Taming Mad Max (11 page)

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“Where’s, Mom?”

Lindsay snapped awake and glanced at the clock. It was eleven o’clock at night. She’d been reading a book in the living room when she dozed off. She looked at Molly. “Your mom should be home any minute now. How are you feeling?”

“Not so good.”

“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere. Especially right here.” She put her hand over her heart.

Lindsay sat up. “Your chest hurts?”

“Just when I breathe.”

“How bad. Should we go to the hospital?”

“No,” Molly said, stopping Lindsay from getting up. “A doctor can’t help me.”

Lindsay narrowed her eyes. “What’s really wrong with you? You’re not sick at all, are you?”

Molly didn’t answer.

Lindsay didn’t like to keep secrets from Kari, but she knew Molly wouldn’t talk unless she promised not to tell Kari they talked. “Come on,” Lindsay said, patting the seat on the couch next to her. “Spill the beans.”

“You won’t tell Mom we talked?”

“Cross my heart.”

“Hope to die?”

“Yeah, sure. Hope to die. Now spit it out.”

Molly sat down. “I heard you and Mom talking last night.”

Lindsay tried to think...and it didn’t take long. Holy crap. It registered as she recalled the conversation about Mad Max being Molly’s father. Suddenly, Lindsay felt sick, too. “I thought you were in the shower.”

“There wasn’t any soap, so I went to Mom’s room to look for some.”

“And you heard everything?”

Molly nodded and took a seat next to Lindsay.

“I’m sorry.” Lindsay took Molly into her arms and held her tight.

“Why would she keep something like that from me?”

“She was only doing what she felt was best.”

“I’ve never felt this way about Mom before, but right now I hate her.”

Lindsay pulled back so she could look into Molly’s eyes. “Hate is a very strong word.”

“I know, but that’s how I feel. It’s not a good feeling.”

“Your mom is going to be home any minute. Talk to her, get it all out of your system.”

Molly pushed away. “No. And if you tell her that I know, I’ll never talk to you again.”

“Have threats ever worked with me?”

Molly sighed. “No, but—”

“No buts. I already told you I wouldn’t say anything, so chill. I don’t like it, but I already made a deal with you.”

A moment of thoughtful silence passed between them before Lindsay said, “It could be worse you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your father could have been that actor—you know, the one you can’t stand, the one on that vampire show.” Lindsay made a face. “I vant to suck your blood.”

Molly grabbed a decorative pillow and threw it at Lindsay just as the door opened. “Hey,” Kari said as she set her purse on the coffee table and then walked around the table to see Molly. Kari put the back of her hand to Molly’s forehead. “How’s my girl?”

Molly stood. “I was just saying goodnight to Lindsay. I’m going back to bed.”

“Do I get a hug?”

Molly sort of slumped into Kari’s chest and gave her mother a lame pat on the back.

Kari looked confused.

Molly looked angry.

Lindsay felt bad for both of them.

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Max climbed onto his Suzuki Burgman 650 and slid on his helmet. It felt good to be back in the saddle again. He bent forward, slid the key into the ignition lock, then twisted the key to “on.” He used his thumb to press the electric start button next to the handle bars as he twisted the handgrip to give it gas.

Before long he was headed East on Santa Monica Boulevard. No destination in mind. He just needed to feel some cold air against his face. He needed to breathe.

The pain Max had seen in Nicole’s eyes was almost too much to bear. His sister hadn’t been the same since Jake, her fiancé, was killed in a car accident. Max had always felt responsible, since he was the one driving. He was the one who had talked Jake into going to the Lakers game that night. Jake didn’t like sports, so Max, Dan, and Fred had made it their personal mission to make Jake see the light.

Until today, Max always thought Nicole was the one who couldn’t look at him, but now he knew that wasn’t true. He felt responsible even though there was nothing he could have done to save Jake. They were hit by a drunk driver. According to the autopsy report though, it was a brain aneurysm that had taken Jake’s life. There was nothing anyone could have done to save him. Max had hoped Nicole would be doing better by now, but all hope evaporated the moment she showed up tonight looking like a two-bit hooker with nothing to lose.

His fingers clamped around the handgrip. Ninety...ninety-five...one-hundred. The headlights going the other way swept by in a blur. Five minutes later, a siren sounded, forcing him to pull over. “Shit.”

The police officer happened to be a big Raiders’ fan, which didn’t help matters. Ten minutes later, Max took his ticket and watched the officer disappear down the road.

Max sat on his motorcycle, hypnotized by the hum of the traffic whizzing by. Gazing up at the stars, he spotted the Big Dipper right off the bat. Max’s father was fond of skylore and he used to love telling Max the ancient Greek story about why the Big and Little Dippers had such long tails—something about love, jealousy and bears. Thinking of the story now made Max feel closer to his father, made him wonder what would Dad say to Nicole if he were still alive.

“Hey, Dad,” Max said as he glanced skyward. “I could really use some help. Nicole looks like she’s been living on the street for the past few months, and I don’t know what to do about it. And Mom. She’s not herself. I think she’s lonely. So, if you could send her a sign of some kind, let her know it’s okay for her to move on, I’d really appreciate it. And about Breanne,” he rambled on. “Breanne needs a man who isn’t going to run scared every time life throws a curve ball. I’m not sure if Joey’s the one for her. I guess that means you’re going to have to send me two signs. That would be great.” He tried to think for a moment. “You like stars,” he added as if it were perfectly normal to be standing on the side of the road asking Dad for advice. “Show me a star, you know, some time when I least expect it. That way I’ll know you’re listening.” He paused to think. “And what about me, you ask? I’m all screwed up, Dad. I think I’m falling for a woman I’ve known for seven days. How crazy is that? That can’t be love.” He shook his head. “No, that’s crazy talk. I’ve got seven years tops before I join you and Grandpa up there in Heaven. At least I hope that’s where the two of you ended up.” He sighed, still watching the stars. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to go after her only to leave her too soon, would it? She’s already been hurt once. Hurt bad from the sounds of it. She said something about her last relationship feeling like a moth heading for the light only to be zapped.” He exhaled as he thought of Molly. Sweet girl. “She has a daughter, too. Molly just turned thirteen. You’d like her.” He stared up at the constellations for a moment longer before he realized everyone back home was probably worrying about him. “Yeah, I think I’ll back off for a while and give Kari some breathing room.”

Max stood and grabbed his helmet. “It was nice talking to you, Dad, but I’ve got to go now.” He slid the helmet over his head, pushed the start button, and headed for home.

CHAPTER 9

This was Cole Fletcher’s third day helping out Lindsay. This morning he’d found himself at her doorstep fifteen minutes early, which surprised him. Not that he wasn’t usually prompt for meetings and practice, but it just so happened he usually liked to keep the women he dated guessing, make them wonder if he’d show up or not. But Lindsay was different. She was a take-no-prisoners sort of gal, and he knew she’d throw him out on his ass if he didn’t arrive on time. She took her daycare business seriously. He liked that about her. She was firm with the children and yet loving, too.

At the moment, he and Lindsay were playing flag football in the backyard. Cole formed a huddle with Becky and Jonathan and pointed across the make-shift field at Lindsay and the twins. “Okay,” he said. “See those pieces of bright red cloth hanging off Sean’s pants?”

Becky nodded, but Jonathan was more interested in the ladybug he found in the grass.

“Lindsay is going to hand off the football to one of her teammates. I want you to follow the person with the ball and pull that red strip of cloth right off their pants, okay?”

Becky nodded again.

Cole looked at Lindsay and watched her huddle with the twins, giving them thorough instructions, no doubt. Her curly red hair fell over her shoulders. Her legs were long, her arms slender and graceful. It didn’t matter what she had on, a short dress or cut offs and a T-shirt like she was wearing today, she was drop-dead gorgeous.

“Okay,” he told his teammates when he saw the other team take their positions. “Ready?”

Jonathan ran around in circles, laughing. Apparently the ladybug had traveled up to his elbow. Cole looked at Becky and sighed. “Time out,” he called. He ran over to the picnic bench and brought back a napkin. “Here,” he said to Becky, handing her the napkin. “Use this instead of your finger to get whatever’s up your nose.”

With her chubby little finger still lodged halfway up her nose, she managed to give him one of the sweetest smiles he’d ever seen. When that was taken care of, Cole deposited the napkin into the garbage and ran back to take his place. By the time he returned, the ladybug had flown away and Jonathan was chasing it across the yard. “Looks like it’s you and me, Becky. Just keep your eye on the ball and get the flag, okay?”

“You’re funny,” she said.

He smiled back at her, although he had no idea what he had done to amuse her. “Thanks.”

“Are you two ready yet,” Lindsay shouted, “or are you going to try to stall again?”

“We’re ready,” he said, wanting nothing more than to take her down in one swift motion, pin her to the ground and kiss the hell out of her.

Lindsay counted. “Ten. Fifteen. Thirty-two. Forty-one.”

Cole shook his head and wondered if Lindsay was ever going to flip the quarterback the ball. After a few more numbers, she finally did. Troy gave the ball to Sean and Sean ran as fast as his little legs would take him—right past Becky and into the end zone. “Oh, man,” Cole said to Becky. “That was way too easy.”

Lindsay flipped her hair back in a try-and-beat-that gesture, and then gave him a dazzling smile that made his insides zing and zap.

“You guys got lucky,” he told her.

“Boys,” Lindsay said, “looks like Cole is a sore loser.”

“Who said anything about losing, right Becky?”

Becky laughed as if he’d just said the funniest thing in the world. He scooped her up into his arms and tickled her for good measure. After setting Becky back on the ground, he clasped his fingers around the football. “You better get ready,” he warned Lindsay’s team. “Becky and I are serious now.”

“Ooooh, we’re scared,” the twins said in unison, not exactly shaking in their dirty little tennis shoes.

“When I say three,” Cole whispered to Becky, “I’m going to hand you the ball and you’re going to run like the wind right past those boys. I’ll block for you, okay?”

She nodded so hard and fast that her curls bobbed.

“So you just follow right behind me, okay?”

Becky was still nodding when Jonathan reappeared.

“Hey, Jonathan,” Cole said, bringing him into their huddle. “When I say three, Becky is going to follow me, but I need you to distract Troy. Tell him you found a big bug or something.”

Jonathan laughed.

“Okay, let’s go,” Cole said for the third time. “Thirty-five. Nine. Three.” Cole handed Becky the ball. She just stood there. “Run, Becky. Run!”

She finally ran.

Jonathan did as he was told and in a very loud voice he told Troy all about the biggest bug in the history of the world with five green eyes and two mouths, but nobody could hear a word he was saying.

Cole jogged at Becky’s side. “That’s right,” Cole told her. “That’s my girl. Keep running.”

Sean tried to take Becky down, but Cole scooped him up, tickled him and set him on the grass to the side. Cole turned back in time to see Becky trip. The ball bounced out of her hands. Lindsay scooped up the football and headed in the other direction. Cole ran after her. He grabbed the red flag sticking out of her shorts, but she had it in there good, so he grabbed hold of her waist and brought her to the ground on top of him.

She laughed until she opened her eyes and saw how close he was. “Hey,” she said. “That’s cheating.”

Her face was inches from his. The creamy flesh of her neck beckoned him. He could smell her minty breath. The tremendous urge he’d had all week to kiss her took over him and he made his move. But instead of warm lips on his, he felt a stabbing pain in his thigh as she jabbed her knee into his leg.

“Ow. That hurts.”

She pushed herself off of him. “Come on, kids,” she called. “Time for lunch.”

He watched her hips sway as she walked off. Damn. She was tougher than she looked.