Free Christmas in Magnolia Cove by Rachel Hanna Page B

Madison. But, I love you. I messed up. She turned out to be cheating on me with another man…”
     
    Madison doubled over in laughter, barely able to catch her breath. “Seriously?” she said between cackles. “Talk about karma.”
     
    “Don’t you have any feelings for me, Madison?” he asked.
     
    “Yes, but I don’t think they are the feelings you’re hoping for, Connor. I feel anger, rage, disgust…” she said naming off all of the emotions she had felt during the last few weeks. “But, no, there is no loving emotion in the bunch. You killed that when you screwed a slut in my bed and then told me you loved her. Oh, look at the time. Five minutes are up. Get out,” she said shoving the flowers in his face and pointing at the door.
     
    “Madison, I have to make you understand…” he said walking toward her.
     
    “You heard the woman. Get out,” Wyatt said in a husky tone as he slipped into the room and stood between them.
     
    “And who the hell are you? Her bodyguard?” Connor asked with a smirk as he looked up at Wyatt.
     
    “If I need to be.” Wyatt looked like a freight train barreling down on a VW Bug. His eyes didn’t move as he stared directly at Connor.
     
    “Sounds like you’ve already found a replacement for me, Madison. Nice work. Chose brawn over brains this time, huh?” Connor said. Wyatt pulled his fist back as Madison grabbed his arm and held on.
     
    “Don’t do it, Wyatt. He’s not worth it. Trust me,” she said.
     
    Grabbing the flowers, Connor walked slowly out of the house and drove away. Madison stood there for a moment before sliding down to the floor in a lump, tears streaming down her face. Just like always, Wyatt picked her up and carried her to his truck.
     
    “Where are we going?” she asked between sobs.
     
    “We need to talk,” he said as he shut her door.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 14
     
    Wyatt started driving, and Madison had no idea where he was taking her. She couldn’t stop crying, but she didn’t know why. Maybe it was from holding in her emotions for so many days. Confronting Connor had finally sent her over the edge.
     
    A few moments later, they pulled up to a small cottage-style home just off the square. It had an architectural roof and beautiful front yard.
     
    “Whose house is this?” she asked.
     
    “It’s my house,” he said before he jumped out of the truck and walked around to open her door.
     
    “I can walk, remember?” Madison said with half a smile as he reached for her.
     
    “I know…” he said picking her up anyway. He unlocked the door of the house and pushed it open with his foot.
     
    Once they were inside, he carried her straight to the sofa and put her down. He sat up against her and pulled her head to his shoulder.
     
    “Madison?” he said.
     
    “Yes?” she replied between sniffles.
     
    “I wanted to kill that guy.”
     
    “What? Why?” she asked looking up.
     
    “Because I could hear him hurting you. Even through your harsh words to him, I could feel your pain. And then it dawned on me that I caused you way more pain than that by being involved with bullying you. Then, I wanted to kill myself, too,” he said with a nervous laugh.
     
    “He caused me a lot of pain, Wyatt. I feel like I wasted years of my life with him.”
     
    “It happened to me, too.”
     
    “What did?” she asked sitting up and looking at him.
     
    “My fiancée cheated on me. I was engaged to a woman named Suzanne for about a year. One day, I was driving to a job and saw her kissing a guy in front of his house. Turns out, it was Cameron.”
     
    “Your friend from high school?” she asked incredulously.
     
    “The very one. I jumped out of my truck and beat the crap out of him. Ended up going to jail for the night, but it was worth it.”
     
    “When was this?”
     
    “About four years ago. I’ve stayed away from relationships since then,” he said leaning back and looking at the