Broken (13 page)

Still, he heard himself saying, “Look, Cassidy, I’m not trying to threaten or intimidate you the way Phillip did. I’m simply pointing out the realities of our situation. For whatever the reason, you’ve had Zoe to yourself for almost a year and a half. I understand it might be diffi—”

“Six months.”

Max gazed at her quizzically. “What?”

“I’ve only had Zoe six months,” she said quietly.

“I don’t understand.”

Cassidy glanced in both mirrors, flipped on her turn signal, and with a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure the way was clear, pulled off the road and into a strip mall parking lot. Once she’d parked, she linked trembling hands over the top of the steering wheel. “Zoe spent the first two months after her birth in the hospital in an incubator. I was still in critical condition when she was ready to be released, so Nell took a leave of absence from work and took Zoe home with her. Between surgeries, rehab, and physical therapy, I’ve only had Zoe to myself the last six months.”

Max considered. “So you understand how I feel.”

Cassidy seemed to hold her breath. Then she released it in a long sigh. “Yes, I do.” She sounded resigned. Finally she turned to look at him. “You can stay in the guest room until the basement is ready. Since there’s no bathroom down there, you’ll have to continue to use the one upstairs. I won’t accept any rent from you, at least not initially,” she continued over his automatic protest. “Take whatever you would have given me and put it towards the remodeling. When it’s completed, we’ll talk. That’s non-negotiable.”

He studied her determined expression. It was the same one she’d worn when she’d outlined her plan to beat Phillip at his own game, and he knew nothing he said would change her mind. Fine. There were other ways to support a woman who didn’t want to be supported. He’d just have to be creative.

“All right,” he said slowly, hoping he sounded reluctant. Mentally he was already calculating how much the space was worth in rent and determining ways to give it to her. As Cassidy was fond of saying, never argue with a lawyer. You rarely win.

She gave him a long, intent look, as though she were trying to see inside his brain. Max kept his expression bland. Cassidy would soon learn, as he’d discovered with her, once he set his mind to something, there was no altering his course.

“My suitcase is in my car,” he continued blithely.

“You were that sure I’d say yes?” Her expression turned bitter.

“No, I was that sure I wasn’t returning to Nicco’s after what he’d done,” Max snapped, anger flaring. He wasn’t the manipulative SOB she was making him out to be, he thought, forgetting for the moment that’s exactly what he’d done.

Instantly, she was contrite. She laid a soft hand on his arm as she apologized. “Max, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

He took a deep, calming breath. “No, you’re right. I pushed. Maybe too hard. My only excuse is I want this so much. I’m sorry.”

Max wouldn’t allow himself to touch Cassidy. He barely looked at her; afraid if he did, he’d grab her and demand, “Why the hell don’t you want me the way I want you?”

Some of the internal battle he was fighting must have reflected on his face, for Cassidy stroked his arm and said, “No, Max, in this, you were right to push. I want Zoe to have a father—to have you—in her life. I just hadn’t stopped to consider what that meant. I was being selfish and…”—she swallowed so hard Max saw her Adam’s apple bob—“territorial.”

Finally, he took her hand and held it in his as he met her contrite gaze. “We both have adjustments to make. A lot has happened in the last…” He glanced at his watch. “Thirty-six hours. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
And neither were families
, he reminded himself,
so
slow the hell down.

Cassidy smiled. It was just a little one, but it eased the tension in the car. He glanced in the backseat to find Zoe fast asleep, a trickle of slob oozing from one corner of her mouth. “She’s asleep,” he said unnecessarily.

“I’m not surprised. That was quite a little tantrum she threw.”

“Is that normal?” he asked.

She sighed, pulled her hand free, and started the SUV. As she pulled out onto the road, Cassidy said, “Zoe’s been through a lot of changes in her young life. She bonded to Nell, and who could blame her. I really believe Zoe thought Nell was her mother and I was just this stranger who was in and out of her life. Suddenly, Nell’s gone and it’s just me and her. We tried to ease her into the transition, but gradually realized as long as Nell was around, Zoe would always go to her. For the longest, whenever Nell babysat for me and I and came to pick Zoe up, she cried for hours, refusing to be consoled.”

Max tried to imagine how Cassidy must have felt. How devastated she must have been. He’d only known about Zoe for a day and he didn’t like the suspicious way she looked at him. How much worse would it be knowing you’d given birth to a child and have that child bond to someone else?  Then he thought of it from Zoe’s perspective. What would it be like to have the person who’d always come when you cried suddenly gone and this stranger take her place?

“No wonder you wouldn’t leave her with me today,” he muttered.

“She doesn’t know you. Actually, I don’t know you, not really. We were only together a few months before everything went to hell,” she said.

Went to hell
was a good way to describe things. Although he took exception to her thinking she didn’t know him. “You know me better than most, including my family,” he countered.

She shrugged. “I thought I did when we were together, but that was two years ago. We’ve both changed.”

He stared at her, letting her feel the force of his gaze and the weight of his words as he said, “The one thing that hasn’t changed about me is I love you more than any woman I’ve ever thought I loved in my life, and I still want you, Zoe, and I to be a family.”

After he stated his declaration of intent, Cassidy retreated into silence. Max let her. They were entering the expressway. Cassidy needed to concentrate on her driving, and he had a lot to think about.

He would speak with his lawyers and get the legal ball rolling to have his name replace Phillip’s as the father on Zoe’s birth certificate. There was his will to change, making Zoe and Cassidy his legal beneficiaries. Child support payments and trust funds to set up for Zoe and any other children he and Cassidy might have.

That thought led to another. He and Cassidy hadn’t used any protection last night. He wasn’t worried about disease. Though his family might have considered him a man-whore during the last two years, he’d been adamant in his insistence on using protection. He might have been broken-hearted and bitter, but he hadn’t been suicidal.

However, Cassidy might be pregnant. Last time it had only taken one night for her to conceive. While he’d love another child with Cassidy, he wanted to be sure she was physically up to handling another pregnancy. He’d almost lost her once. Max wouldn’t take any more chances. He added a stop to the store to pick up more condoms onto his to-do list. That he and Cassidy would make love again he had no doubt. As for the rest, he’d watch and see.

He’d stay in the guest room for now, and as promised, prepare the basement for habitation. But, as he’d warned Cassidy, his ultimate goal was marriage. That hadn’t changed. Would never change. He wanted Cassidy Brannon as his legally wedded wife. Wanted to introduce her to his family, friends, and business acquaintances as Mrs. Cassidy Desalvo, and their daughter as Zoe Maxine Desalvo. Wanted to add at least two more children to their family dynamic, and maybe a family dog. He wanted the whole package.

Max liked Cassidy’s home. While he’d never considered living outside of the city, being too much of an urbanite, he liked the quietness of the suburbs. It was great for raising families. Cassidy’s property had plenty of land, the half-acre lot leaving more than enough room for future additions to the home when the time came. Maybe they’d even add an elevator so Cassidy would have easy access to the basement level on those days when her leg troubled her.

These were all plans for the future, but he’d keep it in mind as he drew up plans for the basement remodel. He’d call the general contractor he used regularly for all his remodels. The guy mostly did commercial, but for Max, he’d do residential as well.

Cassidy’s land sloped down in the rear, which is why the basement had an exterior door. Max wondered if she’d be open to expanding it outward and building a deck on top onto which her bedroom would open. He glanced at her, and seeing the rigidness of her expression, decided to discuss it with her later once he had the plans drawn.

When they reached West Chester, he asked, “Can you drop me by the house before you fill Zoe’s prescription? I have some business I need to attend to.” Zoe’s doctor visit had taken most of the morning. It was almost time for lunch.

“Uh, sure,” she said, sounding puzzled.

“I need to pick up the rest of my things from Nicco’s,” he elaborated, withholding the part about calling his lawyers.

Cassidy shot him a troubled glance and reached out a hand to stroke her thumb over his bruised mouth. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Better I do it while he’s not there than when he’s home,” he said wryly, enjoying her touch. She might say things between them were over, but her actions called her a liar.

She dropped her hand. “Be careful, please, and don’t get into any more fights.”

“I’ll be careful,” he promised, but kept silent on the no fight clause. “Don’t forget to have keys made for me.”

That diverted her attention. “Keys, right,” she echoed uneasily.

Better get used to me quick, sweetheart. I’m here to stay.
“And I’ll need the security code. I should be home some time around six. You want me to bring supper?”

“No, I’ll cook.”

“All right. If you change your mind, give me a call. Where’s your phone? I’ll program my number into it.”

“I can do it,” she said.

Since they were turning onto the street where they both now lived, Max didn’t argue. He waited until they were parked in the driveway and she had her phone in her hand to call out the number. “I need to take my suitcase out the car before I head to Nicco’s.” His small car was designed to be fast and look sporty but didn’t offer much in the way of cargo space.

“Stay here with Zoe while I open the house, please,” she said.

“Okay.”

She opened the door and cut off the alarm. When she returned, Max unloaded his trunk and put his things in the guest bedroom. After he finished, he stood by the car while she locked up.

“See you this evening,” he promised her as she got inside her vehicle.

Still looking unsettled, Cassidy nodded. Max watched her drive away before getting into his car.

After dropping Max off, Cassidy picked up Zoe’s prescription and another bottle of sweet oil to drop into her infected ears. Then she swung through a drive-thru and treated her and Zoe to McDonalds. With her not being able to move as much as she used to, Cassidy had to be careful with her calorie intake. Today she figured they both deserved the indulgence.

After selecting a chicken wrap for herself and a small container of fries and apples for Zoe, she returned home. Zoe was in her high chair nibbling on her snack and Cassidy had just finished eating her lunch when her cell phone rang. It was Erika.

As soon as she answered, Erika said, “You know why I’m calling. What was
he
doing with you, and what the hell happened to his face?”

Sighing, Cassidy said, “It’s a long story.” She’d known this call was coming.

“We have an hour. I just went on lunch.”

“Max tracked me down yesterday. Showed up to the house unannounced,” she said simply.

“And you let him in? After what he did?” Erika said, her voice rising in disbelief.

Cassidy tiredly rubbed her forehead. “I’d been up all night with Zoe. Since he’d gone through the trouble of hunting me down, it seemed easier to simply hear him out and send him on his way again.”

Erika huffed in disgust. “Since he was with you today, I take it your brilliant plan didn’t work?”

Frowning at her friend’s sarcasm, Cassidy said flatly, “Nicco lied—to me, to Max. He lied to all of us. Both he and his mother. Max isn’t married and never has been. He never gave Nicco any message to give to me. Nicco made it all up.”

“You believe Max.”

She rose to pace the kitchen, watching Zoe deliberate over which French fry to grab next. “Had you seen his reaction, you’d have believed him too. He was so bewildered…so…” She shook her head. “I don’t have the words to adequately describe it, but I don’t think he believed me about his brother. Not initially, and then he saw Zoe. Max just…shattered. Kind of folded in on himself.”

“Sounds intense.”

Cassidy chuckled humorlessly. “You have no idea. The upshot is Max’s family didn’t want us together, and they found a way to make it happen.”

“Damn,” Erika said. “What happened to his face? Looks like he was in a fight.”

“He was. When he left here he confronted Nicco and they came to blows. He showed up around midnight—bloody, bruised, and smelling of bourbon.”

“And you let him stay,” Erika finished for her.

“I wasn’t going to kick him out when he’d been drinking.” She left out the part about her and Max having sex. That was no one’s business but their. Besides, she didn’t intend for it to happen again.
Why did those words sound so familiar
?

Both women were quiet with their own thoughts. Before it stretched out too long, Erika asked, “So what happens now?”

Cassidy glanced at Zoe, able to see Max so clearly in her beloved features. “He wants to be a father to Zoe and make up for the time he missed. He’s talking joint custody, visitation rights—”

“No child support?” Erika injected dryly.

“Financial support was the first thing Max mentioned. He wants to rent the basement so he’s close to Zoe,” she added softly.

“And you?”

“Probably,” she admitted, “but it’s not going to happen. That ship sailed and it’s not coming back.”