Page 23 of Rescued By the Mountain Man Cowboy

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"Push."

She pushes.

I don't rock back this time. I stay.

Our eyes are locked. Her breath's coming fast. Mine's gone sideways in a way I can't explain with exertion.

"Knock knock, y'all."

Madison.

Anna yelps. Rolls sideways out from under me. I stand up too fast and nearly clip my head on the railing.

Madison Moore is standing on my front porch steps with her hand on her hip and a grin on her face that I'm going to remember for the rest of my natural life.

"Well." She lifts her coffee cup in a lazy cheers. "Don't stop on my account."

Anna makes a sound somewhere between a laugh and a prayer.

I pick up my hat off the railing and jam it on my head.

"Morning, Madison."

"Morning, Davis."

"You ever think about knocking?"

"I did. I said knock knock. Out loud." She takes a sip. "Was I interrupting a very important session?"

"Yes," Anna says from the mat.

"It looked extremely strenuous."

"It's very strenuous."

"Were you pinned, Anna?"

"I was being taught to push him off."

"Is that what that was?"

"Madison," I say.

"Luke," Madison says sweetly.

Anna's up on her feet now, cheeks a color I'm going to pretend is from the sun. She dusts her hands off and does not look at me.

Madison jerks her chin at her. "Walk with me, babe. We need to catch up."

"Yeah." Anna grabs her coffee off the railing. Does not, under any circumstances, look at me. "Yeah. Let's walk."

They head down the drive, Madison's arm already sliding through Anna's. Madison says something low, causing Anna to swat at her shoulder, and Madison laughs.

I stand on the porch with the sun in my eyes and my hands on the railing and a heartbeat that's doing absolutely none of what I'm telling it to do.

Sweetheart.

I scrub a hand down my face.

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