Louise Reynolds was dead. She couldn’t hurt him or anyone else ever again. He’d even met with the family of her latest victim with every intention to apologize. However, the little boy’s mother, who was actually a few years younger than Drew, demonstrated great empathy for him as a parent.
In fact, she admired Drew’s courage in coming forward, and she appreciated his concern for her own child. She didn’t fault him, she told him again and again. He, too, was a victim. Hearing those words from her changed Drew’s entire mindset. She simply repeated back to him everything that Maxine had been telling him all along. Now, he had to believe. Bit by bit, he could release those demons once and for all.
While he suffered greatly at Louise’s hands, Drew still had a full life to live with love brimming in his heart. He’d even made a pact with himself to search for his baby brother again in the New Year. Perhaps this time, Maxine would bring him some luck.
“You know, little one,” Drew began as they neared their exit, according to the GPS, “you’re not the only legend who hails from this region. Gene Kelly was born in these parts.”
Gene Kelly. Drew’s idol. They’d been dating all of two-and-a-half months, and they’d already watched Singin’ in the Rain, On the Town, An American in Paris—even that epic fail known as Xanadu.
“When we have more time, we’ll have to venture into the big city and see Kelly Square,” Maxine told him. “I’ll take your picture with his statue for your Facebook page…”
Now, he was chuckling. “That will be my cover photo.”
One town led into the next, sometimes with just a fence separating the border in between. While good neighborhoods still existed, distance had grown between safety and the threat of danger.
The death of local industries struck that entire corner of the state and brought with it an impoverished economy that never thrived with modest attempts to recover the past. As the steel mills and coal mines throughout the Pittsburgh area closed, families struggled to make ends meet. Millionaires died as paupers, leaving behind a ghost town of the wealth that once exuded from every elegant corner.
The decaying reminders of better times over a century earlier served as a sad glimpse of what could have been. Ramshackle Victorians, abandoned mansions, and aging buildings that once housed thriving companies on the now desolate main street of the town stood as symbols of opulence the area might never see again.
Tom often noted that there was just not enough wealth in the area to gentrify. His heart broke in seeing the continued deterioration in those glorious old homes. If he won the lottery, he often thought, he’d start the restoration.
Somehow, though, Tom made a comfortable living in his willingness to commute—sometimes seven days a week with road trips two and three hours away from their home. He afforded Maxine and Judy a secure existence. The Kirks were by no means wealthy, but he made sure to it that they enjoyed their lives together.
As fraught with worry as she was before her father’s visit to New York, Maxine absorbed the calm that settled over her now as they headed down the familiar road that would take her home again. Tom and Judy’s house sat on nearly ten acres that spanned into a thicket of trees where Maxine used to play so gleefully with her dad when she was a child. Tom had even built his little girl a treehouse in that mini-forest for her fifth birthday.
Surrounded by the traditional white picket fence, the house, which was constructed in the early 1900s, still maintained its charm, thanks to Tom’s talents. Over the years, he'd invested time and hard work to preserve the hardwood floors, moldings and landscaping, bringing the original character of the old house he'd bought with Judy shortly after Maxine’s second birthday back to life.
Although it was rather chilly, Tom waited for his baby girl’s arrival, rocking away with his newspaper and a cup of coffee on the swing that hung at the far end of the front porch. Maxine remembered when he built that old thing. On hot summer nights, she’d prop herself between her mom and dad and just read a book while Tom snoozed and Judy leafed through Vogue. She missed those days…
Before Drew even managed to put the car in park, Maxine opened the door, jumped out and scurried up the front steps and into her dad’s open arms. Every time he saw her now, Tom noticed changes in Maxine. She wasn’t his little girl anymore. She’d grown up into a strong, independent young lady. Although his job as her father would never end, he hoped he’d taught her everything she needed not just to succeed but to make the world a little brighter.
Meanwhile, as Drew collected their baggage from the trunk of the car, he sighed with relief. It was only half-past noon, and they had plenty of time to prepare a proper Thanksgiving meal. Just three hours ago, they were still in New York.
“I missed you more in these last few weeks than ever, Daddy!” Maxine said as she bussed her dad on each cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving!”
“And I missed you less,” Tom said with a wink. “I’ve calmed down about your moving since I met Drew—and since he had that damn window fixed in your apartment. Happy Thanksgiving, baby girl…”
In actuality, Maxine hadn’t spent many nights at home since everything with Louise unraveled. While he was much stronger the last few days, the thought of Drew sleeping in that huge penthouse all alone with so much still on his mind burdened her. Ben had been spending a lot of time with Jeffrey these days, too, so she didn’t feel too guilty for her sleepovers on the other side of town.
Almost timidly, Drew crept up the steps with a suitcase in each hand, then smiled a toothy but crooked grin.
“Happy Turkey Day to my favorite of my daughter’s boyfriends…” Tom teased him. “How ya doing, pal? Hey, nice job on the parade this morning. Who knew you could sing?”
“Happy Thanksgiving, Tom,” Expecting a bromantic hug, Drew was a little thrown off his game by Tom’s slug to his arm. “We’ve already got you a front row seat for Christmas…”
“Front row seat at the theater?” Tom raised an eyebrow. “Your mom would have been so jealous, Maxie…”
“Come on, you two, let’s get inside!” Maxine said as she rubbed her hands together. “It’s a bit chilly out here…and I want to see my new kittens!”
It was no secret that since the Kirks’ beloved Dolly had lived the last of her nine lives, both Maxine and Tom were anxious to adopt some new feline blood into the family. In fact, Maxine had even been making noises to Drew and Ben about stopping by one of the local shelters in Manhattan to “play with the kitties.” They both knew she’d never walk out of there empty-handed.
However, Tom actually beat her to the punch and brought home a pair of Persian-Tortoiseshell kittens just a few days after he returned from New York. As she continued on into the living room, the scene upon her grandmother’s old rocking chair, where the brother and sister duo slept, consumed her full attention.
“Kittens!” she whispered.
Tom just looked at Drew with a dry smile and shrugged his shoulders.
“Want…” Maxine pointed across the room with a not so subtle hint to Drew.
Oh, that pout and those puckered lips! He almost couldn’t withstand his own unfaltering ability to tell her no. This was nearly as rough as denying her kisses. “Duly noted, little one.”
What she didn’t realize is that he did have plans for starting their own feline family. They just had to make it past New Year’s to free up the time they needed to properly care for them. Drew did absolutely nothing half-assed, and pets were a serious commitment.
“So, are you ready to stuff that big old bird this afternoon, Drew?” Tom asked.
Oh, that fucking turkey. They were going to eat at midnight at the rate they were now moving, with Maxine now down on her hands and knees to snuggle up to the cats.
With his stomach reeling at the mere thought, Drew wasn’t quite prepared for a conversation on dead, skinned poultry. “You…you put gloves on…when you stuff it…right?”
“You should,” Maxine said as she nuzzled those two babies from their slumb
er. “But as long as you wash your hands really well, you don’t have to…oh, kitty kisses…”
“And don’t worry, Drew, that cranberry salad recipe your mother sent over is already made and in the fridge,” Tom said.
It was known to both the Kirks and the McKenzies that Drew had been lamenting that for the first time in years, he wouldn’t have his favorite holiday dish for Thanksgiving. However, Tom took it upon himself to make sure that Drew had all the comforts of home that day.
“You chopped up everything?” Maxine whipped her head around. “I thought you said it was too much work?”
While he might have been travel-weary, Drew still didn’t miss a trick…or the curious blush on Tom’s face.
“Oh…it wasn’t so bad, Maxie…” Tom brushed them both off and turned away slyly.
“Why don’t we unpack so that we can get started with dinner?” Maxine suggested. “We’re already looking at seven o’clock!”
“Oh, it’s not like we have anywhere to go tomorrow,” Tom said. “Except for you and me, buddy. We gotta head to the woods and chop down Sassy Maxie’s Christmas tree at some point.”
Blue eyes bulging, Drew sputtered, “I have to…stuff the bird…and chop down a Christmas tree?”
With a sardonic smile, Tom patted Drew on the back in a show of assurance. “You’re gonna do just great, Drew.”
Through the small living room, filled with antiques that both Judy and Tom had picked up at estate sales over the years, Maxine led the two men in her life to the staircase with its intricate hand-carved railing that Tom had designed and installed himself. It was those little touches that Maxine loved most about her childhood home.
Down the short hallway to Maxine's old bedroom, there were framed school photos from kindergarten onward to her senior year. Drew absorbed each and every one as if he were strolling through an expensive art gallery. Little Maxine with pigtails. Older Maxine with a fuzzy perm that went awry. Teenage Maxine with her braces on and off. Drew couldn't get enough of this little glimpse into her past.
Dropping the bags at Maxine's closed door, Tom said, “Okay, you guys do what you need to do, and then we'll work on dinner.” Then he turned to Drew to tease. “Get ready, city boy. We’re counting on you…”
“I…am looking forward to assisting with dinner, Tom.” Drew dared to slug her dad in the arm playfully.
“See you two downstairs in a bit...”
Maxine's room, with its lavender and sage green accents and white wicker furniture looked so childish to her now. Rather than rock stars or current A-list celebrities, movie posters of her favorite old flicks, from Casablanca to Sabrina, covered the walls. Two tall bookshelves that Tom built himself flanked her bed and were overflowing with her favorite books from childhood that she never had the heart to throw away. She couldn’t help but to ponder what Drew might be thinking. However, his mind had already traversed in a different direction than she expected.
“So where am I staying?” Drew wondered out loud.
“Um...I don't think Daddy would be too surprised if you stayed in here with me...” Maxine pointed out.
Drew scowled and wondered if that were true. “In that little bed,” he asked. “Oh, little one, this is going to be a long weekend...”
“Why?” she challenged him.
“I am not going to make love to you in your father's home,” he whispered, convinced that Tom probably heard every hushed syllable all the way downstairs in an opposite corner of the house. Drew felt like they were two teenagers sneaking up to her room for a feel. “And you know what happens to me when I wake up next to you, Maxine...”
“Remind me to show you my treehouse later, Mack,” she winked.
“Treehouse?” his eyes grew wide. “Oh, little one, I think our holiday in the countryside just got really interesting here...”
“So...” Maxine said, taking his hands and swinging them back and forth. “Ready to stuff that bird?”
“As soon as I change into my sweats,” Drew said. “I think I’m going to need to be comfortable.”
# # #
“I’m so glad you’re here, Maxine,” Tom said and couldn’t resist giving her another hug.
“Drew’s idea. We’re planning to switch off with the major holidays between the Kirks and the McKenzies—unless we can get everyone together, of course,” Maxine was quick to point out. “He knows how much I miss you…and he misses you, too…even though he talks to you all the time…”
Tossing his head back, Tom just chuckled. “Gotta keep tabs on that Princess of mine here…” he said. “Have a beer with me, Maxie?”
“I would love to, Pops.”
Lucy and Linus, those two new additions to the Kirk family, were already investigating Maxine’s handbag that she’d left by the door. Following Tom’s lead into the kitchen, Maxine looked around and smiled. She noticed he’d hung one of Judy’s old paintings in the dining room. Through her art, both father and daughter were able to remember her, if not connect with her again.
“So how’s Drew doing?” Tom lowered his voice as he popped the cap off a bottle of Rolling Rock, a local brew, and passed it to Maxine.
In his break with the past, Drew felt that he should be honest with Tom, and he revealed all about Louise in a tearful phone conversation. Tom stayed on the phone with him for nearly two hours that night as Drew struggled with every word. The father in him emerged. Drew was no longer this enemy out to steal his daughter away. He was a member of their family, needing to reach out in his darkest moment—not in search of pity, but in building his own strength through his honesty. While his heart ached for the pain Drew suffered, Tom’s admiration of him soared to new heights.
“Well, truthfully,” Maxine began as she hopped up on the counter to sit, just like she always did when she still lived at home and they’d have their heart-to-heart talks, “he’s doing better, but he’s not out of the woods yet. I was so proud of him when he told you. That took such courage—and I had nothing to do with the decision.”
“You partner well together,” Tom observed. “You seem to have this sixth sense with each other.”
“Daddy, can I tell you something?”
“Anything. Always.”
“I’m still concerned about him,” she confided. “He’s doing everything right…but I can’t help but to second-guess—to wonder when the next shoe is going to drop. I’m afraid for him. I only want him to be happy—outrageously happy.”
Ruffling his fingers over the top of her head just to muss her hair, he said, “That’s what being in love is all about, Maxine…” Although he remained a bit uncomfortable discussing matters of his baby girl’s heart, Tom was overjoyed that in her mother’s absence, he could step into Judy’s shoes and offer Maxine some advice. “I can tell you that he worries just as much about you. Things aren’t always going to be easy, but you know now that you’re ready for those bumps in the road.”
“Daddy, I love him,” she admitted, then held her breath as she waited for her father’s reaction.
“I know you do,” he said with a smile. “And I just want you to know—I approve of him.”
Stretching out her neck, she placed a kiss on his cheek. “I’m so happy…so relieved!”
“Just…Maxie?” Tom said. “Don’t tell him that I said that yet. Make him work for it for a while.”
“Know who else I love?” she asked. “You!”
“Listen…while it’s just you and me here…”
Leaning forward, Maxine suddenly felt a little dizzy, and her face drained of color. Immediately, her imagination ran wild. “What’s wrong?”
However, Tom’s grin told her that everything was just fine. “Good stuff, Maxie,” he said and took her hand in a reassuring squeeze.
“Don’t scare me like that, pops…”
“Sorry, Princess,” he said. “But life’s turning around here…and I blame those two kittens.”
“Lucy and Linus?” Now, Maxine was just perplexed. It wasn’t lik
e Tom to mince words, but he was dancing around something here of which she was impatient to get to the bottom.
“Yeah, those two little critters…” Tom said. “I think they’re my good luck charms.”
“How so?”
“Well, the day I took the cats to the vet—for their shots—I decided to try to a new lady vet in town,” Tom said. “Old Doc Rucker was just getting too old anymore. Sometimes I’d wonder if he could still see when we took Dolly in. But he’s not the only guy in town now. There’s a whole new office down on Main Street—right next to that expensive bakery they opened last year. The one with the three-dollar cups of coffee…”
“Okay, just spit it out here, Daddy!” Maxine finally said. “Tell me!”
Tom turned thoughtfully and minded his daughter with hesitation. “Alright here, Maxie…” he began. “I…I met someone…someone named Vicki…”
Maxine had to think about his words twice before processing, and a slow knowing smile began to curve on her lips. “Vicki?”
Not long after he returned from New York, Maxine had suspected something was happening in her father’s life. He seemed a bit giggly on the phone, and he had far more to say than ever—and not just about the cats. Even their exchange on relationships just now was quite outside Tom’s norm.
“Dr. Victoria Warren, DVM.”
For just one moment, Maxine allowed herself to wonder about her father’s revelation. She’d been thinking for a while now that it would be nice if her father had someone with whom he could enjoy his life now that the nest was completely empty. Her mother certainly wouldn’t have expected him to remain the single grieving widower for the rest of his life; Judy wanted nothing but happiness for the two people whom she loved the most. Perhaps Tom found some inspiration—even some courage—in the fact that Maxine had found a love of her own.
What she hadn’t considered until reality caught up with her, though, was seeing her father show affection for someone other than her mother. She had to leap past that thought and be brave. Tom deserved to share his life and his heart again, and Maxine would support him entirely…as long as this Vicki treated her father with the same level of love and respect as Judy had.
WRAPPED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Two Page 41