duped, the grateful hug she gave Maddie should have. Seriously, her kid was terrible at lying. Maddie just hoped she didn’t get any better. At least not until they’d both survived Bree’s teen years.
Bree walked toward the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room.
“Hey, now,” Maddie called. “Didn’t you forget something?”
Though her back was to Maddie, it didn’t take a genius or some sort of supermom to know Bree was giving an impressive eye roll at being called on her bad manners.
Taking her sweet time, she faced Neil. “’Bye.”
“Good night,” he said in his low voice, his gaze intent on their daughter. “Feel better.”
Maddie narrowed her eyes at his bland tone. Maybe Bree hadn’t fooled him, after all.
“You’re leaving town soon, right?” she asked, her words rushed and, to Maddie’s mind, hopeful.
By the tightening of Neil’s lips, he noticed that part, too. “Saturday. But I’ll stop by to see you before I leave.”
“You don’t have to.”
And that tone had been a little too bratty. Even if Maddie secretly thought that was what Neil deserved.
“Breanne,” she said, using the stern tone she so rarely had to employ when dealing with her usually sweet-natured, even-tempered daughter. “Your dad wants to see you before he goes back to Seattle.”
“It’s okay if he doesn’t. I mean, we can just say goodbye now.” She met Neil’s eyes, the look in hers daring him to fight her on this. To prove to her that he cared enough to fight her. “Then he won’t have to worry about seeing me again.”
But Neil, stubborn, stoic Neil, didn’t even blink. The man was made of stone and completely clueless when it came to realizing what his daughter was doing. What she wanted from him.
“I’ll be back to say goodbye properly,” he stressed, closing the distance between him and Bree so she had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact, “before I go back to Seattle.”
“Whatever,” Bree muttered before stomping out of the room.
A minute later, the door to her bedroom slammed shut.
Maddie pressed the heels of her hands against her temples. “If that was a preview of what the next seven years of my life are going to be like, I think I’d rather just skip ahead to her high school graduation.” She dropped her hands. “Want to tell me what brought all of that on?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Hormones?”
“Funny how men say that when it’s usually something they’ve brought on themselves.”
“She’s pissed at me.” He slid her an unreadable look. “Like mother, like daughter.”
“Ha-ha. So glad to see all those years of getting hit upside the head with hockey sticks haven’t ruined your witty sense of humor.” She crossed to the door and opened it. “Well, whatever it is, I’m sure she’ll be over it the next time you see her.”
Maybe. Bree had never been the type to hold a grudge before, but then, she’d never been very mouthy before, either.
Because he hadn’t moved—and she desperately wanted him to—she waved the door back and forth. “Look, I hate to be rude—”
“No, you don’t,” he said quietly. “You hate to be pushed into a corner, coming in second place and being told what to do. But you don’t mind being rude. Not if you think the other person deserves it.”
Damn him. How could he know her so well after all these years when she didn’t know him at all? When she never had.
“You’re right.” Nerves may have been jumping in her stomach but her voice was steady. That, at least, was something to be thankful for. She shut the door then brushed past him.
“So, let’s just get to it. What do you want?” she asked as she searched a bottom cupboard for ginger ale. Not finding any, she grabbed a cola and straightened. And caught him staring at her. After her shower she’d put on cotton shorts and a sweatshirt that fell off her shoulder. Now she wished she’d donned sweatpants, that her hair wasn’t down, curling slightly as it dried. “Other than to check out my ass?”
He, of course, was unabashed. He wasn’t charming, never had been easy with his smiles or laugh, but he’d always had that whole sexy, dangerous bad-boy vibe. He was...smoldering. Yeah, the man smoldered and you couldn’t help but get burned a little by his heat. Those sharp eyes, that handsome face, the way he looked at a woman made her feel as if she was the center of his world. As if nothing mattered to him