“Pregnancy looks good on you.” It was true. Not only did the roundedness of her stomach look adorable, but there was a glow about her that exuded life.
Her cheeks filled with color, but she didn’t dip her head or show any signs of embarrassment at his compliment. If that was the case, he’d be sure to offer more.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl, yet?”
“I’m choosing not to find out.”
He nodded as he put his hands in the water, surprised at how hot it was. “I bet Nick was excited when he heard the news.”
She lifted a platter out of the drying rack and didn’t respond to his comment. Max glanced at her, thinking that she might not have heard—but the look on her face suggested she had.
“Didn’t Nick want kids?” he asked softly.
Piper nibbled on her bottom lip as she dried the platter. “At first he did,” she confided slowly. “We tried for kids right away, but after a couple years, I encouraged him to see a doctor.”
Max continued to wash the dishes as he listened to her, not wanting to show any emotion, either way, in case it made her stop telling him the story.
“I had been to my doctor several times and had been reassured that I should have no trouble conceiving.” She set the platter down and took up a glass pitcher. “Nick didn’t want to admit the problem might be with him. We started to fight about the issue—a lot. Month after month, my dream of having a baby was dashed, but he refused to seek medical help.”
A clock somewhere in the house chimed the hour as Max rinsed the pan he’d washed and set it on the drying rack.
“Everything snowballed from there. We had bought this place and were living on the third floor. I was pouring every spare moment, and dime, into the house and he pulled away a little bit more each day.” She tucked a dark brown curl behind her ear and picked up the pan. “I was miserable. He was miserable. We fought all the time. When I finally talked him into seeing a doctor, five years had passed. That was about a year ago. It took several months to finally get pregnant.” She stopped wiping the pan. “By then, he was indifferent to being a dad, our marriage was pretty much over and we were in serious financial trouble.”
Her words were almost devoid of emotion. “I’m sorry, Piper.”
She was quiet for a moment. “I always thought that somehow, we’d make it through. I knew things were bad, but I thought we’d have years and years to turn things around.” She shook her head and swallowed hard. “If I would have known about the accident—known that we didn’t have the luxury of time—I would have been less selfish and more understanding. I wouldn’t have asked for so much.”
“What did you ask for that was so selfish? A baby, a house and a happy marriage?”
“Those things sound like they’d be simple to attain, and most people have them, but I’m not entitled to any of them. They’re gifts and I learned the hard way not to take any of them for granted.” She set down the pan and took another dish. “I know it sounds a bit jaded, but the truth is, I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve ever wanted. Nothing has come easily to me, so I’ve learned how to square my shoulders and keep pushing forward. This house and baby were no different.”
Max knew enough about her childhood to know that she’d been fighting since she was a little girl. Her mom had died of cancer when she was nine, but her parents hadn’t told Piper her mom was sick until the week she died. They had kept it a secret for two years, thinking they were protecting her, but it had only caused Piper to mistrust the people closest to her. It was the reason she had made Max promise to always be honest with her, regardless of how much it hurt.
After her mom died, her dad had brought her to Timber Falls to start over and to take a new job. But he had started to drink and couldn’t hold down a job for long. While other families attended activities and sports to cheer on their students, Piper had done everything alone. Max’s parents had embraced her as a surrogate daughter, but it wasn’t the same. The last thing she’d needed was for Max to hurt her, too.
But those things were in the past and there was no way for Max to change them. All he could do was focus on the here and now.
They worked in companionable silence for a few minutes and then Max asked, “How did the open house go? I’m sorry I couldn’t be here.”
“We ran out of cookies,” she said with a slow smile. “Which made Mrs. Anderson both proud and embarrassed. She made over five hundred and all that we have left are the crumbs.”
“Five hundred?” Max’s eyes grew wide. “There were five hundred people here today?”
“More, probably.” She shrugged. “Everyone was eager to see what this place looks like—and there were several who came hoping to get a glimpse of you.”
Max paused his scrubbing. “Me?”
“Does that surprise you? You’re the most famous person who’s come out of Timber Falls since Esther Lund, the movie star.”
“I’m very surprised. All this time, I thought the people of Timber Falls hated me for destroying their chance at a state championship title.”
“You’ll find that the people in Timber Falls are fiercely proud of and loyal to their own. They might be angry for a while, but their love always wins out.” She glanced at him. “You might be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re still a hero around here.” She paused and her voice was a bit strained. “At least to most people.”
From the tone of her voice, Max was certain she was one of those who no longer saw him as a hero, and rightly so. He just hoped he could change her mind, though he wondered if he had it in him to fix the damage he had caused.
Chapter Four
The sweet aroma of chocolate chip cookies wafted to Max’s nose as he twisted the new bulb into the light socket above his head. Mrs. Anderson had just taken the last batch of cookies out of the oven and brought them into the front parlor where the guests could eat them at leisure. She’d also provided decaf coffee, hot tea and lemonade.
With a house full of guests, Max was happy to stay in the private quarters at the back and do the odd jobs on the list attached to the refrigerator. One of the lights had burned out in the kitchen and it was an easy enough task to complete. Plus, it gave him something to do on this first Saturday back in Timber Falls.
“Well,” Mrs. Anderson said as she came back through the swinging door a couple minutes later. “I think my work for the evening is done. The guests won’t require anything else until breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Max folded the ladder he’d been using and laid it against the wall by the back door. He’d found it in the garage and would need to take it back out there before it got too dark.
As Mrs. Anderson set down the tray she’d been holding, Max glanced toward Piper’s bedroom door. He had tried taking his time with the light bulb, hoping she’d make another appearance, but she’d slipped inside over an hour ago. Had she gone to bed for the night? It wasn’t even seven o’clock yet.
“How about a game of Scrabble when I’m done here?” Mrs. Anderson asked Max.
It was the last thing he wanted to do with his Saturday evening. He opened his mouth to respond but was stopped when Piper’s bedroom door opened and she stepped out.
She wore a cream-colored sweater dress with long sleeves, and a pair of tall brown boots. Her dark hair was long and flowing with loose curls. The outfit didn’t hide her pregnancy, nor did it draw attention to it. She looked amazing—and clearly dressed to go out.
“Look at you,” Mrs. Anderson said to Piper. “Don’t you look amazing! Max, doesn’t Piper look amazing?”
Max was speechless. She did look amazing, but he couldn’t find the right words to say so. All he could do was nod.
“Thank you,” Piper said as she closed her door and went to the side table where she grabbed her purse. “I’m already late, so I need to
hurry.”
“Where are you heading?” Max couldn’t help but ask. It was none of his business, but his curiosity had the better of him.
“Our ten-year class reunion.” She frowned. “Didn’t you get the invitation?”
Max shook his head. “No.”
“I’m sorry.” She clutched her purse in her hands. “I just assumed you got the invitation and decided not to come. I would have mentioned it sooner if I had known.” She studied him carefully. “You can still purchase a ticket at the door...if you want to come.”
Did he want to go to their class reunion? He had lost touch with everyone over the years and didn’t know how he’d be received. Would they give him the cold shoulder? Treat him like the villain he was? “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.” He tried to laugh. “I’d probably be kicked out.”
Piper lowered her purse. “You’re the one who pulled away, Max—not them.”
She was right. It was his own guilt and shame that had made him walk away from all his childhood friends. He’d used the excuse that they didn’t want him to be a part of their lives anymore. But, if he was being honest with himself, it was his own fear of rejection that had kept him away—and threatened to keep him away still.
It was yet another example of his inability to stick around when things became difficult.
“Word has already spread that you’re back in town.” Piper motioned toward the door. “If you don’t come, it’ll be a blatant snub on your part.”
She was always telling him the truth—regardless of how unpleasant it might be.
He’d come back to heal the past. Maybe his class reunion would be the place to start. “Can you wait about five minutes for me to change?”
Piper’s eyes lit up at his words. “Sure. But hurry, I’m on the planning committee and am the master of ceremonies for the evening. I can’t get there too late.”
He didn’t wait another moment, but raced up the two flights of stairs to the third floor and into his obscenely large apartment. It was far too big for one man and made him feel like a heel when he saw how small Piper and Mrs. Anderson’s bedrooms were on the main floor. The third-floor apartment boasted four bedrooms, a large living room, dining room and kitchen, plus a couple alcoves inside the turret and gables. The slanted ceilings reduced the room sizes a bit, but it was still enormous for one single man.
Max hadn’t completely unpacked his bags, so he had to rifle through one to find something decent to wear. If he was going to walk in with Piper, he needed to look presentable.
All his slacks were too wrinkled and he didn’t have time to iron them, so he grabbed a pair of nice jeans, threw on a white button-down shirt, a gray vest to cover the wrinkles, and pulled on a black sport coat. He slipped his black shoes on while running his hands through his hair, and then he grabbed his wallet and cell phone as he ran out of the apartment again. He wasn’t dressed as well as he’d like, but it was the best he could do.
When he slid to a stop on the bottom landing, where Piper stood waiting, he caught the look of appreciation on her face as she looked at him from head to toe. “You look nice,” she said.
“Thanks.”
“And you were fast, which is even better.”
“I didn’t want you to be late because of me.” He opened the door to the outside and let her pass through. Not only did she look good, she smelled good, too. He took a deep breath and inhaled the scent.
She started toward the sidewalk, but he stopped by his car. “Do you want to ride with me?”
“The reunion is at the arts center downtown. It’s only a few blocks.” She nodded her head in the direction she was heading. “Want to walk with me?”
“I thought you were late.”
“I’m late getting started. I don’t have to be there until 7:30, but I wanted to give myself enough time to walk.” She waited. “Are you coming?”
How many times had they walked together on these very same streets growing up? Max never thought he’d get the opportunity to do it again. “Of course.”
They started toward the downtown, walking east along Third Street. Ahead of them, two blocks away, the historic courthouse stood large and imposing with the modern government center attached. Sunshine warmed the street, but it was no longer hot or unpleasant.
A wave of nostalgia overcame Max as he glanced at the familiar houses around him and caught sight of Piper beside him. Though she was small, she had been a tough little girl, often standing up for him as much as he did for her. Bullies, of all shapes and sizes, had crossed their paths over the years and they had done an equally good job of fighting them off together.
He couldn’t help but smile as memory after memory came to his mind. His gaze hovered on her rounded stomach and he knew she would do just as well at being a mom. He wasn’t surprised to find her tackling life as she always had, though his heart hurt knowing she must be weary of doing it alone.
“What?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Just thinking about the past.”
A smiled tugged at her lips, revealing her dimple. “We had a good time, didn’t we?”
Better than good. “It almost seems like a dream now.”
Piper’s gaze became wistful as she nodded.
They walked in silence for a couple more minutes and then Max asked, “Have you thought of names for the baby?”
“I haven’t had much time to think about names.” She smiled, though sadness lined the edges of her mouth. “If it’s a girl, I’ve thought about naming her after my mom.”
“Elaine?”
Her eyes brightened. “You remembered?”
“Of course I remember your mom’s name.” He nudged her playfully. “Piper, you were my best friend for most of my life. I remember a lot more than you think I do.”
An awkward silence wedged between them and Piper looked away. “I’d call her Lainey for short,” she said.
“And what if it’s a boy?”
“I don’t have a boy’s name picked out.”
“Maybe that means it’s a girl.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe I don’t want to think about raising a son without his father.”
It was hard for Max to think about Nick being gone. He’d lost touch with him a long time ago, and had tried not to think about him being married to Piper—but it didn’t dim his grief, especially knowing how much it hurt the woman at his side.
It didn’t take them long to get to the arts center, which was housed in a historic brick building on the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue, near Ruby’s Bistro. When they were kids, the building used to be a craft and hobby store, but when that had closed, it had been renovated for the arts association. Large plate glass windows allowed Max to see their reflection as they approached, and it put a smile on his face. He and Piper looked good together, and for a split second, he could almost see himself on a different path, if he and Piper had never broken up. If he had simply made one different choice, they could have been walking up to their class reunion, hand in hand, and the baby she was carrying could have been his.
But as quickly as the image flashed through his mind, he pushed it away. He had no right to play a game of what-if in his mind. He had made his choices and had been living with them for ten years. And, besides, he was in no position to be a dad or husband. He didn’t even know where he’d be in four months when Piper’s baby was born.
“Ready?” she asked as they stopped outside the door.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
She smiled and shook her head, allowing him to open the door for her.
Megan Galloway, the class secretary, sat at the registration table near the front door. Her eyes opened wide at the sight of Max and she stood. “Max!” With a squeal of delight, she rounded the table and grabbed him in a hug, bouncing up and down the entire time. “You came! You came!”
<
br /> Max looked at Piper over Megan’s shoulder and found her hiding a grin.
If Megan’s reaction to having him join their reunion was any indication, he had nothing to fear.
* * *
Piper stood back as the eight reunion committee members came from all parts of the building to say hi to Max. Most of them were classmates who had returned to Timber Falls after college to settle down and raise their families.
“Why didn’t you tell us Max was coming?” Amber Eckert asked Piper as she came to Piper’s side. “I didn’t see his name on the registration list.”
“I’m just as surprised as you are.” Piper shrugged. Even though it had been forty-eight hours since he’d shown up at the bed-and-breakfast, she was still a little off-kilter with the whole thing.
“Either way, it’s pretty amazing.” Amber sighed. “I can’t wait until everyone else shows up. They’ll all be so surprised.”
Max stood amid the group of their old classmates and smiled politely, but Piper knew him well enough to see that he wasn’t enjoying all the attention. That was one thing she’d always liked about Max. Even in high school, when he’d been the star quarterback and all the college scouts had come to watch his games, he had never once acted better than anyone else—at least, not until the end of the football season when there was talk of him being good enough to go professional. But before that, he had been voted homecoming king and most likely to succeed. He had been everyone’s friend and no one’s enemy. That was why his betrayal had been so hard on everyone. No one saw it coming—least of all, Piper.
“Come on, people!” Samantha Rainy called out to the group, her no-nonsense demeanor the same as it had always been. “We have a reunion to run. Everyone to their posts. You can visit with Max later.”
As each person reluctantly left his side, Max’s gaze found Piper’s again. “What can I do to help you?” he asked her.
“Don’t forget your registration!” Megan called to Max in a singsong voice, waving him over to the registration table. “I can help you with that here.”
A Home for Her Baby Page 5