Page 2 of The Cinnamon Spice Inn (Maple Falls #1)

TWO

ZACH

Zach hadn’t expected her to be here.

Not now.

Not after all this time.

But there she was, standing in the shed, looking like she’d stepped out of one of his half-forgotten dreams. And what had she been holding? She’d looked ready to pounce.

For a moment, all he could do was stare.

Seeing her again hit him like a sucker punch to the gut.

It had been six years since she’d left Maple Falls, six years since she’d walked out of his life without so much as a backward glance.

And yet, here she was, standing in the shed like no time had passed.

One look at Madison Kelly, and he was twenty-one again, heart pounding, hands itching to touch her. He hated it.

Hated how her fiery hair was even more striking now, a mess of damp curls spilling over her shoulders.

Hated how those bright green eyes, wide with surprise, still had the power to undo him.

And most of all, he hated how his body instantly remembered every curve, every soft laugh, every moment they’d shared.

“What are you doing here?” His voice came out harsher, rougher than he’d intended, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t afford to care.

“I—uh—” Madison stammered, clearly flustered.

Good. Let her feel off balance. She always had a knack for putting him on edge in a way nobody else could.

“I’m looking for a tarp and a bucket,” she said finally, her tone sharpening.

Of course she was. Too bad a tarp and bucket weren’t going to do much. No point in telling her that, not unless he wanted a fight.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, as if it wasn’t obvious.

“Your dad called round.” Zach leaned against the doorframe. “Said it was an emergency.” Zach figured that had to be true. George wasn’t one to ask for help; he was a lot like his daughter that way.

It didn’t matter that it was the middle of the night with a storm raging. Zach had come right away. Helping people was what he did—it was what he’d always done. He was a good contractor, with his own business, and he cared about this town and the people in it.

More than Madison ever had.

Madison brushed a strand of wet hair from her face. “Still. I didn’t think he’d go to you.”

“Yeah, well.” Zach’s eyes narrowed. “It’s what I do. I show up when people need me.”

He didn’t miss the flicker of hurt that crossed her face before she masked it. Good. She’d left Maple Falls and never looked back. She didn’t get to act surprised that he’d stepped up when she hadn’t.

“Zach, my boy!” George’s friendly voice called from outside, breaking the tension. Madison’s father popped in a moment later, rubbing a towel over his damp hair. “Guess who’s back? I forgot to mention.” He chuckled. “Isn’t that great?” he said, drying his hair with a smile on his face.

Zach glanced at Madison. “Great,” he repeated flatly.

“Temporarily,” Madison amended.

“Even better,” Zach replied under his breath. But he could tell by Madison’s glared response that she had heard him.

“Well, I guess I’ll go put the kettle on,” her dad said, retreating into the night. “You two kids catch up!”

Zach watched him leave then turned back to Madison. She was standing perfectly straight, glaring at him like he was the source of all her problems.

“You didn’t have to run right over in the middle of the night,” she said finally, her voice defensive. “I’m sure you have better things to do.”

Zach just shook his head. Madison didn’t get it, and she never would.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Madison crossed her arms, posture defensive.

Zach ignored her, glancing back toward the inn. “Look, I’ve got work to do. The faster I can patch things up, the faster I can get out of here.”

Madison’s jaw set. “That won’t be necessary.”

His brows lifted. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve got it under control,” she said. “I’ll handle it.”

Zach let out a slow breath, biting back the urge to laugh. Madison would seriously rather deal with a caving-in roof herself, with nothing but a bucket and a tarp, than accept his help.

Unbelievable.

He folded his arms. “Really? And how exactly do you plan to fix it?”

“I’ll hire someone,” she snapped. “There are other contractors in this town besides you, Zach.”

Not very good ones , Zach thought. But the words didn’t come out.

Madison lifted her chin defiantly before turning on her heel, boots squelching as she marched past him toward the inn.

Zach hated to admit it, but he needed a minute. There was so much electricity in the air, and not only from the storm. The tension between them fizzed. He leaned against the doorframe and rubbed his temple with his thumb, trying to make sense of it all. Trying to get her out of his head.

Mads.

He could never have seen it coming, the way she had shown up tonight like she so often did in his dreams. He spotted a rusty old trowel on the ground and realized that’s what she had been clutching, ready to fight off an intruder.

He almost laughed, remembering how fiercely stubborn she could be.

How she never backed down from a challenge.

And what had she been wearing? Zach shook his head. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He pictured her in her flannel pajama pants and a red sweater that clashed spectacularly with her unzipped yellow raincoat. It was so her—thrown together, unpolished, and yet, somehow, it worked.

Zach had forgotten the way her hair fell in her face when she laughed. The way her eyes could flash with mischief one second and burn with intensity the next. Tonight, her hair had been damp and her eyes full of annoyance—and a flicker of something deeper he refused to think about.

Zach exhaled slowly. How could his emotions be this raw after all these years? He didn’t understand how they hadn’t dulled even one bit. If anything, they’d grown.

For one crazy second, he considered going after her, but what would he have said? He shook his head. That way led to trouble.

Zach knew himself too well. The pull Maddie had on him, even now, was dangerous. He’d been reckless with her once before, following his heart instead of his head. When it had all fallen apart, it had nearly destroyed him.

He looked back at the inn. A flashlight looped in the window. Maddie was probably inside, stomping around, talking to herself as she tried to fix things. That was her way, diving headfirst into things, trying to do it all alone.

He needed to stop thinking about her.

He clenched his jaw, closing his eyes. But they were seared on the backs of his eyelids—Madison’s dragon-green eyes.

Pulling him in, like the darkest magic.