Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Madden closed his eyes now in the predawn light, letting that moment play out in his memory for the fifth time this morning, but instead of contentment sweeping in, the urgency to do something heightened. He could lie in bed with Eve all day and make her promises in between rounds of sex and that was all well and good—frankly, he couldn’t fucking wait—but she’d set aside her fear of being a stain on his reputation, even though it clearly terrified her, and Madden meant to reward that bravery.
And pacing slowly in front of the fireplace, he had a good idea how.
This place had always been his aunt’s house. Not his. Fine, he’d found sanctuary here and never felt anything less than welcome, but he’d left her things exactly as they were when she died for a reason. He’d never felt entitled to claim this place as his own. His lot in life was back in Ireland, and while he’d left that reality behind, it wasn’t easy to stop thinking of oneself as a burden when that’s all he’d ever been. He’d been taught to accept the bare minimum of privileges and care.
Perhaps it was Eve’s love that had stretched the boundaries of what he could and couldn’t accept. If such a discerning and intelligent woman loved him, goddammit, he’d done some things right. He could look around now at this house that had been passed down to him in his aunt’s will and claim it as his own.
And as such, he intended to renovate at the earliest opportunity.
No more hiding in silence. Eve’s love made him want to take up space, if for no other reason than to give her room to stand beside him.
Eve didn’t know if she wanted to remain in Cumberland or go somewhere else. But she would always have strong ties to this place. She’d always have a sense of responsibility to her family name and wish to have it respected. In the interest of showing Eve how much her trust meant to him, Madden would finally accept the gift he’d been given in the form of this house . . . and rebuild it for a new purpose.
If Eve wanted to stay in Cumberland, their home would stand on this property.
If she chose a different adventure outside the confines of this town, the new house wouldn’t go to waste. When Ruth, Lark, and Landon were ready to return from North Carolina, a home would be waiting for them.
Madden nodded in the quiet, saying a mental thank-you to his aunt. For giving him a home. A chance. And now, the means and opportunity to thank Eve for loving him.
Already making a list of construction-related tasks in his head, Madden turned for the door, only to have his phone ping in the pocket of his hoodie. He assumed it was a text from Eve wanting to know where he’d gone, despite the note he’d left on the coffeepot, but no. It was three simple letters from Elton—WTF—a link to a Daily News article included in the same message bubble.
“Bad Madden & the Girl Who Saved His Life.”
With his pulse already beginning to race, Madden clicked and read the first few lines, his footsteps carrying him out the door until eventually he was in a dead run.
* * *
Eve woke up to find Madden sitting on the edge of the bed with his head bowed, sweat soaking through the back of his gray T-shirt. His sides puffed in and out as if he’d run a long distance at a very fast pace. But that wasn’t unusual for Madden. As far back as she could remember, he’d been the type to wake up early and train.
“Good morning.” She yawned, rolling over in the sheets and stretching, not bothering to hide her complete and total nudity. Reveling in the fact that she was no longer hiding the scar on her abdomen from him. From anyone. “I’m going to kindly ask that you take a shower before crawling back in here.”
Madden didn’t say anything in response.
Instead, he raked a hand through his hair and looked at her over his shoulder—and that’s when Eve knew something was wrong. His eyes were dark with worry.
“What happened?” she asked, sitting up, her first instinct to fear for the kids and their safety, perhaps because she hadn’t quite shaken off the morning grogginess yet. After all, how would Madden know if something happened to the twins? “Are Lark and Landon okay?”
“Yes.” He half turned, squeezing her ankle through the sheet. “Ah, love, it’s nothing to do with them. There’s just this article . . .”
Relief swam in her middle. Briefly. The kids were all right and that was the most important thing. But another article? Really? When was the public’s fascination with them going to die down? It wouldn’t occur to Eve until later that she didn’t question whether or not she and Madden could handle the situation together. Or if the content of the mystery article would force them apart, Madden better off without her.