Page 26 of Back To Our Beginning

“How would you know?” I scowled.

“Come on, Maddie, you were never a morning person. How many times were you late for school?”

I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

“I was late for school because I was getting Chloe and Zoe ready,” I lied. I turned on the bathroom light and winced. I really should have dried my hair before going to sleep. It looked like a rat had slept in it.

Beau laughed. “Like Trenda would have allowed that to happen. She was always carping at you for being late. So was Evie, for that matter.”

“Look, I didn’t call for a walk down memory lane. This is important.”

“You sound amped up. That doesn’t sound rested to me. How did you sleep?”

“I was sleeping just fine until Trenda called. Now listen. Drake is going to be here in about an hour. He’s got some kind of bug up his ass about you coming to town, so it’s best that you don’t come over.”

Beau didn’t say anything. “Are you still there?” I asked.

“I’m here, but what does Drake coming to your house have to do with me coming over?”

“According to Trenda, he’s worried about my reaction to you being back in town.”

“I guess I can understand that. I’ll be there in a few.” He hung up.

“What the ever-loving fuck!” I yelled.

All the men in my life were crazy!

I slammed the bathroom door shut and went about my morning business, once again realizing I wouldn’t have a lot of time to get myself together.

* * *

When the knock came at my door, I was halfway done blow-drying my hair. I marched to the door and flung it open.

“You’re going to have to⁠—”

“What the hell are you doing opening the door without seeing who it is?” Drake roared. He pulled me into his arms and lifted me off the floor in a rib-crushing hug.

I pounded on his shoulder. “I can’t breathe.”

He hugged me tighter, then set me down and looked me over. “Am I too early? Why isn’t your hair dry?”

I shook my head as he walked past me into my house. “Do you have anything to eat? I’m starving.”

“If you’re so hungry, you should have stopped by Trenda’s house, not mine,” I grumbled. “Help yourself to whatever. I have to dry my hair and put on something besides pajama bottoms and a sleep shirt.”

“I’m fine with what you’re wearing,” he said with his patented charming smile. “You look great, Maddie. Better than great.”

I shook my head. “Just go scrounge something to eat and leave me alone.” I grinned. God, it was good to see him.

I hustled back to my bathroom and continued to blow-dry my curls, trying to keep them in check. When I was done, I put on mascara and lip-gloss, then found my favorite pair of boot cut jeans and reached for another one of my crop tops but thought better of it. I didn’t need any shit from big brother. So instead, I took out a Buccaneers t-shirt from the good old days at East Tennessee State University. It still kind of fit, even if I might have gained fifteen pounds since college and gone up a cup size.

Thank God.

“Get out here, Mads. Your waffle is ready,” Drake hollered from the kitchen.

I hustled down the hall just as there was another knock at the door. I don’t know how it was possible, since I was almost at the door, but Drake beat me to it. He looked through the peephole before opening it.

“Beaumont,” he growled.