by Tiffany King
“He only told my dad,” Max said, sensing the betrayal I felt. “He knows my uncle is a lawyer and wanted to see if there was any way to help you and Kevin without getting social services involved.”
I gasped at the thought of the Department of Children and Families getting involved.
“It’s fine,” Max said, patting my knee. “Old Man Wither made my dad and uncle promise not to do anything. He knows you don’t want to lose Kevin, and he seems to really care about you two a lot.”
“He’s definitely a cool guy,” I said, relieved that he had stuck to his word. “I feel awful that he and his wife never had kids. I think it’s ironic how people that want children so badly are denied, but those that should have never been able to reproduce have no problem doing it.”
“I agree, it’s messed up. I definitely hate your mom, but I can’t help wondering if I would have met you now if she wasn’t so wacked-out.”
“I thought you believe in fate,” I said laughing, trying to steer the conversation away from the doom and gloom I had dragged it into.
“Oh, believe me, I do. I’m just saying, how much would it suck to have to wait several more years to meet the woman I love?”
“Hmmm, I like the sound of that,” I said, laying my head on his shoulder as we neared the city.
Max deftly maneuvered the SUV through the streets that seemed insanely congested after the limited traffic we were used to. After a few moments, he pulled into a parking spot in front of a large glass and brick building. A sign off to the side welcomed us to the Bozeman Public Library.
“We’re going to the library?” I asked excitedly.
“Yeah, I remember you mentioning once that the happiest moments of your life were spent in libraries with all the books. I just figured I wanted in on the happiest moments of your life too,” he said, lacing his fingers through mine.
I paused in the middle of the sidewalk as a light snow began to fall on us. “Silly boy, you surpassed those memories long ago,” I said, placing my cold lips on his.
“So you mean this’ll be like a grand slam?” He gently teased, leading me out of the cold into the warm interior of the building.
I laughed. “Most definitely,” I said, taking in my surroundings. “I wish we could get a library card,” I added wistfully, looking at the endless rows of books. “I know I have my Kindle, but look at all these books,” I said, sweeping out my arms to indicate the overflowing shelves.
“Yeah, the commute makes that tough, but are you ready for part two of your Valentine’s Day surprise?”
“Part two? How many parts are there?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he said, giving my bottom a light pat as we headed toward the back of the library where several rooms lined the far wall. He steered me toward one that had a sign proclaiming used books for sale. “I bought you a twenty-dollar gift card and each book is only fifty cents, so let’s see what kind of damage you can do,” he said, winking at me.
“I get to pick out forty books?” I laughed, feeling giddy as I headed toward my favorite genre. “It’ll be a shame to leave them behind when I move, but…” I said, letting my voice trail off at the now sour look on his face. He hated when I mentioned the pending move, but I wanted to keep us firmly rooted in reality. We had already stayed in Four Corners longer than any other place, and the ticking eviction clock was already at the halfway mark.
“You won’t have to leave them behind,” he said stubbornly.
“Okay,” I said, trying to appease him so I wouldn’t ruin the perfect date he had planned. I knew there was still a remote possibility that we would get to stay since Mr. Graves was still diligently trying to cut through the red tape to become a temporary foster parent.
Max let the subject drop and after a few moments of silence he got into the game of trying to help me fill my quota of books.
“How about this one?” he asked, holding up yet another sci-fi book.
“Ha ha, you’re such a crack-up,” I said, socking his arm lightly.
“What?” he asked, feigning innocence.
“If it doesn’t have hot guys and kissing, I’m out,” I said teasingly.
“What hot guys?” He mock growled, making a grab for me.
“You know, tall, dreamy, dark hair, drop-dead gorgeous eyes and...” my words were cutoff as his lips claimed mine. “And dimples that make your toes curl,” I added breathlessly.
“Hmmm, toes curl, that’s hot,” he said, nipping on the corner of my mouth. “How many books are you up to?”
I looked down at the stacks of books around our ankles. “I think I’m two away,” I said, grabbing two random books from the shelf as he distracted me by gently blowing on the hair at the back of my neck. “You’re going to get us kicked out,” I added, shooting a look at the elderly gentleman who was manning the small register by the door.
“You mean to tell me all those times you spent in the library over the years you never thought about making out?” he whispered in my ear as his teeth grazed the lobe.
I blushed at his words because I had indeed fantasized about such a situation.
“Come on, time for part three of your Valentine’s Day surprise,” he said, grabbing up two stacks of books to carry up to the counter. I followed behind, carrying one of the other stacks in my arm as he came back for the remaining books. The old man behind the counter gave us a knowing look over his spectacles as Max kept his arms firmly wrapped around me from behind.
“We’ll come back and get these in a little while,” Max told him.
“That’s fine, I’ll hold your bags here,” he said, placing them on the back counter behind him.
“Are we leaving the library and coming back?” I asked, feeling remorseful at having to leave my books behind. I was worried the library would close while we were gone eating dinner.
“Nope, we’re staying here,” Max said, dragging me back up to the front of the library. He veered off to the left instead of heading out the front doors, leading me down a brightly-lit hallway that opened up into a small café called Lindley Perk Coffee Shop.
“We’re eating here?” I asked happily, studying the small menu board.
“Well, not in here, but back there,” he said, jerking a thumb back the way we had come.
“Um, I’m pretty sure they won’t let us bring food and drinks into the actual library,” I said, hating to burst his bubble and ruin his surprise.
“Actually we can,” he said, pointing to a sign behind the counter encouraging patrons to feel free to browse the book shelves with their food in hand.
“Seriously? Oh my God, that’s awesome.”
“I thought you’d like that,” he said, lacing his fingers through mine as we approached the counter. “I called ahead,” he told the clerk when she asked for our order.
“Name?” she asked, chomping on a piece of gum.
“Maxwell Jr.”
“You called an order in for us?” I asked, touched at his thoughtfulness.
“I had to make sure my plans were going to work out,” he said, paying the salesclerk.
“Well aren’t you debonair,” I said as the salesclerk handed over a white bag with our food and two large cups of steaming latte.
“GQ-smooth baby,” he said, shooting me a cocky grin.
“That’s true, you’re as smooth as a baby’s bottom,” I teased.
“Ugh, there’s no baby here,” he said, making a show of flexing his muscles.
I giggled as we weaved through the endless shelves of books throughout the library. An elderly woman frowned at me and made a production of shushing me.
“Oops, sorry,” I mouthed as Max continued to drag me to a lone table in the far corner of the library.
We ate our sandwiches and chips, talking quietly in between bites. It was by far the most romantic date I had ever gone on, and I told him so. “Well, it’s not over yet,” he said, pulling out a small wrapped package.
“You already got me
a gift,” I protested.
“This is surprise number four,” he said, smiling nervously at me.
Apprehension filled me as I pulled off the wrapping paper to reveal a small jewelry box. Lifting the lid, I gasped when I saw the diamond-encrusted interlocking heart ring inside. My stomach dropped, and I looked up at him in confusion.
“It’s not an engagement ring,” he said quickly as I let out a relieved pent-up breath. “It’s a promise ring.”
“Oh Max, that’s sweet,” I said, pulling the ring out.
“Some guys use it as a kind of ‘I promise to eventually marry you’ thing, but I didn’t get yours for that,” he said. “Mine stands for something else,” he added quietly.
“What does it stand for?” I asked as he laced his finger through mine.
“It stands for all the promises I intend to keep to you. I promise to protect you from any more harm, and I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure you get your ‘someday soon.’”
“How did you find out about someday soon?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Kevin made a comment to my mom and dad about it last week when he was helping them bake cookies in the kitchen.”
“What did he say?” I asked, feeling my heart swell painfully.
“He asked them if this was what someday soon would be like. They were confused at first until he filled them in.”
“Oh,” I said, looking down. “I bet they thought it was ridiculous for a seventeen-year-old to make such promises.”
“Actually, they thought how incredibly brave it was,” he said, lifting my chin to meet his eyes.
He leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. I closed my eyes, relishing in the sensation of so much love flowing through me.
“How about we get out of here?” he asked against my lips as a librarian wheeled an overflowing book cart down the row near us.
“Sounds good,” I said, gathering up our trash after sliding the elegant ring onto my right hand.
“It’s lovely,” I said, giving him a quick peck on the mouth after admiring it on my hand.
“It suits you,” he said.
Max grabbed the heavy bags with my books from the elderly gentleman and we slipped and slid our way to the SUV on the now slick sidewalk.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to this weather,” I complained, blowing on my cold fingers.
“You’ll get used to it, and just wait until summertime is here. We usually stay outside the majority of the day.”
“I can’t wait,” I said, still shivering as Max got back out of the vehicle to scrape the ice from the windshield.
“When does summer start around here?” I joked as he joined me several minutes later, shivering too.
“Not soon enough,” he said laughing as I cranked the heat up even warmer and switched on my seat warmer. “You just lack proper threads,” he teased, looking down at my naked hands.
“Yeah, I know,” I said, looking down at my red wind-chapped fingers.
Max turned on the radio and switched it to a station playing current hits. He sang along with the lyrics while I watched admiringly. “Pretty bad, huh?” he asked, several songs later.
“Well, it’s better than a bullfrog,” I teased.
“Gee, thanks.”
“Kidding,” I giggled. “You sound great, though I do find it insane that you know all the words to every song.”
“It’s a given to know all the words, they play the same songs over and over again. Don’t you listen to music?” he asked.
“Sure, whenever we have a car that has a working radio in it, but it’s usually never current stuff. Lucinda’s a stickler about the music she’ll listen to.”
“Seems like she’s a stickler about a lot of things,” he grumbled under his breath.
“You get used to it,” I said indifferently.
“Yeah, but most parents aren’t like that,” he said testily.
“I know,” I said, wondering why he was trying to pick a fight.
“If she’s so goddamn awful, why do you always defend her?”
“I don’t defend her,” I said defensively. “Why the hell are we even discussing this?” I asked, starting to get angry over his mood swing. “Everything was fine back in the library.”
Max turned off the main road onto a small snow-covered dirt road abruptly making the vehicle bounce around uncomfortably. After a few moments, we were surrounded by trees as the road behind us disappeared from sight.
Max undid his seatbelt and used the automatic switch to move his seat as far back as it would go so he could better face me. “I just don’t want to lose you,” he finally said.
“I’ll come back,” I said quietly.
“What if something comes up? What if you meet someone else, or God forbid, your mom actually kills you on one of her rants.”
“Don’t be silly, I’m not going to meet anyone else, and Lucinda’s rants never go that far.”
“Katelyn, don’t treat me like I’m stupid. She bashed your head in with who knows what a couple months ago.”
“A coffee mug,” I said simply.
He reached over and undid my seatbelt. With one swift movement he had me across the center console and onto his lap. The wide seats of the SUV allowed me to straddle him without much discomfort.
“How can I keep my promise to protect you if you won’t let anyone report her?”
“You just have to trust me,” I said, resting my forehead against his.
“I trust you. It’s her I don’t trust,” he said, running his hands through my hair before dragging my lips to his. “Do you understand how tough this is and how much you mean to me?” He asked raggedly once our lips parted.
I nodded my head. His pain was tangible and my heart ached in my inability to ease it. “What can I do?” I asked, desperate to sooth the pain he was going through.
“Stop her before it’s too late,” he begged.
“Anything but that,” I pleaded.
“Please,” he said before crushing his lips to mine. His searing kiss sparked a fire throughout my entire body. He dug his hands under my multiple layers of clothing until they found the skin they sought. I approved with pleasure as his hands moved at their own accord up over my ribcage. I could feel his need beneath me as I shifted closer, trying to consume as much of him as possible. His hands reached around behind me and fumbled with the clasp on my bra. I knew I should halt things before they could get any further out of control, but I couldn’t remember any of my reasons for waiting. Reaching up behind me, I released the clasp for him and sighed in relief when his hands finally found what they yearned for. Max’s tongue plunged deeper into my mouth as I moved against him, burning with desire. I pulled at his clothing, desperate to touch the skin beneath them. He dragged his lips and hand from me and ripped off his jacket and sweater, leaving his rock-hard chest naked in front of me. I ran my hands up over his stomach and chest, loving the way the muscles rippled beneath my fingertips. I leaned forward, sliding my tongue over his collarbone, making him moan. I smiled at his response, trailing my tongue up over his chin until I reached his lips. He rested his hands on my hips as I devoured his mouth and then slowly moved them to the hem of my clothes and started to peal the multiple layers from me. I shivered as he pulled my hoodie away leaving behind only my thin t-shirt. I pulled back and met his questioning eyes, nodding my approval as he slowly lifted my shirt upward.
The ringing of his phone broke the moment and he fumbled for his iPhone in the center console next to me.
“Yeah?” He said in his usual way of answering his phone. “Oh, hey Mom,” he said, and I instantly came back to my senses as I heard her tell him Kevin was sick. I swung off his lap and into my own seat. “Okay, we were on our way home already, we should be there in fifteen minutes,” he said. His mom talked for several more seconds. “I’ll ask her,” he said, looking at me. “My mom said Kevin is running a fever and she wants to know if she can set you guys up in the gue
st room so you don’t have to drag him back out in the snow.” I nodded my approval. “She says that’s fine, Mom. Okay, we’ll be there in a few minutes,” he said before hanging up.
“Wow, Kevin takes his chaperone duties seriously,” Max joked as he started the vehicle and pulled his sweater back on.
I burst out laughing, fixing the last of my clothing. “True dat,” I said in typical Kevin fashion. “You sure your parents don’t mind us staying over?”
“Are you kidding? She’s worried Kevin has a fever, but I could tell she was thrilled you guys are staying over. My mom loves having company over. As a matter fact, so do I,” he said, raising his eyebrows at me suggestively.
“Hmm, looks like I’ll be locking my door tonight,” I said now that I had come back to my senses. “I don’t think having unprotected sex is something that would improve my current situation,” I said truthfully.
“What makes you think I wasn’t prepared?” he asked.
“Were you?” I asked as my heart skipped several beats.
He nodded. “Does that bother you?”
“I don’t know. I always said I would wait since Lucinda was so promiscuous, but things look a little different now. I do know I don’t want to rush into it though,” I added, trying to express the mixed-up feelings I was having.
“So, we take things slow,” he said, lacing his fingers through mine. “Like maybe alone time in the car should be limited,” he quipped.
“Um yeah, I’d have to agree with you there,” I said giggling. “I think it’s the leather seats, they make us act like love-starved maniacs,” I said, flushing slightly as I recalled how intimately his hands had touched me just moment before.
Chapter 16
Taking things slow proved to be more of a challenge than we could have ever imagined as February faded away and March began. Even with Kevin acting as a chaperone, the air around us seemed to sizzle from the need we both acutely felt. We planned our dates in group settings to help us both behave, but that only proved to frustrate us further since even our chaste kisses made me ache. I knew Max was suffering as much as I was with the constant smoldering looks he shot my way, making it impossible to think of anything else but his lips and hands on me.