himself kicked out of the community, though. A couple of his assistants popped up pregnant and took him to court.”
Max’s empty stomach growled loud enough to be heard in Tokyo. “Sorry,” she said apologetically. “If I don’t get something to eat, I’m going to keel over. I was looking for Kaitlin originally to ask if there were any real restaurants around that delivered.”
“Danny’s. Over on Third.”
“What kind of food?”
“Basic stuff. Best sweet potatoes, greens, and ribs this side of Detroit, though.”
Max was impressed. “There’s a soul food place up here?”
“Yep.”
“This Danny’s a Black man?”
“Nope, Polish, but when you taste his food, you’ll swear his mama was a Black woman from the South.”
Max smiled. “Okay.” She could see that he was still worried about his mom, and she couldn’t blame him. “If your mama is anywhere on the planet, Myk Chandler will find her.”
“Thanks.”
“Whoa!” she exclaimed.
He stared. “What?”
“I didn’t think you knew that word.”
His dark eyes flashed irritation.
Max quickly defended herself. “I was kidding, goodness. You really need to lighten up, Doc. All that darkness is gonna turn you into Darth Vader one day.”
He smiled.
She was so astonished she laughed, then said to the dogs who were lying by the door, “And he can smile, too, guys!”
Ruby barked twice in happy response and Max saw Adam freeze. The stony set of his face made her study him in the silence now filling the room. She said to him quietly, “You really need to tell me what’s going on with you and the dogs.”
He looked away and didn’t respond for a few long moments. Finally he said, “Two rottweilers attacked me on the way home from school.”
Max’s heart twisted. “How old were you?”
He met her eyes. “Twelve. I was hospitalized for ten days. Had to have seventy-five stitches put in my jaw and lips. Another fifty in my back and shoulders. The beard is mainly to cover the scars.”
Max could only imagine the pain he must have endured. “I’m so sorry. That’s why you don’t do dogs.”
“Exactly.”
She understood now. She walked over, knelt next to the dogs and said just as quietly, “Ruby and Ossie, go wait for me down by the steps. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Ruby stood and left. Ossie stood, too, but he stayed. When Max looked down, she saw that the dog’s eyes were focused on Gary. It wasn’t like him to not comply with a command, so she said, “Go ’head, Os,”
The big male gave the scientist one last long look, then trotted out.
Max said to Adam, “Being around them must be hard. There was nothing about the attack in the file I was given.”
“Not something I talk about. Grown men aren’t supposed to be afraid of dogs.”
She understood that, too. “I feel really bad. I’m so sorry. I can be like a bull in a china shop sometimes.”
“I’ve noticed that.”
“Bet you have.”
They both grinned this time, and the effects of his soft one seemed to slide right through her. Oh my, she said to herself.
Adam had been affected by her as well and found himself wondering what it might have been like had they met each other under normal circumstances. “What would you like from Danny’s?”
“The yams and ribs sounded good. Do you have a menu?”
“Yeah. Hold on.” He walked back over to the desk and opened a drawer. Pulling out the menu, he handed it over.
Max read the selections then said, “Yep. Yams. Ribs. Collards. And throw in a piece of coconut cake because I’ve been such a good girl.”
He chuckled, “Oh really?”
“Yes,” Max said with mock attitude. “You don’t think so?”
Adam stilled. He knew how he wanted to respond to the provocative question, but he’d known this woman less than a week and he was supposed to be practicing celibacy.
An amused Max asked, “No comment?”
His eyes sparkled. “No comment.”
Max was pleased that the ice between them seemed
Max’s empty stomach growled loud enough to be heard in Tokyo. “Sorry,” she said apologetically. “If I don’t get something to eat, I’m going to keel over. I was looking for Kaitlin originally to ask if there were any real restaurants around that delivered.”
“Danny’s. Over on Third.”
“What kind of food?”
“Basic stuff. Best sweet potatoes, greens, and ribs this side of Detroit, though.”
Max was impressed. “There’s a soul food place up here?”
“Yep.”
“This Danny’s a Black man?”
“Nope, Polish, but when you taste his food, you’ll swear his mama was a Black woman from the South.”
Max smiled. “Okay.” She could see that he was still worried about his mom, and she couldn’t blame him. “If your mama is anywhere on the planet, Myk Chandler will find her.”
“Thanks.”
“Whoa!” she exclaimed.
He stared. “What?”
“I didn’t think you knew that word.”
His dark eyes flashed irritation.
Max quickly defended herself. “I was kidding, goodness. You really need to lighten up, Doc. All that darkness is gonna turn you into Darth Vader one day.”
He smiled.
She was so astonished she laughed, then said to the dogs who were lying by the door, “And he can smile, too, guys!”
Ruby barked twice in happy response and Max saw Adam freeze. The stony set of his face made her study him in the silence now filling the room. She said to him quietly, “You really need to tell me what’s going on with you and the dogs.”
He looked away and didn’t respond for a few long moments. Finally he said, “Two rottweilers attacked me on the way home from school.”
Max’s heart twisted. “How old were you?”
He met her eyes. “Twelve. I was hospitalized for ten days. Had to have seventy-five stitches put in my jaw and lips. Another fifty in my back and shoulders. The beard is mainly to cover the scars.”
Max could only imagine the pain he must have endured. “I’m so sorry. That’s why you don’t do dogs.”
“Exactly.”
She understood now. She walked over, knelt next to the dogs and said just as quietly, “Ruby and Ossie, go wait for me down by the steps. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Ruby stood and left. Ossie stood, too, but he stayed. When Max looked down, she saw that the dog’s eyes were focused on Gary. It wasn’t like him to not comply with a command, so she said, “Go ’head, Os,”
The big male gave the scientist one last long look, then trotted out.
Max said to Adam, “Being around them must be hard. There was nothing about the attack in the file I was given.”
“Not something I talk about. Grown men aren’t supposed to be afraid of dogs.”
She understood that, too. “I feel really bad. I’m so sorry. I can be like a bull in a china shop sometimes.”
“I’ve noticed that.”
“Bet you have.”
They both grinned this time, and the effects of his soft one seemed to slide right through her. Oh my, she said to herself.
Adam had been affected by her as well and found himself wondering what it might have been like had they met each other under normal circumstances. “What would you like from Danny’s?”
“The yams and ribs sounded good. Do you have a menu?”
“Yeah. Hold on.” He walked back over to the desk and opened a drawer. Pulling out the menu, he handed it over.
Max read the selections then said, “Yep. Yams. Ribs. Collards. And throw in a piece of coconut cake because I’ve been such a good girl.”
He chuckled, “Oh really?”
“Yes,” Max said with mock attitude. “You don’t think so?”
Adam stilled. He knew how he wanted to respond to the provocative question, but he’d known this woman less than a week and he was supposed to be practicing celibacy.
An amused Max asked, “No comment?”
His eyes sparkled. “No comment.”
Max was pleased that the ice between them seemed
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