A Home for Her Baby

by Gabrielle Meyer

  His eyes were the brownest eyes she’d ever seen. Dark and full of so much depth, she used to get lost looking in them. Now, they were filled with regret and sadness. It hurt to look at him. She didn’t want to feel sorry for him. He had hurt her—had hurt the entire town—he didn’t deserve her compassion.

  “I retired from the NFL and came back to coach the Timber Falls High School football team.”

  Piper’s mouth slid open in surprise. “What?” She shook her head. “Aren’t you in the prime of life? You have years left to play.” The NFL had been his dream since he was little. It was the first thing he said to her when they met at Vacation Bible School as nine-year-olds.

  It was Max’s turn to look exposed and vulnerable as he shifted his weight and didn’t meet her eyes. “It seemed like a good time to retire. I was ready to do something different and my mom told me that the Timber Falls Lumberjacks needed me.”

  She squinted her eyes as she regarded him. It wasn’t as simple as that, she was certain. The way his mouth tightened and the way he held his shoulders told her a different story. He could never hide his real feelings from her, and now was no exception.

  “You know I don’t like when people hide things from me.” She cocked an eyebrow, challenging him to deny her statement. “What really happened, Max?” He didn’t owe her any explanation, and she probably didn’t have a right to ask, but old habits were hard to break and they had never kept anything from each other. It had been the hallmark of their relationship: complete and honest truth, even when it was hard. It was the only way she had ever agreed to be friends with him in the first place—and the reason she’d eventually agreed to date him in high school.

  “Do you need help with these towels?” he asked. “Mrs. Anderson said you have a lot to do before the grand opening. I don’t want to keep you from getting it done.” He lifted the towels and nodded toward the door she’d opened. “In here?”

  “You can’t avoid answering me, Max Evans. You know I’ll eventually get the truth out of you.” She always had.

  He walked into the Garnet Room and stopped for a moment to look around. The walls were painted a rich dark yellow and the thick trim was stained a deep walnut which matched the headboard and footboard of the sleigh bed. A beautiful merlot-color bedspread brought out the shades of red in the stained glass at the top of the bay window. “This looks amazing, Piper.” He shook his head in wonder. “Every time I rode by this place growing up, I had no idea how beautiful it would be inside.” He studied her, his gaze briefly flicking to her stomach before he met her eyes again. “But you knew it would be beautiful, didn’t you?”

  It was true. Just like Max had always wanted to see the world and play professional football, Piper had known she wanted to stay in Timber Falls and buy the old Warren House to return it to its former glory. As a child, she had no idea what kind of a toll it would take on her marriage or her finances. Now that she knew, there was a part of her that wondered if she would have done things differently. Were her dreams worth so much pain?

  But none of it mattered anymore. Nick had died, leaving her to pay off the immense debt they’d taken on—and the debt she didn’t know he had created on the side. She’d often wondered why he wanted to hunt and fish every weekend he got the chance, but she’d thought it was because of their rocky relationship. After his accident, she realized he wasn’t hunting or fishing. He was at the casino in a nearby town, feeding an addiction she didn’t know he had until it was too late.

  He’d kept the truth from her to try to protect her, but it had done the opposite. If she had known, maybe she could have helped.

  He was simply one more person, in a long line of people, who had lied to her and broken her heart.

  “You can put the towels in there.” She pointed to the elegant bathroom beyond a thick walnut door.

  Max did as she asked and set the towels on the shelf. When he came back into the bedroom, his gaze returned to her stomach and he asked softly, “Is this your first baby?”

  Piper rested her hand on her growing midsection. The baby had been active all morning, but was now still. “Yes,” she said just as gently.

  Something akin to regret passed over Max’s handsome face. “I’m sorry Nick won’t be here to meet his child.”

  She was, too. It had taken them years to finally conceive after getting help from a fertility clinic. It meant spending more money, but Piper had wanted to be a mother more than anything else in life. She was torn between excitement and guilt. If it had been up to Nick, they would have never sought the help of a doctor. The cost of the procedures, and the mounting debt, had only increased his stress and put more strain on their relationship. She was almost certain he’d begun to gamble to pay off the bills—but it had only added to the trouble.

  “I was a month along when he died,” she said. “At least he knew we were finally expecting.” It was a small comfort, especially when the pregnancy had made Nick even more stressed out than before.

  “I’m happy to hear it.” Max smiled, and seemed to truly mean what he said.

  He’d always been devastatingly good-looking, even when they were in school. Now, as a man, confident and sure of himself, he was breathtaking. Not only was he tall, he was also lean and muscular. She hadn’t exaggerated when she said he was in the prime of his life. His dark brown hair was short around the sides and back, but a little longer on the top. He wore a close-trimmed beard, but it couldn’t hide his chiseled jaw or his well-formed mouth.

  But it was his eyes that made him stand out among a group of men. Looking at them now made her insides get all warm and fluttery.

  Piper forced herself to look away. She had no business getting butterflies over Max Evans anymore. She knew better, not only because he’d broken her heart, but because he had drawn a lot of attention as an NFL player. His good looks, coupled with his reputation with the ladies off the field, put him in the tabloids. He’d dated several beautiful women over the years, a couple models, a movie star, and more recently, Miss California, who was also the daughter of a successful California college football team’s head coach, though Piper would never admit to knowing these details.

  If given the chance, Max Evans would only break her heart all over again. When things got hard, he walked away. He had done it to her before and he would do it again. There was nothing that would ever persuade her to give him another chance.

  He studied her, just like she was studying him, and she wished she was wearing something a little more appealing. She was only twenty-eight, but she felt as if she’d already lived a lifetime. Did it show? Could he see the fine lines around her eyes? The few gray hairs that had popped up in her long dark hair?

  “Max?” A faint voice called to him from the front entry. “Are you here, son?”

  “Mom.” He let out a sigh and moved away from the bathroom door. “I have a few things I need to say to her.”

  Piper had to step aside to let him pass. He smelled of The One, by Dolce & Gabbana. She met his gaze as he passed and couldn’t hide her surprise. The scent had been her favorite cologne in high school and she bought a bottle for him every Christmas as a gift. When she asked him if he liked it, he had told her it was okay, but he didn’t wear it for himself. He wore it for her.

  And he still wore it, even though she hadn’t been around for ten years to smell it on him.

  “Max?” Mrs. Evans called up the stairs, “Roberta says you’re here.”

  “Coming,” Max called back. He looked at Piper. “Can we talk later? We have a lot of things to discuss.”

  It was the last thing she wanted. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We should leave the past where it belongs.”

  “I’m talking about the business, Piper. I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into. I’m going to need a little guidance, if you’re willing.”

  Heat warmed her cheeks as she nodded quickly. “Of cours
e.” He was now her boss, after all. A prospect that felt a little too strange for her liking.

  With one more rueful smile, he was gone.

  Piper stood in the Garnet Room and realized she was breathing as if she’d just run up a flight of stairs.

  Max Evans was back and she wasn’t sure she was ready.

  Chapter Two

  The handrail was slick and smelled like lemon polish as Max descended the stairs. His mom stood in the entry with a huge grin on her face, while his eighteen-year-old brother, Tad, sat idly in an ornate chair, his phone in hand. He glanced up when Max appeared on the steps and lifted his chin in acknowledgment before returning his attention to his phone.

  “Maxwell!” Mom opened her arms wide and waited for him to meet her at the bottom of the steps.

  He smiled and lifted her off her feet in a tight embrace. “Hi, Mom.”

  She laughed as she returned his hug. “Put me down before you drop me.”

  Mrs. Anderson stood in the doorway leading into the dining room and Piper appeared at the top of the steps. Both watched the reunion silently, but neither made a move to join them.

  Max set his mother on her feet and she lifted her eyebrows, giving him an excited look. She leaned in and whispered, “Were you surprised to see Piper?”

  Surprised wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how he felt standing in the same room as Piper. “Very.”

  “I hope you’re pleased.”

  How could Max say otherwise with Piper close enough to hear? “Of course.” What he wanted was to get his mother alone so he could really tell her what he thought about her meddling.

  Mom looked him up and down, her brown eyes, so like his, taking a full measure as only she could. “You look too skinny.”

  “That’s exactly what I thought,” Mrs. Anderson said. “He needs more meat on his bones.”

  Mom patted his arm. “Now that you are home, we’ll take care of you.” Her face glowed like it hadn’t in years—not since Dad died. She looked over at Tad. “Aren’t you going to say hello to your brother?”

  “I did,” Tad said without lifting his gaze off his phone.

  Mom rolled her eyes. “Put the phone away, Tad. It’s not every day that you see your brother.”

  Tad sighed and turned off his phone. He unfolded himself from the chair and rose to clasp hands with Max. For the first time, they stood eye to eye and Max felt like he was looking at a younger version of himself.

  “I’ll be seeing him every day at practice from now on,” Tad said, his voice and countenance as bored as before. “What’s the big deal?”

  Mom shook her head and matched Tad’s sigh with one of her own. “Show a little enthusiasm, Tad. Your brother’s come home and he’s going to coach your team. How many of your teammates can say their brother is an NFL player?”

  “Ex-NFL player,” Tad corrected with emphasis. He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the banister. “With little to be proud of, if you ask me.”

  “Tad!” Mom’s voice rose high with shock. “Max has a lot to be proud of.”

  Tad shrugged and glanced up the stairs, finally noticing Piper. A hint of a smile tilted his lips.

  There was an edge to his brother that surprised Max. Tad used to admire him—it had almost been comical how much he looked up to him—but not anymore. Was it simply because Max had retired from the NFL—or was it something more?

  “Don’t mind him,” Mom said with a wave of her hand. “He’s a teenager.” As if that explained away Tad’s poor behavior. She motioned to Piper. “Come join us.”

  Piper acquiesced and stopped at the bottom of the steps. She offered Mom a tight smile. “Hello, Mrs. Evans.”

  Mom didn’t seem to notice Piper’s annoyance, but reached out and wrapped her arms around the younger woman. “How are you doing?” she asked. “Were you surprised when Max showed up?”

  “Shocked,” Piper said as she pulled back. “I wish you would have told me.”

  “Why?” Mom shared a giggly smile with Mrs. Anderson. “We knew you two would never agree to the arrangement if you’d known, but it seemed perfect. You needed a buyer and Max needed a place to live. It couldn’t have been a better fit.”

  It was evident that both women adored Piper, and that the feeling was mutual, but Piper couldn’t hide her frustration. She glanced at Max. “Just so you know, your mom and Mrs. Anderson are part of a group of ladies at Timber Falls Community Church with quite a reputation.”

  “A reputation?” Max frowned. What kind of a reputation could his mom have?

  “As matchmakers,” Piper supplied. “With Mrs. Caruthers as the ringleader.”

  “Oh, pish-posh.” Mom laughed. “We’re just helpful church ladies, that’s all. It’s our job to meet the needs of the parishioners. If we happen to bring two people together, all the better.”

  “I’m an innocent bystander,” Mrs. Anderson claimed, putting her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I just make the food.”

  Piper gave Mrs. Anderson a knowing smile. “You’re not as innocent as you claim.” A dimple appeared in Piper’s right cheek. The sight of it made Max’s breath pause. He was cast back to the first time he saw her at Vacation Bible School at the age of nine. He’d been sitting on a pew, waiting for the activities to start, when she walked into the sanctuary at Timber Falls Community Church. He’d never seen her before and he was immediately struck by her violet-blue eyes and the air of confidence she exuded, even at that young age. He hoped and prayed she would be assigned to his group, and when the volunteer pointed toward him, he sat up straighter. Piper walked over to the pew and sat down beside Max. She smiled and that’s when he saw the dimple for the first time. It was so cute, and so endearing, he spent the next nine years of his life trying to make her smile—and he’d succeeded, over and over again, until the night he had betrayed her. Instead of smiling, that night she had cried.

  “I just wanted to stop by and see how things are going.” Mom’s smile was hopeful as she looked at Max. “And I wanted to chat with you for a couple minutes, if you have the time.”

  “Sure.” He wanted to talk to her, too.

  “Shall we go onto the porch?” Mom didn’t wait for him to agree, but took his arm and directed him to a door under the stairs. “We’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder to everyone in the entryway.

  Mom wasn’t a short woman, but next to him, she felt small. He had a natural instinct to protect her. After Dad had died, he’d been too preoccupied with his career to be there for her. Now, though, things would be different. It had been several months since he saw her last. She had brought Tad to the stadium in Minneapolis where Max had played his final professional game in January. His team had lost to Minnesota, but Max wasn’t there to see the end of the game. During the second quarter, after being sent in to relieve the starting quarterback, Max had been sacked—and that was all he could remember. He’d suffered a concussion and been taken off the field. It took weeks to fully recover, and in that time, he’d made his decision to retire.

  Max closed the door behind him and then followed his mom to one of the tall windows. This side of the wraparound porch was fully enclosed. Small wrought iron tables and chairs lined the long, wide room. The walls and ceiling were covered in beadboard which had been painted white, but the wide-plank floors were a dark gray, and the curtains at the windows were a soft yellow. The room smelled like fresh paint and window cleaner.

  “You should have told me about Piper.” Max wanted to tell her what he thought about her meddling before she could start in with what she had to say. She had a way of redirecting conversations to benefit her cause, which usually left him confused or forgetting what he needed to say. “You know things aren’t good between us.”

  “That’s precisely why I did what I did, but that’s not what I want to talk to you about.”

 
“I do.” He crossed his arms and faced her. “The last thing I want to do is make Piper feel uncomfortable. In every sense of the word, this is her home. I might own the deed, but I can see that she and Nick poured their hearts into this place.”

  “Not Nick.” Mom shook her head.

  “What do you mean ‘Not Nick’?”

  “He didn’t lift a finger here. Piper did everything.”

  Max frowned. “How is that possible? The place used to be a dump.”

  “They bought the house five years ago. Piper worked here every spare moment she had, while building a successful weddings and events planning business.”

  “Where was Nick?”

  Mom fingered one of the gauzy curtains and didn’t meet Max’s gaze. She rarely got angry, but he could see something brimming in the depths of her eyes now. “Racking up more debt at the casino. He was gone almost every weekend.”

  “Seriously?” Max continued to frown. “How do you know?”

  “Piper is like a daughter to me.” She finally looked back at Max. “How could she not be? You two were close for most of your childhood and I was the only mother she really had. Even after you left, we stayed close.” She put her hand on his forearm. “But don’t repeat what I’ve said about Nick. Piper would be hurt and mortified. She’s only told a few of her closest friends the truth.”

  “But wasn’t he a construction worker? Why didn’t he help her?”

  “After long days of working on other people’s projects, he didn’t have any interest in helping Piper.” She glanced toward the closed door where they’d just entered the room and then leaned closer to Max. “And, to be honest, I think Nick was resentful that Piper followed her dreams to buy this house. He never really wanted it.”