Page 37 of Brett and Rowdy
“Hey!” Dan came in, leaving his suitcase out in the foyer, he thought. He hugged Madison, because Rowdy heard the happy squeak, then he thought maybe he shook hands with Brett. “Brett. Good to see you.”
“You too, man.”
“Hey, Rowdy. How was the reunion?”
“Hey. Terrible. But I met up with Brett, and we’re getting to know each other again.”
“Nice. So what’s the plan?”
“Stumphouse to axe throw and then barbecue, Daddy Dan.”
“Nice. I was in meeting hell for days. I can hurl an axe with extreme prejudice. Let me go get changed.”
“Momma is up there. No lingering.”
“No promises.” Dan wandered off.
“Okay, Daddy, I need to go find my boots. Be right back.” Madison ran off as well.
“Alone at last,” Brett murmured.
“You okay?”
“A little overwhelmed, but I’ll make it.”
He reached out, and Brett took his hand. “If it gets too much?—”
“No, it’s good. They adore you. It’s really clear. I respect that.”
“Thanks.” Rowdy loved them back. And he wanted them to like Brett, and vice versa.
“And I want to see you throw. I really do.”
“Okay, but you have to pretend to bet against me with Madison. Get the ball rolling.” He squeezed Brett’s hand.
“Are you kidding? I’m going to help that young lady make those doubterspay.”
Chapter Eight
If there was one thing Brett had figured out by the time that they’d won five hundred dollars at the axe-throwing venue and geared up to go have enough barbecue to fell a bison, it was this?—
There was not a single human being in Madison Duran’s life who didn’t love her. Not one. She was adored by her daddy, by her momma, by her stepfather, and literally by every person that she seemed to walk across.
“I’m going to head to the bathroom before we head out,” Rowdy said, and Madison stood as he did. “I have to go too, Daddy. I’ll lead the way.”
“Thanks, baby girl.”
They headed off, and Ashley snorted. “She worries about him, so much.”
“She does,” Dan chuckled, rubbing her arm. “They’re going to have a blast on the ranch together.”
Brett had also learned that—while Ashley obviously adored Rowdy, she didn’t so much as look at him in a sexual sort of way. Not at all. Not one bit. Nothing.
Not even in an old flame, fond, squishy sort of way.
And when they spoke about one another, there were no fond memories of anything from the past before Madison. It was a little odd. Because honestly, he talked about when they’d done this or how they’d done that quite a bit. After all, this was kind of a reminiscing sort of weekend, wasn’t it?
How come they didn’t reminisce? Was it weird that he did? Was it?—
