Free Finding Madelyn by Suzette Vaughn Page B

mad Maddy.” Frank’s head rolled toward Galen.
    The both erupted in laughter at that. Lucien stepped out of his office.
    “I tried to teach her when. . .” Galen scratched his head.
    She broke in , not needing a rehash of more history than she was having on her own. “How did they both end up in there?”
    “Seems like Frank and Hollis had a few early on, tried to start a fight with him, instead they all had a few more.”
    “Together?”
    “Yea h , then they decided to try the fight again.”
    She tried to add it all together , coming up a little short. Staring across into the cell she couldn’t even think of what to ask to make it add up.
    “I don’t know any more than that myself. ” Lucian continued. “ They were all laughing at each other when I went into the bar and they haven’t stopped yet.”
    “Uh huh.” Maddy let out a deep breath trying to figure out what she was supposed to do with them both. “You keeping Hollis for the night?”
    “Since he’s asleep, yes.”
    “Guess I’ll walk Galen over to the inn and come back for Frank.”
    “Well there lies the problem. Stan was over having a drink when the fight broke out. Galen knocked him square in the jaw and now Stan won’t let him stay there.”
    She leaned on the counter and rubbed across her head where the ache was forming. “Alright , I’ll run Frank home and come back for Galen.”
    “Well , I’m going that way anyway. I got Frank. I called ‘cause I didn’t know what to do with Washington there.”
    It was an easy answer, she just didn’t want to do it. “It looks like my guestroom is going to have its first visitor.”

Nine
     
    Maddy refused to help Galen make his way to the car while she carried his suitcase that Stan had the decency to pack up.
    “If you throw up in my car. . .” She tossed the case in back.
    “I won’t.” He smiled and stumbled into the seat. “That was fun.”
    “Fun?” She raised her voice. “What is fun about getting drunk and fighting?”
    “It’s a man thing.” He deepened his voice.
    “I would assume so since I don’t understand.” She started the car.
    “You need me to drive?” He leaned her way.
    She pushed him back. “You can’t even walk.”
    To prove her right, he fell twice trying to cross to her back door from the car. She went in the door and started a pot of coffee.
    “Little kitchen.” He leaned against the doorjamb that led to the laundry room . He looked serious and kept blinking his eyes as if he was trying to believe what he was seeing.
    “Big enough for me.” She pulled him off the wall and sat him in the chair in the library.
    “I remember when you owned one book.” His head slid down his arm to the table. “Sorry , he called you. I expected to stay there ‘til mornin’.”
    “Lucien doesn’t like to leave anyone in there if he can help it.”
    “That’s very nice of him.”
    She sat across from him. “Galen, what is it you a re doing here?”
    “I had to find my Madelyn. She was supposed to be at home, waiting on me but she wasn’t.”
    She went back to the kitchen and got a towel and a bowl of water. The bowl went on the table and his face in her hands. His eyes connected with hers.
    “I had to leave.” She said firmly.
    “So you keep saying.” His hands fell to her hips and pulled her down to his lap.
    She kept dabbing at the dried blood around his nose trying to ignore the body that was so close. A body she knew all too well.
    “How did we end up like this?” He continued looking intensely over her.
    “Life took us here.”
    His fingers pushed her chin so her eyes looked from the blood to him. “You were supposed to be there.”
    “And you weren’t supposed to leave. Life isn’t perfect.” She pushed his chest and stood up. In the kitchen, she poured out the bowl of water and poured a cup of coffee.
    She sat the cup on the table. “I’m going to bed now.”
    He caught her arm when she tried to pass by. “Why can’t you treat me