Dirty Maverick (The Maxwell Family)

by Alycia Taylor

  “You won’t. I promise you. The doctors said that you were going to be fine. I promise. I’ll call the doctor and he can come and talk to you if you like.”

  I nodded. “Yes, please.”

  I felt like a little kid again, and the thought that my parents weren’t there anymore made me sad. I thought about calling for Madison, but Xavier had already walked out the door. So, I lay back and closed my eyes and just hoped that I would wake up again.

  Chapter Eight

  Madison

  I sat in the lobby talking to the doctor while Xavier was inside with Max. I’d met Xavier before, and it was sad that we were now meeting under these circumstances. I would much rather have assumed that we would be visiting him in hospital, and not Max. He was always the one out looking for his next adrenalin rush, while Max had always been the more sensible one. I was glad that he had come to see Max, though. They might be different, but Max had always talked fondly of his brother. The more people Max had around him throughout this difficult time, the better.

  “So, you’ve talked to Max?” the doctor asked. “The last time I saw him, he was slowly coming around, but the nurses tell me he’s been falling in and out of consciousness.”

  I nodded. “Yes, he was awake with me. I still can’t believe that he’s alive and talking. I honestly thought that we might have lost him. I mean . . . they shot him. They shot him,” I said and quickly gulped back the tears. “Thank you so much for everything that you and your team have done for him. I’m not sure I can ever thank you enough. You were all so quick.”

  The doctor smiled. “Well, it’s our job. It’s what we do best. We might not be great in other areas of our lives, but this is what we know. But, it’s always good to work with someone like Max. He’s a fighter. He makes our job a little bit easier. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to give up.”

  “That’s Max through and through. Uh, I just wondered if I could ask you a question before you go in to see him?” I asked.

  “Sure, fire away. That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Well, uh . . . Max is acting differently.”

  “Differently? What do you mean?”

  I found myself blushing slightly as I recalled how Max had looked at me. I’d never seen him look at me in that way before. In all the time I had known Max, he had never been so affectionate with me. And he had never called me beautiful before. But I didn’t really know how to say that to do the doctor.

  “It’s hard to explain,” I said. “He’s just different.”

  “You have to remember, he’s just come out of a coma. People are never the same straight away. I’ll go in and examine him now and let you know what’s going on, but I really wouldn’t worry. As I said, he’s a fighter.”

  I smiled. “Thank you.”

  I sat back down in the waiting lobby while the doctor walked off, and wondered what the doctor was going to find out after examining him. Other than the strange way he had looked at me, he seemed a lot better. At least he was alive and breathing, and for that, I would forever be grateful. I was happy that this particular doctor was working with him too. Doctor Bressler was a no-nonsense type of man, and I had faith that what he was telling me was the absolute truth. I knew I didn’t have to worry about him skirting around the truth just to save my feelings. If he told me that Max was fine, then Max was fine. I felt like I could trust him and that was the best thing to have in a doctor. There weren’t many doctors out there who would take the time to listen to my questions, but he’d been incredible throughout this whole experience.

  Xavier came into the room and smiled at me. I had forgotten how tall and muscular he was. I was certain he had gotten even more muscular since the last time I had seen him. His dark hair and deep green eyes made him look like he’d stepped right out of a romance novel. I was sure that all the girls went crazy for him. While he looked distinctly different from Max, there was something about the two of them that made it obvious they were brothers. Max looked a bit more like his cousin Josh, but then again, that entire family of men had such strong genes. I had never been attracted to Xavier, despite his good looks. I could recognize that he was good looking, but I had never felt the spark that I was sure many women did when they saw him. Max had asked me once what I thought of his brother, and he’d been surprised when I’d shrugged and said he was nice.

  “Just nice?” he had asked me.

  I had gotten the impression that Max was used to the girls liking his brother over him.

  “Just nice. Not my type.”

  I smiled at the memory. It had sparked a whole conversation about what my type really was. And, naturally, I’d gone on to describe someone that looked the complete opposite of Max just for laughs.

  “The doctor’s going to be a while. Coffee?” Xavier said now when he walked up to me.

  I smiled and stood up. “Yeah, coffee sounds great. Thanks for coming over again, Xavier. I know it will mean the world to Max. And it’s good to see you too. It’s been so long.”

  “It has. Much too long. Not the best circumstances to meet again, though. You’re looking great, Madison.”

  I chuckled. “I wouldn’t exactly put it that way. I don’t think I’ve slept in days. I probably have dark circles under my eyes,” I said. “I’m also not sure if I’ve even washed my hair. I must be a mess.” It was actually the first time I’d given any thought to my appearance all week. I wasn’t sure when I had last looked into a mirror, and I made a mental note to avoid any for the time being. It was best not to be reminded of what I looked like.

  Xavier shook his head. “No, you look great. Honestly. Okay, take a seat. I’ll get the coffees. Cappuccino good?”

  “That’s great,” I said. It was only as he left that I realized I didn’t like cappuccino all that much. They were never strong enough for me, and I wasn’t a bit fan of so much milk in my coffee. But I wasn’t thinking straight lately. Although, when Xavier came back, and I took a sip I was glad I had ordered it. It was delicious. He’d also ordered us each a sandwich.

  “I’m assuming you haven’t been eating,” he said. “I know that when I stress, I always forget to eat. It’s always the people around you that make you eat, isn’t it?”

  I smiled gratefully at him as I took a bite of the sandwich. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until that moment. It was a simple bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich but it tasted like a five-star gourmet meal to me.

  “I should always starve myself. It makes any food taste good. Thanks, Xavier. I appreciate it. This is exactly what I needed right now.”

  “No problem. I was starving too. And this stuff is way better than I thought it would be. I thought hospital food was supposed to be notoriously bad?”

  “Maybe it’s only the patients that get the bad food,” I said.

  “Yeah. Could be. Could be. Like they don’t have enough to worry about.”

  “So, how was Max? Was he surprised to see you?”

  He nodded. “He was more than surprised.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s . . . well, he’s not exactly acting like his normal self.”

  I thought of the way he had looked at me and sighed. “Tell me about it. I thought the same thing. What did he say to you to make you think that though?”

  “Well, I think he has some sort of memory loss.”

  “Memory loss? I didn’t know that. I mean, he was a little out of it but he remembered who I was. Didn’t he remember you?”

  “He did. Which is why it came as such a shock when he asked me if our parents were here to see him too.”

  I looked up in surprise. “Your parents? But they died like five years ago.”

  “I know. It was so strange. I mean, he knew who I was. He knew who you were. But he assumed they were still alive. It’s bizarre.”

  “Ah, that’s so sad. He must’ve been devastated when he found out they weren’t actually alive anymore.” My heart went out to both of them.

  “It was sad, but I think
a part of him knew already. When I told him, he seemed to almost know. So strange.”

  “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.”

  “I’m just glad I’m here now for him. I’m also glad he remembered me. Madison, I can stay until Friday, but unfortunately, I have to fly back for work then. I’m going to try and postpone it, but I’m not sure if it’s possible. It was already a mission for me to come now. I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to lose my job, but I don’t want to walk away from my brother either.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll look after him. You don’t have to worry about it. I tell you what: I’ll keep you posted on how he is doing, and if I need you to come back, I promise to let you know.”

  Relief washed over him. “Thank you so much, Madison. It’s good to know that he’s in good hands with you. That makes me feel a whole lot better. Anyway, I think he’d rather be with you right now than with me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Uh, I wasn’t sure if I should say anything to you, but . . . .”

  “But what? What didn’t you want to tell me?”

  “Remember when I said that he’s been acting differently?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well, he was asking if you were single.”

  “What? But he knew who I was. Didn’t he?”

  “Yeah. He knew who you were. But he still wanted to know if you were single. I have no idea what’s going on, but I thought it was better if I told you so that you were aware. Maybe just be very careful with him at the moment. It’s a bit of a delicate situation. Hopefully the doctor can shed some light on it for us.”

  He wanted to know if I was single? Is that why he was looking at me in that way?

  “I agree. Come on, let’s go and see if they’ll let us in again.”

  We walked into the room and watched while the doctor finished up with Max. The doctor saw us and explained to us that Max has some memory loss that had only affected certain parts of his brain.

  “When will the memories come back?” Xavier asked.

  He thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. “Look, I’m going to be honest with you. I’m not entirely too right now. It’s very hard to tell as every patient is different and everyone has different symptoms. Right now, we’ll just have to monitor it. Thankfully, Max is doing very well in every other aspect. His motor skills are good, his vital signs are great, and seems healthy all around. I’m sure that his memories will come back in due time, but there is a chance that he might lose some forever. Like I said, we’ll just have to monitor it and see how it goes.”

  “I know that I’m Max, and I hate the coffee at the office,” Max said suddenly, and we all laughed.

  It was good to laugh with him again, but I was also aware of how difficult things were going to be during his recovery. Mostly because he had not stopped looking at me throughout the doctor’s conversation. Xavier threw me a glance as if to say, I told you so.

  Chapter Nine

  Max

  The doctor told me that the way I was feeling was completely normal, and that other than the haziness, I was healthy and ready to leave the hospital. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or not to be leaving, but the doctor said that the sooner I made my way out into the real world, the better the chance of all my memories coming back. I couldn’t understand why some things were so vivid to me and why some weren’t. I recognized everyone and knew immediately who they were, but I often forgot vital information about them. They did a lot of tests on me and said that my memory was intact in the way that currently mattered. In other words, I remembered what different objects did, such as toothbrush for brushing my teeth. And, for the most part, I remembered who I was and who those around me were. But some memories weren’t as easy to access as others.

  Xavier had been sitting with me for the last hour while I was getting ready to be discharged, and he’d told me all about his life after I kept throwing question after question at him. For some reason, I seemed to know more things about him when he was younger than the present. Chunks were missing.

  “I remember that you had a red bike and I had a brown one and I used to be so jealous because I wanted to have a red bike. Is that a real memory?”

  Xavier laughed. “That’s a very random, but very real memory. What a funny thing to think about now.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, the strangest things keep popping in my head. I also remember running down the road with you. I’m not sure why, though.”

  “We used to have running competitions.”

  “Did I win?”

  “No way! I was always the athletic one. Although looking at you now, I’m not so sure. Do you go to the gym?”

  “I do. Hey, I remember going to the gym!” I said and laughed. It was always such a delight when someone asked me a question, and I knew the answer to it. “I hate it. But I go all the time. I mean, you can’t have a job like mine and not look the part. I need to look tough.”

  “Yeah? Well, you do.”

  “Ask me something else.”

  “Okay, what’s your favorite meal?”

  “Easy! Spaghetti bolognese. People always tell me that I should’ve been born an Italian because I like pasta and strong coffee.”

  Xavier chuckled. “That’s correct!”

  “You know, I still can’t remember Mom and Dad dying. Isn’t that weird?”

  “Maybe it was too traumatic for you or something.”

  “Yeah, maybe. But I also don’t know anything about Madison. I know she works with me. But I don’t remember much else. The other day I was in bed trying to remember everyone I worked with, and I couldn’t recall them all. And even when I did, it was just a fleeting memory. It’s so strange.”

  “I honestly wouldn’t worry.”

  “It’s hard not to.”

  “You’ve got to just relax. That’s what the doctor said, remember? The more you stress, the more you won’t be able to remember. And I know you find it hard to relax, but you have to try. Don’t worry. You’ll see. It will all come back to you. I know it will.”

  “Thanks, Xavier. I really appreciate you coming out to see me. I will never forget it.”

  “Hey, that’s what brothers are for. I’m so sorry that I can’t stay, though. I did my best to try to get to stay longer, but they weren’t hearing any of it.”

  “You flying out tomorrow?”

  “Today, sadly.”

  I felt a heavy sadness come over me at the thought of my brother leaving. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to feel alone. I felt safer with him around. I liked having someone tell me whether or not my memories were real or not.

  “But don’t worry,” he said as if sensing my distress. “Madison is going to stay with you until you feel more like yourself.”

  “She’s going to stay with me?”

  “She sure is. And I know you’d prefer having a pretty girl around than me.”

  Madison’s pretty face flooded to the forefront of my mind and I smiled. “Yeah, that does sound pretty good right now.”

  We sat and spoke for a little while longer until Xavier had to go. I was out of the bed now, and all packed to leave. He came over and gave me a hug and told me that everything was going to be fine.

  “Madison is going to let me know if I should come back. Promise to be honest with her and tell her if you’re not feeling well?”

  “Yeah, I promise,” I said. “And thanks again for coming.”

  I heard him talking to someone in the corridor and felt relief when Madison walked through the doors. I didn’t feel like being alone for too long, and it was good to see her again.

  “Max, you look so much better!” she said, and a warm smile broke onto her face.

  “You’re saying I look attractive?” I teased.

  She laughed. “Let’s not push it. Come on, let’s get you out of here. I’m sure you’re dying to get away from this place.”

  We made our way back to her car, and I was surprised
by how familiar it felt to be inside. I turned to look at her.

  “This car. Were we in it a lot?”

  “Oh yeah. All the time.”

  “Hmm. Thought so. So, when are we going back to work?” I asked with a forced cheeriness. I knew that I loved work, but the truth was that I didn’t want to go back. Not right away at least. The thought of carrying on with my job was a little too daunting to me at the moment. Everything was still a little hazy.

  “Back to work? Are you crazy? There’s no way we’re going back. Not for a while, at least. The chief has given us the next couple of weeks off.”

  “Both of us?”

  “Oh yeah. He doesn’t want me there either. I mean, the whole thing was pretty traumatic. He says we’re in no state to work. Although, what he doesn’t realize is that I was going to take a vacation with you after this anyway.”

  Traumatic? I still had no idea what had happened. I’d been shot. There’d been a drug bust of some sort. But the details were hazy, and I had no emotional attachment to it.

  “We were going to go on vacation?”

  “Oh yeah. Cocktails. Beach. Don’t worry; I’ll still make sure we get to go.”

  I felt more confused than ever. If Madison and I were not a couple, then why were we going away together? I decided not to ask right away.

  “Okay, here we are. Home sweet home,” she said.

  We got out the car and made our way to the house. Again, the memories were strange. I knew where everything was, and I recognized the place immediately. But it felt more like I was walking in someone else’s home. I couldn’t remember what I had even done the last time I was there. I dropped my bags off in the bedroom and stood there staring at it for a long time. Why didn’t I feel a connection to the place?

  “Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll make us something to eat?” Madison called from downstairs.

  “Uh. Okay. I’ll be down soon.”

  “Take your time,” she said.

  I climbed nervously into the shower, unsure of why I was even nervous in the first place. I had already showered in the hospital, but it felt good to scrub myself again. I wanted to wash off that hospital smell that seemed to have clung on to me all week. I took longer than I had expected to, and after changing into some new clothes, I felt a lot better. I made my way downstairs and found that Madison had gotten the living room table all ready for the two of us. I walked over and took a sip of the wine that she had put out for us, but then I recoiled at the taste. It was sweet. Nice. But . . .