Wayward Hearts

by Susan Anne Mason

  An arm reached from behind to still her hand. “Take it easy. Those are Mom’s good dishes.”

  Water splashed onto the counter. “Aidan. You scared me.”

  She looked over her shoulder at her sibling and flicked suds at him. He grinned, reminding her of the little boy he’d once been. His gray-blue eyes, so sincere, always contained a glimpse of humor or mischief. His sandy hair had darkened somewhat over the years, but he’d only grown more handsome. Maxi thought Drew might look very similar if he’d lived this long. Immediately, she wrenched her thoughts away from that painful subject.

  Aidan picked up a towel and began to dry the dishes. They worked in companionable silence until the need to talk overcame Maxi.

  “I can’t believe how much worse Mama is since the last time I was home. I don’t think she can live here by herself, Aidan. What are we going to do?” Her shoulders slumped. None of the possible solutions to this problem sat well with her. “I can’t move back here to look after her. My career is at a crucial point right now.”

  Aidan stopped drying. “No one expects you to give up your dream, Max.”

  “Well, you’ve just started teaching. You can’t move back either.”

  They’d all been so proud when Aidan got his degree and landed a teaching job right away. The only drawback was they missed Aidan, who was way out in Arizona.

  “No. I can’t abandon my students right now.” His face was a study in seriousness. “I’ve made a commitment to them.”

  “I know.” She let the water out of the sink, watching the suds do a slow swirl down the drain. “Of course, Cal is out of the question. I can’t believe he even came home for the funeral.” But not surprised he left town again right after the ceremony. Just as well. Trouble followed Calvin wherever he went.

  Aidan dried the last dish and reached to put it in the cupboard, avoiding her gaze. A prickle of intuition hit Maxi. “Has Cal been in touch with you?”

  Aidan had the grace to look sheepish. “He called a few months ago.”

  Maxi planted her hands on her hips. “Looking for money, I’ll bet.”

  Aidan nodded. “Same old story. Lost his job. Needed something to tide him over…”

  “Tell me you didn’t give him anything.” Maxi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the counter, trying to contain her anger at her oldest brother. “You can’t keep bailing him out of every mess he gets into.”

  Aidan sighed. “I gave him a little, not much.”

  She frowned her displeasure.

  “He’s our brother. What am I supposed to do? Let him starve?”

  “How about letting him stand on his own two feet? And take responsibility for the problems he creates.” She grabbed the dishcloth off the counter and began to scour the large wooden table that dominated the room. “He’s one of the main reasons Charlie was so unhappy. Why couldn’t Cal just remain here and work the farm?”

  “Same reason you and I couldn’t,” Aidan replied in a low voice. “He hates farm life. And the pressure Dad put on him to stay only aggravated the situation.”

  Maxi tensed, remembering the fights she’d had with her father over doing the farm chores, the guilt he’d laid on all of them for shirking their duty. The guilt he’d smothered her in over Drew…She heaved in a great gulp of air and forced her mind away from those tortuous thoughts.

  No wonder she’d dreaded coming home for this funeral. All the bad family blood bubbled up, threatening to swallow her whole.

  “I hope he said good-bye to Mama before he left,” she snapped. “She has enough grief to deal with right now.”

  Aidan stepped toward her, took the rag from her hands and pulled her into a hug. “I’m pretty sure he did. You look exhausted. Why don’t you head off to bed, and let me look after Mama?”

  “I will soon.” She rested her cheek against Aidan’s soft cotton shirt. The comfort of her brother’s arms made a wealth of emotions loom too close to the surface. She swallowed hard to push them back.

  “We’ll talk about the farm tomorrow,” he said. “I guess you’re right. We’ll have to put it up for sale and find Mama somewhere to live.”

  The weight of all that they still had to do settled like two bricks on her shoulders. “I can’t take too much time away from the salon. Not if I want to get that partnership.”

  He pulled her back to look in her eyes. “If anyone can do it, it’s you. Look at all you’ve accomplished since you’ve been gone.”

  She gave a weak smile. “You haven’t seen the barracuda I’m up against.”

  “Since when do you let anyone intimidate you? That’s one of the things I admire most about you. You don’t let anyone stand in the way of what you want.” Aidan squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s not worry about all that tonight. Things are bound to look better after a good night’s sleep.”

  “You’re right, as usual.”

  “I’m going to take a quick shower and then sit with Mama for a while. You go and relax.”

  “Yes, sir.” She gave a mock salute, and once he left the kitchen, she turned to rinse out the sink one last time.

  The phone rang as she hung the towel on the stove to dry. Maxi looked at the clock and frowned. The only call she expected was from the real estate agent. It seemed a bit late for Myra to return her call, but then agents kept weird hours.

  “North residence.”

  “Maxi? It’s Jason.”

  She fumbled, nearly dropping the receiver. “Jason. Hi.” Her heart thumped at an uncomfortable rate.

  “How are things?”

  “OK, I guess.” How lame could she sound?

  “I was wondering if you could get away for a cup of coffee.”

  Maxi froze. Part of her wanted to jump in the family car and drive right over. The other part shied away, remembering the heartbreak that had been somewhat responsible for her leaving town in the first place.

  “I don’t know. Aidan’s in the shower, and I don’t want to leave Mama alone.” Pretty sad, using her mother as an excuse.

  “I understand. How’s she doing anyway?”

  She kept her voice low. “I think she’s still in shock. It hasn’t sunk in for any of us yet. And she’s worried about what’s going to happen to her now.” Like we all are.

  “I’d like to talk to you about all this. How about tomorrow?”

  He wasn’t giving up. “I’m meeting Lily tomorrow. She’s going to show me around the shelter. I haven’t seen it since they made all the renovations.”

  “You’ll be amazed at the transformation. It looks great, if I do say so myself.”

  “Lily told me you worked with Nick fixing it up.” Another fact that surprised her. Since when had Jason bothered with charities?

  “Nick was nice enough to give me a job when Tony’s garage burned down. Now I’m working on their living room.”

  A small stab of jealousy rocked her. How had Jason become so involved with her best friends? “Looks like I’ve missed a lot since I’ve been away.”

  “See, we really do need to catch up. As a matter of fact, I’ll be doing some landscaping around the grounds of the shelter tomorrow. Maybe we could meet afterward.”

  Maxi drew in a deep breath. There appeared to be no polite way to get out of seeing him. For the sake of their former relationship, she could at least give him this. “Sure. That’d be fine.”

  “Great. See you tomorrow then.”

  She could hear the relief in his voice. For whatever reason, Jason seemed eager to see her. She’d just have to steel herself against the attraction she’d always felt in his presence.

  Nothing but more heartache could come from allowing Jason back into her life.

  4

  The next day, Maxi followed Lily down the main staircase of Logan House to the impressive entranceway, finishing her tour of the new shelter. The mahogany railings shone as though just polished, as did the gleaming hardwood floors. She was amazed at the stillness in the big house. With two families living ther
e, she thought there’d be more noise.

  “You guys have done a fantastic job. I wouldn’t have recognized the place.”

  Lily smiled. “Nick and Jason worked hard to get it ready.”

  “How did Jason end up working for Nick?” Maxi didn’t mind letting Lily see her interest in Jason. After all, she’d cried all over Lily’s shoulder years ago when Jason had fallen so hard for Susie Marshall.

  Lily paused with her hand on the newel post. “He started as a volunteer at first, until the fire at Tony’s garage put him out of work. Nick felt bad for him and liked his work well enough to hire him.”

  Maxi frowned trying to remember if Peg had told her about Tony’s place being destroyed. She was more blown away by Jason volunteering for something. The Jason she remembered wouldn’t do anything unless there was something in it for him.

  “He’s changed a lot since you’ve been gone,” Lily said in a quiet voice, as though reading her mind. “You should talk to him.”

  “I will—later today.” Maxi ignored the nerves rolling in her stomach as she followed Lily to the kitchen. “Apparently he’s working on the property. I’m going to meet him after we’re done.”

  “Good, ’cause you guys need to resolve things between you.”

  Suspicion hummed through Maxi’s veins. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded, marching into the spacious room. A distinct citrus odor floated in the air.

  Lily went to the fridge and pulled out a large pitcher of lemonade. “I know you and Jason had some big blowup before you moved to New York. And you haven’t really talked since, have you?”

  Maxi sputtered as her temper took hold. “Who told you that?” She hadn’t discussed the fight with anyone. Not even Lily.

  Her friend shrugged. “No one. I guessed what happened from the way you guys were acting. Jason confirmed it yesterday.” She stretched to pull two glasses from the cupboard.

  Irritation rose in waves through Maxi’s body. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk to my former friend about me behind my back.” In some small corner of her brain, she knew she was overreacting, but she was powerless to stop the tide. She paced to the far side of the room, the words of her last encounter with Jason echoing in her head.

  “If you can’t be happy I’ve found someone I care about, you might as well…”

  “I might as well what, Hanley?”

  She remembered the uncontrollable anger, flashing like fire, fueled by his words.

  “You might as well leave and never come back.”

  The hurt had seared through her, cutting off her breath. Her whole body had shaken with the thought that Jason had chosen Susie over her. Did their friendship mean so little to him?

  “Don’t worry. That’s exactly what I intend to do,” she’d yelled back.

  Those had been their last words to each other before she’d slammed out the door. The next day, she’d left without even saying good-bye.

  The touch of Lily’s hand on her arm made her jump.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that I miss you, and I’m worried about you.”

  Maxi released a deep breath and let Lily’s apology soften the anger inside. “It’s not your fault. I don’t have the energy to deal with past baggage right now. I’ve got enough problems with the farm and my mother.”

  Lily pulled her into a tight embrace, the warmth of her large belly as comforting as her compassion. Maxi stepped away before tears could blossom, and Lily moved to the counter, poured lemonade into two tall glasses, and handed one to Maxi. “So tell me about this partnership.”

  Maxi took a sip of the tart liquid, grateful for the change in topic. “It’s exactly the type of thing I’ve dreamed about. Which is why I have to get back. I need to work on my portfolio and let Philippe know I’m serious about this promotion.”

  “What about your mom? Has she made a decision yet?”

  Maxi swirled the contents of her glass and frowned. “Mama says she’ll go into a home, but I don’t know if I can let her do that.”

  Lily patted her arm. “What a terrible position to be in. I guess Bernice wouldn’t move to New York with you.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  “No. She’s lived her whole life in this town. It wouldn’t be fair to make her leave her friends, her church, and everything she’s familiar with.”

  Lily nodded her agreement. “I’ll pray for you and your mom. I know God will help you find the right solution.”

  An uncomfortable sensation stiffened Maxi’s spine. As much as her own faith had lagged in recent years, she didn’t like to dampen anyone else’s. “Thanks.”

  Maxi’s cell phone rang. She read the name on the display and answered. “Hi, Jason.”

  “Hey. How’s your visit with Lily going?”

  She glanced over at her friend, who motioned for her to go on. “Just finishing up.”

  “Good. You still want to get together?”

  “I guess, if you have the time.” Could she sound any more unenthusiastic?

  “I’m almost finished here. Why don’t you meet me out back?”

  Lily waved madly, pointing to the pitcher of lemonade.

  Maxi rolled her eyes. “Lily wants to know if you’d like some lemonade.”

  His chuckle echoed through the phone. “I’d love some.”

  “Be out in a minute.”

  Lily was already pouring the drink into a tall plastic glass when Maxi disconnected. Dread pooled in her stomach, combining with the acid of the lemonade to make her somewhat queasy.

  Lily held out the glass. “Go talk to him. You’ll feel better. I promise.”

  Maxi sighed and headed out the back door, feeling like a prisoner about to face the firing squad.

  ****

  Jason wielded the clippers with extra force, trying to steady his nerves. He hoped it’d be easier to talk out in the open while he worked, instead of being stuck behind a table in some noisy coffee shop.

  His hands dampened at the sight of Maxi’s petite figure marching across the large expanse of lawn. From this distance, she looked the same as she had in high school. He smirked, remembering the feisty, rebellious teen she used to be. The way her hazel eyes glowed with a challenge the day she dared him to skip school and drive into Kingsville to the movies.

  They made quite a pair back then. She always knew how to get him to do anything she wanted.

  Almost anything.

  “You missed a spot, Hanley.”

  Jason’s mouth curved into a smile at the sound of her voice. He picked up another set of clippers and held them out. “Think you can do better?”

  She stared at him for a minute before she grinned in return, accepting the challenge, as he knew she would. “Sure can.” Despite the fact that he held two pairs of clippers, she traded him the tool for the glass.

  He looked at her blouse and dressy pants. A high contrast to his sweat-stained T-shirt and faded jeans. “Not worried about getting those fancy clothes dirty?”

  “Nope.”

  His heart lightened as they fell back into their familiar pattern of playful competition. “Thanks for the drink.” He drained his glass and set it down on top of his toolbox, ready to tackle the greenery again.

  For a while, they worked in companionable silence, while Jason tried to figure out how to start the conversation. He sneaked a sideways glance at her. She seemed oblivious to everything but the wayward branches. Why did talking to Maxi suddenly seem harder than battling a raging fire? Despite the lemonade, his tongue stuck to the roof of his dry mouth. He cleared his throat and took the plunge. “Must be tough being back on the farm.”

  Maxi looked at him. “It is. Having Aidan here helps though.” She clipped with more intensity.

  “I take it Cal didn’t stick around.”

  “Nope. Took off as soon as he could. I’m surprised he even came at all, knowing how he felt about Charlie.”

  Her expression became thunderous, and Jason feared for the hedge�
��s existence. He guessed her older brother hadn’t changed for the better in recent years. Best to change topics. “So how do you like the shelter?”

  She flashed a wide smile at him. “It’s beautiful. You and Nick did a great job.”

  “Thanks. Good training for my next big project.”

  “What big project?”

  He hesitated, reluctant to say it out loud, to make it real. “I want to work toward getting a fire station built in Rainbow Falls.” He glanced over to see her reaction.

  She stopped mid-clip. “You’re really serious about this firefighting stuff. What started all this?”

  He paused, taking time to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time actually. Since Drew died.”

  The blood drained from Maxi’s face at the mere mention of her brother’s death. Even now, eight years later, she still couldn’t talk about it.

  “I don’t know if having a station in town would’ve saved Drew,” he went on, “but it would sure help in a lot of other cases. Like when Tony’s place burned down.”

  She raised the clippers with shaking hands. “What happened to your bike? You still ride?”

  The complete change of subject threw him for a moment. “Not so much anymore.” He smiled then, remembering the two of them screaming through town on his second-hand Harley, much to the annoyance of the adult population—his mother included.

  “You still hang out with Marco?”

  His insides clenched. The thought of his ex-best friend’s betrayal still rankled. “Not anymore.” He shot her a furtive glance, praying she’d let the subject go.

  But Maxi’s eyebrows perked up like a set of antennae. “Why not? What happened?”

  Jason lowered his clippers. The fact she knew him so well irritated the crap out of him. He blew out a breath. “Marco swindled Tony out of some cash.”

  “That’s it?”

  “He also tried to steal my girlfriend.” The brief hope that Maxi would let it go evaporated at her horrified expression.