WRAPPED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Two

by Juliet Braddock

  Drew couldn’t recall a time ever in his life that he’d been that close to a weapon that wasn’t being used as a stage prop.

  “Thanks, Tom…” Drew said as he slipped them over his hands.

  “Uh…not now…” Tom said. “For when we carry it home. Don’t wanna get stuck with pine needles….”

  Silly fucking me! Mack, you are not fucking cut out for country living.

  Yet while he teased, Tom was coming from a good place. He was engaging Drew in his own life and interests, and he offered a glimpse into Maxine’s old world as well. For a few hours, he could roll up his sleeves and get down and dirty with her dear old dad in the woods. It meant a lot to Tom…and it meant a lot to Drew, even though he often found himself kicking and screaming along the way.

  “So, Drew,” Tom said, his words softer now, full of empathy. “I know that it’s not been an easy few weeks for you with everything that happened. And it can’t make life any less complicated with your show about to open. It…it just means the world to me that you and Maxie made it here for the holiday…”

  “Tom, I adore you—plain and simple,” Drew spoke from his heart. And he did care dearly for Tom. He’d been through so much, not just in losing Judy but with Maxine’s illnesses and seeing her move rather far away. He deserved to have the happiest Thanksgiving out of everyone Drew knew. “I’m just relieved we managed to make it in time for dinner. It meant a lot to Maxine, and it meant a lot to you, too. That makes me happy.”

  “I never…I never thought…” Tom just sighed and shook his head. It was easier than crying. “Never thought Judy would be gone from my life so soon. Never thought Maxie would move away. And when she did…I never expected her to meet someone like you so fast in that big city. I worried a lot until we had the chance to get to know each other. And it was just another kick in my pants to remind me that she does make good choices. Especially in you and in Ben.”

  Thoughts of that gun disappeared, albeit temporarily, and Drew reached out to give Tom’s stiff shoulder a squeeze. “I know, Tom,” he said softly. “We’ve all been hurt…but now…it’s maybe…it’s time to start healing.”

  “All of us, Drew,” Tom said. “All of us…”

  “I have a tremendous amount of respect for you,” Drew continued. “And I’m not trying to kiss your ass here, Tom. I mean it.”

  “Drew?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “You’re a good man—a solid, upstanding guy. And I couldn’t ask for more for my Maxie. She deserves the best,” Tom said. “I hope you’ll take care of her…for a while…for me....”

  “Wish we had a beer right now, Tom…” Drew said and slung his arm around Tom’s shoulders. “To toast to the two of us….”

  “Not right now!” Tom insisted. “Don’t want you to cut your finger off.”

  There was something liberating about stepping into the woods with another guy. It was a rough and tumble place to release those most intimate of thoughts that one wouldn’t necessarily disclose at any other time. It was a man thing, and Drew wasn’t even sure if he could convey that to Maxine. But he was sure that Tom understood.

  “You’ve both been slammed with a few hard doses of reality,” Tom said. “But you’re muddling through it together—without argument—and you’re supporting each other. And I’m proud of you both.”

  Tom always had a way of explaining the world. And he was never wrong. That, Drew held as truth.

  “She’s been my rock,” Drew said. “And I know it’s soon. I’ve said that to you before. But, Tom, please do trust that I love her.”

  “I do, pal,” Tom assured him. “I really do.”

  Drew only sought Tom’s approval, and now that he gained it, he had to continue to prove that he was indeed worthy of Maxine’s love. Their relationship was one continuous effort—one that he hoped would last a lifetime. They were taking things slowly, easing themselves into a deeper commitment, but Drew couldn’t have taken another step without knowing that Tom supported them.

  “So…how about Maxie and Vicki?” Tom observed. “I think they’re becoming inseparable.”

  “Kinda wonderful, isn’t it?” Drew agreed.

  “I like her, Drew,” Tom whispered, and for the first time ever, Drew thought he noticed a blush on his cheeks. “A lot.”

  “Hell, Tom, I’ve had fun with her, too. And I think she’s convinced me that Maxine needs a kitten or two…”

  “You know that would make Maxie’s entire year…”

  “I’m working on it,” Drew insisted. He was, technically, giving serious consideration to adopting perhaps a pair of kittens. However, that decision was not one to be made lightly. They were still progressing and flourishing as a couple. They needed a moment to breathe before taking that grand leap into parenthood, pet or otherwise. “But…back to you and Vicki…” Drew interrupted.

  “You know…I have a better understanding now of how you and Maxie fell in love so quick,” Tom admitted, quietly hanging his head. “Vicki’s a doll, isn’t she? And I just get so excited to see her. There’s never an argument. And she makes me laugh and smile and tear up all at the same time. Just like my Judes did.”

  “Oh, I wish I knew Judy,” Drew chuckled. “But I have a feeling that Maxine is her living embodiment.”

  “The good…the bad…and the downright ugly…” Tom said and stuck his chin in the air.

  “Well, I’m glad to know her through Maxine, Tom,” Drew said as he patted Tom on the back. “In fact, I almost feel like she’s still here…”

  Suddenly distracted, Tom forged on through the brush. “Aww…look – it’s Maxie’s old treehouse coming up!” Tom said, trotting along ahead.

  Let him lead. Play it like you don’t know the way….even though you’ve mapped out every second of it in your mind since you fucked his daughter there…

  And then Drew remembered that Tom had a gun. If anything could make him feel as if his balls had just shriveled up to mere raisins, it was the presence of Thomas Kirk…and his armory.

  “Oh, hell, Drew…seems like yesterday that we built this thing.” As he pulled at one of the wooden ladder rungs nailed to the tree, it came loose in his hand. “See….shows you how old this damn thing is!”

  “I’d be afraid to venture up there now,” Drew gulped, hoping that his voice was convincing. “But I’m sure Maxine’s had some memorable times up there amongst the branches…”

  “Oh, you should have seen her when I was putting it together. She was five—and so tiny. And she wanted to help. She’d pass me the nails, hold my hammer…and those big green eyes were just so anxious to see what it would all look like…”

  While Drew loved knowing that Maxine was just as precocious as ever, he had a few other things on his mind as he shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand and gazed up at that big old tree. With the thoughts of that previous chilly afternoon rolling through his filthy mind, he had to collect himself.

  They were rapidly approaching another twenty-four hours without…and Drew saw no relief in sight. They couldn’t just sneak off that afternoon and share a quickie wherever they landed. They had obligations—he to Tom and Maxine to Vicki. Tom was actually doing all of this so that Maxine could still have her Christmas tree at home, even though she’d be in New York for the holiday. This tree meant more than sex, but Drew was having trouble convincing his stubborn dick of that.

  For the moment, he had to eradicate his thoughts of all things amorous. He was alone in the woods with her father. And a shotgun. And they had to find her the perfect Christmas tree.

  At last, they’d arrived at a clearing, where, just beyond, sat the Christmas tree patch that Tom had mentioned earlier.

  “Ah…smell that pine…”

  There was that unmistakable, crisp, fresh scent in the year that took him straight back to his mother’s house. It reminded him of holidays past—opening presents, sparring with Adam, clowning around and fighting over toys. Those were the remembrances he associated with those tra
ces of pine in the air.

  “Shall we choose Maxie’s tree?” Whether she was at home or in New York, and no matter how old she was, the Christmas tree that sat in Tom’s living room would always be Maxine’s tree.

  Carefully weighing his decision as he meandered throughout the three rows, Drew put a lot of thought into his selection before he picked what he thought was the perfect pine. “This one?”

  “Drew…we’re not going for Rockefeller Center in my living room,” Tom said. “Smaller…”

  “Uhhh…”

  “Little bit shorter…”

  “Okay—this one!”

  He felt like a child all over again, being led around by the consummate parent.

  “Perfect…now…I’m going to walk you through this…here’s the saw…and you need to get right down on the ground—on your belly—to cut it down.”

  “Can I just squat?”

  “Nope. Down in the dirt, pal. You’ll get a better cut…”

  Down to his knees, Drew dropped, then crawled underneath the bottom layer of branches. Shit…he was already getting poked with pine needles.

  This is for Maxine, he reminded himself. Keep going, Mack…

  With a hiss of his breath, he took the saw in hand…

  “Uhhh…lower…”

  “Lower?” Drew asked.

  “It’s gotta sit in the stand, Drew,” Tom said. “Nope—lower, as close to the ground as you can get.”

  This was far more complicated than just going to the tree guy on the corner of Broadway and paying a couple of kids to haul it back to the penthouse. This was actual work.

  As Drew slowly began to saw into the tree with small and careful strokes, Tom continued to coach. “Take your time, and keep it steady. You want to make the straightest cut you possibly can.”

  This is your chance to shine, Mack. Don’t fuck up little one’s Christmas tree…

  Once he found his groove, cutting this beast down wasn’t so bad, even though he did feel quite claustrophobic under there. Tom held on to the bark so that it wouldn’t fall on top of either one of them, and Drew just held his breath until at last…he’d freed the tree from its stump.

  Letting go and allowing the pine to fall into the open space of the aisle between the rows, Tom called out, “TIM…BER!”

  Over the toppled tree, Drew peered at Tom as he brushed off the soil and needles from his clothes.

  “I always wanted to scream that,” Tom smiled. Naturally, Tom bent over to examine Drew’s handiwork. “Nice job, pal.”

  Drew sat back suddenly on his heels, so thoroughly surprised by the compliment. “Nice job?”

  “Yeah—it’s a good, straight cut. Should fit really well in the stand.”

  “I did it right?”

  “Okay, Drew, I’m not going to sit around here in the forest all night, telling you that you’re the best Christmas tree cutter in all of Fayette County. You did well. Period. Now, let’s get this thing back to the house before it starts to get dark out here.”

  Drew was so tickled by Tom’s praise that he almost bumped his own two fists together. That single moment of recognition brought him greater satisfaction than a mixed review from The New York Times. He had arrived. Tom didn’t just like him—he’d also found a buddy in him.

  Before he picked up the tree, he knew it was appropriate then to wear the gloves that Tom had given him. The slick soles of those damn boots slipped along through the brush as they hauled that tree through the woods, along the massive yard and onto the patio, but Drew charged along.

  “I’ll get the stand ready, and then we’ll bring her in,” Tom said. “You really should let them settle before you decorate them, but we’re short on time here. I want you and Maxie to enjoy it for a couple of days before you go home…”

  “I’m sure we will, Tom…”

  “If the kittens don’t pull it down first…”

  Drew’s eyes widened with fright. Images from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation flooded his mind…and oh, he dreaded the thought of seeing Lucy and Linus chewing the twinkle lights!

  Off in the distance, he could hear the doorbell ring, and the fear in Tom’s eyes that coincided with the wrinkle of his forehead sent Drew into a state of panic.

  “Cops on the front porch…” was all Tom could manage before Drew barged through the French doors and made just a few strides through the dining and living rooms.

  Something happened to Maxine and Vicki. That was the only reason that a cop ever showed up on a doorstep—at least in Drew’s mind. There was an accident. They were injured. They were hurt and alone and he needed to be with them now.

  “Drew, calm down, pal…please…”

  However, he’d already thrown open the front door to find two local policemen minding him suspiciously.

  “What’s happening? What’s going on here…?”

  “Thomas Kirk here?” the shorter, chubbier of the two officers asked.

  “That’s me…”

  “We need to have a word with you…”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The mingling aromas of freshly baked cupcakes, cookies, tarts and pies tickled Maxine’s nose as she opened the door to the small bakery across the street from Vicki’s office. Inside, all of the tables were neatly covered with crisp, red and white checkerboard tablecloths and topped with small vases of carnations. The walls, painted in a soft lavender almost the same shade of her bedroom, were adorned with Impressionist prints from Monet and Seurat.

  Sadly, Maxine knew the little shop was struggling. People in town just didn’t have the money for gourmet goodies. In fact, the bakery owner herself stood behind the register, just waiting for someone to stop in, and her smile was a genuine one when Maxine greeted her.

  Much to her own disappointment now, she had only visited there once before she’d moved, and her mind immediately darted toward thoughts of her mother. Judy would have loved this little respite from the world. She could even picture her mother sitting at one of those tables just sipping a mocha and nibbling at a croissant. That was one thing Judy just loved to do—sit, have coffee and chat with her only daughter.

  Now, though, with her mother’s blessing from beyond, she knew that it was time to try and make some new memories with Vicki. Her thoughts of Judy would never fade. For her father’s sake, they both had to move onward, and Maxine was ready to take that leap.

  “Monet’s Japanese Bridge,” Maxine said, pointing to one of the framed pieces. The display of art actually surprised her. Usually, back here at home, Judy was the only person in a room who could recognize painters by name. “One of my favorites.”

  “Yeah…” the woman behind the counter mustered a melancholy smile. “My husband was in the military, and we used to travel. Got to see a lot before he passed away…”

  “Oh…” Maxine could feel the woman’s sadness and her own words caught in her throat. “Oh, I’m so sorry…”

  “It’s alright,” the woman replied. “He died in Afghanistan…a hero.”

  “That is heroic, and I’m sure he’s with you now,” Maxine assured her. “I lost my mom, and she’s still beside me every single second…”

  “You’re a sweetie,” the woman said. “And I agree. He’s been with me every step of the way.”

  Maxine ordered a ham and gruyere sandwich on a baguette and a large coffee. In the tip coffer, she placed a ten dollar bill, taking a nod from Drew. While she didn’t have a lot of extra money to spend, she wanted to show her support in whatever small way she could.

  Once settled at a table, Vicki raised her own cup of coffee and toasted Maxine with a warm smile. “Cheers, Max.”

  “And to you!”

  “So,” Vicki began as she unwrapped her sandwich, “wonder what those gents are up to right now…”

  “Honestly,” Maxine lowered her voice, even though they were the only two in the room, “I really hope Drew doesn’t…injure himself. He’s such a city boy. And his opening is coming up!”

  �
�You must be so excited!” Vicki attempted to distract her from the threat of possible harm to Tom or to Drew. “Have you ever been to a premiere on Broadway?”

  “My very first one,” Maxine said, her pride for Drew bubbling over. “I’m so thrilled and nervous for him all at the same time. And he just makes my heart stop when I see him on stage—even now that we’re dating.”

  “Rumor has it that he sang to you at his mom’s party!”

  “Aw, shucks. Daddy told you?” she asked shyly.

  “Hey, Drew can sing to me any day! That man has a voice!”

  “He’s kinda cute, too,” Maxine chuckled.

  “So’s that dad of yours!” Before Vicki could take her words back, she covered her mouth and froze. “Oops. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It’s alright,” Maxine patted her hand. “I’m a big girl. And I’m happy he met you. It’s fun to see him as smitten as a kitten…”

  “Pun fully intended there, Max?” Vicki winked. “I feel like he’s told me everything about himself already. No shocking revelations to come. What you see is what you get.”

  “That’s Daddy, indeed.”

  “And Max…I just…I want you to know that I have no intention of ever trying to replace your mom—or to force my way between you and your father,” Vicki said. “I just hope we can become friends.”

  Maxine had to stop herself from tearing up. She understood full well now why her father was so taken with this lovely lady. Vicki truly did have a wonderfully giving heart. “We’re already well on our way, Vicki. And I’m glad he has you. I don’t want him to be alone. I want him to enjoy his life. He’s still got a lot of living left in him!”

  Thumb tracing the plastic lid of her cup, Vicki nodded thoughtfully. “Things are different this time around with Tom.”

  Although she didn’t ask, Maxine knew that Vicki alluded to her ex-husband. “Honestly, I think you’re good for him, too,” Maxine said. “My mother could only coax him so far—push him to his limits. I think without her, he’s sort of been forced to become a little more adventuresome, visiting New York…even in asking you to dinner! He’s learning to cope all over again…but so am I…”