by Bonnie Vane
An image of Maxie’s deep, mocha eyes stared back at him, and he shivered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Maxie munched on another oatmeal raisin cookie as she stroked Greta’s fur. “Just you and me again, right Greta?”
That’s not how the evening had started, for sure. Sid had made his usual perfect steak and picked out a perfectly lovely wine and even serenaded her with love poems. Then, she managed to get as far as taking her clothes off, but that was when it hit her.
She couldn’t go through with it. Any of it. Not supper, not the wine, certainly not the sex. At first, she’d made an excuse about waiting until they went to that romantic little B&B in Chincoteague. Going on about how that would make it extra special.
He was angry at first. She’d hemmed and hawed some more, until he finally snarled at her, “Is this payback for running off with Sheila?”
That was when it had become clear to Maxie. She didn’t want to be with Sid. And the reason why may have just walked out of her life at the wedding.
She looked up at the sound of a key in the door, bracing herself for a yelling match with her father, who’d called earlier and said he might come over, but she breathed a sigh of relief when Nellie bounded into the room. Nellie opened up the bag she’d carried with her and pulled out coffee cake. Maxie started laughing so hard, she got choked, the tear streaming down her face until Nellie came to her aid with a glass of water.
“What was that all about?” Her friend asked.
Maxie pointed at the cake. “Did you steal that from Sidney? Looks identical to the one he bought for us earlier today.”
“Ah.” Nellie stared at the offending pastry. “And coffee cake usually means breakfast. And breakfast usually means the morning after. Oh, God, Maxie, you are a mess, aren’t you?”
Nellie disappeared briefly again and brought back a large knife. “Here.” She handed it to Maxie. “Work out your frustrations.”
Maxie looked at the knife with skepticism, but when she attacked the cake with the knife, she had to admit, it made her feel better.
Nellie grinned. “Exorcism by cake. Works every time.”
“Now if I could just do the same for my father. Got any other kinds of cake in there?” Maxie looked at the bag hopefully.
“I think that’s going to take a lot more than cake, girlfriend. That’s one exorcism that’s been coming on for a long time. You really should tell him how you feel. If you don’t, this is going to hang between you for the rest of your lives.” Nellie’s voice tightened. “Don’t wait too long.”
Maxie reached for her friend’s hand and squeezed it. Nellie’s father had left her family years ago, and by the time she got around to seeking him out to try and patch things up, she found out he’d died two years before.
When a knock at the door turned out to be Maxie’s father showing up as he’d threatened to do, Nellie waved and beat a hasty retreat, but not before whispering in Maxie’s ear. “Tell him. And if you need a shoulder to cry on, call me.”
Her father sat on the chair opposite the sofa, his back stiffer than a board. She settled next to Greta as she petted the Persian and refused to be the one to start the conversation.
Finally, her father cleared his throat and said, “You haven’t returned my calls the past few days. I was worried.”
“As you can see, I’m peachy.” She dug into Greta’s fur a little too firmly, judging by the way the cat’s tail started twitching.
“Listen, Maxie ... you know I always have your best interests at heart.”
“You’re always saying that. Well then please tell me how it’s in my best interests for us to be the laughing stock of the community. And for everyone to be so terrified of you and your damn lawsuits, that they’re afraid to even talk to me, let alone make friends?”
“Honey, it’s not like that, it’s—”
“Oh yes, it most certainly is like that. And has been like that for a long time. We don’t need the money that badly. So I have to ask myself why you do it? Is it a power trip you’re on? Is it your warped way of solving petty grievances? I mean, others would simply file a complaint or just let bygones by bygones. So what do you get out of all of this? Is it worth it to you to push everyone away? Even me?”
“You never said anything before.” In a flash, his posture had gone from board-straight to hunched over, with his arms on his knees, looking ten years older. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Tell me you’ll stop this insanity. Show me you really do care about me by dropping the lawsuit against the Tannahills. And that ridiculous bill in the legislature. It’s frivolous and will cause a lot of ill will in the community. You don’t deserve that. And I don’t deserve that.”
He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “I suspected you had developed an interest in that Tannahill boy. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“If you think this is just about some star-crossed lover thing, you’re wrong. I have to admit, I do like Blaine. A lot. But this ... this whole Larry Lawsuit thing has been going on for years. Embarrassing me for years.”
He lifted his head. “Larry Lawsuit?”
“Don’t you know that’s what everyone calls you?”
“Actually I didn’t.”
As she watched the parade of emotions move across his face, she bit her tongue, afraid to say anything more. She hadn’t wanted to hurt him, but Nellie was right—she couldn’t let this fester any longer or else it could tear their relationship apart.
When he started chuckling, she was afraid she’d pushed him over the brink into temporary insanity. But when he looked at her, his eyes were twinkling. “Larry Lawsuit, eh? Have to admit, it’s catchy.”
She smiled. “Could be worse.”
“Suppose it could.” He sat up straight again. “Maxie, you’ll always be my little girl, and I will always worry about you. But if this Blaine Tannahill turns out to be the boy you want ... then I’ll be first in line to wish you the best.”
She got up to give him a big hug. “Thanks, Dad. But I fear that ship has sailed.”
“Not on account of me, I hope.”
“Oh, I’m not sure we are all that well suited.” She said those words as if she meant them and hoped her father bought it. He looked at her skeptically but didn’t press the issue. When he left, she felt better than she had in a long time.
She scratched Greta’s ears. “I got my father back. And lost two boyfriends. Maybe the only chances I’ll ever have at love.”
Greta blinked at her like a knowing, little gnome and started purring.
Maxie hesitated a moment, then grabbed the phone. They always said that you can’t find love if you weren’t ready to take chances. She was going to go for it with Blaine and show him by giving up her spot in the contest and getting a last-minute ticket to surprise him in Vegas.
She was shocked to get an actual human on the phone at the contest administrative offices, but the news he had for her made her heart sink. If she canceled her spot, she’d lose her five-hundred-dollar deposit. The airlines weren’t any help, either. Last-minute airfare to Vegas started at eight hundred round-trip. Maybe she could drive? But no, she’d never make it in time. And that would give Becky Gains even more of an opening to take over at the library in Maxie’s absence.
She grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat with her feet propped up on the coffee table as she flipped mindlessly through the channels on the TV. Might as well face it. She was destined to be miserable and alone for the rest of her life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Blaine took sips from his coffee as he stared at the wall in his office. He only got up long enough to shut the blinds to fend off some of the all-too-brilliant morning sun.
Jack strode in and stopped. “You’re here early. For a change.” Then he took a closer look at his brother and added, “Looks like you haven’t slept at all. Stay up all night partying? You had that wedding this weekend, right?”
“I was with Tanya. Well Satu
rday night, anyway.”
“That must have been some night if you’re still hung over two mornings later.”
“We didn’t do anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wanted to. Do something. But I couldn’t. And that’s the problem, isn’t it?”
“Little bro, you’re way too young to need Viagra, so it must be something else. What’s up?”
Blaine sighed and shook his head. “It’s not that. I just didn’t want to have sex with her. So I crawled away in the middle of the night. Not very sporting of me, I suppose.”
“Did you talk to her afterward? You owe her that.”
“I know. And I did. I told her we were through as a couple. She wasn’t happy.”
“She’ll find someone else. I always felt she wanted your lifestyle more than she wanted you.”
“Gee, thanks.” Blaine stared into his coffee.
Jack watched him a moment, then asked, “So ... heard from Maxie lately?”
Blaine pointed to the chair, and Jack took the hint, sitting down. “She was at the wedding.”
“That’s good, right?”
“With her ex.”
“Ah. You mean with with, or they just happened to be there at the same time?”
“She left with him.”
“Still doesn’t mean anything. Appearances can be deceiving, so I’ve heard.”
“She threw me out of that cafe last week. Made it clear she didn’t want to have anything further to do with me.”
“And yet she did agree to meet you at that cafe.”
“Probably wanted to dump me in person. You gotta hand her that. Most people just text the people they dump these days.”
“Or maybe she was looking for hints from you to punch a hole in her resolve. Maybe she wanted you to pursue her?”
“Or maybe her father warned her off.”
Jack scratched the back of his head. “Well now, that theory could have some legs. At least, I would have said that yesterday if you’d asked.”
“What do you mean, yesterday?”
“Roscoe Cottrill’s attorney called this morning and said the lawsuit was off. Just like that, no explanations.”
Blaine grabbed his coffee cup and gulped some down. “A trick?”
“Nope. It’s over and done. That’s one hurdle standing in the way of a relationship with his daughter, wouldn’t you say?”
“Not the biggest one. Now I know Maxie didn’t want me for my lifestyle rather than me.”
Jack cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean it like that, Blaine. You’ve plenty to offer a woman, even if you were dirt poor. But since you’re not, you attract a lot of the wrong kind of woman. Tanya’s just the latest. Maxie seemed different.”
“She was. Is. Different. Beautiful and sexy, sure. But she’s also talented and funny and smart and—”
“Perfect?”
“Not perfect. I just thought ... I was beginning to think she was perfect for me.” He picked at the rim of the paper cup, tearing off small chunks. “Cash tell you about that songwriting contest she signed up for?”
Jack nodded. “Same weekend as the Vegas job with Gray Gem.”
“Yeah. When I first told her I could go to offer moral support, she was over the moon. Then when I told her at the wedding I couldn’t go after all, it was like I’d hit her.”
“Was she still expecting you to go after she dumped you?”
“From the look on her face, definitely.”
Jack leaned back in his chair. “I know it’s none of my business about that weekend the two of you spent up at the cabin, but did you take it to the next level?”
“Into the stratosphere. I mean, sex with Tanya and all those other women is fun, but this was ...”
“Different?” Jack smiled.
“We fit together, like the last two pieces of a puzzle. The pieces that complete the picture, you know?”
“She must be right for you. Because that’s the most profound thing I think I’ve ever heard you say.” Jack reached into his pocket and removed a piece of paper that he passed over to Blaine across the desk.
It looked like it had been cut from a greeting card, with part of a photo on one side—maybe a lake?—and the inscription on the other. It was well-worn even though it had been laminated.
Blaine read it aloud, “With courage, life is kind.” He handed it back. “What’s this?”
“From a card Mom gave to Dad once. After she died, he couldn’t bear to keep a lot of memories of her around, so this ended up with some of her other papers destined for recycling. I cut this out and keep it on hand.”
“And you’re calling me deep.” Blaine grinned at his brother. “Is this your way of telling me what to do?”
“I would never tell you what to do. But I do think you should follow your heart. Even if it winds up being the wrong path, you’ll have been true to yourself. And when all is said and done, that’s all any of us has, isn’t it?”
Blaine got up to open the blinds again. The sun angle was more bearable now, but there were still hints of salmon-pink and goldenrod-yellow left over from the sunrise. “Guess I’ve got to make a very difficult phone call. Quite probably the hardest one of my life.”
Jack gave him a sympathetic smile. “Whatever happens, we’re here for you. You know what a den mother Cash can be.”
Blaine laughed. And suddenly, he felt happier than he had in his entire life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Maxie sat in the green room behind the stage, fighting the urge to chew on her nails. There was no way she’d be able to play the guitar if she wound up with split nails or bloody cuticles. She’d heard some of the other songwriting contestants, and they were pretty good. Okay, damn good. Her feet weren’t just cold, they were frozen blocks of ice. How in hell was she supposed to go out there after what she’d heard today?
It was her own fault she didn’t have anyone here to cheer her on. She hadn’t had the courage to tell her father. And Nellie had wanted to come, but her store was having an important sale. The only other person she’d told about the contest she’d effectively drummed out of her life. Great. Now she was having to hold back tears, too. She’d be a laughingstock if she went out there with a stuffy nose, sounding like she had a cold.
She’d thought about changing the song she’d originally entered, the one she’d played for Blaine at his cabin. But she loved that song, one of her best. And Blaine had seemed to like it, too.
When the contestant wrangler came to get her, telling her it was her time, she almost ran out of the building. But then she remembered her mother, playing the guitar and singing to her when Maxie was a young girl. Her mother had dreamed of having this chance, of being able to write and perform songs that would make other people happy.
Mustering up every ounce of steel she had in her spine, she whispered to herself, “This is for you, Mama,” held her head up high and strode out onto the stage.
When she stood there on stage with all the hot spotlights focused on her and all those eyes staring expectantly, she felt dizzy. For a moment, she even felt like she was going to faint. When she looked at the faces of the people in the front row, her gaze landed on the man who was sitting front row and center. Blaine.
When she didn’t start singing right away, the crowd grew silent, but Blaine gave her two thumbs up and a wink, and she felt a sense of peace spreading through her. She strode up to the microphone to give a brief introduction, then launched into the song, getting lost in the lyrics and the music. She imagined she was back at the cabin, singing to Blaine and only Blaine.
She got to the end of the song and the crowd stood on their feet, cheering and clapping and calling her name. She bowed and waved and blew them a kiss, then headed into the wings where the wrangler was motioning for her to head back to the greenroom to await the judges’ results.
From there on, it was as if she were stuck in a dream. First, being pulled back onto the stage when the finalists were ann
ounced, then waiting as they handed out third place, then second and then realizing when it was time to announce the grand prize, they were calling her name.
The parade of well-wishers, the staff chaperoning her to the press conference, the photo sessions, the agents thrusting their cards at her, wanting her to give them a call. It was almost too much.
When she finally got a moment to herself, she ducked into a storage room to catch her breath. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, but was startled by soft lips pressing against hers in a quick kiss. Her shock turned to anger, but when she opened her eyes, she saw who it was.
“I thought you were going to be in Vegas, Blaine. Did they cancel the gig?”
“I canceled the gig. Well, my part in it. Jack is going in my stead.”
Her jaw dropped. “But they’re your favorite band. Your idols. And the free tickets and the backstage passes.”
“My favorite singer is right here. And if it’s backstage passes, you’re after ...”
She grabbed his jacket and pulled him to her, capturing his lips in a kiss. When they came up for air, he stammered, “I’ve been thinking about this moment for a long time. Ever since I met you.”
She grinned. “You mean ever since you ran into me. Literally.”
“I suppose I should say something witty like ‘I crashed into your life and you ran away with my heart.’ But I think Les Miserables is more appropriate. To love or have loved, that is enough. As nothing further.”
He pulled out a small box from his pocket and thrust it at her. She stared at it a moment before taking it. When she opened it, there sat the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen, white gold with a central sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds.
“You did say blue was your favorite color.”
She stared at it some more and then looked into Blaine’s eyes. “Is this what I think it is?”