Page 44 of Double Fault

At the sound of a door opening upstairs, I stand and pocket my phone.

Before I can call for Maddie, she’s rounding the corner, looking up the stairs at her dad as he descends.

“Let’s go,” she says as she darts for the garage. “I want my ice cream.”

I frown at the sassy, almost snarky tone. It’s not normal for her. For a kid who was so worried about her dad an hour ago, shereallydoesn’t want him coming with us.

“What’s that about?” Noah’s nose crinkles in confusion, and I hate that I find it cute.

You can’t think anything your boss does is cute. Get it together.

One shoulder lifted, I grimace. “I’m not sure.”

I’m not about to tell him that this behavior started when I told her he was coming. Frankly, I’m confused as hell. So far Maddie seems to love spending time with her dad.

With a shake of his head, he swipes his keys from the table by the garage door. “Girls.”

“Men,” I mutter behind him.

He turns around, eyes narrowed.

“What?” I blink innocently.

Sighing, he opens the door and ushers me out, where Maddie is already waiting in the back seat of the car.

I open the back door on the opposite side, but Noah reaches out and closes it again.

“What was that for?” I snap, irritation flooding me.

“Sit up front.”

Hands propped on my hips, I frown. “Why?”

“Because you’re an adult and this isn’t a fucking Uber.”

Without another word, he stalks around to the driver’s side.

A part of me wants to slide in the back just to spite him, but I don’t trust that he wouldn’t drag me out and buckle me in the front himself.

The car smells brand new when I slide inside. For all I know, it is. He’s got more than enough money to buy a new one the second the smell fades.

As he backs out of the driveway, he glances back at Maddie in the rearview mirror and shakes his head at whatever he sees.

The drive to the ice cream shop is quiet except for the low hum of the country song on the radio.

Noah Baker listens to country music.

Didn’t expect that one.

He strikes me as more of a heavy rock or metal kind of guy.

The minute the car is in park in front of the adorable shop with a pink and yellow awning out front, Maddie hops out, seeming a bit happier now that we’re here.

Noah strides ahead of us and holds the door open.

The place smells like sugar—so much so that I half expect it to send me into a coma.

Chin lifted, Maddie peers around, scanning every inch of the place. When a boy who looks about sixteen or seventeen comes out to help us, her cheeks flush.

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