their way to the kitchen to deposit the grocery sacks. Chloe had helped her mother up the ramp and into the house. The two women sat in the living room talking. She stared at the wall as Max stepped in, refusing to look at him. Max huffed.
Max happily fired up the grill then cooked the chicken. Being outside kept him away from Chloe. Rico sat on the picnic bench in the back yard, watching him silently. Max didn’t have to ask what he was thinking. He could sense the fighter knew Chloe had wounded his heart.
Everyone ate in the living room, laughing and talking as the plates full of food were passed around the coffee table. Max did his best to focus his attention on his friends and Liz. But no matter what he did, he came back to Chloe. She sat quietly over her plate, picking at her chicken and not eating. Finally, she stood and stepped around the large, muscular men as she made her way to the kitchen.
Max near snarled. He’d had enough. He rose to his feet, set his plate on the coffee table, and followed. When he was out of earshot and fully blocked the door, he crossed his arms over his broad chest and stood his ground. “Talk, Chloe,” he snarled. “I tried to do something for you. For your mom. How am I repaid? You won’t talk to me.”
“I didn’t realize you needed to be paid back,” Chloe murmured, her eyes trained to the floor. She leaned against the counter beside the sink. “I’ll pay you back whatever you spent.”
“I don’t want your money. I want to know what I did to you that was so wrong?”
Chloe looked away as tears pooled in her eyes. “My dad left when I was eight. Because of me. Because of this stupid thing I have. It broke Mom’s heart. She loved him so much. She has spent every day since loving him and hating him all at the same time. I don’t want to be like her. I don’t want to love and hate…” Her voice trailed off.
Max’s face softened. He took the few steps to her then tilted her chin so her eyes met his. “Don’t want to love and hate what, Chloe?”
She swallowed hard. “I don’t want to love and hate you at the same time for the rest of my life. So, I’m trying to not fall in love in the first place. But when you do such incredible things like you did today…”
A sweet smile spread across his face. “Hey, you can’t blame me for being charming.”
“Max.”
“Chloe. I would never hurt you. I promise you. Never.”
“You say that now.”
“I’ll say that forever.”
“Chloe! Max! What are you two doing in there?” Liz called from the other room.
“Just talking, Mom.” Chloe offered him a small smile as she slipped past him. Max turned and watched her go. She doesn’t want to love and hate me at the same time when I leave. The solution to that is simple. I’ll never leave.
»»•««
Chloe yawned to herself as she slipped her phone into her purse and set the purse in her locker. Morning came to early and her eight o’clock fitness kickboxing class was waiting for her. She was still jittery, having Max in the house all the time. Especially after I pretty much confessed that I love him last night.
But having the two people she cared most about at home every night to share supper and talk with made her the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. Max quickly became the son Liz had never had.
It didn’t take them long to figure out that, despite being lifelong residents of Minnesota, they were both diehard Cubs fans. Every chance they got, they turned on a game and watched it together. They would yell at the sportscasters on the television. They would console each other when the team lost. They would hoot and holler when the Cubs won. They even considered buying one of the huge white and blue “W” flags for the porch.
Even though Chloe didn’t watch baseball, she loved watching them watch baseball. She would curl up on the opposite side of the sofa from Max with a book, glancing up occasionally to giggle at them. They always
Max happily fired up the grill then cooked the chicken. Being outside kept him away from Chloe. Rico sat on the picnic bench in the back yard, watching him silently. Max didn’t have to ask what he was thinking. He could sense the fighter knew Chloe had wounded his heart.
Everyone ate in the living room, laughing and talking as the plates full of food were passed around the coffee table. Max did his best to focus his attention on his friends and Liz. But no matter what he did, he came back to Chloe. She sat quietly over her plate, picking at her chicken and not eating. Finally, she stood and stepped around the large, muscular men as she made her way to the kitchen.
Max near snarled. He’d had enough. He rose to his feet, set his plate on the coffee table, and followed. When he was out of earshot and fully blocked the door, he crossed his arms over his broad chest and stood his ground. “Talk, Chloe,” he snarled. “I tried to do something for you. For your mom. How am I repaid? You won’t talk to me.”
“I didn’t realize you needed to be paid back,” Chloe murmured, her eyes trained to the floor. She leaned against the counter beside the sink. “I’ll pay you back whatever you spent.”
“I don’t want your money. I want to know what I did to you that was so wrong?”
Chloe looked away as tears pooled in her eyes. “My dad left when I was eight. Because of me. Because of this stupid thing I have. It broke Mom’s heart. She loved him so much. She has spent every day since loving him and hating him all at the same time. I don’t want to be like her. I don’t want to love and hate…” Her voice trailed off.
Max’s face softened. He took the few steps to her then tilted her chin so her eyes met his. “Don’t want to love and hate what, Chloe?”
She swallowed hard. “I don’t want to love and hate you at the same time for the rest of my life. So, I’m trying to not fall in love in the first place. But when you do such incredible things like you did today…”
A sweet smile spread across his face. “Hey, you can’t blame me for being charming.”
“Max.”
“Chloe. I would never hurt you. I promise you. Never.”
“You say that now.”
“I’ll say that forever.”
“Chloe! Max! What are you two doing in there?” Liz called from the other room.
“Just talking, Mom.” Chloe offered him a small smile as she slipped past him. Max turned and watched her go. She doesn’t want to love and hate me at the same time when I leave. The solution to that is simple. I’ll never leave.
»»•««
Chloe yawned to herself as she slipped her phone into her purse and set the purse in her locker. Morning came to early and her eight o’clock fitness kickboxing class was waiting for her. She was still jittery, having Max in the house all the time. Especially after I pretty much confessed that I love him last night.
But having the two people she cared most about at home every night to share supper and talk with made her the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. Max quickly became the son Liz had never had.
It didn’t take them long to figure out that, despite being lifelong residents of Minnesota, they were both diehard Cubs fans. Every chance they got, they turned on a game and watched it together. They would yell at the sportscasters on the television. They would console each other when the team lost. They would hoot and holler when the Cubs won. They even considered buying one of the huge white and blue “W” flags for the porch.
Even though Chloe didn’t watch baseball, she loved watching them watch baseball. She would curl up on the opposite side of the sofa from Max with a book, glancing up occasionally to giggle at them. They always
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