Max

by Sawyer Bennett

  I see Vale just behind him give him an eye roll, then a quick kiss, before she turns to open the oven and check on the lasagna she'd brought over as a housewarming present.

  Yes, it's kind of my housewarming, because this is the day that the kids and I moved into Max's house.

  It didn't take long for Max to convince me. In fact, he started working on me the evening of the charity gala a month ago, and when I say he worked on me, that means he kept trying to get me to agree to it while he was fucking me, but doing it so slowly I couldn't quite grab ahold of the orgasm that was fluttering just beyond my reach.

  When I agreed, he slammed home and tipped me over the edge. I became very, very happy and Max got what he wanted as well.

  The reason it's taken me a month to move in is because of the holidays, then Max insisted that each kid get to decorate their own room and pick out what furniture they wanted. I was slightly uneasy over this, but then Max did what he does best...he just simply reminded me that his commitment to me was a commitment to us as a family. That naturally included the kids, and his desire wasn't just to have me but to have them as well.

  The thought still makes my eyes mist up.

  Turns out, Vale got her old job back with the Cold Fury, so despite Hawke's grumblings, I know he's a very happy man. I note that Hawke is now kissing Vale in Max's kitchen--no, wait, it's my kitchen too now--and I use that as a good opportunity to sneak my way upstairs. I can hear Max's voice right away and I head to the room at the end of the hall. This brings me past Levy's room, which he chose to have decorated in a dinosaur motif, then past Rocco's room, which reflected his love of science. There was border wallpaper of all the planets and he had us put glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

  Neither of the boys were in their rooms but rather outside playing in the backyard, even though it was a seriously chilly day.

  When I hit Annabelle's room--which is my favorite by far, with its pink princess decor--I find Max sitting on the floor with her as she dresses her doll. He's not actively playing with her but merely sitting down cross-legged and engaging in quiet conversation while she dresses the doll.

  "Think Levy and Rocco will like their new school?" she asks him. Her back is to me so she doesn't see me lean against the doorjamb, my arms crossed over my chest as I listen in. Max does see me though and I know this only because his eyes come to mine briefly, where they smile at me, before turning his attention back to Annabelle.

  "I'm sure they're going to love it," he tells her, and she nods in silent agreement. "Ben goes there, and so do Ruby and Violet."

  "And do you think I'll like my new school?" she asks, her fingers working the buttons on the doll's dress. I can hear a little bit of tension in her voice and my heart squeezes for her.

  We decided to enroll Annabelle in private daycare--well, they call them educational learning centers--to get her some more social interaction. She'll enter into prekindergarten there and then start public school in the fall.

  This was a source of some contention between Max and me because I absolutely cannot afford that school on what I'm making. Well, I could if I didn't have any other expenses, but because I feel like I should be paying something to Max for my share of the house, that means I do have other expenses. While my share would be paltry in comparison to what it costs to run this monstrosity of a house, he knows it's something I feel strongly about at this point.

  But once again we both proved we could talk things out, and I could let go a little bit of my stubbornness and pride. We eventually decided that my income would go toward groceries, utilities, and Annabelle's school. Max would cover everything else.

  I capitulated and I didn't dwell on it. I decided I couldn't waste any more time in worries over how people would view me with Max. The only thing that mattered was what he thought.

  "You will absolutely love your new school," Max tells her with exuberance, then my heart melts again when he takes his big hand and palms the top of her head in a reassuring manner.

  It melts further when Annabelle finally raises her eyes to his and I see them filled with trust and acceptance of what he says.

  Four days later...

  My phone rings and my stomach cramps a bit when I see it's Dwayne calling. I'd not heard a peep out of him after his letter to me back in November. Max and I discussed how we should respond, and ultimately Max talked me into talking to an attorney so I could get some solid advice on how we should handle Dwayne. The attorney gave us great information, including until Dwayne got his child support caught up, he essentially had no rights nor any other leverage over us. Thus, we decided it was best if I didn't respond to him. Call him on his bluff and let's just see if Dwayne will be Dwayne and sort of disappear the way he's known for doing.

  Looks like my reprieve from having to deal with him though is over.

  I put my paintbrush down, take a deep breath, and pick up my phone. "Hello, Dwayne."

  "Where are you?" he asks in a bewildered voice. "I'm at your apartment and someone else is living here."

  I consider lying to him for all of about two seconds, but I know I can't do that. If I'm going to handle Dwayne, I have to do it with everything laid out on the table. "The kids and I moved in with Max."

  "Oh," is all he says, and he neither sounds put out by this information or happy about it. "Well, I need to see you. We need to talk."

  I agree. We need to talk, but it's going to be done on my terms, and that essentially means that I want Max by my side when I do this. He's my rock solid support and I need his strength. Unfortunately, he's in New York and won't be home until tomorrow evening.

  "I can do it day after tomorrow," I tell Dwayne.

  "It has to be today," he says, again...not overly put out but more just in a rush or something.

  "Well, it can't be done today," I tell him. "Day after tomorrow. I'll have to text you the time as I'm not sure what Max's schedule will be that day."

  I brace for an argument, but instead he says, "Okay...fine. Just text me when and where."

  Two days later...

  The doorbell rings and Max gets up off the couch we'd been sitting on to answer it. I go ahead and stand up, wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans.

  Max decided to have Dwayne come here, and I had to agree with his logic. His reasoning was that Dwayne was still the kids' father, and while he didn't have guardianship, he did have some visitation rights. Granted, those rights were suspended by the court because his child support was past due, but Max wanted to try to show him we could all get along.

  So Max opens the door and Dwayne is standing there, looking in awe of Max's house.

  Correction...our house. Still having a hard time getting used to that.

  Max steps back and says to Dwayne, "Come on in."

  Dwayne does so, and looks around at the bronzed tiled entryway before looking up at the massive iron light that hangs from the second-story ceiling, with the staircase winding around it.

  When his gaze drops, it locks on mine. "Hey, Jules."

  Jules? That's interesting.

  It's also interesting that his voice sounds almost humble.

  I don't trust it for a minute.

  "Come on into the kitchen," I tell Dwayne, and turn my back on him. I can hear him and Max following as I walk through the formal sitting area, past the wet bar area with the staircase that leads down to the basement, and into the kitchen. "Want some coffee?"

  "That would be great," he says.

  It's a tense silence as I throw a K-Cup in the Keurig and wait for his coffee to brew. I know he takes it black, so after the last drop falls, I turn and hand the cup to him. I nod toward one of the kitchen island stools and he takes a seat. I walk to the opposite side of the counter and stand before him, Max coming to stand beside me.

  I don't say anything. I watch as Dwayne takes a tiny sip of his coffee, then he sets the cup down and looks at me. "I'm not here to fight about the kids."

  My eyebrows raise in surprise but I don't say anythi
ng.

  His gaze drops to his cup and he says, "I, um...I'm going to head back to Oklahoma. My girl and I broke up, and well...you know I can't afford to have an attorney fight about those kids right now. Maybe once I'm settled and get into a job...I can work to catch up the child support."

  I don't believe a word he says, but I do say, "That would be a good idea."

  Dwayne is silent for a moment before he looks at me. "I could use some money to get set up back in Oklahoma. You know...to rent a place and give me some cushion until I find a job."

  I stare at him.

  He continues, "And I was thinking...you know, since I'm not going to fight you for the kids, you could front me some money to get back home."

  My mouth opens to tell him he's got some nerve, but Max says quietly, "Jules...will you give me and Dwayne a minute? I'd like to talk to him privately."

  At first I feel a rush of anger that Max would think to exclude me, but when he turns his gaze on me, the anger fizzles because before me I see a man who wants to be my champion and he's simply asking me to let him do it.

  "Sure," I say quietly, and I walk out of the kitchen.

  Now, I am in no way not going to listen in on what's being said, so I make a production of climbing the stairs with some mild stomping so Dwayne thinks I'm out of earshot, but I stop right at the top landing and lean my forearms on the banister. Looking down over the open foyer with the front door just beyond, I know the sound from the kitchen will travel well enough for me to hear what's going on.

  "Just a little bit of money," Dwayne says, his supplication now aimed at Max. "I know you got plenty, man, and I swear, you won't ever see me again."

  I'm surprised when Max says, "And what about Annabelle, Levy, and Rocco...will they see you again? You just going to jet out of their life for good?"

  "Man...you know I'm not a good daddy," Dwayne says with an actual measure of genuine self-disgust aimed at himself. "Wasn't a good husband either."

  "Doesn't mean those kids don't need to know their father," Max says, and this again surprises me. I sort of thought when he asked for privacy, he was going to lay into Dwayne.

  "I'm no good for them," he says, and that sounds like self-pity now, and I never could tolerate that attitude, so my nose involuntarily wrinkles. "So maybe just give me some money and I'll be out of here for good."

  There's silence, and I can almost envision Max staring Dwayne down. I can also envision Dwayne doesn't have the bravery to hold Max's critical gaze.

  Finally, I hear Max's voice, and it's empathetic but uncompromising. "We're not going to give you a dime, Dwayne. You've managed to take care of yourself this long in life, I'm sure you'll find some way to survive. But I will tell you what I'll do. First, if you ever think to threaten Jules again about taking those kids away from her--when you've never once showed an ounce of interest in their well-being or in their mother as she died--then I want you to know I will use every penny of my vast and incredible fortune to fight you. I will bankrupt and bury you before I ever let that happen."

  There's a small pause, and Dwayne doesn't say a word.

  Max continues, his voice a little softer now. "But, what I will do is talk to Jules about perhaps rescinding the order for child support. Take that monkey off your back, since you clearly have no desire to pay it. In return, I want you to relinquish all of your paternal rights so Jules can officially adopt those kids. She's their mom now. She's been more of a parent to them in these months than you've been in their entire lives."

  More silence, and I can no longer even envision what Dwayne's or Max's face looks like at this point, because this is so not where I thought their conversation would go.

  "However," Max says, this time as if he were talking to a child who needed some type of encouragement. "I know Jules would still want you to be a part of their lives. You don't have the maturity to care for them and raise them the way a parent has to sacrifice to do so, but I do think you have the power to love them. So I would propose you still have some type of regular visitation. Jules and I will bring them to you when our schedules permit, or I'll pay to fly you here to see them."

  Immediately, my nose starts stinging, and I don't even try to quell the tears that start to form.

  Oh, God...sweet, genuine, generous Max, doing right by not only me and those children, but also doing right by Dwayne. Still trying to include a wayward father into those kids' lives.

  I don't bother listening anymore. I have no clue what Dwayne will decide to do, but I know Max would never make decisions without me and will call me down when I'm needed. Besides, it really doesn't matter what he decides. Nothing will change the fact that those kids belong to me and Max.

  So I turn and head into Levy's room, and make myself busy picking up his toys and clothes he'd left lying around this morning before going to school. I'll do the same for Rocco and Annabelle when I'm done.

  Three weeks later...

  "It's finally here," I shout out as I barge into Fleurish, not caring if I scare the crap out of any of Stevie's customers.

  Stevie calls back, "I'm in the back."

  I hurry back there, vaguely noticing that the shop actually has a few customers, but they're currently being helped by one of Stevie's employees and don't give me a second glance.

  I find Stevie at a large worktable, creating a floral arrangement of such beauty, it takes my breath away for a moment. "Oh, wow. That is stunning."

  "Never underestimate the value of a gay man arranging flowers," he says dryly and then pushes the large container of what looks to be lilac and lavender sprigs mixed with baby white roses away from him. "Let's see it."

  I round the worktable and come up to stand beside him, plopping the latest issue of Sports World on the wooden top.

  Max's gorgeous face grins back at us with the title "Hottest Sports Bachelor" across the top.

  I have to say, I love the photo they chose. It was one of him sitting on a chrome barstool, holding a goalie stick across his lap as he wound tape around the base. I remember the photographer telling him to look up and "smile," and when he did so, they captured the perfect picture, complete with shining eyes and panty-dropping dimples.

  "Have you read it yet?" Stevie asks as we stare at the cover.

  "Nope," I tell him. "Thought we could do it together and maybe giggle like girls when we do so."

  "I can totally do that," he says, and starts flipping through the magazine until we get to the article, which starts with the preceding page filled with Max and the two bikini babes on either side of him.

  Doesn't even bother me in the slightest.

  "He's so hot," Stevie murmurs.

  "Tell me about it," I say dreamily.

  "Okay, let's read the article," he says, and starts to do so out loud. " 'Voting was contentious and close, but we're pleased to announce that Max Fournier, hot goalie for the Carolina Cold Fury, has been named as Sports World's Hottest Bachelor.' "

  Stevie continues to read aloud, the article actually giving a lovely recitation of Max's accomplishments, all the way back to when he played hockey as a little kid in Montreal. While he reads, I just stare at the hotness of Max, completely able to disregard the gorgeous women beside him.

  When Stevie flips to the next page, I blink for a moment but then immediately my eyes are locked onto the next picture and I'm stunned. It's not one from the formal photo shoot, but rather one of the candid photos Camille took of me and Max. The reporter must have reached out to her for them.

  It's not one that was in her horrid article but appears to be the moment just before he'd kissed me. He's got one hand wrapped around the back of my neck and he's peering down at me with such utter love that my knees start to shake.

  Did I recognize that in his eyes then?

  I don't remember, but it's clear as day now.

  Max is looking at me as if I matter more to him than the air he breathes. And my gaze back at him...it mirrors his perfectly. I'm staring back with the same look of almost awe and d
evotion.

  " '...and Max was more than happy to talk to us about his love life,' " Stevie says, and my ears definitely perk back up at that.

  I lean in closer to him and my eyes start scanning the article, trying to pinpoint exactly where he's reading from. But the magazine is snatched out from under my nose and Stevie steps back from me, holding it up to read further.

  "Stevie," I say with a growl.

  He just holds his hand up and says, "Cool it, sister. And just listen."

  I give out a huff of frustration, but then Stevie's reading and I'm suddenly lost to Max's words. " 'Let me tell you something about Jules. She is without a doubt the most amazing human being I've ever met. Not woman...I'm talking out of all the people I've ever encountered, she's the best of them. I could go on and on, but I know it would embarrass her if I did. That's because she's also one of the most humble people I've ever known. I know she's taken some flack from a few of my fans, but I have to believe that most of them aren't like that. That they're truly happy for me that I've found someone to share my life with.' "

  Prickles in my nose again, and that's the sign a good cry is coming. It's my cry-o-meter.

  Even Stevie gets a little choked up when he continues on, " 'And while I wasn't all that crazy about being named hottest bachelor and all that, because let's admit it--it's a little embarrassing--I'd at least like to accept this title as sort of my last hurrah. So Jules...I know you're reading this, babe...I'd like to officially take myself off all bachelor lists and ask you to marry me. You know it's not too soon, and you know it's right. So as soon as you finish this article, give me a call and tell me yes, okay?' "

  "Holy shit," I wheeze as Stevie's eyes fly up from the magazine and lock with mine.

  "Did he just?" Stevie whispers.

  "Ask me to marry him?" I whisper back.

  He nods at me, almost afraid to say it again. But then he lowers the magazine and, still whispering, asks, "What are you going to do?"

  I don't even hesitate as my hand dives into my purse and I fish my phone out. My hands are shaking as I pull up Max's number and tap it. As it starts to ring, I look back to Stevie and grin. "I'm going to say yes, of course."