Wayward Hearts (12 page)

“She's so…perfect.”

“I know.” Lily beamed at Nick. “Definitely worth all the pain.”

Maxi handed the baby to Lily, who looked up with a question in her eyes. “I have a favor to ask you.”

“Sure thing.”

“If you have some free time, could you pop in to the shelter?”

“The shelter? Why?”

“The women there really appreciate another female to talk to. And there's a new girl, Dora Lee Cooper. She's only nineteen with a two-year old boy, and she mentioned that she'd always wanted to be a hairdresser. I thought if you didn't mind, you could talk to her about it.”

Maxi could tell by Lily's enthusiasm how much this meant to her. “No problem. I can do that.”

“Good.” Lily's smile brightened the room. “You could be a real inspiration to her.”

Maxi snorted. She'd never considered herself a role model. But for Lily's sake, she'd give it a try.

“Hey, where's Jason?” Nick asked. “I was hoping he'd come by so we could thank him in person.”

A niggle of unease surfaced again. “I don't know. I assumed he went to work.”

Nick frowned. “No. He wasn't at the house this morning. Maybe he's at the fire hall.”

Maxi shrugged, trying not to let worry get the best of her, but failing. She knew in her gut something had upset Jason on a deep level last night.

The question remained. Where on earth was he now?

 

****

 

The dumpster situated below Maxi's bedroom window was filling up quickly with all the debris. Jason had almost finished throwing out the pieces of ceiling and drywall that had collapsed into the room. Even with a mask covering his nose and mouth, he found breathing a chore. The rancid odor of burned wood and drywall made it even worse. Particles of dust, along with remnants of ash, managed to get behind the mask. He knew his face and clothes were covered in soot. But he didn't care. He needed this house repaired—and Maxi out of his home—as soon as possible.

He ripped the ruined linens off the bed and tossed them out the window into the dumpster, followed by the soggy mattress. No point in trying to save them. He'd moved most of the furniture out of the room. Now he had to dismantle the bedframe and tear out the waterlogged carpeting. The clothing he would leave for Maxi to deal with.

He paused to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, already blurry from lack of sleep. He'd spent the night at the fire station in Kingsville, but sleep had eluded him. Lying on the narrow metal cot, he replayed the evening's events over and over again. The fear that he could have done something wrong and lost both Lily and the baby overwhelmed him. Most terrifying of all was the thought of Maxi ever going through a similar experience. He could never stand to see her in that kind of pain.

Ever.

“Do you realize half of Rainbow Falls is looking for you?”

Jason jumped and banged his knee hard on the metal bed frame. Maxi stood scowling in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest like a shield, her face a thundercloud.

“Do you always have to sneak up on a person like that?” He lifted his hardhat, tore off his mask and bent to rub the injury. He stood and shoved the hardhat back onto his head.

“I thought you had to wait until the investigation was over before you could start this?”

He could tell by her tone she was mightily ticked off at him.

“I checked with the chief this morning. Since the fire started in the barn, Steve said it's OK to start cleaning in here.”

With the pain in his knee subsiding somewhat, he hobbled across to his tool chest, pulled out a screwdriver, and attacked one of the bedposts with a vengeance.

“Here, let me hold that for you.” Maxi had moved into the room and grabbed hold of the frame. Her icy tone did not invoke a trusting attitude.

“I'm sure you have better things to do. Isn't your mother getting released today?” He could feel the waves of anger rolling off her. Her nearness was as jarring to his system as the clang of metal on metal.

“She's already settled in your guest room taking a nap.”

“So what are you doing here?”

She reached over and banged down on his helmet. “Are you kidding me? Peg is worried sick about you. You never came home last night and never even called to say where you were.” Maxi's gaze could've bored holes right through his chest.

Guilt washed over him. He'd been so busy stressing and avoiding Maxi, he'd forgotten to let his mother know he was OK. “Sorry. I'll call her in a minute.”

Maxi grabbed the screwdriver out of his hand. “You and I need to talk, Hanley. I want to know what crawled under your skin last night on Lily's porch. Something made you take off like a swarm of angry bees were after you.”

He yanked the tool back, avoiding her eyes. “I was a little overwhelmed by the whole birth thing. Can't a guy have some space?” The frown on his face felt like permanent grooves had formed.

“You're lying.”

Ripe anger burned in his chest. He banged the screwdriver against the metal, and a zing raced along his arm. “Don't tell me how I feel. You have no idea.”

“I have a very good idea. You're scared, Jason Hanley. Scared to death.”

In a flash, he dropped the tool and lifted her off her feet. Adrenaline surged as he carried her to the hallway and set her down with a loud thud, feeling the reverberation through both arms. “Go home. Before I lose my temper completely.”

She stared at him, the combination of anger and anguish riveting. “I have no home at the moment, remember?”

The air crackled with tension. He should apologize, but he couldn't seem to get a civilized word out of his mouth. Which only made his mood worse.

She crossed her arms. “Anyway, I'm meeting the insurance agent here in fifteen minutes, so you're stuck with me.”

Great. Just great.

“Well, keep out of my way. And quit trying to psychoanalyze me.” He slammed the door shut and stalked back to the bed.

The door flew open so hard it hit the wall inside the room.

“You are an insensitive, overgrown boar, you know that?” Maxi stomped away.

Jason gaped at her retreating back, anger pumping through him. He raced after her, but seconds later, he stopped dead in his tracks as the awareness of what he wanted to do when he caught her hit him.

He wanted to kiss her senseless again.

Bracing his hands on the doorframe, he breathed heavily, trying to slow his heart rate back to near normal.

Count to ten, Hanley. Get a grip on yourself.

How did Maxi always manage to push every one of his buttons? Make him so mad he could combust.

Because you're in love with her, you dope.

The truth hit him like a load of drywall falling on his head. His legs buckled, and he slid down the wall to the floor. His uneven breathing rasped in his lungs. Suddenly, everything about their relationship began to make sense. He finally understood why no other girl could keep his interest. Why he felt half-dead without Maxi around. Why her cold shoulder over the past two years had hurt almost as much as his father's desertion.

He scrubbed his hands over his face. The last thing he wanted was to fall in love. The last thing he needed was this terrible knowledge. How would he face her again and keep her from guessing his feelings when she always managed to see right through him?

He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. He'd have to find some way to keep his emotions to himself. Because there was no way in heaven he was going to act on them. He knew Maxi well enough to realize that when she fell in love, she would want the whole package—the ring on her finger, the husband, the home, and of course, children. Which brought him right back to thinking about Maxi, in labor, having their child.

A wave of nausea gripped his stomach. No matter what he felt for Maxi, he could never trust himself to be a reliable husband and father. Could never risk turning out exactly like his deadbeat father. He'd never risk hurting Maxi that way.

Ever.

 

 

 

 

 

13

 

The next day, Maxi followed up on her promise to Lily and went out to Logan House to see Dora Lee Cooper. She rang the bell and waited on the doorstep, half-hoping no one would answer. What did you say to an abused woman anyway?

“Who's there?” The hesitant female voice seemed to echo out of the brickwork.

Maxi noticed the intercom and pressed the button to answer. “It's Maxi North. A friend of Lily and Nick. I'm here to see Dora Lee.”

She sensed the hesitation on the other side of the massive wooden door, but a few seconds later, it opened a crack. A dark-skinned woman with multiple cuts and bruises on her face peered out.

“Hello.” Maxi smiled, trying to appear trustworthy. The woman seemed to make a decision and opened the door wider.

“Come in. I'll get Dora Lee.” The timid woman stared at the floor while she closed and locked the door. Then she hurried up the main staircase.

Annoyance flared in Maxi's chest at whomever or whatever had robbed this woman of her self-confidence.

While she waited, Maxi wandered into the tasteful living room, admiring it anew. Painted in a soothing shade of sage green, the room exuded a relaxed, homey atmosphere, somewhat reminiscent of her favorite room in the farmhouse. Comfy sofas faced the brick fireplace. One corner of the room hosted a television and a play area for young children. Maxi picked up a discarded stuffed lamb and placed it in the toy bin.

Her mind turned to the disconcerting events of the previous day, the fight with Jason and the meeting with the insurance agent. Maxi had been so incensed by Jason's abnormal behavior she'd barely been able to concentrate on what the adjuster said. The insurance settlement would take some time to come through, pending a decision on what caused the fire. An unspoken implication remained that if the verdict was arson and if they did not find the culprit, there would be no settlement. Maxi couldn't think about that yet. For the time being, the repairs to the barn would have to wait, unless she could come up with the money some other way.

Her anger and frustration turned back to Jason. What was the matter with him anyway? The miracle they'd shared helping deliver Lily's baby was cause for celebration, not for acting like an ill-tempered adolescent.

Men
. She would never understand them.

“Sorry about the wait. Robbie didn't want to close his eyes today.”

Maxi turned to see a tall, blonde woman standing in the entrance to the living room. Her untidy hair had escaped its pins and hair ties. Large wet patches stained her baggy, blue T-shirt, presumably from a struggle with her son. Her worn out appearance tugged at Maxi's instinct to fix people.

She smiled. “You must be Dora Lee. I'm Maxi North.”

The girl came forward to shake Maxi's hand. “Nice to meet you. Lily's told me a lot about you.”

“Nothing bad I hope.” Maxi hoped a joke would put her at ease.

“Only glowing reports about what a brilliant hair stylist you are.”

Maxi motioned to the sofa, and they both moved to sit down. “Lily said you were interested in becoming a stylist yourself.”

Dora Lee pushed some stray wisps of hair off her tired face. “I've got to find some way to make a living for me and my boy. Other than waitressing, I have no experience.” She paused as if gauging how much to say. “I got pregnant in my senior year of high school. I did manage to finish the year, but once I had Robbie, it was next to impossible to find work and pay for a babysitter. So I moved in with Dennis, Robbie's father.” Her face hardened. “But we can't stay there anymore. And I need to find a way to support myself.”

Though Maxi could see no evidence of Dora Lee's mistreatment, she recognized the pain in the girl's eyes. Not all wounds were physical. “Hair stylists don't get paid a whole lot, especially in the beginning. You have to really love it to keep it up.”

Dora Lee smiled, transforming her face into something very attractive. “I do love it. When I was little, it's all I ever wanted to do.”

Maxi pursed her lips, taking in the girl's bone structure and the length of her hair, which would fall well past her shoulder when free of impediments. A win-win idea crept into the creative side of Maxi's brain. She could help Dora Lee, and, in the process, get some more material for her portfolio. “Tell you what. I'll give you a few tips, if you'll let me use you for a project I'm working on.”

The girl looked skeptical. “What type of project?”

“I'm putting together a portfolio of interesting hair styles for my job in New York. Would you consider being one of my models?”

Dora Lee frowned. “I don't think I'm model material.”

“Leave that part up to me. How's tomorrow? I'll bring everything we need.”

Dora Lee shrugged. “OK, I guess.”

“Don't worry. It'll be fun, and if you don't like how the pictures turn out, I won't use them.”

Maxi had no doubt the results would be fantastic, and for the first time in weeks, she looked forward to the next day.

 

****

 

Exhaustion crept through every one of Jason's muscles—his body's silent rebellion after working all day at Nick's, then pulling a five-hour volunteer stint at the fire hall. He shifted into park and slammed out the door and onto his driveway. Maxi's car was nowhere in sight. He blew out a sigh. Maybe he could escape to the basement and sleep for the next forty-eight hours straight.

The look on his mother's face when he entered the kitchen sent that idea up in smoke. She sat at the table, tears staining her cheeks, with Bernice holding her hand.

Tension tightened his stomach muscles. “What's wrong?”

“I'll let you two talk.” Bernice squeezed Ma's hand and then wheeled her chair out of the kitchen, throwing a sympathetic glance at Jason on her way by.