Make It Right

by Megan Erickson

  Lea turned away from the screen. “ So, I need help.”

  Danica raised her eyebrows into the bangs of her pink wig. “What’s up?”

  Lea shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I want to . . . bake something.”

  “Okay . . .”

  “Well, that’s not really my thing. My mom bakes. I don’t. But I want to surprise Max and take him something at the garage. I know he hates his job and . . .” she waved her hand, realizing Danica didn’t need to know all the details about Max’s life and probably didn’t care. “So can you help me?”

  Danica cocked her head, studying Lea. It made her uncomfortable.

  Monica clapped her hands and then gripped Danica’s thigh. “Snickernoodles. We can make snickerdoodles.”

  Danica wrinkled her nose. “What are those?”

  Monica’s mouth dropped open. “You bake and you don’t know what snickerdoodles are? Oh honey, we are definitely introducing you to these treats.” She turned to Lea. “Have you ever had them?”

  Lea scrunched her lips to the side. “Aren’t they sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon and sugar?”

  Monica nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “I think my mom used to make them,” Lea said. “So good.”

  Monica smiled and hopped to her feet, tugging on Danica’s arm. “Come on, let’s check to make sure we have the ingredients. I love to bake!”

  “But I wanted to watch this movie,” Danica grumbled.

  “We can watch it later. It’s not going anywhere. I own it.” Monica tugged again. Come on.”

  Danica shot Lea a dark look, which made Lea smile, then followed her girlfriend into the kitchen.

  Monica flitted about the kitchen on silent feet, her gauzy shirt flowing behind her, checking the cabinets for supplies while Danica listed them from a recipe she’d searched for on her phone.

  Lea stood at the counter, enjoying watching the ease and happiness of her roommate together with her girlfriend. Lea was proud of Danica, because she’d finally got over herself and agreed to meet Monica’s parents.

  Monica was good for Danica. She didn’t try to change her. She condoned Danica’s crazy looks every day and with every shift of her eyes in Danica’s direction, Lea could see affection.

  Danica was the same, her cheeks rosy under her pale blush as she watched her girlfriend grab bowls out of a cabinet.

  Lea thought Max would appreciate the cookies, since she knew he did most of the cooking for his dad and brothers. In the week since the beach party, he’d let her in a little more about “growing up Payton.” He talked about his brothers a lot, to the point she felt like she knew them. But he never mentioned introducing her to them. That dug under her skin like a splinter. While Danica moaned about meeting Monica’s parents, Lea was envious. Didn’t Max want her involved in every aspect of his life?

  Well, she’d beat him to it and surprise him, armed with cookies. His brothers and dad would have to like her if she had cookies.

  “Hey, Lea, get over here. You’re not getting out of helping,” Monica called her over with a wink.

  Lea measured the sugar while Danica softened the butter in short bursts in the microwave.

  After the first batch of cookies were in, Lea’s cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. “Oh hey girls, it’s my dad. I gotta—”

  Monica swallowed a hunk of batter and waved her off. “Go, we’ll make sure the cookies don’t burn for the grease-monkey love of your life.”

  Lea shot her a thumbs-up and answered her phone. “Hey Dad.”

  “La-la,” her dad’s husky voice came over the line. “How are you?”

  “Good, how are you and Mom?”

  “Better than good,” he said, his common answer making her smile. A clatter sounded from the kitchen, like a dropped cookie sheet, followed by a cackle of laughter.

  “What was that?”

  “I’m making cookies to take to Max at work and Danica and Monica are helping me bake them. I think they might have just ruined a batch.”

  More laughing from the kitchen.

  “Well, I’m calling for another reason, which is not happy.”

  “Oh?” Lea sat up.

  “I’m sure the university will be notifying the students soon, but I just heard on the news that there was another assault. And the witness reported seeing one of the assailants with a gun.”

  Lea sucked in her breath as ice slid down her spine. “No. Why?”

  “I don’t know. Some people don’t have motives for the things they do and . . .”

  “But this is horrible, Dad. Assaults are bad enough, but a gun? What are they thinking?”

  “I don’t know. But please warn your friends. No walking by yourself anytime, but especially at night.”

  Lea wanted to cry. She hated the level of fear that had been pervasive on campus since the first reports of the assaults. Bowler campus was known for its fun, carefree atmosphere. No one wanted to watch their back in fear of landing in the hospital.

  It wasn’t fair and it made her want to hurt someone. Preferably these jackasses. Armed jackasses.

  “Thanks for letting me know, Dad. I’ll give everyone a heads-up. I’m sure the campus will be sending e-mails out soon.”

  “I’m sure. Tell Danica hello for me and take care, sweetheart, okay?”

  “I always do, Dad.”

  Danica and Monica looked up from a lip lock as Lea entered the kitchen. Their smiles dropped off when they saw her face. Danica skirted the counter and walked right to Lea. “What’s wrong?” She grabbed Lea’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. Lea realized Danica didn’t have any contacts in today, and her gray eyes were clouded with concern.

  “So, I’m sure the campus will let us know soon, but there was another assault. And apparently these dickwads have stepped up their game. The victim reported a gun.”

  Monica gasped and Danica closed her eyes. Her fingers curled into claws, squeezing Lea’s shoulders until Lea grunted from the pain. Danica’s eyes flew open and she released Lea’s shoulders. “If I get ahold of these guys—”

  Lea shook her head. “You’re going to get away how I taught you and cry for help.”

  “But—”

  “Danica, do not stand your ground and try to beat up people with a gun!” Monica said, slamming her hand on the counter. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”

  Danica rounded on her girlfriend. “I’m not stubborn!”

  Monica threw up her hands. “Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.”

  Danica’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t spout overused quotes at me, Mon.”

  “Then don’t act like you can take on three guys with a gun, you idiot.”

  “Ladies!” Lea clapped and stood between them. “Stop fighting over this.” She turned to Danica and pointed a finger at her chest. “You will avoid running into these guys at all costs, but if you do run into them, you will get away as fast as you can and call for help.” She pointed to Monica. “And you, quit riling Danica up. Because you know if you ask her to walk, she’s only going to run faster.”

  Monica clenched her jaw, then turned her attention back to the cooling cookies, arranging them needlessly on the foil lining the counter. “Excuse me for caring.”

  Danica sighed and stepped around Lea, then wrapped her arm around Monica’s waist and rested her chin on the smaller girl’s shoulder. Murmurs of apology followed before the two turned back to her.

  “Sorry for yelling,” Lea said. “This whole situation has me on edge.”

  Danica kept her arm around Monica’s waist. “Me too,” she said, as Monica nodded.

  “So, we’re all cool? Everyone’s happy again?”

  Danica smiled. “How about we get these cookies finished so you can surprise your man?”

  Lea picked up a hunk of dough, rolled into a ball of cinnamon and sugar, then popped it into her mouth.

  She grinned around the treat. “Okay.”

  Chapter 18

  CAM TAPPED AWAY
at his phone, booted feet propped up on the table of magazines in the shop’s office.

  “Will you get your feet off the table?” Max scowled. “People read those, you know.”

  Cam raised an eyebrow, tapped another minute on his phone, then shoved it into his pocket. “Oh yeah?” He leaned forward and grabbed a magazine off the table. “You get a lot of demands for . . .” He held up a coverless magazine and peered at the spine. “Entertainment Weekly from February of last year?”

  “It’s vintage,” Max muttered.

  Cam’s truck was currently in the garage, getting inspected by Brent. Cam could have gone to a garage closer to campus but he said he’d rather give Max’s family the money.

  And family was the one thing that meant the most to Cam.

  “How’s your mom?” Max asked.

  Cam’s gaze shot to Max’s face. He swallowed and ran his tongue over his teeth before answering. “Fine.”

  Cam had been raised an only child by a single mother. He’d joined the Air National Guard out of high school so he could afford school and wouldn’t be a burden on his mom.

  “Why’d you say it like that?” Max asked.

  Cam tapped his thigh with the side of his thumb, a nervous gesture he had. “Just, money stuff. It’s tight.”

  “Fuck, I’m sorry, man.”

  Cam shrugged but it was jerky and he hadn’t met Max’s gaze.

  “Well, when you graduate and get a job, you can help, right? I mean . . .”

  Cam’s eyes swung to Max and his face hardened. “It’s not that easy to find a job, Max. I can’t pull one out of my ass.”

  Max frowned but held back his own temper. “I know that. What’s with the attitude?”

  Cam closed his eyes like he was in pain. “I’m not sure what to do. She needs help with the house and money. I want to be there for her but finding a job in my field in my shit-hole town is pretty much impossible. And I just . . . don’t want to be back there. With . . . everything.”

  He looked out the window again and Max winced. He knew what it was like to feel like your future choices had been taken from you. Cam had fought and clawed, got his ass kicked in basic just to keep his options open. But his love of his mom warred with that.

  “I’m sorry, man. If there’s anything I can do . . .”

  Cam waved his hand and let out a sigh, like he was ridding himself of the negative conversation.

  “So what’s up with you?” Cam asked. “Turning into Zuk?”

  “What?”

  Cam’s lips curled into that-bad boy smile with the dimples, the one Kat said got him the ladies. “Lea. Am I the last man standing? Holding strong and single?”

  Max shrugged. He didn’t want to get into it with Cam. He didn’t want to explain how he felt stronger because of Lea, that he’d found there was strength in being vulnerable.

  He knew Cam didn’t want to hear it. Because he’d been vulnerable once too, and he’d been burned.

  “I’m okay with being hooked.” Max shrugged.

  Cam smiled knowingly.

  Brent walked into the office and handed Cam his keys, letting him know his truck was parked in the lot, good to go for another year.

  Cam thanked him and waved off to Max, letting him know he’d see him later that night. Cam had already paid, so Max waved back as Cam walked out the door.

  Brent gave Max a nod and then walked back out in the garage to finish a tire rotation.

  Max went back to filling out inspection paperwork, but his mind wandered.

  He had done what Lea had asked. He’d thought more about talking to his dad about changing his major to something he actually wanted to do. The thought of confronting his dad made him break out in hives. But he couldn’t imagine sitting in this office for the rest of his life. He couldn’t imagine working for his father, having to see him every day. Would he turn into him eventually? A bitter, jaded man without a wife and with three boys who avoided him?

  Max didn’t want that for his life. He wanted to do something with purpose.

  And it was time to let his dad know he’d met someone. Even if he no longer needed or cared about his dad’s approval, he was still his dad. He deserved to know Max had something special in his life.

  Because Max planned to bring her by to meet his Dad and brothers next weekend.

  That made his palms sweat. Because none of them were couth. They’d lived without a woman in the household for too long. They let the belches and curses fly.

  Max cringed. He’d have to somehow hint to his dad that vacuuming might be a nice thing to do every once in a while, too.

  He glanced out into the garage. There was a lull in the work, so maybe he could talk to his father now. He couldn’t wait until they got home and his father had a six-pack in him. That wouldn’t end well for anyone.

  The door opened and Brent walked in, his thick-soled boots clomping on the stained carpet.

  Max scribbled some numbers on the sheet in front of him so it looked like he’d been working rather than daydreaming about his girlfriend and leaving the family business.

  “Hey, can you call Mr. Walker and tell him his car is ready?” Brent asked.

  Max nodded and grabbed the paperwork on top of his pile. Once he called the car owner to let him know he could pick up his car, he turned to Brent, who stood at the counter filling out some paperwork.

  Max licked his lips and spoke before his brain could catch up with his mouth. “Did you ever think of doing anything else?”

  Brent jerked his head up, the pen frozen over the paper. “What?”

  Max wanted to grab his words back and shove them in his mouth until they puffed out his cheeks like a chipmunk. Brent had been a gear head for as long as Max could remember. He’d always wanted to work at a shop. Maybe not with dear old Dad, but no way in hell would Jack let him work for someone else.

  “Never mind.”

  The pen clattered onto the glass countertop. “No, what do you mean? Not work here? Another shop?”

  Max stared at his hands. “No, I mean, like, do something else—“

  “Not work for Dad?” Brent asked the question like he’d probably ask, Dogs can talk?

  Because it was a ludicrous for a Payton not to work at Payton Automotive.

  Ludicrous, Max. You’re an idiot.

  “What the hell else would you do?”

  Max told himself to stop talking but his mouth flapped open despite his common sense telling it not to. “I was thinking maybe teach,” he mumbled.

  “Teach?” Brent squeaked, then started laughing. In that mean cackling way he had that Max hated.

  “You? Teach? Max are you even allowed on school grounds anymore? Didn’t you get caught painting a crooked pickle on the front doors of the middle school on senior skip day?”

  “It was a dick,” Max mumbled.

  Brent ignored him. “You were every teacher’s nightmare and you think you’re a good role model for kids?”

  He did think so. Because he knew all the tricks. He knew why kids acted out and acted like little assholes. Because he’d been one. And he could help them snap out of it. At least he thought so.

  But Brent’s sneer heated his face. If he couldn’t even stand up to Brent, the least threatening of the entire Payton clan, how the hell was he going to eke out one word of this to the patriarch?

  Brent spread out his arms. “Get used to this place, little bro. Because there’s no way in hell you’re leaving.”

  “Leaving what?” His dad’s voice boomed across the office. He’d stepped in, Cal at his heels, and Max had been so absorbed in his conversation with Brent, he hadn’t heard his father’s heavy tread.

  Brent shot him a smirk and then walked back into the garage, whistling like an asshole.

  Max stared at his father, into those hard and cold slate-blue eyes. The same eyes both his brothers had. But not Max. He’d inherited his mother’s eyes. And he wondered if that was the reason Jack hated him the most. Because he looked at Max and
saw the wife who’d left him.

  “Leaving what.” This time it wasn’t a question. It was a declaration. Or more like a challenge.

  Max’s chest felt tight and his head swam. He could do it right now, tell his dad he wanted to change his major. Tell him he was dating a girl who made him want to hold on to his dreams.

  Those eyes bored into him and his dad took a step closer; his shadow thrown by the overnight bulb above his head fell over Max.

  And he was an eight-year-old kid again. On beat-up skates, bulky pads, and an oversized jersey.

  He’d just been elbowed in the face. His lip burned and he tasted iron on his tongue. The pain throbbed all over his face and the telltale prick behind his eyes told him tears were imminent. And his dad had grabbed him and shook him so badly, his skates scissored on the ice. “Who are you?” He’d boomed in Max’s face.

  “A Payton,” he’d mumbled, his words muffled as his lip swelled.

  “Right. And Paytons aren’t whiners. Now get back out there.”

  And that was that. Paytons weren’t whiners. They didn’t cry. They played through the pain and did as they were told and what was expected of them.

  Why couldn’t he just be strong and accept his future?

  LEA PICKED THE container of cookies off of the passenger seat and stepped out of her car.

  The garage didn’t look much different from any auto shop she’d ever been to. PAYTON AUTOMOTIVE in steel block letters hung above several garage bays. A sign in the front window advertised a free oil change with any state inspection.

  She took a deep breath and smoothed her khaki coat down over her skinny jeans. She felt out of place here in the cracked parking lot, a little overdressed as her boots clicked on the pavement.

  Max had said he’d introduce her to his brothers and dad eventually, so she didn’t think he’d mind if she dropped by. She was tired of him stalling. Plus, she wanted to tell him about the escalating assaults. He often came to her apartment late at night and sometimes had to park several lots away.

  A fluorescent Open sign buzzed as she swung open the door, a bell tinkling overhead.

  She took one step inside and the door shut behind her, blocking the rush of cold air.