Page 57 of Rival Hearts

A hint of red bloomed on Trent’s cheeks. “You don’t know anything.”

“Then fucking tell me!” Even if Maggie believed she and Trent had been nothing, it didn’t mean my brother believed it.

“There are lots of women in Little Falls who’d be happy to look after you. Leave her be.”

“It’s not that simple.” Icouldn’tdo what Trent wanted. She was in my blood. Going a day without seeing her was torture. A week had passed since she’d slept in my bed. I walked past the pharmacy with the dogs daily, sometimes more than once, so I could look in the window, catch a glimpse of a white coat, auburn hair. I invented reasons to go into city hall in case she might be out of her office wandering around. All week, I’d been obsessed with the lingering smell on the pillow next to mine.

At some point, I might have been able to stop these feelings, but I was past the point of no return. There was no longer anything rational about how much I wanted Maggie Sullivan.

“Yeah, it is that simple. You turn to one of those clipboard women who follow you around town organizing all your campaign things, and you offer to screw them. Probably ninety percent of them would go for it. Those are good odds.” Trentfrowned. “You don’t pay them, right? I don’t know how this political shit works. But I know you can get in trouble for fucking your employees. Maybe go to Utica instead and play some songs. Being that close to someone famous is like a panty remover, isn’t it?”

I gritted my teeth. Nothing Trent had said was wrong, exactly. Didn’t make me feel like a very good person. The guy Trent described wasn’t someone I wanted to be. I scooped up a clipboard from the pile of props between them. “Forget I asked.”

When I looked up, Trent was examining me, eyes narrowed. “Fuck me. You actually give a shit.” His jaw tensed. “Of all the women, why her?”

I decided it was probably time I told the truth, or at least some of it. “It’s been her for a while. I can’t help it. I tried. Believe me, I tried.”

Trent stared at me in silence for a beat, maybe gauging my sincerity. “I’m not saying shit until I get a chance to talk to Maggie.” He ran the palm of his hand over his shorn head. “I’m not convinced you deserve to know.”

“I let you down. I let Maggie down. I’m not going to do it again.”

“The song that got you all famous and rich really hurt her. I always felt like there was something I was missing. Why would someone like Maggie care if you got all the facts wrong?”

I couldn’t meet Trent’s gaze. With a flick of my wrist, I flipped the clipboard in my hands. Over my shoulder, I glimpsed Maggie, and that familiar ache rose to the surface.

“Unless there was something going on between you two I didn’t know about,” Trent said.

I focused on the pile of things between us. “We’d better get back to it.”

Trent’s hands landed on my chest, propelling me backward. “You fucking asshole.” He pushed me again, and I stumbled, but I didn’t fight back. If Trent hit me, I deserved the blow.

Maggie’s heels clicked along the wooden surface of the stage as Trent pushed me a third time.

“Tell me the truth. Be honest withme, Grady.”

“Trent!” Maggie stretched between us, arms out, as we eyed each other. “What are you doing?” she hissed.

Normally, Maggie stepping between me and Trent would have been amusing. Did she think she could stop us if we decided to go at it? I didn’t want her to get hurt, and I didn’t want her around if I admitted we’d slept together. She didn’t deserve Trent’s wrath or any embarrassment in front of the crew setting up. Trent glared at me, and I glared right back, willing him to look away first.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but the show is next week. I need both of you healthy and not in various shades of black and blue.” She looked between us. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

“No.” My gaze bored into his brother. Trent’s protective instinct where Maggie was concerned had better extend to this moment too. I’d take a swing at him if he accused her of anything in front of other people.

“No,” Trent agreed. “Grady needs another job. I’ve got this one covered.” He stalked across the stage to the pile of items on the floor.

With a sigh, I started to walk away. She snagged my forearm and then released it as though the contact scalded her.

“Wait,” she said.

My heart rate wasn’t quite back to normal from my almost-confrontation with Trent, and her touch caused another spike. Maybe I should have told Trent everything, gotten it over with.Deep down, I knew now wasn’t the right time, especially if we were going to exchange more than words.

“What was that all about?”

I peered at her, trying to read her motives. “Have you been avoiding me?”

She waved a dismissive hand. “Forget it. Whatever is going on between you and him is none of my business.”

One of the stagehands wandered past and grinned at her, pausing beside us. “We’re still on for tomorrow night?”

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