by Anna Martin
“Yeah, I’m not worried about it. I’m practicing ASL with your niece.”
“Which one?”
“Juniper,” Max said. “She told me she was learning in school.”
“I remember Tyler telling me about that. It’s pretty cool that they’re teaching it in school now.”
“She’s good. Better than me.”
Shaun laughed. “I can believe that. She’s a smart kid.”
The front of the house and the street outside were already packed with cars, though Max couldn’t spot his mom’s car among them.
He hauled the cooler out of the trunk and followed Shaun up to the house.
“What’s in there?” Shaun asked. “Beer?”
“Popsicles,” Max said proudly. “Among other things.”
Shaun laughed. “You’re going to be so fucking popular today. You know my mom won’t buy sweets.”
“That was the idea,” Max said, grinning. “I bought her a bottle of wine, though, so hopefully she forgives me.”
When Shaun pushed the door open, they were immediately accosted by various children. They picked their way through the rug rats to the kitchen, which had always been the base of operations.
The kitchen looked out onto the lake, one of the nicer lakeside properties in the area. Angela Reed, Tyler’s mom, was part of several societies in the area, plus heavily involved at her church. She used the house for socializing. Maybe for that reason, it was very impressive.
The Reeds had two pools, one that had been installed since Max had been here last and was more like a kiddie pool and splash pad for the grandkids. The view over the lake and mountains was nothing short of stunning, the scenery perfectly framed by the back porch. At this time of year, everything was lush and green, the sky perfectly blue with wispy white clouds.
It felt like home.
They found Dana in the kitchen, supervising a couple of older children who were helping make vegetable kabobs. Max kissed her on the cheek, then headed out into the backyard.
Tyler’s dad already had the grill going, even though it was only a little after midday. As Max looked around, he guessed there were maybe forty or fifty people hanging around, and more who were down by the lake.
“Hey, Geoff,” Max called and let himself be pulled into a back-slapping hug by the Reed patriarch.
“What’s all these doodles all over you, huh?” Geoff said. “You look like someone gave the kids a bunch of markers.”
“Watch out. I already tattooed one of your kids, and Josh called me the other day to book an appointment. Soon all your kids will be covered in my doodles.”
“Punk kid,” Geoff laughed, taking it all in his stride. “Good to see you.”
For the next hour, Max wandered around with a glass of Dana’s sweet tea, catching up with folks he hadn’t seen in years. Most of them were pleased to see him, and when Max’s mom turned up with John, he was surprised to find he didn’t feel out of place at all. It seemed there was still a place for him in Sweetwater, and he could slot right back into that gap.
Tyler had been playing with kids in the pool, supervising, and Max had decided early on that he wasn’t going to stick to Tyler’s side all afternoon. Once June noticed him, he didn’t have a chance of escaping her. Not that that was a problem. Max was pretty sure he was getting just as attached to Juniper as he was to her dad.
“Max!”
Max turned and was pulled into an enveloping hug by Tyler’s mom, Angela. She’d barely changed from how Max remembered her. Unlike his own mom, who was strictly a jeans-and-shirts kind of woman, Mrs. Reed wore beautiful dresses and jewelry, no matter the occasion.
He squeezed her back, then picked her up to swing her around. When he set her back down on the deck, she cuffed his ear.
“What’s this I hear about you putting a tattoo on my son?”
“About that…,” he said, rubbing the side of his head.
“I think it’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, Max. You’re so talented. But if you keep tattooing my children, we’re going to have words.”
“You could always come in for one yourself,” he teased her. “Did you see the one I did for my mom?”
“I did. It’s also very beautiful. And I can promise you, the day hell freezes over, I’ll walk right in and ask for my own.”
Max laughed and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “It’s an open offer, Angela.”
“Did ya eat yet?” she said, neatly changing the subject as she took his elbow and led him back up to the kitchen.
“Not yet.”
“Well, make sure you grab something from the grill. You’re a growing boy.”
“I’m growing outward,” he grouched. “I have a rapidly expanding waistline, thanks to my mom’s cooking.”
“Nonsense. There’s salad too. That’s good for you.”
Max knew when he was being mothered and didn’t dare argue with her.
“I brought you a bottle of wine. I think Dana put it in the fridge.”
“Thank you.”
Max winked at her and headed off to find the food.
He piled his plate full of salad, the vegetable kabobs Dana had been making earlier, and chicken and a burger from the grill. His parents had already claimed a seat around a picnic bench and under a huge umbrella, so he joined them after making himself another drink.
John was trying to convince Dana’s husband to bring his kids out to one of the camping trips that John specially designed for parents and their children as a bonding exercise.
“You don’t know my boys,” Mike said, waving a hot dog in John’s direction. “They’re… well, they’re half Dana, half me. That’s all you need to know.”
“I work with all sorts of kids with behavioral difficulties. I can handle it.”
Max slid onto the end of the bench, next to his mom, and let her wrap her arm around his shoulders.
“How are things?” she asked.
“Pretty good.”
In some ways it was strange, being at one of the Reed family get-togethers and spending time hanging out with the adults rather than the kids. None of the Reed grandchildren had reached their teenage years yet, so they didn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on how many beers there were left in the cooler and who was trying to sneak off to smoke.
There were a bunch of cousins and second cousins running around who Max didn’t recognize at all, and Max was having a hard time figuring out whose kid was whose. He figured this was one of those days when he was supposed to be pleased he was an almost-thirty-year-old with no kids. But there was something about watching them all run around screaming that made him broody.
Not that he’d ever confess it to anyone. Least of all his mom.
Max couldn’t help but laugh when Shaun ran over, one Popsicle in each hand.
“Max! We’re going jet skiing, you wanna come?”
“I want to come sit on the dock and laugh at y’all,” Max said.
“You’re mean. Hey, Mrs. Beckett. Come on, Max.”
“Hi, Shaun,” Max’s mom said with a laugh. She turned to Angela and shook her head. “Some things never change.”
“See you later,” Max said, kissing the now-healed tattoo on his mom’s shoulder. On the way down to the dock, he swiped one of Shaun’s Popsicles. The red one.
“Hey!”
“You snooze, you lose. Plus, there’s about a hundred and forty fucking Popsicles in that cooler. You can get another one later.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Those kids are getting through them pretty damn quick.”
Max had wondered where Tyler, Josh, and the other guys his age had all disappeared to. The adults—that is, their parents—had taken over the children-watching responsibilities up nearer the house. Everyone else was sitting down by the dock.
“I found him,” Shaun called in a singsong voice.
“Good work on the Popsicles,” Josh said as Max took a seat next to him. “Mom would never have bought these in a million years.”
/> “I am the Popsicle king.”
“I’m not arguing with that.”
Max noticed that Tyler had pulled a T-shirt on to keep his tattoo covered, and he gave him a nod of approval. The black shirt was sticking to his skin a little, probably since he’d put it on straight out of the pool. He looked ridiculously hot.
“What are you drinking?” Toby asked, peering into Max’s cup.
“Redneck margarita.”
Toby cracked up. “What the hell is a redneck margarita?”
“Tequila and Mountain Dew,” Max said with a grin. “I can’t believe you’ve never had it before. Fuckin’ Yankee.”
“I resemble that statement.” Max let Toby swipe the cup and take a sip. “That’s disgusting.”
“I know. But I was feeling nostalgic, so….” He shrugged.
This felt more like the Reed family summer parties Max remembered, though now everyone was grown-up and actually allowed to drink alcohol. Since Shaun was the youngest, the older siblings had let Shaun and Max drink from their cups at previous summer parties. Then they’d taken the rap when Shaun got sick from too much beer.
A light breeze blew across the lake, making it far more pleasant than the still heat farther up near the house. Max pulled off his flip-flops and dangled his toes in the water, over the edge of the dock, and tipped his face up to the sun.
“I’m getting on a jet ski before I get too drunk to do it,” Dana said decisively. The two jet skis were tied up on the dock, along with a couple of kayaks. The large tub of life vests was open just behind them.
“Race you,” Josh said with a grin that said they’d done this many times before.
“Oh God,” Shaun groaned. “Not this again.”
“Ten bucks on Dana,” Tyler said immediately.
“I’m not getting involved,” Toby said, leaning back on his hands.
Max just laughed.
A FEW hours later, Dana had been crowned victorious, and Max had followed all the kids indoors. Some of the younger kids were cranky, needing naps, and even the older ones were tired and hot and overloaded with sugar. Which might have been Max’s responsibility, but he wasn’t going to own up to it.
While the parents flustered and fussed around their children, Max set up the DVD player with Finding Nemo and made himself comfy on the couch in the basement den. It was cooler down here, dark too, and Max decided he was going to watch the entire damn movie, kids or no kids. Before the opening credits were even done, Juniper had found him.
Tyler had changed her out of her bathing suit and into a loose T-shirt and shorts.
“Max?” she asked shyly, climbing up onto the couch next to him.
“What’s up, June?”
“Would you brush my hair for me?”
“Sure thing, kid.”
She passed him a spray bottle of detangler and a brush that had half a dozen hairbands wrapped around the handle.
He settled her between his outstretched legs and started carefully brushing through her hair. As he worked, more and more children piled into the room, joining them on the couch or flopping onto oversized beanbags.
Max had definitely seen the movie a few times before, but he was completely unaware of the hypnotic effect it seemed to have on kids. Regardless of their age, all the kids watched quietly, not poking each other or annoying their siblings.
He had a theory it had something to do with the soothing effect of light on water. And the beautiful soundtrack.
Max definitely didn’t have Tyler’s skills in hairdressing, but he could put together a simple braid. Once June’s hair was detangled, he carefully folded the damp strands around each other and secured it with an elastic at the end. He expected her to go and join her cousins when he was done, but instead she crawled onto his lap and leaned back against his chest. Max bracketed her safely with his arms, resting his hands on her belly.
They were almost at the end of the movie when Tyler ducked in. He stood in the doorway for a moment, mouth open in shock, and Max held his finger to his lips before gesturing him inside.
There was no space left on the couch or the beanbags, but one lonely footstool remained for him to sit on.
Ten minutes later Dana came downstairs.
In unison, Max and Tyler silently held their fingers to their lips. She rolled her eyes at them, then sat down on Tyler’s lap, since there wasn’t room for both of them on the footstool.
When the end credits started to roll, the kids all started to stir.
“Kids, Nana Angela is making grilled cheese sandwiches if anyone wants one,” Tyler said.
So that was why he’d come downstairs. Max guessed Dana had gone looking for Tyler when he’d disappeared as well.
“That was a good movie, Mr. Max,” one of the kids said as they all piled back upstairs.
“I think so too,” he said very seriously.
“Are you coming for grilled cheese sandwiches?” June asked, twisting around on his lap.
“In a minute.”
“Okay,” she said and clambered off his lap.
“I am magic,” he whispered to Tyler and Dana when the last kid had left.
“Your skills in putting on a kid’s movie to entertain a bunch of kids are unparalleled,” Dana said, rolling her eyes.
“Magic,” he insisted. “Magic Popsicle King.”
Tyler held out a hand and helped Max to his feet. His left leg had gone numb from June sitting on it for the past hour, so he hobbled back up the stairs. Before he could follow Dana into the kitchen—he wanted that grilled cheese sandwich, damn it—Tyler put a hand on his arm and silently tugged Max up the stairs.
Chapter Fourteen
TYLER HAD been watching Max out of the corner of his eye all day. He looked unreasonably good in a very loose cotton tank that showed off his tattoos and the muscles in his chest and arms. Tyler wasn’t used to allowing himself to look at men with this sort of interest. With Max, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
With the kids all in the kitchen for the next round of feeding time at the zoo, Tyler thought they could maybe steal five minutes to themselves. Max had been buzzing around other people all day—first their parents, then Tyler’s siblings, then the kids. The only person he hadn’t had time for yet was Tyler.
Tyler led Max to his old childhood bedroom, which was still pretty much in the same condition Tyler had left it in. His mother hadn’t kept their bedrooms as shrines; the bed sheets got changed and the rooms were kept tidy, mostly because June liked sleeping in here whenever she stayed over with her grandparents. But Tyler’s old basketball trophies were still on the shelf, his books on the bookcase, pictures of him as a teenager took up the space on his desk where he’d once had a clunky desktop computer.
“I can remember you kicking me and Shaun out of here,” Max joked. “We used to drive you crazy.”
“Not just me,” Tyler countered. “You definitely drove Josh and Dana crazy too.”
Max took a step closer, smiling, and wrapped his arms loosely around Tyler’s neck.
Tyler rushed in for the kiss he knew was coming, taking Max’s mouth and immediately losing himself in it. He pushed his hands under the soft material of Max’s tank, finding smooth, hot skin.
Max licked into Tyler’s mouth, demanding in a way Tyler definitely wasn’t familiar with. He still wasn’t sure if he wanted Max to yield control or take it, or if the fun was in the struggle.
Max bit down on Tyler’s bottom lip, just gently, and tugged at it. He pulled away with a laugh and ruffled Tyler’s hair.
“We’re going to get caught,” he murmured against Tyler’s neck.
“Yeah.”
Max laughed again. “I’m going back downstairs. Count to a hundred before you follow me.”
Tyler pressed his hand to his stomach and spent the hundred seconds wondering where his relationship with Max would go next, and whether either of them were ready for it.
WHEN HE got to the kitchen, he found Max walking around with Eli in his
arms, bouncing the baby and singing a silly song to him. Tyler knew Max had grown up the only child of a single mom and didn’t have any cousins either, so he didn’t have much experience with kids at all. And yet he seemed to be a natural with them.
Whether that was because Max and Shaun hadn’t much mentally matured past their own childhoods was up for debate.
Tyler watched as Toby yelled a heads-up in Max’s direction, then threw a bottle at him. Max caught it one-handed, neatly thumbed off the cover as he shifted Eli to the crook of his elbow, then stuck it in Eli’s mouth. The trick earned him a round of applause, and because it was Max, he gave a neat little curtsey in response.
Tyler really wasn’t emotionally prepared to watch Max feed a baby. He went over to his mom instead, who was still making sandwiches.
“Am I too late?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
“Not at all. Where did you get to?”
“Bathroom.”
She didn’t press for details.
The sun was still shining and the afternoon was definitely still warm, so Tyler took his sandwich outside and found a lounge chair to kick his feet up in. It didn’t take long for the kids to rush outside again, apparently restored by their rest time and sandwiches. Not that he blamed them. His mom’s sandwiches were awesome.
With plenty of adults around to keep an eye on June and the rest of the kids, Tyler ate his snack in peace, then let himself nap. Not for long, but he was pretty out of it when June came over and jumped on his lap.
“Daddy, are you sleeping?”
“I was,” he said and ruffled her hair. She laughed like he’d just said the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
“Can I have another Popsicle, please?”
He checked his watch. “Not now, sweetheart. It’s pretty late.”
She pouted.
“If there’s some left over, you can have another one tomorrow.”
“Okay. Can I stay here tonight? Grandma is having a sleepover, and Casey said she wants to stay too.”
“I guess that’s okay.”
“Can I stay in your bedroom?”
“Of course you can.”
