“You have?”
Brett nodded. “I’ve hit the gym every single day, started doing some kick-boxing to help get my emotions out.”
“Has it helped?”
Brett nodded again. “Now you need an outlet, aside from sleeping all day.”
Madi pulled her lips in and nodded, herself.
Brett pulled his phone from his back pocket, turning Spotify on to their favorite country albums. They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the sunshine, and Madi laughed when Brett patted his tummy dramatically. It was good to hear that beautiful sound again; Brett smiled brightly, happy for the first time in a very long time.
When they finished eating and had set their plates aside, “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack came on. Brett popped up, seeing the sorrow on Madi’s face simply too much for him. He had to extinguish it. He extended his hand to her.
“C’mon, we got to. It’s our song from senior prom, remember?”
Madi gave him a slow smile and took his hand, letting him pull her up and into his arms for a dance. He held one hand in his own, the other wrapped around her waist while hers went to his back. She smiled up at him again, and his heart literally flipped over in his chest. God, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. She was perfect, every bit of her five-foot, eight inch, one hundred fifty-pound frame. Her tan skin, light green eyes, cupid’s bow lips, and golden-blonde hair. She’d invaded his heart, mind, and soul ever since she’d come into his life; he’d never been the same since. One day he was going to confess it to her.
Every single day since Hunt had passed, his words echoed through Brett’s mind, “This is your second chance.” It’d been like a mantra inside his head, and although the selfish part of him wanted it more than anything, the Christian side of him was hesitant. He knew if he did move in and take what he’d always wanted, it needed to be slow and sure. He couldn’t rush this, couldn’t rush Madi’s grief…or his own, for that matter. He’d always been patient, and he would have to continue to be.
Madi’s head now rested on his chest, his other hand wrapped around her as their feet continued to move to the song. They embraced each other tightly, and Brett reveled in the feel of her against him. Their hearts beat in cadence together, in perfect sync, and her smell was intoxicating him as it always had. As many times as he’d held her over the years, this was the first time it felt so bittersweet. This was his best friend’s wife and Brett was here instead of Hunter, here to hold her and touch her and kiss her.
Now, Hunter’s dead because you were the one driving.
Once more, Brett wondered if he’d ever get rid of the all-consuming guilt that never seemed to leave him. He felt Madi shudder and moved a hand to stroke her hair, kissing her temple as he leaned his head down.
“Shh, it’s ok, Sunflower.”
She pulled him tighter to her, fisting his shirt, her frame fitting perfectly against his much bigger one. At six foot five inches tall and almost two-fifty he towered over her like the damn Hulk. He was one of the biggest QBs in the league, which had garnered him the nickname “Brickhouse.” Then Trav had come along and dubbed him Zeus.
Madi’s tears were starting to trouble him, the need to comfort and protect her stronger than any emotion he’d ever had.
“Baby, what’s the matter?” he murmured against her ear even as he laid his head onto hers.
After a few minutes of composing herself, she wiped her face and looked up at him, her cheeks rosy. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I’ve been awful to you lately.”
Brett couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Nah.”
Her insistent nod said otherwise, and he put his finger to her lips before she could speak again. He settled her head back to his collarbone and rested his chin against her shoulder, leaning into her as they continued to shuffle their feet to the music.
“I haven’t done anything you wouldn’t have done for me. It’s what best friends do. We take care of each other, kick the other’s tail into shape when needed, and help bury bodies of our enemies.”
He heard Madi smirk into his shirt and sniffle.
When the song was over, she pulled back and took his face in her hands. “I mean it. You’re my best friend. And you’ll never know what you being here means to me. I love you.”
His heart sputtered. They’d said these words to each other so many times, even though she was clueless as to how much he meant them and how. “I love you too, Sunflower. Always and forever.” He pulled her back to him for a hug, and she gripped him tightly.
Oh, Madi, will I ever get to show you just what you mean to me? In time… I will, in time.
CHAPTER THREE
“Mad, Jesus… I thought Brett had locked you up in a tower. You didn’t answer your phone or…” Brooke trailed off as Madi pulled her to her for a hug. Her sister. Her clueless, crazy sister.
“I missed you,” Madi stated and kissed her baby sister’s nose.
Brooke’s eyes misted over, and she grinned. “It’s good to have you back, sis.”
“Ah, there’s our girl,” Madi heard her dad call over Brooke’s head. She moved from her sister’s embrace to her father’s, squeezing him tightly as his big frame comforted her. “You look great, honey.” He took her cheeks in his hands and kissed her forehead before releasing her.
“You look awful,” Madi’s mother replied with a hand on her hip and a scowl back at Brett.
“Mom, I’m fine. I—”
“You are not fine. You’ve lost too much weight.” Her mother approached and grabbed at Madi’s dress.
Madi counted to ten before responding. Her mother never had anything go wrong in her
