Taming Mad Max (20 page)

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Whenever the Dutton clan got together for Sunday dinner, it was usually loud and energetic with everyone talking at once. Tonight was no exception. Jill had come to pick up Matthew and Brooke, and the rest of the clan had come along to officially welcome Molly to the family.

“Pass the butter, please,” Max said to Molly, hoping she might look his way since she’d been avoiding him all week.

She did as he asked, but avoided making eye contact.

“Thanks,” he said. He’d done everything his sisters had suggested. He’d given her space. He’d given her plenty of time to get to know her cousins, hoping she would adjust to the house and her new surroundings before he tried to talk to her and find out what was going through that head of hers. At first he thought he might be imagining that she was treating him differently than the rest of the family.

But not any longer.

He didn’t have to be Dr. Benjamin Spock to see that Molly was angry with him. But why? What had he done? Molly knew it wasn’t his fault he wasn’t there for her when she was growing up. So why was she going out of her way to make this difficult for him? “Molly,” he said, drawing a rare glance from her. “How do you like the spaghetti and meatballs? I heard they were your favorite so I ordered them from the best Italian restaurant in the area.”

“They’re good. Thank you.”

“Molly,” his niece said, pulling her attention away from him. “My mom said she’d take us to a Cold Play concert next month. How cool would that be? We have front row seats.”

“Are you kidding me? I love all the band members. That would be awesome.” Molly looked at Jill and grinned. “Thank you sooo much.”

“I thought we’d all go to the lake in a few weeks before football season starts,” Max cut in, hoping to see a little of the same enthusiasm. “You can be the first to try out my new boat.”

Molly nodded. “Okay.”

No cool. No hot, awesome, or groovy. Just okay.

His sisters all gave him the same sympathetic look because they knew he wasn’t any good at this father-daughter stuff. While he fought off their pitiful stares, Molly and Dan struck up a lively conversation about basketball. If Dan suddenly pulled out adoption papers, Max was sure Molly would sign on the dotted line right then and there.

Kari would know what to do, he thought. But he couldn’t very well ask for her advice, not after the way he’d been treating her. He hadn’t handled the news of Molly very well, and he hadn’t given her much of a chance. And besides, what would he say to her about Molly? “Molly and I aren’t getting along so well. She won’t even look at me. Help.”

Hell, he couldn’t even talk to a thirteen-year-old without screwing it all up. He’d just have to figure out how to deal with his daughter on his own. Besides, he didn’t want Kari to know he was having a difficult time with this parenting stuff.

The telephone rang.

Jill excused herself from the table and went to the kitchen to answer the phone. Everyone listened to her chatter on for a bit before she finally hung up the phone and rejoined the group.

“Who was that?” Sally asked.

“It was Joey.”

“Oh,” Sally said.

For the first time all night, the house was blessedly quiet. The only sounds were the clinking noises of utensils clicking against plates. But like all good things, it didn’t last long. Breanne huffed, then set down her fork. “Are you going to tell me what he wanted, or not?”

Jill held up a finger while she slowly finished chewing her food.

Breanne looked as if she might pull out her hair in frustration.

“He wanted you to know that he loves you.” Jill sipped her water. “After the session you all had with the therapist, he went back to the office to work. Today he stayed home to read the book you left for him.”

“What book is that?” Dan asked.

“
Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars
,” Breanne said.

Fred chuckled, prompting a jab in his side from Jill.

“He also said he’s sorry about everything, especially for bringing Max along today.”

Sally pointed her fork at Max. “What did you do now?”

“If anything,” Breanne said, “Max made me see how lucky I was to have found a man like Joey.”

“So why are you here with us, instead of at home with Joey?”

“We decided we both needed a little more time apart before I move back in. He said a few hurtful things yesterday and I just need some time to think.” Breanne twirled spaghetti noodles around her fork.

“What happened?” Sally asked. “What did Joey say?”

“He accused me of purposely setting out to get pregnant,” Breanne told her sister. “He practically accused me of sabotaging the ‘you know what’ before we ‘you know what-ed.’”

“Well, I never...” Fred said as he reached for the salad.

Jill elbowed him in the side again, making him wince.

“I’m proud of you for hanging tough,” Sally said.

Dan shook his head in dismay. “I feel sorry for the poor guy.”

Sally frowned at her husband.

“What?” Dan asked. “You can comment, but I can’t?”

“The boy knocked up my sister, then had the gall to tell her he wasn’t ready to have babies...then accused her of sabotaging the ‘you know what’. Give me a break. I hope he doesn’t sleep at all tonight.”

“He’s not a boy,” Breanne said. “He’s more of a man than Dan.”

“Hey,” Dan complained. “What did I ever do to you?”

Sally gave Breanne the evil glare. “Whatever,” she mumbled. “I was sticking up for you.”

Max rolled his eyes and took another bite of chicken since his sisters had refused to let him have spaghetti. The smell of garlic bread he couldn’t eat wasn’t helping his mood.

“You’ve got to give the young man some credit,” their mother said, surprising Max once again. “He’s obviously in love.”

Max and his siblings exchanged various looks of bewildered awe.

Nicole, the only sister who hadn’t said more than two words throughout dinner finally spoke up. “Mom has a boyfriend,” she said. “His name is Hank.”

“Nicole!”

“Give it up, Mom. All our lives you’ve been scared to death of letting ‘strangers’ into our little family circle, but then you finally find someone and all of a sudden accepting people into the Dutton family is okay. It’s so hypocritical.”

More silence.

His mother’s behavior, Max realized, was beginning to make sense. She wanted her children to accept Hank, and in return, she was trying extra hard to accept all of their partners...except for Kari. His mother still seemed to have an aversion to Kari.

“You can’t have a boyfriend,” Jill told Mom. “You already have too much on your plate with your grandchildren and all of the fundraisers you’re involved in.”

“Grow up,” Nicole told Jill. “Besides, it’s too late. She’s already sleeping with the man.”

Embarrassed, his mother dropped her napkin onto the table, pushed out her chair, and headed for the guestroom.

“Wonderful dinner as usual,” Fred said, reaching for another piece of garlic toast. With his free hand, Fred grabbed hold of Jill’s elbow before she could use it in his side.

“I think it’s wonderful Mom found someone,” Sally said. “Maybe they’ll move in together and she’ll be happy for once.”

Nicole shook her head. “That’s never going to happen.”

“Love can happen twice,” Sally disagreed. “You and Mom just need to open up yourselves to the possibility.”

Max looked at his watch, wondering if this dinner would ever end.

“Mom is too set in her ways,” Jill added. “She thinks Dad would be disappointed if she ever found love again.”

“Is he alive?” Molly asked, reminding Max that his daughter was sitting amidst all the drama, probably traumatized for life.

“Okay,” Max said, jumping out of his seat. “Come on, Molly. Time for me to take you back to your mom’s house.”

“I’m not a baby.”

“I know. But I promised your mom I would have you home by seven o’clock.” He gestured toward the other room. “Come on. Let’s get your things.”

CHAPTER 16

Fifteen minutes into the drive, Max decided he was going to get Molly to talk to him if it killed him. “So,” he said. “You’re going to be a starter on the basketball team, huh?”

Molly nodded.

He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. “Who’s on the team?”

“Nobody you know.”

“Try me.”

“Holly Morisey.”

“Ah, the name sounds familiar...but go on, give me another.”

She eyed him suspiciously before she said, “Amanda Lyons.”

“She’s the short brunette, which would make her point guard, right?”

“Wrong. She’s the tallest girl on the team. She’ll be playing center. I’m the point guard.”

“I knew that.”

Not even a smile. The kid wasn’t budging. At least she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt again. Not that he had anything against dresses and frilly tops, he just didn’t want her to dress up for his sake. He wanted his daughter to be herself when she was around him. “Listen, Molly,” he said. “I was hoping you and I would get a chance to talk during our visit, but you were at the house for a week and we hardly got anytime alone.”

She stared out the window.

“I hope you know how much I want for us to get to know one another. I realize you’re upset with me and your mom right now, but I’m hoping you won’t stay mad forever. I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better. You’re probably disappointed I wasn’t around all those years. I know I am.”

A fleeting glance from Molly gave him the courage to keep talking. “Just so you know...if I had ever received a letter saying I had a daughter, nothing in this world could have kept me from her...from you.” Sirens sounded in the distance. “You don’t have to say anything right now. I just want you to know I’m glad you’re my daughter.”

The remaining twenty minutes of the ride were spent listening to the radio. He pulled in front of Kari’s house and parked next to the curb. He shut off the ignition, then looked at Molly and waited for a few seconds before he realized it wasn’t going to happen. He needed to give her more time.

Molly got out of the car first. Another car pulled up behind him as he retrieved Molly’s bags from the trunk.

“Hey, Richard,” Molly said as she hitched the straps of one of her bags over her shoulder and headed for the house.

The realtor was all decked out in a suit and tie. If Max didn’t know better, he’d guess the man was here to close a deal.

“Let me help,” Richard said, grabbing the other bag. Max shut the trunk and the two of them followed Molly to the house. A sweet smelling scent overpowered all else, causing Max to wonder what kind of animal Richard was trying to attract. The poor guy needed to rethink his choice of cologne.

Molly was already inside the house by the time Max and Richard got to the door. Richard followed Max into the family room, a cozy room with wood floors, a braided rug and lots of well-used furniture.

Kari came down the stairs wearing a red dress with thin straps and lacey trim edging a low neckline. The dress stopped just above the knee, revealing long legs and killer high heeled shoes that were the same red as the dress. Dark curly hair bounced off of her shoulders as she made her way to the landing.

Max wasn’t sure whose jaw dropped further, his or Richard’s.

Kari only had eyes for her daughter. “Molly, honey, gosh I missed you.” She hugged her daughter tight while Molly stood stiff and unbending. Molly headed up the stairs the moment her mother released her.

“What do you say to your father,” Kari said to Molly before she could escape.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Max watched her go. “She’s a tough nut to crack.”

But nobody was paying any attention to him.

Kari gave Richard a sorrowful look. “Lindsay’s not here and I can’t leave her alone. I’m sorry.”

“What about him?” Richard asked, pointing at Max.

Max raised a brow. “What about me?”

“We have dinner reservations at Ginza Sushi-ko. It’s almost impossible to get reservations,” Richard said. “Would you mind sticking around and babysitting for a few hours?”

“She’s my daughter. Of course I’ll watch her.”

“You did say she was staying for the weekend,” Kari said as she squeezed between him and the table to reach her purse.

“I guess we’ll need to learn how to communicate better in the future.”

“Apparently.” She straightened, her face inches from his, her tantalizing red lips beckoning. “If you don’t want me to go, I won’t.”

Instinct told him this was a test. He could feel it in his bones. She wanted him to stop her. Hell, he wanted to stop her. And yet, he reasoned, she hadn’t known he and Molly were coming home, which told him she desired Richard’s company. She actually wanted to go out with the bean pole. He cocked his head. Despite the long neck and beady eyes, Richard wasn’t bad looking.

His stomach lurched. It made perfect sense that she would date other men. He’d hardly spoken two words to her since he’d found out about Molly. He didn’t want her to go, but he couldn’t stop her either. If she wanted to date every Tom, Dick and Harry in Los Angeles, then so be it.

“You two go and have fun,” he said. He grabbed the remote from the top of the television then plopped down on the couch and made himself comfortable. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

He had no idea what was going through that head of hers, but Kari seemed off balance. She had to know he still had feelings for her. He’d made that clear when he took her to the Los Angeles hills and told her he was falling in love with her. Did she think he could just snap his fingers and stop caring? Did she think he would start calling numbers out of his little black book the moment he found out he had a daughter?

Apparently he might as well have. She certainly seemed to be doing a good job of moving on with no regard to his feelings for her.

“Richard,” she said. “Could you wait in the car and give me a moment with Max? I’ll be right there.”

The look on Richard’s face worried him. The guy couldn’t keep his eyes off of Kari. Max had a sudden urge to tell Kari she shouldn’t go—not because of Molly, but because of him. Hell, the harder he tried to stay away from her, the more he wanted her. He’d been fooling himself.

Richard hesitated, but he finally walked out the door and headed for his car. Kari turned to Max. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Max casually propped his hands behind his head and leaned back into the mounds of pillows. “Why, do I look like I mind?”

“Well, as a matter of fact you do.”

“It’s your imagination, sweetheart, because I’m perfectly fine. I guess I just got the wrong impression about the two of us.”

She gave him a look that reminded him an awful lot of the look he used to get from his sixth grade teacher. “The last time I saw you, Max, you accused me of deliberately trying to catch you in my tangled web of deceit.”

“I merely asked a question. I didn’t mean it as an accusation.”

“But now suddenly,” she said as if he hadn’t just spoken, “you’re acting as if we have something between us.”

He popped to his feet then, and came to stand before her. She smelled like jasmine. “I do seem to recall you straddling me recently,” he said into her ear, “moaning as I nuzzled your neck and you reciprocated by—”

“Stop it.” She pushed him away. “You’re the one who insisted we work together, the one who dragged me up into the hills to seduce me, the one who refuses to believe I tried to contact you about Molly years ago. You’re the one who’s afraid to trust me...afraid of commitment.”

He swallowed his frustration, mostly because she was right. She’d never led him on. And yet, he still wasn’t sure what to believe when it came to Molly. “I’ll see you when you get home.”

“Goodbye, Max.”

He didn’t like the sound of finality in her voice. He stiffened. “I expect you to be at my house first thing in the morning. I want to finish the training and get it over with. Then we’re done. Do you understand?”

She lifted her chin. “Perfectly. In fact, I won’t be returning, Max. I already signed the papers clearing you. You’re a fast learner. You don’t need me. You’re free to do whatever you want.” Head held high, she walked out the door and out of his life for the second time.

A cool breeze came in before the door clicked shut. Surprise gripped him as he realized how wrong Kari was. He was an incredibly slow learner because he didn’t want to let her go...and yet he hadn’t stopped her. He still had no idea how to tell her how much he cared, and that he really did love her. He was a fool.