Breaking the Cycle Page 5

  Chloe startled when she saw him, spilling a little of her coffee. Her face turned bright red as she quickly wiped up the puddle. She pulled down another mug and filled it for him. “Sleep well?” she half choked out.

  “I slept like a baby. And you?”

  “Pretty well, actually. It’s easier to sleep in the house when I’m not alone.”

  Max took a sip as he watched her silently. She ran her hand through her long hair as she anxiously fidgeted. Max’s heart swelled. I want to spend the rest of my life protecting her.

  Chloe set her cup down. “I’m going to go get dressed so I can stop at the hospital.”

  “I’ll drive.”

  “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

  It took a bit to get Chloe to open up as they drove, but after a while, she started to chatter. Max laughed as she excitedly ran through her plans for the day. As long as they involved him somehow, he was all right with them.

  Liz was happy to see them together. Overjoyed, it seemed. She gave Max a big hug then grilled him to make sure he was comfortable in the house. Max retrieved a couple of muffins and some fruit so that he and Chloe could have breakfast with Liz. Promising to stop by after work, they both told Liz good-bye so they could get to Hard Drive before it opened.

  The week was perfect—at least until Thursday. Three weeks had passed since the last time Chloe had been sick and between Hard Drive and Liz in the hospital, Max lost track of time. He dressed in his best grubby clothes then booted up his laptop while he waited. He didn’t have long. Halfway through the morning, Chloe began turning pale. A small puddle of saliva pooled at the corner of her mouth, and she became disoriented.

  He scooped her into his arms and rushed her to the bathroom before the vomiting began. Max held her on his lap between episodes, rocking her gently after each time she retched. They sat in silence after the final one. Max just couldn’t take the chance that she wasn’t finished. He was terrified a trip to the ER was in their future.

  Finally, he laid her on her bed before he washed and changed. Then, he sat at her bedside and waited for her to stir. He was never so happy as when she opened her eyes weakly and smiled at him. Standing, he kissed her cheek. Thank goodness she’s back.

  Without a word, he picked up the phone and ordered her favorite pizza. Then, he rushed to the bathroom to get her a glass of water. Once the pizza arrived, and they dug into the cheesy pie, Chloe began to quickly regain her strength. Max smiled. Liz will be impressed with how well I did taking care of her daughter.

  By Friday, Chloe was back to her usual cheery self. Max chuckled as she bounced down the stairs in her pajamas. She was already comfortable enough with him to parade around in her purple froggy boxers and matching cotton tank top. When will she be comfortable enough for me to kiss her again? I mean, really kiss her?

  Chloe frowned when her cell phone rang. She scooped it up in her hand and slipped into the kitchen to take the call. Max watched her departing figure, puzzled. Who could possibly call her at this hour?

  Seconds later, she jogged up the stairs to her bedroom. She returned dressed for work, quickly pecking Max’s cheek. “I’m going to the hospital. They need to discuss Mom’s care with me,” she informed him.

  “I can go with you,” he volunteered. “That way, if you need any help…”

  Chloe smiled at him. “It’s all right. I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll just meet you at Hard Drive.”

  She flashed him one more grin before she slipped out the front door, shutting it behind her. Max scowled. He loved driving to and from work with her. He loved to hear her talk. He loved to hear her laugh. And I’m terrified what happened to her mom will happen to her if she’s alone in the car.

  Max quickly dressed then drove to the gym. An uneasiness filled him. Chloe hadn’t arrived yet. He stepped out of his Mustang and stormed inside. His first stop was Phoebe at the receptionist desk. “Phoebe, has Chloe called?” Max near begged.

  Phoebe’s big blue eyes glimmered at him. Max was well aware of Phoebe’s crush on him. She made it apparent every single day. “No, Max.”

  “Can you let me know if she does? Right away?”

  “I guess.”

  Max stalked off to the locker room. He slipped off his tennis shoes and stowed them in his locker. Then, he glanced at his watch anxiously before he stored it and his cell phone inside as well. Slamming the door closed, he shuffled off toward the gym.

  He stopped short at the ringtone that echoed through the vents of his locker. He ran back, threw the door open, and answered. “Chloe, are you okay?” he demanded.

  “I’m fine, Max. It’s Mom.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “She’s being released tomorrow. She wants to come home. But there’s no way for her to get into the house. The hospital is trying to arrange a care facility, but Mom wants nothing to do with it.”

  “If she can get in, will she be all right in the house?”

  “Yes. There’s the full bath downstairs, and she can stay in the guest room.”

  Max grinned. “Baby, tell the hospital to release her. I’ll make sure she can get in.”

  “Max, how are you going to do that?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Just get here, all right?”

  He could almost hear her smile over the phone. “All right. See you soon. And thanks. Bye.”

  “Bye.” Max ended the call. Then, he opened his contacts and scrolled through the address book until he reached the number for Roadies. He dialed and waited.

  “Roadies,” a female voice on the other end answered.

  “Tyler, please.” Max waited again in silence. Then, he smiled at the familiar greeting.

  “This is Tyler.”

  “Tyler, it’s Max.”

  “Hey, Max.” Tyler’s tone was flat, with no emotion.

  Max frowned. Tyler was his best friend. Admittedly, they hadn’t talked much over the past few weeks, ever since Max had left Roadies. But Max had been there for Tyler through every breakup, every drunken arrest. Everything. “Hey, I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow morning,” he hinted.

  “Nothing. Why?”

  “Chloe’s mom was in a horrible car accident. She’s been cleared to come home, but can’t get into the house with her wheelchair. Would you come over to Chloe’s and help me build a ramp?”

  There was silence on the other line for a beat. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?” Max demanded.

  “Because you left Roadies and went to Hard Drive. And why? For her. I wish I knew what you see in that girl. You know, there are a million out there like her who aren’t lazy freeloaders who don’t want to work.”

  “Do not call Chloe a freeloader. You have no idea what she has to go through. I do. And I did it because I love her. If you can’t accept it, that’s your problem.”

  “No, Max. It’s yours. Trust me. I could care less.”

  “Fantastic. See ya around, pal.” Max poked the face of his phone violently. The shuffle around him snapped him to attention. He had been so consumed by his call he had missed that he was no longer alone. Rico, Mark, and Dan stared at him, making him uncomfortable.

  “Got a problem, man?” Rico asked.

  “It’s nothing,” Max grumbled.

  “From what I heard, you need a ramp built.” Rico looked past Max to Mark and Dan. “What are you boys doing in the morning?”

  “I was going to sleep,” Mark answered. “But it sounds like I’m going to help build a wheelchair ramp.”

  “My video games can wait,” Dan added as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

  “Dang right they can, Dan,” Mark snapped. “All you ever do is play video games.”

  “At least I do more than eat, sleep, whine, and watch SportsCenter,” Dan retorted.

  “All right, gentlemen,” Rico interrupted. “Save the sparring for the mats. Lumberyard at eight o’clock work for you, Max?”

  Max slowly glanced f
rom Rico to Mark to Dan. An appreciative grin spread across his face. “Yeah. Eight o’clock works great. Thanks, guys.”

  The next day, Max woke as dawn streaked across the sky. It was going to be a long one working in the hot sun. He just prayed he wasn’t doing it alone.

  He hadn’t told Chloe of his plans. He wanted to surprise both her and Liz. And I don’t want to disappoint her if something falls through. By the confusion etched in her face, he could tell she wondered what he had up his sleeve. He met her confusion with a smile as he tugged on his tennis shoes and pecked a kiss on her cheek. He didn’t say a word as he climbed into his car and drove away in the direction of the lumberyard.

  Pulling into the first spot in the row outside the store, he turned off the ignition. He stepped out, glancing around. A smile spread across his face. There, on the opposite side of the parking lot, stood the three muscle-bound men leaning against Mark’s truck. Each man cradled a paper cup of coffee in his hand. Max locked his vehicle and jogged over to meet them.

  Dan handed him the fourth cup sitting on the hood of the truck. “Ready to go shopping?” the blond greeted.

  “Absolutely,” Max responded as he took a sip of the hot, dark, thick liquid. “Let’s do this.”

  The men wandered around the near empty store, carefully selecting the items they needed. Max was grateful to have them there. With four minds in the hunt, they remembered things he would have certainly missed. And the banter between them all was lighthearted and fun, especially between Dan and Mark. Being best friends since they were toddlers they knew how to push each other’s buttons. If it wasn’t for their extreme difference in appearance they could easily pass for brothers.

  It took less than an hour to find everything, for Max to purchase it, to load it all in Mark’s truck and for them to drive back to the house. Max peeked into the house then smiled. Chloe was long gone, already at the hospital to get final instructions on Liz’s care. He dashed to his room to get his tools and, with Rico, Mark and Dan, started to work.

  They lost track of time and their shirts as they sawed, hammered, stained and assembled in the heat of the summer sun. They talked and joked non-stop. They only took a break when their stomachs growled. They jumped into the nearest cars and raced to a little diner down the street for burgers and more conversation.

  Max couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun with a bunch of guys. He certainly didn’t have fun like this with Tyler and the guys at Roadies. Getting plastered wasn’t his idea of fun. Partying every night was overrated. Talking, working out, watching movies, reading—that was a good time. And after talking with these three men he discovered they felt the same.

  Max and Rico chuckled as Mark playfully criticized Dan on his placement of the abrasive strips. Dan shot a death glare over his shoulder as he tore the backing off another strip and very carefully laid it on the completed ramp. It was beautiful. They all had done an incredible job.

  The sound of a motor turned all four of the men’s attention. Chloe turned off the car as she stared out the passenger window. Both she and Liz had the same reaction on their faces. Complete and utter shock.

  Rico and Mark dropped their tools as they jogged to the car. Liz glanced uneasily from one heavily tattooed man to the other as Mark opened her door. Rico tapped gently on the trunk for Chloe to pop it. He retrieved the wheelchair from inside, unfolded it and pushed it to the passenger side door. He and Mark gently scooped Liz into their arms and set her in the seat. Mark carefully pushed the chair up the walk so Liz could get a closer look at the ramp.

  Chloe stepped out of the driver’s side, leaning one arm against the roof and the other on the edge of the door. Her wide, brown eyes slowly scanned their work. Max smiled as he approached. “What do you think?” he asked.

  “It…it’s all so much, Max,” she stumbled. “You took care of everything.”

  “I told you I would.” He watched her for a moment then frowned. “You don’t seem happy about it.”

  She looked at him, clearly astounded. “No, I am. It’s beautiful. It’s just…”

  “Just what?”

  “It’s all so much.”

  “You and your mom are worth it. She wanted to come home. You want her home. I did what I could to make it happen.”

  Chloe’s eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s too much.”

  “Why is it too much? Chloe, I don’t understand what I did wrong.”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong. Not yet.” She slammed her car door shut then ran around the house to slip in the back door. Max slowly exhaled then stalked across the lawn to Liz and the three men surrounding her.

  “Max, this is incredible!” Liz gushed. “I can’t believe you did this! You’re an angel. You all are. You need to let me buy you dinner. Let’s order pizza.”

  Max glanced at the uncomfortable faces of his friends. They trained hard for hours every day. They ate healthy, high protein, and low-fat diets so as not to sabotage that training. Pizza was not in any of their diets. “Liz, you’re very welcome. Thank you for the dinner invite. How about I go to the store for some chicken breasts and vegetables. Then, we can grill out. Sound good?”

  “Sure, if that’s what you fellas want.”

  “Yeah, we do. I’ll run out and be back in just a minute.”

  “All right.”

  Max grabbed his car keys and motioned the other three to come with him. He wouldn’t mind a little more time away with the guys. Maybe while we’re gone I can make sense of Chloe and her crazy outburst.

  The four men were back within a half hour with all the ingredients for a delicious, low-carb feast. They stumbled into the house laughing and joking as they made their way to the kitchen to deposit the grocery sacks. Chloe had helped her mother up the ramp and into the house. The two women sat in the living room talking. She stared at the wall as Max stepped in, refusing to look at him. Max huffed.

  Max happily fired up the grill then cooked the chicken. Being outside kept him away from Chloe. Rico sat on the picnic bench in the back yard, watching him silently. Max didn’t have to ask what he was thinking. He could sense the fighter knew Chloe had wounded his heart.

  Everyone ate in the living room, laughing and talking as the plates full of food were passed around the coffee table. Max did his best to focus his attention on his friends and Liz. But no matter what he did, he came back to Chloe. She sat quietly over her plate, picking at her chicken and not eating. Finally, she stood and stepped around the large, muscular men as she made her way to the kitchen.

  Max near snarled. He’d had enough. He rose to his feet, set his plate on the coffee table, and followed. When he was out of earshot and fully blocked the door, he crossed his arms over his broad chest and stood his ground. “Talk, Chloe,” he snarled. “I tried to do something for you. For your mom. How am I repaid? You won’t talk to me.”

  “I didn’t realize you needed to be paid back,” Chloe murmured, her eyes trained to the floor. She leaned against the counter beside the sink. “I’ll pay you back whatever you spent.”

  “I don’t want your money. I want to know what I did to you that was so wrong?”

  Chloe looked away as tears pooled in her eyes. “My dad left when I was eight. Because of me. Because of this stupid thing I have. It broke Mom’s heart. She loved him so much. She has spent every day since loving him and hating him all at the same time. I don’t want to be like her. I don’t want to love and hate…” Her voice trailed off.

  Max’s face softened. He took the few steps to her then tilted her chin so her eyes met his. “Don’t want to love and hate what, Chloe?”

  She swallowed hard. “I don’t want to love and hate you at the same time for the rest of my life. So, I’m trying to not fall in love in the first place. But when you do such incredible things like you did today…”

  A sweet smile spread across his face. “Hey, you can’t blame me for being charming.”

  “Max.”

  “Chloe. I would never hurt
you. I promise you. Never.”

  “You say that now.”

  “I’ll say that forever.”

  “Chloe! Max! What are you two doing in there?” Liz called from the other room.

  “Just talking, Mom.” Chloe offered him a small smile as she slipped past him. Max turned and watched her go. She doesn’t want to love and hate me at the same time when I leave. The solution to that is simple. I’ll never leave.

  »»•««

  Chloe yawned to herself as she slipped her phone into her purse and set the purse in her locker. Morning came to early and her eight o’clock fitness kickboxing class was waiting for her. She was still jittery, having Max in the house all the time. Especially after I pretty much confessed that I love him last night.

  But having the two people she cared most about at home every night to share supper and talk with made her the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. Max quickly became the son Liz had never had.

  It didn’t take them long to figure out that, despite being lifelong residents of Minnesota, they were both diehard Cubs fans. Every chance they got, they turned on a game and watched it together. They would yell at the sportscasters on the television. They would console each other when the team lost. They would hoot and holler when the Cubs won. They even considered buying one of the huge white and blue “W” flags for the porch.

  Even though Chloe didn’t watch baseball, she loved watching them watch baseball. She would curl up on the opposite side of the sofa from Max with a book, glancing up occasionally to giggle at them. They always glared back at her in annoyance, but she knew they didn’t mean it. They loved having her there with them just as much as she loved being there.

  Chloe toed off her shoes, tucked them in her locker, and closed the door. She spun the lock to secure it then wandered out toward the main gym. She stopped short at the three large fighters blocking the hallway, their eyes locked on her. She could read the message they were sending. They were hunters. She was prey. I need to get out of here. Now.