Page 163 of The Renegade Billionaire

The Chug is packed full of people, all ribbing each other with good-natured competition. The atmosphere is light and fun even if everyone in the damn place does keep shooting worried expressions Madison’s way.

Once we finished the framework at the park, I thought we’d be done for the day, but these people are no joke. When ours was finished, we helped at the Chug, then the Huckabees booth before finishing the Firefly’s.

For a competition that’s so cutthroat with trash talk, the competitors were all quick to help their neighbor.

Then with hot cocoa—the widely acknowledged neutral beverage—in our hands, we all walked over to the Chug for thesecond part of the night. The outfits. Not our outfits, but outfits for our booths. I’ve truly never seen anything like it.

“Just finish what you can,” Madison says breathlessly. “We only have ten more minutes tonight before I have to lock up. We can’t start again until noon tomorrow.”

“Noon? Don’t people work?”

“Business owners take time off throughout this week to prep for the competition.” Madison holds a paintbrush in both hands as she explains. “Originally, it was a way for the business owners to relax and chat about how the holiday season went for everyone. But as time went on, the competition got a little…”

“Intense,” Blissy shouts from across the room.

“Yeah, intense.” Madison agrees, then starts painting again. “We had to put some rules in place a few years ago so everyone had a fair chance.”

“So, it’s cutthroat but fair?” I ask.

“Yup.” She doesn’t look up this time. “Hurry. Five more minutes.”

The threats from my father haven’t left my mind, but being here with her and all these people helps me internalize it without losing my fucking shit.

I don’t want to worry Madison more than necessary, but my father has never made an empty threat. He’s planning something, and it’s up to me to figure out what before he can implement it.

“Time,” Marty calls out, and everyone calmly puts down their work.

“Great job everyone.” Madison rises from the floor, looking around at everyone’s handiwork. “I’ll lock this place up, and we’ll be ready to go again at noon tomorrow. No one, not even me, will be allowed back in here before then, so make sure you take all your personal belongings with you.”

The excitement of the event is only dimmed by exhaustion. People’s cheeks are rosy, expressions filled with happiness while ideas are shared as we all file outside.

“Ready, Chief?” Madison asks Pops’ old friend.

“Ready. Got me a new one this year too.” He jingles a heavy chain, and when I peer down at Madison, I see she has one too.

She laughs when she finds me staring at her. “We chain the doors with two different padlocks, so everyone knows that no one entered before they’re supposed to.”

“That’s right,” Chief says, adding his lock to the chain she just wrapped around the door handles. “Had a problem a few years ago with an accountant we won’t name,Jonah, but since then, Mads here has taken extra precautions, and we all appreciate her for it.”

I’m starting to understand that Madison is much more than the town sweetheart, she’s the pulse of the town.

“All set, folks.” She tugs on the chains, and when nothing happens, people disperse to their cars. “Ready?”

The way she stares at me—as if I hold the key to all her happiness—incites feelings so intense I’m not sure my body is strong enough to contain them. She’s honest, and loyal, and she’s all mine.

“Ready.”

“How much longer until the inn is done?” she asks as we climb into the truck. She still sits in the middle, and it makes me love this truck even more.

“They made some good progress on the second floor today. The general contractor said they should be done in about a month, but if we want to move back in, we can when they finish the second floor next week. Moose said we can stay at his rental for as long as we need to though.”

“That’s what’s the most shocking,” she says, laying her head on my shoulder. “Moose never rents that place to anyone. I don’tknow how you sweet-talked him into it, but you must be much smoother than I gave you credit for.”

“Why doesn’t he rent it?”

Madison shrugs and nuzzles into my side. “He built it for him and his wife, but she passed away before he was finished. He doesn’t want to live there without her, so he only stays there when his kids and grandkids come to visit.”

“That’s really sad. I had no idea.”