Max
I fucking insisted on dropping Kate off at work today, just to make a statement. She refused, and I didn’t want to make her more upset than she already was.
After dropping her off at her car hours before school started, I go to the local coffee shop. While waiting on my order, I do a bit of research on Steven Gilly. Being the douche he is, he has everything on social media. Picture after picture of different beautiful women fill his feed. There are pictures of him and Cole with other douche fucks there, too.
I go back to her house, doing my best to keep my anger at bay. Kate is surprised I show back up with her favorite coffee. And damn, seeing her in a silk robe with her tan legs peeking out and damp blonde locks falling over her shoulder about undoes me. Took everything inside me not to march her ass right up the stairs and take her every which way I could.
After last night, I know for certain she’s mine, and I’ll never get enough of her. I left her house after a quick peck on her lips and, well, a longer kiss that I had to pry myself away from. I was shocked I was able to walk away.
Now I’m a few blocks from the school, watching the children bustle in. Steven is nowhere in sight, and that alone is a damn gift from God because I’m not sure I’d have the willpower to remain seated. Kate is easy to spot, with her wild blonde hair stacked on top of her head and those damn nerd glasses she makes adorable, not to mention her lime green cast.
Finn bounces up to her and remains at her side until she walks in. I’m unsettled as hell, knowing that creepy no-good asshole is in that building with my son and girlfriend. Shit, we never made it official, but I’m going with it, and to be honest, she’s more than a girlfriend. I now know what my parents have. Never thought I’d find it after Ally put me through the wringer.
My phone rings right on time. Dad’s name flashes across the screen.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Where the hell are you?” Dad fires at me.
“At the school.”
“Jesus, I told you to stay away,” he growls into the phone.
“I’m just watching. I’ll be there in a few.”
I wait until every last body disappears into the large school building before pulling away. Dad and Cody are in the rockers on my porch when I pull in along with Brady. The three of them are best friends and have been since their high school years, no matter which direction life took them.
“Meet your new babysitter, baby boy Max.” Cody stands and pounds his chest.
“Shut the hell up,” Brady grumbles. “Will you ever grow up?”
The answer is no, and anyone who knows Cody knows this. He will always be the fun-loving playboy who runs the local bar. There are rumors that once upon a time he had his heart broken and never got over it.
“I told you to stay away from him.” Dad stands and makes his way to me.
He’s pissed off. There’s no doubting that. He’s been through hell in his own life and mine. Through it all, he’s been by my side.
“We have a plan.” He slaps me on the shoulder. “You’re going to sit down and listen. This is going down my way, no questions asked. I’m not about to see you come this far only to ruin it with your damn temper and pride.”
I nod, digesting his message. He knows me all too well. After living in a small town with an abusive mother and enduring the nastiness of the town, it’s hard not to fall back on gut reactions. I walked away one too many times without reacting, and I’m done with that shit.
I lean on a pillar of the porch and listen to the men. They’ve brought a bottle of rum with them. I’m assuming that was courtesy of Cody. They pour ample amounts into their black coffee.
“Made yourselves at home, I see.” I pointed to the open door then the familiar mugs.
“It’s part of the damn contract.” Cody swirls his mug in the air. “You know, one of those random drop-ins to make sure you’re not trashing the damn joint.”
Brady rolls his eyes and opens his mouth, more than likely to tell him to shut the fuck up. Dad cuts off the chaos before it can begin.
“You stay away from Steven, and Cole for that fact. You don’t speed. Hell, you don’t even jay walk. You walk the line and focus on Finn and Kate.”
I nod. “Sounds great and all, but you know how this game works, Dad.”
I make sure to watch the tone in my voice, not wanting to push him any further than he already is. Might seem pig-headed the way he’s acting, but since Jessie got Jules, his one and only true love, and their daughter, Whit, back in his life, he’s been hell-bent on protecting them with all he has. Nothing touches his family, which includes all his kids, his parents, and Jules’ Nana.
“Don’t be an ass.” He takes a long pull from his coffee, sputtering and struggling to swallow down the liquid. “Fucking Cody, how much rum did you pour into this?”
Cody only shrugs.
“Anyway,” Dad clears his throat, “Brady’s brother, Duke, happens to be the school resource officer. Doesn’t care much for Steven or the pricks on the school board. He’s let us know that Steven is away at a conference for the next five days. This gives us time. It also puts him in a big city where temptation will be everywhere. He’ll dip his nose in that shit. Pictures won’t lie, Max. We’ll have him by the balls.”
A dozen questions stream through my brain. I open my mouth to speak, but Dad cuts me off.
“Don’t ask questions. The less you know, the better.”
“Duke has his number, kid. There’s no worry. It all works in our favor, as sick as this is. The chairman of the board and superintendent are at this conference with Steven in San Diego,” Brady adds.
Cody finishes his mug of coffee, which is probably more rum than anything. “And don’t fool yourself, Max. You were thrown back into this one-horse shit hole, but there are more of us wanting change than the evil. This is what we do. We fight back and stand up for what’s right. Won’t be easy, but good always wins.”
“Okay.” I grab Dad’s mug, needing something to dull the rage inside me while I process the plan. He was right; I cringe at how much rum is in the black coffee. It takes just one swallow to let the rum do its job. “I’m in.”
I pass the mug back and tell them about the night Kate had to pour out the bottle of whiskey. I go into detail about the bruising on her skin and finish off with endless stories about Finn. It’s insane to think about how we’ve been in each other’s lives for only a few short weeks, but I already have so many memories to share.
“Bring him over for dinner when you all get settled in.” Dad stands up and pats my shoulder. “And keep Kate close.”
Dad gives me a quick hug while I get shoulder bumps from the other two. Dad climbs into his truck, the same one he’s driven since I can remember. It grounds me in an odd way.
He rolls down his window and rests his shoulder on the window. “And call your damn mom before she drives me insane.”
“Will do.” I give him a wave before he drives away with Cody and Brady.
I relax back into the rocker, staring at the coffee mugs and half-empty bottle of rum. Damn pigs making a mess. I damn well know Dad left that bottle behind as a message. He knows I have it in me to fight all my demons. That alone makes me believe in myself.
I clean up the mess, draining the coffee and washing the mugs, placing them on the drying rack. I place the bottle of rum up on the shelf above my refrigerator, feeling stronger, knowing I can do this with my support system. My demons have nothing on them.
I force myself to crack open my Mac. My business has been barely hanging on. I opened a division of IT support before my life changed forever. It’s a money maker, including six employees serving large businesses as well as supporting their web pages. I pull out my reading glasses that I only wear when working on the computer. The damn things make me feel like a dinosaur.
The time flies as I jam to my old school playlist, knocking out my to-do list. Thank God I set my timer. I nearly jump out of my seat when it goes off. Today is the day. Finn’s first sleepover. Harriet is going to hang with us for a while before leaving him. Between the shit show yesterday and this morning, I never told Kate. I’m hoping she’ll join us for dinner tonight.
Which reminds me, I need to text Cody to make sure he can follow Kate home. That thought kills me, but there’s no way Kate can sleep over tonight with Finn. Baby steps. They just may kill me.
I make it to the school just in time to see Kate appear with Finn scurrying up to her side. He glances around with a worried look on his face. I wonder if that will ever fade away.
I wave my hand, rushing up to him. Finn lights up and drops Kate’s hand. It’s something I never thought I’d see. His trust in me is natural. I thought I loved him at first sight. I had no idea.
“Max-Dad, you’re here. You remembered.” He races up to me.
Kate keeps an eye him the whole time while watching the rest of her students flee from the masses. She gives each of them a hug or high-five as they head home. I’m one lucky bastard, having these two unbelievable people in my life.
“Of course, I did, buddy.” I grab him without thinking, wrapping him up in a hug.
His tiny body goes still. It was such a natural reaction. I kiss the side of his head before setting him down, then hold out my fist to him. We do our bro shake, then he grabs my hand.
“Oh no.” Finn freezes.
“What’s up, buddy?” I ask, concerned.
“I forgot Miss Kate.” He tugs me toward her. “I didn’t tell her ‘bye,’ and she didn’t tell me to be brave.”
“Can’t have that happening.”
Finn waits patiently as the other kids love on Kate. His manners blow me away.
“Hey there, mister, thought you ditched me.” She kneels, holding her arms out wide.
“Sorry.” He drops his head.
“No, no.” She squeezes him. “I’m happy you did, Finn. That’s how it should be.”
“Are you coming over tonight?” he asks.
I step in, answering the question for her. “She is. We have to get home and cook dinner for her.”
Finn spins on me, pointing a finger at me. “No broccoli, right?”
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me. “No broccoli. Carrots and tomatoes, though.”
He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head in disgust. As soon as Kate stands up with an amused smile plastered on her face, I lean in and whisper in her ear. I know there are several sets of eyes on us, so I do my best to keep it friendly.
“I want to kiss the hell out of you right now, Teach.”
“Max, behave.”
“Dinner at six?”
She nods.
“He’s not here today. It’s been a good day.”
“I know.” I lean back, making sure we don’t linger too long.
She cranes her head in question.
“Trust me.” I tuck my hands in my pockets to keep from pulling her to me. “And yes, he’s alive.”
I wink at her.
“Max-Dad, are we going yet? I see Harriet over there.” He points and waves at her.
Foster care has a damn bad rap, and I have no doubt Finn has experienced his fair share of negativity, but Harriet and the team she works with are phenomenal.