He fussed but helped me slip on a pair of loose pants and a fresh shirt of his, then carried me downstairs. Mary was there, sitting at the dining room table, and she smiled as Maxx slid me onto the chair beside her.
“How are you?” she asked, patting my hand.
“Stubborn,” Maxx muttered at the same time I assured her I was fine.
“The boys are waiting for you to wake up.”
“Stefano and Brett are here?”
Maxx snorted, placing a cup of coffee in front of me. “They’ve all been here since eight. We had breakfast, and they’re grilling lunch.” He sat beside me, sliding his hand over my thigh, his touch possessive and firm. “Your favorite. We hoped you’d be awake enough to eat with us.”
“I’m hungry,” I admitted.
“Good,” he grunted.
I sipped my coffee, closing my eyes as the first hit of dark, rich flavor exploded in my mouth. Mary must have brewed it. Maxx’s coffee always tasted like burned tar.
The boys came in, carrying a platter of grilled teriyaki chicken. Mary placed a bowl of salad on the table as they each hugged me carefully before sitting down. Maxx filled my plate, setting it in front of me, and I dug in, famished. As we ate, I noticed them all watching Maxx and me. He never took his hand off me for any length of time, and he stared at me as if I were going to disappear any second. I knew I hadn’t been myself yesterday, the scare and emotion of the day making me needy, but I was feeling much better.
I smiled at him. “I’m fine, I promise,” I whispered in his ear. He pressed his lips against my cheek.
“Good.”
I turned and met three sets of curious eyes.
“We love each other,” I said simply. “I mean, who could resist me?”
That broke the tension, and they laughed.
“Who, indeed,” Maxx teased. “I didn’t have a snowball’s hope in hell.”
“Nope,” Mary agreed. “I knew it.”
“Shut up, old woman.”
She simply grinned.
Brett looked at Maxx. “Did you tell her?”
Maxx frowned. “I was going to wait until after lunch.”
I shoved the last bite of chicken into my mouth and chewed. “All done.”
He rolled his eyes and rested his elbows on the table.
“The Donner brothers are in jail.”
“Their father out of town or something?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Todd said Chase showed up before he could go get them. Wes showed up before Todd could talk to Chase, demanding to see his brother. Todd put him in a separate room and went to talk to Chase. Chase confessed. Broke down, Todd said. Told him everything, demanding it be put on tape. He also informed Todd about a bunch of other things Wes has done. Apparently, Chase single-handedly solved a host of small crimes that have occurred lately.”
“Wow,” I said.
“Wes denied everything, saying they’d seen you on the other side of the road, but you looked wobbly on the bike. Claimed they never went near you or touched you.”
“Of course,” I stated dryly.
“He lost it when he found out what Chase had done.”
“Why did Chase do it? What on earth prompted him to go against his brother?”
Maxx scrubbed his face, a small frown on his mouth. “It seems Chase has been seeing a girl in Lomand. Wes isn’t happy about it since he is losing his sidekick, and Chase is realizing the error of his ways. He told Todd he wants to be worthy of this girl and decided to come clean. He thought Wes was just going to tease you a little. Instead, he spent the day thinking he’d killed you. This girl convinced him to do the right thing.”
“Oh.”
“The pain you felt, Charly? That odd mark on the back of your thighs? Wes had a thin branch. He basically whipped your legs, which, of course, startled you. Caused you to fall.”
Maxx sat back. “With Chase’s signed confession, not even his father could talk his way out with money. He’s facing jail time.”
“And Chase?”
“No idea. I am sure his lawyer will use his confession to make his sentence lighter. Maybe time served. Wes, though, is facing time for assault, petty theft, vandalism, and a few other charges.”
“He’s been a busy boy,” Mary mused.
“Are you okay with this?” I asked Maxx.
He sighed. “I’m grateful he’ll finally stop harassing people. He’s been getting more out of control for a long time. Maybe some jail time and counseling will do some good. I only wish he hadn’t hurt you for it to happen.”
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “I’ll heal.”
He only nodded.
I sat in silence for a moment. “So, Chase fell in love and found his conscience. He chose a chance at a life with her over his family.”
Mary smirked. “Isn’t it amazing what love can do?”
I met Maxx’s eyes. Despite the downturn of his mouth, his dark stare was filled with tenderness as he looked me. I felt his love and intensity in his presence beside me. His protectiveness and need to care for me, as deep as my need to look after him. His grip on my leg tightened as our gazes locked.