Read Online Calendar Girl 12 - December by Audrey Carlan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Audrey Carlan
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to do about it? Clean your son!” Cyndi shot back, and I laughed.
“Cyndi, love of my life, I will pay you a million dollars to clean our son,” Max pleaded.
“Your money is my money, or did you forget that?” she growled back, sounding rather irritated.
This was deteriorating into a domestic situation I did not need to be a part of, nor did I want to. “Guys, how about you call me back.”
“Mia, honey, is that you?” Cyndi said.
“Yeah, hi! Sorry for interrupting. I needed to talk to Max about something uh…pretty important, but he can call me back when he’s dealt with baby Jack.”
I heard her sigh. “No, no. Fine. Max. I’ll take our son, but you so have diaper duty for two days straight!” she fired at him.
There was a bunch of crackling noise, and then I heard Max alone. He must have turned off the speaker. “Sugar, this better be good. Diaper duty with a boy like Jackson is horrid. It’s like something crawled up in that kid and died a foul death every time I have to change him. It’s awful.”
Not wanting to make him wait, coupled with the fact that my nerves were ready to burst, I blurted out what I needed to say. “I found our mother.”
The line went quiet for a solid minute. “Did you talk to her?”
“If by talk you mean yell, berate her, and slap her face, yes, I think it would be safe to say I spoke with our mother.”
“Where did you find her?” he asked.
I laughed for emphasis not because it was funny. “Get this. She’s one of the local artists I was sent to interview in Colorado.”
“She’s in Colorado?”
“In this very town. Yes.”
“Christ on a cross,” he whispered.
“Yes, exactly.” I blew out a harsh breath.
“Are you okay?” His tone held genuine concern, and I loved him for it.
I thought about lying, telling him I was fine, the same way I’d mulled it over with Wes this morning in bed, but I couldn’t do it. He deserved more than that. He deserved honesty. “No, I’m not. I’m not sure how to deal with this. It’s been fifteen years in the making.”
“Try thirty for me,” he said, somberly.
“Oh, Max, I’m sorry. We need to deal with this together. When you get here this weekend, we’ll talk, figure out what we’re going to do with this information.”
“You think I’m letting you deal with this tsunami alone? I’ll be there tomorrow at the latest. I’ll pack up the family and come a few days early.”
“Max, really, it can wait.” I tried to rationalize even though I’d wanted him there more than anything.
“You hurting?” he asked.
I sighed. “Max, you know I am. This was a blow.”
“Then, I’m there. ’Nuff said. Now let me talk to my wife. We’ve got some packing to do. Our rooms ready or we need a hotel?”
Instant relief swept across me. “I love you, Max. Like, really love you.”
“Darlin’, you know I love you. This is a family matter, and if one of us is having a hard road, the others need to drive. Now, will my room be ready or do I need to get a hotel, sugar?”
I swallowed down the lump of stress that coated my throat. “It’s all ready for you and the family. Wes even ordered a bassinet for Jack. He had the caretaker put it in your room. There’s a foldout for Isabel too.”
“Sounds peachy. Mia, don’t you worry anymore ’bout this. I’ll be there tomorrow. Family matters we handle together, okay, Sis?”
“Family matters are handled together. Got ya, Maximus,” I repeated, believing every single word.
He chuckled. “Okay. Call Maddy and find out if she wants to come early. If so, I’ll have my plane stop in Vegas before heading to Colorado.”
Of course, Max would be the voice of reason in all this. Following his directions to the letter, I called Maddy and told her what was happening. She was just as shocked as I was. She and Matt agreed to take a couple days off school and come out early, since it was Christmas break from school anyway. I told Maddy to call Max and confirm
“Cyndi, love of my life, I will pay you a million dollars to clean our son,” Max pleaded.
“Your money is my money, or did you forget that?” she growled back, sounding rather irritated.
This was deteriorating into a domestic situation I did not need to be a part of, nor did I want to. “Guys, how about you call me back.”
“Mia, honey, is that you?” Cyndi said.
“Yeah, hi! Sorry for interrupting. I needed to talk to Max about something uh…pretty important, but he can call me back when he’s dealt with baby Jack.”
I heard her sigh. “No, no. Fine. Max. I’ll take our son, but you so have diaper duty for two days straight!” she fired at him.
There was a bunch of crackling noise, and then I heard Max alone. He must have turned off the speaker. “Sugar, this better be good. Diaper duty with a boy like Jackson is horrid. It’s like something crawled up in that kid and died a foul death every time I have to change him. It’s awful.”
Not wanting to make him wait, coupled with the fact that my nerves were ready to burst, I blurted out what I needed to say. “I found our mother.”
The line went quiet for a solid minute. “Did you talk to her?”
“If by talk you mean yell, berate her, and slap her face, yes, I think it would be safe to say I spoke with our mother.”
“Where did you find her?” he asked.
I laughed for emphasis not because it was funny. “Get this. She’s one of the local artists I was sent to interview in Colorado.”
“She’s in Colorado?”
“In this very town. Yes.”
“Christ on a cross,” he whispered.
“Yes, exactly.” I blew out a harsh breath.
“Are you okay?” His tone held genuine concern, and I loved him for it.
I thought about lying, telling him I was fine, the same way I’d mulled it over with Wes this morning in bed, but I couldn’t do it. He deserved more than that. He deserved honesty. “No, I’m not. I’m not sure how to deal with this. It’s been fifteen years in the making.”
“Try thirty for me,” he said, somberly.
“Oh, Max, I’m sorry. We need to deal with this together. When you get here this weekend, we’ll talk, figure out what we’re going to do with this information.”
“You think I’m letting you deal with this tsunami alone? I’ll be there tomorrow at the latest. I’ll pack up the family and come a few days early.”
“Max, really, it can wait.” I tried to rationalize even though I’d wanted him there more than anything.
“You hurting?” he asked.
I sighed. “Max, you know I am. This was a blow.”
“Then, I’m there. ’Nuff said. Now let me talk to my wife. We’ve got some packing to do. Our rooms ready or we need a hotel?”
Instant relief swept across me. “I love you, Max. Like, really love you.”
“Darlin’, you know I love you. This is a family matter, and if one of us is having a hard road, the others need to drive. Now, will my room be ready or do I need to get a hotel, sugar?”
I swallowed down the lump of stress that coated my throat. “It’s all ready for you and the family. Wes even ordered a bassinet for Jack. He had the caretaker put it in your room. There’s a foldout for Isabel too.”
“Sounds peachy. Mia, don’t you worry anymore ’bout this. I’ll be there tomorrow. Family matters we handle together, okay, Sis?”
“Family matters are handled together. Got ya, Maximus,” I repeated, believing every single word.
He chuckled. “Okay. Call Maddy and find out if she wants to come early. If so, I’ll have my plane stop in Vegas before heading to Colorado.”
Of course, Max would be the voice of reason in all this. Following his directions to the letter, I called Maddy and told her what was happening. She was just as shocked as I was. She and Matt agreed to take a couple days off school and come out early, since it was Christmas break from school anyway. I told Maddy to call Max and confirm
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