Max whistled as he placed his freshly laundered shirts in the drawer. He had been so busy this week, he had been down to one clean shirt when he finally got time this afternoon to pick up his laundry. He chuckled softly to himself as he started straightening up his bedroom. He hadn’t had time to do much cleaning lately, either. Well, to be honest with himself, he probably could have found time before now, but more important things filled his life these days.
Sometimes he felt like pinching himself to see if he was in the middle of a wonderful dream. Leah was the most adorable woman to grace the earth, and he couldn’t believe his extraordinary good fortune that she actually loved him, Max Reilly.
Leah had told him about Collin’s angry explosion, and Max had been concerned. The boy was refusing to have anything to do with him, but Max had caught him looking at him several times when he thought no one was watching. The expression on his face was proof to Max that the boy missed their times together. It wouldn’t be long now. He was coming around. God was answering prayer.
The aroma of lasagna reminded Max it was probably time to take his dinner out of the oven. Ten o’clock was a little late to be eating, and he was starving. He had just settled himself at the kitchen table when the doorbell rang. Max groaned and considered ignoring it, but it continued to ring, getting more insistent with each peal. With another groan, Max pushed his chair back and headed for the living room.
“Okay, okay, keep your shirt on. I’m coming!” He yanked open the door and stared at the disheveled woman who still leaned against the doorbell, causing the repeated ringing.
“Hi, Maxie. Glad to see me?” Claudia’s lopsided smile, obviously meant to be seductive, sent a wave of revulsion through Max.
“What are you doing here, Claudia? I thought you were still in Louisiana, ruining lives there.”
“Oh, Maxie. You hurt my feelings. Aren’t you going to ask me in?” She giggled, then before he realized her intent, she had brushed by him and made her way across the room, falling onto the sofa.
Pursing her lips into a grotesque pout, Claudia beckoned to him with crimson-tipped fingers.
“Come on, Maxie. Sit here and talk to me.” She patted the seat next to her.
“You can’t stay here, Claudia. You’ll have to leave now.”
“But, Maxie. I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to stay here with you. You know, Max, you’re much more handsome than Jake. I’ve always liked you, and if you’d just get to know me a little, I think you’d like me a lot.” She squinted up at him and gave a tipsy smile.
“Claudia, you’re drunk. I’m calling a cab to take you home.”
Max headed for the phone, and Claudia jumped up and staggered toward him, screaming in protest.
“Don’t you dare pick up that phone, Max. I told you I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m staying right here with you. I got you in trouble once, Max. And I can do it again!” A calculating look crossed her face. “I hear you have a girlfriend. Does she know about the time you tried to force yourself upon me?”
“Don’t start it, Claudia. No one believes your lies anymore.”
“Jake does.” She threw her head back and laughed, then suddenly bent over as a fit of coughing overtook her.
Max stood looking at the woman his brother had chosen for a bride. Her hair was coming loose, and the bright-red lipstick on her mouth was smeared all over her chin. Maybe a cab wasn’t such a good idea. Claudia suddenly put both hands to her head and swayed. Grabbing her arm, Max helped her back to the sofa, where she stretched out with a moan.
“Maybe I’ll just take a little nappy, okay, Maxie?” And with that, she was out like a light.
Max stood looking down at her in helpless fury. Would he never be rid of her? Making a sudden decision, he strode firmly to the phone and dialed.
His brother’s panicky hello wrenched Max’s heart. Apparently Jake had been waiting for the phone to ring. Max hated to cause him pain, but what could he do?
“Jake, you need to come over here and get your wife. She just showed up at my door, and she’s not in very good condition.”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, and then Jake answered shakily, “I’ll be right there.”
Max waited anxiously for his brother, hoping Claudia wouldn’t wake up before he got there.
When Jake finally did arrive, he hurried over to his wife, barely looking at Max. He lifted her gently in his arms and carried her out to his waiting car. Max noticed he hadn’t availed himself of his chauffeur’s services. After he had deposited his wife into the backseat, Jake returned to the front door and confronted his brother. His lips were tight, and Max flinched at the pain and humiliation on his brother’s face.
“You won’t mention this to Mother and Father, will you?”
“No, of course not.” Max reached out to put his hand on Jake’s shoulder, but Jake drew back.
“I don’t need your pity!”
Max watched sadly as the car squealed away from the curb.
Leah’s days were passing in unbelievable happiness. She loved her job. The baking itself would have been joy enough, but to make things even better, Mrs. Crumply was giving her increasing responsibility for running the business. And as icing on the cake, her relationship with Max was flowering into something precious and wonderful.
His mother had sent an invitation to dinner, and Leah got butterflies in her stomach just thinking about meeting Max’s mother. But she also admitted to herself she felt intimidated at the thought of going to one of the largest and grandest mansions in the city.
The only thing that had marred her life these past few weeks was Collin’s attitude. After his initial outburst, he had drawn away from Max completely, hardly being civil to him and outright refusing to go anywhere with him. Leah had tried everything she could think of, from reasoning with him to firmly insisting that he straighten up his attitude, but to no avail.
Finally, after she had burst into tears on Max’s shoulder one evening, he had cupped her chin in his fingers, turned her face to him, and spoken gently.
“Darling, please don’t be so upset. Collin doesn’t know how to handle the change in our relationship. Up to now, you have belonged to him alone, and I was his exclusive pal. Give him time to adjust. I really think if we don’t make a big issue of it, he’ll come around.”
They had prayed together that night, and Leah had felt peace wash over her that she hadn’t experienced since she and Bob used to pray together. Later, when she was alone, she had cried out her gratitude to God.
Max had continued to come over on every scheduled day to see if Collin wanted to play tennis. In spite of the continuous negative answer, lately she had noticed Collin looking wistfully at Max when Leah and Max were talking or laughing about something. And a couple of times she caught him trying to hide a smile. So maybe things were progressing after all, just as Max had said they would.
Leah hummed softly as she took the mail from her mailbox and went into the house. Another good thing about the bakery was that her day ended at three, and she usually made it home a few minutes before Collin did. Leah had made arrangements with the mother of one of the students to pick him up at their neighbor’s house in the morning and bring him home after school. So far it had been working out fine.
She threw her purse on the coffee table, kicked her shoes off, and sat on the sofa. Glancing through the mail, she noticed an envelope addressed in flowing handwriting with no return address and no postage stamp. Puzzled, Leah tore it open. A yellowed clipping fell out, and Leah picked it up and held it while she perused the accompanying note. There was only one line: I thought you should know the sort of man you are keeping company with.
Leah’s heart pounded as she read the clipping. It was from an old society column, and as Leah read, she felt all her hopes and dreams begin to fade. Her mind grew numb, and her breath came in short, fast gasps.
She started as she heard a car pull up out front, and her heart pounded madly. She had to pull herself together. Collin was home. Oh no. Collin. What have I done to you? What sort of man have I allowed into our lives?
How could she have been so wrong? Even in the beginning, when she had doubts, she never would have considered that Max would do the sort of thing this article was accusing him of. Surely this must be a different Max Reilly. But no, it mentioned his father and grandfather by name. How could he have been accepted to his present position if these accusations were true? Leah’s mouth twisted, and she gave a short laugh. Of course. The Rosemont name and money could probably buy anything.
She stood up as Collin came bounding into the room.
“Hi, Mom. How was work today?” he asked as he gave her a hug.
She returned his hug, then cleared her throat before speaking. It wouldn’t do for Collin to see she was upset. She had no idea what she would say to him if he asked what was wrong.
“Work was fine, Collin. And how was school?” There, that wasn’t so hard. It sounded cheerful enough, even to her ears.
“Oh, okay, I guess. Just two more weeks ’til school’s out.”
“Um-hmm. Looking forward to that, I’ll bet.”
“Yeah, I guess.” He ducked his head and rubbed the toe of his shoe on the worn carpet.
“Is something wrong at school, Collin?”
“No, ma’am.”
Suddenly he lifted his face to her, and she could see the pain behind his eyes.
“I’m going to do my homework, Mom. I’ll see you later.”
“Well, all right, son. Collin, listen. I need to speak to Mr. Reilly privately when he gets here, so would you stay in your room until I call you down, please?”
He tossed her a worried look. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing for you to concern yourself with, honey.”
She watched him tread slowly up the stairs, and anger flared inside her. She could handle the pain of losing her dream, but how dare that cad mess up her son’s life? She went outside and sat on the porch swing, clutching the envelope and its contents. The longer she sat there, the angrier she became and the harder she pushed herself back and forth in the swing.
Max drove slowly to Leah’s house. After the episode with Claudia and Jake last night, he knew he couldn’t put things off any longer. He was going to tell her everything and just trust in God’s mercy and Leah’s love for him. Surely she would understand and believe him.
As he pulled up in front of the house, he noticed she was waiting for him on the porch swing. He didn’t see Collin anywhere. Good. That would make it easier. And he wouldn’t have an excuse to put it off.
“Leah, just the girl I wanted to see.” Max smiled as he stepped up onto the porch.
Leah stood up and faced him, and he stopped in shocked surprise at the dark fury in her eyes.
“Leah?”
Her lips were pressed together tightly. She stared at him silently for a moment before she spoke. “Mr. Reilly, please take this little token and leave. I never want to see you again.”
Thrusting an envelope into his hands, she turned and walked woodenly into the house, closing the door firmly behind her.
Max stood staring at the closed door for a long moment. When he finally glanced down at the envelope in his hands, he knew he had waited too long.
He didn’t have to open it to know that Claudia had kept her word. She had ruined his life once more.