Read Wayward Hearts Online

Authors: Susan Anne Mason

Tags: #christian Fiction

Wayward Hearts (19 page)

“Hi.” She jumped to her feet and smoothed down her dress.

His gaze moved over her with appreciation. “You look amazing. I've never seen you wear high heels before.”

Her hand flew to the gold chain that decorated her throat. “There's a first time for everything, right?”

Like this date.

“I guess so.” He smiled and held out his hand to her.

Maxi hesitated for a moment, not sure what she was supposed to do. Where had the smooth, confident city girl disappeared to? She swallowed once, willing her nerves to dissipate, and placed her hand in his. The warmth of his skin heated hers. He made a mock bow and led her down the walkway to his truck where he held the passenger door open for her and then helped her in.

“Where are we going?” she asked when he started the engine.

He only grinned as he shifted into reverse. “You'll see.”

Twenty minutes later, they parked in front of Chez Marie's, the most expensive French restaurant in Kingsville. This didn't seem like Jason's style, but she wasn't about to complain. She'd released her seatbelt, about to open her door, when he put a hand on her arm.

“Wait here for a minute. I'll be right back.” He hopped out before she could answer.

She crossed her arms and frowned out the window. What was he up to?

She tapped a toe on the floor of the truck and kept glancing out the window toward the stained glass doors to the restaurant. Finally, Jason bounded out, his arms full of paper bags bearing the name “Chez Marie.”

French take out? What kind of date was this?

Jason laughed as he opened the door and placed the bags in the backseat. “Don't look so miserable. Let yourself be spontaneous for once.”

“I can be spontaneous. As long as I know what I'm getting into.” She realized she was pouting and deliberately relaxed her lips.

“Trust me. You're going to have a good time.”

The truck roared to life. Jason guided it back down the road the way they'd come.

“What? Now we're going home?”

Jason laughed, little lines wrinkling his eyes. “You're such a control freak. Relax.”

It took all her might to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the ride. She would not ask him where they were going, even if it killed her. Ten minutes later, when Jason turned down the road towards the falls, she knew. He was taking her to eat by the water. Her insides softened to warm liquid at such a romantic gesture. He'd remembered how much she loved that spot.

Jason parked near the path to the falls. After he helped her down, he reached into the backseat for a blanket, a picnic basket, and the bags of takeout.

“Is this OK?” He suddenly looked unsure. “Those shoes might not do well on the grass.”

“I'll be fine. If not, you'll have to carry me as well as the food.” She grinned at him, and he laughed back.

They walked at a slow pace as far as the path would take them, then branched off over the grass to Maxi's favorite fallen log in front of the cascading falls. Overhead, the sun had already dipped behind the trees. Bits of crimson peeked out through the branches, casting an almost magical glow over the oasis. She breathed deeply, taking in the smell of pine tree mixed with the earthy scent of loam. When Jason spread the blanket on the ground, Maxi kicked off her sandals and sat down with a sigh.

“This is perfect.” And it was. So much better than sitting in a stuffy restaurant. For a brief moment, she thought of her many dinners with Lance in New York at all the high-end eateries and knew she much preferred it here.

“Glad you approve.” He knelt beside her, opened the basket and took out paper plates, cutlery, and a bottle of sparkling apple cider.

“You thought of everything.”

He gave a lopsided smile. “I was lucky Ma had this bottle kicking around.” He popped the cork and poured a half glass each. “To life, with all its ups and downs.”

“Cheers.” She sipped the tart liquid enjoying the burst of flavor.

Jason opened the bags of food and, with amazing skill, fixed a plate of pasta and salad for each of them. Maxi balanced her plate on her lap and took a bite, not even minding the awkwardness of sitting on the ground in a dress. They ate in companionable silence for a while until Maxi broke the quiet.

“We brought Charlie home today.”

Jason choked. “What?”

She laughed at his horrified expression. “His ashes. In an urn.”

“Oh. How was that?”

She sobered. “I don't think I actually realized he was dead until today.”

“Must've been hard to face the finality of it.”

She dabbed her mouth with a paper napkin. “Hard, but necessary.” She glanced over at him. “It's funny though—Mama took it really well. She seems to have accepted his death and the changes it means to her life.”

“Bernice is one strong lady.”

Maxi nodded and sipped her drink. “We had a good talk about Charlie. She told me he didn't blame me…for Drew's death. That he actually blamed himself.”

He finished his meal and wiped his hands on a napkin. “I always suspected as much, but I knew you'd never believe me.”

The burn of sudden emotion lodged in her throat, and she had to put down her fork. He knew her so well, sometimes better than she knew herself. “I guess my own guilt wouldn't let me believe you.”

“And now?”

She felt his gaze on her face as she stared out over the water and didn't dare look at him, afraid the empathy on his face would bring about a torrent of weeping. “Now, I think I can start to let it go.”

“I'm glad.” The huskiness of his voice made tears sting her eyes. She blinked hard to push them away.

They sat in silence for a few moments, their shoulders lightly touching.

“How about you?” she asked after recovering her equilibrium. “Have you decided if you'll talk to your dad?” She glanced over in time to see untold emotions cross his face.

His mouth hardened. “I saw him today.”

Her eyes opened wide. “And you didn't mention it until now?”

“Didn't feel like talking about it.” He moved to his knees on the blanket and began to push the trash into the paper bag with unnecessary force. The muscles corded in his arms beneath his rolled up sleeves.

She reached out a tentative hand and laid it on his arm. “Feel like talking now?”

He stilled for a brief moment. “Not yet. I need time to think about everything he told me.”

She bit back her disappointment. “Well, I'm proud of you for at least giving him a chance. No matter what happens, I don't think you'll regret it.”

He raised his head to look in her eyes. A mixture of dark emotions swirled in their blue depths. Before she could catch her breath, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, his mouth claiming hers. He tasted like apples, sweet and sour at the same time. His hands slid down her bare arms creating a cascade of tingles along her spine. Then, as suddenly as he'd initiated the kiss, Jason ended it. He sat with an abrupt jerk and blew out a deep breath.

She sat more slowly, still reeling. “I'm not complaining, but what was that about?”

He stared out at the water, not looking at her. “For always giving me good advice.”

Her lips twitched. “With that incentive, I'll come up with some more in a minute.”

He turned his head to look at her then. “You're not mad?”

“Should I be?”

“I think I've been giving you mixed signals lately.”

Unease churned the food in her stomach.
Please don't let him go back to being just friends.
She swallowed. “I'll admit I'm a little confused. Exactly what
is
happening here, Jason?”

He got to his feet and reached out a hand to pull her up beside him. Without her heels, she was at a disadvantage height-wise. She willed her breathing to slow down, refusing to second-guess what he might say.

“I'm not sure. I do know I've never felt this way before...about anyone. And if you're willing, I'd like to see where this...relationship…is heading.”

Relief spilled through her tense muscles. It wasn't a declaration of love, but it wasn't a rejection either. “I'd like that very much.”

The furrows in his forehead relaxed, and he expelled a loud breath. “I was hoping you'd say that.”

He lowered his mouth to hers again, and her body sighed at the familiar feel of him. Joy swirled through her as their kiss deepened into something more than purely physical. As though their souls united.

When they finally drew apart, Jason looked down at her with such a tender expression Maxi thought she might explode with joy. How long had she waited to see that look in his eyes, a look just for her? He pushed a strand of her hair behind one ear. “I guess we should clean up here before it gets too dark.”

She hadn't even noticed that the light had faded to dusk. A faint pink haze colored the sky. An absolutely perfect night. “You take the trash, and I'll fold the blanket.”

She hummed as she packed up the picnic basket and stole quick glances at Jason as he moved, picking up the garbage. He was so lithe in everything he did. She could watch him forever. The muffled sound of her cell phone ringing brought her back to reality. For a moment she was tempted to ignore it. She wanted nothing of the real world to intrude on her evening with Jason.

Then she thought of her mother. What if she needed her? With a sigh, she fished the device out of her small handbag and looked at the display.

Her heart sank to her toes when Philippe's ID blinked at her.

“Hello, Philippe.” She tried to keep her voice cheerful.

“Maxi, I want you back in New York tomorrow. Not a minute later.”

 

 

 

 

21

 

Jason whistled as he polished the mirrors on the fire engine at the Kingsville station the next morning. Nothing could dampen his mood today. Not even that phone call summoning Maxi back to New York.

For the first time in his life, he was truly in love.

In love with Maxi North.

Even if she did return to New York, Jason was determined to make this relationship work. He'd make it work because he wasn't giving up now. Call him selfish, but he wasn't ready to relinquish these feelings that acted like a drug, running rampant through his system.

He bent with the rag and began to shine the chrome trim. With this energy, he could probably finish his chores in record time. And then he could plan his speech for Maxi. He was driving her to the airport later that afternoon. Even though she only intended to stay for a few days to put out some fires so to speak, Jason wanted to make sure Maxi knew how he felt about her. In absolute terms, with no doubt involved. He intended to tell her he loved her and make sure she had a very good reason to hurry back.

As for the future, he'd worry about that later. They'd take it one day at a time and make decisions as they went. That is, if Maxi felt the same way. His hand stopped mid-stroke over the hubcap. What if he'd misread her reactions? What if...?

No, he was pretty good at reading female reactions, and he knew Maxi felt something for him. The question remained—was it strong enough for her to want a future with him?

He stood up, stretched his back, and inhaled deeply. He'd find out when he kissed her good-bye. He'd see then whether it was a “see you again soon” type of kiss or an “it's been nice knowing you” kiss. Every instinct told him she was as invested in this new relationship as he.

“Hey, Hanley.” The voice of one of the other firefighters broke through the haze of his thoughts. “There's someone here to see you.”

A huge grin spread across his face. Maxi couldn't wait to see him. She'd come all the way into Kingsville. Maybe she'd changed her mind about going to New York after all.

Adrenaline surged through his limbs as he tossed the rag into the dirty laundry pile, took a quick glance at his reflection in the side-view mirror, and then bounded through the station to the inner office. His smile of anticipation slid away the moment he saw the woman in the blue dress standing at the reception desk. What was
she
doing here?

“Gloria?”

She turned. “Hello, Jason.”

Something about her seemed different. She wasn't her usual flirtatious self. In fact, she appeared subdued, almost guilty. Alarm bells rang in his ears—alarms that had nothing to do with the fire station. “Is something wrong?”

His first thoughts turned to Maxi. His hand clenched into a fist at his side. If Gloria had done something to Maxi, he wouldn't be responsible for his actions.

Gloria twisted a crumpled tissue between her fingers. “Is there somewhere we could talk? In private?”

A cold ball of fear lodged in his chest, but he refused to let her see his discomfort. He kept his voice low and smooth. “There's a room down the hall. It should be empty right now.”

He led the way to the small utility room that served as a storage/meeting room. A rectangular table and four mismatched chairs took up most of the dingy space. He pulled a chair out for her and then took a seat on the other side of the table. Wariness told him to keep a safe distance between them.

“What can I do for you, Gloria?” He couldn't help the coldness in his voice.

She lowered her fake lashes, still twisting the tissue. “I have some news I need to tell you.”

He frowned, paying more attention to her trembling chin and shaking fingers. This news couldn't be good. “What is it?”

She bit down on her bottom lip, which had started to quiver. If he didn't know the kind of hateful person she could be, he might almost feel sorry for her.

“I don't know how to tell you this…”

Wisps of fear curled through his veins as he waited.

At last she raised misery-filled eyes to his. “I'm pregnant,” she whispered.

Initial relief spread through his tense muscles. It had nothing to do with him or Maxi. “Wow. I'm sorry.” He felt the stirrings of sympathy for her. “Does Marco know?”

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