“You’re coming next weekend, right?” he asked Maddie as they walked across the hardwood floor toward the big desk where she worked.
“To the wedding?” She nodded. “Yeah, of course I am.”
“You going with one of your brothers?”
Instantly, he realized he’d said the wrong thing, as Maddie’s brown eyes flashed and her freckled cheeks turned pink. He’d pissed her off again, though for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why.
“No, I am not going with one of my brothers,” she said in a lethal voice.
“Oh.”
Her jaw tightened. “Is there a reason why I wouldn’t have a date who wasn’t a family member?”
Owen had stepped into minefield, and his brain worked hard to try to navigate the obstacles in his path. What had he done wrong? Maddie loved her three older brothers—she talked about them all the time. And she never dated. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a boyfriend. He quickly sidestepped that scary little mine—he definitely shouldn’t remind her of that.
As his silence dragged on, Maddie’s cheeks went redder. “You’re unbelievable,” she huffed.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said quickly. “I just figured—”
“That I wouldn’t have a date to your brother’s wedding,” she snapped. “Why is that, Owen? Am I incapable of having one?”
“Uh…”
“Do you have one?” she demanded.
“Well, no, but…”
“But all you have to do is snap your fingers and a big pair of boobs will land in your hands?” She shook her head, her expression livid. “Unbelievable.”
His nostrils flared. “I don’t get why you’re so pissed.”
“Of course you don’t. Why would you?” she muttered. Before he could wrap his head around that derisive remark, Maddie was marching to the door. “I’m going to get some coffee. I’ll be back in five.”
Blinking in confusion, he stared at her retreating back, wincing when she slammed the door so hard it rattled. What the hell was wrong with her? Had he really committed some unforgivable crime by asking her who she was taking to Nate and Charlotte’s wedding?
Sighing, he walked into his office. He headed for his desk and flopped down on the plush chair, suddenly feeling annoyed. He could use some coffee right now too, but he was kind of terrified to call Maddie’s cell and put in a drink order. Besides, he was confident she’d bring him a cup anyway. She always did. Buying coffee, taking messages, talking to clients, checking up on job sites—Maddie did it all, and she did it so well he knew he’d be utterly lost if she quit. Well, she quit every other day, he amended with a rueful grin, but only during their heated arguments, and never for good. Because no matter how prickly she could be, Maddie Wilson was the most dependable woman he’d ever met.
He would just let her cool off for a bit. He wasn’t sure why she’d gotten all huffy over an innocuous little question, but she’d get over it. She always did.
Feeling better, Owen unrolled the blueprints for the lake house they would be starting construction on next month, quickly getting lost in details and measurements. He heard Maddie return a few minutes later, but he kept working, and it wasn’t until two hours had passed that he realized she hadn’t brought him back a coffee.
Chapter Two
“Are you serious?” With a shocked look, Maddie gaped at the beautiful redhead in front of her, wondering if she’d misheard her completely. Charlotte Hill wanted her to be a bridesmaid? Her, Maddie Wilson, who didn’t even own a dress? Wait, she did own a dress, that black one she’d worn to her Grandpa Andy’s funeral. But still. She must be dreaming.
“Of course I’m serious,” Charlotte replied in that throaty voice of hers. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it.”
Well. Bridesmaid request aside, Maddie was still trying to get over the fact that she was having lunch with Charlotte Hill, singing sensation. And Lexie Price, the editor-in-chief of the Paradise Post. When the two women had stopped by the office and asked if Maddie wanted to join them at the diner, she’d been pretty damn surprised. She didn’t have many female friends, probably because she was more comfortable having a beer and watching football rather than gossiping and talking about makeup. But she’d accepted the lunch invitation because Charlotte was marrying Owen’s older brother, and in all honesty, she was curious about both of the women sitting across the booth from her.
Charlotte had only recently returned to town after spending fifteen years climbing the charts and becoming a star. She’d reconnected with Nate, her high school boyfriend, and now the two of them were getting married. And Lexie, well, she’d always lived in Paradise, but Maddie couldn’t remember ever exchanging a single word with the blonde. Lexie was older, but that wasn’t the only reason Maddie had never struck up a conversation. Truth was, Lexie had always seemed like a total ice princess.