However, now that she’d begun work on King’s, offers were rolling in. Her work calendar was booked solid for the next six months. She’d upped her part-timers’ hours, snagged a full-time mason, and hired the guard, Samson, from Whitfield’s grand opening. He needed the extra money. She needed the help.
“When you’re ready, dear.”
Taking a deep breath, Annabelle nodded. “I’ll do that.”
She couldn’t contain her smile as she made her way through the rest of the store, thinking she could start slow, maybe from the underneath layers first and build outward. It would be nice to dress up once in a while.
Thoughts of Max teased her mind, imagining the look on his face when he saw her.
“But he won’t,” she chided herself. “Better to end it before I get in too deep.” A hollow ache behind her ribcage flared to life. “As if you’re not already, O’Conner.”
It would be far worse if anything happened to Max, she realized. Annabelle sucked in a sharp, painful breath. The horror of losing him like that throbbed through her. Agony pulsed with each beat of her heart.
Joseph had come and gone, living his life and expecting her and Gigi and then Joey to accommodate him. They had. His whirlwind personality was like a drug at first. Later, she’d grown weary of being on pins and needles, waiting for his next surprise, waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Nothing was safe or secure or in her control.
When she’d gotten the awful news, a part of her sagged in shameful relief. Her worst fear had come true. The endless worrying was over. The suffering had begun.
The walls of stone shot up, as high and wide and as far as she could build. She hid behind that barrier, trusting it to hold.
Controlling her emotions and her life. Nothing would shake it or her like that again.
And then came Max.
It teetered. It shifted. It tipped. Now, she feared would crumble entirely in a pile of rubble. Nope. Not on your life.
Annabelle had to shore up her defenses and that mile high barricade again.
She had to let Max go.
A soft sob sneaked out.
***
“Hey, Annabelle,” Danny called, stopping her in her tracks.
Waiting for him to catch up, she thrust aside her sadness. Forcing herself, she copied his wide, infectious grin. “Nice to see you.” It was.
He gave her a bear hug. “You’ve been hiding.” Letting go, he patted his pockets and finally fished out something from the top one. He thrust it at her. “From guess who?”
Her heart jerked as if she’d just gotten the paddles applied. “Max.” It wasn’t a question. Another note. Her hands shook as she remembered the hand delivered notes from first Bruno, and then other King’s employees every few days. Max had gone to so much time and trouble to get these to her.
The one word—Irish—note had started it off, telling her who sent it and sending her heart aflutter. She tucked that away under her pillow. The others had followed and joined the first: A simple Smiley face. An adorable stark drawing of a puddle with water flying out and the word splash. A rudimentary water pipe with a shovel stuck in it and water blasting out. And a really bad drawing of pink pastry box and the word donut written on it and a coffee cup beside it.
“Open it.”
Her hands trembled as she carefully unfolded the crisp white note. She blinked at the bold, masculine handwriting. I miss you.
Tears smarted her eyes. Something clutched in her chest.
“Me, too,” she whispered, unable to deny the emptiness inside her any longer.
How could she do this and expose her son to more pain if anything happened to Max? Then again, how were they able to live without him right now?
Chapter 20
“Mom, you got to see this!” Joey cried out the moment she walked through the door that night.
Annabelle had a few hours to wash, eat, unwind, read to her son, and then go back out to King’s for the late shift. “Hey, squirt! You too busy to come say hello?”
“This is the best part.”
Smiling, she finished taking off her boots, flexed her aching toes, and headed to the kitchen. “Something smells good, Gigi.”
“Nothing fancy, mind you. Spaghetti and meatballs.”
She groaned as her tummy grumbled. “Can’t wait.” Her last meal came between an estimate and buying supplies hours ago.
“That’s funny.” Joey giggled.
Her heart sang. Finding them hunched around the computer screen at the small breakfast bar, she asked, “What is?”
“Start from the beginning,” Gigi said, getting up and waving for Annabelle to take her place at the seat. “I’ve got pasta to check. Oh, we got a note from the teacher. Progress! Keep up the good work, it says.” Gigi gave Annabelle a thumbs up.
She sucked in a sharp breath. Joey’s getting better! Happy tears gathered and she blinked them away.
“You should have been there, Mom.”
His glee sent a pang of regret through her; she’d missed another moment of being with him. “Where? Show me.”
“So we went to Max’s house and his brothers were there, too. Look, that’s us.”
Annabelle gulped hard. Gigi had mentioned the outing in passing yesterday, causing a flurry of sensations to shudder through her.
Joey pointed to the video playing. Jonathan waved from the grill, in the middle of flipping burgers. Jay and Danny sat around the table. Gigi, with Joey’s help, uncovered the potato salad and coleslaw. Paige looked up from passing out the paper plates to glare at the camera.
Max’s laugh came from off screen. Abruptly the lens shifted and now Max appeared. “Hey, Irish. Wish you could’ve been here. Next time?”
Reaching out, she hit the pause button, staring into his sad eyes. Something kicked her, low and deep. I miss you so much it hurts.
“Mom, quit, will you? I’m trying to show you.” His exasperated sigh sailed through the air.
She held up her hands. “My bad. Go for it.”
He punched the button and the film began to play again. The screen went blank and then another shot appeared.
“That’s us!” Joey exclaimed. “Look, we’re playing football.”
Glued to the screen, Annabelle watched as the Whitfield brothers got off a few plays.
Next, Max called over Gigi and Joey. “Come on, you two. You can’t sit on the sidelines. Get in the game!”
“Really?” Joey asked. “Can we, Gigi?”
“Why not?” Her image came into the frame and Joey tagged along, his red cape trailing behind him.
Paige must have shot this part.
“Don’t think you can dodge the next one, Paige,” Max called out.
“As if,” she muttered, the mic picking it up.
A smile tugged at Annabelle’s lips as she watched her son join in. Gigi hiked the ball to Jay and he dodged Jonathan and Danny, tossing the ball to Max.
“Run, Joey,” Max called, tucking the ball under his arm. “Block for me.”
Joey tripped over his cape. Max raced to him and grabbed him before he hit the ground and shoved the ball into her son’s hand.
“Take it.”
“But…I can’t.” He cradled the football anyway and stood stock-still.
“They’re closing in on us, buddy!” Max grabbed Joey under his arm. “Do your thing. Fly, Superman, fly!”
“This is the best,” Joey said now, leaning against her, his warm, little body pressed to her side.
She sighed, snuggling closer to her son.
“Look!” He pointed to the action on the screen.
With one hand holding the ball and the other one outstretched and his red cape flapping in the wind, Joey let Max carry him to the goal line.
“Touchdown!” they both cried out as Max twirled around, still holding Joey.
“We did it, Max!” her son hollered.
Annabelle sniffed and laughed. “High-five, champ!” Turning to her child, she clapped hand
s with him, taking in the joy written all over his face.
Darn you, Max Whitfield, but I just fell head over heels in love with you all over again!
***
Max let out a pent-up breath. “Ready or not,” he said, standing in front of his anxious brothers and Paige.
“Open it, will ya?” Danny shook his head.
“Come on, man, don’t leave us hanging,” Jonathan chimed in.
“You sure about this, Max?” Jay asked, reaching over to squeeze Paige’s hand.
“Go big or go home,” Paige added. “Oh, yeah, you’re already home.”
That got him to laugh, a short nervous one, but it did the trick. He took his time opening the envelope in his shaking hands. This is it! Everything you always wanted. Or not.
He skipped over the top and dropped his gaze to the first line. “We are pleased to inform you…” He choked up on the rest and his family cheered. “I passed the first round of tests.”
They charged him, grabbing him up in a big, massive hug. His brothers may not have liked what he was doing, but they finally came around and supported him. He reached out to Jay and grabbed him close. “Thanks, bro.”
His brother Jay assumed the caretaker role the day their mother had died from cancer. He didn’t have to. No, he wanted to. They were a team. Jay hammered that home to them. He’d never leave them behind.
It meant the world to Max that Jay had digested the news of him wanting to be a cop and had been the one to lead the cheering squad.
“The Whitfield brothers score again,” Jay whispered hoarsely. “Dad, would be so proud of you. Mom, too.”
The words were like music to his ears. Yeah, he was doing it for his dad and for all of them.
A twinge of regret whistled through him; he couldn’t share this moment with Annabelle.
Or could he?
***
Her voice called out as he walked through the rooftop door. “Just in time. You can help me with the heavy stones.”
“Do you always ask random guys to help lift their stones? Heavy ones?” Max asked, tongue in cheek.
Annabelle whipped around and dropped the shovel. It hit with a clunk. “Max!”
She looked amazing, even covered from head to toe in grime. Her red hair, pulled back, gleamed in the spotlights placed around the perimeter. The streak of dirt on her cheek and chin and forehead didn’t detract in any way.
“So that’s a yes?” He strolled to her. At least she hadn’t kicked him out yet.
“Depends who’s on the other end.”
Her saucy talk made his blood heat up even more. “Me.”
“Oh, I’ll have to think about that now.” She let her gaze travel over him and he swore it felt like laser heat zapped him.
“I didn’t get that last kiss. Well, the full last kiss. Remember? Bathroom. Crammed into a stall. Gigi doing her thing.”
“The water spraying all over me.” She crossed her arms over her chest as if she were right back in that moment and completely exposed to him.
Max gulped hard, recalling the sheer top and more importantly, her body underneath. He dreamed of touching her, tasting her there.
“You’re claiming it? Here?”
“As good a place as any.” Why not? He’d waited too long as it was.
“The very, very last one. Promise.” Annabelle brushed a gloved hand over her hair and then stopped. “I’m a little worse for wear.” Shucking off the gloves, she stuffed them in her back pocket.
“And here I thought that was the usual for you. You know: mud, dirt, water. Not necessarily in that order.”
Her giggle jogged something in his center. “If you’re brave enough…”
“Or man enough.” He walked the last few steps to her, now standing toe-to-toe with her. “Irish,” he whispered, smiling as he gazed into her wide, green eyes. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve thought about doing this to you.”
Her breath hitched. “Me, too.”
Reaching out, he tsked. “This will never do.” He tugged out the band from her hair, releasing her ponytail. “Better.” He cupped her face in his hands. “So soft,” he murmured, rubbing his thumbs along her skin.
“Kiss me, Max.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers, capturing her gasp. He moaned. She clutched the front of his shirt. Max tempered the blaze of heat that rushed through him. Slowly, he coaxed and teased.
“More,” she murmured, giving back and taking at the same time.
That did it. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips. She met his, and then pressed against him, moving her hands to his sides and down his back.
***
Annabelle had no idea what had come over her. His deep, wet kiss triggered something primitive and wild in her. Flames licked along her nerve endings. She couldn’t get enough of him.
Hungry, she clutched him. His heat surrounded her and seeped through all those crevices and dripped into her wounded heart, finally warming the coldness that had slipped in and taken root.
“Irish,” he murmured, making her giddy.
“Max,” she whispered and then went back for more of him. I love you. She eased her hands downward and skimmed his backside. Her fingers snagged on a piece of paper. It tumbled to the ground.
Slowly, she came aware of the hot spotlights beating down on them. What if someone saw them?
With everything in her, she pulled back. His heavy breathing matched hers. “Wrong place.”
In increments, she watched as his features changed from filled with passion to stark awareness. The tug of desire flashed through her and then regret at stopping it.
Max dropped his hands to her shoulders and set her away at the same time he stepped backward. Something under his shoe crinkled.
She looked at the ground the same time he did, spotting the once all-white sheet of paper. Leaning down, she scooped it up. “My dry cleaning bill?” He hadn’t brought her the receipt from his suit jacket.
His body tensed; the air crackled. “Annabelle…”
Something cold and hard dropped into her belly. The use of her formal name sent alarm bells blaring. Stop! She said the first thing she could think of. “I want to thank you for what you did for Joey. The football game. He hasn’t stopped talking about it.” And I can’t stop watching the video, memorizing every angle and plane on your face. “You’re so good with him.”
“He’s not hard to fall in love with, just like his mother.”
She sucked in a shaky breath. “What?”
“I love you, Irish.”
Her world tilted slightly. Annabelle O’Connor never thought she’d ever hear those words again. And she never thought she could feel love again. “Max. I don’t know…if I can.” She began to tremble. How could she have let it get so out of hand?
“Give us a chance. For you, me, Joey, even Gigi.”
Annabelle shook her head, thrusting the paper at him.
He grabbed it and held it out, showing her the words. “It’s the cop thing. I made the first cut.”
It felt as if someone stuck their hand in her chest and ripped out her heart. “You can’t. No. Your brothers. How can you do this to us?”
“Can’t you be happy for me? I’m living my dream.”
“At whose expense, Max? Your family? Think of them. Danny would be crushed if anything happened to you!” Joey, too! And me!
Watching his face drain of color, Annabelle knew she’d jabbed at his weakness.
Agony slashed through his beautiful light brown eyes. Disappointment followed. “Hitting below the belt, Irish?”
Chapter 21
The notes stopped arriving.
Annabelle throbbed with pain.
If she’d wanted to shove Max away, she couldn’t have thought of anything better to use against him.
It worked. Too well.
And I can’t stop thinking about him and what he’s doing, where he i
s, what he’s feeling…
Talk about losing control! Her emotions bounced all over the place now, from high to low to sinking to the depths of despair. There was no balance to be found anymore.
And she mentally kicked herself a thousand times a day for getting to this point, for allowing herself feel again, and it still didn’t help soothe her troubled soul.
Her son’s chin couldn’t seem to get any lower these days, either.
“Hey, kiddo. This job’s ending soon. You’ll have me back most nights. How about you and I go to see one of those superhero movies next week?” That should perk him up. Lame, Annabelle; you’re using the one thing you hate to get him to cheer up.
“Nah. I’d rather see Max. I like playing football with him and his brothers.” He moped as he walked into the backyard and flung himself in a chair. “He doesn’t like me anymore.”
A dagger twisted in her chest. Mom guilt. “He does.” Max’s words echoed in her head at least once every five minutes. He loved them both. And she’d thrown it back in his face. Going to the seat opposite her son, she sat down facing him.
“Nope. He doesn’t call. Or come over. He doesn’t even have to bring a treat.”
Her heart squeezed. “Did I tell you he was accepted into the police program?” Her voice shook with fear.
“Really? Cool! You think he’ll let me wear his badge and stuff?”
“I don’t know if that’s allowed.” Could she sink any lower than toying with her son?
“Don’t you worry, Joey. Max will be back. Right, Annabelle?” Gigi eyed her as she placed a plate of warm peanut butter cookies in front of him along with a glass of milk. “Eat up, so you can grow big and strong like Max.”
She watched her mother-in-law as she walked back into the house. Her back was straight and stiff. “Go ahead, Joey. I’m going to help Gigi for a minute.”
Dread pooled as she got up and a few seconds later stepped into the kitchen. “I got the job at King’s, by the way. I start in a few days. Making and sewing wedding dresses. My dream job.” Gigi clutched the countertop, saying one thing, but her tone said something else entirely.
once upon a romance 08 - making a splash Page 13