by Cindy Kirk
With her arms raised high, she did a circular happy dance, complete with hip bumps.
“My cards are gone,” Beck admitted.
“All our cards are gone,” Ami confirmed. “Little sister has won it all.”
“We’ll have to do this again.” Beck’s comment earned him a sunny smile from his wife.
“Get the four of us together,” he quickly clarified. “Not play the game.”
“I’d think you’d want to try again.” Max plastered an innocent expression on his face. “Make up for that earlier Snap error.”
“I swear Ami turned over a king,” Beck insisted.
His wife patted his hand. “A ten looks a lot like a king.”
Max snorted.
Prim elbowed him in the ribs. “Be nice.”
Max just grinned and looped an arm around Prim’s shoulders. He agreed with Beck. They definitely had to do this again.
“Time for coffee and dessert,” Ami announced.
Though it wasn’t particularly cold outside, Beck turned on the gas log—without the heat—in the parlor. With Prim’s assistance, Ami brought out the tray of apple crisp, topped with real whipped cream, and coffee.
Beck and Ami confiscated the love seat while Max sat beside Prim on the ornate long sofa in a muted gold-silk-and-burgundy pattern.
Taking a sip of the strong chicory blend, Max relaxed against the soft fabric.
Beck set down his cup and leaned forward. Resting his forearms on his thighs, he leveled a gaze at Max. “What are your intentions toward Prim?”
Prim inhaled sharply.
Thankfully, Max had just swallowed his coffee or he might have spat it out all over the elegant cocktail table with the ornately carved legs and feet.
“Beck.” Ami’s tone held a low warning her husband ignored.
“I was just practicing for when we have little girls.” Beck picked up the dessert plate, not even trying to hide his grin. “Gets quite a reaction.” Ami rolled her eyes.
Max thought he saw a look of longing on Prim’s face, but it was gone so quickly he might have imagined it. But he could visualize their baby girl quite easily. She’d be as pretty as her mother, with strawberry-blond hair and Prim’s beautiful hazel eyes.
“Got quite the reaction out of this guy.” Beck jerked a thumb in Max’s direction.
The devilish gleam in Beck’s eyes had Max trying to recall just what he might have said or done that might be the cause of this unexpected bout of torture.
“You and Prim have been friends for a long time. Ami and I started out as friends, too.” Beck linked his fingers with his wife’s, then brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Look how that ended up.”
“Anyone want more coffee?” Ami shot her sister an apologetic smile. She obviously hadn’t fully regained her equilibrium, as she’d just poured them full cups only moments before.
“Thank you, Ami.” Prim took a long sip out of her cup, emptying half. “I’d love more.”
“I’m excited for the twins to be back,” Ami chattered, shooting her husband a cautioning look. “That’s tomorrow, right?”
“Unless Deb and Mike decide to keep them longer.”
Max shot Prim a look. “Would they do that?”
“They’d call and ask, of course. But with them . . .” She scooped up a bite of apple crisp. “You just never know.”
“Did she bring up the urn when you were there?” Ami turned to the guys. “Deb always brings up the urn.”
Prim shifted uncomfortably. “Not this time.”
Beck cocked his head. “The urn with Rory’s ashes?”
“That’s the one.” Ami appeared oblivious to her sister’s discomfort. “Not this Christmas, but the one before that, she gave Prim this attractive marble cube. We couldn’t figure out what it was for until Deb told us.”
Ami took a sip of coffee and shook her head.
“What was it for?” Beck asked the question poised on the tip of Max’s tongue.
“She wanted some of Rory’s ashes.” Prim’s tone was as flat as her eyes.
“She’s determined to put him in their family burial plot.” Ami stopped, appearing for the first time to notice her sister’s expression. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“You didn’t.” Prim smiled. “Were you able to find out when Fin would be back in the States?”
Max set down his cup and pushed to his feet. “If you ladies will excuse us, Beck wanted to show me what he has planned for one of the upstairs bedrooms.”
Obviously puzzled, Ami turned to her husband. “Which bedroom?”
“Ah, the green one.” Beck stood, bent over, and kissed his wife softly on the lips.
“I don’t know of any plans,” Ami said, still looking confused.
“I thought I’d run them by Max, see what he thought.”
Ami’s gaze shifted between her husband and Max. A look of understanding filled her eyes. She turned back to her sister as Beck led the way upstairs.
“What’s this about?” Beck asked.
At least the guy was smart enough to wait until they were out of earshot to speak, Max thought. If only he’d shown the same common restraint downstairs.
“I thought Ami and Prim needed some time alone.” Max climbed the stairs. “Talking about Rory’s ashes made Prim uncomfortable.”
“I wonder if it was just talking about the ashes that bothered her.” Beck stepped into the upstairs parlor but made no move to sit. “Or talking about them with you present?”
Max had wondered the same thing. He didn’t like the idea that there might be some things Prim wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing with him. Yet he had to admit, something about her clinging so tightly to Rory’s ashes disturbed him.
“I’m in love with Prim,” Max confided in a matter-of-fact tone.
Beck slapped him on the back. “’Bout time you admitted it.”
Though he wanted to scowl, Max kept his expression even. “I believe we can go the distance. But—”
“But what?” Beck prompted.
“Rory.” Max raked fingers through his hair. “You’ve heard the stories. He and Prim had this fairy-tale thing going. Childhood sweethearts, married right out of college.”
A shadow passed over Beck’s face.
Too late Max realized that particular scenario was all too familiar to Beckett Cross.
Beck had led that fairy-tale life until a car accident had claimed his pregnant wife’s life and that of their unborn son. Yet Max found hope in the knowledge that his friend had been able to find happiness with Ami.
“Ami said something about Prim not being interested in marrying again until her boys were grown.” Beck’s tone was casual, his face expressionless.
“That’s what she said.” Max kept his tone equally casual. “She also said she wasn’t interested in dating. She’s changed her mind on that, she may change her mind on the other.”
“It’s hard.” Beck shifted his gaze to the fireplace, where the hearth sat cold and dark. “There’s a lot of guilt when you think about moving on with your life. It can feel like a betrayal, as if you didn’t love them enough. It’s not logical, but emotions aren’t usually logical.”
“Some people never get past that point.” Max thought of his mother. “Or maybe there’s only that one person for them and no one else will ever be enough.”
“That’s rare.” Beck turned and rested his back against the stone. “More than likely the person won’t-—can’t—let go of the past.”
Max exhaled a ragged breath, scrubbed his face with his hands. “Love sucks.”
Beck gave a little laugh. “The rewards of finding someone who makes your life complete is worth the pain of the journey.”
“I’m not sure how the journey will end, but I can tell you one thing.” Max met his friend’s gaze. “I won’t be the one getting off the bus first.”
Chapter Nineteen
Max found himself humming a
long with the radio on the short drive to the Garden of Eden. The second he pulled up, his mother appeared, red heels clicking on the concrete.
Vanessa put her briefcase on the backseat next to his before sliding in the front. “I wondered when you’d get here.”
Max glanced at the clock on the dash. Nine o’clock. “I recall saying I’d swing by to pick you up around nine.”
She gave a laugh, smoothed her hair. “Sorry. I guess I’m a little nervous.”
It showed, he thought, as it so rarely did. For today’s visit to the Internal Revenue Service in Green Bay, his mother had pulled her blond hair back in a chignon and worn a suit. Still, no dark and conservative for his mom. The suit was fire engine red and cut in a way to enhance her figure.
Though she would turn fifty on her next birthday, Vanessa had the figure and face of a woman half her age. Her beauty and vivacious personality were two of the reasons she never lacked for male attention.
“I swung by the café and grabbed a couple of coffees to go.” He pointed to the cup holders. “The one in the front is yours. Cream and sugar already added.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” She lifted the cup and took a sip, smiled. “How’d you know I’d need this?”
“A visit to the IRS office can make anyone a caffeine addict.” Max smiled. “Just remember we have receipts for all the deductions they want to look at, so the interview should be brief.”
“What if they want receipts for other deductions?”
“If they needed us to bring those, they’d have let us know.” He slanted her an assessing glance as he pulled onto Highway 42. “The thing to do in these situations is to only give them what they ask for. Also, don’t volunteer any information. If you’re asked a question, answer it but don’t overexplain. Does that make sense?”
“I understand.” She gave a little laugh. “Look, just speaking of the appointment has my hands trembling. By the time we reach Green Bay, I’m going to be a real mess.”
His mother always kept her cool. To see her stressed over an appointment when they had their bases covered didn’t make sense.
“Then we won’t talk about it.” Max kept his tone calm and matter-of-fact, trying not to show his surprise. “Tell me what’s new. Dating anyone?”
“That was going to be my next question for you.”
Max smiled. “I asked first.”
“As a matter of fact, I am seeing someone.” There was an odd note in her voice he didn’t recognize. “Actually, I’ve been seeing him for a while now.”
“Is it serious?”
This time her laugh was full and robust. “Honey, with two failed marriages and too many bad relationships to count, serious is not a word in my vocabulary.”
He waited for her to elaborate, but when she didn’t Max was forced to come up with some questions. Either that or face having the tables turned and being interrogated by her. “Who is he? Do I know him?”
She didn’t immediately respond and he noticed the heightened color in her cheeks.
Vanessa Eden never blushed.
This was getting more interesting by the moment.
“Mom?”
“His last name is Vogele.”
The name rang a distant bell. “Organic farming? A place outside of Egg Harbor?”
Vanessa took a sip of coffee. “That’s him.”
Did the Adam Vogele he was thinking of have a father? It was possible. After all, everyone had a father. But Max seemed to recall this Adam moving to the area about ten years ago. Had his dad come with him? “Tall, rangy guy? Dark hair?”
“Sounds as if you know him.”
She appeared dazed at the thought.
“I don’t think so. The guy I’m thinking of is thirty-three, thirty-four, tops. Beck’s age.”
“Yes. That’s him.”
“Okay, ha-ha, great joke.” He chuckled. “Now tell me who it is that you’re really seeing.”
“I’m still in my forties, Max.” A testiness filled her voice. “Fifteen years isn’t that much of a difference.”
She was serious. He passed another mile marker before he found his voice. “Ah, how long have you and Adam been seeing each other?”
“Since Easter.”
“Three months. Wow. For you that’s long-term.”
She shot him a withering look and punched him in the shoulder. “Mind your manners.”
“I’m just giving you a hard time. If he makes you happy, I’m all for it.”
Her fingers twisted together in her lap. “It’s not going anywhere.”
“Who knows?” Max kept his tone light. “Adam could be the one.”
“No.” His mother’s tone was subdued. “Your father was the one. I’ve spent the past twenty years searching for that same special something with other men, but I’ve finally come to the realization that Brian and I were soul mates. There is no one else.”
“There could be someone else out there. Maybe you just haven’t found him yet.” Max wasn’t sure why he was pushing. He just knew it felt important she agree.
“You’ll understand when you fall in love. When you give your heart to someone, fully and completely, it no longer belongs to you. It’s no longer available to give to someone else.”
“You told me you loved Richard. I don’t think you ever loved Todd, but Richard was different.”
Max had liked most of the men his mother had dated or married. But stepdad number two had been his favorite and the one he’d missed the most.
Richard’s leaving was the reason for his vow not to casually date a woman with children. He thought of Callum and Connor. The closer he and Prim got, the more they’d be hurt if he walked away. But he wouldn’t walk away. That was the difference.
“I loved all three of my husbands in my own way.” She sighed heavily. “But my heart still belonged to Brian. It wasn’t free to give. Adam and I have fun. We’re enjoying the rocket ride. When the soaring stops, we’ll part friends.”
“If that works for you, I’m happy,” Max said at last.
“I understand Primrose now lives next door to you.”
Funny you should mention her. Did you know we’re dating?
The words were on the tip of his tongue until he pulled them. Max’s relationship with Prim wasn’t something they planned to keep private, but he knew if he brought it up, he’d be peppered with questions—and motherly advice—the entire drive.
Sometimes, he thought, complete disclosure carried too high a price. “Prim moved right around the time of Ami and Beck’s wedding. How do you know where Prim lives?”
“This is Good Hope. Actually, she stopped by the nursery to buy some perennials a week or so ago.” Vanessa’s voice warmed. “She’s grown into such a beautiful young woman. Those boys of hers are adorable.”
“They’re good kids,” Max agreed, since she seemed to be expecting some sort of response.
“I have such admiration for her.” His mother’s voice was steady now. “And I feel such an affinity with her.”
“Because you both had sons at a young age?” That made sense to him. It also made Max feel good to know that his mother liked Prim.
“Not that, although I’m sure it’s part of it.” Vanessa expelled a breath. “No, Prim and I both met and married our soul mates at a young age. We understand what it’s like to truly be a one-man woman.”
“Mommy.” The twins tumbled from the car and ran straight into Prim’s waiting arms.
She hugged them tight as Boris barked his welcome. They hadn’t been gone all that long but it felt like years. Planting a kiss on the top of each red head, she stepped back and studied the two. “You look like you’ve grown a couple of inches since I last saw you.”
“Grandpa Mike took us to the park and Grandma Deb gave us ice cream with a cherry on top,” Connor announced.
Callum tugged at Prim’s arm. “I kicked the ball into the net three times.”
“Wow.” Prim grinned. “Sounds like you had fun.”
�
��We missed you.” Connor had dropped down to his knees and slung an arm around the dog’s neck. “And Boris, too.”
“Connor.” Deb stepped forward then, looking cool and put together in oatmeal-colored linen pants and a white silk blouse. “You’re going to get grass stains on your jeans.”
“There’s Mr. Brody.” Callum waved his hands wildly. “Hi, Mr. Brody. We’re back.”
Max, who’d been watering a patch of flowers with a hose, waved back. “Good to have you back, boys.”
“He’s our coach,” Connor told his grandparents.
“And he lives next door,” Callum added.
After spending the night with Max, Prim had gotten up extra early. She wanted to be dressed and ready whenever her in-laws and children arrived.
Deb’s gaze sharpened but she said nothing.
“Always good to have a coach next door.” Mike stepped forward and gave Prim a hug. “We enjoyed having the boys at our house. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. Thanks for taking such good care of them.” She stepped back, studied a face that was still remarkably unlined despite the years and the sorrow. “You know, Mike, whenever I look at you, I see Rory. And now, as they grow older, I see his sons in you.”
Tears welled in Deb’s eyes.
“That’s kind of you to say.” Mike cleared his throat. “Deb and I were just commenting this weekend how much the boys are starting to look like Rory. Except for the red hair, of course.”
“I had to contribute something.” Prim touched his arm and offered a teasing smile. “Come inside. Have some coffee. I’ve got scones, too. Baked fresh this morning.”
“I don’t know if we have time. We’re meeting friends in Ephraim.” Deb hesitated. “It’s their fortieth wedding anniversary and—”
“We have time for coffee with our daughter-in-law,” Mike told her. “The party isn’t until this evening.”
Deb nodded. “Coffee and a scone would be nice.”
Prim waved to Max as she ushered her in-laws inside. The boys and dog made a beeline through the house straight to the backyard.
Instead of Deb moving immediately to the kitchen, she paused in the living area, her gaze settling on the urn.
