by Bonnie Vane
“No, it can’t wait. And I didn’t want to talk about this over the phone. It’s too important.”
Maxie sighed and eased herself onto the sofa. She wasn’t going to be able to get rid of him easily, and standing up on crutches was too tiring. “What’s so important it can’t wait until later?”
“Blaine Tannahill, that’s what.”
“Dad, we’ve gone through all that. He’s just helping me out for a little while.” She fought to hide the smile that crept unbidden to her lips. He’d really helped her out Saturday night, hadn’t he?
“I’ve been making some calls. As I suspected, the local police are in the pocket of the almighty Tannahills. This little ‘work arrangement’ they cooked up is one sign of that. They’ve had scrapes with the law before, but never once did they so much as get anything more than a slap on the wrist.”
Maxie kept her voice even. “What kind of scrapes, Dad? You trying to tell me they’re all thieves and ax murderers?”
Her father waved his hand in the air. “Oh, the usual kind. Especially that Blaine. At least four different traffic accidents before yours.”
“Yes, but were they recent?”
“I think it’s been a few years. But that doesn’t matter. It clearly shows a pattern of reckless behavior and poor judgment. I know a jury will see it that way.”
“Not that lawsuit again. Dad, tell me you’re not going through with it.”
“Damn straight I am. And don’t think I’m not onto their whole wine and dine the victim thing to make her so grateful, she wouldn’t go through with any legal action.”
“What do you mean, wine and dine?” Maxie was pretty sure she was pulling off a magnificent acting job but thought she heard her voice waver.
“The son of an acquaintance of mine saw you two together at a bar. Last I checked, there was nothing in that phony little agreement the Tannahills worked out with the police and traffic court about anything other than Blaine assisting you at the library. This acquaintance’s son said the two of appeared to be rather chummy.”
“Dad, I was the one who asked Blaine to take me there, not the other way around. He was very concerned about me and didn’t want to do it.”
“But he did, didn’t he? Trying to get into your good graces and God knows into what else—”
“Dad!” Maxie stopped him.
“He’s not the right guy for you, Maxie. He’s too wild. And it won’t help our case any if you’re fraternizing with the defendant, will it?”
Maxie reached for her crutches and hauled herself up. She took a few deep breaths, but it didn’t stop the growl she heard in her voice as she said, “Dad, I want you to listen up and listen good. It’s my life, and I want you to butt out. Stop suing everyone to try and prove your love for me okay? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m twenty-five, not five.”
“Munchkin, I—”
“And no matter how much you want it to be so, you can’t protect me from every evil out there. This is all some kind of misplaced anger. Making Blaine the scapegoat for the hit-and-run driver who got away, isn’t it?”
Her father didn’t answer, and his face had gone from red to white, but Maxie couldn’t help herself. “I want you to stop. Just stop. Please ... leave now before I say something we’ll both regret later. You don’t know Blaine, you apparently don’t even know me all that well, and you can’t sue your way into bringing Mom back to life.”
Her father’s mouth opened and closed with a loud “snap.” He shook his head. “This isn’t over, Maxie. Besides, I’ve gotten a rider attached to a bill in the legislature. It’s worded in a way that would slash the state’s grants to the county’s police department. We’ll see how cozy the police are to the Tannahills after that bill passes.”
Maxie watched him go, without walking him to the door. She almost fell over and looked down at her hands that gripped the handles of the crutches so tightly her knuckles were white. She plopped back down onto the sofa and rubbed her hands, but they were shaking so hard, she finally stuffed them under her legs.
This was the first time she’d ever stood up to her father. And it didn’t feel good, not at all. Why in the world was he acting this way? She knew he was known derisively as “Larry Lawsuit,” but she’d never stopped to question why he’d chosen that path. Maybe money had been a little tight at times, but he’d never seemed to want to live a lavish lifestyle.
When she’d asked him once years ago about all the lawsuits, he’d said something vague like “it’s just to protect you.” Protect her from what? Having any friends or boyfriends? She’d heard the rumors from classmates that no parents wanted their kids to be her friend for fear of getting sued.
Poor Blaine. Her father had it all wrong. For she was convinced now that Blaine really didn’t care about any lawsuits. Maybe Blaine’s family did, or maybe their lawyers did, but not Blaine. But it was clear that as long as her father was on this wild tear of his, being with Blaine was out of the question. She didn’t want their relationship dragged through the mud in the courts and newspapers. He deserved better than that. She deserved better than that.
With a heavy sigh, she picked up her cellphone and started to dial.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Blaine picked up a guitar from the control panel assembly station and ran his hand along the smooth varnished surface. Most people didn’t know how much effort went into making a guitar like this, three hundred steps from rough wood to musical masterpiece. But right now, his mind couldn’t seem to focus on guitars. Not even seeing Gray Gem’s custom beauty getting its finishing touches had cheered him up earlier in the day.
It had been two days since he got the call from Maxie—mere minutes after he’d ordered the dozen long-stemmed red roses for delivery—that she wouldn’t be needing him at the library anymore. And he could consider his “punishment” completed.
He could have lived with no longer going to the library, but that wasn’t all she’d said. She’d insisted the weekend was nice and she was grateful, but that’s all there was going to be, and she didn’t want to see him again.
He’d tried to plead his case, but she cut him off saying a school group had come in, and she didn’t have time to talk. Maybe he should have canceled the flower delivery, but he’d hoped seeing the roses would let her know how he felt. That it wasn’t just a one-night stand for him. He called her the next day and he’d called her this morning, but it always went to her voice mail.
Rod Yarrow, one of their quality control engineers, tapped him on the shoulder. “Earth to Blaine. I’ve been calling you for the past couple of minutes. You’re a little young to be going deaf.”
Blaine apologized and tried to concentrate on the other man’s report about Gray Gem’s order. Rod was saying something about the feel and performance looking great, it just needed a tiny adjustment on the end pin. Blaine gave what he thought was a coherent reply, then headed for his office. It used to feel like a sanctuary, but now it felt empty. Even in just one week, he’d gotten accustomed to being surrounded by books.
He missed picking up Maxie every morning even more. He’d never been a morning person, but he’d found it easy to get out of bed last week. Bed. Maybe that was it. That’s where it all went wrong. Moving too fast, spooking Maxie, making her feel pressured, just like the pressure her father always heaped on her.
Had he really taken her up to the cabin just to have sex? The old pre-Maxie Blaine would have been able to answer that in a heartbeat, of course it was for the sex. He hadn’t lied to Maxie when he told her she was the first woman he’d ever asked to go with him, let along followed through with. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from the weekend, really. But it wasn’t to be blown off the day after they returned to Wingapo.
Cash hadn’t had any qualms about pointing out the irony of that to Blaine. Usually it was Blaine who initiated the blowing-off routine. Good old Cash, always ready to play Captain Obvious.
The man himself took that moment to walk into Blaine�
��s office. “Yo, bro. Heard from Rod he’d updated you on the Gray Gem guitar sit rep, but he wasn’t sure it got through. Got a bug of some kind? Fever? Dizziness? Delirium? ’Cause I can’t think of any other reason you’d be mentally AWOL. Not on this project.”
Blaine started tapping away on his computer keyboard. Maybe if he looked busy, Cash would go away. “I’m fine. Never better.”
“Fine, eh? Well, then, guess you won’t mind if we alter Gray Gem’s guitar and punk it up with some Barbie stickers and pink stripes. Maybe glue a little stuffed animal on there or two.”
Blaine nodded. “Great. Sounds great.”
Then when he heard Cash laughing, his brother’s words sank in. “Okay, so I might be a bit distracted. Probably from over-nagging.” He peered up at Cash. “You and Jack are worse than nannies sometimes, you know that?”
“A bit distracted?” Cash excused himself for a minute, then returned with two bottles, thrusting one at his brother.
Blaine took the offering and read the label. “Big Bang energy drink. Guarana, yerba matte, caffeine, taurine, tyrosine, and a whole bunch of other ’ines.’”
“That’ll wake you up. Or keep you running to the bathroom, which’ll also keep you awake. Win-win.”
Blaine opened the bottle and took a sip. “Tastes like a cross between cherry-flavored dishwater and wet dog hair.”
“So it’ll also keep you clean and loyal.”
Blaine rolled his eyes, and Cash plopped down next to the desk and tipped his chair back. “What’s eating you, kid? Still stewing over the fair librarian?”
“Not stewing. Just ... I don’t know. Can’t even get her to return my calls. I don’t know what I did wrong.”
“Maybe nothing. Maybe she needs a little breathing room. Maybe you’re not a good fit together.”
“I’ll grant you the breathing room part. But we’re good together. I haven’t felt this way about a woman since Chrissy.”
Cash’s eyes widened, and he almost fell over in his chair. “Oh, God, I’d forgotten. That’s this weekend, isn’t it? Clint and Chrissy’s wedding.”
Blaine took another swig of the foul-tasting energy drink. Must be false advertising, because it didn’t seem to be working. “Yeah, it’s this weekend. Never been a best man before.”
“I never asked you how you felt about that.”
“Being best man?”
“Being in the wedding, being at the wedding, being anywhere near the wedding, for that matter.”
Blaine shrugged. “They’re happy, so I’m happy. Hope I don’t drop the ring.”
“A little comic relief might be just the thing. Weddings are too dull for my taste.”
Blaine forced a slight smile. Cash was trying his best to provide a little comic relief right now. Not that Blaine wasn’t grateful. But he didn’t feel like celebrating much of anything. Snap out of it, you idiot. Since when have you ever let a little woman trouble dull your spirit?
“Feels like my whole life has been comic relief. Maybe that’s it. Strayed too far from my roots. Get back up on the horse, yada-yada.”
Cash said, “You, me, Jack, and a six pack or two tonight, then?”
“Especially since Tanya is in D.C. for a few days. Conference of some sort.” He hadn’t even bothered to find out what kind of conference when she’d told him. Hadn’t asked when she’d be back. She seemed to ignore his lapses and had filled him in on every little detail. But he still couldn’t remember much of what she’d said.
“It’s a date then,” Cash grinned.
Blaine tried to relax. The three brothers, no dates, no pressures. Just beer and baseball on TV. As usual, what more could a guy want? Maxie’s silky, dark hair and mocha eyes appeared in his mind’s eye, and he brushed the image aside. If she didn’t want to associate with him, so be it. He could get plenty of dates, right?
He downed the last of the energy drink with the passing thought that maybe on the way home, it wouldn’t hurt to drive by the library. Maxie had told him her friend Tillie was playing chauffeur this week, but she might need someone to spell her.
Who was he kidding? He was desperate to see Maxie. And he didn’t care how pathetic his lame excuses were about “coincidentally” running into her, as it meant he’d see her again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Maxie directed Nellie as her friend shelved the interlibrary loan books behind the circulation desk. “You don’t have to help with all of this, Nell. It’s bad enough you have to be my driver.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. Business has been slow at the shop, so Veronica didn’t mind me leaving a little early today.”
Maxie used a scanner on a pile of new arrivals from the book return to update the database records. “The same Veronica who gave you a lecture about being two minutes late a month ago? And who doesn’t understand why employees need their vacation time?” Maxie liked Nellie’s boss on the whole, but she was legendary for her skinflint nature. But maybe that’s why her arts and crafts supply store was so successful.
“She’s softened up the past few weeks.”
“What happened? Some rich great uncle leave her some money?”
“Got a new boyfriend. Says she’s in love and he’s The One.” Nellie glanced over at the vase of roses sitting on the counter. “How many times has Blaine called today?”
“None so far. Maybe he finally took the hint I don’t want to see him.”
“Hmm.” Nellie walked over to the vase and straightened out the flowers. “And yet you had me bring pizza and ice cream by last night. The universal female comfort food for heartaches.”
“I happen to like pizza and ice cream. Even when I’m ecstatically happy.”
“So you admit you’re not ecstatically happy?”
“I’m fine.” Maxie scanned some more books but frowned as the computer beeped at her.
Nellie pointed to the books. “You may be fine, but you tried to scan the same pile of books twice.”
“An honest mistake.”
“Are you being honest?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Nellie looked around the library, but it was after closing, and they had the place to themselves. “Honest about your feelings for Blaine. When I picked you up Monday morning, I wish I’d taken a picture. Then I could submit it to the dictionary people to put it next to the word ‘miserable’ by way of an illustration.”
Maxie didn’t remember much from that morning because it was mostly a foggy blur, worse than when she’d been on the pain meds after she broke her ankle. “I didn’t say I didn’t like Blaine. Just that we’re not compatible.”
“That’s what you said, all right. But Veronica’s sister came into the store yesterday. Her son was at a certain bar last Thursday. Naturally when he saw Blaine Tannahill there with a woman, he had to know who it was.”
Maxie groaned. “I’m never going to live that down.”
“Actually, I’m proud of you for going. About time you loosened up. Anyway, the son was there with a friend whose father knows your Dad.”
“So that’s what Dad was talking about.”
“I’m reading between the lines here, but would your sudden ‘incompatibility’ with Blaine have to do with your father?”
Maxie reached for the same pile of books but stopped herself from scanning them a third time. Nellie was right. She was distracted. “Couldn’t give Dad any more fodder for his impending lawsuit against the Tannahills. And I don’t want to have my face plastered all over the TV news.”
“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. He’s really put you in vise. Have you tried reasoning with him?”
Maxie sighed. “He’s called a few times, but I was so angry with him, I haven’t returned his calls, either.”
“You can’t ignore him forever.”
“I know. Another item on my ‘To Do’ list I’m dreading.”
“You have more than one thing you’re dreading?”
“Wish I’d never RSVP’d the wedding this weekend. It’
s been two years since Chrissy and I worked together, and it’s not like we’re all that close.”
“Suppose you could send her the money for your reception meal. Plead illness or whatever.”
“She’d find out. At least, I’ll get some cake out of it.”
“And how exactly do you plan on getting there?”
Maxie slapped her forehead. “I forgot all about that.”
“Never fear. Nellie’s Taxi Service is here.”
“Nell, you don’t have to—”
“Don’t mind at all. You can text me when it’s over, and I’ll come pick you up.”
“I am so going to owe you for all of this.”
“You can return the favor some day. Or maybe I’ll have you bring me pizza and ice cream for a week.”
The phone at the circulation desk rang, and Maxie picked it up. “Brunsford County Library. How may I help you?”
“I was hoping you could tell me if you have a book available for checking out. James Ellroy’s latest, the second L.A. Quartet series.”
Maxie’s heart beat faster, and she felt a sudden rush of warmth to her face. “I think ... I mean I can check ... that is—”
Blaine interrupted her. “Maxie, hear me out. I really want to see you, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Maybe on neutral territory. How about the Book’Em Cafe? Say at five-thirty?”
The fortress she’d built around her heart over the past four days began to crumble, and she desperately tried to build it back up. But one little crack was all it took. “Okay. Just a few minutes.”
“Great!” Blaine sounded like a kid who’d just been given an early birthday present. “I can pick you up.”
“Nellie’s here. She can drive me.”
“Okay, then.” The note of disappointment in Blaine’s voice only lasted for a brief moment. “See you there.”
Nellie folded her arms across her chest. “Nellie can drive you where, missy?”
“To the Book’Em Cafe. I promised Blaine I’d meet him there at five-thirty. Just long enough to tell him to his face that we’re through.”