Rush

by Minard, Tori

  The doorbell rang.

  “Lily, can you get that?” I called. “I’m all tangled up in Christmas lights.”

  I heard my sister’s little footsteps thundering into the foyer and smiled. She never walked anywhere if she could run instead. A few seconds later, she came pounding into the living room.

  “There’s someone at the door for you,” she said breathlessly.

  “Who?”

  “Some guy named Mac.”

  My belly began fluttering wildly. “You mean Max?”

  “Mac, Max, whatever,” she said, and thundered out of the room.

  I disentangled myself from the lights and went to the door. He was leaning against the doorjamb, hands in his pockets, looking as nonchalant as usual, a lock of his thick black hair sliding into his eyes. Then he saw me and smiled and there was nothing nonchalant about that at all.

  “Hi,” I said, sounding more breathless than Lily. “I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “I couldn’t wait.” He took my hands and stood looking down at me.

  Awkwardness stole my words and made it impossible for me to meet his gaze. We’d spent such an intense time together, and then been parted for days. Seeing him again, especially here, was almost like having a dream figure come to life. I’d missed him so much, and now he was here I didn’t know what to say to him or how to behave.

  “Can I kiss you?” he murmured.

  I tilted my face up. “Yes.”

  He cupped my jaw in his warm palm and bent his head to mine. God, his kiss, so warm and wet and tasting so exactly like Max. It melted every bit of awkwardness. I put my arms around his shoulders and kissed him back with a little moan of excitement.

  “Ew,” said a ten year old voice behind us.

  Max released me slowly. I turned to see Lily watching us, her nose wrinkled up as tightly as it would go.

  “This is my sister, Lily,” I said. “Lily, this is my boyfriend, Max.”

  She just stared at him with her nose still wrinkled. “I thought Trent was your boyfriend.”

  “He was. I broke up with him.”

  “Oh. That’s okay. I didn’t like him anyway.” She spun on her heel and dashed out of the room.

  Max and I smiled at each other.

  “Have you had lunch?” I said. “We could go somewhere.”

  “That would be good. What were you doing before I got here?”

  “Putting up the Christmas tree. I was all tied up in the lights.”

  He leered at me. “Sounds like a kinky Christmas tree.”

  I slapped his arm and he laughed.

  “We don’t talk like that around here.”

  “Sorry.” His face went sober so quickly and in such an exaggerated way that I laughed, too.

  “Let me get my things,” I said.

  I turned to let my mom know where I was going. Max stayed at the door. I paused and looked over my shoulder at him. He seemed tense, his attitude of nonchalance gone, his hands tight at his sides.

  When I realized he wasn’t coming with me, I stopped and held out my hand. “Come in. Meet my mom.”

  “Are you sure you want that?” he said, looking doubtful.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I do.” I grabbed his hand and tugged. “Come on.”

  He let me pull him through the living room with its strong scent of fir tree and into the kitchen, where my mom was deep into a batch of sugar cookies. She looked up from her work at the island; her eyes opened wider as she noticed Max and her hands stilled on her rolling pin.

  “Mom, this is Max. We’re going out to lunch together.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Winters,” Max said in a completely conventional, respectful tone. Until then, I hadn’t known he could do conventional.

  “Yes, um, it’s good to meet you, too,” Mom said. “Caroline has told us all about you.”

  “Has she?” His dark eyes twinkled with amusement.

  “Yes. She—” Mom’s gaze slid to mine, then back to Max. “She said you were Trent’s stepbrother.”

  “Yes, that’s true,” Max said. He looked like he wanted to add something else, but wisely kept it to himself.

  “Where are you going?” Mom said.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “Probably Twenty-third Avenue or something like that. Maybe the Pearl District.” I wanted to show Max one of Portland’s funky shopping areas. I looked up at him. “Want Chinese food? There are some good places in our little Chinatown. Plus we can see the Chinese Garden.”

  “Sure. Sounds good,” he said easily.

  “Well, you kids have fun,” Mom said, eyeing him. “Drive carefully. You know how crazy Portland drivers are.”

  I’d always heard Portland driving was excessively polite for a mid-sized city, but what did I know?

  “I’m used to Seattle, Mrs. Winters, so I can probably handle Portland,” Max said.

  “Oh. Right. Well, like I said, have fun.”

  I could tell she wasn’t especially happy about Max showing up. A few months ago, that would have stopped me. I would have made some excuse to Max and called the whole thing off. Now, I was sorry my mom didn’t immediately like him, but I wasn’t going to let that interfere with our relationship.

  I linked my arm through his. “Let’s go.”

  “I don’t think your mom likes me,” he said as we got into his car.

  “She’ll get over it. She doesn’t even know you yet, and once she does, she’ll like you.”

  He gave me a doubtful look. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

  “Well, even if she doesn’t, it won’t make a difference to me.” I leaned across the gear shift and kissed him. “I like you.”

  His face slowly warmed into a smile. “I like you too.”

  For a moment, we just stared at each other, goofy smiles on our faces. Then Max straightened and turned the ignition.

  “We can take your car if it would make you more comfortable,” he said. “I don’t mind being the passenger.”

  “That’s very twenty-first century of you, but I’m fine with you driving.”

  Max pulled out of our driveway. “You know, that’s the first time I’ve met the parents. Or one of them, anyway.”

  I stared at him, startled. “You’ve never met any of your girlfriends’ parents?”

  “No. I never had a real girlfriend before. Not like you.” He sent me a smile and a sidelong glance. “You’re different.”

  “Wow.” I settled back against the seat and tried to collect my thoughts.

  What did it mean that I was the first girl who’d ever taken him to meet the parents?

  “I didn’t have any girls in high school,” he said.

  “Oh? Why not? You’re so hot; I’d think all the girls would be crawling over each other to get to you.”

  He snorted a disbelieving laugh. “Not exactly. Besides, Trent and his friends saw to it no girl would get close to me.”

  “What a jackass.” Why had I dated that guy?

  Max shrugged. “I got really good at dealing with bullies because of him.”

  “What about Brad and Marie? Didn’t you take any girls home to them? Or go to the girls’ homes?”

  “I never really dated in the usual sense,” he said. “And the one girl I was with for more than a couple of weeks was someone they already knew.”

  “What about her family?”

  “They live back east.” He slanted another glance at me. “I really don’t want to talk about them, anyway. They’re in the past. You’re here with me now.”

  He picked up my hand and lifted it to his lips. The sweetness of the gesture made my heart clench. When I’d met him, all I’d seen was the rebel. A hot rebel, sure, but still all bad-boy attitude. That was a part of him and probably always would be, but now I could see a gentle, sweet side that I loved.

  Loved?

  That word stopped me cold. I stared out the window at the rain, our hands still clasped, and wondered if I’d fallen in love with him.
For a while, I’d thought I was in love with Trent, yet the way I’d felt about him was like the flame on a birthday candle compared to the bonfire that was my feeling for Max.

  How would he react if I said I loved him? It was probably too soon. I didn’t want to scare him away or make him think I expected anything from him. Like a ring, for example.

  “What are you thinking about?” he said.

  “Nothing. Just letting my mind wander.”

  Chapter 21

  Max

  Caroline dragged me home for dinner. I was pussy enough that I really didn’t want to go—not because I didn’t want to spend more time with her, but because I could tell her mom was none too enthused about me. I couldn’t run away from this encounter for long, though; not if I wanted to be part of Caroline’s life. I’d taken off when I was sixteen. Since then, I’d learned that life isn’t about running away; it’s about facing your fears and pushing past them. That’s the only way we grow.

  So I manned up and went anyway, to make Caro happy. And because the thought of leaving her to drive back down to Avery’s Crossing caused me physical pain. I wanted to put it off as long as possible.

  We hadn’t found any time to be alone, except in the car, so we hadn’t done anything but kiss. As I pulled into her parents’ driveway, the force of my craving for her struck me hard. It wasn’t so much arousal as it was a bone-deep need.

  I put the car in park and looked at her. “I don’t know if I can wait until winter term starts.”

  She gazed at me with longing. “I know what you mean.”

  “You need to drive down to see me.”

  “I’ll do that. In the mean time, I’ll try to think of a way to get some privacy.”

  I leaned across to kiss her. “You taste so good,” I whispered.

  “Don’t get too excited. I think my dad’s watching.”

  Reluctantly I pulled back. “I’m getting too desperate to care.”

  She gave me a naughty smile that turned me on as much as anything we’d done that day. “Maybe if you’re very good, I’ll reward you later.”

  “Promises, promises.”

  Giggling, she opened her door. “Let’s go and get this over with.”

  Her dad was in fact standing on their front stoop, watching us. I got out and advanced on him, extending my hand.

  “Mr. Winters, I’m Max Kincaid.”

  He held my gaze for an instant before taking my hand. “Good to meet you, Max,” he said in a tone that suggested he was reserving judgment on how good it really was.

  Caroline slipped her arm through mine. “Is dinner ready or do you and Mom need some help?”

  “It’s already on the table.” He looked at me like it was my fault we’d gotten here late.

  I gave him my blandest smile, the one I used when I wanted to finesse some authority figure. His hawk-like gaze didn’t soften one iota. Yep, this was going to be an enjoyable dinner.

  As I’d noticed before when I’d picked her up, their house was surprisingly shabby. I’d expected Caroline to live in some Lake Oswego McMansion, kind of like the one my dad had built for my stepmom, except maybe not made of logs. Instead, they had a modest—very modest—seventies ranch that looked like it might have all the original stuff. There was even a vintage vinyl floor in the kitchen, in a pseudo-Spanish olive green and russet color scheme. I kind of liked it.

  Their dining room table was crammed into a small dining nook off the kitchen. A cheap, brass chandelier hung above it. The room smelled like Italian food—not surprising, with the huge blue and white bowl of spaghetti and meat sauce in the middle of the table. Mrs. Winters smiled politely at me.

  “Hi, Max. I thought you might join us.”

  “Thank you for having me.” Contrary to the opinion of many, I did have manners and could haul them out when they were needed.

  Caroline took a seat in the middle of the table and pulled out a chair. “Sit by me.”

  I sat down as Lily and a blond boy of the same age galloped into the room and skidded to a full stop across from us. Both of them stared at me.

  “Are you Caroline’s new boyfriend?” the boy said.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Caroline turn red and start playing nervously with her silverware. Was she ashamed of me?

  My chin rose as I extended my hand across the table to the kid. “Yeah, I am. My name’s Max.”

  He took my hand with round eyes. “I’m Landon. I’m her brother.”

  “It’s good to meet you, Landon.”

  “You look really different from Trent.”

  “Landon,” Caroline admonished in a stage whisper.

  “Well, he does.”

  I smiled at him, hoping I looked reassuring. “That’s because I am different.”

  Lily had taken the time I’d talked to Landon to seat herself and place three tiny fairy dolls next to her plate. She looked up from her play. “I like him better than Trent.”

  Landon grimaced. “You don’t even know him.”

  “So?”

  “Lily, Landon, hush up and leave Max alone,” Mrs. Winters said. “You’re making him uncomfortable.”

  The kids subsided. I winked at them and Lily started giggling. They weren’t really bothering me at all. It was Mr. Winters’ icy glare that was making me think accepting Caroline’s dinner invitation had been a bad idea. He was certainly living up to his surname.

  We ate in silence for a few minutes before Winters cleared his throat. “So, Max, what are you planning to do when you graduate?”

  I looked at him with another bland smile. “I’m going to put all my time into my business.”

  His brown eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “Business? And what business is that?” I think he suspected I was a drug trafficker or something along those lines.

  “I’m a graphic designer. I have my own company.”

  The brows rose another centimeter. “You have your own business.”

  “Yes. Graphic design.”

  “And what’s the name of this business?” he said, sounding as if he thought I was bullshitting him.

  “Kincaid Design Group.”

  “Group? Do you have others working with you?”

  I flushed. “No. I thought it would make the business sound more prosperous if I named it something like that instead of going with Max Kincaid Designs.”

  “I see.”

  His dry tone made me bristle. I fought down my resentment; getting angry with Caroline’s father wouldn’t do anyone any good.

  “He’s really talented, Dad,” she said.

  “Is he? Well, that’s good to hear. So what’s your major? Art?”

  “No. Business.”

  I hadn’t thought his brows could get any higher, but they did.

  “You’re a business major?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  He put a bite of spaghetti in his mouth. His chewing gave me a reprieve. I glanced surreptitiously at Caroline, who didn’t seem nervous at all. She smiled at me and touched my wrist under the table. Across from us, Lily and Landon were giggling and poking each other, apparently oblivious to the tension in the room.

  “Trent tells me you’re an occultist,” Mr. Winters said.

  Great. Here we go.

  I cleared my throat. “That’s true.”

  “Do you conjure demons?” he said, his tone faintly mocking.

  “That would be stupid, so no.”

  “Stupid? How’s that?” He eyed me with his fork halfway to his mouth.

  “Well, if by demons you mean evil spirits, it doesn’t seem very wise to call up something that wants to eat me for lunch. Sir.”

  “But you believe these demons exist.”

  If I said yes, he’d use it against me and if I said no, well, he’d use that against me too. I went for honesty.

  “Yes, I do. I’ve experienced them.”

  He stared unwaveringly at me. “Caroline has an aunt who believes in that crap. She’s an alcoholic junkie who lives under a b
ridge somewhere.”

  “Yeah, Caroline told me all about Jo.”

  I flicked another glance at her. She was staring at her plate, her face red, her fork frozen in the act of twirling spaghetti.

  “I don’t know if I like the idea of my daughter dating someone who does magic.”

  I could hear the implied quotation marks around the word magic.

  “Dad!” Caroline gasped. “Don’t be like that.”

  “I understand,” I said. “It’s not something you’re used to dealing with.”

  “You one of these wackos we read about on Halloween, the ones who believe in some goddess or other and dance naked around bonfires?”

  I smiled, and this time it wasn’t so bland. “That depends on which goddess you’re talking about. There are so many.”

  “You’re kind of a smartass, aren’t you? Answer the question.”

  “Bob, please,” Mrs. Winters said.

  I put down my fork and gave Caroline’s dad my full attention. “I believe a wide variety of spirit beings exists. My religious beliefs are private. I think everyone has to decide for him or herself what to believe and I have no interest in converting other people to my ways. Does that answer your question?”

  Caroline looked like she wanted to cry. I wasn’t sure if she was more upset with me or her dad. I reached over beneath the table and took her hand. She gave me a squeeze and I relaxed a degree. It seemed she wasn’t angry with me for standing up to her old man.

  Mr. Winters gave me a grudging nod. “I can respect that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Understand, I’m only trying to protect my daughter.”

  “I want to protect her, too,” I said.

  “He saved me, Dad,” she said. “Some guys were harassing me and there was no-one else around. I was really scared. Max showed up and made them run off. If he hadn’t come along, I don’t know what would have happened.”

  “What do you mean, he made them run off? How’d you do it?” The last was directed at me.

  I shrugged. “Just a trick of posture and voice projection to make myself seem more dangerous than I really am.” Also energy manipulation, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t get it and would think his impression of me as a nutcase had been confirmed.