“Oh, I am familiar with the dirty side of horses, didn’t Heather tell you that I own four Arabian horses?”
I guess I’m not the only one with a few surprises up my sleeve. Although, she can’t be hiding much of anything under her outfit. It’s not as if she’s trying to be deliberately provocative but it’s downright sexy nonetheless. She’s wearing a burnt orange turtleneck sweater and a pair of dark skinny jeans. She has a scarf with fall colors casually draped over her shoulder that highlights her stunning copper brown eyes. Her hair is a rich, deep brown that flows softly around her shoulders. She looks like she has far more in common with the fashion model who might walk on fashion row in New York City than someone who would own Arabian horses. I’m actually confused. I thought Tyler told me that she was an investigative journalist whose specialty was looking into bogus charities. Raising and breeding Arabian horses is not a cheap hobby. My confusion must’ve been showing on my face because Madison snaps at me, “Please don’t tell me you’re one of ‘those guys’ who thinks that only men should own and raise Arabian horses.”
My jaw drops open for several seconds before I think to close it and answer, “Excuse me? I didn’t say anything like that!”
“You don’t have to. Your face said it all.”
“I think not. My face said, ‘Wow, that’s impressive. She must be doing really well as a journalist. Arabian horses are hellishly expensive.’ If you read anything else into that, I’m sorry.”
Madison flushes and hides her face behind her hands as she says, “Wow, I’m really batting a thousand with the bad judgment calls today. I think I need to go inside and take a nap.”
“Anyway, if you’re hungry, I made you some tomato bisque soup with some homemade sourdough bread,” Heather offers. “It sounds like you could use something to eat. You always get obnoxiously cranky when you’re hungry.”
For a second, it looks like Madison is going to take offense at Heather’s words. But, then her stomach lets out an audible growl. Madison blushes slightly and shrugs as she concedes, “I just hate it when you’re right. I’ll admit, I could eat an entire buffet at the Golden Corral. I couldn’t believe it, the cut-rate airline I flew didn’t even offer peanut or pretzels. It’s such a rip off to fly these days. That is one long flight. Why didn’t you remind me?”
As she has to stop and take a breath, I take a moment to admire the color in her cheeks and the fire in her eyes. Tyler was right on a certain level. The sisters are quite different. You’d have to look really closely to find any family resemblance. Madison has rich mahogany brown straight hair whereas Heather’s a mass of curly blonde corkscrew curls. Madison is tall and thin and Heather is well endowed. But, as different as they are on the surface, I have a hunch deep down, they are probably a lot alike.
When the living conditions in Iraq started to cause maintenance issues with my prosthetic and contributed to pressure sores on my stump, the National Guard required me to bail on my team early. To say I’m less than pleased with some bureaucrat’s decision who’s never met me is the frickin’ understatement of the century. I had it handled. They just needed to give me a couple more days of healing time. Hell, they show more leniency to people who are sleeping off hangovers than they did for one decubitus sore. Heather and Tyler allowed me to patch my skills together and build a semblance of a career. I’m extremely grateful they gave me a chance to salvage my pride here on their farm. But, one of the things I’ve learned is although Heather looks like she might be about as ferocious as a Maltese puppy, she’s every bit as tough and tenacious as my former commanding officer.
As I watch the sparks fly from Madison’s eyes, I wonder if she’s always this prickly or if it’s simply the fatigue from the trip. Yet, as I observe her when she thinks no one is watching, she seems to be surreptitiously looking over her shoulder and checking her text messages.
“Got a husband or boyfriend back home?” I ask before I can stop the question from popping out of my mouth.
She so startled by the inappropriateness of my inquiry that she reflexively answers, “Good God no!”
“Oh, I’m sorry I guess I should’ve said, ‘significant other’.”
“That’s just sad that you think just because I’m plain I must be playing for the other team,” Madison replies with a menacing glare.
“Hey now! Don’t put words in my mouth.” I argue. “I never said that. I don’t think you’re plain at all. Nor do I think your gay, for the record,. I just didn’t know what you call your boyfriend. I was trying to be sensitive and all that. In case you haven’t noticed, figuring out relationship statuses is like navigating minefields these days. Have you looked at options on Facebook? It’s more complicated than a voter’s ballot in November.”
“Not that this is even remotely your business, but I have enough stuff going on in my life right now without having to worry about adding a guy to the mix. With all due respect, you’re not worth the trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am, you’ve made your opinions clear on the subject.”
Madison cringes. “I suppose I did at that. Knock it off with the ma’am stuff; it’s likely I’m younger than you are and it just makes me feel weird— like I’m some strange dominatrix.”
I choke as my coffee goes down my windpipe. “Pardon?” I wheeze.
“You know, “‘Red Room of Pain?’ Ma’am, Sir and all that jazz? Where have you been lately—living under a rock?”
Her casual question is like right uppercut out of nowhere. I’m not even sure how to form a socially acceptable answer to her tossed away punchline.
“You could say that,” I respond dryly.
“Turnabout is fair play. What about you, Mister Nosy-Pants—where is your ‘significant other’?”
I know that Madison means her question to be taken as yet another example of her snarkiness. But, there is just enough pain in her eyes that it prompts it me to be brutally honest for once. I’ll probably regret this later. Hell, there is no probably about it. I will regret this, I can pretty much count on it.
“I lost her,” I reply, my gruff voice betraying my emotion. Damn, it never gets any easier to say that out loud.
“What? Who did you lose?” Madison asks, her face full of confusion. “How do you lose a person?”
I carry my dishes over to the kitchen sink and rinse them off. Topping off my mug of coffee, I head to my favorite leather chair in Heather and Ty’s den. I motion for Madison to proceed in front of me.
She takes one glance at the recliner and whispers softly, “Oh, look! She rescued Grandpa’s favorite chair.” When Madison spots Ethel laying on the couch, she gasps with delight. She practically skips over and cuddles up beside her, kicking off her boots and tucking her feet underneath her. Ethel responds by plopping her big blood hound head on Madison’s lap and thumping her tail wildly. “I missed you too, Sweetie,” she murmurs as she strokes Ethel’s long velvet-soft ears.
Well, I guess there is more to her than prickles after all. Madison glances up and notices my bemused curiosity. “What can I say? Ethel used to be my grandma’s dog. I’ve known her since she was barely bigger than my two hands. I just miss her that’s all,” she explains defensively.
“Did I say anything negative? I think it’s cute. It makes you seem almost human.”
“Almost human? What the heck do you mean by that? I’m certainly not a robot or zombie? Although after that flight, I might argue with the zombie part,” she adds with a quick grin.
I’m a little stunned by the difference in one small facial expression can make. If I thought she was pretty before, Madison with a sincere, unaffected smile is simply breathtaking.
“Well, even you can admit you’ve been giving a pretty good impression of a ticked off porcupine today.”
Madison takes such a deep long shuddering breath that I thought she might start to cry. Instead, she acquiesces. “Part of me wants to take issue with that characterization of my behavior, but the more honest part of me knows that you pre
tty much nailed it. I don’t suppose it would do me any good to argue that I don’t usually act this way.”
“This is America, you’re free to tell me anything you want to.”
“I can read between the lines. What you’re saying is you may not necessarily believe me, right?”
“I don’t really have enough information to make that decision right now, but I’ll keep you posted.”
“Speaking of information, you never did share the rest of your story. How exactly does someone lose a girlfriend?”
Immediately, my expression sobers and my stomach crunches painfully as it does every time. I turn to look in Madison’s general direction and choose to look at a spot on the wall right above her left ear. Experience has taught me that I can’t stare directly at people while I share my story because it just gets too intense. However, if I look away to avoid the onslaught of pity, people draw all sorts of negative conclusions, so this has become my coping mechanism.
Even though I’m trying not to specifically focus on the expression on Madison’s face, it’s impossible to miss the avid curiosity displayed there. I have a hunch that she’s sliding comfortably into investigative reporter mode as she looks at me with an expectant gaze.
Finally, I take a deep breath and swallow hard as I admit, “I lost my wife Marcy Lynn.”
“You are married?” Madison asks incredulously.
“No ma’am, not anymore. Marcy Lynn is dead,” I answer, fighting the words.
Madison pales and sways slightly. “Oh no! What happened?” she asks, her tone hushed.
“The only girl I ever loved finally decided to listen to me when I told her to get the hell out of my life. That decision cost Marcy Lynn her life.”
“I don’t know if you can shoulder all the blame. There might be other factors involved you don’t even know about.” Madison tries to comfort me. I have to give her credit for trying. Most people don’t know what to say and can’t stand to even look at me after I tell them the story.
“We didn’t really have any secrets from each other.” I explain.
Madison shrugs and responds, “Everyone’s got secrets.”
“So, Madison, care to share a few of yours? You might be here for Heather’s wedding. But, I’ve got a very real hunch that there is much more going on.”
“How can you tell?” she asks quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as she draws her hands and legs together and curls up into a little ball on the couch. Ethel tries to lick her hands to comfort her.
“Madison, you play the game well, I just play it better because secrets and lies are my job.”
Chapter 1: Tara?
Chapter 2: Aidan?
Chapter 3: Tara?
Chapter 4: Aidan?
Chapter 5: Tara?
Chapter 6: Aidan?
Chapter 7: Tara?
Chapter 8: Aidan?
Chapter 9: Tara?
Chapter 10: Aidan?
Chapter 11: Tara?
Chapter 12: Aidan?
Chapter 13: Tara?
Chapter 14: Aidan?
Chapter 15: Tara?
Chapter 16: Aidan?
Chapter 17: Tara?
Chapter 18: Aidan?
Chapter 19: Tara?
Chapter 20: Aidan?
Chapter 21: Tara?
Chapter 22: Aidan?
Chapter 23: Tara?
Chapter 24: Aidan?
Chapter 25: Tara?
Epilogue: Aidan?
Acknowledgements?
Resources?
Abut the Author?
A Final Note?
Upcoming Releases?
Preview of Joy and Tiers (A Hidden Beauty Novel #3)?
Copyright?
Dedication?
Chapter 1: Tyler?
Chapter 2: Heather?
Preview of Identity of the Heart (A Hidden Heart Novel #1)?
Chapter 1: Rogue?
Chapter 2: Ivy?
Chapter 3: Tristan?
Preview of Love Naturally (A Hidden Beauty Novel #4)?
Dedication?
Chapter 1: Madison?
Chapter 2: Trevor?
Table of Contents
Contents
So The Heart Can Dance
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1: Tara
Chapter 2: Aidan
Chapter 3: Tara
Chapter 4: Aidan
Chapter 5: Tara
Chapter 6: Aidan
Chapter 7: Tara
Chapter 8: Aidan
Chapter 9: Tara
Chapter 10: Aidan
Chapter 11: Tara
Chapter 12: Aidan
Chapter 13: Tara
Chapter 14: Aidan
Chapter 15: Tara
Chapter 16: Aidan
Chapter 17: Tara
Chapter 18: Aidan
Chapter 19: Tara
Chapter 20: Aidan
Chapter 21: Tara
Chapter 22: Aidan
Chapter 23: Tara
Chapter 24: Aidan
Chapter 25: Tara
Epilogue: Aidan
Acknowledgements
Resources
Abut the Author
A Final Note
Upcoming Releases
Preview of Joy and Tiers (A Hidden Beauty Novel #3)
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1: Tyler
Chapter 2: Heather
Preview of Identity of the Heart (A Hidden Heart Novel #1)
Chapter 1: Rogue
Chapter 2: Ivy
Chapter 3: Tristan
Preview of Love Naturally (A Hidden Beauty Novel #4)
Dedication
Chapter 1: Madison
Chapter 2: Trevor
Table of Contents
So the Heart Can Dance (A Hidden Beauty Novel Book 2) Page 46
