Just as she stilled her frayed nerves, the doorbell rang. She frowned at Brett, who smirked.
“Maybe Marcel forgot his key.” Brett shrugged.
Madi looked at her phone; it was too early for Marcel. She pulled the blanket from her legs and stood.
The doorbell rang again as she strode down the hallway to the front foyer. She pulled the door open and gasped as she saw Travis Redmond and Skyla Larson grinning at her.
Madi covered her hands over her mouth in surprise and turned to see Brett coming around her side to face her, grinning from ear to ear.
“Oh my…”
“Surprise!” Travis and Sky said in unison.
“I invited them down. Sky had a couple days off from the trial, so they said they would come down and keep us company.” Brett propped himself at the pillar next to the door.
Madi began to cry even as Sky launched herself at her, pulling Madi in for a tight hug. Madi squeezed her back, glad to see her friend. It had been since the funeral; she couldn’t remember what she’d last said or if she’d even been cordial to her then. It seemed so long ago.
“The Mexican sun becomes you, lady,” Sky said and pulled back, rubbing Madi’s tanned arms.
“She’s only sayin’ that ‘cause she’s a ginger and can’t tan.” Travis joked and kissed Madi’s cheek as he pulled her in for a hug.
“Watch it, Ares,” Sky scolded. Travis smirked, sharing an intimate moment with his woman that wasn’t lost to Madi and Brett. Madi envied their familiar exchange, feeling even more melancholy that she was on her period. Damn, her emotions were all over the place today.
“Come in, guys. Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.”
Sky entered the foyer and Travis lugged a duffle bag behind him, setting it down before they all moved into the living room.
“That view never gets old, does it, Zeus?” Travis motioned to the wall of glass in front of them.
“Oh, we’re back to the god names again? My bad,” Brett stated, rolling his eyes.
“This is our year, man. Gotta start early.”
Madi felt a pang of regret seize her stomach and looked away even as Sky gave Travis a look. Sky gripped her arm and pulled her into the living room, away from the guys who were walking over to the bar.
Sky sat Madi down onto the couch and pulled her back into a hug. Madi reveled in the comfort she felt from the friend she’d only had for a few months. The girls had connected quickly after meeting one another the Sunday after Thanksgiving, forming a close bond.
“How are you, really?” Sky asked and rested her hand on Madi’s arm as she pulled back.
“I started my period on Tuesday.” Madi looked down, trying to hold the tears back again. Sky knew that she and Hunter had been trying to have a baby and would understand her disappointment better than Brett ever could.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Sky squeezed her again and let Madi cry on her shoulder. She did for a time before finally pulling back.
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to spoil—”
“Hey, I’m here to be your friend, comfort, sounding board, anything you need. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA. This trial has been chaotic.”
Giovanni Geraci’s trial started the week after Hunter’s death, and Sky had been in the courtroom nearly the whole time, Brett had told Madi. Madi knew what getting the crime boss charged meant to Skyla and Travis too. She nodded that she understood, despite that she didn’t—not really. She’d seen court cases on television but had no idea the level of work involved in building a case.
Sky wiped the tears from Madi’s cheeks and smiled at her. “Have you at least enjoyed getting away?”
Madi nodded and smiled. “It’s beautiful here. How do Val and Linc ever leave?”
“Speaking of Linc and Val, they’ll be here tomorrow to spend the day,” Trav said from the bar as he poured himself a scotch. “They didn’t wanna overstep; figured the boys would drive us all crazy if they stayed too long.”
“Oh, nonsense. They’re precious,” Madi answered.
“Precious, demons, translates the same in any language.” Travis winked, and Madi knew he was only kidding, he loved those twins like they were his own. “Val’s words, actually.”
“I think we need a girl’s day when you get back home, Madi. Val needs a day. I say we let the boys babysit, go to lunch, and get mani/pedis,” Sky offered with a wink over at her man.
“Fireball, you say the word and I’ll play Mr. Mom. If that’ll start the train rollin’, I’m down. I can’t wait to work on making Travis Jr.” The lust that oozed from his eyes as he looked back at Skyla made Madison’s uterus ache. Madi knew Sky was giving him a look, but she averted her gaze to keep the pain from ripping through her again. Travis didn’t know, she couldn’t fault him.
“What are you guys watchin’?” Sky asked, pulling the conversation in a different direction as she looked at Arnold Schwarzenegger shooting through the jungle on TV.
“Ah, we can go back out to the beach. You guys just got here. Let’s go enjoy the day. We can watch TV anytime.” Madi smiled and stood.
“Sounds good to me,” Travis said. “Which room you want us in?” He asked Brett who suddenly looked back at Madi, a look akin to fear in his eyes that she didn’t understand. He’d been acting different lately, and she couldn’t pinpoint it. He was her best friend, and since Hunter died, things were just different between them. She was going to have to have a serious talk with him at some point, a talk they should’ve had a very long time ago.
Brett pointed to the room he’d been sleeping in. The housekeeper had just changed the sheets so they could’ve had either
