Simply Mad (Girls of Wonder Lane Book 1)

by Christina Coryell

  “I haven’t been here since prom,” I tell him.

  “Me either.” He returns to his truck and opens the door, rolling the windows down, which makes me wonder if he’s gone slightly crazy during his time away. It’s entirely too cold for that kind of action. Then, he punches some buttons on the radio and cranks the music up. A few bars manage to play before he walks away from the vehicle.

  “Green Day?” I question accusingly. “You brought me out here to play the exact same song that was playing when Ricky Buchanan left me standing on the dance floor, waltzing away with Heather?”

  “Yes.” He crosses the gravel to stand in front of me, and then pauses to rub his fist against his forehead. “Ricky Buchanan left you standing there, and I said he didn’t deserve you, but I was afraid to be honest with you that night.”

  “Honest about what?” I manage to whisper.

  He smiles sadly as he looks into my eyes. “I knew Ricky wasn’t the guy for you that night, just like I knew Ben wasn’t the guy, or Vic, or Max, or any other guy that has crossed your path before or since, because I’m the guy, Mad. I’m the guy, and I’m sick of being your friend, because I don’t want to be your friend.”

  “You don’t want to be my friend,” I repeat quietly.

  “No. I want to be your everything.”

  My heart is pounding uncontrollably as I stare at his tense face.

  “Josh, you are,” I assure him. “You already are.”

  He shakes his head as he takes my hand in his. “How can you say that? You’re always searching—”

  “For horrible Josh substitutions,” I insist, sliding my fingers through his until they’re locked together. “I realized it the night I went out with Max. He brought me back to Wonder Lane, and I was trying to figure out what was wrong with him, when I suddenly realized… Well, I realized he wasn’t you. I’ve been so stupid.”

  The words haven’t completely left my mouth when he catches my lips with his, meeting my own partly open and relatively breathless. For a second I struggle to find my wits and balance, but then decide I simply don’t care, allowing that mouth that has fascinated me for so long to possess my own in a moment that completely surpasses any expectations I held. With his free hand he circles my waist and draws me closer, forcing me to tilt my head up as he pulls his lips away, managing to draw my bottom lip with them for a split second. Allowing a shaky breath to escape, I gaze up into his eyes.

  “I was in love with you the last time we were here, and I knew somewhere inside you loved me, too. Waiting for you to figure it out has been pretty brutal.”

  “What about the girls you dated? If you knew…”

  “I was always trying to fill a Mad-shaped hole.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  He continues to hold me close, not allowing any space between us. “I told you that love was patient and steadfast that night, and you said, ‘You’re such a great friend.’ I told you I wasn’t your friend, and you said, ‘True. More like a brother, really.’”

  “Josh—”

  “I am not your brother, Madeline,” he whispers with a short laugh.

  “I know,” I assure him, smiling into his handsome face. “If you kissed me like that then, I might have realized it a lot sooner. And don’t call me Madeline.”

  He returns my grin with a smile that practically melts my heart. “Fine, Mad. Are you really mine at last? Am I free to love you?”

  “Only if I’m allowed to love you back.”

  Sitting on the tailgate with a warm arm wrapped around my shoulders, I stare at the lights of Louisville that loom in front of us, barely noticing the cold. When I think about the countless times that I’ve been side by side with Josh, close enough to touch him, I could kick myself. My heart is pounding, a fluttering feeling is crawling through my stomach, and I can barely breathe. To think that I could find a man to love who is already one of my best friends…

  Josh really knows me—embarrassing, horrible things about me. Things that I would have hidden from a prospective mate for years, and that would have caused me to flush with humiliation if my mother had brought them up in his presence. The man has seen me when I had the chickenpox, and witnessed several horrible home video productions that Jess and I dreamed into existence.

  “Remember Jess and Levi’s wedding, when we had to walk together down the aisle?” I ask, leaning into him a little further.

  “Do I remember standing at the front of the church and watching you walk down the aisle toward me? Yeah, that’s a pretty solid memory. Not sure I could uproot that one if I tried.”

  “I was really glad that it was you and me in the pictures together.”

  “I had big plans for that day,” he says wistfully, causing me to pull back to look at his face. “I was going to tell you that night.”

  “What? That was four years ago!”

  “You think I don’t know that? Trust me, I’ve felt each day of every single one.”

  Allowing my eyebrows to slant together, I give him my best attempt at a glare. “So why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because you caught the bouquet.”

  I consider extending the dirty look I’ve given him, but when a hint of a smile touches his lips and he rubs his knuckles against my cheek, any sarcasm dies instantly.

  “What does catching the bouquet have to do with anything?”

  “Nothing, by itself. After you caught the bouquet, though, you walked right up to Adam Hayes and asked him if he had any plans. The universe had spoken, you said.”

  “Please tell me you’re making that up,” I beg, biting the corner of my lip. With a solemn shake of his head, he wraps his fingers around the back of my neck.

  “No. I wish I was. I just regrouped and started planning again, this time for Mom and Dad’s Fourth of July picnic. You brought Brady Nichols with you, though.”

  “You can’t blame that on me,” I insist, lifting my eyebrows. “Brady had some beer in his truck, and when I informed him that he couldn’t bring that inside, he left me there by myself.”

  Gazing at me with those gorgeous green eyes, Josh offers up a sideways smile. “Yeah, I sabotaged myself that time. When I saw Brady, I was a little miffed, so I called Cassidy Spencer. You were sitting there alone, and all I wanted was to go to you, but I couldn’t get Cassidy off my arm the rest of the day. I tried, believe me. She probably thought I was crazy, calling her over to the house and then trying to get rid of her.”

  “I’m sorry,” I offer, returning his grin. “I’ve certainly wasted a lot of your time, haven’t I?”

  “No,” he says quickly, lowering his forehead to mine. “Loving you has never been a waste of my time.”

  His lips meet mine so slowly and effortlessly, it’s as though they were drawn together. As the warmth of his kiss envelopes me, a sudden thought running through my mind forces a slight laugh to escape against his mouth.

  “Do I want to know?” he wonders, pulling me against his chest.

  “I was just thinking, maybe I should consider it a personal challenge to see if I can steam up your glasses. That might be kind of fun.”

  “Of course you would think of something like that,” he complains, smoothing my hair away from my face. “But I’ll be a willing participant, if you decide to give it a go.”

  “To be honest, I really miss Wonder Lane. I’m hoping to come visit now and then.”

  “Really? Because if I’m being honest, I think you’re destined to be a permanent resident.”

  “I’ll be around in the morning to help you pick up your vehicle,” Josh tells me, smiling across the cab of the truck. We abandoned it when I left the party with him, and we never returned. Instead, we stayed at the water tower until well past midnight, telling each other all the things we’ve wanted to say for so long.

  As it turns out, Josh has been planning this for a while. The reason he asked me to move was so he could date me properly, and then ask me to share his life with him, if things worked out.
The way he smiled at me when he said that, I swear my knees went weak immediately. Of course things will work out, and one day…

  Madeline Mason.

  Too soon, right? Yeah, I know.

  Josh places the truck in park, opens my door, and walks me to the front porch like a perfect gentleman. When he leans toward me, I do the same, meeting him midway in anxious anticipation of a kiss that sends butterflies into my stomach and flames shooting through my veins. Now that I’ve experienced the bliss of kissing Josh, I doubt anything will ever satisfy me again.

  When we part, he brushes his thumb slowly across my bottom lip.

  “My Josh,” I whisper. “I love you.”

  “I know,” he says, kissing the spot where his thumb just rested. “I love you, beautiful Mad. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight,” I repeat, hesitantly pulling my eyes away from him and stepping over the threshold into my parents’ house.

  Still mentally sighing contentedly, I fumble through the dark, trying not to trip over Mom’s rearranged furniture. When I finally manage to make it to the kitchen unscathed, the lights suddenly flip on overhead. Blinking against the instant brilliant exposure, I throw my hand up to block the glare.

  “You’re late,” Mom states in a friendly tone. “I guess you must have had a good time.”

  “Josh is home,” is all I can manage, and even at that I can’t erase the ridiculous smile from my face.

  “Oh, that’s great news.”

  Wondering at her attitude, I reach down to slide off one of my heels as I tip precariously on the other. “You really didn’t have to wait up for me.”

  She settles onto a bar stool as she looks over at me. “Oh, I know, but I wanted to make sure you had fun. Besides, your dad and I watched the news tonight, and we saw you on there with that Harley Laine.”

  “Harley Laine?” I repeat hesitantly.

  “Yes, Harley Laine,” she repeats, grinning at me like a Cheshire cat. “Are you two friends again?”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  The sun is shining brightly overhead on a Saturday in early summer as I stand on the porch on Wonder Lane and knock quietly on the very familiar door.

  “No soliciting,” I hear from behind the window, and then a grinning face peeks down at me. “Do you want to come in?”

  “And break my ‘no girls in the house’ rule? I’m sorry, but I’ll have to remain on the porch.”

  The door swings inward and my eyes rest on Josh, leaning against the doorframe with a completely beguiling smile. His crisp white shirt is unbuttoned at the collar, and he’s holding a necktie in his hand. He’s also wearing blue gym shorts.

  “Your wedding attire is a bit casual, isn’t it?”

  “I’ve got a few minutes left,” he insists, reaching for my hand and pulling me through the entryway. “I missed you like crazy.” He leans down to plant a feathery kiss on my neck, and I can’t stop the outward expression of my pleasure from showing on my face.

  “It’s been hours since I’ve seen you. Honestly, how did you make it overseas all that time?”

  “I’d have never made it if you kissed me before I left,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist. “And look—just like that, you’re in the house.”

  “Well, I never said I was good at following rules,” I tell him with a smile. “Now, unless you’re planning on going to the wedding wearing jogging shorts, I suggest you put your pants on, Joshua.”

  “The knot’s not even tied and you’re already bossing me around,” he jokes, releasing me as he walks toward his bedroom. Instinctively I glance down at the ring on my left hand, catching its sparkle in the light.

  When I told my coworkers about the proposal, they said, “Wow, taking this fast, aren’t you?”

  The funny thing is, when we told Hazel and Tucker, their response was the opposite.

  “It’s about time,” Hazel told us, tears filling her eyes.

  As for Jess, she squealed during our long-distance phone call. “We’re going to be sisters for real,” she said. “Don’t put the cracker back in the box after you licked it.” I’m sure there was a real life lesson in there somewhere, but I’m fairly certain it wasn’t meant for me.

  “How was the race?” Josh yells from the bedroom right before he emerges into the hallway, wearing the requisite black pants with his tie in its proper place. His hair is finally getting longer and messy in the front again, just the way I like it.

  “We didn’t race, exactly, but they all finished the entire 5K. Mom made it to the end pretty easily. We had to coax Brittany through, but Audrey was determined enough that she pushed herself. I’m really proud of them.”

  “You should have let me come cheer you on,” he says as his arms find their way around my waist again.

  “You know I wanted you there, but Audrey is finally letting loose from her shell, and you would have made her self-conscious. She did try to get me to adopt three different dogs today. She’s relentless!”

  “Maybe when you’re a permanent resident of Wonder Lane,” he tells me with a wink. “I’ve got all sorts of plans.”

  “Tell me of these plans,” I implore, staring up into those gray-green eyes. “What sort of elaborate details are included?”

  “Nothing elaborate,” he states, lowering his face until his lips are a whisper away. “Simply Mad.”

  About the Author

  Christina Coryell is the Amazon bestselling author of The Camdyn Series. A resident of small-town southwest Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two children, she does most of her writing in unorthodox places and with lots of noise in the background. She is completely sane most of the time, but poor character development in novels drives her mad. As does stepping in water with socks on her feet.

  She loves to hear from her readers and welcomes interaction on Facebook, Twitter, and by email at her website, www.christinacoryell.com.

  Independent authors rely on your support. If you enjoyed Simply Mad, please consider telling a friend and writing a review.

  A Few Words

  Thank you so much to my family and friends who support me in this venture. I appreciate each and every one of you so much more than you know.

  To Mike—thank you for the special Christmas gift that makes it much easier for me to write anywhere.

  To Reinah and Truett, so many of my words are written while listening to you laugh or argue, and watching your joy over just being kids. Know all those times you asked, “Why are you staring at me?” It’s because I love you, so you might as well get used to it.

  Special thanks to Linda Meckem, for being my sounding board and sharing in my sometimes ridiculous excitement, and to my lovely author sister T.I. Lowe, for giving me insight into my blurting habits.

  A huge pat on the back goes to my fantastic cover photographer, Kassi Hillhouse. You knocked it out of the park!

  And an especially fun tidbit: My bestie version of Jess growing up was Tammy. Her niece is the cover model on this book. Rachel, thank you for agreeing to translate the Madeline in my mind to a form of reality. Working with you was lovely!

  To those of you who enjoy my books, your kind words inspire me to keep going. Thank you for your support!

  Most of all, thank you to God for taking me to places that I couldn’t have imagined, and for blessing me beyond my wildest dreams. I can’t wait to see what story unfolds next.

  Coming Soon

  Girls of Wonder Lane

  Book 2

  Harley Laine

  Louisville’s hottest reporter appears to have it all—a perfect job, great car, beautiful house, and designer clothes. She’s poised to set herself up as the woman at the top, until a gruff old biker, a teenage girl, and the absolute wrong guy threaten to derail her plans.

  Book 3

  Alexis Jennings

  Alexis has spent the past few years living someone else’s life, but she’s finally ready to make a fresh start. Outrunning her past might prove difficult, however, when Jake McAuli
ffe decides to follow her out of town.

  And Don’t Miss The Camdyn Series

  Available Now:

  A Reason to Run

  A Reason to Be Alone

  A Reason to Forget

  For No Reason

  Camdyn Taylor is a bestselling author hiding a bit of a secret—her identity. The victim of viral video proposal infamy, she heads out of town in the

  name of book research seeking a little anonymity. She never expects

  that a wrong turn could wind up not only changing her perspective,

  but possibly her entire life.

  Equal parts romance, chick-lit, and women’s fiction

  with a little history thrown in for good measure.