Page 24 of Forever Country (Forever Bluegrass #24)

“Father is good. But I think maybe you might want to see our retired priest for your confession. He still helps me out every now and then when he’s back in town from his travels.” Ben actually blushed the same color as Maddie.

Then Maddie smacked Holt’s arm. “You could have warned me!”

“I told you his name was Father Ben,” Holt replied.

“Hail Mary, full of grace,” Maddie began. “I figured I’d get a head start,” she said as she headed inside the café while Ben chuckled, catching up to her to smooth things over. Ben always wanted everyone to feel safe in Keeneston — physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Sebastian and Greer had already gone inside and were sitting with Dylan and Abby.

They were either talking about how to take over a small country, how to assassinate someone, blow up a stronghold, or the pros and cons of baby strollers.

Holt decided Annaleigh and Maddie had had enough shocks for one day and steered them to the only empty table.

Well, it would have been if Cody Grey, one of the deputies, hadn’t reached for a chair at the same time Holt did.

“Sorry,” Cody said, frowning as he looked around seeing there were no empty tables. “Luke is covering for me long enough for me to grab some dinner. Ava is waiting for him at home. You know engaged couples,” Cody shivered. “They can’t stand to be away from each other long.”

“Why don’t you join us?” Annaleigh said as Maddie joined them.

Maddie now looked gun-shy as she took in Cody in jeans and a black athletic short-sleeved shirt with a sheriff’s badge on the front and SHERIFF written across the back.

“Are you really a sheriff or another priest?”

“Baby, I know a lot of ways to use handcuffs and all of them require you to confess to a priest the next day,” Cody told her straight-faced.

Maddie smiled and instantly took the seat next to Cody.

“Let’s see how well he’ll handle a very confident woman,” Annaleigh whispered.

“I think the better question is if Maddie can handle Cody.”

“Well, this will be a very interesting dinner, then.”

Dinner passed quickly with the four of them chatting the entire time. Maddie was a handful and Cody rose to the occasion. Holt and Annaleigh exchanged several glances as their two friends’ conversations became more and more suggestive.

“We’ll walk you to the B & B, Maddie,” Holt told her as they stood to say goodbye to people in the café and head out for the night.

“I can take her,” Cody answered even as they headed out the door.

Suddenly flashes went off as if they were walking the red carpet. People ran from across the street, jumped out from behind cars, and started yelling questions at them.

“And now I insist I take her home,” Cody called over his shoulder as the café door opened and reinforcements arrived behind them.

“Are you and Annaleigh sleeping together?” a paparazzi yelled out.

“Is Annaleigh using sex to get you to sign with her father?” another yelled.

“What’s the Broadway Bachelor like in bed?”

Holt was using his body to protect Annaleigh. Cody had his arms out trying to keep them from the crush of photographers, but then a broom came swooping in and smacked several heads. A spatula and a wooden spoon were added to the mix as the Rose sisters lectured the paparazzi on manners.

A rolling pin joined the mix. Zinnia smiled as she swung it again. “You’re right, Miss Violet, this new steel rolling pin feels great.”

“Yeah, but does it have the grip of this insulated pitcher?” Poppy asked, raising the pitcher that could have housed coffee or special tea from her left hip, upward to the right, and taking out a camera.

“This is assault!” paparazzi were beginning to shout.

“Pfft. This generation is so weak. A little tap with a spoon and they’re crying about it,” Ahmed said as he walked out to help Cody get control of the situation.

“I remembered when you had to kill a man with a spoon for it to be assault,” Miles said, helping to form a wall so Holt could run back into the café with Annaleigh.

Holt looked back to grab Maddie, but Cody had his arm around her and together with Dylan, Abby, Ahmed, and Miles, they got her out of the crush.

Several patrons filled in between Holt and the door, giving him the time to slip out back unseen.

Luckily no one was out back to see them as they hurried to the apartment.

He didn’t turn on the lights and instead pulled Annaleigh into his lap on the couch.

She was shaking as he brushed her hair from her face and kissed her forehead.

“Rethinking your decision to date me?” Holt asked seriously. Sadly, this was a regular occurrence for him. Just never in Keeneston.

Annaleigh leaned back quickly. “No! But I do feel horrible. Maddie and I would read those gossip sites and we joked about the Broadway Bachelor and his women. I feel horrible now. It’s so invasive. How do you tolerate it?”

“I come here.” This felt worse. He was used to the attention in Nashville, but even then, he hadn’t been involved in a scandal so they hadn’t been hounding him as much as they did here.

But Keeneston was his safe place. Until now.

And he’d done it to himself. He couldn’t help but kiss Annaleigh at the stadium before they were completely out of sight of the field.

Then by staying out of sight in Nashville they tracked them down in Keeneston.

“I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.” Annaleigh looked away from him. Her lips were pressed together and she was struggling not to cry.

“Ah, sweetheart. It’s not your fault. I’d say the fault lies with your parents for their PR fabrications and then with myself for not being able to resist kissing you at the game.

” Holt reached up and took her chin between his finger and thumb, turning her to face him.

“But it’s worth it if I have you in my arms.”

Holt lowered his head slowly as Annaleigh tipped hers back.

He kissed her slowly. The shouts from the paparazzi being hosed down by the fire department faded until it was only Holt and Annaleigh.

Their kisses, their connection, their naked bodies, their love.

Everything else ceased to be or to matter.