by Sam Ayers
“Sure! Why not?” Maxine smiled, getting out of the car.
Once they reached the beach, Maxine removed her stilettoes and carried them. Connor shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and followed her.
“So, how do you know my brother?” he asked rather curiously.
“Carter was the lawyer who helped my dad get back his ancestral property when he went bankrupt. I was a senior in high school when it happened. We were going through a really hard time; not even Dad’s friend helped us out, even though he was a lawyer,” Maxine said with a sad smile.
“Why not? You said he was your father’s friend.” Connor frowned lightly.
“Connor, we couldn’t afford a lawyer. We barely had any money left. But that friend asked a young lawyer to help us out and that was your brother.”
“You mean Carter took the case knowing he wouldn’t be paid?” Connor asked in surprise.
“He did, and he won! That really helped us, and Dad’s business took off after that. Dad offered to pay once his business was stable, but Carter didn’t accept the money. He said he just wanted to help.” Maxine smiled. “He’s a great guy!”
“You like him,” Connor pointed out with a smirk.
Maxine blushed. “Oh no! Is it that obvious?”
Connor shrugged and laughed. “Maybe!”
“You see, during college I used to do a part-time job at a coffee shop and it was right in front of the law firm where Carter worked. And every morning, he would come to get his regular coffee. Of course, he never recognized me. But he always said hi or sometimes asked me how I was doing. Well, that made my day!”
Maxine wrapped her arms around herself and for the first time that evening, Connor noticed that she didn’t have a jacket. He quickly removed his coat and covered her shoulders with it.
“Thank you, Connor.” Maxine smiled.
“Isn’t it odd to be planning the wedding of the guy you like?” Connor asked, taking a seat, patting the ground, silently asking Maxine to join him.
She sat next to him and replied, “I didn’t know he was the groom when I said yes. I didn’t even see the groom for a whole month. All I knew was that the bride, Harley, was the daughter of Carter’s boss. But it was quite surprising to know he was marrying his boss’s daughter. And the minute I saw them together, I knew I didn’t stand a chance.”
“Why not?”
“Can’t you see the way they look at each other?”
Connor rolled his eyes and groaned. “Carter is a stupid love-struck puppy!”
Maxine giggled. “It’s better to move on, Connor. If you love someone, you should see where their happiness lies. Carter’s happiness lies with Harley, so I let it go.”
“It’s not that easy! It hurts.” Connor sighed.
“You like someone who you can’t be with?”
Connor gave her a sad smile. “That someone just happens to be my brother’s fiancée.”
“What? Harley?” Maxine asked in surprise.
“Yeah! I didn’t think before falling for her. And now I’m really lost.”
Maxine looked at Connor and let out a sigh. They were in the same boat – loving people who didn’t love them back. And all they could do was let them go.
Connor stood up and held his hand out for her. Maxine smiled and took it. This time he was smart enough to open the Maps app on his phone and dropped her off at her home safely. He then went back to Liam’s place to pick Padfoot up.
Connor rang the doorbell and waited for his friend to open the door. The minute it was opened, Padfoot jumped on him and licked his face.
“Oh, Pads! Daddy missed you too, buddy,” Connor cooed. Padfoot woofed and snuggled in his arms.
“And I missed you too, Con-Con.” Liam grinned and pulled him up.
Connor rolled his eyes. “Hey! How was it? Babysitting Padfoot?”
“Brilliant! He’s a good boy!” Liam said, rubbing Padfoot’s head. “So, how was dinner?”
“You won’t believe what happened,” Connor said quietly.
“Try me!”
And the next half an hour went by as Connor told Liam all about dinner and his hearty chat with Maxine. Later, the boys sat in the living room as Padfoot slept on Connor’s lap.
“So, her answer is still a big no?” Liam asked Connor.
“Yeah! She wants to get married. To Creature.”
“Con, don’t you think this is the right time to let go? I mean, tomorrow’s the rehearsal. She’s getting married in four days. Not four months or even four weeks. Days, Con!” Liam said. “Dude! Maybe she likes him.”
“I don’t even know what’s going on anymore, Lee,” Connor said honestly. “And maybe you are right. It is time to let go.”
Liam nodded without a word. He just couldn’t stand to see Connor hurt.
“Listen, I’m gonna put Padfoot to bed. Be right back,” Connor said and carefully picked Padfoot up, trying not to wake him. He was crashing at Liam’s place, so he went to the guest bedroom and laid Padfoot on the bed gently.
“Why is he so tired?” Connor asked, walking out and joining his friend in the living room. Liam handed over a can of diet coke and shrugged.
“My sister was visiting with her kids, and Padfoot loved them! They were playing for a long time.”
“How’s Gwen?” Connor asked, sipping his drink.
“Good. Always busy with her kids.” Liam sighed. “So, the wedding rehearsal, you have a speech ready yet?”
Connor looked at his friend in confusion. “A speech? What the heck, man! No one asked me to give a speech!”
“Dude, the best man has to give a speech!” Liam rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, I know that, but why should I give a speech? I’m not the best man!”
“Oh!” Liam managed to say.
“Yeah! Not the best man,” Connor said and looked away. Carter didn’t even want him at the wedding, and now Harley’s rejection just rubbed the salt in the wound.
Best man, ha!
The next morning, a small nudge on his face woke Connor up, and he opened his eyes to see Padfoot pawing his nose. The puppy woofed and nudged him again.
“Pads?” Connor asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes and sat up. “You hungry?”
Another bark confirmed that Padfoot was indeed hungry, and he wanted his daddy to wake up soon.
“Got it!” Connor grinned sleepily and got out of the bed. Padfoot jumped and followed him outside.
“Morning, sunshine.” Liam smirked when he saw Connor walk into the kitchen with Padfoot.
“Morning, sucker!” Connor grinned and looked around. “Do you have any milk?”
“Yeah!” Liam called as he raided the fridge and pulled out the carton. He took a bowl and poured the milk into it for Padfoot, he heated it a little before giving it to the eager puppy waiting next to him. Padfoot happily drank the milk and eagerly listened to what his daddy had to say.
“So . . . today’s the big day!” Liam teased Connor and earned a mock-punch in return.
“It’s not the wedding! Not the big day!” Connor pouted and looked at Padfoot, who had now finished drinking the milk and was trying to climb up to his lap.
Connor picked him up and made him sit next to him. “Want some toast, Pads?” He asked the pup, patting his head warmly.
“He eats toast too?” Liam asked in mock-horror. “Is there anything on this planet that Padfoot doesn’t eat?”
“Yeah, chocolate!”
Connor and Liam ended up laughing, and Padfoot looked at them curiously and finally he let his tongue hang out as if he were laughing too. Connor rubbed his head fondly.
After breakfast, Connor decided he should head home, and Liam offered to give him a ride as he had taken Liam’s car for the dinner last night. And Liam didn’t want his best friend getting lost again.
“What time will you arrive for the rehearsal?” Connor asked him.
“I don’t know. I’ll be there with my folks, and Lillian is coming too.” Liam shru
gged. “So . . . maybe around 6?”
“I think I need to be there early. Don’t know why, but Mom asked me to leave after lunch, pronto!”
“Umm . . . Con, you do get lost pretty easily. I think they don’t want to risk it today,” Liam pointed out. Connor pouted.
“Not my fault! The roads don’t make sense!”
“GPS! Ever heard of it?” Liam rolled his eyes.
“There’s no way I’m letting a machine direct me! That’s so uncool!” Connor said calmly.
“Are you serious? I think there’s something seriously wrong with you, bud!”
“Ha-ha! Very funny!” Connor grinned. “Look, thanks for letting me crash here. I think I need to go home now. Thanks for everything, bro!”
Liam gave Connor a high-five and said, “Anytime, buddy! And listen, I’ll give you a ride back home.”
“No, that’s okay,” Connor protested. “I’ll catch a cab.”
“I’m going to see Lily, and she’s at Harley’s place, so . . .”
“Right!” Connor grinned. “Killing two birds with one stone.”
“Right you are! Let’s go then.” Liam smirked as he grabbed his coat. Connor picked up Padfoot’s toys and whistled to the pup, who followed him eagerly. They got into the car and took off.
“So, do you think you stand any chance with Maxine?” Liam asked suddenly.
“Wha . . . what? Maxine? NO!” Connor looked at his friend in horror. “Dude! I just told you that girl likes my brother. That’s just not right!”
“Oh! So, that’s immoral now?” Liam raised his eyebrow in surprise. “You do realize you are in love with your brother’s fiancée and that just happens to be fine?”
Connor sighed heavily. “Look, that’s a different thing. I know she likes me too, but she isn’t ready to leave Carter for me.”
“Bro, you are my best friend, and I’ve always wanted the best for you. When a girl keeps rejecting you, that’s your cue to leave. It’s that simple.”
“Damn! I shouldn’t have come here!” Connor frowned. “Life is such a mess now.”
“And it’s in your hands to fix it. Let her go. Move on. You deserve better,” Liam said. “Trust me!”
Connor just nodded without a word. He wasn’t ready to talk about Harley with anyone. Especially with her.
By the time they reached home, Connor thanked Liam for the ride and helped Padfoot out of the car. Waving to Liam, he went in to see his cousins sitting in the living room, laughing about something.
“Hey, Connor!” Uncle Brandon greeted with a smile. “Where have you been?”
“Oh, just crashing at Liam’s.” Connor smiled and plopped down on the couch next to Zoe, who was cooing and patting Padfoot.
“So, Con, you ready for tonight?” Ethan asked wriggling his eyebrows in a funny manner. Connor answered his question by throwing a cushion at his face. Ethan pushed it away and grinned. Brandon couldn’t help but notice the change in his nephew’s behavior lately. Connor had always been a cheerful kid; even during his toughest time, he put a big smile on his face and faced the world. But now he was different. Sighing all the time. You just couldn’t miss his gloomy expression. And Brandon was really worried about him.
“Hey, Slugger! You’re home, finally!” Mr. Taylor said as he walked towards his son. Sitting next to him, he saw a tired smile on Connor’s face. “We were scared that you’d run away.”
“I don’t think I’m that strong anymore,” Connor muttered.
Mr. Taylor looked at Brandon, who just shrugged and shook his head.
“Connor, I want to talk to you for a minute, alone,” Mr. Taylor said as he stood up.
“Okay,” Connor said, following his dad. They went into his study, and he asked Connor to take a seat. Connor plopped on a chair and looked at his father, waiting for him to start.
“Is everything alright, son? You seem to be a bit off lately.”
“Everything’s okay! It’s all cool,” Connor lied with a grin.
“Sorry, Slugger. I can’t believe that. Is it Carter? Did he say something? Did he bring up anything about that night?”
“Dad, it’s over and done! I was literally begging you guys to believe me that night. I didn’t steal or hide those papers. Do I strike you as a guy who would try to ruin his brother’s career?”
“Of course not! I’m sorry I didn’t believe you that day. But Carter sounded so convinced that you had something to do with the disappearance of those papers. It was his biggest case, Connor. It would have ruined him! Destroyed his career completely, and I had to believe him!”
“And did your son ever tell you that he found those papers at work?” Mrs. Taylor’s voice came from the doorway. She walked in with her hands folded tightly across her chest.
“What do you mean, Mae?”
“Miles, after Connor left and when Carter had calmed down, I suggested he searched his office first, and he did. The papers were there. All of them. Did he ever tell you that? Did he ever apologize to Connor for wrongfully blaming him? My son had to leave home because of that misunderstanding, Miles. If he’s stressed or depressed with anything, it has to do with Carter,” Mrs. Taylor said in a grim tone.
Connor gulped as he shook his head, asking his mother not to say anything with his eyes. Mrs. Taylor looked at her son and sighed.
“So what do you want, Mae?” Mr. Taylor asked his wife. “You want me to talk to Carter and ask him to apologize to Connor? Is that what you want?”
“No, Miles. What I would like is for Carter to understand that his brother doesn’t deserve to be looked down upon and if he can’t say anything polite, he should just stay away from Connor. I don’t want him missing again from our lives for long.”
“Guys, please! Don’t argue because of me!” Connor hurried as he saw his father frown. “Look, what happened is over. We can’t change the past. Don’t fight because of us. Carter and I love you both. So please, don’t!”
“We aren’t fighting, Connor,” Mr. Taylor sighed. “Mae is right. I let Carter do this. It’s my fault. If I had just listened to your side of the story, it would have done us a great deal. I’m sorry, kiddo.”
Connor stood up to give his dad a small hug. “Not your fault!” He assured him and turned to look at his mother.
“I promise I’ll visit soon.” He smiled, and she pulled him into a hug.
“I don’t want to let you go,” Mrs. Taylor said with a sad smile.
“But you have to, I’m on my own now.”
Mrs. Taylor looked at Connor carefully and now his words made sense. He couldn’t win Harley and that’s why he was adamant on leaving home again. Her baby was hurt badly and all she could do was accept the truth and let him go.
Connor Taylor wasn’t getting lost this time! He knew the best way to get to the rehearsal was by asking Liam to drive him there. They went to Liam’s sister, Gwen’s place to drop off Padfoot so he could play with her kids, and left as soon as they could. Connor was a tad sad to leave Padfoot, but he knew he would be back soon. Soon the boys reached the hotel and went in to see absolutely no one in the banquet hall.
“Oh no, we are early!” Liam groaned.
“It’s better than being late,” Connor shrugged and walked in. The boys took a seat near the window and looked around.
“The wedding planner has done a great job, dude!” Liam let out a whistle. “Remind me to hire her for my wedding.”
Connor let out a startled chuckle, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Please don’t tell me you got the wedding fever too!”
“What? It doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. I know Lillian is the one, I want to be with her forever, and her best friend is getting married in three days! She looked like she really wanted to get married, and I sort of agree.”
“Oh God!” Connor rested his head on the table and sighed heavily.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be the best man.” Liam winked and chuckled.
“Ha! That’s reassuring.”
“Conn
or?” a voice came from the doorway, and they turned to look at Maxine, who was standing there in simple jeans and a flannel shirt.
“Hi! What are you doing here?” Connor asked with a smile.
“Last minute check,” Maxine smiled and walked in.
Liam poked Connor, asking for an introduction. Connor frowned and pushed him away lightly.
“Max, meet Liam, my best friend. And Lee, meet Maxine, the wedding planner and my friend,” Connor introduced them and they shook hands.
“So, what are you guys doing here so early?” Maxine asked once the boys plopped down on the chairs again.
“We just wanted to look around,” Liam explained. “It’s a nice place!”
“Oh, don’t mind me please, I’ll be out in a minute,” Maxine smiled and continued her check.
“What do you mean? You need to be back for the dinner. Will you make it back in time?” Connor asked following her.
“No, why should I?”
Connor shrugged.
Maxine grinned and said, “I’m not really invited. It’s for family and friends.”
“And you are one, so you are definitely coming!” Connor winked and gave her a grin.
“I . . . no, Connor, that won’t be right.”
“I insist, now go back home, wear a pretty dress and come back. I need a date for the dinner again.”
Maxine couldn’t resist Connor’s grin, so she nodded and said goodbye and left. Liam grinned at his best friend and that earned him a mock-punch.
“What?” Liam feigned innocence. “You were being so darn sweet with that girl!”
Connor snorted, “Come on, let’s go to the café downstairs and get something to drink.”
“There’s a bar downstairs,” Liam smirked.
“No drinking! At least not today,” Connor frowned and walked away.
The boys bought coffees and explored the hotel and finally came back to the banquet hall to see guests coming in.
“Connor!” Mrs. Taylor called after him. “Munchkin, where were you?”