Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
~MAX~
I ’m restless.
Work isn’t holding my attention, which doesn’t usually happen. I just can’t get my mind off Willa and Alex. I find my mind wandering, curious about how Alex’s math test went today, and what Willa’s wearing to work or if she needs help with the puppy.
I have it bad.
And it’s interfering with my productivity.
Not good.
It’s only been a few days since our interrupted night alone, the best sex of my life, and a fun breakfast the next morning. We spent all day inside, watching movies and the snowfall outside. We made homemade pizza and laughed when Alex spilled his pepperoni on the floor, and Rocky ate it all.
I had no idea that being domesticated could be so fun.
I shake my head as I turn down Noah King’s driveway. He lives next door to his birds of prey sanctuary. I pull into his circular drive and hop out of the vehicle. Before I can ring the bell, I hear a loud crack from the side of the house.
I crunch through the snow and find Noah busy chopping firewood.
Thwack!
“Hey,” I say, but he doesn’t look up. He has earbuds in.
So, like the good friend I am, I scoop up a big ball of fresh snow and hurl it at him, hitting him square in the back. He jerks around, his ax raised high and yanks his earbuds from his head.
“Hello,” I say calmly.
“What the hell?” He scowls and reaches to brush at some snow that snuck down his jacket.
“I had to get your attention,” I say with a shrug.
“What’s up?”
“Not much.” I zip my jacket and tuck my hands into my jeans’ pockets. It’s damn cold out today. Spring should be around the corner, but winter is hanging on like a dog with a bone. “Thought I’d drop by.”
“Well, then that means you can chop wood. There are gloves and an extra ax inside the garage.”
I nod and go and fetch the gloves and ax. I like physical work. I sit behind a desk for so many hours at a time that hard work like chopping wood feels good.
When I return, Noah has set up an extra stump for me to chop on. I reach for a piece of wood, steady it on the stump, and thwack , chop it in half.
“So, what’s really up?” Noah asks, lightly panting. Aside from Cary, Noah and Gray have been my best friends since I was a kid. Noah doesn’t mince words. If he sees bullshit, he’ll call bullshit. He’s loyal, almost to a fault, and one of the smartest guys I know.
I trust his judgment, and I know that anything I say will stay between us.
“I’ve had a lot on my mind,” I begin before setting up another piece of wood to chop.
“Does it have boobs?” he asks, a smile on his damn face.
“Nice ones,” I confirm. “And if you look at them again, I’ll chop your arm off.”
“It’s not like I’m leering at them,” he points out. “I’m not creepy.”
I laugh and stack the wood I’ve cut so far under the lean-to on the side of Noah’s house. He bought it from his parents a few years ago and has made some improvements to the place. He and Gray did most of the work themselves since Gray owns a successful construction company.
“How is Willa?” Noah asks, joining me to stack his firewood.
“She’s amazing,” I reply immediately.
“So, things are working out then?”
“So far, so good.” I nod and walk back to my ax.
“I’m glad,” he says, his voice earnest now. “I’m glad you finally pulled your head out of your ass and did something. ”
“But how do you really feel?” My voice is dry as sandpaper.
“You both deserve to be happy, and being together makes you happy.” He chops more wood. “When do Brad and Hannah come home?”
“Tonight.” Thwack! “I’m glad. If you tell him I said this, I’ll deny it, but I’ve missed having Brad around.”
“Aw, that’s sweet.”
I glare at Noah as he laughs and contemplate throwing my ax at him.
“We’re having family dinner tomorrow at my place. Kind of a welcome home thing since Jenna and Christian are here, too.”
“Is Willa going?”
I frown. “I haven’t told her yet, but of course, she’s coming.”
Noah stares at me as if I just grew a second nose. “Dude, you need to give her notice for these things so she can get a babysitter.”
“Why would she need a babysitter? Alex will come, too.”
“So, you’ve fallen for the kid, too.”
“You know, you’re kind of pissing me off.”
Noah sighs. “I’m not trying to piss you off, I’m just getting a feel for things. You’re one of my best friends, and I love you, but you’ve hurt her before. The rest of us were here to pick up those pieces. Now, it’s not just her to worry about. I’m just clarifying that you understand that she’s a package deal.”
“I’m not a jerk,” I reply. “And I don’t know who she’s dated in the past, but I’m not some idiot who thinks he can date a mom and not consider her kids.”
“Good.”
“I mean, Alex is amazing. I’d challenge anyone to spend just fifteen minutes with that boy and not fall in love with him. He’s hilarious and smart. Not to mention, cute.”
I glance up to find Noah grinning at me.
“What?”
“So, you love him then?”
I swallow and stare over Noah’s shoulder, then give a brisk nod. “Of course, I do. I’ve been in love with Willa since before I really knew what that meant, and Alex is fantastic. I like spending time with him. I don’t resent it.”
“I’m happy for you, man,” Noah says, slapping my shoulder. “I really am.”
I nod and take another deep breath. “I haven’t told her. Somehow, I think saying the words is too big right now. I want her to believe them, you know?”
“Willa always was one to guard herself,” he says with a nod. “Actions speak way louder than words. You may not have said it, but I’m sure she can feel it.”
I hope so.
“Thanks, man.” I check the time. “I have to run. Is it okay if I leave you with this?”
“I’d already planned to do it without you. Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime. I mean that. It feels good.”
“Well, come back in three days. I’ll have plenty for you to cut.”
“I’ll pencil it in.”
It’s become a routine. Every afternoon when Alex gets out of school, I swing into Dress It Up to help the boy with homework and check in on Willa. I crave her, and by the afternoon, I need to see her more than I need my next breath.
Today, I walk into the store with a grocery bag dangling from my hand and a latte in the other.
“Hey,” Willa says with a bright smile when she sees me approach the counter. “How has your day been?”
“Not bad,” I reply, holding the latte out for her. “Something to warm you up.”
“You’re sweet,” she murmurs, then takes a sip of her drink. “Thank you.”
“Is Alex here?”
“He just got here. He took Rocky to the office with him.”
I nod, but before I walk to the back, I sneak behind the counter and bury my face in her neck, breathing her in.
“Missed you today,” I whisper.
“I’m right here,” she whispers back.
“Missed you all the same.” I pull back and smile down into her gorgeous face. “Hey, I’m hosting family dinner tomorrow at my place. Brad and Hannah are coming home today.”
“I know, I texted Hannah this morning.”
“Will you and Alex come?”
She bites her lip and nods. “Of course. Do you want me to cook?”
“No.” I scowl and squeeze her hand. “I want you to come and eat good food and hang out with my family. No cooking required.”
I plant a quick kiss on her lips, then pull away to walk back to the office. Alex is at his desk, but he’s not working on schoolwork. No, he’s teaching Rocky tricks.
“Sit,” he instructs, but the puppy bounces up to lick his face. Alex giggles. “No, silly. You’re supposed to sit.”
He puts Rocky on his back haunches and repeats, “Sit. Good boy.”
Rocky gobbles up the offered treat.
“This doesn’t look like math,” I say, grinning when Alex looks up in surprise. “How was school?”
“Dumb,” he grumbles.
“Why was it dumb?”
I sit next to him and set the bag of groceries on Willa’s desk.
“Because kids are mean.”
I nod. Man, no truer words. But I swear to God, if someone’s been shitty to this kid, I will bring hellfire down on that school.
And pull my funding.
“Was someone mean to you today?”
Alex shrugs his little shoulders and pets Rocky, who’s curled up in his lap.
“Some kids said I was a geek.” He looks up at me. “Have you ever been called a geek?”
“Sure,” I say with a nod, relieved that it’s this and not something way worse. Not that being called names is okay, but I’ve heard horror stories from my friends about their kids being bullied. “I mean, you’re talking to the guy who works on a computer all the time.”
“But what you do is cool,” Alex says.
“Why did they say you’re a geek?”
“Because I like Star Wars and I like to build stuff. And I didn’t want to go outside to play soccer. We could choose between that or staying inside to read, and I wanted to read.”
“I don’t blame you, it’s darn cold outside today.”
“Yeah, and I’m reading a cool Goosebumps book that I got for my birthday. But then they said I was being a geek.”
“Well, I think that all of those things sound great, and if that’s what being a geek is, then I guess I’m a geek, too.”
Alex smiles softly. “Yeah?”
“Absolutely. Maybe those kids are jealous because they don’t read as well as you.”
He thinks that over as he pets his puppy.
“Maybe,” he finally says. “But I wouldn’t say bad stuff to them just because they don’t read good.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” I ruffle his hair. I want to pull him to me for a big hug, but I don’t want to cross any lines. It’s still early for all of us. “Because you’re a good kid.”
“I guess it’s good that I like to read. Mom says it is.”
“Your mom’s smart,” I reply with a nod. “And I agree. Reading is very good.”
He nods again. “Okay. I just wish they wouldn’t laugh and stuff. They’re just…dumb.”
“That behavior is dumb. And now you know how it feels, so you won’t ever treat anyone else that way.”
“No, I won’t do that.”
I pull the pretzel sticks, peanut butter, and hummus out of the grocery bag and get ready to change the subject.
“What’s that for?” Alex asks.
“It’s to snack on while we do math. I had an idea on how to help with division.”
We settle in, working on the problems, using the sticks. They’re great as visual aids to help Alex grasp the idea.
“Do you want peanut butter or hummus?” I ask.
He scowls at me. “I’m nine, not forty. I don’t want hummus.”
I snort, then do my best to look offended. “Hey, I’m not forty.”
“Are you my mom’s age?”
“I’m a year older than her.”
“See?” Alex crunches on a stick. “Old.”
“That’s the last time I bring in snacks,” I reply, making him laugh. Alex takes a bite of his pretzel, then offers the rest to Rocky, who snatches it right up.
“Hi, guys,” Willa says, poking her head in. “How’s it going back here?”
“Good,” Alex responds. “We have snacks.”
“Mm, pretzel sticks.” She reaches out to grab some, but I shake my head.
“Are you doing math?”
She arches an eyebrow in that way that makes my dick twitch. Way inappropriate around the boy. “Not at the moment.”
“Then no pretzels for you. This is math food.”
“Did you get him to eat hummus?”
“Heck, no,” Alex says, shaking his head. “That’s old-people food.”
“I like hummus,” Willa says.
“I rest my case,” Alex responds, making us all laugh.
“Okay, then.” Willa watches her son offer a pretzel to Rocky. “No more of those for the baby, Alex. Too much people food upsets his tummy, remember?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Willa leaves the room before Alex rolls his eyes.
“It’s just a pretzel.”
“And she’s your mom, kiddo. You gotta do what she says.”
He sighs dramatically. “Fine.”
“Do you have this handled for a few? I need to go talk to your mom about something.”
“Are you going to tell her about school?” He hangs his head.
“Look at me.” He complies, and the worry in his brown eyes tugs at my cold heart. “Unless you’re in danger for some reason, I won’t tell your mom anything you don’t want me to. I promise. Okay?”
He nods. “Okay.”
“But if the bullying from these kids gets any worse, you need to tell her. She will want to help you, Alex.”
“I know. She just worries a lot, and I know that she cries sometimes, too. Or, she did before you started hanging around. And I don’t want to make her worry anymore.”
“You’re a good person, Alex, and I’m lucky to know you.”
He smiles proudly as I pat his shoulder, then I set off, looking for Willa.
I find her in the back of the store by the dressing rooms, fidgeting with a rack of dresses.
I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into a cubicle, then close the curtain and pin her against the wall, kissing the hell out of her.
She’s soft and small and smells like sunshine.
She buries her hands in my hair, holding on tightly as I brush my lips over hers, our tongues tangling. I can’t help but grind against her, making us both moan.
“Shh,” she says with a giggle. “We might not want to do this here.”
“I couldn’t help myself,” I reply, kissing my way down her cheek to her ear. I pull the lobe—earring and all—into my mouth.
“I have a confession.”
“If it’s another man, I’ll kill him,” I growl, but she just laughs again.
“No.” She rolls her eyes, just like her son, and it makes me smile. “Seeing you help my son is damn sexy.”
I feel my lips twitch. “Is that so?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s nice that we get along well, and the chemistry is good?—”
“ Good ?” I grind myself against her again. “Try fucking amazing.”
“…but knowing that you also like my son? Well, that’s sexy on a whole new level.”
“I’m going to remember this,” I promise her.
“Of course, you will.”
I’m sitting on the lake. It’s frozen over, and I have my fishing pole, with the line dropped into the hole in the ice. I’m sitting in a chair, hot coffee in my mug, a blanket on my lap.
The sun is high over me, which is unusual for winter, but I’m happy for the light.
“Nice day,” Cary says beside me.
“Cold as fuck,” I reply. “But the sun feels good.”
“Didn’t think this lake would ever freeze over this year,” he says, and I nod in agreement. “So, let’s get to why I’m here.”
“I invited you here,” I remind him, but he just smiles, and I realize that he’s in shorts and a T-shirt. The same T-shirt he wore every day for a year our junior year. “Dude, you’re going to freeze. Where’s your coat?”
“One of the cool things about being dead is you don’t need a coat.”
I scowl as it all comes rushing back to me. The mountain. The snow. Not being able to save Cary.
“I’m sorry,” I say, the way I always do when Cary visits me in dreams. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault,” he reminds me with a sigh and shrugs. “I was dumb.”
“Is it really you talking to us when the train whistle blows at your grave? I’ve been wondering for years.”
“Of course,” he says with a wink. “I talk to you a lot. You just don’t always listen.”
“I’ll be more aware now.” My line tugs, signaling a fish on the other end, and I wrestle with it, finally pulling it out of the water. Cary is waiting with the net. “Thanks, man.”
“I miss fishing,” he admits.
“What else do you miss?”
He smiles. “Your mama’s fried chicken.”
“Hell, I miss that,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll have to request it the next time I see her.”
“I miss my wife.” He stresses the my , and the smile falls from his lips. “My son.”
“They miss you, too.”
He tips his head to the side, and the sun disappears behind clouds. It gets even colder than it was before.
“It’s awfully convenient of you to worm your way into my spot there, don’t you think?”
“I’m not worming my way anywhere.”
“I’m out of the picture, and now you can take over my life? Maybe you pushed me into that tree well on purpose.”
“Fuck you,” I roar, standing from my chair and flipping it over. “You know that’s a load of bullshit.”
“And now you’re trying to be a daddy to my son. What, just because you’re loaded, you think you can be a better dad than me?”
“You’re not here,” I remind him. “And you were always jealous that Willa had eyes for me. That she was my girl first. Funny how as soon as I left town, you poached her.”
“That’s right,” he says with a smug smile. “And she fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.”
“You’re a dick.”
“Like looking in a mirror, ain’t it? So what, are you gonna marry her? Adopt my kid?”
“If I want to.”
“Just remember, I was there first. I’m Alex’s daddy. And at the end of the day, I’m the one Willa wishes was in her bed, in her body, making her moan.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you.”
I stomp after him, but he disappears. I’m still on the lake, but the ice is broken, floating on a current. There’s a whirlpool up ahead, sucking in everything that comes close to it.
I’m going to get swallowed.
I lay down, trying to paddle the other way, but it’s no use. I’m spinning now, hurtling out of control.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
My alarm is going off, pulling me out of the worst nightmare of my life.
And I’ve had some doozies.
I rub my hands down my face and pad into the bathroom to start the shower. I’m covered in sweat.
And I can’t get warm.