Breanne shrugged her shoulders.
“This is a game to you, isn’t it?” Max’s tone of voice caused everybody to look his way.
“Max,” his mother said. “If Breanne doesn’t want to talk to him, so be it.”
“Fine,” Max said, pointing a finger at his sister. “But don’t ask us to do your dirty work. Now that your brothers-in-law have talked to him, the poor kid is scared shitless.”
Breanne’s eyes popped. “What did you do to him?”
Fred scoffed. “Dan and I merely set him straight about a few things. You know, about changing diapers and the mess they make and all the crying that goes on.”
All three of Max’s sisters glared at him.
Fred raised his hands. “What? It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“Tell them what you told Joey about sex,” Max added with a smile on his face.
“You talked about our sex life?” Sally wanted to know.
“No, of course not. Fred and I just told him he wouldn’t be getting any for a while.”
Sally shook her head and turned to Breanne. “I’m so sorry. You’ve probably lost Joey for good now.”
“Hey, everybody. I’m here! Let the party begin.”
And here Max thought the drama might be winding down. Not even close. Yet another of Max’s sisters, Nicole, made a grand entrance, wearing three-inch heels, a mini skirt, and an unbuttoned blouse tied at the waist, revealing a red pushup bra underneath.
Max walked over to Kari. “That’s Nicole, number three sister. She lost her boyfriend in a tragic accident. She’s been wandering from place to place ever since, trying to make sense of life.”
“Out of all the sisters, she looks the most like you.”
Nicole hugged Fred and Dan and then approached Max.
“I’ve missed you,” he said as he drew Nicole into his arms.
She pulled away first.
“Good to have you home.”
Kari stood and offered her hand. “Hi. I’m Kari Murphy, a friend.”
Max smiled. “She’s been helping me learn to eat right. In fact, there are plenty of soybean hamburgers left in the refrigerator.”
“I’ll get something later.” Nicole kept her gaze locked on Kari. “Are you two dating?”
“No,” Kari said.
Max sighed. “I’m working on it.”
“You look familiar,” Nicole said to Kari. “Have we met before?”
“She used to live in Roseville,” Max explained. “She graduated the same year as Sally.”
“Interesting.” Nicole looked about. Her gaze fell on her mother who hadn’t bothered to get up to greet her, but instead watched from afar. “What’s wrong with Mom?”
“I think she’s just soaking it all in,” Max said.
“I better get going,” Kari said. “My daughter wasn’t feeling well this morning when I left and I really should get home to check on her.”
“You have a daughter?” Nicole asked. “Are you married?”
“No. It’s just me and Molly.”
“Cool.” Nicole chewed on her bottom lip for a moment and said, “Well, I guess I’ll go say hi to Mom. It was nice meeting you.”
“Likewise.”
After Kari said goodbye to everyone, Max walked her to her car. “Your family’s great,” she said. “I enjoyed meeting all of them, but I think I’ll give you a few days to visit before I come back to finish your training.”
“They’re all going to Disneyland on Wednesday and I’ll be boiled in oil before I go to Disneyland with the lot of them, so how about Wednesday?”
She smiled. “Okay, I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
“Didn’t you have something important you wanted to tell me?”
“It’s getting late and you have family to entertain. “We’ll talk another time.”
When they reached her car, he reached out a hand and brushed strands of hair out of her eyes. “You’re beautiful,” he said. “When you’re around...I feel happy.”
She blushed.
“The second I saw you in Dr. Stone’s office I knew there was something special about you.”
“You don’t know me, Max.”
“Well, that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. I want to get to know you.”
When she frowned, he lifted his hands in surrender. “No strings attached. To prove how serious I am, I promise to keep my hands off of you until our working relationship is over. After that, you can decide for yourself if you want to go out with me.”
“Max, I—”
He put a finger to her lips. “Just think about it.” He kissed her forehead and then opened her car door so she could climb in. The moment she drove off, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. Joey was right. He wasn’t a one woman kind of guy...never had been. So why did he keep trying to convince Kari that she was the one for him? Was it the chase that intrigued him? Were the tabloids right about him?
Shit. One minute he was begging for her to give him a chance, and in the next he felt as if he wanted to run away. He shook his head as walked back up the flagstone stairs, through the door, and up yet another flight of stairs to his bedroom. He grabbed the keys to his motorcycle, hoping a little speed on his bike would shake things up and help him figure things out.
His mother was waiting for him at the landing.
“I’m going out for a while,” he told her. “Tell everybody to find a room and make themselves at home.”
“You haven’t had a chance to visit with Nicole.”
“She can hardly look at me without seeming as if she wants to either cry or bite my head off.”
“That’s not true. She’s here, isn’t she?”
“And I’ll be back before anybody knows I ever left.”
He grabbed the door handle.
“How serious are you about that woman?”
He looked over his shoulder. That woman? “Do you mean Kari?”
“Yes, Kari.”
“If you have something to say, mother, then by all means, say it.”
“I noticed the way you watch her, that’s all. And Breanne keeps talking about how smitten you are with the girl, and I guess I just found it all curious.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “And why is that?”
“She’s not your type for one thing.”
“And what sort of woman is my type?”
“She’s sort of quiet, don’t you think?”
“Never crossed my mind. She might have been a little nervous meeting everyone at once, but everybody else seemed to enjoy her company. What is wrong with you? Are you jealous, Mom?”
She made a tsking noise. “Don’t be silly. Why would I be jealous? I just think a special guy deserves an extra special girl. I want you to be happy.”
“Mom. Go back outside and visit with your kids. You sit in the background and watch everyone all day, but you never join in.” He pointed down the hall and toward the doors leading to the pool. “Now go.”
“You’re not going to ride that horrible bike, are you? I thought the franchise forbid you to ride it.”
“Go.” He didn’t wait for her to leave, he just turned and left, shutting the door firmly behind him.
#
“Where’s, Mom?”
Lindsay snapped awake and glanced at the clock. It was eleven o’clock at night. She’d been reading a book in the living room when she dozed off. She looked at Molly. “Your mom should be home any minute now. How are you feeling?”
“Not so good.”
“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”
“Everywhere. Especially right here.” She put her hand over her heart.
Lindsay sat up. “Your chest hurts?”
“Just when I breathe.”
“How bad. Should we go to the hospital?”
“No,” Molly said, stopping Lindsay from getting up. “A doctor can’t help me.”
Lindsay narrowed her eyes. “What’s really wrong with you? You’re not sick at all, ar
e you?”
Molly didn’t answer.
Lindsay didn’t like to keep secrets from Kari, but she knew Molly wouldn’t talk unless she promised not to tell Kari they talked. “Come on,” Lindsay said, patting the seat on the couch next to her. “Spill the beans.”
“You won’t tell Mom we talked?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Hope to die?”
“Yeah, sure. Hope to die. Now spit it out.”
Molly sat down. “I heard you and Mom talking last night.”
Lindsay tried to think...and it didn’t take long. Holy crap. It registered as she recalled the conversation about Mad Max being Molly’s father. Suddenly, Lindsay felt sick, too. “I thought you were in the shower.”
“There wasn’t any soap, so I went to Mom’s room to look for some.”
“And you heard everything?”
Molly nodded and took a seat next to Lindsay.
“I’m sorry.” Lindsay took Molly into her arms and held her tight.
“Why would she keep something like that from me?”
“She was only doing what she felt was best.”
“I’ve never felt this way about Mom before, but right now I hate her.”
Lindsay pulled back so she could look into Molly’s eyes. “Hate is a very strong word.”
“I know, but that’s how I feel. It’s not a good feeling.”
“Your mom is going to be home any minute. Talk to her, get it all out of your system.”
Molly pushed away. “No. And if you tell her that I know, I’ll never talk to you again.”
“Have threats ever worked with me?”
Molly sighed. “No, but—”
“No buts. I already told you I wouldn’t say anything, so chill. I don’t like it, but I already made a deal with you.”
A moment of thoughtful silence passed between them before Lindsay said, “It could be worse you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your father could have been that actor—you know, the one you can’t stand, the one on that vampire show.” Lindsay made a face. “I vant to suck your blood.”
Molly grabbed a decorative pillow and threw it at Lindsay just as the door opened. “Hey,” Kari said as she set her purse on the coffee table and then walked around the table to see Molly. Kari put the back of her hand to Molly’s forehead. “How’s my girl?”
Molly stood. “I was just saying goodnight to Lindsay. I’m going back to bed.”
“Do I get a hug?”
Molly sort of slumped into Kari’s chest and gave her mother a lame pat on the back.
Kari looked confused.
Molly looked angry.
Lindsay felt bad for both of them.
#
Max climbed onto his Suzuki Burgman 650 and slid on his helmet. It felt good to be back in the saddle again. He bent forward, slid the key into the ignition lock, then twisted the key to “on.” He used his thumb to press the electric start button next to the handle bars as he twisted the handgrip to give it gas.
Before long he was headed East on Santa Monica Boulevard. No destination in mind. He just needed to feel some cold air against his face. He needed to breathe.
The pain Max had seen in Nicole’s eyes was almost too much to bear. His sister hadn’t been the same since Jake, her fiancé, was killed in a car accident. Max had always felt responsible, since he was the one driving. He was the one who had talked Jake into going to the Lakers game that night. Jake didn’t like sports, so Max, Dan, and Fred had made it their personal mission to make Jake see the light.
Until today, Max always thought Nicole was the one who couldn’t look at him, but now he knew that wasn’t true. He felt responsible even though there was nothing he could have done to save Jake. They were hit by a drunk driver. According to the autopsy report though, it was a brain aneurysm that had taken Jake’s life. There was nothing anyone could have done to save him. Max had hoped Nicole would be doing better by now, but all hope evaporated the moment she showed up tonight looking like a two-bit hooker with nothing to lose.
His fingers clamped around the handgrip. Ninety...ninety-five...one-hundred. The headlights going the other way swept by in a blur. Five minutes later, a siren sounded, forcing him to pull over. “Shit.”
The police officer happened to be a big Raiders’ fan, which didn’t help matters. Ten minutes later, Max took his ticket and watched the officer disappear down the road.
Max sat on his motorcycle, hypnotized by the hum of the traffic whizzing by. Gazing up at the stars, he spotted the Big Dipper right off the bat. Max’s father was fond of skylore and he used to love telling Max the ancient Greek story about why the Big and Little Dippers had such long tails—something about love, jealousy and bears. Thinking of the story now made Max feel closer to his father, made him wonder what would Dad say to Nicole if he were still alive.
“Hey, Dad,” Max said as he glanced skyward. “I could really use some help. Nicole looks like she’s been living on the street for the past few months, and I don’t know what to do about it. And Mom. She’s not herself. I think she’s lonely. So, if you could send her a sign of some kind, let her know it’s okay for her to move on, I’d really appreciate it. And about Breanne,” he rambled on. “Breanne needs a man who isn’t going to run scared every time life throws a curve ball. I’m not sure if Joey’s the one for her. I guess that means you’re going to have to send me two signs. That would be great.” He tried to think for a moment. “You like stars,” he added as if it were perfectly normal to be standing on the side of the road asking Dad for advice. “Show me a star, you know, some time when I least expect it. That way I’ll know you’re listening.” He paused to think. “And what about me, you ask? I’m all screwed up, Dad. I think I’m falling for a woman I’ve known for seven days. How crazy is that? That can’t be love.” He shook his head. “No, that’s crazy talk. I’ve got seven years tops before I join you and Grandpa up there in Heaven. At least I hope that’s where the two of you ended up.” He sighed, still watching the stars. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to go after her only to leave her too soon, would it? She’s already been hurt once. Hurt bad from the sounds of it. She said something about her last relationship feeling like a moth heading for the light only to be zapped.” He exhaled as he thought of Molly. Sweet girl. “She has a daughter, too. Molly just turned thirteen. You’d like her.” He stared up at the constellations for a moment longer before he realized everyone back home was probably worrying about him. “Yeah, I think I’ll back off for a while and give Kari some breathing room.”
Max stood and grabbed his helmet. “It was nice talking to you, Dad, but I’ve got to go now.” He slid the helmet over his head, pushed the start button, and headed for home.
CHAPTER 9
This was Cole Fletcher’s third day helping out Lindsay. This morning he’d found himself at her doorstep fifteen minutes early, which surprised him. Not that he wasn’t usually prompt for meetings and practice, but it just so happened he usually liked to keep the women he dated guessing, make them wonder if he’d show up or not. But Lindsay was different. She was a take-no-prisoners sort of gal, and he knew she’d throw him out on his ass if he didn’t arrive on time. She took her daycare business seriously. He liked that about her. She was firm with the children and yet loving, too.
At the moment, he and Lindsay were playing flag football in the backyard. Cole formed a huddle with Becky and Jonathan and pointed across the make-shift field at Lindsay and the twins. “Okay,” he said. “See those pieces of bright red cloth hanging off Sean’s pants?”
Becky nodded, but Jonathan was more interested in the ladybug he found in the grass.
“Lindsay is going to hand off the football to one of her teammates. I want you to follow the person with the ball and pull that red strip of cloth right off their pants, okay?”
Becky nodded again.
Cole looked at Lindsay and watched her huddle with the twins, giving them thorough instructi
ons, no doubt. Her curly red hair fell over her shoulders. Her legs were long, her arms slender and graceful. It didn’t matter what she had on, a short dress or cut offs and a T-shirt like she was wearing today, she was drop-dead gorgeous.
“Okay,” he told his teammates when he saw the other team take their positions. “Ready?”
Jonathan ran around in circles, laughing. Apparently the ladybug had traveled up to his elbow. Cole looked at Becky and sighed. “Time out,” he called. He ran over to the picnic bench and brought back a napkin. “Here,” he said to Becky, handing her the napkin. “Use this instead of your finger to get whatever’s up your nose.”
With her chubby little finger still lodged halfway up her nose, she managed to give him one of the sweetest smiles he’d ever seen. When that was taken care of, Cole deposited the napkin into the garbage and ran back to take his place. By the time he returned, the ladybug had flown away and Jonathan was chasing it across the yard. “Looks like it’s you and me, Becky. Just keep your eye on the ball and get the flag, okay?”
“You’re funny,” she said.
He smiled back at her, although he had no idea what he had done to amuse her. “Thanks.”
“Are you two ready yet,” Lindsay shouted, “or are you going to try to stall again?”
“We’re ready,” he said, wanting nothing more than to take her down in one swift motion, pin her to the ground and kiss the hell out of her.
Lindsay counted. “Ten. Fifteen. Thirty-two. Forty-one.”
Cole shook his head and wondered if Lindsay was ever going to flip the quarterback the ball. After a few more numbers, she finally did. Troy gave the ball to Sean and Sean ran as fast as his little legs would take him—right past Becky and into the end zone. “Oh, man,” Cole said to Becky. “That was way too easy.”
Lindsay flipped her hair back in a try-and-beat-that gesture, and then gave him a dazzling smile that made his insides zing and zap.
“You guys got lucky,” he told her.
“Boys,” Lindsay said, “looks like Cole is a sore loser.”
“Who said anything about losing, right Becky?”
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