“How’s she taking it?” Max asked.
No one answered him, which meant Mom wasn’t happy.
“I’m on my way over,” Max said. “Give me a moment to shower. I have to take the kids to the pumpkin carving and later, Mattie wanted to go to the haunted house.”
“I’ll come with you,” Honey said from behind him. “All this is my fault, Mr. Wolff. I put too much pressure on Max, and I failed to support him when he needed me. I acted like a spoiled brat, wanting to be taken on dates and paid attention to.”
“You don’t have to come with us,” Max’s father said. “This is a family issue. We wanted Max to know the gig is up.”
“I’m Max’s family. We might have made a few mistakes, but we’re still family.” She touched his arm, and he was instantly calmed. At least he wasn’t facing his family alone.
“Give us twenty minutes,” Max said. “We’ll be over.”
“The rumor mill’s running wild and your mother’s beside herself,” Dad said, turning around to leave.
“Pretty pathetic if we’re the only thing for them to talk about,” Max huffed. “I tried to keep up a good front, but I’m not sure I can stand to live in a place where everyone butts into everyone else’s business. It’s why I left in the first place.”
The other three Wolff men grunted, but didn’t reply as they walked out the door of his suite.
* * *
“We really blew that one, didn’t we?” Honey held Max’s hand as they walked up the porch steps to his family’s home.
“You can’t blame yourself.” Max gave her hand a squeeze, then dipped his head and kissed her. “Let’s concentrate on the future. I’m taking you on a house tour this afternoon, and I swear, you can buy whichever house you please. The most expensive house on the market sells for a fraction of the price of what we have in San Francisco.”
“Wow, you sure are fast.” She returned his kiss. “But let’s see what’s up with your family. Sounded like they don’t want us here.”
Besides, Max had never wanted to live here, and Honey wasn’t sure she wanted to be the center of anyone’s gossip either. One good thing about the big city—no one knew and no one cared. Everyone had their own craziness, and no one had the time to sit around and speculate on other people’s lives.
Living in Sapphire Falls would mean living in a glass house.
“It isn’t what they want.” Max’s voice deepened and filled with emotion. “It’s what you and I want. We promised each other we’d try again, and that Sapphire Falls would be the perfect place to restart our marriage.”
Max was so romantic, he was making her swoony. She hugged him closely and rubbed her face against his. “I’d love to have a do-over.”
“It’ll be not just a do-over, but a do-better.” He smiled into her lips and kissed her.
Slap! The screen door opened and out bounded two huge Irish wolfhounds along with Mattie and Sara.
“Woof. Woof!”
“Mama!”
“Dada!”
Honey freaked and grabbed Sara, snatching her from underneath one of the dogs, who thankfully did not leap up and put its paws on her shoulders. She honestly couldn’t see having a dog so huge that it stood almost to her shoulder while on all four legs. The scraggly thing looked like a giant wolf with shaggy ears and its tongue lolled out a mile long.
Max picked up Mattie and patted the dogs. “Did you like Remus and Romulus?”
“I want a wolf dog when we get home.” Mattie hugged Max. “Granny says we’re going to carve pumpkins and bob for apples.”
“We will, big boy. Right after breakfast.” Max herded Honey with Sara through the screen door and nudged the dogs so they’d stay outside.
The atmosphere was much chillier than Friday evening when everyone was warm and welcoming. Max’s sisters, Megan and Millie, gave her a shy wave but their smiles didn’t reach their eyes.
The brothers mumbled a greeting and scurried off to bring in wood for the stove, and the father, Carl, gave Max one of those clap-on-the-shoulder hugs.
Max’s mother, Anne, wiped her hands on her apron and gave Honey a half-hearted hug. “Breakfast is ready. Glad you’re here.”
Honey glanced at Max who pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. She’d come to show support for him, but maybe her presence was unwelcome.
After all, they must hate her for hurting their son. What had that fake zombie said? She was a gold digger, an attention hog, and a soul sucking alien.
She didn’t deserve Max.
After everyone took their places around the table, Max’s father said grace. Orange-tinted pancakes were passed around, along with breakfast sausages, eggs, and ham. A typical farm breakfast.
Honey had no appetite. She was the cause of this family’s distress, and they’d never accept her as one of theirs—not after what she’d done to their Maxy.
“What are your plans, son?” Max’s father broke the awkward silence at the table.
“Going to buy a house and move Honey and the kids here. We’ve decided this is a great place to raise our family.” He flashed Honey a smile.
“And you think that’s going to solve all your problems?” his father continued with his steely gaze fixed on Max.
“It’s a start.”
“Honey, is this what you want?” Max’s mother spoke for the first time. “How much thought did you give to this plan?”
“I do want us to be a family again,” Honey answered, despite her stomach flip-flopping. “I think Sapphire Falls is the perfect place to live.”
“Do you really?” his mother challenged. “I got the feeling you were uneasy at Dottie’s. You didn’t speak much, and you didn’t answer any questions. I see you as a private person.”
“I’m kind of shy,” Honey said, looking down at her plate. “But I’m willing to try for Max’s sake and for the kids.”
“Isn’t your family in San Francisco?” Max’s father questioned her gently.
“My mother and one sister are there, but my father’s in New York and my other two sisters are scattered around the country. We pretty much live on our own, even if we’re in the same vicinity.”
“It’s a big change from what you’re used to,” Anne said. “I guess we’re shocked that you two split up. How long ago, if you don’t mind us asking?”
“Is it two years?” Max asked Honey.
“Yes, a little over two years when it was finalized.” She nodded, then glanced at Sara who was sitting in the highchair banging her spoon.
Everyone looked at Sara and looked away. Honey could tell Max’s brothers and sisters were doing the math, and with Sara only sixteen months old, it was obvious that they were already divorced when she was conceived.
“You two have been divorced that long?” Max’s father landed a fist on the table. “You’ve been lying to us since Mattie was two?”
Anne made a motion for him to quiet down. “Let’s do this later. The kids.”
Mattie blinked and looked from his mother to his father and back. “It’s bad to tell a lie.”
“Yes, it is.” Honey gave him a squeeze. “Want another pancake?”
“I want a cookie.”
“How about eating some of those eggs first?” Honey was glad that Mattie wasn’t leaving the table. For now, the grilling would be over—at least until after the table was cleared.
* * *
This wasn’t going well. At all. As soon as breakfast was finished, Max’s father clapped a hand over his shoulder and said, “Let’s go chop wood.”
In other words, he was taking him to the woodshed, but rather than putting a switch to his behind, he was going to make him work—with his hands.
He glanced at Honey as he walked out the back door, but she was busy wiping Mattie’s face and zipping up his jacket. He wanted to go out with the dogs and run around. One of his sisters lifted Sara from the high chair and took her to watch TV, so Honey was left alone with his mother.
“Dad,
I think I should take the kids and Honey back to the bed and breakfast. We’re going to have a family day today.”
“You can do that when the rest of us head over to church.” His father’s voice was gruff. “Unless you want to come to church.”
“I, uh, no, not today.”
“Thought so.” His father grunted as he pulled an axe from the toolshed and handed it to Max.
Unspoken was the judgment, of course. Chalk this up as another reason why Max escaped Sapphire Falls as soon as he graduated from high school.
His father chopped wood when he was upset, and his brothers chopped wood to get away from earshot of his parents. His sisters took off with their horses, but none of them had felt the need to put thousands of miles and years between them.
The wood chopping was also where he got his lectures, and that was why they had two splitting stumps.
Max took one of the precut rounds of firewood and set it on the stump. It had been a long time since he’d been out here with his father, and it took him a couple of misses to get the first one split.
His father chopped several rounds before clearing his throat. “Son, you gotta do right by that gal, and sleeping with her, having babies with her without marriage ain’t right.”
“I’m going to remarry her as soon as we get the move straightened out.”
“Sounds like this wasn’t planned. Tell me something, son. When you set foot here last week, were you thinking of moving here? I heard you didn’t even go to the airport to pick up your wife and kids.”
Chop. Chop. Thud. Split.
Max took some time before answering. “I wasn’t sure Honey would even speak to me at that time. She agreed to the trip for the sake of Mattie and Sara.”
“Humpf.”
“I love her and I want my family back.”
“Have you two fixed what went wrong?” Dad took a swing and missed the block.
“We’re fixing it right now. The move here will be part of it. Honey’s lonely out there in the big city, and after Mattie was born, she became clingy and demanding, and then she turned cold when she couldn’t get what she wanted. You have to understand, I was new at the job and the low man on the totem pole. I was on-call all the time. It was too much, and I knew it, but I couldn’t quit.”
“So now that you made partner, you think it’ll be easier?” His father put the axe down and stretched his shoulder.
“They let me come on this trip. I’ve got minions to do the grunt work. I just have to make decisions.”
“Yeah, and sometimes decisions have to be made on weekends or overnight. It’s not as much the amount of work as your priorities. You can work hard, but you got to make Honey and the kids your priorities.”
“That’s what I’m doing.” Max hit the top of a log hard, splintering it.
“Good. Good.” His father stacked another round onto the chopping block, lined up his axe and whacked it. He split two more logs before wiping his brow. Looking at him sideways, he said, “Just wondering if the real reason Honey divorced you wasn’t your workaholic ways, but that she suspected deeper issues.”
The hairs on Max’s arms bristled as he hefted the axe. “I’m completely normal.”
“No memory lapses or waking up in strange places?”
Now Max was glaring at his father. “None, and if you tell Honey otherwise, I’m going to …”
“Going to do what? Never visit us? Cut all ties?” His father set his axe down and leaned over it. “You’ve done all that. But if you’re sure you’re okay, then I’m happy for you.”
There was never any problem, except for the usual town gossip. People telling his parents about things he had no recollection of. The fact he had two brothers meant it could have been mistaken identity.
“I need you to be behind me.” Max’s voice cracked. “I’m working hard to bring my family back together. I want us to be happy together. What more can I do?”
“Give it your best.” His father gathered up the wood they’d chopped and put it in a bundle. “If she’s given you a second chance, don’t blow it.”
Chapter Sixteen
Honey blinked back tears as she helped Anne clear the table. “I’m so sorry.”
Well she remembered how proud Anne had been of her Max when she told her how thoughtful and sweet he was. Now, her heart was broken knowing that the two of them had lied to them.
As things went, a divorce was a pretty big lie to cover up.
“I don’t want you to feel bad about this,” Anne said, taking the cutlery to the kitchen. “You and I never had a chance to get close, and honestly, I’m more disappointed with Max than anything else.”
Honey didn’t know what to say. When a marriage didn’t work out, both parties had plenty of fault. “I’m still sorry for going along with the lie.”
Max’s mother filled the sink with soapy water and set the dishes inside. “I don’t want either of you hurt again. I should have known something was up when Max told us you were at a writer’s convention every time we visited, but I thought it was the way marriages worked in California, where people were so busy that the only time they got to do something was when the other spouse took on the kids.”
“I guess marriages work or don’t work the same way everywhere.” Honey took a dishtowel and dried while Anne washed.
“That’s true.” Anne stopped washing and gave her a level stare. “I’m sure you and Max are counting on the magic of Sapphire Falls to bring you two together, but what doesn’t work in San Francisco isn’t going to work in Sapphire Falls, either.”
“Are you telling me to leave your son alone?” Honey bristled at the older woman’s harsh tone.
“Not at all. I just don’t want you two to have unrealistic expectations that our town would somehow solve your marital problems. Believe it or not, we have people here who are divorced. We have our share of alcoholics and people with drug problems. We’re no different than any other location and you aren’t used to our way of life, so any problems you have will be exaggerated.”
“So, you’re saying it’s hopeless.” Honey wiped her eyes which ached with unshed tears.
“Oh, no, Honey.” Anne dried her hands and hugged her. “Not at all. I just want you two to be realistic. I’m happy you decided to give Max a second chance, and I’ll do everything in my power to see that it works out for you. Besides, if you two do decide to move here, I’ll get to see you and Mattie and Sara more often.”
“I don’t feel I can do anything right,” Honey dabbed at her tears. “Maybe if I’m more independent, I wouldn’t drive Max crazy. I thought Sapphire Falls would give me more friends and people to hang out with so I wouldn’t be so dependent on Max, but maybe the problem is me.”
“I’m sure you’re as normal as any other young woman who’s overwhelmed with everything you have to do.”
“But, I’m not. There are military wives who have more kids and have to pick up and move all the time.”
“Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.” Anne patted her back. “You and Max have enough to deal with without overhyped expectations.”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Oh, let me get the door.” Anne said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Carl and Max are out back chopping wood.”
She hustled through the kitchen to the living room. Honey wondered how people in Sapphire Falls dealt with all of the drop-ins. Back where she lived, no one dropped in on anyone. Even neighbors called or texted before knocking on a door, and most get-togethers took planning months in advance.
Anne opened the door to a policeman, and a jolt of fear overcame Honey. Usually, a knock on the door by a man in uniform meant something bad.
“Why, Ed,” Anne said. “How nice to see you. Come on in.”
The officer stepped in and glanced at Honey. “I’m looking for Max. Is he around?”
“Uh, he’s in the back chopping wood,” Anne said. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, nothing to worry about, but I have a mes
sage for him.”
Now Honey was worried. She wandered to the living room where Sara and one of Max’s sisters were watching TV and playing patty-cake.
“Is Max in some sort of trouble?” she asked Ed.
“No trouble, but his business partner called. He wasn’t answering his cell phone and well, I’m the town cop, so he got in touch with me. Seems there’s an emergency at work.”
Max and his father stepped into the room.
“Did you say emergency at work?” Max asked the officer at the same time his father said, “On a Sunday? Do they have no respect?”
“Yes, you better call and find out what’s up. I’m just passing along the message.” The policeman nodded. “Mr. Wolff, Mrs. Wolff, have a nice and safe Sunday.”
“Sure, thanks,” everyone answered as the officer opened the front door to leave.
“Daddy, are we going to the park now?” Mattie clambered in with Remus and Romulus when the officer stepped out. “I want to see the haunted house.”
All eyes turned to Max who gulped and wiped his forehead. He squatted down to Mattie’s level and said, “Daddy has to go somewhere. Mommy can take you to the haunted house.”
At his words, Honey’s heart slammed to the ground. He was going to disappoint his son before finding out what the scope of the so-called emergency was? What if it was something he could handle on the phone?
Had she really believed he could change? Even if they moved to Sapphire Falls, he’d still have a job that might take him places. She understood that. Sure, she did, but it was the automatic priority he put on his job that bugged her.
“Max,” she interjected. “Do you know what the emergency is about?”
“No, but I’m sure it’s serious or Don would never have bothered me on vacation,” Max said. He braced her with both hands on her upper arms. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. We might have to postpone the house tour until tomorrow afternoon.”
House tour? He acted like this interruption was par for course. Just drop everything without finding out what the problem was and then act as if nothing was wrong?
Honey shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to look for houses here in Sapphire Falls. If you have to go, then I and the kids will go with you.”
Sapphire Falls: Going Haywire (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 10