4. Max #2
“Really, it was no problem.” I took another sip of my coffee. “I’m going to assume that you didn’t have any trouble getting a room? It’s not really busy season around here, so I figured Connie probably enjoyed the bit of company.”
“Yep,” she said, popping the ‘p,’ at the end.
“Now, if I could just afford to stay for another couple of nights while I find something more permanent, that would be a miracle.” She mumbled quietly enough that I barely caught it as she averted her eyes and traced the ridges of the wooden table in front of us.
I couldn’t miss the fact that she wouldn’t look me in the eyes.
She was constantly focusing on her lap, hands, or Charlie instead.
I dismissed that minor detail, thinking it was simply a matter of her adapting to her new surroundings and getting to know a new person - but a niggling fear inside of me said that I could add that to the column of traits she’d inherited from her past.
“I’m sure Connie would love to have you girls stay a couple more nights if you need to. I can call and make sure the room cost is covered.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that. We can figure it out.” She replied hastily.
Her eyes darted from the table to the door, then to Charlie, then back to the table. It almost looked like she was planning a quick escape. Reaching over, I softly placed my hand on her arm in reassurance.
“I know you don’t know me from Adam, but I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to. I’m not a man to mince words or intentions. You look like you could honestly use a friend.” I released her arm and snagged my coffee back up, taking another sip as I waited for her reaction.
I saw her deep intake of breath before the resolve drained from her features. Her nod was shallow and barely perceptible, but I caught it and gave back a soft smile.
I could feel the ice around her thawing as she opened up to the option of letting someone help her.
I could tell that life hadn’t been kind to Stella and Charlie, and I couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of wanting to change that.
If giving her a safe place to stay by paying for another couple nights at the inn helped, I’d call Connie right this minute.
“Thanks, Max.” Those emerald eyes met mine, and I felt an instant tingle of electricity in my gut.
I’m not one to believe in love at first sight.
Honestly, I’d never believed my Ma and Pops when they’d recount their intensely romantic, and often cringeworthy, love story.
I figured that love was just as real as the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, or unicorns.
I should probably call Doc Jericho about this nagging tingle - it was becoming slightly concerning, and it only seemed to happen around Stella.
In the blink of an eye, Charlie went from shoveling the muffin from her tiny fists into her awaiting mouth to screaming at the top of her lungs and banging her fists on the table.
It was as if a switch had flipped and she went from blissfully happy to a complete nuclear meltdown in the blink of an eye.
Stella’s gaze grew wide as she stood to pick her up out of the high chair.
She cradled the little girl against her body, one hand cupping the back of her head, the other under her butt holding her on her hip.
She pressed her face to Charlie’s chubby cheek and began shushing her.
Her attempts at soothing her were futile.
I didn’t need to turn around and look to know that all the eyes in the coffee shop were on her and the crying baby. Looking up at the two of them, I noticed water gathering on Stella’s lower lashes, threatening to fall. My gut clenched at the pleading look of desperation clouding her features.
“How can I help?” I asked, pushing my chair back and standing up. She shook her head and continued shushing as she rocked back and forth.
“She’s just tired. She slept like a rock last night, but that doesn’t make up for the eighteen hours of driving we did and sleeping in seedy motel rooms.”
About the time she mentioned sleep, Charlie let out a yawn that almost split her face. She rubbed those tiny fists into her eyes as she continued to wail.
“I’ll just take her outside and walk her around.. Thank-”
“Can I try?” I interrupted, standing and raising my hands in offering to give her a minute of reprieve.
She hesitated, looking down at Charlie with concern. I can imagine the struggle she must be warring with to allow someone else to help soothe her child.
“I don’t want to overstep...” I added.
I’m not sure how long she’d been on her own, minus the driving, but it looked as if she was used to handling things without help. If I could give her a minute of peace, I’d do it in a heartbeat.She looked like she needed it.
Resigning herself to the help, Stella shushed Charlie a couple more times as she carefully transferred her into my arms, settling her on my right side in the same hold she had been using.
I wasn’t intimately familiar with how to hold a baby, but she seemed pretty self sufficient.
She could sit upright, so I knew I didn’t need to support her neck.
I moved her until her cheek rested against my shoulder.
I copied Stella’s shushing, as that seemed to comfort her.
I gently bounced her from side to side as I shushed her quietly.
After a minute, her screaming subsided and her breathing turned to shuddering pants. Her tears had soaked through my thin tee shirt, but I didn’t dare move a muscle to stop my ministrations. Keeping up the shushing and bouncing motions, I continued until her breathing evened out.
I bent my head down to see that her eyes were closed, long lashes brushing across her chubby cheeks. Relief washed over me as I looked up at Stella. The tears that had been threatening to fall were tracking down her cheeks in gentle rivers.
I tensed and prepared to hand Charlie back, but she stopped me with a raise of her slender fingers in a ‘don’t’ motion and pulled out my chair so I could sit down.
I carefully settled into the chair, positioning Charlie on my lap so her cheek rested on my chest and her body nestled in the crook of my arm.
She curled into me and let out a contented sigh.
I’d never been a big kid person. I wasn’t around them often enough to feel comfortable saying I wanted ones of my own right now.
It had always just been Wade and me - no other siblings.
Ma used to tell us we gave her enough grief for a basketball team’s worth of kids.
She would then regale everyone else with stories that she had gotten it perfect in one fell swoop and never felt the need to go for another round.
I’m sure she would have loved seeing me now - sitting at a coffee shop table with a beautiful woman, a sleeping baby in my arms, and a lot of townies wondering what in the hell just happened. Ma loved a little bit of drama to keep the day interesting.
Stella took the seat across from me and heaved a lung clearing sigh. I was afraid to speak, for fear that I’d wake Charlie up. She watched me with rapt attention. I assumed she could sense my discomfort.
“You can talk. She won’t wake up.” She said, adverting her eyes down to the table again.
I shifted Charlie on my lap further into the crook of my arm, a protectiveness washing over me.
Despite her small size, she was remarkably heavy.
I could feel Stella’s eyes on me and I looked up to a small smile and her fighting back a chuckle.
“What?” I whispered, still slightly terrified I was going to wake the little girl up.
“You look so uncomfortable.” She said behind her hand as she continued to fight the laugh. “I’m going to assume that you’re not around babies much.” She added.
“You’d assume correct.”
Charlie shifted in my lap, and I looked up at Stella with panicked eyes.
I had gotten her to sleep, but I wasn’t sure what to do with her now.
Stella let loose the laugh she’d been holding back, and I marginally relaxed.
Her laugh was a shot of electricity to my soul.
I wanted to hear it over and over again.
“I can take her back.” She said while extending her hands to shift Charlie onto her lap. I shook my head from side to side and tucked her into my hold tighter. Stella stiffened, and I realized I had made her uncomfortable. I back peddled, attempting to soothe her anxiety.
“She’s comfy. I’m pretty squishy under all this glorious muscle.” I teased with an exaggerated eyebrow waggle, trying to lighten the mood .
Stella’s cheeks pinked, and she looked back down at her hands.
So, I wasn’t the only one affected here. Good to know.
“Sorry, I’m not used to having help. It’s taking a lot of restraint to not hole up inside the inn and just stay in our little bubble. It’s almost always been just Charlie and I.”
I watched as she chewed on the cuticles around her nails - a nervous habit - one I was familiar with as I sometimes did it.
“Well, it looks like we’re going to be here a while.” I joked, blowing one of Charlie’s wayward curls aside as it attempted to shove its way up my nostril. “Wanna tell me what brought you to Firefly Cove?”