Authors: Theresa Ragan
#
Lunch time at Molly’s junior high usually passed without fanfare, but today was different. Today Molly couldn’t keep her mind off of the fact that Mad Max was her father. She’d known for three days now, but she hadn’t told anyone but Lindsay that she knew. She didn’t know what to do about it. She didn’t know how to feel? She thought about talking to the school counselor, but then changed her mind. Adults weren’t much better than her friends when it came to gossiping. She wasn’t ready for the whole school to know she had a father. Once they found out her dad was Mad Max, everyone might want to be her friend for the wrong reason.
“Hey, Molly,” a familiar voice called out.
Molly turned, surprised to see Grant Parker heading her way.
“Where have you been?”
Breathe, Molly, Breathe.
He’s just a boy. Never mind that he was the hottest boy in her seventh grade class. He was still just a boy. “I wasn’t feeling well,” she finally managed.
“Oh.”
“But I’m fine now.”
“I’m glad. I wanted to talk to you.”
They walked together for a moment. She wondered if anyone was looking, watching them together. She hoped so.
“I had a great time at your party. Meeting Mad Max was awesome. My brothers are super jealous that I got to hang with Mad Max and Cole Fletcher.”
She smiled.
Grant stopped walking and reached for her arm.
She stopped too and looked at him, curious. Her heart thumped against her chest. Swallowing dryly, she wondered what he had to say. Having his hand on her arm left her feeling off balance.
He gestured past the school parking lot toward the park. “Me, Katie, and Tom are heading off. You know, cutting school for the rest of the day. We’re going to go hang out at the park. Do you want to come along?”
“Oh, I don’t know—”
“Come on,” he said, his chocolate brown eyes glistening in the sunlight. “It’ll be fun. We only have two days of school left. If you’re not having a good time,” he added, “we’ll come back before lunch ends.”
Molly looked about, relieved to see that there weren’t any teachers or adults around. She’d never cut class before. The idea had never crossed her mind. But how could she turn down Grant Parker, the cutest boy in the entire school? He was every girls dream. His hair was longer than most boys his age. He was in the eighth grade. All the girls had crushes on him.
If she got caught though, she’d definitely get into trouble. Her mom would be furious. She might even get suspended from school. But Grant was right, there were only two days of school left anyhow. Besides, the thought of her mom being angry with her, only made her want to cut class and go with Grant all the more. She tried to imagine saying no to him, watching him walk away without her. That made her feel sicker than the thought of going with him, so she nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll do it. Let’s go.”
#
“What are you going to teach me today?” Max asked Kari as he followed her into the kitchen.
It was Wednesday morning and once again she had stopped at the grocery store on the way to his house. Together, they unloaded the groceries, putting the fruit and vegetables, eggs and other assorted items into the refrigerator. She pulled a tub of cream cheese from the refrigerator and held it up. “What’s this?”
He laughed. “I didn’t eat one bit of it, I swear. Fred and Dan bought it when Sally made the mistake of sending them to the store. I’m telling you, those guys are bad influences.”
She lifted a skeptical brow.
“As soon as they’re gone, I’ll empty the refrigerator of all poisonous foods and you can come check it out.”
“I think I’ll do that. Today though,” she said after she shut the refrigerator door and came around to the other side of the granite counter, “I’m going to sit here.” She patted the cushiony seat on one of the stools. “And I’m going to watch you make us breakfast. You get to plan the entire day. Meals, exercise, everything. I’m just going to watch and see how you incorporate everything you’ve learned.”
“You’ll do whatever I say? Go wherever I want?”
“Absolutely.”
“But this is sort of like a test, isn’t it?”
“Maybe,” she said, wondering what it was about him today that seemed different. He wore stone-colored lightweight pants with a smooth front and a classic short-sleeve white polo shirt.
“Okay,” he said rubbing his hands together. “I think I can ace this test. Breakfast is important, so I better get this right. It’s probably worth half the points for the day.”
She merely smiled, crossed her legs, and decided to enjoy herself. Yesterday she took Molly to school and then spent the day in the office catching up on paperwork. Today she had been eager to see Max again. In fact, it surprised her how much she missed not seeing him yesterday.
“You’ll be glad to know,” he said, “that I had oatmeal for breakfast yesterday, another soybean burger for lunch, and a chicken salad for dinner. I wrote it all down in that food journal you gave me. The family was impressed.”
“I’m impressed. You’ve caught on quick. I don’t think you need me anymore, Max.”
“Oh, no,” he said. “I need you. I almost talked Breanne into running to the store for some good old-fashioned apple pie and french vanilla ice cream, but she wouldn’t go.”
Kari laughed and then looked about. “It’s so quiet around here.” This was the first time she recalled the two of them ever being in the house alone.
He cracked eight eggs into a bowl before heading to the sink to scoop out the yolks. “By the way, how’s Molly feeling?”
“Better, although she’s been acting strange. It must be a teenage thing, changing hormones and all of that.”
“I know exactly what you’re talking about. My sisters all went through spurts while growing up...there were times when all four of them would turn into demons, I swear.” His brow furrowed. “It wasn’t pretty.”
She chuckled.
Max added four tablespoons of low-fat milk to the bowl. Watching Max cook filled Kari with a warm, tingly feeling. The more she thought about telling Max about Molly, the more she realized she needed to tell Molly first. School would be over in a few days. Then she would sit down and have a long talk with her daughter.
“You look as if you’re a million miles away. What are you thinking about?”
She shook off the guilt creeping over her. She knew dragging things out was only complicating matters, but she’d already made up her mind. By next week, both Max and Molly would know the truth. “Sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but I sensed something going on between you and your sister, Nicole, the other day. Are you two close?”
He pulled mushrooms, tomatoes, and scallions from the refrigerator and said, “I think you do mean to be nosy,” he teased, “but yes, we’re close. At least we used to be before her boyfriend, Jake, died in a car accident. I happened to be the one driving when a drunk driver broadsided us.”
“That’s horrible.”
He sliced the vegetables as he talked. “We were all wearing seatbelts and everyone survived except Jake. According to the autopsy, Jake was a walking time bomb. He died from a brain aneurysm. I guess you could say there has been some friction between Nicole and me ever since.”
She leaned forward so she could look into his eyes. “You don’t blame yourself, do you?”
He picked up the measuring cup and measured two ounces of nonfat shredded cheddar cheese. “Hell, I don’t know...that’s not true. Sometimes I do blame myself, although I know I shouldn’t.”
“How awful.”
“Nicole knows how sorry I am. We all are. But what good is ‘sorry’ when someone has lost the love of their life? And Jake was definitely that.”
“How long ago did she lose him?”
“It’s been two years now.” He washed a handful of strawberries in the sink, then returned to the stove. “Jake was a great guy. A good man. You would have liked him. Everybody did.”
“I’m sure I would have. You’re lucky to have such a wonderful family.”
He looked at her, long and hard, before he directed his attention back to breakfast. After folding the omelet in the pan and transferring it to a plate, he set two fresh strawberries next to the omelet and slid the plate in front of her. “That’s one hundred and eighty calories. Total fat: one gram. Less than 0.2 grams of saturated fat. Two grams of fiber, 26 grams of protein, and approximately four hundred milligrams of sodium.”
He provided her with a fork, a napkin, and a glass of iced water. Then he pointed the spatula her way. “Eat before it gets cold.”
She took a bite. “Delicious.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet. When you’re done eating, I’m going to take you on the ride of your life.”
And he was right. An hour later, she was straddled against him on the back of his motorcycle, her arms tight around his waist as they sped down the Santa Monica Freeway. Her hair whipped around her face. At first she’d been terrified, but once she began to relax, she found herself enjoying the ride...the scenery, the smell of the ocean as they drew nearer to the water, and especially the feel of her arms around Max. She felt young and carefree.
Exiting the freeway, Max slowed as he made his way through a small town. Boutiques and cafes lined both sides of the road. He pulled over to the curb and turned off the engine.
Kari removed her helmet. “What are we doing?”
“We’re going to the beach, but first I thought we’d run into Lily’s Boutique and grab some shorts and a tank top.”
“I can’t let you buy me anything.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. It’s not right...it’s unprofessional.”
“You said you would do anything today.”
“Shopping is not a form of exercise.”
“You’re ruining the moment,” he said. “Go with it. Loosen up a little just this once.”
“Fine. Let’s go. You can buy me everything in the store if you want.”
#
“Looks like Tom and Katie are at it again,” Grant said, making Molly cringe since she didn’t have to look over her shoulder to know what Tom and Katie were doing. But, of course, she looked anyhow. They were at the top of the jungle gym making out. They were really going at it, making her wonder how they could breathe. Until ten minutes ago, the four of them were having a great time talking about concerts and music. It was a wonder Tom and Katie weren’t falling off the bars.
Molly’s cheeks felt hot, and she hoped Grant didn’t notice.
“Have you ever been kissed?” Grant asked.
Molly found it hard to swallow. She tried to say something, anything, but no words came out of her mouth.
He chuckled. “Is that a ‘no’?”
She shook her head before quickly changing it to a nod.
He leaned forward until his nose was only inches from hers. The mischievous look in his eyes told her he was waiting for her to make the next move. He was giving her a choice, which made her feel brave. She leaned toward him and tried not to squirm when her lips brushed against his. His lips felt softer than she imagined they would. He didn’t smell like most of the boys who hung out in her neighborhood. He smelled clean and fresh, like soap. Her arms tingled. Kissing wasn’t as gross as she thought it would be, but she still pulled away. He didn’t seem too disappointed. At least he was smiling.
She decided right then and there that she liked kissing Grant Parker.
“What’s going on here!”
“Principal Hardy,” Molly gasped.
“Molly Murphy. Is that you?”
She looked at Grant, hoping he would know what to do or say to get them out of this mess, but he didn’t say a word.
She glanced at the jungle gym. Tom and Katie had managed to escape unnoticed.
“Molly Murphy,” the principal said again, making her feel like a ten-year old. Did you know school ended over an hour ago?”
“Gosh,” she said. “You’re kidding me?”
Grant chuckled, which made the principal’s brow slant together. She hadn’t meant it to be funny.
“Your teacher was worried about you and so were your classmates,” Principal Hardy said. “I thought I’d check the park before I called your mother to tell her that her only child was missing. What do you think that would have done to her?”
“To tell you the truth, Mr. Hardy, I’m not really sure.”
#
After all the daycare kids left for the day, Lindsay walked Cole to the door. “Thanks for your help. The kids really like you a lot.”
“How about you?”
“Me?”
“Do you like me a lot?”
“You’re a nice guy.” The phone rang. “Just a moment.” She left him standing at the door while she ran back into the house to pick up the phone. A moment later, Lindsay returned with her purse. She stepped outside and shuffled around the inside of her purse for her keys. “That was the principal at Molly’s school. She was supposed to go to her friend’s house after school, but apparently ditched her last few classes to go to the park with Grant, one of the boys you met at the bowling alley last weekend.”
She finally located her keys. Her hands shook while she locked the door. Cole followed her to her car. “Has she done this before?”
“No. Never.” Lindsay stopped in her tracks. “Damn.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I completely forgot. My car isn’t working, which is why I asked Mrs. McDowell to take Molly to school today.” She lightly tapped the side of her head, trying to figure out what to do. “I meant to call Kari earlier, but it completely slipped my mind.”
“I’ll take you.”
She looked at his sleek black sedan parked in the driveway. “Are you sure?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
They headed for his car. He opened the passenger door and held it open while she slid onto the smooth leather seat and strapped herself in. The car still had that new car smell.
Cole walked around the front and then climbed in beside her.
“I like this car,” she said.
“A lot?”
She smiled. “Very much.”
He pushed a button on the navigation system. “What’s the name of the school?”
“Carter Junior High off Stafford Blvd.”
He logged in the name, then turned on his blinker and merged onto the street. A light breeze blew the leaves from the trees lining the road. “So what’s going on with the sperm bank?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you still going through with it?”
She made a tsking noise. “Of course. This isn’t cosmetic surgery where you just change your mind on a whim. I’m going to have a baby. Yes, I’m still going through with it.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m sorry.” And she was. The poor guy had done nothing wrong and yet she seemed determined to push him away, for no reason other than the fact that he was an athlete and too good looking for his own good. “It’s just that I’ve put a lot of thought into having a baby of my own. It’s not something I woke up and decided to do one day. I didn’t sign up with DLS until after years of thought and planning went into my decision.”
“Why so eager?” he asked. “You’re still young. Why not wait until the right guy comes along?”
Her sigh came out sounding like a huff, especially since he obviously didn’t think he was a contender as the right guy for her because otherwise he wouldn’t have worded it like that. Why that would unsettle her, she wasn’t sure. She’d known what sort of man Cole was since the day she met him. “There is no right guy for me,” she finally answered.
He looked away from the road long enough to give her an incredulous look. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely. Men are control freaks. They’re domineering. They don’t care for what is easily gained, instead desiring only that which cannot be obtained without difficulty.”
He let out a short caustic laugh. “So you think that if you went out with me, I would lose interest fairly quickly.”
“Without a doubt.”
“So dating is all just a silly game.”
“Exactly,” she said, “which is why I don’t do it very often.”
“Because you don’t like games?”
“Right again. For the record though, I’m truly not interested in dating you. It’s not a game. It’s not an act.” She looked over at him. “That probably stirs something inside of you, doesn’t it?”
“You could say that.”
“Men are predictable that way. For instance, if I said pull over so we can have sex right here, right now, odds are you wouldn’t hesitate to do just that.”
He smiled, causing a handsome dimple to dent his profile. “Okay, maybe you have a point.”
She laughed and then leaned her head back against the headrest. “Men.”
“The same could be said about women.”
“Okay,” she said, “tell me what’s on my mind.”
“Although you appear to be having a conversation with me about men vs. women, you’re really thinking about Molly. You’re worried about her. I can see it in your eyes. If I said let’s pull over to the side of the road and have sex, you would either laugh it off or punch me in the nose, but secretly, way down deep inside, a fluttering would start in your belly at the idea of the two of us getting naked, because you haven’t been with a man in a long while and you know you want it. Being that you’re stubborn and you like to be in control, inevitably you would be the one on top, the one setting the pace and taking us both to the edge. The sound of a car honking in the distance might make you stop and wonder what the hell you were doing, but then the heat of my tongue tangled with yours and the feel of my hand cupping your buttocks would make you forget everything else, and for the first time in a very long time you would climax. Right here. Right now. On the side of the road in Cole Fletcher’s brand new BMW.”
It was quiet for a moment.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to get a hold of herself. “Wow, you’re good,” she said, sarcasm lining her voice. “How did you know I liked being on top?”
He let out a long laugh as he made a left on Turner Road. The school was up ahead on the right. He parked the car and followed her to the front office.
Lindsay knew Molly might be embarrassed to see Cole, but she figured the kid deserved whatever she got. Inside the school office, four chairs lined the left side of the room. Molly sat alone in the first chair. She looked up, surprise lighting her eyes and heat coloring her cheeks when she spotted Cole Fletcher.
“Where’s Grant?” Lindsay asked.
“His mom just picked him up.”
“You stay here with Cole,” Lindsay told her. “I’m going to go find the principal.”
After Lindsay disappeared, an awkward moment ensued and Cole wondered why he’d followed Lindsay inside. “Howdy,” he said.
She lifted her gaze and managed a half smile.
“How much trouble are you in?”
“Suspended for the last two days of school. No dance for me this Friday.” She shrugged. “It was a father daughter dance anyhow, so who cares? It’s not like I have a father.”
Cole shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Where is your father?”
“Don’t ask me. Ask your friend.”
He looked over his shoulder, thoroughly confused. “What friend would that be?”
“Mad Max.”
“Does he know your father?”
“He is my father.”