Page 54 of Her Summer Hope

She turned around and her heart dropped as Kyle shifted his gaze between the two of them. He looked hurt and confused and it made her feel absolutely horrible.

She could feel the guilty flush on her face, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

If she could turn back time, she’d go back and tell him everything at the very start, before he’d even finished the house tour.

By the time she stood to go in, he was already gone and Murdock was giving her a calculating look. She had a feeling he saw more of her thoughts than even Kyle did.

It was an uncomfortable feeling.

That evening, she cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes faster than ever. She assumed Murdock had kept his word about not speaking to Kyle because he hadn’t come back to talk to her or ask for an explanation. She had a feeling he was going to spill the beans about Emmie though.

She hoped the two days off would give Kyle time to forget the little incident, but she wasn’t holding her breath.

“Yo, Madison!” John called, deep voice booming as he pushed into the clean kitchen. “Food was bomb, as always,” he said, leaning his forearms on the island. “Even Jace said so, and you know how he is,” he said.”Dude’s got issues with food.”

She grinned. “I’m glad you all liked it.”

“So, you’re coming back tomorrow and Monday right?” he wondered. “Because I’m not sure we’ll survive two whole days without you.”

“I don’t know, Kyle said we could work something out but—”

“Bring your baby too, if you want. I love babies. I could teach him how to shoot and maybe take him out for a SERE course in the mountains. I’d have that kid ready for SFRE before he’s five,” he boasted.

“She is only three months old,” Madison huffed. “And I don’t even know half of what you’re talking about.”

He looked chagrined. “Sorry. I could still teach her though. She’d be a real badass on the playground.”

Madison snorted.

“Who’d be a badass on the playground? Me?” Wyatt asked, swaggering into the kitchen dressed for a night out.

“No, idiot. Madison’s baby,” John said, taking a piece of chicken from the pan in the fridge.

“Didn’t you just eat?” she said with a mock glare.

John frowned. “It’s been, like, ten minutes. I’m hungry again.”

She stared at him and he grinned.

“Gotta power these muscles somehow,” Wyatt said walking by, patting his abs.

She scoffed.

He sidled closer to her, moving in and leaning a hand on the fridge over her shoulder. “So, what’s her name?”

She lifted her eyebrow and looked at his hand until he moved it. She didn’t feel threatened by him anymore. He was a wounded man in his own way, just as much as any of the others. He was doing his best to cope.

That didn’t mean she had to be one of his coping mechanisms.

He backed off with a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. Can’t help myself sometimes.”

“Her name is Emma. She’s three months old,” she said, covering the chicken again and going to grab John a paper towel.

“Cool name. Are you bringing her on Monday? We’ll play beer pong and cornhole.”

“Three months old!” she repeated with a laugh.

These guys…