No, he wasn’t. He would do it again and again like always.
“His father died in combat,” Momma added, refrigerating the milk in a section that was locked off to customers.
“Come on, Carter.” Liam started for the door. “Let’s go have a chat.”
“You’re not going without me.” I had chores, but no way was I missing their exchange. I had to be there just in case my brothers decided to inform Maiken to stay away from me or if they got out of control with their fists. Carter had been known to punch first and ask questions later. Then again, I couldn’t physically stop them, and if I were being honest, I wanted to see Maiken.
“Quinn,” Momma said. “Let the boys go. I need you here.”
I waltzed up to Momma, who was now behind the register. The farm store was dead for a Monday afternoon, so I didn’t see the need to stay aside from the horses I had to feed. “Momma, you told me the other day that you wanted me to have fun in high school. Something about finding a boyfriend.” I whispered the last part. If my brothers knew I was crushing hard on Maiken, then they wouldn’t let me tag along.
Momma checked on Liam and Carter. Carter was grabbing a soda out of the fridge. “Quinn, it’s not proper to chase boys. I do want you to go on your first date, but you have to let the boy ask.”
“I’m not chasing him. I want to make sure Carter and Liam don’t do something so that Maiken would never ask me out.” I was pulling at straws. I knew Maiken wasn’t interested in me by the way he’d run out of the store the other day. “I want to thank his sister Emma. She paid me a compliment, and I haven’t had a chance to say thank you.” I wasn’t lying. Since Emma was a freshman and wasn’t in any of my classes, I hadn’t seen her the entire day.
Carter burped. “Quinn, you’re not going. It’s not a conversation for girls.”
I flared my nostrils. I didn’t get mad easily except when my brothers acted like cavemen.
“Young man,” Momma said in her stern tone. “Quinn is going.”
Carter raised one of his thick eyebrows. “You just said you wanted Quinn here.”
Momma stuck her hands on her hips. “Quinn needs to see Maiken’s sister.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Carter said as he headed outside.
I kissed her on the cheek then hurried out and hopped into Carter’s old, beat-up Chevy truck.
We lived six miles down the road from the Maxwell estate. So within ten minutes, we were wheeling into their driveway. On a beautiful summer day, we could have walked a wooded path from our farm to the Maxwell home and shaved a mile off the distance. At least we’d had that option until Eleanor and Martin had purchased all the land within a five-mile radius of their estate the previous year. Now the path was closed off, mainly because of the homes that were being built for their sons.
My belly pricked with nerves as Carter banked around the fountain to stop across from the front porch.
“They must’ve had this paved recently,” Liam said. “Wait, is any of the family in a wheelchair?”
A ramp jutted out from the porch, which was new. The last time I’d been there was last winter when I’d used the lake to ice-skate.
Carter killed the engine. “Yeah, Kody’s girl. Her brother is in a wheelchair. You know the dude who owns the motorcycle shop.”
“Lowell Ryan?” Liam asked. Liam wasn’t one to pay attention to the local gossip at church. We’d heard of the family when their mother died of breast cancer years ago.
The front door opened, and my stomach started doing flips, not because I was about to see Maiken, but because teaming up on Maiken wasn’t such a good idea. My brothers could be quite overbearing.
The eldest son, Kade Maxwell, came out. I quietly sighed. The four Maxwell brothers were handsome, but I thought Kade was the yummy one. I liked how tall he was, like Maiken. I liked his honey-colored hair, which was also thick like Maiken’s, although Maiken had more blond than Kade.
Carter got out of the truck. Liam exited too. I didn’t move. I’d been sitting in between my brothers with my feet glued to the floorboard. Carter had one of those old trucks that had one long front seat with no console.
I casually checked myself in the rearview mirror. Oh my God. Why had I even pushed to come? The area around my eyes had darkened. The next day would be even worse.
But I was already there, so I couldn’t exactly look like an oddball and stay in the truck.
“Hey, man,” Kade said to Carter.
They gave each other a manly hug.
“We’re looking for your cousin,” Liam piped in.
Kade folded his arms over his Henley. “Which one?” His tone was reserved, sounding as though he were ready to get mad at someone.
I waved as I sidled up to Liam and Carter. “We need to talk to Maiken.”
Kade took on a shocked expression when he set his eyes on me. “Please tell me he didn’t give you those black eyes.”
I smiled as if I were proud that I had been branded like a raccoon. “Accident.”
Carter stood on the bottom step. “We would like to offer him a job helping out with the Christmas tree sales.”
“Let’s go inside,” Kade said. “I’ll get Maiken.”
I’d only been in the Maxwell house maybe twice, and both times, I’d walked in with my mouth hanging open. That day wasn’t any different. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling in the foyer, and another one dangled in the enormous dining room off to my left.
Kade disappeared down a hall somewhere.
I peeked into the quaint sitting room on my right. A fire crackled.
Liam tapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t be nosy.”
“Says the brother with no manners,” I teased.
Carter shoved his hands into the pocket of his winter coat. “Stop it.”
Footsteps clamored on the honey wood floor before Kade reappeared. “Maiken will be right out.” He waved his hand toward the kitchen. “Make yourself at home.”
Directly ahead of us was the spacious gourmet kitchen. Momma had gushed about how she wanted a kitchen like her friend’s. Dad would always respond to Momma with, “You have the best farm kitchen in the state.”
Whether we did or not, it didn’t have stainless-steel appliances or a stove with eight burners and two large ovens. I’d only been in Tessa Stevens’s house two times that I could remember when I was in grade school, and her kitchen was just as large. I guess the rich folk had a standard for kitchens, although I didn’t place the Maxwells in my definition of rich folk—snooty and mean. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell were the kindest human beings I knew outside of my family.
Carter, Liam, and I settled around the island, when Maiken sauntered in. His jaw fell to the floor when we locked eyes. Then he regarded Liam and Carter, his attention lingering on Carter as though he knew Carter could be trouble.
“I’ll be down in the media room with the others,” Kade said to Maiken.
“Is Emma here?” I asked Kade.
“She’s not,” Maiken chimed in.
“She’s with her mom and my wife,” Kade added. “They won’t be back for a while.” Then he was gone.
Maiken raised his big hands, keeping his gaze on Carter. “Your sister and I bumped into each other.”
All three boys were around the same height. The differences were in their arms and chests. Liam and Maiken had muscles, but they were leaner than Carter.
Sliding his hands into his jeans pockets, Maiken glanced at me. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Did you know that the mask of a raccoon helps other raccoons to identify with one another?” Inwardly, I screamed at myself to shut up.
Liam busted out laughing. Maiken’s jaw slackened.
Carter draped his arm over my shoulders. “That’s our sister. She’s a wealth of information.”
My face became as hot as the campfires we sat around in the summertime. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Liam’s laugh faded. “So, we’re here to offer you a job. We also want you to cons
ider playing basketball.”
As if the word had some type of calming effect on Maiken, he slumped his shoulders. Then he grinned wide, and oh, my belly did five tumbles. Zac Efron had nothing on this boy.
Carter let me go. “We’re the premier farm for Christmas trees, and we need your guns.”
I could see the outline of Maiken’s guns, or rather muscles, through his long-sleeve T-shirt, which had the word Army ironed on across his chest. Celia would be so jealous right now. I was standing across from the most handsome boy I’d ever seen.
“How much does it pay?” Maiken asked.
“Minimum wage,” Carter said. “Weekends are the busiest. Can you start this weekend?” Carter was being his usual pushy self. Dad had taught him to always be presumptuous when trying to sell. When he did, it was hard for a person to say no.
Maiken set his scrumptious blue eyes on me, and my heart went haywire. I prayed no one could see it beating out of my chest. I did have my winter coat unzipped, so it was possible to see movement through my sweater.
Carter waved a hand in the air. “Dude, if you’re so much as drooling over Quinn, I will cut off your legs.”
I kicked my brother in the shin. Maiken couldn’t see that since the island was separating us. And he wasn’t admiring my breasts, which was what Carter was getting at. At least I didn’t think Maiken was, although he had the first time I’d met him at the farm store.
Still, I didn’t want Carter to start a brawl in the beautiful and expensive kitchen. Momma would have a fit, and Daddy would be livid if he had to pay for the damage.
Casually, Maiken looked away. “I’ll consider the offer.” Then he turned to Liam. “Coach gave me until tomorrow to make my decision on playing. But why are you so desperate to have me play? You don’t know me or what I’m capable of.”
Liam shrugged. “I heard you’re good.”
Disgust washed over Maiken’s face. “Gossip at Kensington should make the Guinness Book of World Records.”
I wouldn’t disagree with that statement. I wanted to say something, but I was afraid I might drop a stupid comment like the raccoon one. Nervousness was a funny thing. Most people clammed up when they were nervous, but not me. I rattled off facts about nothing.
Carter scratched his head, a sign he was getting bored. “Tell you what? Since you have until tomorrow to decide on basketball, we’ll give you until then to decide on our job offer.”
I kicked Carter again.
He eyed me with a crease in between his brows. “We need help, and we can’t wait any longer. We have a small window to sell trees.”
Carter took after Daddy, always worrying about the farm and money and how we were going to pay the bills if the farm didn’t produce or if something happened to our farm animals. We’d lost several chickens last winter to cold.
“That’s fair,” Maiken said. “I’ll let you know then.”
Carter started for the door. Liam and I didn’t.
“Please, man,” Liam said. “Seriously consider basketball. We had a great chance to go to the state finals in Springfield when Alex was alive. Maybe with you on the team, we still could.”
“Liam. Quinn. Let’s go,” Carter said from the foyer.
Since Emma wasn’t there, I had no other excuse to stay. I wanted to talk to Maiken, but I knew my nerves would get in the way. Sure, I could talk to other boys, mostly the ones in my advanced placement classes and the ones who were as shy as me when it came to talking to the opposite sex.
Liam and I obeyed Carter and headed for the door.
“Quinn,” Maiken called. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Carter strapped on his big-brother face. Liam didn’t, which surprised me. What was even more shocking was that Liam leaned in and whispered, “Convince him to play. I’ll take care of Carter. We’ll be in the truck.”
For the first time ever, Liam wasn’t ready to beat up a boy who wanted to talk to me.
Reluctantly, Carter left with Liam, leaving Maiken and me in complete silence.
The voice in my head was warning me not to say something stupid, but I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t. Holding my breath, I wrung my hands together so he wouldn’t see how nervous I was.
Casually, he leaned against the arched doorway. His look sucked me into the deep depths of his blue orbs. “I’m sorry for your eyes.”
“Not your fault.” I gave myself a mental high five for not stuttering.
“So you like basketball?” he asked.
I swallowed hard. A boy had never asked me about sports. “Did you know that the Celtics have won the most NBA Championships?” Shut up, brain.
He gave me the most heart-stopping smile. “So you do like the sport.”
“Y-you really sh-should play,” I stuttered out.
He inched toward me. “Why is that, Quinn?”
If he came any closer, I might throw myself at him.
He settled two short inches from me. Wow! I didn’t recall him smelling as if he’d bathed in aftershave. I couldn’t pinpoint the scent, though. Regardless, he was making me dizzy.
I pointed at the door. “I sh-should go. My brothers.” I had to stop stuttering.
“You didn’t answer my question.” That time when he spoke, I detected a hint of a Southern drawl, which I hadn’t before, not that I’d heard him speak much.
I swept my gaze from his abs to his jaw then his lips. I lingered there for a moment before meeting his eyes. My pulse went boom and bang several times because of the bad thoughts I was having over a boy. “Bad thoughts” was a relative term depending on one’s definition. Celia might not have considered rubbing her hands over Maiken’s chest bad, but in my world, it was salacious, or so I’d been taught.
Momma had always said that it wasn’t proper to have sexual thoughts of another unless I loved him. I didn’t love Maiken. I didn’t even know him. So why am I thinking of him naked?
Carter blew his horn.
If I stayed, I might do something like kiss Maiken. That wouldn’t be proper, and it would be extremely embarrassing. I wasn’t what my granny called some girls—a hussy.
I turned and practically sprinted for the door. Maiken called my name, but I didn’t stop. I was definitely going to plead with Momma and Daddy to let me stay home from school indefinitely. After all, I had black eyes, my cheeks seemed to stay permanently red around Maiken, and my body felt as if it were on fire. I would’ve liked to say I was coming down with the flu, but I knew deep down that wasn’t remotely true.
The moment I walked into school the next morning, I felt dizzy. I couldn’t pinpoint the reason why. I’d attended several schools since my dad had been in the military, and I’d never felt as though I didn’t belong. Actually, I’d never cared or paid attention to the whispers and gossip around me. Yet at Kensington, I couldn’t shake the bad feeling I had that something was about to happen.
Ethan and Emma were with me as we skirted around students in the halls on our way to our lockers. It was unusual for freshmen to have lockers in the same hall as sophomores at Kensington. Apparently, the freshmen had lockers in another wing of the school. But when we’d enrolled, all the freshmen lockers were taken.
Emma loved the idea of being close to me. So did Ethan for that matter. We tried to stick together as much as we could.
Emma toyed with her braided hair. “So you apologized to Quinn for giving her black eyes, right?”
The three of us settled at our lockers.
Before I could respond, Tessa Stevens invaded my personal space. I wasn’t a fan of people getting so close unless it was on the basketball court.
Emma bared her teeth.
I could feel my forehead wrinkling at my sister. I knew she was protective, but I’d never seen her so offended by a girl talking to me. After all, Emma had even said I needed to date sometime.
Tessa licked her bright-red lips, ignoring Emma. “So, Maiken, I’m having a holiday party the weekend before Christmas and would like for you to come.”
Ethan messed with his unruly brown hair. I swore my brother didn’t know what a comb or a brush was. His idea of hygiene was to shower and let the air handle the rest. “If Maiken goes, my sister and I go too.”
Outrage plagued the pretty girl, and she was pretty—silky black hair, eyes to match, curves, and small breasts. Yet her pushy attitude masked her beauty.
I opened my locker. “Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I have to work.”
My siblings angled their heads. I hadn’t told them about working at the Thompson farm. Emma had been out with Lacey and my mom when Quinn and her brothers had stopped by. And Ethan had taken Marcus and Jasper for a hike through the woods. Kade had gotten stuck babysitting the rest of my clan. Well, he’d actually offered. I hadn’t argued since I’d had homework to do. I had missed a lot of school since Dad died, and I was trying to catch up.
Tessa handed me an invitation. “Take it in case you change your mind.”
I didn’t have a chance to touch the small white envelope before Emma snagged it from Tessa.
“Does that mean we’re invited?” Emma asked with excitement dripping off her. My sister was all about parties. She always loved to plan our birthday parties.
Tessa jutted out her chin. “Why not? It’s a giving and cheery time of year.” Then she glided down the hall and was sucked up by her friends.
I poked my head in my locker and took a breath.
Emma grabbed my arm. “I might sound hypocritical, but let’s go to the party. I don’t want you to go near her, but I want to have some fun.”
“I’ll go out with her,” Ethan added.
“What about Hannah?” He had been whining about missing his girlfriend in North Carolina.
Ethan’s features tightened. “Hannah broke up with me. She said something about how long-distance relationships don’t work. Don’t say you’re sorry either.” His tone was hard.
I wanted to hug him, but it was clear he wasn’t ready to talk about Hannah. Besides, we needed to blow off some steam.
I closed my locker. “I’m not going anywhere near Tessa.”
Emma scanned the hall. “Then take Quinn to the party. That will show Tessa you’re not interested in her.”
My Heart To Touch: A Maxwell Family Saga - Book One Page 5