Chapter 36

Madden kept his promise. He gave Poppi space. It didn’t mean his mind didn't wander to how her body felt. How she tasted. How she smelled.

It meant pausing the pain. His heart ached for her. But he knew their parents would never allow it. He had never been in love before and admitting to himself that this love was not supposed to happen, hurt even more.

So he was patient. He was cautious to not be in rooms with Poppi. He even tried to avoid Valyn. And he was doing well with this until one day she came out to the stables when he was working with Racecar.

“MJ, it hasn’t gone unnoticed that you have been trying to be a great brother to Poppi. I’m happy you two understand the dynamics of this family. And Anchor has been such a joy to have here at the house. How are you two?” Valyn imposed.

He looked up from the saddle he was scrubbing. Wiping sweat from his brow. Gloves dirty. No shirt.

“We are fine. She is nice enough and her company will get me through this summer,” he said, continuing to scrub.

Valyn took an uneasy step towards him. “And you and Poppi are good?”

He looked up again. It sounded like she knew something.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?” He inquired, wiping dirt off of his face with a gloved hand.

“I see the way you two look at one another MJ. I see how you both avoid being in the room with one another. And how jealous Poppi gets when Anchor is around. You two need to be more careful,” she encouraged.

“There isn’t anything going on between Poppi and I, Val. We don’t have to be best friends,” he said, avoiding eye contact.

He was afraid she would know. She would sense that his entire heart belonged to Poppi.

“You’re adults. I can’t tell either of you how to feel.” She looked back toward the house. “But feelings aren’t the same thing as choices.”

Madden didn’t answer.

“I’ve caught the looks,” she admitted. “The lingering conversations. The way everyone else disappears when the two of you are together.” She smiled sadly. “Maybe nobody else notices. A mother always does.”

Guilt settled heavily in his chest.

“I don’t want either of you carrying something that could tear this family apart.”

“It hasn’t…” he began before stopping himself.

Valyn noticed.

“It hasn’t what?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

She let the silence stretch before placing a gentle hand on his arm.

“If there’s even the smallest chance that this is becoming more than it should be…” she said softly, “…walk away now.”

The words were like a dagger to his chest .

“Because every day you wait,” she continued, “it gets harder. And eventually someone gets hurt.”

Inside the house, Poppi laughed.

Without thinking, Madden looked toward the sound.

Valyn noticed that, too.

“You two know we have cousin Hagen’s wedding this weekend. Fred got us a cottage. Is this going to cause a problem for you two? Or should I put you with the male cousins in their cottage?”

Madden shook his head. Hanging it almost in shame. He knew he had crossed the line with Poppi twice now and being in a cottage all weekend was probably a bad idea.

She gave his arm one last squeeze before heading back inside.

“She’s my whole world,” she said over her shoulder. “Please don’t let her become yours in the wrong way,” Valyn warned.

“Val!”, Madden called after her. “Let’s do that. Put me in the house with the male cousins this weekend.”

Val didn’t need to hear an explanation. She already knew. She nodded and gave a brief smile before heading off to the house.

Madden stayed on the ground sitting by the saddle long after she was gone, staring into the dark fields, realizing that someone else had finally seen the truth he and Poppi had tried so desperately to ignore.