36. Chapter 36
thirty-six
“ A h! There you are.”
Max looked up from the checklist he’d printed and across the dining room to find Cara walking toward the booth he’d taken over that morning. It was two days before opening, and he was finalizing all the details to make sure everything would run smoothly.
“Have you been looking for me?”
“Yes,” she said, sliding into the booth across from him.
“Does this mean you’re talking to me again?”
Cara smiled. “I started talking to you again after I heard you apologized to Jer. I’ve just been too busy to stop by.”
“Busy with who? ”
Cara sighed. “Professor Tanaka,” she said, then stuck her chin in the air. “You’ll be happy to know that I’m going to break up with Cooper.”
Max eyed her suspiciously. It felt as if she’d just laid a trap. “I’m only happy to hear that if you’re happy.”
“Relax, Max,” she said with a laugh. “I am happy, and I’m ready to move on. I spent all last night downloading dating apps and setting up profiles.”
There were a million things Max wanted to say at that moment, but he stopped himself. He’d lectured her enough about the merits of carrying pepper spray and only meeting up with strangers in public places, so he resigned himself to a silent nod.
She laughed as if reading his mind. “I’ll be safe, and I’ll call you if I need you.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he tried to have a heart-to-heart instead of a lecture. “So, what are you looking for?”
Cara smiled, and it made his discomfort ease. “I want a boyfriend who isn’t an asshole.”
Max nodded. “That’s a good start. What else?”
“I guess I don’t really know,” she said. “Cooper was my first boyfriend.”
Max nodded, resisted the lecturing again. He hadn’t realized how natural it was for him to order people around until he tried to stop .
“You’re young. You’ll figure it out.”
She raised one eyebrow. “Twenty-four isn’t that young, Max.”
“It’s not that old, either,” he said, but maybe she had a point.
He might have been a tad too overprotective of her. She probably should have had more than one boyfriend by this age. There hadn’t been that many boys interested in her, but the ones that were had always been afraid of him.
It hadn’t been entirely his fault, though. School had consumed her entire life, and she’d seemed disinterested in dating until Cooper came around. Maybe it was good that she was opening up more.
“Fine. You’re right,” he said with a nod. “Just don’t—”
He stopped himself and internally vowed at that moment to let Cara take the wheel of her own life. But that didn’t mean he had to jump ship completely. He’d be there if ever she needed him.
“Don’t what?” she asked with a smile.
He shook his head.
“It’s really hard for you to not tell me what to do, isn’t it?”
He sighed. “It’s fucking impossible.”
Cara laughed. “Well, thanks for trying. And don’t worry about me. I have a plan. ”
Max nodded. “So, when are you going to break up with him?”
She looked down at her lap. “Next time I see him. It’s going to be hard, and super awkward to run into him, but unfortunately, it’s unavoidable.”
He nodded. Would it be awkward between him and Willow when she came back?
If she came back.
It had been five days since he’d texted her, and she still hadn’t replied.
“Still no word from Willow?” Cara asked.
He found it weird how everyone seemed to read him like a book now that he allowed his feelings to just be felt. Actually, it wasn’t weird. It was more like a relief.
He didn’t have to dodge questions or explain himself. How much time had he wasted trying to close himself off?
“Crickets. You?”
Cara shook her head. “Not yet, but she’ll come back. I’m sure of it.”
“I hope so,” he said, reaching for his phone. “Would it be too pushy to text her again?”
Cara shrugged. “Probably. Just let her decide for herself what she wants.”
Cara was right, obviously. But it still hurt .
Just then, the door from the brewery opened, and Jer poked his head in. “Guys, I just finished everything off. Want to come over for a pint?”
“Definitely,” Max said, standing from the booth. “You in?”
Cara nodded, and they both followed Jer through the door into the taproom and leaned against one of the high bar tables.
Jer went behind the counter, grabbed three glasses, and poured from the tap. The beer came out a perfect peach colour. He passed each of them a tall cold glass.
Jer lifted his glass and said, “Here’s to finally making the first real batch of Fuzzy Milkshake.”
They all smiled and clinked glasses before taking a long drink. The moment the beer hit his throat, Max had to suppress a groan. He swallowed it down with a smile. “It’s fucking delicious.”
“Oh my God,” Cara said, her eyes going wide. “How did she make it taste exactly like peach ice cream?”
“How is it even better than the sample batch?” Max asked.
“She added a touch of cinnamon to the recipe,” Jer said, wiping his lip. “I knew from the moment I saw her she was a genius. ”
Max laughed. “The feeling was mutual. She loved you from the jump. You did great, Jer. This is fantastic.”
He ignored Jer’s shocked face and lifted the glass to his nose to smell it. It was no wonder everyone was still eager to get down there and try it, even with a two-week delay. She was going to fucking kill it on opening night.
He just hoped she’d be there to see it.
“This is way, way, way better than good, Max,” Cara said, taking another gulp. “This might be the best beer I’ve ever had.”
Jer reached over and patted Max’s shoulder. “I’m glad you guys like it. And I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot, Max.”
“Me too,” Max said, then smirked. “You’re actually cool, Jer-bear. Even with all your woo-woo bullshit.”
Jer tipped his head back and laughed. “You better not call it woo-woo bullshit when you come to sound bath tomorrow. And I told you not to call me Jer-bear.”
Max stopped in shock, his glass halfway to his lips. “I still can’t call you that?”
“No.”
“But I thought we were friends. ”
Jer smiled as he rolled his eyes so dramatically that his head swivelled around. Halfway through the rotation, he abruptly stopped, and his jaw dropped.
“Willow?”
Max straightened from his leaned-over position and spun toward the back door to find Willow standing just inside the doorway with a little brown dog on a leash and her jaw unhinged.
“Willow!” Cara yelled, taking off at a run and pulling her into a hug. Jer ran around the table and did the same thing, hugging her from the opposite side so they smothered her.
God, he wanted to do it, too. But he also didn’t want to get slapped. The last time they’d seen each other, he’d been such an asshole. He needed to fix it.
He set his glass down and crossed the distance between them. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said.
Her pretty eyes widened before darting between him and Jer. “Were you two . . . laughing?”
He let out a laugh as the tension dropped. He always felt good talking to her. Something about her sarcastic little comments made him oddly at ease.
“Jer-bear and I are BFFs now,” he said, then felt something at his ankle.
Max looked down at a tiny brown dog who’d pressed his nose into his shin. He bent and picked the thing up. It weighed next to nothing, and before he’d even stood, the dog had rolled onto his back and stared up into Max’s eyes.
“Cute dog,” he said, rubbing his furry little belly. “This must be Barley.”
Willow nodded, her jaw still unhinged.
He looked away from Barley’s eyes and at Willow. She looked beautiful. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, tell her he loved her.
“Can we talk?” he asked before remembering Cara and Jer were still there. “In private?”
She silently nodded.
Relief washed over him. “Let’s go to our office.”
“Okay,” she said and followed him out the door.