.
“Where are you?” Sam asked.
“Copper Ridge. Dead Man’s Curve,” Brody whispered, trying not to breathe.
“It probably was Baker. He lives out that way and he’s never sober. I’ll be right there.”
Brody hung up and tried to move to a sitting position but he couldn’t. He continued to lay there as he waited for Sam. As he glanced over to the bike, he swore. Looked like he was buying a truck sooner than he’d expected. He heard the sirens and sighed then hissed in a breath at the pain.
An hour later, Brody was still sitting in the hospital room waiting for the doctor to come in. This is why he hated going to a hospital. The waiting. Sighing, he laid his hand over his ribs. Damn it hurt to breathe. Brody was about to slide off the table when a nurse stepped in the room, pushing a wheelchair.
“Mister Morgan? We need to take you to x-ray to check your ribs.” She glanced up at him and smiled. Brody tried to smile but his ribs were killing him. The nurse moved forward to help him. He tried not to breathe as he sat in the chair. “I’m sorry you’re in pain but we can’t prescribe anything until we see exactly what’s wrong.”
Brody Page 3
