Fresh tears pooled in her eyes.“I was happy with the way things were.When he asked the question, it jarred me from my world of make-believe.If he had to ask the question, I thought he had doubts.”
“That man does not have doubts,” Roxie muttered.
Maxie’s hair swished against her shoulders.“But he thinks that I do because I couldn’t get the words out.”
“Oh, honey.”Lexie sighed.
“Now I don’t know how to act around him.I get all knotted up.I’m afraid I’ll make everything worse.”
“It’s just a misunderstanding.You can work it out.Cam and I did.”
Maxie looked at her with surprise.“You and Cam had problems?”
“There was a lot of friction.I didn’t trust him when my father hired him.I had concerns about where his loyalties were.I was so wrapped up in that, I didn’t see what was happening between us.We weren’t communicating, and it nearly drove us apart.”
“But you two… You’re so right together.”
“Because we worked it out.You have to talk to Zac and clear things up.”
Maxie folded her arms over her stomach.Just the thought of it jumbled her insides.He’d been so irritable and intimidating.Of course, he’d been working.He’d been focused on getting Becky’s money back, but she’d felt the heat and frustration directed at her.“You saw the way he was.He doesn’t want to listen—because he probably thinks that all I do now is lie.”
Roxie planted her hands on her hips.“I don’t know about that, but I saw the way he looked at your waiter buddy.I thought he was going to rip Martin’s arm out of its socket and beat him over the head with it.He didn’t like that man touching you.”
“So…maybe talking isn’t the way to start,” Lexie mused.
Maxie frowned.She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she was surprised it had come out of sweet and proper Lexie’s mouth.
“I like how you think, sis.”Roxie drummed her fingers.“Men do listen better after all the wrestling is done.”
Maxie’s eyes rounded.What were they saying?
She stepped back from the two of them.This was silly.Self-involved and pointless.There were more important things to think about right now.Park Art’s reputation could be damaged with this theft scandal, and Zac was heading to a construction accident where somebody had been hurt.She should be worrying about those things.She should be trying to find some way to help.
“Oh, no.None of that.”Roxie caught her hand and pulled her back into the group.“You’re not going back to the wallflower routine, not with us around.”
“The cavalry is here,” Lexie declared.“We’ll come up with a plan of action together.The get-Zac-back plan.”
Maxie’s finger pulsed under Roxie’s firm grip.The thorn pricks had healed, but she remembered the wish she’d made.These two were willing to do crazy things with her on the spur of the moment.They were willing to be her sidekicks, her support system.
She had sisters now, but old habits were hard to break.
“What if something goes wrong?”
“Do you want him?”Roxie asked.
“Yes.”
“Then you need to stop worrying and go get him.He’s yours for the taking.”
Lexie looped their arms together.“Nothing’s going to go wrong.Everything’s about to go very right.We just have work to do.”
Zac had his siren blaring and lights flashing.The souped-up engine in his cruiser was getting a workout as he sped down the Indigo Byway.He was nearing the bridge accident site, but even with all the noise and chaos, he couldn’t put the look on Maxie’s face out of his head.
She’d told him to be careful.That had to mean something.Right?And she’d acted like she’d wanted to say more.
“Damn it.”He was tired of trying to figure her out.He’d been playing catch-up with her from the very start.She was like a chameleon, always changing colors to blend in with the background.He knew how exhausting that could be, probably better than anybody.He’d spent years being someone other than himself.
And to him, she stood out like a lighthouse beacon.
