Read Online Maxwells Smile by Michele Hauf - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michele Hauf
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loss.
“He was just a kid,” Sam said. She felt him tremble, and hugged him closer, clinging to the soft plaid shirt on his back. “Jeff had leukemia. The doctors tried everything, but it was too aggressive. We weren’t able to find a bone marrow donor. He died four months after being diagnosed.”
Rachel held Sam silently, sensing he would tell her what he wanted to, his own time. But meanwhile she felt warm tears spilling down her cheeks. They belonged to both Sam and her.
“Our parents died in a car accident when Jeff was eight, so I was all he had. I tried, Rachel. I tried so hard, but I couldn’t save him. I should have been able to save him. Why couldn’t I?”
“I don’t know,” she said. It was always sad when a young person died, and there was never an acceptable reason for it. “Sam, it’s okay. I just want you to know it’s okay.”
He nodded against her shoulder, then abruptly straightened and turned aside to wipe his eyes. “I’m acting like a nut here. I don’t know what came over me. I don’t think I’ve cried since the funeral.”
Rachel’s heart tumbled at that confession. This man needed to grieve. “You can cry on my shoulder anytime.”
He chuckled and shot her a hopeful look. “Anytime? I just may take you up on that offer.”
He quickly looked away, and she sensed he needed some time alone.
“I should be getting back inside. You going to be okay?”
“Right now? No. I think I’m going to blast out some more tears after you walk away.”
“Tears are good.”
“Is that so? Kinda sissy, don’t you think?”
“Not at all.” She touched his cheek, tracing a wet trail. “Tears are for healing. We women have known that for ages. Gets out the complicated stuff we’re not always able to verbalize. It works for guys, too, I promise.” He shrugged and gave an accepting nod.
“Give me a call later,” she said. “Maxwell and I will probably pick up pizza on the way home. We may need you to help us, because we always order too many breadsticks.”
“Sounds great. Thanks, Rachel. It means a lot that you came out here looking for me. You could have just let me walk away.”
“I could never let you go, Sam.” She sucked in a breath, then leaned in to kiss his cheek. “See you soon.”
Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she turned and walked back inside, breathing in deeply to absorb the overwhelming feeling of rightness she got from being near Sam Jones. Even when his world was closing in around him, there was something about that man she couldn’t stay away from. Perhaps it was his willingness to be open and honest with her. And his easy acceptance of Maxwell.
And because she had opened her heart to receive.
“Quite a guy,” she whispered, and entered the waiting room with a smile for her son.
Chapter Eight
After a delicious meal of pepperoni pizza and far too many breadsticks, Sam helped Rachel do the few dishes. It wasn’t like he was trying to impress her. Washing dishes was something he enjoyed, and it reminded him of his mother. And heck, if a guy couldn’t dry the occasional dish or two, then what good was he? Besides, he’d suggested they see the newest romance at the theater later and she agreed to the date.
“You brought over more DVDs?” Maxwell tromped into the kitchen after taking the pizza box out to the trash.
Sam had left the bag near the door. “Yep. Some of my neighbors saw your posters and I told them about the charity drive you planned all by yourself, and they dug into their stacks of movies. There’s some great Disney movies in there. Tarzan is my favorite.” He noticed Maxwell’s perplexed look. “You seriously haven’t watched a lot of movies, have you, buddy?”
“I like documentaries,” Maxwell said.
“Well, there you go. They’ve got some great documentaries on the big screen. One about wildlife in the Arctic is playing right now at the theater.” He exchanged looks with Rachel and got an approving nod. “You
“He was just a kid,” Sam said. She felt him tremble, and hugged him closer, clinging to the soft plaid shirt on his back. “Jeff had leukemia. The doctors tried everything, but it was too aggressive. We weren’t able to find a bone marrow donor. He died four months after being diagnosed.”
Rachel held Sam silently, sensing he would tell her what he wanted to, his own time. But meanwhile she felt warm tears spilling down her cheeks. They belonged to both Sam and her.
“Our parents died in a car accident when Jeff was eight, so I was all he had. I tried, Rachel. I tried so hard, but I couldn’t save him. I should have been able to save him. Why couldn’t I?”
“I don’t know,” she said. It was always sad when a young person died, and there was never an acceptable reason for it. “Sam, it’s okay. I just want you to know it’s okay.”
He nodded against her shoulder, then abruptly straightened and turned aside to wipe his eyes. “I’m acting like a nut here. I don’t know what came over me. I don’t think I’ve cried since the funeral.”
Rachel’s heart tumbled at that confession. This man needed to grieve. “You can cry on my shoulder anytime.”
He chuckled and shot her a hopeful look. “Anytime? I just may take you up on that offer.”
He quickly looked away, and she sensed he needed some time alone.
“I should be getting back inside. You going to be okay?”
“Right now? No. I think I’m going to blast out some more tears after you walk away.”
“Tears are good.”
“Is that so? Kinda sissy, don’t you think?”
“Not at all.” She touched his cheek, tracing a wet trail. “Tears are for healing. We women have known that for ages. Gets out the complicated stuff we’re not always able to verbalize. It works for guys, too, I promise.” He shrugged and gave an accepting nod.
“Give me a call later,” she said. “Maxwell and I will probably pick up pizza on the way home. We may need you to help us, because we always order too many breadsticks.”
“Sounds great. Thanks, Rachel. It means a lot that you came out here looking for me. You could have just let me walk away.”
“I could never let you go, Sam.” She sucked in a breath, then leaned in to kiss his cheek. “See you soon.”
Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she turned and walked back inside, breathing in deeply to absorb the overwhelming feeling of rightness she got from being near Sam Jones. Even when his world was closing in around him, there was something about that man she couldn’t stay away from. Perhaps it was his willingness to be open and honest with her. And his easy acceptance of Maxwell.
And because she had opened her heart to receive.
“Quite a guy,” she whispered, and entered the waiting room with a smile for her son.
Chapter Eight
After a delicious meal of pepperoni pizza and far too many breadsticks, Sam helped Rachel do the few dishes. It wasn’t like he was trying to impress her. Washing dishes was something he enjoyed, and it reminded him of his mother. And heck, if a guy couldn’t dry the occasional dish or two, then what good was he? Besides, he’d suggested they see the newest romance at the theater later and she agreed to the date.
“You brought over more DVDs?” Maxwell tromped into the kitchen after taking the pizza box out to the trash.
Sam had left the bag near the door. “Yep. Some of my neighbors saw your posters and I told them about the charity drive you planned all by yourself, and they dug into their stacks of movies. There’s some great Disney movies in there. Tarzan is my favorite.” He noticed Maxwell’s perplexed look. “You seriously haven’t watched a lot of movies, have you, buddy?”
“I like documentaries,” Maxwell said.
“Well, there you go. They’ve got some great documentaries on the big screen. One about wildlife in the Arctic is playing right now at the theater.” He exchanged looks with Rachel and got an approving nod. “You
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