by Anita Higman
“Okay.” And then we were off to our surprise destination in Max’s very high-dollar SUV. Guess he’s not after my money. I gave myself a slap on the wrist for that thought and then let my mind unwind like a kite string on a breezy day. As I put my doubts to rest once again, my whole body began to relax. It would be a fine thing to get to know Max better. Just the two of us, discovering what made each other tick. I tried to watch him out of the corner of my eye as we rode along. He looked so different today with the sunroof open, the breeze tossing his hair. Maybe he looked happier. Hard to tell for sure.
I noticed we’d wound our way into one of the more posh areas of Houston. The homes weren’t simply houses but were really well-kept mansions amid sprawling grounds. The median was lined with palm trees and pink bougainvillea. The whole neighborhood reeked of old money and privilege. Are we eating lunch at someone else’s house?
Max pulled up in front of an enormous plantation- style home with elegant pillars. Cars lined the streets, but they mostly seemed to be concentrated around the house where we stopped. I got the sinking impression I’d been invited to a meal with his friends or relatives.
Max came around to open my door, and I eased out with a big question mark on my face. “This is an incredible house. Great location,” I said like a good little Realtor. We strolled up the manicured path to the door. Even the birds seem chirpier here. Wonder if they’re on retainer. “Now are you going to tell me what the surprise is?”
“Well, your dance card was so full, Bailey Walker, I had to seize whatever opening you had.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “So, I brought you to my grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary.”
Before I could protest, the double doors swung open, and I was swept into an unfamiliar world burst- ing with humanity, chaos, and kisses. I knew Max had a big family, but I hadn’t spent much time thinking about it. Weren’t his five sisters single? Who were all these people? Hordes of men, women, and children in a variety of sizes and shapes rushed up to me screaming and gushing and generally being physical and noisy. Several women asked me something, but since I couldn’t make it out, I just smiled through the blare. Another wave of small fries with bobbing gold balloons and chocolate goo smeared on their faces rushed up to me. Without thinking, I raised my hands as if I’d been jumped on by a large dog.
I saw Max chuckling at me. Then he came to the rescue. “Everybody, this is Bailey.” He turned back to me and took my hand. “Here’s one batch of my cousins and their kids. Here’s Fanny, Jane, Austen, Henry, and Edmund. Let’s see, and Hart, Aileen, J.B., and John Michael. Whew.”
Everybody said their hellos to me with a shout, and I waved at them all. I felt that I’d been shoved onto a stage to perform, and suddenly my skirt felt too short and my blouse too flouncey for such an affair.
“My mom came from a family of seven,” Max said. “They’ve all had a lot of kids, so we have a bunch of cousins. Actually, I think I’ve lost count.”
I chuckled. A weak one. I wish I could have thought of something to say. I felt like a blank page. A very crinkled blank page.
Rounds of hugs and congratulations came next. But why were they all congratulating us? For what? There was some sort of confusion about something. “Max,” I whispered. “Why is everyone—”
“Max,” one of the cousins yelled, “We’re so happy for you and Bailey.”
My mouth flew open, but nothing came out. Bewilderment was all I could pull out of my hat of expressions. I was sure something else would come to me eventually, but bafflement and panic were it for now.
“You see, Bailey, there’s no need to hide it anymore,” one of the other female cousins added. “We know your little secret with Max. He always said he would never bring a girl to one of our family get-togethers unless it was his one and only. You know, Max’s bride-to-be.”
Another round of hoorays rose up like a bunch of balloons. I, on the other hand, stood in stunned silence. I tried to remember how to move my mouth. My jaw remained open, and I suddenly felt as animated as a block of wood. See, God, I knew it. This is what happens when you let people get too close. Mess.
13 – Gathering Winds
I wish this were a joke, but it looks too real. What kind of a date would drag an only child, who was used to a handful of people at family get-togethers to a reunion that looked like a cast of thousands on a movie set? And then add serious marital expectations to the mix! What a fandango. Unbelievable. So, what I thought would be a quiet getting-to-know-you lunch date turned out to be a trip to the circus, family-style. I rubbed my neck, but it did no good.
I shot Max an evil eye. It was the kind of penetrating look that could soften asphalt, but he wasn’t paying any attention to me. He’d sunk into the quicksand of bustling kinfolk. He certainly had no look of horror or even concern over the confusion of our premarital status. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. But then, he’s the one who’d set it up. If Max wasn’t going to nip this in the bud, I’d have to correct the mix-up. “Okay,” I said, trying to get the attention of the crowd. “I think I have something I need to say. We. . .”
“Of course. We are so awful to keep you to our- selves,” a woman said. “Max will want you to meet his parents and then Memaw and Papaw.”
The ever-stirring and chatty throng nearly carried me to what seemed to be the Grand Central Station of this hullabaloo. A mixture of aromas swirled around me of homemade pies and a zillion different perfumes. I hoped this pain behind my left eye wasn’t a headache coming on. “But you don’t understand. I really wanted to say—”
“Maxy!” A handsome elderly woman in green taffeta hollered to Max as she approached us. The sprightly woman with silver hair clamped her palms onto his face and planted a big kiss on his cheek. “I’ve missed you, Maxy. Where have you been?”
“I was at the last dinner two weeks ago.” He hugged her.
“See? Too long.” She waggled her head at him.
“And you still owe me a game of chess.”
“Anytime. I’m at your service.” Max bowed low like a nobleman, making the older woman almost giggle. “Memaw. . .I want you to meet Bailey Walker.” The woman who must be Max’s grandmother hugged me tightly and started to cry. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “Excuse me, dearie.”
“I’m so sorry. Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No, my, no. These are tears of joy. I had prayed last night yet again that our Maxy would find his one and only, and God has answered my prayers.” She patted me on the cheek and pulled me to her in another hug. “Bailey and Maxy. Isn’t it cute? Now you go carve your initials in our big tree out back. Everybody does. It’s tradition. But if our family keeps growing, I’m afraid someday we’re going to kill that oak.” The woman laughed with gusto.” “But Mrs. . . .I’m sorry. I don’t know your last name.”
The woman blew out some air and waved her hand. “No, you call me Memaw. You’re family now.”
“But I’m not really—”
“I know, dearie. You’re not ready to raise a big family. I got panicked, too, when I was about to tie the knot. But I warmed up to the idea. Kids are such blessings. Like jewels. But I know it’s a little scary seeing us all together at first. We’ll grow on you. And then you’ll want to have a family, too. Maxy just loves children.”
Memaw was dear, but no one seemed to want to know the truth. Do all big families work that way? Talk, talk, talk, but nobody listens? I didn’t know what to do, so I moved into a new phase. The Just Nodding stage. Was I angry? Yes. Was I about to make a scene? No. But a sharp-tongued woman named Bailey was about to get one Maxy Sumner off in a corner and unleash herself on him.
I accepted two more hugs from Memaw and gra- ciously excused myself. Max must have sensed my implosion, so he took me by the elbow and steered me through the multitudes. He led me outside to a pond bordered by weeping willows. The tree’s leafy tendrils floated and swayed gently in the breeze. Yes, I knew what Max was cooking. He was setting me up all rig
ht. To calm me down. To butter me up and then romance me until I couldn’t resist his embrace.
I removed my arm from Max’s touch. “Would you please tell me what this is all about?” I tapped my foot, but on the soft grass, it didn’t have the intended challenging impact. I forced my brows together instead.
Max sat down leisurely on a tree swing beneath a massive live oak tree. He stared at me with eyes of longing. “Bailey. I honestly didn’t think they’d be like bulldogs, latching onto what I’d said about my bride- to-be. I’d said it a long time ago. But that’s my family. They’re always looking out for each other. Supporting each other. And that’s what they think they’re doing. Loving me down the church aisle. They do the same thing to all my sisters since none of them have married. But I don’t mind it so much, because I understand their motivation. They’re family. I’m sorry if it upset you, though.”
“But we’re not engaged. I’m not headed down that aisle you’re talking about.”
“Not ever?” Max asked.
“I need lots of time to. . .examine what we have.” “Sounds kind of. . .sterile.”
“But this is our first date, Max.”
“I’ve worked side by side with you on your house for weeks now. I know you, Bailey. We have the same interests, the same faith, the same. . .attraction.”
“And so you never took Priscilla to these family extravaganzas?”
“Never. None of the women I’ve dated. And I’ve dated quite a few.”
“Oh, really.” Well, I certainly didn’t need to know that bit of trivia. I fidgeted with my ruffles, thinking they’d gotten too itchy.
“Yes. But it’s been good. When you’ve dated a lot of women who are all wrong for you, it helps you to see the right one more clearly. Kind of like seeing one rare flower among the plain ones.”
I crossed my arms and wondered if he’d hired the harpist I heard playing on the lawn. “Are you trying to charm me?”
“Is it working?” Max rose from the swing and walked toward me.
“Maybe. Although the rare-flower thing was a little over the top.”
“Would it be such a horrible thing to be married to me?” Max asked.
For some reason it was hard to stay angry with Max. I knew the idea of giving him a well-deserved tongue-lashing had already slipped away. I shook my head inwardly at myself. There was no doubt. He had me in a weakened state. Was that the smell of barbeque in the breeze? Mmm. Now I was totally lost.
Max circled my waist with one hand while he traced my face with his finger. Just when I thought Max was going to lean in and lay a big one on me, he released me to point out a turtle behind me. The turtle sat fat and sassy on a rock, sunning himself. Cute. But not nearly as cute as Max looked right now. I looked into his eyes and wished I could read his thoughts. Why hadn’t he kissed me? Did he want me to look more eager? “Okay, you want me to say it, don’t you?” “Say what?” Max asked with what I knew dripped in pretended innocence.
“I’m supposed to ask you to kiss me. Right?”
“No. It’s not necessary. But I’d like to see it in your eyes.” Max grinned, but I could tell he wasn’t kidding.
“I thought my eyes showed it already.”
“I think you keep a lot inside, Bailey Marie,” Max said.
“No one’s called me Bailey Marie since Granny.” “You’re changing the subject.”
“I know. But I certainly wasn’t hiding anything from you after I saved you last night from your fall. Remember?” I asked.
“How could I forget our first kiss? In fact, thinking about it kept me awake half the night.” Max touched my hair, twirling it around his finger. “I like your hair. Auburn. It’s sparkly in the light. And very soft. I like touching it.”
“I was born with auburn hair, but I’m afraid the color is enhanced with what comes out of a plastic bottle in a green box. It covers my already-graying hair.
I like to keep things honest.” Wonder how he’d react to them apples.
“If you’re trying to scare me off, Bailey, it won’t work. I don’t care if you wear black orthopedic shoes and eat garlic all day.”
I laughed. “Then kiss me.” He’d earned it. “And how would you like it, madam?”
My eyelashes fluttered with his request. “What? You want me to order up a kiss like a burger and fries?”
“I love your sense of humor. But, yeah, that’s one way to put it.”
Heat rushed to my face. Max had this way of fluster- ing me beyond my limits. But I also didn’t like shying away from his challenge. “Okay.” Really, had I ever thought about this stuff before? No man had ever asked me. I guess he decided to throw me a curve, too. How did I like to be kissed? I suddenly brightened with a creative thought. I gathered my hair up. “I’d like feather-kisses right here on the back of my neck. . .for starters.”
Max held my arm as he did just as I ordered, sprinkling kisses across the nape of my neck. I drifted some- where. Not sure where. I didn’t care. A tingling sensation rushed through me as he moved the kisses around to the spot right below my ear.
Max whispered, “What now?”
I suddenly felt a little audacious. “Grasp my shoul- ders firmly, look at me, and then kiss me until I’m breathless.” I laughed at myself, because hearing those words coming out of my mouth seemed surreal.
“I wish the rest of my life were this fun,” Max said as he held me firmly by my shoulders. He looked at me as if he could read my thoughts. I quickly cleaned up my mind-driftings that might be leaning toward inappropriate. Then I spotted something else in Max’s eyes. Love. Not exactly what I’d asked for, but it was there in his eyes just the same. Looking at him and knowing his intentions and feelings made goose bumps spread all over me. Did he really care for me? Max leaned in and set me reeling by kissing me with the same sincere fervor he’d offered the night before. I kissed him back soundly, giving him even more distractions to keep him awake at night.
In the midst of my enchantment, I heard something offbeat. The sound of thunder growled in and out of the breeze as if the clouds had indigestion. That was normal, but something else teased the air. Between kisses I glanced toward some bushes and caught a glimpse of lemon chiffon and dainty hair ribbons. It had been the sound of a little girl giggling. . .at us! I pulled back. “Max?”
“Yes?” Max brushed my cheek with his lips as if he hadn’t heard the intruder.
“I think those bushes over there have little eyes and ears.”
“I know. I can hear it.” Max nuzzled my neck. “I think that’s Annabel. She’s always been a snoop. She got it from Aunt Dolly. Watch out for Dolly, by the way. She’s our family gossip.”
“But don’t you mind?” I asked.
“We just get used to Dolly’s inquisitiveness. It’s kind of like the Spanish moss down here. You eventually just accept it as part of the tree.”
“Well, what I meant is, don’t you mind having kids watch us kiss?” I asked.
“Nobody has any real chunk of privacy in this family. . .especially at our big gatherings.” Max released me. “But I can understand your concern if you’re not used to. . .people everywhere.”
“I’m not used to it at all.” This time I went over and sat in the swing.
Max came behind me and pushed me until he got the swing squeaking and me laughing. “You make me feel like a kid.”
“That’s good. Isn’t it?”
Max kept me flying until we were both aching with laughter. Max pulled me up from the swing and took my hand. “Let’s walk.”
It’d been a long time since I’d taken a stroll with a guy. I was used to formal dates, never just playing or wasting time with someone. The moment felt so different. So real and intimate, it made me a little uncomfortable. Formal dates could be written off so easily, but this kind of thing led to heart-sharing and closeness and commitments. I no longer had a category to file it in. Guess I might have to start a new file for Max.
“You know, I guess I’ve only t
old you a dozen times, but I think you’re incredible the way you’re taking that old house and making it a home.”
“But you do the same thing with old houses.” I said.
“Yeah. But your house was in pretty bad shape. And you weren’t afraid. Coming in at night all the way from Oklahoma. You didn’t know anyone. You were so courageous. Spunky like your grandmother. I admire that in you. . .as I do so many things.” He brushed a strand of my hair away from my face. “You know, when you marched down the stairs that night with your hairspray can and pretended it was pepper spray, I fell in love with you right then. I can’t explain it, Bailey. But I was already smitten.”
I had to concentrate on his words. I’d been busy thinking about the warmth where Max was touching me on my waist. “Let me get this straight. You fell in love over that? But what if I hadn’t had that little can of hairspray in my purse?”
Max laughed. “You are impossible, but adorable.” “And did you actually say the L word? How can you love me so easily? Love takes time. . .doesn’t it? Years. My parents dated for five years before they married.”
“Every couple is different, Bailey. Love comes the way it comes. There can be no real explanations. It just happens.”
“Where have I heard those words before? ‘We can’t create love. It happens all on its own.’ ” I gently moved from Max’s touch. “I guess it was me who said it. . . long ago.” I drew my hair behind my ears and rubbed my neck. “It’s hard to imagine that coming out of my mouth.”
Max took my hand again. “I don’t know why I love you, Bailey. I just do.” With an anxious expression, he pulled a tiny velvet box from his pocket and handed it to me. He folded his arms while he watched my reaction.
“Max, is this. . .you know. . .what I think it is?” I bit my lower lip. “Yes.”
I held the tiny box to my heart, but not without some fear. There under a weeping willow tree being whirled by the gathering winds, under a sky threatening thunderstorms, in the presence of God and angels, I held the box I knew would change the path of my life forever. If I let it. If I said yes.