To put her off, Crosby said, “Like most of what I do, Silver is none of your business.”
“You do Silver?” Her mouth tightened. “A woman, then. Is it serious?”
Good God. He would not suffer her inquisition. “You need to stop, Madison.” Crosby kept his tone calm but firm, hiding even a hint of emotion. “I mean it. Stop following me, stop digging into my life, stop asking me questions and stop thinking any of it will matter.”
The corner of her mouth twitched down and the sparkle in her eyes disappeared. “Because you’re not at all interested.”
Proving to be a better liar than Winton, he said, “No, I’m not.” He couldn’t be. The new job mattered a lot. He wouldn’t risk losing it by getting involved with her.
Madison’s chest expanded on a shaky breath and for once, she broke eye contact. With a small nod, she stepped back and finished pulling up her zipper. “I should apologize.”
“Not necessary.”
She gave another small nod.
Damn it, he’d never seen her like this. Subdued. Maybe hurt...? That definitely hadn’t been his intent. He’d just needed her to—
Turning to the swinging doors, she said with false cheerfulness, “Goodbye Winton, Owen. Take care.”
Both of them peeked out, making it obvious that they’d been there all along, listening in.
“Thank you again,” Winton said, his tone solemn.
Owen looked from Crosby to Madison and then back again, this time with a scowl. Stepping out, he asked, “You’ll be okay?”
“Of course.” She produced a cocky smile.
Crosby knew it was forced. Already he saw the differences in her smiles. Some were snarky, some anticipatory. Some bordered on feral, especially when she was ready to engage physically.
Usually they were sincere, but this one?
It fell flat.
Without a word to Crosby, she stepped around him, unlocked the front door and disappeared into the flurry of blowing snow.
Cursing low, he stalked to the window and watched her trudge through the accumulated snow to the driver’s door. With some effort, she got it opened despite the thick coating of ice. After starting the engine, she emerged again with a scraper and began clearing the windows.
He stood there, aware of Winton and Owen crowding in behind him so they could see, too. Every instinct he possessed demanded that he go out and do the chore for her, but he knew Madison well enough to understand she wouldn’t want his assistance. Especially not now.
So he locked his muscles into a deceptively casual pose and kept an eye on her.
It didn’t surprise him when she finished with her own car and strode to his, quickly clearing his windows, as well.
It’s what he would have done for someone.
“I’ll be damned,” Winton murmured.
“Why am I standing here?” Owen asked in a disgusted tone. Already in his coat and boots, he shouldered his way around them and stepped out while tugging on his hat. He slipped on the walkway twice before getting his balance and hurrying over to her.
Crosby saw Madison laugh. He saw Owen try to take the scraper from her.
And he saw Madison give it up!
So maybe it was only grown men who drew out her competitive nature. Or maybe she knew that, like most boys on the verge of being men, her rejection would have wounded Owen.
The two of them spoke for a moment more before Madison lifted her gloved hands in surrender and got into her SUV.
Owen made quick work of finishing, then returned the scraper to her. After a brief hug, she shooed him back inside, waited until he was at the door, then got behind the wheel, pulled out and drove away.
Without once glancing toward Crosby.
Huh. Maybe she’d taken his declaration to heart. He hadn’t expected her to give up so easily.
Could that really be the end of her pursuit?
The idea shouldn’t bother him, but it did. And what did that make him? Fickle? Well, shit.
Cheeks and nose already red, Owen came back in, stomping his feet to remove the snow. He, too, made a point of not looking at Crosby.
Winton locked the door again. “You think this’ll be the end of it?”
“With Madison?” Crosby asked.
After three seconds of silence, Winton shook his head in pity. “Actually, I meant the street punks.”
Damn. He’d just given himself away with that gut reaction. To escape Winton’s scrutiny, Crosby headed for the back room where a pot of coffee always waited.
Following, Winton clapped him on the shoulder. “Now that they know you’re onto them and the cops are involved, do you think they’ll bother us again?”
“I plan to have a talk today with the idiots just arrested, and as soon as the weather breaks, I’ll visit the rest of their gang.” Gang was a word he used lightly for the small-time punks with big aspirations. “If any of them come around again before I get the chance, play along with them, be careful and let me know.”
Winton hesitated. “And what will you do about Madison?”
Crosby reached the pot and filled a disposable cup, breathing in the scent of strong coffee. “Hopefully, I won’t have to do anything since it seems she’s finally given up.”
Crossing his arms, Winton leaned back against the wall and gave him a long, telling stare.
“What?” Crosby asked, feeling as young and awkward as Owen. It was that stare of Winton’s that had gotten him off the wrong track so long ago. Damned if it didn’t have the same effect still.
Slowly, Winton smiled. “I’ve never known you to bullshit yourself before. This ought to be interesting.”
Crosby blew out a breath. Yeah, interesting. That was one word that applied to Madison.
Interesting...and sometimes all but irresistible.
* * *
MADISON STEWED FOR two miserable weeks. Oh, she’d found out all about Winton and Owen, how thugs had been harassing not only them, but other local businesses on a regular basis. They’d extorted money, robbed and vandalized without consequences.
Crosby had easily squashed that nonsense, though, and he didn’t need the law on his side to do it. She almost smiled, remembering how remarkable he’d been.
But her smile slipped... Because he hadn’t been impressed with her at all. Instead he’d made it clear that her interest wasn’t returned, and never would be. That stung as much today as it had then, causing heat to flush her cheeks.
Thank God she had enough pride to brazen her way out of there.