Page 34

He couldn’t stay mad at Maddie any longer. It was impossible. After all, she had just panicked and blurted something out. And she hated arguing. And he hated seeing her unhappy, which didn’t mean they wouldn’t have to talk about how to deal with the whole sex thing.

He had meant what he had said: Sometimes you needed confrontation to make things better.

Still, confrontation probably wouldn’t help him want Maddie any less.

If he was still wondering how far back he could put his car seat, and if she would be open to a little making out before they had to behave in front of his parents, then there was no helping him.

He knew the feeling wasn’t going to fade. He had lied to himself too many times over the last few weeks to believe himself anymore.

That didn’t mean he knew what to do about it, though.

He didn’t want anything to change, but it was too late for that because something had changed.

They couldn’t undo it. Maddie was no longer the woman he talked to about his amorous escapades.

She was his amorous escapade, even if that word didn’t do her justice. So…

“What do you want to do?”

He winced and turned. Had Nell been speaking to him the entire time? “What?” he asked, confused.

“What do you want to do about Simon’s birthday present?”

Right. She was talking about his brother-in-law’s gift. About Cassidy’s husband. “Give you money and ask you to write my name on the card, like we always do?”

Nell sighed and nodded. “Okay. I guess I forge your signature all the time, once more’s not going to hurt.”

“I know you used to auction off ‘signed’ pucks on eBay.”

“Well, financing a wedding was expensive.”

“I wanted to pay for it outright!” he said incredulously.

She grinned. “And you did. In a way. It just felt better to earn the money myself.”

He snorted. “Forgery is a crime.”

“A puck is not a document. And, hey, the signature looks real. You can’t ask for more than that, can you?”

Shaking his head, albeit with a grin, he looked at her while Johnny Cash sang about a ring of fire in the background. “You haven’t changed a bit. You’re still the big, annoying sister who knows everything.”

“Oh, it will always be that way,” she assured him.

“Ask Harriet. I know everything, so why should I hold back my opinion?” She nodded toward the dance floor where her wife was dancing with their father.

The formal part of the celebration was over.

The sun had set and several strings of lights illuminated the gazebos, where most of the crowd was dancing to stay warm against the approaching evening chill.

Not Maddie. She drank against the cold, red wine that had turned her cheeks pink as she spoke animatedly to a man with glasses who was staring at her with such fascination that she might as well be the Stanley Cup.

Matt understood that. Maddie was fascinating, but did the guy have to be so obvious about his interest? It was irritating.

“So, Matty. How are you?”

He blinked and pulled his gaze away from Maddie. “Mm?”

“How are you?”

“Oh, good,” he replied lightly.

“Yeah, I’m going to need more info than the categorical good . I’m not your sports psychologist, I’m your favorite sister. You can talk openly with me.”

Sighing, he turned his beer bottle in his hands. It was non-alcoholic; he was in training. “I don’t have a favorite sister. And, I don’t know, not much has changed since we last saw each other,” he lied.

“So, you haven’t gotten tired of hitting a puck yet? Your bromance with Dax, your platonic relationship with Maddie, or your quiet life?”

He lowered his gaze and then it automatically flicked back to Maddie. Was her hand on that dingleberry’s arm?

“Matt!” Nell snapped her fingers in front of his face.

“What?”

“Oh, good God. I asked if…”

“Oh yeah.” He nodded. “No, I’m not tired of it.

Dax and I are fine. And yes, Maddie is my…

my platonic…” Wait, was that guy brushing the hair off her cheek?

! Maddie had her own damn hands! “Damn, who’s that guy, Nell?

” he said tersely through his teeth and pointed to the empty buffet where Maddie and the clown were standing.

Nell raised one corner of her mouth knowingly. “Who? The man next to your platonic Maddie?” she asked innocently.

…Too innocently. Matt eyed his sister darkly. “ Who is he and what have you been doing?”

“Oh, that’s Barry McStein,” she responded lightly. “He owns a winery near San Diego. I introduced them.”

Of course she did. “And why would you do that?” he asked abruptly.

Nell shrugged. “Why not? I thought they were a good match. And it looks like they’re getting along, right?”

Matt narrowed his eyes as Maddie’s laughter drifted over to him. Shit. It did look like they were getting along. “He’s not right for her,” he said quietly.

“Oh, really? So, you know him?”

“No, but…”

“But what? Why is he not right?”

“Stop it, Nell,” he said, annoyed. “Don’t provoke me.”

“How could I provoke you?” She sucked in a breath in mock shock. “I mean, Matty, you’re just platonic friends! Don’t tell me you’re jealous!” She put a hand to her chest dramatically.

Shit. She knew. She couldn’t know, but she did! “Nell,” he said warningly.

“What? Did I do something wrong? She’s always helping you meet women. Why shouldn’t she be allowed to meet someone?”

“She can meet anyone she wants,” he growled. “But that doesn’t mean you have to throw some winemaker in her lap.”

“But he’s sweet and nice. Do you mind?”

Groaning, he tilted his head back and rubbed his eyes. “Why are you torturing me, Nell? You already know what’s going on.”

“What do I know? That you’re having sex?”

“We’re not,” he pressed.

“So, you’re not platonic friends, Matty! Come on. Do you know Maddie flinches every time someone shoves you into the boards? At that hockey game we went to months ago?”

He frowned. She…flinched? “Nothing was going on between us, Nell. Back then.”

“Oh, please!”

“Yes, really.”

She snorted. “Matty. Why do you think I asked you to bring Maddie? And why do you think I told her I was trying to set her up? I thought I could give you a little help. But, obviously, you’ve already helped yourselves.”

He sighed heavily. “It’s not what you think.”

“So, you didn’t sleep together?”

“Okay, it is what you think. But it was only one time.”

“I knew it!” She smacked him on the shoulder, grinning. “Harriet owes me ten bucks. Just friends, my ass.”

“But we were just friends, Nell,” he insisted quietly. “Really. There was nothing between us during the last year!”

“Seriously?” She raised her eyebrows, astonished. “But you were so sweet together the whole time.”

He groaned inwardly. “As friends, yes!”

“Okay. What’s changed?”

“I don’t know.” He looked at his hands hesitantly.

“I see. And do you want…more? A relationship?”

“I don’t know,” he said hoarsely.

“Well, you better find out.”

“I don’t know how . The risk is too great, Nell.”

“What risk?”

“Of losing her. My friendship with her is safe. But if we decide to start something together…”

“I don’t understand. Didn’t you already decide to start something? By jumping into bed together?”

“It was a one-time thing. We both agreed on that.”

“Before or after?”

He blinked, confused. “What?”

“Did you decide it was a one-time thing before the act, or after?”

“Before, but…”

“Then it means nothing at all.” She shook her head. “You have to ask her again.”

He opened his mouth, puzzled. “What?”

“Matty, sex changes everything. At least, when you know each other. When you’re friends. And, honestly, Maddie doesn’t sleep with just anyone! She told me herself that she wouldn’t want to have sex again until she was ready for something serious with the guy.”

He released a gasp and rubbed his face feverishly. Of course, he knew that. Just as he knew that Nell was right – that he and Maddie had, of course, already started something.

But, if he had to choose between a hot affair with her or a lifelong friendship, he would always choose friendship.

What if you can have both? If you just tell her you want to try it with her? Something long-term?

But if she said no, he would lose her completely. She wouldn’t be able to stay friends with him, considering his feelings towards her.

The risk was too great!

But what if she says yes?

“Uh, Matty,” Nell interrupted his thoughts.

“What?” he snapped.

“I don’t want to interfere in your life…”

He snorted. “Since when?”

“Okay, true. So, let me interfere in your life: I may have told Barry over there that Maddie is longing for a hot night of no strings attached so that he’ll get a little more involved with her and you’ll finally realize that you want more than just friendship from her.

And…somehow, I have the feeling that Maddie isn’t too opposed.

My goodness, she’s even sharing her wine.

You don’t do that with everyone. Is she trying to prove something to you, or what?

She’s constantly glancing over before she touches his arm or whatever. So, if you don’t want her to…”

Shit. Prove .

Matt stood abruptly. It was obvious. She wanted to demonstrate to him how relaxed everything was between them. Because that was what she wanted: for things to become relaxed again. She wanted to prove their night had meant nothing, that they were only friends.

Well, Matt wasn’t relaxed .

“Excuse me,” he said darkly.

“Oh, go on, start a fight!” his sister replied hopefully. “I find there aren’t enough of them at our family gatherings. We all like each other too much. It’s awful.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not starting a fight.

” Unless the man grabbed Maddie’s face again, because that was an intimate gesture and he needed to keep his dirty fingers to himself, for Pete’s sake!

Why didn’t Maddie slap his hand away? Instead, she smiled and closed her eyes, then… blew on the guy’s fingers?

Matt’s jaw cracked and he hastened his pace. The way she pursed her lips, and that guy…