21. Max
CHAPTER 21
Max
I don’t know what Charlie was worried about. She’s definitely stealing the show tonight. She’s fresh blood, she’s fun, and she treats everyone like they’re her future best friend.
Very different from how she’s treated me. I feel like I’m permanently cemented in the friendly enemy territory with her.
There are about a hundred people crammed into this room, and that includes the volunteer fire chief who’s tactfully ignoring the 80-people capacity sign tacked on the wall.
It’s mainly all people I know from the local area. There are some unfamiliar faces but the majority are visiting family.
Ellie Jefferson is the only person I’ve seen glare at Charlie, and I think that’s probably my fault. I made the fateful mistake of walking into the building with Charlie. Ellie has made it no secret that she wants me to date her daughter, Bliss. She only suggests it every time I see her.
I glance across the room at Bliss, who is sitting at one of the square tables chatting with Darlene. Bliss has dark, wavy hair. Long lashes. Red lipstick. She’s a pretty girl. She seems nice, too. I actually like her. And we’ve already come to an understanding that we should not date.
I watch as Zane Madden walks up to Charlie, where she’s standing at the bar talking with Billy. She says something to Zane, and he laughs. Billy looks thrilled, which makes me think he’s a little too hopeful about a possible wedding. Poor guy is desperate to have grandchildren. Billy and Zane are good people. That doesn’t mean I want to see Charlie stumble all over herself for him. So what if he’s good-looking? And nice? She doesn’t need somebody like that. I swallow the lump in my throat as I watch them walk onto the dance floor together. I watch as Charlie places her hand in his and I don’t know why it makes my vision go dark.
Zane places a hand on her hip, and they begin to sway to the music. I already know what it feels like to hold Charlie in my arms, so I know exactly what Zane is feeling right now.
“They look good together,” someone says from behind me.
I turn around to find Bliss standing there. I didn’t even notice her get up and walk over here. I was too focused on Charlie and Zane. “I guess it depends on what you mean by they look good together.”
Bliss shrugs. “They look like they’re having fun.” Bliss doesn’t look like she’s having fun. She looks like she’d like to be anywhere but here. She looks like she’s doing her best to disassociate.
“Charlie’s only here for a short time,” I tell her, but really, it’s just a reminder for myself.
Bliss finally turns to look up at me, pulling her penetrating gaze away from Zane and Charlie.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be morose.”
I study her face for a minute before I ask, “Have you ever said anything to Zane?”
Bliss throws her head back and laughs. “Now, that would be funny.”
“What would be so funny about that?” I ask her.
“I regret ever saying anything to you about that little crush.” She scowls up at me.
I grin at her. “It’s too late. We’ve already decided that I’m too close to being a big brother to you for us to get together.”
Bliss laughs at that. “I keep trying to explain that to my mother, but I think she’s about ready to start copying and pasting you into family photos.”
I glance at Bliss’s mom and decide she really has been glaring at Charlie all night. She’s looking at Charlie like she came to steal all happiness and joy this holiday season.
Bliss nudges me with her elbow. “Oh, please, I saw how you walked into the room with her. And I saw you glare at anyone under the age of 60. Of course, maybe you should be worried about my grandpa. He is single and ready to mingle.” Bliss points to her grandpa, who is in his mid-80s. He’s chatting it up with Darlene.
“Well, you could always introduce him to Charlie. Maybe they’ll hit it off. Because I definitely am not going to take anything anywhere with her.”
Bliss shakes her head. “I don’t know. I liked her when you two came to get the tree from Dad this week. She seemed nice. Normal. She seems like she wasn’t afraid of a little bit of a grumpy workaholic hermit.”
“I am not a grumpy hermit,” I try to defend myself.
“I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about my grandpa when he came out to talk to her.” She laughs.
Oh . It sounds ridiculous now that I replay it in my head. I’ve just outed myself as obsessed with Charlie.
“You should ask her to dance,” Bliss suggests.
“You just don’t want her dancing with Zane.”
Bliss shakes her head. “I’ve decided this whole liking him thing is going to have to end. I think I need to do something about it.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling you. You should talk to him. Ask him out.”
Bliss looks at me with a surprised look on her face. “That’s not what I meant! I’m not going to talk to him. I’m going to try and date somebody else! I’ve been letting that man rule my decisions and he doesn’t even know I’m alive.”
When she puts it that way… I turn back to see Zane and Charlie leave the dance floor and beeline for us.
“This is fun, Max,” Charlie says by way of greeting. “Hi, Bliss!”
Zane shakes my hand when he reaches me. Then turns to Bliss with a smile. “Good to see you.”
Bliss smiles back at him, but it looks brittle. “Hi.”
Zane wipes the back of his hand across his forehead and says something about needing to go get a drink. Charlie smiles at both of us and goes with him.
I glance down at Bliss. “Really smooth.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I just told you I was going to move on. If I tried to engage him in conversation, would that be me moving on?”
“It was a breathy hello. If he didn’t realize you existed before, he’ll definitely remember that.”
“I’m beginning to see why Charlie thought you were such a pain in the butt,” Bliss replies thoughtfully.
I straighten up and glance back at Charlie who’s standing at the bar getting a can of Pepsi. That’s funny. I didn’t take her for a Pepsi girl. “What did Charlie say about me?”
“Nothing too much—don’t you worry about it.”
“Should we dance?” I ask her. I don’t want to dance, but it feels like I should say something.
“No, let’s don’t. I don’t want to give my mother false hope. Besides, see the guy along the wall over there?” I follow her gaze to find a man in his twenties— maybe even early twenties—standing next to Henry.
“I think that’s Henry’s cousin. I figure maybe I’ll go introduce myself. He’s going to be in town for a while.
“He looks like a baby. He can’t be more than 23.”
Bliss shrugs. “I’m 23.”
“Are you sure you’re old enough to drink?” I ask her, pointing to the beer bottle in her hand. Now that I’m having this conversation with Bliss, I’m wondering how old Charlie is. It never even crossed my mind to ask her.
“You’re making me want to crack this onto your head, Max,” she says dryly as she lifts the beer bottle a little.
I chuckle at that and tip my head toward Henry’s cousin. “Well, good luck with him. You’ll have to raise him first.”
“I’m beginning to question my friendship with you.” Bliss shakes her head.
“No, ‘cause I’ll always tell you like it is.”
She muses on that and then nods. “It’s true. That’s why we work as friends. Plus, you’re too old for me.”
“I’m 30,” I reply dryly. “Zane is 33.”
I wait for those words to sink in and stare at Bliss as she grimaces. “I know it’s weird. OK, I know it’s weird, and that’s why I’m moving on.”
“Probably a good choice.”
“And you should probably move on too because Zane is leading Charlie towards the mistletoe,” Bliss says as she glances over my shoulder behind me.
Any sense of contentment or happiness I felt standing here talking to Bliss completely evaporates when my eyes land on Zane and Charlie. Zane is saying something to Charlie, who throws her head back and laughs. I watch them, trying to make out what they’re saying, but then Zane places his hand on her back, and they begin walking toward the arbor covered with a Christmas garland and holding the mistletoe.
Charlie tips back the Pepsi and takes a gulp.
I don’t pause to say goodbye to Bliss. I take a direct line toward the arbor with mistletoe underneath it. I cut off Bliss’s Grandpa, who is heading there too.
Apparently, a whole herd of us is hoping to be the one standing under the mistletoe with Charlie tonight.
I barely catch his elbow before I knock him to the ground.
“Watch what you’re doing there, sonny,” he barks at me.
Zane and Charlie beat me there. Zane points at the mistletoe above them. Charlie looks up in surprise and laughs, shaking her head.
Zane leans in and says something to her that I can’t hear over the music. He takes a half step towards Charlie, and I wait for her to flee the scene.
She doesn’t. In fact, she just stands there talking to him. Zane takes another half-step toward her, and their boots touch each other. I should turn around and leave the room and not make a scene. I have no right to make a ruckus. I have no claim on Charlie; she’s said nothing to make me think she is interested in me.
But that doesn’t stop me from stepping directly between them, catching Charlie’s elbows and bumping Zane out of the way with my entire body.
Charlie grasps two fistfuls of the front of my shirt to keep from falling.
“What the heck, Max?” She scowls at me. Her brows scrunch together, making that deep wrinkle in her forehead. It’s adorable.
“If you want to go under the mistletoe with someone, it’s not going to be Zane.”
Her eyes narrow at that. “Fine, then I’ll pick someone else.”
“Someone’s already standing here. You don’t have to find anyone else.”
Charlie jabs a finger at my chest. “Max, I’m halfway scared if I kiss you under the mistletoe that you’ll bite me.”
“I only bite if asked.”
Charlie’s eyebrows shoot up and then she calls my bluff. “If you keep standing here, I’m going to kiss you square on the mouth.” She scrunches her eyebrows together like she’s just threatened me with something worse than death.
“Dare you to,” I manage to croak out. I might not live to regret this.
“I always take a bet,” she grumbles. Then Charlie pulls me close and leans up on her tiptoes. I can feel her thighs press against mine, and her hands tighten on my shirt to keep her balance. I push my cowboy hat back and lean down to meet her. She presses a slow, closed-mouth kiss against my lips. Her eyes are wide open as she slides a hand up my chest, her fingers trailing along my neck until they rest on my cheek.
She blinks slowly as she begins to move her lips. I suck on her top lip as she stands on her tiptoes.
I take a moment to slide my arms around her waist, enjoying the feeling of holding her close. Her lean body fits against mine perfectly. Her body bends and curves to meet mine.
As far as kisses go, it’s a chaste one. My thoughts? Not so much. Because having Charlie Baxter kiss me is the equivalent of setting me on fire. Every nerve is at attention. My arms are tingling where they’re wrapped around Charlie. My entire body is burning for her. A quick press of her lips and I’m a wreck.
She steps back, and I release her immediately. She looks at me with a surprised look on her face, then says, “Oh.”
Someone whistles in the crowd, and Charlie musters up a shaky smile and turns to bow to the few onlookers who noticed the exchange. I’m not that composed. I spin on my heel and walk away.
“That was really subtle,” Zane says quietly as I walk past him. I stop abruptly and turn to face him. Ready to see him angry that I used my body to push him out of the way.
Instead, I’m faced with a lazy grin. Zane holds a hand up in the air. “I didn’t know you two had a thing going on. She didn’t say anything.”
“We don’t have a thing going on,” I reply quickly.
Zane whistles quietly. “Could have fooled me.”
I scoff. “She doesn’t live here. It’s not going to go anywhere.”
Zane shrugs. “That’s too bad. I like her. I thought she had the potential to help me beat my dad on the bet.”
I relax at that. Charlie was the nearest single person for him to grab, it was nothing personal.
“You’re looking too hard for that.” I glance over my shoulder and spot Bliss next to her mom. She’s smirking at us. “Bliss is single.”
Zane’s eyes widen at that. “Bliss Jefferson?”
“Sure. As long as you stay away from Charlie,” I say with a friendly grin. But I mean it.
“Good luck with that.”
I smirk back at him. “It’s nothing.” Because it has to be, this magnetic pull I feel toward Charlie has to stop. Maybe I’ll start helping her with the renovations if it means it will get her out of here faster.
I’ll do anything at this point. Because I’m going crazy on this emotional rollercoaster.