Bad Boy's Kiss (Firemen in Love Book 2) (27 page)

“No way. I'm not doing that.” I stared sadly at the empty spot where the RV used to be. “The only one I want is Max.”

Rachael snorted. “Are you deluding yourself? You seriously think he's coming back? My bet is, he used you while he got better, then he packed it up and flew back home to freedom fast as he could. He has no reason to get involved in this circus.”

She was right; he had no real reason. But then why did he call me daily to ask me how he was doing, and to say how much he missed me?

“I have an idea,” dad said. “You claim Max has changed, that he's no longer the pathetic shell of a man he used to be. Well, let's have him prove it.”

“Prove it?”

He nodded. “I'll pay to have a bachelor party thrown for him in Waco. The party will be a test for him. If he passes, I'll give him a chance. The public does love stories about reformed criminals.”

“And what if he doesn't?”

“Then you'll be marrying someone else.”

I wouldn't be marrying anyone at all if I packed a bag and ran away to Mexico. I'd had enough of this family drama. Let Rachael be the do-no-wrong princess. I wanted no part of this nonsense.

“Fine,” I muttered. “Do what you want.”

He went off to deal with the camera people, leaving me and Rachael alone.

“I thought you'd be more grateful, Anna. I spent my time digging up this info for your sake.”

“For my sake, right. Now dad thinks Max is criminal scum.”

“You didn't want to marry him anyway.”

But I
did.
No matter what he'd done, despite the fighting and drinking and getting into trouble, I still wanted him and no one else. No other man had ever taken such care of me, or made me feel so cherished.

I had to admit it: I was in love with the guy. And I hoped, with all my might, that he felt the same way.

“He's a good man. I know he is. This test of dad's will prove it.”

God, how I prayed I was right.

Chapter 19 - Max

After the accident, confined to the wheelchair and isolated in Bastrop, it felt like I'd entered another world.

Gone was the fast living I had been used to for so long. Gone were the bars, the late nights out, the drinking, the beautiful but brainless ladies.

At first, there was a hole inside my soul. Those things were my world, my comfort, all I knew. To have them ripped away so suddenly hurt like hell.

Then Anna found me, and not having that stuff didn't hurt so much anymore. She was nothing like the girls I chased after.

Didn't take long to realize she was perfect for me.

Now I was back in Waco, and there was a hole in me again – because that old life no longer held any appeal. This new life, the possibility of a future with her stretched out before me, had me both terrified and amazed.

“You need my hand, Max? I'm here if you have trouble.”

Jayce stood behind me as I struggled to climb the stairs. Walking was still uncomfortable, and my legs wobbled and refused to work now and again. But I hated sitting in that chair and I'd be damned if I would ever get back in it again.

“I'm fine.” My foot caught beneath a cement step, and I nearly fell. “Just a few more to go.”

I hadn't been inside my apartment since the day I left on that trip. With my legs finally functioning, I was free to return – and stay, if I liked. Nobody could force me back to Bastrop. I could be free of the Southwells and the web of lies I'd helped weave.

Except Anna wouldn't let me stay here. When I waved goodbye to her and drove away this morning, she looked so sad.

She didn't believe I'd come back. I saw the doubt in her eyes.

Being doubted, not being trusted by her, was more painful than any broken bone.

Well, I'd show her. I'd do whatever it took to earn that trust.

“Your face is turning real red.” Jayce fumbled with my suitcase. “You're making me nervous.”

I ignored him and hauled myself up the final step. On the landing, I plopped down, breathing hard and full of joy at my victory.

“Told you I could do it.”

He laughed. “You always were the most determined of us.”

“Man, it's good to be home.” I thrust the copper key into the familiar lock. “I've been away so long, it feels like a dream, almost.”

This might have been my home, yeah, but then why didn't I
feel
at home here anymore?

When I shoved open the squeaky door and stepped into my mess of an apartment, laundry strewn about the couch and dishes in the sink where I'd left them, I just felt sad.

Jayce set my bag down and sighed. “This place always smells like a mix of smoke and Indian food. Brings back memories.”

“Blame the lady downstairs for the latter.”

He opened the fridge and winced. “I guess whatever food you got in there's way past its prime.”

I was too busy letting my feelings eat me up inside to worry about rotten food. In Bastrop, I never intended to leave Anna. I promised her I would help, I'd be her pretend boyfriend to get her out of trouble.

Now here I was, set to marry her when I thought I'd never get hitched in my life. It would have been very easy to stay here and forget my promise. That I was tempted, even for a second, made me nervous.

Jayce patted me on the shoulder. “Hey, I'm worried about you. You haven't been the same since Hank let you go.”

I sighed. “Ya think? The station was my life. That was the only purpose I knew.”

“Maybe it wouldn't hurt to find a
new
purpose.” He dragged his hand over the thick layer of dust on the counter. “You lived with Anna for months. Whenever I talked to you on the phone, you sounded so happy, like a weight was lifted off you.”

“Is that so?”

The cloud of dust made him sneeze. “You're, ah, going back there, aren't you? I mean, you're here now. You could stay. It'd be like old times.”

When I thought of how I used to be, collecting women's phone numbers and bedding one after the other, I felt a stab of regret.

“Not so sure I want things how they used to be.”

Jayce and I sat together on the couch. I put on a football game on the TV. Back in the day, we'd always watch the game together while getting smashed out of our minds. With his family, he couldn't do that anymore.

“Now you understand what I was telling you, don't you?” He spoke gently. Patiently. “I can see it in your eyes. You really do care about Anna.”

I used to smack the guys for teasing me about having feelings for one of my conquests. This time, I didn't bother to deny it.

“Yeah, I do. Think I might be in love with her, whatever that means.” My stomach turned. “But I feel awful. There's so much confusion, so many thoughts competing in my brain, I can't think.”

Figured Jayce would rip on me for admitting my feelings, but nope. He was a new man now. He'd grown up.

I didn't want to admit it when he got married, but Elle changed him for the better.

Just like Anna did for me.

“Do you care enough to marry her?”

I let out a weak, pained laugh. “Please don't ask me that.”

“But you're out of time. The two of you invented this crazy story, and now what can you do? You could walk away and tell everyone the truth. Leave her to deal on her own. You don't owe her anything.”

My jaw clenched. “I owe her everything. She was an angel, taking care of my pathetic ass while I moped around for months doing nothing. She's too good to me.”

“You ever consider maybe she's too good
for
you?”

I glared at him, ready to push him off the couch – then realized he was right.

“Think about it. Not so long ago, you admitted you'd never settle down. The idea sickened you.”

“Then I met her.”

“She's a sweet, innocent girl. Look at you, and the bad things you've done.” He counted on his fingers. “You got fired – from more than one job. Arrested multiple times. Done every drug known to man. Ignored responsibilities to party instead. Slept with more girls than you can remember.”

“Shut up! You don't think I know what a dick I've been?”

His eyebrow raised. “Yeah, but are you still that same dick? You've done some not-very-admirable things, Max. If you don't put that side of you in the past for good, you're gonna cause this woman a lot of pain.”

That was part of what frightened me. I always thought Anna deserved a nice guy – the type who helped old ladies cross the street, who went to church and didn't drink too much and didn't think about screwing her pretty much every minute of the day.

That's what she deserved, and yet I still wanted her for myself.

Jayce was right, though. To be with her meant I'd give up the bachelor lifestyle. Could I really handle it, or was that too much a part of me to forsake?

“And what would you do if you
did
have a relationship with her? You told me you hated the country. Always whined about how boring it was there.”

“I... I don't know. I can't do a long-distance thing. The thought of being away from her, of us living so far apart, makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.”

Jayce didn't flinch at my threat of violence. “If you return, they'll expect you to marry her.”

I shook my head, sickened at it all. “I dunno what to do. Anna feels she has to go through with this or lose her farm. My brother Trey says she doesn't believe I'm gonna stick around, though.”

“Would you?”

“I wouldn't leave her. It's just... This marriage thing is a sham right now. I hate that she's letting her dad force her into it, that she's not doing it by choice.” I gazed away, my heart in pain. “Maybe she's doing this solely to save her house and to make daddy happy. I don't even know for sure how she feels about me.”

“Well, have
you
told her how you feel?”

“You know I ain't good with that stuff. I figured she had to know, given my actions toward her. The fact that I came back to her for more should've said it all.”

He laughed softly. “Women don't work that way. She wants to hear the truth in your own words.”

He was right, dang it. Soon as I got back to Bastrop, I'd tell her everything. Or try to, anyway.

“You know,” he went on, “it's kind of funny that you're going back there. The guys at the station miss you a lot, man. They were petitioning to get your job back for you.”

My heart skipped a couple beats. “What? But Hank fired me 'cause he said they couldn't tolerate my misbehavior anymore.”

“I'm not making promises or anything. Just saying that everyone knows what a good team member you were. You played hard, but you worked hard too, when you put your head to it.”

The possibility of having my old job back made me so happy, but... What about Anna? No way would she move up here to Waco. She loved that farm to pieces and never planned to leave it if she had her way.

Was I seriously considering marrying her? I cared deeply for her, maybe even loved her, but this was so soon, so sudden – not to mention forced, and I hated being forced to do anything. Worse yet, I felt I had no options.

If I didn't do it, she'd lose everything. I couldn't let that happen.

My phone rang. Ah, Brett. I hadn't spoken to him since I went down to Bastrop. Figured that soon as I got canned, I'd start fading from the memory of everybody at the station.

“What's up, man? Heard you were back in town and doing much better. I'm glad to hear it.”

I winced and put my sore leg up on the table. “Yeah, it's been a tough couple of months for me. Still, I met the girl of my dreams, so who's complaining?”

He paused. “Jayce told me about that. No offense, but I find it hard to believe.”

“So do I. But I dunno; I've never felt like this about anybody before.”

“You sure she's not just good in bed?”

I chuckled. “Oh, she's amazing. That's not all, though. She makes me feel good – I mean, like, in a different way.”

Jayce laughed to himself as he bravely threw away some rotting food from my fridge. I pitched a drink coaster at him.

“I'm glad to hear it, really, I am. Actually, I'm calling you because I just got a weird call myself. It was from a guy named Daniel. Claims he's your girl's father.”

I froze. Whenever that guy was involved, whatever he touched turned to shit.

“Yeah, that's him.”

“He told me he was paying for a big bachelor party for you this evening. All expenses covered, courtesy of him. I was supposed to invite you and the boys, but he didn't want me to tell you. Keep it a surprise, he said.”

Why the hell would Daniel do something that nice for me? The guy pretty much hated me, and only had me marrying his daughter out of some idiotic duty.

Besides, he had to know what sort of debauchery went on at bachelor parties. Given that he was a hyper-religious Catholic, I figured he'd never approve.

“So you weren't supposed to tell me, but you did.”