Falling for Max

by Shannon Stacey

  “I’m not wearing tights, dude,” Josh added.

  “I’m sure you’ll come up with something great.”

  Katie gave them each a stern look. “And child appropriate. Family party.”

  Max wondered what costume Tori would choose for the party. She didn’t strike him as the cheerleader type, but she could pull off a black leather bodysuit. With high-heeled black boots, like the pair she’d worn on their mock date.

  She could definitely pull that off. Shifting on the couch, he tried to focus on the halftime report and hoped the second half was about to start. He needed the distraction.

  Chapter Fourteen

  On Wednesday, Tori talked Hailey into putting a sign on the library door announcing she was taking a lunch break and joining her at Jeanette’s consignment store. It was the closest they had to shopping in Whitford and she didn’t have time to drive into the city.

  “I am going to find a costume here,” she announced as they walked through the door.

  Hailey snorted. “Unless you want to go as a crocheted toilet paper cover doll or an eighties bedspread, I think you’re out of luck.”

  “There’s all kinds of things here. We’ll find something.”

  “You spend most of your life on the computer. Why didn’t you order something online?”

  “I meant to, but I kept putting it off and now the party’s in three days.” Tori pulled an honest-to-goodness suede jacket with fringe off a rack. “Huh.”

  “It’s Village People, not Village Person, and your friends already have costumes. Put it back.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice. They wandered through the aisles, pulling out random items of clothing and putting them back. Worst-case scenario, she could go as a fortune-teller. The last resort of procrastinators roaming consignment shops, looking for a costume.

  Hailey pulled out a long black gown with a plunging neckline. “Elvira?”

  “Or Maleficent.” It had possibilities.

  “Both bad-ass sexy women.” Holding it up so they could see it better, Hailey frowned. “This dress is three feet taller than you are.”

  “I’m not that short. And the hem can be cut off. It’s the neckline that’s a problem. I don’t think my belly button’s supposed to show.”

  “If you wore this, Whitford would totally have something more exciting to talk about than Max Crawford and Nola Kendrick.”

  Tori sighed. “I hope nobody’s saying anything mean. Having to date in this town sucks.”

  “Nobody’s being mean. Everybody likes Max and Nola, so we’re being discreet...ish.”

  “Great.”

  “We’re missing an important question here.” Hailey looked at the gown again. “Who do you think wore this? And how do you think it ended up in a thrift store in Whitford?”

  “I don’t know anybody who could pull that off. And I don’t want to imagine anybody I know wearing it and not pulling it off, if you know what I mean.”

  With a sigh of regret, Hailey hung the gown back on the rack. “Hey, I have an idea. You could go as a cheerleader.”

  “Really? I’m not the pom-pom shaking type.”

  “Guys who like sports like cheerleaders. And Max likes sports.”

  “Leave it alone.” When Hailey’s eyebrows shot up at her tone, Tori rolled her eyes. “I’m not hooking up with Max. I like him too much for that.”

  “That makes no sense to me.”

  “When it comes to fairy-tale romances, he’s Disney and I’m Grimm.”

  “Hey, funny timing.”

  Tori glanced over and saw Hailey holding up a Snow White costume. “That’s for a kid.”

  “Yeah, but you’re short.”

  “Again, I’m not that short. Also, I have boobs.”

  Hailey put the costume back and pulled out another hanger. “Here we go. A housecoat that looks like it was made from olive green drapes.”

  Tori was about to call it quits, but something about the cut of the coat or robe or whatever it was supposed to be flipped the light switch in her head and she snatched it out of her friend’s hands. “I need this. Where are the hats? Does she have a hat section?”

  “You can’t be serious, Tori. That is not sexy.”

  That all depended on whose buttons you were trying to push. “Trust me.”

  “Based on that robe, I’m thinking no. You can’t be trusted anymore.”

  “Says the woman who asked how I’d feel about a safety-orange bridesmaid gown to match her camo wedding.”

  “That was a joke. You know that was a joke, right?”

  Tori just laughed and walked around the end of the aisle, almost running smack into Nola Kendrick. “Oh. Hi.”

  “Hi, Tori.” She looked like she was going to keep walking, but then she hesitated. “How’s Max?”

  It made Tori uncomfortable that Nola would think Max came to her after their second and final date at the diner. He had, of course, but she hadn’t realized their friendship was that well-known around town. Which was stupid. She should have known better.

  “He’s fine. He had a nice time with you and he’s glad you’ll be friends.” There. That was bland enough.

  “Me, too. I’ll be honest. I think one of the reasons I’m not the one for him is that he’s really into you.”

  “Told you,” Hailey muttered.

  “We’re friends,” Tori said.

  “That’s what I’ve heard.” Nora’s smile was slightly on the tight side. “I have to run, so I’ll see you later. Nice robe, by the way.”

  When she was gone, Hailey nudged her in the ribs. “That was a dig.”

  “And so subtle, too.” Tori took a deep breath and shoved Nola out of her mind. “Hats. Where are the freaking hats?”

  * * *

  Max waited patiently for Miranda to line the shipping box up on the postal scale just so, careful to keep his expression neutral.

  Rumor had it not a single living soul in Whitford could remember a time when Miranda hadn’t run the post office, and he could believe it. She had to be looking down the barrel at three digits if she was a day.

  She asked him the required questions as to whether there was anything in the package there shouldn’t be, glared to let him know she didn’t believe him and then squinted at the insurance form. One of the biggest adjustments, business-wise, when he’d moved to Whitford had been the lack of shipping options. When he had to ship to Canada, he’d drive to the city because he was a patient man, but not that patient. For everyday shipping, though, the easiest and quickest method for returning models to their owners was Miranda.

  It had been clear since day one she thought he was up to no good. He’d tried everything. Pleasant manners. Cool business professional. He’d even tried charming once, but she’d called him a cheeky monkey and that had scared him even more than her cantankerousness.

  He was a creature of habit, so he’d been shipping boxes the way he always had. But today he made a mental note to research doing the postage online so all he’d have to do in the future was drop the packages and run. For now, he simply waited patiently while she very slowly went through the steps necessary to ship his box, just as he did every single time. While he’d never seen any signs she’d opened a package meant for him, he’d taken extra care in packing them since his first trip to the Whitford post office because he was sure she’d at least shake them.

  Once that errand—admittedly his least favorite—was done, he walked back to his car and used his phone to photograph the receipts she’d given him before tucking them into an envelope in his glove box.

  Lunch, he decided. He was getting spoiled by the food at the diner and would probably put on a few pounds if he wasn’t careful, but since he was already in town, lunch couldn’t hurt.

  Because it was a little past lunch rush time, the diner was almost empty when he went in. He sat at the counter, on his usual stool, and plucked the menu out of the holder.

  “Hey, you.”

  He looked up, his pulse jumpin
g at the sound of Tori’s voice. “Hi. You again, huh?”

  “Disappointed?”

  “Pleasantly surprised.”

  She smiled and held up the coffeepot. When he nodded, she poured him a cup. “I work all kinds of weird hours, filling in where needed. You never know when I’ll be here.”

  “I’m looking for something light. Between Carl and Gavin, I’m going to need new pants if I don’t watch it.”

  “We always have the half-a-sandwich and a cup of soup special. How about turkey on wheat and some chicken noodle?”

  “Sounds perfect.” He put the menu back and fixed his coffee while she handed in his order.

  A few minutes later, he heard a female voice yelling for Tori. He watched her lean into the pass-through window. “What’s the matter?”

  “Where are the damn crackers?”

  “We have the crackers out front. You just give me the soup and I’ll put the crackers on the plate.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “We give out crackers for more than soup. Toddlers love them and sometimes people ask for them to hold them over if we’re busy. We can’t be asking the cook for crackers all the time.”

  He saw the dishes appear in the window and Tori brought them over to him, then grabbed several packages of crackers from under the counter.

  “That was fast,” he said.

  “The soup’s in a steam table so it’s just a matter of making half a sandwich.”

  “Dare I ask what’s going on?”

  “What’s going on is Rose.” She smiled a fake smile. “She’s helping out for a few days.”

  “Is your cousin okay?”

  “I guess it’s not a secret now since he’s not here.”

  While he ate, she filled him in on Gavin’s trip to Kennebunkport. It sounded like a great opportunity. “I hope he gets the job but, selfishly, I’ll really miss him being here.”

  “You and everybody else.”

  “You said Rose is helping out for a few days. What if he gets the job?”

  “Paige will advertise for a cook and we’ll keep our fingers crossed. Until she finds one, it’ll be a little crazy, but at least it’s the slow time of year. Everybody will chip in and, even if all we can do is burgers and fries for a while, we’ll make sure Paige has what she needs. But what about you? Isn’t all this time you’re spending in town cutting into your work time?”

  He shrugged. “Like the diner, I have a slow time. I’ll get a few jobs intended for Christmas presents, but mostly I fall into that category of unnecessary money to spend so close to Christmas and winter heating bills. It’s built into my budget, so it’s not a big deal.”

  She sighed and stretched, hands to her back. “Ava should be here soon. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

  Max did not want to still be there, talking to Tori, when Ava arrived. She was almost as scary as Miranda. “You want to go for a walk after work?”

  That was a dumb question. It was obvious she was feeling some fatigue from being on her feet, and he’d invited her to go for a walk.

  “That sounds good,” she said. “I could use the fresh air.”

  “Tori!”

  “Coming, Rose!” She rolled her eyes and took the money Max handed her so she could make change.

  “I’ll wait for you on the bench,” he said when she brought it back.

  “I’ll be there.”

  He took his time walking to the bench, since even once Ava arrived, it would take Tori some time to get out of there. It was a sunny day, but there was a nip in the air, and he was glad he’d put on a sweater before leaving the house.

  He realized it was the sweater he’d worn on his first date with Nola and frowned, fingering the cuff. But it was also the one Tori had chosen. She’d obviously liked it.

  Sighing, he turned his face up to the sun. How he, a man who’d botched trying to talk to a woman so badly he’d ended up with a dating coach, was going to convince a woman who hated the idea of love and marriage to give him a chance was beyond him, but he was going to try.

  He hadn’t needed Ava’s advice to know he was pursuing the wrong woman by taking Nola out. He’d known it. But maybe the woman’s thoughts on the matter had been the push he needed. And Josh and Katie had said essentially the same thing.

  He wasn’t crazy in thinking Tori might be the woman for him. Other people thought so, too.

  Now he just needed Tori to believe it.

  * * *

  Tori knew it was weird, standing at the edge of the town square, watching Max, but she couldn’t help it. With his arms stretched out along the back of the bench and his face turned up to the warmth of the sun, he was a sight to behold. And she did love the look of that sweater on him.

  Eventually she realized she might be spotted staring at Max and started across the grass. Whether he sensed her coming or got bored, she didn’t know, but he picked his head up and looked at her when she was two-thirds of the way to him. His face lit up.

  “You survived.”

  “It doesn’t take but five minutes with Rose to figure out how she survived raising five Kowalskis plus Katie.”

  He stood up and starting walking as she fell in beside him. “I’ve pieced together a little of that story, but not the whole of it.”

  “I don’t know the specific details. Rose went to work doing housekeeping for the Kowalskis when Katie was a baby because Mrs. Kowalski let Rose bring Katie with her. Then Mrs. Kowalski died when the kids were young and Rose stayed. She helped their dad and raised Katie along with those five. If you ask her, she’ll tell you she’s the housekeeper, but she’s way more than that.”

  “Doesn’t that make Josh and Katie’s relationship a little weird for them?”

  She shrugged. “Hailey said Katie always loved Josh and everybody knew they’d end up together. It just took Josh a long time to figure it out.”

  “Love works in mysterious ways.” When she snorted and looked sideways up at him, he smiled. “I read that somewhere.”

  “You’re going to the party tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes, I am. It sounds like it’s going to be the social event of the year.”

  It was nice, walking around the town with Max, and she wondered how many laps they could do before they got conspicuous. “I don’t think it’ll beat Old Home Day, but it’ll definitely be the social event of the fall.”

  “Do you have a costume yet?”

  “Maybe.” She had no intention of telling him what she’d come up with at the consignment store. It was going to be a surprise.

  “Katie rejected my suggestion of the Black Widow. You should feel free to borrow that.”

  She laughed and shoved him away. “Got a thing for black leather, Crawford?”

  “Have you ever met a man who doesn’t?”

  “I’m not sure it’s come up in conversation. Do you have a costume?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  She waited, but he didn’t say more. “Are you going to tell me what it is?”

  “Nope.”

  “Such a mystery man.”

  “I like to keep people guessing.” He stopped walking and she realized they were in front of the bank. “You probably want to get off your feet, and I should probably get home. Slow season doesn’t mean off season.”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty beat. And this isn’t my slow season, so I need to make up some hours on the computer. But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “If you can guess who’s behind the mask.”

  She smiled and slid her key into the lock. “I bet I’ll find you.”

  “Tomorrow, then.”

  Because he was a gentleman, he waited until she’d secured the door behind her before continuing his walk. That gave her time to run up the stairs and unlock the interior door. Tossing her keys on the counter, she went to her window that looked out over the town square. It only took her a second to find him. Not only because he was tall and blond, but because there weren’t many people walking.

  T
ori watched him until he got to his car, which was parked a few spaces down from the post office. He unlocked it and got in, taking the time to put on his seatbelt before he turned the key in the ignition. Then, after he’d eased onto the street, he looked up at her window.

  She knew he couldn’t see her—or didn’t think he could—but she waved anyway.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The parking at the Northern Star Lodge wasn’t as bad as Max had anticipated and he was able to stick his car at the end of a row of trucks. He backed it in, hoping to be able to get it back out without having to ask people to rearrange their vehicles.

  Once he was out of the car and could see beyond the wall of pickups on the other side of the drive, he realized that not only was much of the town there, but many of them owned—and had arrived on—four-wheelers.

  It only took a second to put his costume on, and then he walked toward the table set up in front of the lodge. The flier had said the festivities were free, but it was a five-dollar donation to eat, with a twenty-dollar max per family.

  A pirate, played by Josh Kowalski, manned the table. He did a double take when he saw Max, and then grinned. “Well played, Crawford.”

  Max smiled, even though Josh probably wouldn’t be able to see it through the Hannibal Lecter mask he was wearing. He’d paired it with a long-sleeved shirt that was probably called melon, but passed for orange in poor lighting. “It seemed apropos.”

  Josh looked down at his own costume. “Katie wouldn’t bend on the cheerleading thing, so I agreed to be a pirate just to get her into that pirate’s wench costume she’s wearing.”

  Following Josh’s look, Max saw Katie out in the yard in a very sexy—though not inappropriate—wench’s getup, complete with scarves, jewelry and a hint of cleavage. “I think I speak for all the men present when I say it’s unfortunate you didn’t dress up as Jabba the Hut.”

  It took Josh a few seconds, but then he laughed. “Wish I’d thought of that. Little chilly for gold bikinis and chains, though.”

  Max handed over a twenty. “Put the change in the donation bucket.”

  “Appreciate it.” He flipped open an ink pad and stamped a fluorescent orange pumpkin on the back of Max’s hand. “Tori’s around here somewhere. She’s...I don’t know. I think she’s some kind of bag lady or something, but I’m not sure.”