“Nothing,” he admitted. And was she imagining it, or had his expression turned churlish? “He just rubs me the wrong way.”
“Is that because he’s cute and sweet and funny and—”
“Young and dumb and full of—”
“Donotfinish that sentence.” She held up a hand and curled her lip in disgust.
“But it’s true,” he insisted.
“Let’s get back to the point.”
“That we’re friends?” He tilted his head against the lighthouse and watched her from beneath hooded lids.
“Mmm.” She nodded. “The point that we’refriends”—she made air quotes—“who can’t seem to keep their hands or their tongues to themselves for more than ten minutes at a time.”
“Andthat’swhere the apology comes in,” Bran insisted, his tone as sharp as broken glass. “’Cause Ishouldkeep my hands and my tongue to myself.”
“Why?” She reckoned she’d just about given him all the rope he needed. It was time to fashion the noose. “It’s not like Iwantyou to keep them to yourself. In fact, I’m pretty partial to younotkeepin’ them to yourself.”
He shook his head and chuckled, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck again. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
“I was raised on a steady no-bullshit diet,” she informed him. “Just a whiff of the stuff turns my stomach.”
“Gotcha.” He nodded. “No bullshit. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Maddy’s heart was running around like a wild mustang, because they were about to get to the crux of the issue.
He pushed away from the lighthouse to stand at his full height. It forced her to tilt her chin way back. “The honest-to-God truth of the matter is I like you,” he said. “Like, reallylikeyou. As a person.”
She blinked at him for a good three seconds. It was the second time tonight he’d said that. But this time felt different. It was as iflikingher was something that caused great confusion, or great discomfort.
“Well…” she said slowly, “I guess that’s better than likin’ me as a zucchini or a roll of dental floss or—”
“I’m being real here, Maddy.”
She studied the determined set of his jaw, the earnest light in his eyes. “I can see you are. But I guess I’m failin’ to grasp your point. You like me. I like you. So what’s the problem?”
His jaw sawed back and forth, his dark beard stubble an undulating shadow across his cheeks. “The problem is Iwantyou too. Whenever I’m near you, I’m aware of every breath you take, every move you make, every—”
“Bond I break?” she cut in. His words wereexactlywhat she wanted to hear, but his tone told her they shouldn’t be. “Are you about to break into song? Because if you are, there are better ones in the Police’s catalog. I’m partial to ‘Roxanne’ myself, but you could always go with—”
“Damnit, Maddy!” His deep voice thundered over the fort and had them both glancing surreptitiously at Rick and the girls.
“Everything okay over there?” Rick shouted, his question carrying on the warm breeze, his concerned face momentarily spotlighted as the lighthouse made a revolution in his direction.
“Mind your own fu—” Bran managed to get in before Maddy yelled over him, “We’re fine!” She turned to gift Bran with her very best stink eye. He cleared his throat and yelled, “Yeah! We’re fine!”
Rick hesitated for one second, two. The lighthouse passed by him, plunging him into a silver shadow of moonlight. Then he nodded and went back to his pacing.
“Remember, Miss Maddy!” Louisa called, popping her dark head over the top of the old cannon. “When in doubt, take Paula’s advice!”
Maddy felt her cheeks heat.
“Who’s Paula?” Bran asked.
“Never mind that.” She waved him off. “Where were we? Oh yeah.” She snapped her fingers.Ow. Note to self: no finger snapping. It angers the splinter.“You were talkin’ about that crazy physical attraction that crackles between us like a lightnin’ strike from the clear blue sky every time we touch.”
He screwed his eyes shut and shook his head. “You’re killing me.”
