26. Charlie
CHAPTER 26
Charlie
We lock things up and walk Grandma back toward the bunkhouse. We pause as Max grabs her bags out of her old pickup truck and carries them inside for her.
“Well, aren’t you a gentleman,” Grandma says as she walks after him, her work boots leaving small prints in the snow next to Max’s big ones.
“Nah, I’m just a suck-up,” he says as he winks at her with a big smile on his face.
Grandma giggles and pats him on the arm. “At least you know what you are.”
Max swings the door open and lets us walk in first, then follows with the bags, telling Jim and Larry to stay outside.
“Do I smell a skunk?” Grandma asks.
“It’s the dogs,” I explain.
“Aha. Little rascals, are they?” She says as she walks over to one of the bags sitting on the couch, picks it up, and carries it to the kitchen. “Now, I wasn’t sure if you were eating properly or not, so I brought a few things.”
Max and I stand beside each other and watch in awe as she unloads old sour cream and yogurt containers and puts them in the fridge. “Don’t get your hopes up. It’s all boring food. Some beef stew, homemade spaghetti sauce, and a few snacks.” She places an old bread bag on the counter.
My mouth begins to water. “Are those chocolate peanut clusters?”
“Of course. I know they’re your favorite.”
She pulls out another plastic container and passes it to Max. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made you some fudge.”
I watch as Max takes the container from her almost reverently. “Ma’am, are you single?”
Grandma laughs and slaps a hand on the counter. “I see where those dogs learned to be rascals. From their owner.”
Max grins and pries the lid off, popping two squares of fudge in his mouth. He moans as he chews it and I can’t seem to pull my gaze away from his jaw muscles.
Grandma slaps my hand. “Quit ogling him. Let a man enjoy his fudge.”
Max’s eyes fly open and meet mine with a sparkle. “Yeah, let a man have his fudge.”
I raise my eyebrows at him, hoping he can read my mind and the retribution I’m promising him.
Max’s phone rings and he walks over to the wood stove and answers the call as he sets a couple more logs on the fire.
I snag a peanut cluster out of the bag and give Grandma another hug. “I’ve missed you. Thanks for coming.”
She hugs me tight the way she always does. “I’ve missed you too, peanut. And I’m really glad to meet your boyfriend.”
I pull back, feeling guilty over the little misconception I’ve let her believe.
“He’s not, well. I don’t think he’s interested—” I cough as Grandma studies me intently. “That is to say, we’re not actually a thing.”
“I could taste what kind of toothpaste you used this morning; I’m pretty sure we’re a thing.” Max’s deep voice shoots through the center of my chest.
He was supposed to be busy on the phone.
I turn around and give him a tight smile. “Thank. You. Max. For saying that in front of my Grandma.”
He has the gall to raise his eyebrows and fold his arms as he looks at me.
“I think now is the perfect time to have it out.”
“Oh, me too,” Grandma agrees with him as she pulls a peanut cluster from the bag and begins munching on it while her gaze swings between the two of us.
“I don’t know what kind of person you think I am—” He begins.
“Not sure you want the answer to that right now,” I fire back with a glare.
“Charlie! Be nice.” Grandma is not the referee I want right now.
Max smiles at her and takes a step toward me. “Believe it or not, I don’t go around kissing every beautiful girl I see.”
He unfolds his arms and hangs them at his side.
I quickly cross my arms to maintain some kind of distance between us as he steps close enough that my elbows bump against his chest.
“I thought I was pretty clear with my intentions last night,” he continues. He’s just putting one foot in front of the other on the way into the doghouse.
Grandma gasps from behind me and I can hear her crunching on that peanut cluster.
“We kissed. So what? We kissed under the mistletoe and you said it was nothing.”
“I was trying to make it nothing. But when it comes to you, Charlie…There’s too much there.”
“Oh, so now I’m too much?” I scowl up at him, and he just keeps smiling down at me like he’s lost his ever-loving mind.
“You’re too much of everything I want. I’d be a fool not to pursue something with you. Even if it means figuring out a long-distance relationship.”
I try to govern the expression on my face, but I probably don’t do a good job because Max is grinning even bigger now. “Tell me you want the same.”
“You know I do.” I grind out. “I practically threw myself at you the other night.”
“Charlie!” Grandma exclaims.
“But there’s something else you should know.”
There’s silence in the room except for Grandma’s crunching.
“It’s the real reason Bryce broke up with me.” I would like a special portal to transport me to anywhere but here. I’ll take Narnia or Scotland at this rate.
“You’re not going to scare me off,” Max replies with a chuckle. “I know I was scared the night of the mistletoe…but I’ve had time to process and think it through. I’m sure. I want to be with you, Charlie.”
I quickly mumble a rushed explanation to Max.
He stares at me. “I can honestly say I understood none of that.”
I clear my throat and raise my chin so that I look him clearly in the eye. “I’m not changing my career for you.”
“Wait, what?” Max asks, confused.
“Oh!” Grandma gasps from behind me.
Yeah….this is not going well. He’s finally admitting his feelings for me, my grandma is like a bad sitcom audience, and I’m about to give him a solid reason to lose interest in me.
“Every single boyfriend I’ve had, has asked me to change careers at one point.”
Max blinks twice. “So?”
“So? I’m saying that I’m not going to change careers if you can’t handle it. If that’s a deal breaker for you, now is the time to walk away.” Before I get my heart crushed.
“You mean the deal where I want to date you?”
“Yeah, that one.”
Max shakes his head. “You mean to tell me Bryce broke up with you because you wouldn’t quit your job?”
I move to step back, but Max catches my arms and tugs me closer to him as he chuckles. “Of all the ridiculous reasons to break up with someone. Listen, I want you, Charlie. And I want you to take a chance on me.”
“But what if I meet someone you know, and I’ve outbid them on a job, and it causes a tense, awkward dinner?”
Max looks at me with raised eyebrows. “That was oddly specific.”
“Yes, tell us more,” Grandma chimes in.
I flinch as I remember we still have our captive audience. “The boyfriend I had before Bryce…Well, he introduced me to his parents, and I already knew his dad. He’s another residential contractor in the area and I had just outbid him on a job. Let’s just say that dinner precipitated our break up.”
Max shakes his head, glances at Grandma and says, “If you’ll excuse us…”
He grabs my elbow even though my arms are still folded and tugs me toward the stairs. I follow him up to the loft, where he gently pushes me onto the couch.
“We’re not going anywhere until we get this settled.” His tone is ominous like he’s willing to stay here for a hundred days.
I stare at him with wide eyes. “Now is the time to run.”
Max throws his head back and laughs. “If you think I don’t want to date you because of your job…you don’t know me very well. That’s something we can fix. Because let me tell you, I have a whole list of projects I’d like to hire you to do around the ranch. There’d be enough work here in Pine Ridge for five lifetimes. It’s all part of my evil plan to keep you in the area.” His eyes twinkle as he says it.
“You’ve never thought I’m too much?”
Max smirks. “Oh, definitely…especially when you were trying to steal my house.”
I smack his arm lightly, and he grins, catching my hand and lacing his fingers through mine. “Listen, if a man can’t respect you or your work, that shows a lot more about his insecurities than it saying anything about you.” He rests a hand on the back of my head, pulling me close to kiss my forehead.
“It’s why none of my relationships last long,” I whisper. “They’re always trying to compete with me or make me change who I am.”
Max leans back and rubs a hand along his jaw. “Maybe I should send them a thank you text. It’s giving me a fighting chance with you.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh because I’m shaking, and if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry. The adrenaline of worrying about what he’ll think or say. I’ve never had someone respect me in this way. Making me feel—normal. Desirable still. And to find out that he’s plotting how to keep me close. It’s the sweetest manipulation I’ve ever heard.
Gah. I think I might have just genuinely fallen in love with this man right here.
“So, are we all clear?” He asks. “Anything else you want to get off your chest?”
I nod slowly. “I found your Reese’s stash and ate some of it.”
Max moves quickly and starts tickling my ribs before I have a chance to dodge. I begin shrieking “Mercy” which he deliberately pretends like he can’t hear.
“There. I definitely feel better about myself.” Max leans back and tucks me close to his side. “Did you mean all of the stuff you said to me after the Christmas dance?”
“Not really,” I say with a giggle.
He pokes my side.
“Yes! Yes, I mean them. And I wanted to go crawl into a hole and never come out with the way you responded. I was so mortified that I had blown things out of proportion and that I was the only one falling for you.”
“Falling for me, huh? That was definitely not one of the words you used.”
I tip my head back, but his arm behind my neck prevents me from moving too much. “I’m thinking I should just keep my mouth shut around you.”
Max leans down and presses a kiss against my lips. “But I like it open.”
“So what are we then?”
“What are we? You mean, what are we to each other?” Max asks as he leans down to kiss my neck. I didn’t know necks had nerves until today because his gentle kiss sends an electric shock down my spine.
“Yes,” I manage to whisper.
“I guess we could say we’re in a relationship. Or I could say you’re my girlfriend.” He pauses to kiss below my ear. “Or you could say that I’m yours.”
“Hmm. I think I like the sound of all those things. I think saying you’re mine will be my favorite.”
Max rests a hand against my hip just before he tugs me closer. “I think I like that.” He dips his head and kisses me deeply.
Time freezes as I melt into a slow, deep kiss from him.
The only thing that stops us is the loud banging and whistling coming from downstairs and we pull apart with a laugh. “I think she’s trying to get our attention.”
I reluctantly stand up and put some distance between us.
Max adjusts his clothes and runs a hand through his hair. “Do I have lipstick on my face?”
I poke his arm. “I’m not wearing lipstick.”
He grins at me and tweaks my nose as we head down the stairs.
When we reach the kitchen Grandma looks at us with a shrewd look. “No giving me a great-grandbaby without a wedding first.”
Max blushes but says “Yes, ma’am.”
“Look what you did,” I whisper. “You were supposed to be on the phone.”
Max jerks his head in surprise. “Oh that reminds me, that was Nash on the phone. They’re coming up tomorrow.”
I jerk around to look at him in surprise. “I have to finish cleaning up the house!”
“I’ll help you,” Max offers.
“Me too!” Grandma chimes in. “You know I’m a whiz with a broom.”
“Yeah, a whiz at chasing people with brooms,” I tease her, recalling one time she chased Grandpa out of the house, waving her broom in the air. She’d been busy trying to bake, and he was sneaking all of the chocolate chips.
Their fun-loving relationship is something I’ve always envied.
I turn back to Max, “Is it going to be awkward to have your boss here over Christmas?”
Max looks at me, startled. There’s something in his look I don’t understand, but I don’t know if I should press it right now. “No, it will be nice to see them.”
“Oh good. I didn’t want it to be a stressful week for you. Magnolia and I used to be roommates, but when Nash moved her into the house, I just made myself at home over there too.” I grin. “So I guess I’m comfortable with them.”
“You two better watch it so that you’re not too comfortable if you know what I mean,” Grandma chimes in.
I give her a tight grin. “Thank you so very much, Grandma. What would we ever do without you?”