Brothers Ink Tattoo (Complete Box Set #1-4)

by Nicole James

  “It’s none of your fucking business.”

  “I’m making it my business.” Max pointed toward the street. “From this moment on, that boy will never sit on a curb outside a bar again; he’ll never wait alone at night for a drunken father to come home; he’ll never open the door to an empty refrigerator again. And do you know why? Because he’s coming home with me, where he’ll be fed and clothed and loved. And you’re not going to do a damn thing to stop me. You know why? Because you like to drink, and you like to have that government check to do it on. You push it, I’ll make sure he’s taken from you legally, and all those checks will stop. So, if I were you, I’d be glad someone was taking care of him; take the checks and leave it be.”

  “He’s my son.”

  “Not anymore. You want to get help for your alcoholism, I’ll be glad to help you. But if you come to my door and try to take Ben, you’ll have to go through me. You ain’t gettin’ that boy back. Over my dead body…or maybe yours.”

  Then Max slapped a fifty on the bar and growled at the bartender who was looking at Ben’s father with distaste. “His drinks are on me. Pour him another.”

  Ben’s father did exactly what Max knew he’d do; he pushed his glass forward for the bartender.

  Max stalked toward the door, knowing the man would never give him any trouble that couldn’t be bought off with some drinking money. If he were a betting man, he’d bet the guy would drink himself to death before too long.

  A man at the end of the bar stood and started clapping as Max walked past, and before he made it to the door, the whole bar was applauding him.

  ***

  Malee stood when Max came back out.

  We’re taking him home with us, Malee. I can’t leave him with that man any longer.

  She wasn’t sure what had happened in the bar, but if this was the boy he’d told her about so long ago, then she supported his decision, and she was so proud of her husband at that moment.

  He knelt and spoke to the boy in low tones. Ben looked back over his shoulder toward the bar for a moment, then nodded and slipped his hand in Max’s. Together they walked to the truck.

  ***

  Max pulled down the gravel drive.

  He parked and looked over his shoulder at Ben buckled in the backseat. He signed as he spoke. “Ben, when there’s a lady in the car, a gentleman goes around and opens the door for her. Do you want to see how it’s done?”

  Ben nodded, slurping down the last of his milkshake. They’d stopped at a drive-thru and fed him. Meals out were something this child was probably never treated to.

  Max winked at Malee, then climbed out of his side. He opened the door for Ben and helped him out, then said, “Okay, buddy. Watch this.”

  He opened the door for Malee and held his hand out for her. She slipped her hand in his as he helped her down out of the truck, and then Max shut the door.

  “Simple, right?”

  Ben nodded.

  “What other doors do we open for ladies?”

  Ben frowned, then pointed at the door to the farmhouse.

  “That’s right. Would you like to hold the door for her?”

  He nodded and ran up the porch steps to hold the screen door open. Once they were in the kitchen, Max squatted down in front of Ben. “Hey, buddy. You’re Dad said he didn’t mind if you stayed with us for a while. Would you like that? I’ll show you all kinds of cool stuff around the place.”

  “I guess so.”

  “You can even stay in my old room. You want to see it?”

  Ben nodded excitedly.

  Max stood and held his hand out to the boy and took him upstairs.

  Max had a big bed covered in a navy blue comforter. There was a dresser with an old football on top and a stack of MMA and tattoo magazines. The room was a basic white that hadn’t been painted since the boys were young.

  “What do you think, Ben? Would you be okay sleeping in here tonight?”

  “I guess so.”

  “You know, now that I’m married, no one uses this room anymore. How would you like to make it yours?”

  “But I have a room at my house.”

  “I know, son. But this could be your room when you stay with us. You could even put some posters up and maybe we could paint it a different color. Would you like that?”

  He shrugged. “I guess.”

  Max picked up the football and sat on the mattress tossing it in the air. “I talked to your dad, Ben. We just thought maybe you’d like to stay here with us, since your dad is gone a lot of the time. Then you wouldn’t have to be alone so much. And I sure could use a helper around the place.”

  Ben sat on the mattress next to Max and stared at the floor. “What about my dad?”

  “Well, I think he’ll be spending a lot of time out, trying to find a good job, and if he knew you were safe here and we were taking good care of you, he wouldn’t worry about you.”

  Ben looked up at Max with earnest eyes. “Is my dad worried about me?”

  “I’m sure he doesn’t like leaving you alone, Ben.”

  “But I have Mrs. Larsen.”

  “I know you do, but she doesn’t live with you.”

  “But, who will look after her if I’m gone? I have to go home and check on her. She needs someone. I can’t leave her.”

  “I have her phone number. Would you like to talk to her? Then maybe tomorrow we could go see her. How would that be?”

  Ben nodded. “Okay.”

  Max pulled his phone out. “Give me a minute to talk to her first, okay buddy?”

  “Sure.”

  Max passed him the football. “You want to hold onto this for me?”

  Ben grinned and nodded.

  Max stood. “If you want to lie on the bed and toss it in the air, that would be okay. But no shoes on the bed, okay?”

  Practically before the words were out of Max’s mouth, Ben was toeing his sneakers off and scooting back to plop on the big bed. Max grinned and walked downstairs.

  Taking a seat at the kitchen table, he called Mrs. Larsen. After he explained the situation to her, he signed to Malee to go upstairs and get Ben.

  A couple of minutes later, Ben skipped into the room holding Malee’s hand. Max passed him the phone. While they talked, Max pulled Malee aside and signed to her, appreciating the fact that he could talk in front of Ben without him knowing what was said.

  He’s worried about Mrs. Larsen.

  Malee frowned. Is she the elderly woman who lives next door to him? The one you said looked out for him?

  Yes. He feels like he needs to be there to take care of her.

  That’s so sweet. She looks out for him, and he thinks it’s the other way around.

  I told him we could take him to see her tomorrow.

  Malee nodded. I think that’s a good idea. What did he say about his father?

  Not much. He was concerned his father might be worried about him. I didn’t exactly explain that he was moving in here for good. I don’t want to drop that on him all at once. I figured we’d take it day by day and see how he does.

  Malee nodded. He’s an adorable boy.

  I’m sorry. I should have discussed all this with you.

  It’s okay. You did the right thing.

  Max looked over at Ben, then back at Malee. We’re starting a family, just not the way I’d imagined.

  She grinned up at him. Have I told you lately how much I love you?

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Max stood on the porch with Malee and Ben, who proudly held a box of donuts. Max knocked on the wooden door. A moment later, Mrs. Larsen answered. She bent and hugged Ben, who held the box out to her.

  “We brought you donuts, Miz Larsen.”

  “You did? Why thank you! Aren’t you sweet? Did you help pick them out?”

  He nodded.

  She handed him back the box. “Well, go put them on the table, and I’ll get us all some plates.”

  He ran off to do her bidding, yelling, “I’ll get th
em down. I know where they are!”

  Max watched as Ben ran through the small house to the kitchen, set the box down on the mint green Formica table, and pulled a chair across the linoleum floor to the cabinet. He climbed up and opened an upper cupboard.

  “I’m so glad you’re taking care of him,” the older woman said, turning back to Max. “Come in, please.”

  Max and Malee stepped inside. He signed as he said, “Mrs. Larsen, this is my wife, Malee. She’s deaf, so I’ll have to translate for you, but she can speak.”

  “How do you do?” Malee said, extending her hand.

  “I’m so pleased to meet you,” Mrs. Larsen replied. She looked to Max. “I’m glad you told me what happened. And I’m so happy you stepped in. How was Ben last night?”

  “He was fine, but he was worried about you.”

  “That dear boy.”

  Max put his arm around Malee. “We have something we’d like to talk to you about.”

  Mrs. Larsen nodded. “Well let’s go sit at the table, and I’ll make a pot of coffee.”

  They moved to the kitchen, and Ben served them all donuts like he was a waiter. They laughed as he took such pride in asking them which kind they wanted, and carrying the plates to them.

  Mrs. Larsen soon carried mugs of coffee over. “Ben, there’s some milk in the refrigerator. Can you pour yourself a glass?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ben, you say, ‘yes, ma’am’, remember?” Max instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Mrs. Larsen beamed. “Why, such manners! I’m so proud of you, Ben.”

  He opened the refrigerator and got out a half-gallon carton.

  “Be careful not to spill,” Mrs. Larsen reminded him.

  “I will.”

  When he was seated at the table and they were halfway through their donuts, Max took a sip of coffee and set his mug down. “Mrs. Larsen, Malee and I have a proposition for you.”

  “A proposition? What kind?”

  “Ben is going to be staying with us for a while, and we sure could use some help taking care of him while we are both at work. We were wondering if you’d be interested in the job.”

  “I don’t mind watching little Ben at all. You don’t have to pay me.”

  “You don’t understand. We want to offer you room and board. We’d like to move you out to the farmhouse. It’s a big house with plenty of space. You’d have your own room. And in exchange, you could help take care of Ben.”

  “But I already have this place.”

  Max nodded. “I know. I was thinking maybe you could sell this house or rent it out for an added income.”

  Mrs. Larsen toyed nervously with the handle of her coffee mug. “Well, I don’t know.”

  “Ben would love for you to come,” Max insisted.

  “Pleeease!” Ben begged. “I don’t want you to be lonely here all by yourself without me.”

  Mrs. Larsen smiled at the boy and reached over and patted his cheek. “I would miss you, Ben, but I don’t know. Moving… that’s a big step.”

  “Would you come out to the farm to at least see the place?”

  Ben sat on his chair, swinging his feet back and forth. “Yeah, you have to come see my new room! Please!”

  “Well, I suppose I could do that.”

  Max reached across the table and covered her frail hand with his. “He needs you, Mrs. Larsen. I’m not sure this will work without you there.”

  She nodded and looked around her aging, dilapidated home. “I suppose a change would be nice.”

  Max and Malee both grinned at each other, and Max said, “I think that’s a yes, Ben.”

  Ben put his fists in the air and screamed, “Yay!”

  ***

  As spring rolled into summer, they all settled into a routine. Mrs. Larsen had a room on the first floor that made it easier for her not to have to climb the stairs too often. She took over a majority of the cooking, something she was good at, to the great appreciation of everyone.

  She soon had the home running like a well-oiled machine. Ben would come home from school on the bus each afternoon, and they would sit at the kitchen table having milk and cookies. Then Ben would sit and do any homework he had.

  Max had found a Grad student from the local university to rent out her home for the summer. That gave them enough time to see if this arrangement was going to work out for all of them.

  So far, it was working out great. Ben was happier than Max had ever seen him. Once in a while he’d ask about his father. The man had even come by to the farm one Sunday. Ben had been happy to see him, but also almost leery that he was there to take him away.

  They’d invited him to dinner. He’d made the best of it, struggling through the meal and attempting small talk, but by dessert, Max could see he was itching for a drink. In the end, he’d asked Max for money.

  Max was leery of setting a precedent of becoming a weekly handout, but he gave him a twenty, and Liam gave him a lift back into town.

  Ben seemed a little sad to see him go, and Max felt compelled to offer the weekly standing invitation to Sunday dinner. He’d nodded, saying he’d like that, but had only been back once, on Ben’s birthday.

  After that, Ben didn’t talk about him much. It seemed he’d adjusted well to his new surroundings, thriving even. With the fresh air and regular meals, he’d already grown an inch, and Max and Malee planned to take him shopping for new clothes.

  In the evenings, they’d rock on chairs on the front porch or around a bonfire in the backyard. If Rory was around, he’d play his guitar, and they’d all sing and toast marshmallows.

  Life was good.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Max, Malee, her mother, and sister sat in the audiologist’s office. Max felt it was important that her family be here for this day—the day Malee’s implants would be turned on, and she would be able to hear for the first time.

  Although her father had basically disowned her, Malee’s mother and sister still kept a relationship with her. Max knew it caused tension at the restaurant, but he was happy they stood up to him in this matter and came. Keit stayed behind to help with the restaurant, but her mother and sister insisted on coming, even if it was going to cause the restaurant to be closed for a day. This was too important of a day.

  The audiologist was a sweet young woman named Stacy, who was great with her patients. Malee sat near her, and Max sat in a chair a few feet away. Max’s eyes moved over his wife whom he loved so much. She wore a lavender tank that dipped at the neckline to reveal a black tube top underneath, jeans, and flip-flops, her legs crossed at the ankles, one foot bouncing nervously. Her purse sat on the tile floor at her feet. There was a cord attached to her ear from the computer that the audiologist worked at as they mapped out the device.

  “Our voices will sound very loud to her, like we’re shouting, so talk softly.” Stacy signed as she talked so that Malee could understand her until the device started working. She spoke very slowly, one word at a time. “Okay. So, Malee, I’m going to turn the volume up and up until you hear my voice.”

  She nodded, then jumped and made a face like it was painfully too loud, like a squelch in her ear. “Loud.”

  “Hang on. Hang on.” She made some adjustments. “Can you hear me now?”

  “Loud squeaking is all I hear.”

  “Do you hear me talking?” she said, signing as well.

  Malee shook her head, and the audiologist made some adjustments on her computer.

  “How about right there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You can hear me talking?”

  Malee nodded, smiling. She pointed at Stacy, an excited look on her face.

  “Can you hear my voice?”

  She nodded and laughed.

  “You can? Okay.”

  Malee’s face scrunched up, and she wiped tears off her cheeks.

  The audiologist grabbed a box of tissues off her desk. “Okay. I’m going to pass these around because I think we’re al
l going to need them.”

  Malee, her mother, and sister all took one.

  “Okay, Malee. How about right there?”

  “Yeah.” Her eyes got big. “I hear myself, too.”

  “Great! Does my voice sound really squeaky?”

  “Yes,” she replied, nodding and rubbing her leg nervously.

  “Do you hear anything else?”

  “A sh-sh-sh.” Malee pointed at the ceiling fan and the overhead lighting. “The fan maybe. And the lights make noise. A humming. I didn’t know the lights made noise.”

  “Can you hear out of both sides?”

  “Yes.”

  “How does it sound?”

  “It sounds very high.”

  Stacy smiled. “It will sound high at first. It won’t always sound that way. Your brain will start to adjust it for you.”

  Malee nodded.

  “I’m going to say the months of the year. I want you to tell me how the volume is, okay?” Stacy recited all the months and then asked, “Did you understand the words?”

  Malee nodded excitedly. “Yes.”

  “Okay. So what I was telling Max before was that your right ear had no hearing…and your left just a tiny bit.”

  She nodded.

  “Now giving you hearing like this is almost like normal hearing, but you’re hearing in an electronic way of hearing.”

  “That’s what it feels like.”

  “Yeah. So it’s kind of like this machine quality to the sound. It takes a little bit for your brain to adjust to the sounds. Once it does adjust, it will not sound like this. But that’s why it’s going to take some time for your brain to understand what you’re hearing. Okay?”

  Malee nodded again.

  “So…it may sound loud, but by Monday, when I see you again we’re going to do that same thing we did before where you hear the beep and you raise your hand.”

  Malee nodded.

  “It’ll be different, so not the perfect map yet, but it will get us there, okay?”

  Malee nodded.

  “So…does it sound too soft?”

  “No.”

  “Does it sound like I’m shouting?”

  She nodded vigorously. “Yes.”