Pieces of Us (Confessions of the Heart 3)

“What in the world is goin’ on in here?”

Izzy grinned like they hadn’t been caught doin’ something bad. “I’m just tellin’ him a bedtime story so he can sleep better, Mama. He’s got bad dreams.”

Something flashed through Izzy’s mama’s eyes. Something soft and tender and sad. “You know he’s not supposed to come in through your window, Izzy Mae. We have a door.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Mack said, gulping, shaking, more scared than he was earlier that day. Last thing he wanted to do was make Izzy’s parents hate him. They were always so nice. Good to his mama. Good to him. And he was pretty sure they liked his daddy about as much as he liked them.

She sighed. “It’s okay. Just . . . use the door the next time, that’s what a real man does.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She sighed again. “Well, come on, you two, I just made one of those blueberry pies Maxon here seems to like so much. Guessed I sensed you comin’.”

His belly rumbled. He hadn’t had dinner, his mama in her room all day.

He climbed to his feet slowly while Izzy jumped to hers. “I already brushed my teeth, but I’ll do it again.”

Izzy flew out of her room and down the stairs. Her mama was in front of him, casting him glances as he slowly made his way down. His stomach was tight, his nerves scrambled, feeling like he wasn’t supposed to be there but wanting to stay forever.

They went into the kitchen, and Izzy’s daddy was at the table, reading something in the paper. He dropped it low, confusion at first, his eyes darting to his wife who sent him some kind of look that Mack couldn’t make out.

Only thing he knew was Izzy’s daddy smiled a soft smile. The kind his own dad had never worn. “Hello, son. You smell my wife’s pie from across the way?”

Mack couldn’t stop his smile. “I might’ve.”

“Get up here, get yourself a slice. Next time, though, use the door. Wouldn’t want to mistake you for an intruder.”

He should’ve apologized again, promised that he would, but he wasn’t sure if it was gonna be a lie. Instead, he sat down on the chair next to the man.

Izzy climbed into a chair on the other side of him, rambling about what they were gonna play tomorrow. Her mama dished them each a big helping, steam coming up, the scent hitting his nose.

Maybe he’d died after all, and he’d flown right into heaven.

Her mama ran her hand down his back. He tried not to flinch, but he couldn’t stop it, and he tried harder not to cry when she whispered at his ear, “You have a place here, always, Maxon. You remember that. You get scared or in a bad spot, you know where to come. You can always, always tell me or Izzy’s daddy anything. You hear?”

He nodded tight, but he knew all the things he wanted to say would never fall from his mouth.

Eighteen

Izzy

“What did I get myself into?” I whispered where I stood at my mama’s side at the sink, cleaning up after dinner. Maxon was with the boys on the far side of the room.

Benjamin had wanted to show him his reading nook.

Of course, he had.

Did I expect anything different? Did I expect that bold presence wouldn’t make an instant impact on my boys? As if they were not going to notice him walkin’ through the door.

Hardly.

From behind, Dillon tackled Maxon who was sitting on the floor on the rug. My son roared like a monster, laughing uncontained as he wrapped his little arms around his neck. “Sneak attack! I got you! I told you that was the best kind.”

Maxon roared back, dragging Dillon over his shoulder, flipping him upside down before he started to gently wrestle with him against his chest. Like he’d been doin’ it for all these years. “Oh, you think you’re sneaky, huh?”

Dillon howled with laughter as Maxon tickled him.

“Get himmmm, Mack,” Benjamin cheered from his spot next to the window.

There he was, already rootin’ for Maxon.

Just awesome.

“Well, whatever it is, it sure looks good,” my mama said so only I could hear, her words full of suggestion as she snapped my hip with the dish towel.

“Mama,” I scolded, sending her a frown. “This isn’t about me and Maxon. This is about my boys.”

Apparently, neither she nor Maxon were gettin’ that. He’d left me completely rattled the whole dinner, watching me with that intense stare, as if he were contemplating doing wicked, bad things.

A shiver trembled through me at the thought.

She almost rolled her eyes. “Tell me you aren’t fool enough to believe that. That started with the two of you.” She pointed at Benjamin whose face was shining pure joy. “Can’t take yourselves out of that equation.”

“Thank you for the reminder,” I said, words dripping sarcasm. “I’d totally forgotten where babies come from.”