Taming Mad Max (17 page)

CHAPTER 13

“What’s wrong?” Lindsay asked Kari the moment she walked through the front door.

“Max remembers me.”

“It’s about time. So, did you tell him about Molly?”

“Is Molly home?”

Lindsay shook her head. “She’s at Jennifer’s house. I told her she could have dinner there. I know I probably shouldn’t have let her go, but she’s been so quiet, and I was hoping that getting her out of the house might open her up again. She’ll be back before seven o’clock.”

“She’s grounded. No more dinners with her friends, okay?”

“Got it.”

Kari glanced around. “It’s only five. Where are the kids?”

Lindsay gestured toward the backyard. “Out back with Cole. I must admit, he makes a pretty good daycare assistant, but enough about him. Did you tell Max about Molly?”

“I wanted to, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I need to tell Molly first.”

“What happened?”

“He had the audacity to act as if I was the one who had disappeared without a trace so many years ago.” Kari inhaled, still trying to grasp what had happened. “He said he’d been thinking about me all of these years and then suddenly last night he realized I was his ‘Dream Girl’.”

“Sounds crazy romantic to me.”

Kari groaned. “That coming from a man-hater.”

“I don’t hate all men. And I’m glad Max finally remembered. I always say, ‘better late than never’.”

“You never say that.”

“I say it all the time. Ask the twins?”

“They’re four-years old, for God’s sake.”

“They’re very intelligent four-year olds.”

Kari shook her head. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Yes, you do. You’ve got to come clean with Molly and Max. And please do us all a favor and do it before this all blows up in your face.”

#

It was a little past eleven in the morning on Sunday when Kari walked into her daughter’s room. For a moment, she only stood there and watched the sleeping form beneath the fluffy white comforter. Molly’s silky dark hair fanned across her pillow. Hair the same rich texture and color as Max’s. Kari had never loved anything as much as she loved her daughter. She wanted the best for her, that’s all she’d ever wanted for Molly, which is why it was time to tell her the truth—she just needed to get through one more day. After the barbeque was over and his family left for Santa Barbara, she would tell Molly and then she would tell Max.

“Molly,” she said, gently touching her shoulder. “Wake up.”

“It’s Sunday,” Molly grumbled. “Go away.”

“We’re going to Mr. Dutton’s house for a barbeque, remember? I need you to hop in the shower and meet me downstairs in thirty minutes. Cole and Lindsay already left. We’re late so get up and let’s get going.” Kari walked out before Molly could protest further.

An hour later, Molly sat quietly in the passenger seat of the jeep while Kari made a sharp right and pulled up to the gates leading to Max’s house. “We’re here,” Kari said, knowing Molly wouldn’t respond. Lindsay speculated that Molly had started her period, so Kari had given her daughter the benefit of the doubt, but now she was beginning to wonder if there was more to her daughter’s sudden change in attitude. “This is our last chance to talk before we go in. You’re still not talking to me?”

Molly stared straight ahead. Not a word. Not a sound. If her daughter’s eyes weren’t open, Kari might have reached over and felt for a pulse. Instead, she punched in Max’s gate code and waited for the gate to slide open. “Did you start your period? If you need to talk about it...”

Molly moaned, which Kari took as a no. “This is his house?” Molly asked. “It looks like a hotel.”

“She talks,” Kari said, eliciting a scowl from her daughter.

Within minutes they were at the front door where Max greeted them. Her heart pounded. He didn’t look angry, Kari decided, just confused. Understandable, considering she hadn’t seen or talked to him since their picnic three days ago. She missed him. On more than one occasion, she had been tempted to call him. He had told her he was falling in love with her, but she wondered if he’d still feel that way after he knew the truth. Heck, she’d probably taken care of that loving feeling the moment she ran away. Breathe, Kari. Breathe.

“Hey, there,” he said to Molly.

“Hi,” Molly managed, her voice weak from disuse.

Her daughter was one step ahead of her. At least Molly had a voice and appeared to be giving him eye contact. Molly already hated her, but what about Max? How would Molly and Max respond when she told them they were father and daughter? The three of them made their way across the foyer and down the hallway, the click of their shoes against the tile the only sound. Max led the way. The blue short-sleeved shirt he wore fit snug against his broad back and his Tommy Bahama shorts showed off his strong calves. Breanne was the first of his sisters to greet them as they stepped into the backyard. Max guided Molly around the pool area and introduced her to his family. The smell of charcoal briquettes and the mouth watering aroma of burgers on the grill made Kari’s stomach rumble. She’d hardly eaten over the past three days.

“She’s beautiful,” Breanne told Kari.

“Thanks.”

“Max’s shiner is finally fading.”

Kari lifted a brow. “He deserved everything he got.”

“I figured as much.”

Lindsay waved at her from across the yard. She looked at home in a lounge chair near the pool, holding Sally and Dan’s baby in her arms. Even from here, Kari could see Lindsay cooing and making faces at two month old Hannah. A few feet from Lindsay, she saw Nicole and Dan sitting at one of three outside tables talking.

“I’m really glad you came,” Breanne said. “Max isn’t the same when you’re not around.”

Breanne, Kari realized, was still doing her best to play matchmaker. “I’m sure he does just fine without me.”

“You’re wrong. Look at him. He’s smiling...first time in three days.”

Kari tried to shift the direction of their conversation when she asked, “Will Joey be coming today?”

“No. But you’ll be glad to know we’re meeting with a therapist next Saturday.” She grabbed Kari’s hand and squeezed. “I have a huge favor to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“I was hoping you would go with me...for support. I never say the right thing under pressure and I could really use your help.”

“Did you ask the counselor if they allow third parties into the room?”

“If they want to get paid they do.”

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Kari said. “Joey already dislikes me. Having me there might only make matters worse.”

“Joey won’t even notice you. I need you there.” Breanne bit her bottom lip as she waited for Kari’s answer. “You’ll come with me?”

“Sure. I’ll go.”

Breanne threw her arms around her. “I can’t thank you enough. Max is so lucky to have met you.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Kari saw Max’s mother heading toward them. The woman’s face was pinched. She made it clear she didn’t want to see Kari when she abruptly headed in another direction.

“Mom,” Breanne called out as her mother tried to walk by unnoticed. “Did you say hello to Kari yet?”

Mrs. Dutton let out an exaggerated sigh as she moved to her daughter’s side. Kari couldn’t help but wonder if she was the only one who noticed that Max’s mother wanted nothing to do with her.

“Hello, Kari,” Mrs. Dutton said, her eyes partially shaded by a yellow visor that matched her pale silk shell and perfectly fitted pants. “I heard you were bringing your daughter with you today.”

Breanne pointed to where Molly was chatting with Jill and Sally near the pool. “She’s over there, Mom.”

The moment Mrs. Dutton’s gaze found Molly, a small gasp escaped her. Breanne didn’t seem to notice. Mrs. Dutton stared at Molly for a long while. The woman knew.

Kari didn’t want to think about what that meant. Had she read the letters? Did she purposely keep them from Max? Not once over the past fourteen years had that scenario crossed her mind.

Breanne waved a hand in front of her mother’s face. “Are you okay?”

“I feel dizzy.”

Kari wasn’t feeling so good herself.

“I think I’ll give everyone my apologies and go upstairs and lie down.”

Breanne excused them both before she took her mother around the pool area, explaining to everyone that Mom wasn’t feeling well and she was going to lie down for a while.

Lindsay was now playing a game of ping pong with Jill’s two kids, Brooke and Matthew. Cole flipped burgers, even though his attention was focused more on Lindsay than the grill. The man had it bad for her and yet Lindsay seemed oblivious. Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, Kari realized she shouldn’t have come. Her thoughts were a million miles away. She felt like a fraud amongst make-believe friends. It only made matters worse that she and Molly weren’t getting along.

“You’re doing it again,” Max said, giving Kari a start. “You’re thinking too hard and too much.”

“I need to talk to you, Max. It can’t wait any longer. I should have told you everything the moment I saw you in Dr. Stone’s office.”

“That goes without saying, only I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later.”

“You’re right. I’ve been a coward.” Obviously, Max thought she was referring to their first meeting fourteen years ago. More than likely, he had no idea that what she needed to tell him would change his life forever.

“Sounds serious.”

“It is.”

He rested his hands on her shoulders. “If it’s about the other day...I never should have bombarded you with so much at once. I don’t know what’s come over me lately. I’m—”

“Don’t apologize, Max. It’s me. There’s something very important about the night we spent together, something you need to know.”

“Max,” Breanne interrupted.

Breanne, Kari noticed, had yet to get her mother into the house to rest. Instead, she and her mother and her sisters were all gathered around the table a few feet away. Molly stood in the center of them all and had their attention riveted on something in her hands.

“Have you seen these pictures of you and Molly?” Breanne asked her brother.

“Don’t forget what you were going to say,” Max said to Kari before he headed that way.

Her heartbeat kicked up a notch. What pictures? Her gaze locked on Molly’s. The look in her daughter’s eyes said it all. Somehow her daughter had managed to have the pictures from her bowling party developed. Suddenly, her daughter’s sudden change in attitude made sense. Molly knew that Max was her father.

Kari headed straight for her daughter and laid her hand on Molly’s forearm. “What are you doing?”

Molly’s blue eyes narrowed and her shoulders stiffened. “Do you really want to know?”

Everyone around them grew quiet.

Max looked from Molly to Kari. Judging by the look on his face, he felt the tension between them, but he still had no idea what was going on.

“You always tell me that I can tell you anything,” Molly said, making sure to speak loud and clear. Cole stopped turning burgers and Lindsay stood at his side.

“That’s right,” Kari answered. “You can tell me anything. But maybe right here, right now, isn’t a good time for this discussion.”

Molly lifted her chin. “I disagree. I think it’s the perfect time and place. Why haven’t you told me everything, Mom?”

Kari refused to discuss this in front of people she hardly knew. “It’s time for us to go.”

“Not until you tell me if you and Max met before I was born.”

Sally returned with a newly changed baby. She opened her mouth to say something about the baby, but the rest of the gang stopped her with wildly gyrating hands. Nobody looked more bewildered than Max.

“Yes,” Kari said matter-of-factly, “we met before you were born.”

“When?”

“A long time ago.”

“How many years exactly?”

“Almost fourteen years ago,” Max chimed in, trying to be helpful. Heat crept into Kari’s face. If her daughter wanted to have it out right here in front of strangers, then so be it. She refused to cower a minute longer to her thirteen-year old daughter.

“Mom,” Molly said firmly. “Tell Mr. Dutton what you’ve been wanting to talk about, but didn’t have the guts to say.”

Kari held her shoulders upward. “No. I won’t. Not until the three of us step into the other room. And I don’t like the tone of your voice. We’re going to go home and you’re going to stay in your room until you’re ready to apologize.”

“Fine. Take me home, but not until I’m finished.” Molly turned to face Max. “Mr. Dutton,” she said, “if you had a daughter, would you run scared?”

Max frowned. “I’m sorry, honey, I don’t know what you mean.”

“Molly,” Kari said, “stop this right now.”

“Would you run scared?” Molly asked again, her voice shaking. “If you knew you had a daughter would you be afraid to accept responsibility...would you avoid your daughter and pretend she didn’t exist?”

Kari looked at Max. “You don’t have to answer that.” Kari grabbed her daughter’s hand, but Molly refused to budge.

Max kept his eyes riveted on Molly.

Molly pointed to her chest. “I am your daughter, Mr. Dutton.”

Gasps and murmurs erupted from Max’s sisters.

Mrs. Dutton looked pale and faint, but not nearly as surprised as her daughters.

“I didn’t know either,” Molly said to Max in response to his confused expression, “not until after the bowling party when I overheard Mom talking to Lindsay. If you don’t like me or you never want to see me after this, I understand. I’ve never had a father, so I don’t know what to say, except that I’m glad to have met you. Glad to finally know who my father is.” She paused to take a deep breath. “I’ve always wondered why I didn’t have Mom’s light hair or her green eyes. And I always wondered if my father had blue eyes like me, or if he was funny or a good singer.”

“He can’t hold a tune,” Breanne said, prompting Jill to elbow her in the arm, quieting her so Molly could finish.

Molly wiped at a tear running down the side of her face. “I’m sorry about today...about telling you all this and ruining your family party and everything. But it was nice to meet you again...and your family.”

Molly reached for the picture that Breanne was holding, the one of her and Max at the bowling alley. Then she offered it to him. Her lip trembled.

Kari stood frozen in place. She was angry with her daughter, but even angrier with herself for letting it come to this.