Okay, you got me there. “I know this is hard for you to understand, but you can’t ask him about it.”
Maddie’s eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth.
Sky held up one finger, silencing the argument brewing in those baby blues. “I mean it, Maddie. Off limits.”
“But what if he says something about it?”
“If, and only if, Max brings it up, you may talk about it. But only if he brings it up. Got that?”
“Yes, ma’am.” A prolonged yawn followed her agreement. “’Night, Mama. I love you.”
Her heart swelled with love for her precocious child as she kissed her forehead. “Night, Maddie. I love you, too.”
Sleep eluded Sky for the greater part of the night, and when it came, it was filled with a troubling mixture of images that left her restless and anxious, filled with questions for which she had no ready answers.
And Max occupied center stage.
Could she deal with his PTSD? How bad was it really? Was Maddie too attached to him? The questions compounded and rolled on top of each other until she abandoned all thought of rest.
Dawn found her sipping a second cup of coffee as the tantalizing smell of roasting meat filled the air. She looked at the detailed to-do list on the table. “Oh shoot,” she mumbled to herself. “I forgot to tell Max I invited Big John to lunch.” She looked out the window to the darkened house next door. “Maybe I can catch him later.”
The invitation was an impulsive act spurred by the knowledge that John had no family and would spend the holiday alone. His ready acceptance of the offer convinced her it was the right thing to do.
She drained the last of her coffee and went about gathering up things she would take to Max’s house later. Her mother’s hand embroidered linen tablecloth and matching napkins topped the list, followed by a crystal vase to hold the mixed bouquet she had picked up yesterday.
It saddened her to realize how few tangible items remained of her parents and their life together. After her father’s death, it was just Sky and her mother, and they were very close until the horrible accident that changed everything. One minute Sky was a typical sixteen-year-old with teenaged woes, the next she was forced to be an adult caring for an invalid mother.
To this day, those three years were a blur. Thankfully, there was some insurance money to deal with the medical bills, but nothing else. Somehow, Sky managed to work and go to school and care for them both.
The last year of her mother’s life was awful, and Sky found herself thankful when death took her away. Losing her was bad enough, but the fire that destroyed their home a year later was the final, crippling blow. A few trinkets, her parents’ wedding rings, her mother’s starfish necklace, and the table linens were all that survived.
Alone and heartbroken, she threw herself into her studies. Perhaps that was why she fell so hard and fast for Brett Ward, a young businessman she met through a patient. Their fairy-tale courtship ended with a sunset wedding on a beach in Jamaica. When she discovered she was pregnant a year later, they were over the moon with happiness. Their perfect family was complete.
The exact cause of Sky’s early labor was never determined. One day everything was fine, the next she was in the hospital as the doctor tried to delay the inevitable. In the end, the cord became wrapped around the baby’s neck, necessitating an emergency C-Section.
The first few weeks were agonizing as Maddie’s fate hung in the balance. At first, Brett came to the hospital often, but had a great deal of difficulty handling their daughter’s delicate condition. And then his job changed, and he had to travel more, leaving Sky alone to deal with whatever happened.
“Enough,” Sky scolded herself. “The past is gone. Get over it and move on.”
She pushed up from the chair and went about the business of putting together the first real Thanksgiving dinner she’d had since before her mother’s accident.
A short time later, a light knock on the back door found her humming along with a song on the radio.
Max greeted her with a tentative smile. “I just wanted to let you know I left the back door unlocked. I need to do some stuff for Gail, and I’ll be in and out.”
She pushed open the screen door. “Come in. It’s cold out there. I have fresh coffee.”
He stepped inside and shut the door. “I don’t want to trouble you. You already have enough to do today.”
She passed him a mug of coffee and turned back to the stove. “It’s no trouble.” She tilted her head toward the table. “Have you had breakfast?”
“Does a Pop-Tart count?”
She snorted and shook her head. “No. It doesn’t.” She pulled a skillet from the cabinet and placed it on the stove. “Won’t take but a minute to scramble some eggs to go with the sausage and biscuits I already made.”
In record time, she placed food in front of him, along with butter and grape jelly. “I haven’t made homemade biscuits in a while. I hope you like them.”
He split the biscuit and slathered butter on both sides. “I’m sure they’re fine.” He added a dollop of jelly to one side and used it to help slide a bite of egg onto his fork, then stopped. “You’re not eating?”
“I ate already.” She added more coffee to her cup and sat down. “Eat before the eggs get cold.” Unsure of how he might react to adding Big John to the guest list, she proceeded with caution. “I, um, hope you don’t mind but I invited someone else to join us for lunch.”
She pulled the kitchen towel from her shoulder and rolled it in her hands. “It’s John Andrews. I should have asked you first since it’s your house, but it was an impulsive act when I found out he had no family and would be alone.”
Max stopped mid-chew and stared. A heartbeat passed before he swallowed and smiled softly, dark eyes filled with gratitude. “I’m glad you did.”
She released the breath she held and smiled. “I’m sorry I did it without asking, but, well, it just happened.”
He reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. At his light touch, heat raced up her arm and exploded through her body. It took massive control not to react.
“No need to apologize. It was nice of you to think of him.”
Several seconds passed before Max ducked his head and released her hand. “Whatever you’re cooking sure smells good.”
Shaken by his effect on her, she mumbled. “I thought we’d eat around twelve-thirty if that’s all right with you.”
“That’s fine.”
Maddie walked in then, Bunny cradled in her arm. When she spotted Max, she rushed forward. “Hi, Max. I didn’t know you were here.” She turned to Sky. “May I eat with Max?”
