by Amy Vastine
“Thanks again for helping with his room. I think he likes it.” His lips pressed against her temple.
“You don’t have to thank me. I loved doing it.” She rested her head on his shoulder. He was her warm, safe place. It didn’t scare her as much as it used to that she felt at home in his arms.
They swayed back and forth, enjoying the soft music as it mixed with the sound of their sons’ giggles coming from the bedroom. Kendall smiled, knowing Simon found the same sense of security when they were all together. It was that feeling that helped him fight the yucks. For that, she would be the one eternally grateful.
“I love you,” he whispered. It was the first time he’d said it. She let it sink in as the sentiment overfilled her already full heart. She held on to him tighter, smiled bigger, fell deeper. He stopped moving. “That doesn’t scare you, does it?”
She pulled back so he could see her. Kendall placed both hands on his face. His brown eyes searched for confirmation that it wasn’t too soon, that he wasn’t pushing too hard. Shaking her head, she reassured him, “The only thing that scares me is how much I love you back.”
Max let out a relieved breath. “Let’s try not to second-guess this even though we’re both scared, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed before kissing him soundly on the lips. He held her face like she held his. Lost in the moment, they didn’t even notice the song change, but the groans of disgust coming from the hall were another story.
The two boys ran back to the bedroom, both in agreement that kissing was so gross and weird. “Someday you won’t think it’s so gross!” Max shouted after them.
Kendall laughed and planted one more kiss on his cheek. “Let’s get all this stuff moved into his bedroom.”
It was Max’s turn to groan. “Ten bucks says we don’t even unpack half of this.”
She grabbed two bags and headed back to the room. “Come on, you big baby.”
* * *
AFTER MOVING AIDAN’S stuff into his room, Kendall and Max got the boys dressed to play in the snow. Emma had called, hoping for a distraction. Yesterday’s shift at the hospital had been emotionally draining, and she needed to be around family. Kendall invited her over to Max’s to build a snowman.
They all trudged downstairs in their snow pants and boots, mittens and hats. Emma met them outside. Whatever had happened was clearly weighing heavy on her shoulders. Kendall wrapped her arms around her little sister. “Sorry for your rough day.”
“Thank you for not making me sit in an empty apartment all day.”
A snowball smacked the back of Kendall’s head. She turned around slowly to face her attacker. Simon and Aidan were both holding snowballs, while Max was suspiciously empty-handed.
“Are you three really prepared for what will happen to you if you start a snowball fight with the Everhart sisters?”
Max’s smile slipped a little. Simon hopped up and down, the smile on his face hidden by his scarf. He tossed his snowball at her, but it fell short. Aidan giggled and tossed his, which basically landed at his feet. It was clear who had hit her with the first snowball.
She bent down and packed her own ball of revenge. “We both played softball. I was the pitcher.”
Before Max could run for cover, she unleashed a fastball that hit him right in the center of his chest. The little boys screamed and laughed, quickly gathering up more snow. Emma and Kendall took turns assaulting Max with snowballs. He managed to throw a couple himself. One whizzed past Kendall’s head.
“Hey!” a voice sounded over her shoulder.
She turned around to find Max’s neighbor wiping snow out of his eyes.
“Nice aim, Floor Three. But now, you’re going down.”
Charlie joined the fight, making it three against three. Kendall didn’t feel bad about the fact that her team had the clear advantage. Simon and Aidan weren’t much of an offense. Max realized his only strategy was to use the boys as a shield rather than as weapons. He picked them up and used them to block the flying snow.
Kendall and her team had no choice but to surrender. “I thought we were making a snowman,” she said, ending the fight.
The boys got to work rolling the snow into a giant base. Emma and Charlie helped while Max crossed enemy lines to make peace.
“You have a wicked fastball.”
“You have no shame. Using children as a shield? That’s not right.”
“You had Charlie and Emma trying to kill me, what was I supposed to do?”
“You should have taken it like a man,” Kendall said, shaking her head.
“Is that what you think?” He pulled her into his arms and rubbed his cold nose against hers. His cheeks were red from the cold and from the snowball he took square in the face from Charlie.
“I think we kicked your butt.”
He laughed and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “That you did. I deserved it. I’ll admit it.”
“Mom, stop kissing and come help us!” Simon and Aidan were trying to lift one snowball onto the other. Charlie came over to offer his muscle.
They added a head and went to work finding some arms. Emma untied the scarf around her neck and wrapped it around the snowman. Kendall watched as Charlie wiped some snow off Emma’s hat. Her sister smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear.
“I saw you yesterday, Nightingale. You looked busy.”
“Yesterday was not my favorite.”
Charlie nodded. “I brought in the girl from the house fire. Makes me wish I had a delete button on my brain so I could unsee things, you know?”
“That’s why I needed to hang out with my nephew.” Emma pointed at Simon.
“Speed Racer is your nephew? Speed Racer and I go way back. I helped him out on Halloween.”
“He and I go way back, too. All the way back to the day he was born.”
“We have so much in common,” Charlie mused.
Kendall butted in, linking arms with Emma. “Let’s go see if Max has any carrots,” she said, pulling Emma inside.
She unlocked Max’s door and headed to the kitchen.
“Wow, this is serious. You have keys to his place and know your way around his kitchen. I think my sister is in love.”
“He gave me his key so I could work on the mural for Aidan’s room while he was at work.” No carrots. Since his mother had gone back to Portland, Max had refused to buy anything that could be considered healthy.
Emma sat down at the breakfast bar. “I’m happy for you.”
“What?” Kendall gave up on the carrots and began searching the cupboards for some hot chocolate.
“I’m happy for you. I think Max is a nice guy. As weird as it is that he’s related to Trevor, I think you guys are good together.”
“Thanks.” Kendall’s sisters hadn’t shared their opinion with her and she hadn’t asked, for fear they would tell her she was crazy. “I think we could be good together, too.”
“So you aren’t hanging out with him to get to the hot paramedic that lives below him?” Emma teased.
Kendall pushed her off the stool. She grabbed the only thing she could think of to use for a nose. “You’re hilarious. Let’s go talk them into taking us out for some cocoa.”
The guys and boys had finished the snowman. He had sticks for arms and Max’s hat on his head. Kendall stuck the orange pencil in for a nose. It wasn’t perfect but would have to do. Perfect was overrated, anyway.
“Who wants Max to take us to get hot chocolate?” Emma asked like she was trying to incite a riot.
“Me!” both Aidan and Simon screamed.
“Charlie, you want to come with us?” Max asked. He glanced at Emma, who was was already on her way to Starbucks, hand in hand with the two little boys.
“Nah, you guys have fun. I’ll see you around.
”
Kendall held on to Max’s arm, snuggling against him for some warmth. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
For over a year, she’d been mourning the loss of what she had convinced herself was the best life she could ever have. As she walked the wintry streets with this man at her side and their sons’ giggles in the air, she realized that that life had been far from the best. After all the hardship, this was the better life with the better man.
Kendall couldn’t ask for more.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460339442
THE BETTER MAN
Copyright © 2014 by Amy Vastine
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