Ditched (18 page)

“Max and I are just friends,” I told them. “He’s one of my best friends, actually.”

She held her hand over her heart and if an elderly lady was capable of swooning, she did just that. “I know,” she said with a wistful look, “and best friends make the best marriages.”

Marriage
? Was the dear lady out of her ever loving mind? It hit me then. This was likely the reason Max had been trying to avoid us meeting.

“Oh, my goodness,” she said with a little laugh. Her eyes were twinkling when she continued. “I seem to be getting
a little ahead of myself. Back in the day, when I was your age, courtships weren’t nearly as long as they are now.”

I glanced at Max, wishing I knew a quick way to escape this conversational sinkhole.

“So,” Max said and cleared his throat, “can we eat these little sandwiches or what? I’m hungry. Holly, aren’t you hungry?”

“Starving,” I said.

“I’ve always enjoyed a midday snack,” Charles informed us. “Even if it is only these silly little excuses for a sandwich.”

Villette
sighed as she passed the platter of sandwiches to Max. “I know an attempt at diversion when I hear one. I also recognize a couple that’s smitten when I see one.”

Max muttered
something under his breath.

Smitten
? I thought. For some reason, I found myself smiling.

“We’re not a couple,” Max said. He sounded exasperated.

“We’re not,” I confirmed, mentally wiping the smile away. “In fact, Max went on a date last night. His date’s name is Tori.” I added that on, just to avoid any confusion. I didn’t want them to misinterpret and think that Max went on a date with me. His foot collided with mine under the table. I turned to look at him. He shot me a look of disbelief.

Villette
gasped. Then she reached across me to smack Max across the chest. “You went on a date? With another girl? Why on God’s green earth would you
do
that?”

He sliced his gaze towards me. “
I have no idea.”

“
I hope that nonsense was a onetime thing,” she scolded.

Max cleared h
is throat and poked at his cucumber sandwich. “It was twice, actually.”

“Twice?”
Villette said with disapproval. “There’s no sense in wasting time with the wrong person. Life is too short for that.”

Charles
chuckled.

I frowned. “Twice?”
How on God’s green earth had I
missed
that?

“Uh, yeah,” Max said, not looking at me. “We went out for breakfast this morning.”

“I thought you went for a run,” I stated. An unpleasant feeling welled up within me. I ignored it, as I was becoming adept at doing.

He shrugged and pulled his eyes from his plate. “I was just getting started when she called. I couldn’t think of a reason not to go. So she picked me up
a few blocks from the house.”

“Oh,” was all I could think of to say to that. Finally I added on, “You were gone a really long time.”

“Afterwards, we went for a walk.”

“Oh.” Again.
It was the best I could muster up.

Villette
put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I think you need a glass of wine. Would you like some, dear?”

I was preparing to politely decline when Max nudged my foot with his.
This time, it was gentle. I realized it may be rude to decline. “Yes, please.”

She smiled as she poured Max and I each a glass. Then she held up a warning finger. “This is it. No more for you two.
”

“Maybe a
little
more,” Charles offered.

I thought one glass was plenty, thank you very much.
It was tarter than I’d anticipated. I had a hunch wine was an acquired taste. One I had virtually no experience with.

“So Grandpa,” Max began with a great deal of determination, “
have you thought anymore about branching out into sparkling wine?”

Charles
’s expression turned from one of relaxation to downright business-like. I glanced at Max and he winked at me. He may not know how to distract his grandma but distracting his grandpa wasn’t hard at all. I almost lost myself in a fit of giggles because I had to wonder if winking was a family trait.

From
there on out, for the next hour, I listened intently as Max and Charles discussed the family business. When the time came to drive down the road to the winery, the earlier conversation had entirely faded away.

I’d been here all this time and I hadn’t been
there yet. He always had a reason. He couldn’t bring me during the day because he worked. He couldn’t bring me in the evening because it was closed. He didn’t want to bring me on the weekend because that was his time off.

Now, I realized, his excuses were just that. I decided he’d just wanted to keep me from his grandparents

When we arrived, Max gave me a tour of the vineyards. They had thirty acres, divided into sections, each with their own variety of grape. Next we went to the winery and he showed me around. There was more to it than I ever imagined. A large building held a formal dining room where weddings and other events were held. A smaller tasting room was off to one side and the small gift shop was at the front of it all.

Outside, the aroma of smoked meat
hung in the air. The large pavilion was surrounded by twinkle lights. Tables were set up, laden with decorative arrangements of food. A live band was playing. I didn’t recognize the music being played. I couldn’t have even guessed as to which decade the music originated from.

Max had been right when he warned me we would be the youngest guests by far.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Are you sure you want to stay?”

I nodded as I looked around, taking it all in.

“My grandma wasn’t too much for you?”

“
I think she’s just playing matchmaker,” I said.

Max rolled his eyes. “Figured that out all on your own, did you?”

I smacked him playfully across the chest. He caught my hand as it bounced off and he entangled his fingers with mine.

“Let’s dance,” I suggested.

He looked at the dance floor with a bit of trepidation. The older generation really had some fancy footwork down. “I have no idea how to dance like that.”

I laughed. “I don’t either.”

The couples out on the floor clearly knew what they were doing. It was a bit fascinating to watch. Some of those older people, well, it was pretty impressive.

I glanced around and saw
Villette watching us. She gave us a little wave and then she disappeared. Moments later, the music changed.

“Come on,” I said. He didn’t argue. My hand was still in his and he even led the way. We stayed off to the side, not wanting to interfere with anyone else.

He slid his arms around my waist. I rested my hands on his shoulders, wondering how close was appropriate when you were dancing with a friend.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

I realized then that I was so I nodded. He pulled me into him, closing the small distance I’d left between us.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“I have a confession to make.”

My heart took off unexpectedly.
I probably had a confession or two of my own. I waited for him to go first. “What would that be?” I asked.

He cring
ed. “Don’t be mad but I told Tori that I didn’t think I could see her anymore. Not right now anyway.”

I tried to keep my expression
neutral because this really shouldn’t be a big deal. I shouldn’t feel as relieved as I felt right then. “I’m not mad.”

“You’re not?”

I shook my head. “I know it’s completely selfish of me but I missed you when you were gone last night.”

“Yeah?” he asked.

I nodded. “Don’t get me wrong, if you really wanted to date her, I wouldn’t try to stop you.” I paused. “But it doesn’t seem like you want to.”

“I don’t,” he agreed.

“Good.”

He let out a little puff of air. A sound that was almost a laugh, but wasn’t. If anything, it was maybe a little scoff of disbelief. “Why is that good?”

I gave him as much of the truth as I could spare just then. “I realized how much I like having you to myself.”

His hands slid from my waist and he did something
he’d never done before. He slid his hands along each side of my face, tunneling his fingers in my hair. Then he leaned forward, slowly, so slowly, resting his forehead against mine. Reflexively, I reached up and laced my fingers behind his neck. In that split instant that he was leaning in, I thought he was going to kiss me. For just that split instant, I was shocked.

Not by the fact that I thought he was going to…But by the realization that I
was disappointed that he didn’t.

Then he let out a sigh, stepped back and the moment was
over. I stood there, wishing it wasn’t. Because my head figured out, right then, what I think my heart had known for awhile now.

Chapter 14

“Your brother hates me,” I said with a grimace. I wasn’t whining about it. I was simply stating a fact. We’d decided to go out to dinner so that Mike could have the house to himself for awhile. For the most part, he’d been reconnecting with old friends. But the past day, he’d stuck around the beach house. It had become increasingly difficult to stay out of his way.

“No, he doesn’t,” Max said. “He just…He…Well…”

“Hates me,” I filled in.

Max blew out a breath. “Yeah,
I don’t know what his problem is. Sorry.”

Mike hadn’t answered Max’s calls. He’d just shown up. I’d already freshened up the
bedroom I was using, fully prepared to hand it over to him. It was only fair. It was his grandparents’ house, there were only two bedrooms. I should be the one to sleep on the couch. So I’d repacked my suitcases and moved myself into the living room.

Max had offered to let me have the bedroom he was using but I wasn’t having that.
Not only was this far more their place than my place, but Max would never fit comfortably on the couch. As for me, it was just fine.

Tonight when Max had gotten home, he’d found me in his room. I’d dragged some of my
beads into his room and was working on his bed. It wasn’t the best workspace but it was preferable to seeing Mike scowl every time he glanced my way.

Max had decided the best thing for both Mike and I was to get me out of the house. So we were at dinner, at
a nice restaurant. I may have dressed up just a bit. I may have spritzed on a little perfume. I may have taken extra time putting my hair up and curling the ends. I definitely let my mind wander, wishing this were a date.

I felt my cheeks flush because Max was my friend and I really shouldn’t be thinking that way. We really didn’t need that kind of complication. Nor, did he even want it.

He
had
told me I looked really nice. However, I wasn’t sure if it was an actual compliment, or if he was simply noting that I’d traded in my usual beach-bum attire.

“Do you know when he’s leaving?” I wondered. “I mean, I’m just curious.”

“No idea,” Max said with a shrug.

I speared a shrimp with my fork and stared at it a second before popping it into my mouth.
Better to stare at my food than to openly gawk at Max during dinner. I knew I was probably acting strange. If I didn’t pull myself together soon, Max was going to know something was up.

“You okay?” he asked. He took a bite of his filet mignon, watching me while he chewed.

Yes, he was definitely going to know something was up.

“I’m fine,” I said as I reached for my water.

Since the other night, when I realized that I’d developed a terribly inconvenient crush on my best friend, Max had become all I could think about. I subtly pushed my plate away and I took a sip of water. I tried to keep my eyes averted. I was acting like an idiot. It was hard to act like anything else. The swarm of fluttery butterflies in my stomach was a bit distracting.

“Is it Collin?”

My face scrunched in confusion. “Is what Collin?”

Max grinned at me as he leaned across the table and stabbed at a shrimp. He plucked it right out of my pasta and into his mouth. He raised his eyebro
ws at me and waited.