by Hadley Quinn
Like now, as he took PCH north. It felt great to let the ocean air through his window while traveling up the coast. With as shitty as the past hour had made him feel, a little bit of freedom and anonymity was much appreciated. Although at the same time, he could hear his dad’s voice bitching at him for being so careless—out in public without a driver or bodyguard. But sadly, he knew his dad was right. Just because Max wanted to disappear from the limelight, it didn’t mean it was going to happen. And he knew it was only a matter of time before being careless caught up to him.
He pulled over at an overlook and parked. Sliding his phone out of his pocket, he found Anna’s number and pushed dial.
“Hey, baby, you okay?” she answered.
He could hear the concern in her voice plain as day and it warmed his heart. That was a surprise, being that he felt a bit like a surly, grumpy asshole right now.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Well, as okay as I can be. I was just letting you know I’ll probably be another hour. I’m just taking some time right now.”
She paused. “Okay. Well you know where to find me. Can I slow cook this meat for dinner later?”
He assumed she meant the pork she’d brought the night before, along with some other groceries. “Sounds great. Thanks, Anna.”
“No thanks needed. Take your time and I’ll see you when I see you.”
He thanked her again anyway and told her goodbye. She was incredibly supportive and patient with him. Max almost felt like he didn’t deserve it. Maybe he was feeling a bit fragile right now. Returning Chase to his mom this time had been the hardest one yet. It didn’t take an idiot to realize he and his son had gotten closer over the past six months, even with Kate doing her best to keep them apart. She wasn’t going to get what she wanted from him, that was for damn sure, but lately he’d been thinking about his options. Waiting another couple of months was probably the better choice, but his heart just couldn’t be so patient anymore.
He grabbed his phone again and pushed for Cole’s number.
“What’s up, man?” he answered on the second ring.
“I think I’m ready to go forward with what we talked about last time.”
Cole paused. “You sure?”
“Yeah, go ahead and send me his contact information.”
“I’ll do you one better. I’m at his house right now so I’ll set it up for you. How ‘bout in an hour?”
Max felt like maybe it was a sign, so he agreed. Before he left for Malibu, he considered his options one more time. He felt like he didn’t have any, but there was no way he could keep living like this. Kate shouldn’t have control over how much he was allowed to see his son, and it was time to finally face the firing squad no matter what it consisted of. It was going to be a nightmare, but he couldn’t sit back anymore and worry about the consequences. For once, he didn’t care what they consisted of because what he’d be fighting for was something invaluable to him.
He may have only been parked for a couple of minutes, but it didn’t take long before someone recognized him. It also didn’t take long before someone was bold enough to pull out their phone to take photos of him from across the parking area, and since he’d been caught up in his thoughts, he also realized there were several onlookers gathered to the left of him.
He still had his window rolled down.
Pulling out of the parking lot would have been routine, leaving the public behind. But one of the onlookers was waving somewhat shyly at him and it caught his attention—a teenage girl with what appeared to be her family. He probably stared longer than he should have, but something about her made him pause.
He got out of his truck. So many things could go wrong right now and he knew it, but he kept the door open and the keys in the ignition. His father would fucking kill him right now. There had been way too many close calls over the years—over zealous fans and a few who were straight up aggressive. Max never did regret having bodyguards in those instances.
But most of the time—when unsuspecting fans were caught off guard like this—it was mostly the kinder side of the public; people who were out and about, doing regular things, not even looking to stalk or pounce a Hollywood figure. Generally they were gentler and less belligerent than the ones who made a career out of celebrity stalking.
“Hey, how’s the beach today?” Max asked the small crowd.
A few people had already come a bit closer once he’d stepped out of the truck, but most were still about ten yards away. Now, after he’d spoken to them, there was a mix of ones who kept their distance and ones who ventured closer. Some had answered him, some hadn’t. The one girl with her family was still stationary, staring ahead at him while talking to whom he assumed was her mom.
Fuck it. Max removed his keys from the truck and shut the door behind him, locking it. He walked across the parking lot, stopping in front of this family of four. The dad was a big guy, tall and hefty in a sleeveless shirt. If Max needed some assistance with an overzealous bystander, maybe he’d be the right guy to count on.
Or…maybe not. He was eyeing him funny right now. Perhaps it’d been a bad idea to approach these strangers. He was stepping outside of his comfort zone to interact with these people, but oddly, he didn’t feel so nervous this time. Maybe it was because it had been his choice to meet them and not the other way around.
“Hey, how’s your day going?” he asked—to no member of that family in particular, but he gave each of them a friendly smile.
“It’s- it’s a beautiful day,” the mom answered. “Perfect, actually.”
Max nodded. “It looks like it. I don’t come out here as much as I should. And I’m Max, by the way. What are your names?” He specifically asked the two kids.
“Riley,” the older girl replied.
“Adam,” the younger brother answered. “Are you the movie star?” he also added.
The kid was probably eight or nine, and even though his sister acted like she was embarrassed for him asking, Max didn’t mind.
“I’ve been in a few movies, yes.”
“A few?” the girl asked. She literally looked confused.
“He’s being extremely modest,” the mom answered with amusement. Holding out her hand she added, “I’m Kara.”
“It’s nice to meet you Kara.” He shook her hand.
“This is Jeff,” she nudged her husband.
“Hi, Jeff,” Max nodded, shaking his hand too. “Where are you guys from?”
It was presumptuous, but he didn’t think they were Californians. Possibly their clothes gave it away or their paler skin, but maybe it was just a vibe.
“We’re from just southeast of Seattle,” Kara answered. “Just down here for a little family vacation.”
Max inquired a bit more, asked them about school, what grades the kids were in, and other little things. While he conversed with this family, the crowd had assembled a bit closer. Eventually he ended up talking to a few more people, autographs were requested, and he answered many of their questions. It was like a little impromptu press conference because he was actually asked what he was currently working on.
He shared a little bit about the new movie he was producing and would start filming soon. He didn’t mean to build up publicity on it but that’s what seemed to happen. With phones and cameras out, he knew it was only a matter of time before multiple stories launched. It wasn’t a problem. Making a headline with actual facts being stated by himself in person was perfectly okay.
“Ah, I need to run,” he announced after a while.
Several people begged to have pictures with him, so he spent the next ten minutes obliging them with photo ops. He needed to get the hell out of there though before a shit ton of other people arrived, which he could see was beginning to happen.
“Thanks for your time guys,” he smiled as he slipped through a few of them for his truck. “Take care.”
More voices were clamoring for his attention, autographs, or photos, but he’d learned there always needed to be a stopping
point or he’d become a hostage to a group of strangers.
He slipped into the driver’s seat and locked the door as he started the ignition, glancing into the backseat because his paranoia told him to check for creepers. Giving one last wave, he left a crowd of forty-some that was still taking photos and videos of him leaving.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“If you had your brother on your side with this, your case would be so much stronger.” Harvey Gilchrist placed his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers against his lips. “I strongly advise you to have him on your side.”
Max shook his head. “No. Leave Teague out of this. He’s been through enough as it is.”
“He is a victim of this woman’s wiles right along with you. If you want full justice for your family, it’s the way to go.”
“I want my son in my life. I’m not out for retribution.”
“Seems to be the same situation.”
Max took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Harvey’s expression had never changed, and if Cole was right about anything, it was that this man was objective and matter-of-fact. It was a good thing—he didn’t need anyone kissing his ass or wanting the glorification of representing him—but it didn’t make this decision any easier.
But the issue with Teague… If Max was really going to go through with the battle against Kate, Teague could be raked through the coals too. She was hell bent on using whatever she could against any of them. But what Max feared the most was that the progress with his brother so far would come to a screeching halt once Kate followed through with her threats.
He looked back at Cole, who was with them in Harvey’s Malibu home office, standing against the floor-to-ceiling bookcase. “What are your thoughts?” Max inquired.
Cole’s arms had been across his chest but he dropped them to his sides and shrugged, slipping his fingers into his front pockets. “I’ll be straight with you, man. I know how much you want Chase in your life, but I also know why you’ve been putting it off for so long. It’s a lot of shit to place on the table. But the legal aspects are private and won’t be aired. You’ll just have to deal with Kate and whatever else she feeds to the public about you or your family.”
“I’ll fight for a gag order from both sides,” Harvey added. “And yes, she could very well play with fire and find sneaky ways to slander you, but I’ll do everything I can to investigate those individually.” He nodded across the room to Cole. “I have the best working for me. You’re in good hands, Mr. McCallan.”
Max sighed and leaned forward onto his knees. “How much of my family is going to be dragged into this.”
“Honestly? Probably all of them who are involved with you on a daily basis. And because Kate has specifically laid threats against your family’s name, I can see it happening in some form. Kinda depends on whatever lawyer she ropes in for retaliation. Whatever she does, all of that will be looked over by the judge overseeing the case because I can make sure he or she will be aware of what’s been going on. But I’m all or nothing, Max. I put 110% into my clients, and a case like this could very well backfire. I’m not going to lie to you. You’re petitioning for joint custody with your son, but I guarantee she will petition back with full custody. You’re playing fair; she won’t.”
Max felt the decision weigh on him once again. He’d been down this road before, but had turned around before going through with it. He felt the pros and cons were pretty much equal at the time. Now that his life was in order a bit more and he’d gotten a lot closer to his son, he wanted to move forward. The few days of the month he got to spend with Chase were starting to mean more to him than anything in the world, but if he were to lose that completely …
It would kill him.
“Max, listen to me for a minute,” Cole spoke from behind him. Max didn’t turn around, but just nodded. “I can’t make any promises this time. I know I’ve always given you a guarantee in the past about other things, but this is different. I don’t want to fail you, so I’m putting everything else aside until we get you through this, okay?”
Max nodded. He knew he couldn’t back out this time. Kate had gotten away with manipulating him for far too long. “My goal is not to take him away from his mom, just so we’re clear. I want him to be happy, but no kid should be away from his mom.”
“What if Kate is an unfit mother?” Harvey asked. “Are you around her? Do you know how she is with Chase? And what does she tell him about you? Does she badmouth you? From a psychological perspective, maybe that’s why he’s sometimes shy around you at first?”
Max shook his head and groaned. “I don’t know. One thing we agreed on—or I hope we agreed on—was to not say anything about the other to Chase. I’ve kept true to that agreement, but I can’t say if she has.”
“We can find out a lot more than you think,” Harvey said. “If you hand me this case, I’ll get the proper motions in order and let Cole loose on the details. So far you’ve followed his suggestions? You’ve kept a record of texts, calls, times you’ve been with Chase or any times she’s dropped him off unexpectedly?”
“Yeah, for the past few months I have. I don’t know if any of it is pertinent—”
“You’d be surprised,” Harvey interrupted, methodically pulling out a file from a drawer. He flipped it open and removed a stack of papers already clipped together. He faced Max again and added, “What about the amounts of money you’ve given her and the dates on those?”
“Yeah,” Max nodded. “I asked my accountant to swim in those details and he’s organizing the particulars on money.”
“Good,” Harvey bobbed his head in agreement. “I give you my word that you have my complete commitment to your case. I showed you my fees up front, but if you have any other questions concerning that or anything else, I will answer whatever you need answered.”
Yes, Max knew Harvey Gilchrist was one of the most expensive family lawyers in the area. He was also one of the best—and so was Cole as an investigator. But money wasn’t a concern in this instance. He’d give whatever he had if it meant having Chase in his life. The rest of it he’d just have to take as it came.
“I don’t have further questions,” Max answered. “And I expect that Kate will hit me with a countersuit but… Like I said, I’m not going after full custody. I’m not trying to cut his mom out of his life. I just want the time with my son that I’m entitled to.”
“Understandable. And I wouldn’t hit her with full custody right off the bat anyway. Would look bad on your part. You don’t have to worry about playing the law in your favor, that’s my job. I will, however, wait and see what her lawyer’s next move is and go from there. I’ll be able to give you better insight as for what to expect when we get to that point.”
Max let those words sink in for a moment. It was pretty much do or die at this point, so he was ready to fully commit to taking what was rightfully owed. “Okay, then let’s get started.”
***
It was after six when he returned home that night. He was almost surprised Anna was still there, even though she’d planned on staying through the weekend. She hugged and kissed him hello but didn’t ask for any details. Instead, she served him food, they had sex, showered, and then cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie.
At that point, Max felt compelled to tell Anna everything. He started from the beginning, starting with Olivia, and then when his life went down the shitter and he made poor choices that he shouldn’t have. He told her about his father’s illness, his mistake with Kate, and then the hell she’d given all of them ever since. He didn’t sugar coat anything, and he sure as hell didn’t justify his actions or anyone else’s. He just recounted everything as factual and as impartial as he could. There were no heroes or villains, and he wanted to make sure she knew exactly how he fell in between the two.
He was human, just like everyone else.
An hour later, Anna still hadn’t said a word. When Max stopped talking, finishing up with the meeting he’d had with Harvey and C
ole, he shrugged and said, “So…that’s the last five years of my life, I guess.”
A part of him wanted to plea for her to be understanding and objective, but the other bit of him was ready to take on any rejection she could give him. He was already hurting, so maybe that would be the last kick he needed while he was down. Maybe then he’d have paid his penance for all of his mistakes.
Finally Anna sighed and responded, “When my father first kept pushing me to compete, I didn’t refuse or argue. I really did want to. I felt like I could be the best like he kept insisting. But a part of me always wanted to walk away. I didn’t like the pressure and I didn’t like feeling like I was someone else’s puppet. But the other bit of me really loved to surf and truly loved competing. It was a struggle. I kept asking myself what would be better: to give it up and feel free of all the expectations and stress, or to keep doing it and feel the freedom on the waves like I’d always loved, and the rush of being the best at something. I really felt like there was no right answer.
“When Chad died, I think my priorities became clearer to me. He used to tell me I was wasting my life away if I was constantly worrying about stuff. He said if I wasn’t happy, then I should make some changes. Start living for myself. Then I felt he was just a big hypocrite because hello…he killed himself. Obviously he wasn’t happy. I believe there is no such thing as perfect happiness. It doesn’t matter where we are at in our life, there will always be challenges no matter what we’re doing. But I’ve learned over the past few years that an imperfect life can be a happy life depending on your attitude and who you have to share it with. And when it comes to mistakes, those have shaped us into the person we are today. I’m grateful for that bratty, selfish, awkward, over-competitive diva I was a few years ago because she’s made me into someone who I like much better today.”
