Page 56 of Mountain Dreams

“Yeah, right. You saw an opportunity and grabbed it.”

“If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police,” Maddie warned him.

“Stop acting like a jerk. I was just helping her,” Cody said.

Wyatt shook his head. “Helping her into your bed, you mean.”

Cody’s arm shot out, almost of its own volition, and Wyatt fell to the floor with a thud.

“Ohmigod!” Maddie cried, rushing forward.

Wyatt stared up at him with a stunned expression and rubbed his jaw where Cody’s fist had landed.

“Are you okay?” Maddie said.

She leaned over to take a closer look, but Cody stepped in front of her. “He’s fine.” He offered Wyatt a hand up, and to everyone’s surprise, Wyatt accepted it.

“I probably deserved that,” he said, rubbing his jaw some more.

“Yeah, you did,” Cody muttered.

“I’ll get some ice,” Maddie said and hurried into the kitchen.

After she left, Cody took the opportunity to set Wyatt straight.

“Any more accusations, and we’re no longer friends. You got that?”

Wyatt slowly nodded, looking like it pained him in more ways than one.

“For the record, I didn’t mean to hit you.”

Wyatt nodded again as Maddie reappeared with a plastic bag of ice.

“Here,” she said, handing it to Wyatt.

“Thanks.” He put it to his face and winced.

“I think we’re done here,” Cody said.

“I’ll let you know when I’m coming for the rest of my things,” said Maddie.

“Yeah, okay.” Wyatt gave them one last look and then shuffled out the door.

Cody’s relief at his departure was short-lived. No sooner had the door clicked shut than Maddie turned on him, hands on hips.

“What the hell was that?” she said.

He was shocked, mostly because he’d never heard her swear before. “You were here. You heard what he accused me of.”

“So you had to punch him?”

“It was just a tap,” he said, hoping to lighten the mood.

She wasn’t having it, though. “He fell to the ground, and his jaw was bleeding.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

She shook her head. “Men and their stupid egos!”