Breaking the Cycle

by Tricia Andersen

  It took a couple days for Liz to warm up to him. However, Max had been a part of the family long enough that Liz couldn’t stay mad. She was elated about the engagement and gushed over the couple. She was excited enough to start shopping for condos for herself on the Internet while at the hospital with Chloe. Once she moved, she planned to give Chloe and Max the house to start their lives together.

  Chloe cuddled against him as they watched a movie. Max took a breath before he spoke. “So, we haven’t set a date yet.”

  Chloe looked up to him from where she had pillowed her head. “We haven’t. What do you think?”

  “I had a crazy idea. Your birthday is October first. Mine is the thirtieth.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Halloween is my favorite holiday. Instead of candy, I got presents. A benefit of being born the day before. Let’s have a Halloween wedding.”

  Chloe sat up excitedly. “That would be wonderful! It would give us a little over a year to plan.”

  “I wasn’t thinking next year, Chloe. I was thinking this year. Maybe the Saturday before. In six weeks.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Six weeks?”

  “Yes. We already live in the same house. Nothing would change from the way it is now, except your last name. I don’t want to wait. I want to be your husband. I want you for my wife.”

  Chloe stared at him, dumbfounded, for several long seconds. Then, she smiled. “I love that idea. Let’s do it. Let’s get married in six weeks.”

  Max slanted his mouth over hers, nudging her lips apart in a victorious kiss.

  The rest of the day was spent cuddled on the couch, making lists of things to do and guests to invite, and placing phone calls to solidify a place to be married in and a venue for the reception. Max’s family lined up their church for the ceremony. The New Ulm Country Club would host the reception. They were thrilled. Everything was falling into place.

  The next morning, Max slowly dressed for work. He didn’t want to leave Chloe home by herself, but he needed to talk to Jack and soon. And they needed to devise a new training plan while Rico recovered from his surgery.

  He started in the hallway when he found Chloe waiting outside his door, dressed in a tight-fitting tank and lycra capris. “Where are you going?” he demanded.

  “Work,” Chloe answered.

  “You need to rest, baby.”

  “I need to be with you. I feel fine. Please?”

  He sighed and smiled. “All right. Let’s go.”

  Chloe chattered the entire ride to the gym. Max loved hearing the sound of her voice. It meant two things. She was feeling much better. And she was soon to be his bride. He held the door to Hard Drive open for her, kissing her softly as she passed through.

  They both stopped at the base of the mats, and in unison, looked up to the offices that lined the metal walkway on the second floor. She pressed her lips to his cheek for encouragement then hurried off to the locker room to get ready for the day. Max took a deep breath then jogged up the stairs. He rapped his knuckles against the door of Jack’s office.

  “Enter!” Jack shouted from within. Max turned the knob and stepped inside.

  Jack was seated at his desk, his email up on the screen and the ledger book open. He was dressed in his customary suit with his slicked-back, black hair. He still looked more like a used car salesman than the owner of a MMA gym. “Max,” he greeted. “You’re back. And I understand congratulations are in order.”

  “Yeah. Thanks. I want you to get me a fight.”

  Jack smirked as a sly grin crossed his face. “It took you long enough to realize it.”

  “I’m sorry?” Max demanded, dumbfounded.

  “I didn’t hire you for your personal training skills. Granted, the fact that you’re the best MMA trainer in Minnesota is not a lie. I would wager you’re the best in the nation. I hired you so that you would see where you truly belonged. In the octagon. Did you know there are still thousands of people who want to see you fight? Who still believe in you? I guess it took more than me to convince you of that. It took that little girl you’re about to make your wife.”

  Max stared coldly at him. “I’m agreeing to one.”

  “One is all it’ll take to bring you back in. I’m glad you came in to talk to me. I have something else to talk to you about. I’ve been offered a lucrative partnership in Tampa. I’ll be making far more money than a gym in Minneapolis. I’m taking it. I want you to take Hard Drive.”

  Max frowned at him. “Wait. You want to sell me the gym?”

  “Yes. It’s either that or put it on the market. If I do that, it won’t be Hard Drive for long. I came to you about this because I know how much you love this place. There’s no one else that would give it the attention and devotion you would.”

  Max shook his head. “I can’t give you an answer right now. I have to think about more than just me. I have to think about Chloe too. I’ll have to talk to her about it.”

  “I understand. Talk to her and let me know in the next couple days. This place would thrive with you and Chloe. You could start the Thomas legacy with her here.”

  Max opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the door slamming open. He growled in response, as Phoebe clung to the doorknob breathless and wild-eyed.

  “Good,” she whimpered. “You’re both here. I need to talk to both of you. I need to know why you, Jack, took my job and you, Max, took my heart.”

  “Took your heart?” Max barked. “We would have to be a couple first. We never were. We weren’t even friends. You almost cost me everything, Phoebe. If Rico weren’t so on top of things, I would have lost Chloe. She’s who I love. Not you.”

  “Phoebe,” Jack interjected. “You know you’re breaking two restraining orders simultaneously, right? I filed for you to stay five-hundred feet away from both this gym and from Rico and Max. One call to the police will slam your little psycho butt in jail. You know that, right?”

  Phoebe turned her back to Jack, choosing to ignore what he had said. She didn’t even flinch when he picked up the phone receiver and started to dial. Instead, she straightened herself and sashayed to Max. “Max, baby. You can’t be serious that you love that sick little thing down there. You need a real woman to take care of you. You need me.”

  Max glared at her. “I need Chloe. This conversation is done. Stay away from me.” He stormed past her out of the office. His determined stride didn’t stop as he descended the steps and crossed the mats. She wouldn’t follow him into the men’s locker room. Would she?

  Max froze as he heard the sound of a fist striking flesh. Slowly, he turned around, his eyes growing wide in shock. Phoebe was flat on her back on the mat, her platinum blonde hair matted to her face and her hand clamped around her nose. A thin trail of blood seeped from between her fingers.

  Above her hovered Chloe, her fists held tight to her hips. Rage coursed from her as she leaned over Phoebe. “That’s for trying to steal my fiancé!” Chloe snarled, ice in her voice.

  “I think you broke my nose!” Phoebe shouted back.

  “Good! You deserve it!”

  Max glanced at Mark and Dan, who, with the rest of the gym, had gathered around the melee. The emotional reaction from all three men was slow but in chorus. They each lifted their hands over their mouths to hide their laughter.

  Chloe looked up at each of them, the anger etched in her face melting into mortification at what she had done. Tears welled in her eyes. It probably didn’t help that the three men closest to her were chuckling at her assault on Phoebe. She turned pale as the police flocked into the gym from Jack’s call. Jack talked animatedly with the first officer as he led him to the crowd around Chloe and Phoebe.

  “That’s the woman I have a restraining order against,” Jack informed the man as he pointed at Phoebe still planted on the mat dabbing at her bloody nose. “She’s not to come near this building or my trainer.” He thumbed toward Max.

  Phoebe pointed an accusing finger at Chloe. “She hit me! I want h
er arrested for assault!”

  Max took a step toward Chloe. Jack smiled at Phoebe. “From what I saw, Phoebe, you shoved Chloe. Didn’t you?”

  Phoebe’s eyes darted around wildly. “Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

  The officer snaked his fingers around Phoebe’s bicep and hauled her to her feet. “Come on, miss. I think we need to go have a talk down at the station.” He led her through the crowd toward the door and the waiting police cars.

  Max wrapped his arms tight around Chloe, drawing her to him. She buried herself against him as she hid her face in his chest. “I can’t believe I hit her. What was I thinking?” she muttered.

  He chuckled. “Chloe, right now, I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of you.”

  She shot him an irritated glare before turning at Jack’s approaching footsteps. He too, was laughing. “Nice right hook, Chloe. Maybe I’m putting the wrong Thomas in the octagon.”

  She shook her head, clearly flustered, as she pulled from Max’s arms. Then she stalked off across the gym to the women waiting to start class. Max watched her, still amused, before he wandered off in the opposite direction to start his training.

  The day went quicker than Max expected. As each moment passed, his mood soured. All he could think of was Jack’s offer. He had always dreamed of owning a gym. It was all he had wanted, until he met Chloe. Now, all he wanted was her. Would she want to start their marriage getting into such a huge investment? He exhaled slowly as he tugged on his shoe.

  “Come on, slowpoke.” Chloe winked at him. “I’m starving.”

  Max forced a smile on his face as he stood and took her hand. Together, they shut off the lights and locked the door. Hand in hand, they walked to the car.

  He drove down the highway without a purpose. How could he even ask her this question? He was brought from his thoughts by her voice. “Umm, Max. Home is the other way. Where are we going?”

  “I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”

  “Oh.” Chloe folded her hands and set them on her lap. Max watched her for a second then turned his attention back to the road.

  He pulled into the parking lot of the diner they had gone to for guys’ night out and shut off the engine. Stepping out of the Mustang, he crossed to the other side to offer his hand to his fiancée. Once they were inside, the waitress showed them to a booth. Max stared out the window as he searched for the words to tell her.

  “Max, what’s wrong?” Chloe’s voice was full of concern.

  He had to smile. He should have known she’d pick up on it before he could say anything. “Jack talked to me today about Hard Drive. He’s leaving for Tampa.”

  “What’s going to happen to the gym?” she demanded. There was panic laced in her voice.

  Max took a deep breath. “He wants to sell the gym to me. To us. It’s such a huge step, especially with us just getting married and starting our lives together.”

  Chloe didn’t answer. Her brown eyes were wide in disbelief. Finally, she spoke. “You told him yes, didn’t you?”

  “No. You want to own Hard Drive?”

  “Don’t you? Owning a gym has been your dream.”

  “You’re my dream, Chloe.”

  “Max. You know I love you. And you’re my dream come true too. But seriously, ever since I’ve known you, you’ve worked toward this one goal. And this is Hard Drive. This is our gym. We can’t let someone else take it from us.”

  He smiled. “You’re serious about doing this?”

  “Yes.”

  He laughed as he leaned across the booth to kiss her. “Then, yes. I’ll call Jack and tell him we’ll take it.”

  “Great!” Chloe fell silent. “I wonder if that’s why he wanted to teach me the books so badly before he went to Vegas. He knew then that he was leaving.”

  Max took her hand in his. “He must have known a lot more than that if he was teaching you the books and offering the gym to me.”

  She winked at him. “That Jack is a pretty smart guy.”

  “Not smart enough to realize what a psycho Phoebe was.”

  Chloe hid her face in her hands. “I still can’t believe I hit her. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “You were protecting me.”

  She peeked at him from between her fingers. “You don’t need my protection.”

  “Actually, I do. Just as much as you need mine.”

  She beamed at him. He smiled at her in return as he felt his heart swell with pride. He loved that smile. He loved that woman. He would do anything for her. He was hers forever.

  »»•««

  Chloe perched on the edge of the sofa in the bridal room. She sighed as she glanced around. She could barely sit in her dress. She had wanted simple. Her short sleeves hugged her arms. There was no bling to the bodice of her gown. But the skirt flowed everywhere, and the underskirt flared it out around her.

  She stared at her fingers in her lap. She hated being alone in this room. Liz was waiting excitedly outside to walk her down the aisle. Tami and Jenny were off retrieving Tyson from the guys. She closed her eyes. She just prayed they didn’t come back with bad news, like the groom wasn’t there.

  Her head snapped up as the women opened the door, each holding onto one of Tyson’s hands. They were dressed in simple, sage green gowns to stand up for her as her bridesmaids. The little boy scampered across the room and plopped on the couch next to her. He laid his little head on her arm. “Aunt Chloe,” he cooed.

  “Tyson, be careful with Aunt Chloe,” Tami warned. “You don’t need to muck up her pretty, white dress right before her wedding.”

  The little boy looked up at Chloe excitedly. For the first time, she noticed he had the same beautiful blue eyes as his uncle. “Guess what costume I’m wearing to your party, Aunt Chloe?”

  “I don’t know, Tyson. Who are you going to be?”

  Before the little boy could speak, Tami interrupted him. “Now, sweetie. We talked. We want to surprise Aunt Chloe and Uncle Max. Don’t we? If you tell them your costume, they’ll be able to guess everyone’s.”

  Tyson let go a little huff of exasperation. Jenny grinned at Chloe. “It looks to me like Aunt Chloe is a little anxious.”

  “It is my wedding day. I never thought I’d have one. I’m just worried I still won’t.”

  Both women started giggling. “Chloe, we’ve seen your groom. He’s here. He’s not a flight risk. If he was, we’d be hunting down our little brother and dragging him back here. If anything, he’s worried about you. He kept mentioning your anti-anxiety meds.”

  Chloe glanced in her purse. On top of all the other contents were two prescription bottles instead of one. “I started taking them yesterday at the gym. I wanted to make sure they were working.”

  “Good. I think Max was worried you would episode and that would postpone the wedding.”

  Liz popped her head in the room. “Chloe, are you ready? It’s time.”

  Chloe rose slowly, taking Tyson’s hand in hers. She followed her mother and the two women to the church. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. This was it. She was about to be married. She looked down at Tyson, who beamed back at her. Her breath caught in her throat. She had to have a baby with Max, no matter what it took. With any luck, her child would look strikingly like their cousin.

  The church was packed. She couldn’t see the front. She looked franticly at Liz. Her mother smiled encouragingly at her before wrapping her arm around Chloe’s. As the music swelled, they slowly started down the aisle.

  Her whole body trembled as they neared the end. There he was. Max stood waiting for her, his blue eyes twinkling, wearing a smile that lit up her heart. She sighed at how incredible he looked in a tux. Beside him stood Mark, Dan, and Rico all dressed to impress as his groomsmen. “Hi,” Max whispered.

  “Hi,” she squeaked.

  Chloe couldn’t remember the ceremony. All she could remember was the feel of her arm wrapped tight around Max’s. She steeled her courage to say her vows clear
and loud. She didn’t want anyone to doubt how much she loved him. She committed every word he said to memory as he recited his vows to her.

  Once they exchanged wedding rings, the minister presented them. Chloe could barely breathe. Soon would be their first kiss as husband and wife. She quaked as she waited. As the music began, Max smiled at her, took her hand in his, and led her to the back of the church. Chloe frowned. What happened to the kiss?

  Once their guests were excused to get ready for the reception, the wedding party re-assembled for pictures. There were dozens of poses. Not one of them involved a kiss. Chloe’s heart sunk in her chest. Why won’t he kiss me?

  As they finished, Max pulled her aside. “I want to make one stop before the reception.”

  “Ok.” She watched the church slip away as she sighed.

  They were the only ones in the vehicle. Their attendants had disappeared. It was just her, Max, and the limo driver. She glanced out the window to find a car following them. Oh, and the photographer.

  Her frown melted away as they pulled through the gate of the state park. The car weaved its way down the drive to the parking lot closest to the bridge. Max helped her from the limo. Their fingers intertwined, they walked the path to the wooden structure. They ascended the steps then leaned against the rail.

  “Now, this is perfect,” Max breathed.

  “How is it perfect?” Chloe questioned. “It’s the end of October. It’s chilly.”

  “Our bridge. I’ve been waiting to kiss you until we got here. I wanted to share our first kiss as husband and wife in the place where we shared our first real kiss.”

  Chloe’s couldn’t breathe. “Max. Wow.”

  “Wow, what?”

  “You’ve been my protector. You’ve been my hero. You are undeniably sexy. And now, you are so romantic.”

  “Chloe, you’re the one who makes me this way. I want to protect you with my life. I want to be your hero. And I want to sweep you off your feet. Now, about that kiss…”