Taming Mad Max (10 page)

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Playing horseshoes with the Dutton family proved to be more than entertaining. As Kari tried to get the horseshoe to connect with the stake sticking out of the ground, she realized she hadn’t had this much fun in a long time.

“We should let Kari have a couple of practice tries,” Sally said.

“No,” Dan said before turning toward Kari. “You don’t do it like that. Here, let me show you.”

“I’ll show her how to throw the shoe,” Max cut in. “I think you’ve done enough.”

Breanne and Sally laughed.

Judging by the mischievous look Dan gave the others, he’d only offered to help her for the sheer purpose of getting Max riled. In fact, they all seemed to be working extra hard to push her and Max together. Everyone was playing matchmaker except for Mrs. Dutton, who sat a few feet away from the horseshoe court, taking it all in.

Breanne, Kari, and Max were on the same team. Dan and Fred were trying to make Kari nervous while she attempted to aim another rusty horseshoe at the metal post a few feet away.

“Twenty bucks,” Fred called, “if she gets this one within a foot of the stake.”

Dan chuckled.

“Here,” Max said, coming up from behind Kari and taking her hand in his so he could show her how to move her arm through the air before she released the shoe. “Remember what I taught you yesterday with the bowling ball.”

“You went bowling?” Jill asked.

Sally snorted. “Isn’t he the one who always said that bowling was for pansies?”

“I told you he was smitten.”

“Just ignore them,” Max told Kari.

With his chest pressed close against her back, she could feel the beat of his heart. The top of her head reached just under his chin. She pulled back her arm. “Like this?”

“You almost have it.” He clasped his hand around hers and started from the beginning. “Like this.”

She turned her head far enough to see the deep concentration in his eyes, the focus he used to teach her a simple game of horseshoes. She came to his house this morning to tell him about Molly, but now, as she stood in his arms, she realized for the first time in years that there was a real possibility that he might not know he had a daughter at all. Maybe, just maybe, he’d never received any of the letters she personally delivered to his mother. And if that were the case, then he would be furious with her when he found out.

What had she done?

She should have set him straight the very first moment she saw him in Dr. Stone’s exam room.

“Get a room,” Dan shouted.

Everybody laughed.

“Are you two ever going to throw the damn shoe so we can add up the score and go to dinner?” Fred wanted to know.

“It’s still early,” Jill scolded her husband.

Max smiled at Kari, making her insides flip-flop. He was always handsome, but when he smiled, he was downright gorgeous.

“Ready to give it a shot?” Max asked her.

“I’m ready if you are.”

“When I tell you to let go,” he said, “release the horseshoe.”

She liked the way his warm breath felt next to her ear whenever he gave her new instructions. “Okay,” she said.

He moved her arm with his, swinging it low and easy, back the other way, toward their target.

“Release it now.”

She did as he said. The horseshoe ricocheted off the post and nearly hit Fred’s leg.

“Hey! Watch it,” Fred cried.

“We did it!” Kari turned in his arms and the next thing she knew Max was kissing her. Right there in front of everyone. When he finally released her, he held her face between the palms of his hands and said, “I hate to break it to you, but we lost. We needed that one to come in third.”

“But I hit the post,” she argued.

“It’s called a stake,” someone muttered.

“And you almost broke Fred’s big toe,” Dan reminded her.

“Sorry, Fred.”

Fred waved a hand through the air, shrugging it off.

Jill came forward and hugged her warmly. “Good job. If you had hit Fred’s toe, I would have given you ten extra points and you would have definitely won the game.”

“Hey,” Fred said. “That’s not funny.”

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Dan said, gesturing toward the doors leading from the house to the pool area.

It was Joey. His face looked puckered in anger, and his posture was rigid as he marched to where Kari and Max stood. “Your girlfriend,” he told Max, “suggested I see a therapist. What I want to know is what makes her an expert on relationships?”

Kari raised a brow. “Well, I—”

“You’re dating Max Dutton,” Joey told her. “Right there that tells me you don’t know as much as you think.”

“Hey kid,” Max said. “This is the second time in a week you’ve crashed into my house and started causing problems. You’re seriously starting to get on my nerves. And what the hell is wrong with the idea of Kari dating me?”

Joey let out a short caustic laugh. “You know nothing about commitment. I’ve seen you with more women in one week then I’ve been with my entire life.”

“You’re still young.”

Joey turned to Kari. “Did you tell Breanne that we needed to talk to a therapist, or not? Yes or No?”

“I believe I might have suggested—”

Joey snorted as he turned about, looking around until his gaze fell on Breanne. “Why haven’t you called me back?”

“I don’t want to talk to him,” Breanne told Max.

Max put a firm hand on Joey’s shoulder. “We need to have a talk.”

Max, Fred, and Dan formed a half circle about Joey, looking like a pack of wolves as they ushered him back into the house.

“They’re not going to hurt him are they?” Kari asked.

“Don’t worry,” Jill said. “They’re just going to have a talk with him. Max and Fred had a similar discussion with Dan before he finally saw the light.”

Sally and Breanne nodded in agreement.

“Come on,” Sally said, “let’s go make another batch of low fat margaritas.”

CHAPTER 8

“Your girlfriend,” Joey said to Max once they were in the house, “has no business telling Breanne that we need to talk to a therapist.”

“You’re this close,” Max said pinching his fingers together, “to getting your ass kicked. And Kari’s not my girlfriend.”

Dan cocked his head to the side. “She’s not?”

“No,” he ground out. “She’s my nutritionist.”

“You were locking lips with her five minutes ago,” Fred said incredulously.

Joey vigorously nodded. “Max would freak if a girl he dated wanted to move into his house, let alone have his baby. I’d call that calling the kettle black, wouldn’t you?”

Fred nodded.

“Shut up, kid,” Max growled. “I’m not engaged and I didn’t knock up my girlfriend, so why don’t we all keep this conversation headed in the right direction before I kick you all out of the house.”

Ignoring Max’s threat, Fred pointed his finger at Joey. “For the record, Breanne’s not going to give up her baby for adoption.”

“So, if you can’t handle it,” Max cut in. “You either need to see a therapist—”

“Just like his girlfriend told you,” Dan added.

“Or you need to ship out,” Fred interjected, “and leave Breanne alone.”

They were all seated in various positions in the room. Joey’s elbows were propped on his knees and his head slowly fell forward into his open palms. The men remained quiet for a few minutes before Fred said, “Having a baby isn’t all that bad.”

“All you have to do,” Dan added, “is stick to the basics: Change, feed, burp, soothe. Rinse and repeat.”

“That’s right,” Fred agreed. “Just don’t make the same mistakes my father made.”

Everybody waited for Fred to clarify.

“You know...no smacks to the back of the head when they get older...and no throwing toddlers into the deep end of the pool to teach them to be fearless.”

“And never ever forget that the baby will survive in someone else’s care,” Dan added.

“Good point,” Max said.

Joey lifted his head. “We can’t afford a baby,” he said, his face a shade paler than when he first entered the room.

Dan laughed. “Yeah, once the diapers, car seat, cute clothes, and other baby accoutrements start piling up, you can cross that new BMW right off your list of things to get some day, but hey, there’s nothing better than raising a child of your own.”

“So you don’t go on a vacation for a few years or go out to dinner,” Fred said. “Most of us have been there.”

Joey’s eyes were rimmed with red. He looked like crap. “What about sex?” Joey asked.

Dan and Fred shot one another worried looks.

Max shook his head. His well-meaning brothers-in-law weren’t helping matters.

“You’ll have sex again,” Dan tried to assure Joey. “It just might not be the same.”

Fred frowned. “Or as often.”

“Just make sure she gets lots of rest.”

“And long hot baths.”

Max was actually starting to feel bad for Joey. If he’d known that Dan and Fred were going to go through a laundry list of reasons why no man would ever want to have a baby, he never would have brought the kid into his office in the first place.

Fred slapped the top of Max’s mahogany desk as another bright idea popped into his head. “Don’t forget cuddling. Before you know it, your wife’s libido will be back to normal and you’ll be doing it in the backyard under the stars again in no time.”

“Yeah,” Dan said, “or in the elevator once you can afford to take her on a nice date again. Sally likes it when—”

“Okay,” Max said. “We’re talking about my sisters here. I think Joey has had enough ‘therapy’ for one night. Now I need therapy too.”

“Will you let me talk to Breanne now?” Joey asked.

“No,” they all said at once.

Everyone came to their feet.

Max put his arm around Joey’s shoulders and led him out of his office, down the hallway, and to the front door. “I’ll talk to Breanne and set something up, alright?”

Joey didn’t look pleased, but he nodded just the same.

“And forget about everything Dan and Fred just told you. If having a baby was that bad, nobody would ever have more than one.”

“Sure. Yeah. Thanks.”

Max watched Joey head for his car and found himself wishing he’d never let Breanne move in because then he wouldn’t be in the middle of all this drama. “I’ll call you once I have a plan,” Max said.

Joey didn’t bother turning around. Looking defeated, he climbed into his car and drove off.

Max headed to the pool area and from the door he could see his sisters and Kari huddled around a table. The sunlight played with Kari’s hair. She fit in, he realized. He wanted her so badly his gut ached. And yet when Joey had referred to her as his girlfriend, panic had set in. What the hell was it about commitment that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end? Sure, he was destined to die young, but did that mean he couldn’t enjoy a nice normal relationship with a nice normal woman? A woman who got along with everyone. A woman who warmed his insides with a mere smile? He suddenly wished he was in Joey’s shoes and Kari was his girlfriend, living with him, and pregnant. What would he do then? He would probably ask her to marry him; it was the honorable thing to do. And strangely enough...that thought didn’t cause him to panic.

“What did Joey say?” Breanne asked Max the moment he stepped outside.

“Max merely asked Joey a few questions,” Dan answered.

“If you really want to know what Joey has to say,” Max said, “why don’t you talk to him?”

Breanne shrugged her shoulders.

“This is a game to you, isn’t it?” Max’s tone of voice caused everybody to look his way.

“Max,” his mother said. “If Breanne doesn’t want to talk to him, so be it.”

“Fine,” Max said, pointing a finger at his sister. “But don’t ask us to do your dirty work. Now that your brothers-in-law have talked to him, the poor kid is scared shitless.”

Breanne’s eyes popped. “What did you do to him?”

Fred scoffed. “Dan and I merely set him straight about a few things. You know, about changing diapers and the mess they make and all the crying that goes on.”

All three of Max’s sisters glared at him.

Fred raised his hands. “What? It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Tell them what you told Joey about sex,” Max added with a smile on his face.

“You talked about our sex life?” Sally wanted to know.

“No, of course not. Fred and I just told him he wouldn’t be getting any for a while.”

Sally shook her head and turned to Breanne. “I’m so sorry. You’ve probably lost Joey for good now.”

“Hey, everybody. I’m here! Let the party begin.”

And here Max thought the drama might be winding down. Not even close. Yet another of Max’s sisters, Nicole, made a grand entrance, wearing three-inch heels, a mini skirt, and an unbuttoned blouse tied at the waist, revealing a red pushup bra underneath.

Max walked over to Kari. “That’s Nicole, number three sister. She lost her boyfriend in a tragic accident. She’s been wandering from place to place ever since, trying to make sense of life.”

“Out of all the sisters, she looks the most like you.”

Nicole hugged Fred and Dan and then approached Max.

“I’ve missed you,” he said as he drew Nicole into his arms.

She pulled away first.

“Good to have you home.”

Kari stood and offered her hand. “Hi. I’m Kari Murphy, a friend.”

Max smiled. “She’s been helping me learn to eat right. In fact, there are plenty of soybean hamburgers left in the refrigerator.”

“I’ll get something later.” Nicole kept her gaze locked on Kari. “Are you two dating?”

“No,” Kari said.

Max sighed. “I’m working on it.”

“You look familiar,” Nicole said to Kari. “Have we met before?”

“She used to live in Roseville,” Max explained. “She graduated the same year as Sally.”

“Interesting.” Nicole looked about. Her gaze fell on her mother who hadn’t bothered to get up to greet her, but instead watched from afar. “What’s wrong with Mom?”

“I think she’s just soaking it all in,” Max said.

“I better get going,” Kari said. “My daughter wasn’t feeling well this morning when I left and I really should get home to check on her.”

“You have a daughter?” Nicole asked. “Are you married?”

“No. It’s just me and Molly.”

“Cool.” Nicole chewed on her bottom lip for a moment and said, “Well, I guess I’ll go say hi to Mom. It was nice meeting you.”

“Likewise.”

After Kari said goodbye to everyone, Max walked her to her car. “Your family’s great,” she said. “I enjoyed meeting all of them, but I think I’ll give you a few days to visit before I come back to finish your training.”

“They’re all going to Disneyland on Wednesday and I’ll be boiled in oil before I go to Disneyland with the lot of them, so how about Wednesday?”

She smiled. “Okay, I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

“Didn’t you have something important you wanted to tell me?”

“It’s getting late and you have family to entertain. “We’ll talk another time.”

When they reached her car, he reached out a hand and brushed strands of hair out of her eyes. “You’re beautiful,” he said. “When you’re around...I feel happy.”

She blushed.

“The second I saw you in Dr. Stone’s office I knew there was something special about you.”

“You don’t know me, Max.”

“Well, that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. I want to get to know you.”

When she frowned, he lifted his hands in surrender. “No strings attached. To prove how serious I am, I promise to keep my hands off of you until our working relationship is over. After that, you can decide for yourself if you want to go out with me.”

“Max, I—”

He put a finger to her lips. “Just think about it.” He kissed her forehead and then opened her car door so she could climb in. The moment she drove off, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. Joey was right. He wasn’t a one woman kind of guy...never had been. So why did he keep trying to convince Kari that she was the one for him? Was it the chase that intrigued him? Were the tabloids right about him?

Shit. One minute he was begging for her to give him a chance, and in the next he felt as if he wanted to run away. He shook his head as walked back up the flagstone stairs, through the door, and up yet another flight of stairs to his bedroom. He grabbed the keys to his motorcycle, hoping a little speed on his bike would shake things up and help him figure things out.

His mother was waiting for him at the landing.

“I’m going out for a while,” he told her. “Tell everybody to find a room and make themselves at home.”

“You haven’t had a chance to visit with Nicole.”

“She can hardly look at me without seeming as if she wants to either cry or bite my head off.”

“That’s not true. She’s here, isn’t she?”

“And I’ll be back before anybody knows I ever left.”

He grabbed the door handle.

“How serious are you about that woman?”

He looked over his shoulder. That woman? “Do you mean Kari?”

“Yes, Kari.”

“If you have something to say, mother, then by all means, say it.”

“I noticed the way you watch her, that’s all. And Breanne keeps talking about how smitten you are with the girl, and I guess I just found it all curious.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “And why is that?”

“She’s not your type for one thing.”

“And what sort of woman is my type?”

“She’s sort of quiet, don’t you think?”

“Never crossed my mind. She might have been a little nervous meeting everyone at once, but everybody else seemed to enjoy her company. What is wrong with you? Are you jealous, Mom?”

She made a tsking noise. “Don’t be silly. Why would I be jealous? I just think a special guy deserves an extra special girl. I want you to be happy.”

“Mom. Go back outside and visit with your kids. You sit in the background and watch everyone all day, but you never join in.” He pointed down the hall and toward the doors leading to the pool. “Now go.”

“You’re not going to ride that horrible bike, are you? I thought the franchise forbid you to ride it.”

“Go.” He didn’t wait for her to leave, he just turned and left, shutting the door firmly behind him.