Free Christmas in Magnolia Cove by Rachel Hanna Page A

life to take care of her. Mothers are funny that way,” she said smiling. She couldn’t hold back anymore as she walked forward and rubbed her hand across his right arm that was still crossed over his chest. “I am sure she loves you very much.” He jumped a bit at her touch, almost as if a hot poker had brushed across his skin.
     
    “Madison…” he whispered as she took another step toward him. She wasn’t sure what she was doing. Her heart, or maybe her body, was leading her. She put her left hand on his left shoulder and looked up at him. “What are you doing?” he asked softly.
     
    “I don’t really know…” she said watching her hands rub across his muscular arms. He didn’t move an inch, but she could hear his breath quicken.
     
    “Madison?” she heard a familiar male voice calling out to her.
     
    “Oh, my God…” she whispered looking at Wyatt like a deer caught in the headlights.
     
    “Who is that?” he asked.
     
    “Connor. My ex-fiancé,” she said, gritting her teeth.
     
    “There you are,” Connor said from the living room doorway as Madison swiftly spun around. Connor stood there smiling with a vase full of red roses in his hand.
     
    “What in the hell are you doing here, Connor?” she yelled as she walked toward him, hands on her hips. “You are not welcome in my home!”
     
    “This place is nice,” he said, ignoring her comment. “Amber said you got a great deal on it.” She vowed to kill Amber for telling Connor where the house was located.
     
    “I said you are not welcome here, Connor. Get out,” she said pointing at the foyer.
     
    Wyatt stayed against the fireplace while she confronted him. Everything in him wanted to pick the weaselly guy up and throw him out physically, but he knew she would not appreciate him taking over for her.
     
    “Madison, I just want to talk to you. Five minutes. That’s all I ask. Then I will leave, I promise,” he said. She stood there staring at him for a moment.
     
    “Fine. Five minutes, and then your ass is out of here or else,” she said. She watched Wyatt walk slowly out of the room, making sure to bump his shoulder against Connor as he left. The jolt almost knocked him down.
     
    “Can we sit down?” Connor asked looking around.
     
    “Well, as you can see, I don’t have furniture yet, Connor. Besides, I can stand for five minutes,” she said. He looked down at her ankle which still had a wrap around it.
     
    “What happened to your ankle? Are you okay?” he asked with what seemed to be genuine concern.
     
    “I got hurt. Your five minutes are ticking by,” she said crossing her arms and leaning against the kitchen counter.
     
    “Okay. Madison, I came here to tell you that I made a big mistake breaking up with you and I want you back. Melissa was not who I thought she was. Maybe it was a mid-life crisis or something,” he said running his fingers through his hair.
     
    “You are thirty years old, Connor. It isn’t time for a mid-life crisis.”
     
    “Well, whatever it was, I want you back. Come home with me, please. I will take care of selling this place, and we can rebuild our lives together. We can still get married, Madison,” he said putting his hands on her arms. She slapped them away.
     
    “Are you insane? Let me recap events for you,” she said as she paced across the room. “I was loyal and committed to you. I came home to plan a romantic dinner for you, and instead I found you stark naked in our bed with a buxom blond riding you like a jockey. Do I want you back? Um, no.”
     
    “Madison, I…”
     
    “Oh, but that wasn’t bad enough! When I confronted you, I was informed that you were in love with her and wanted to call things off. She must have been great in bed,” she said gritting her teeth as she whipped around to look at him.
     
    “Well, she…”
     
    “Please,” Madison said holding up her hand. “I really don’t need details.”
     
    “I know it was a bad thing to do,