Marcy makes a beeline for Ally. She lifts her from her bouncy chair, snuggling her close. Meredith looks on, beaming. And then Max saunters into the room, pilfering my attention. He’s in jeans and a long-sleeved gray T-shirt, his hair covered by a Seahawks hat. He hugs Meredith and tells her how great she looks, then glances over his mom’s shoulder at my sister. Resting his big hand on top of Ally’s little head, he says, “She’s growing fast.”
I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing, because Meredith grins and says, “I think so, too!”
He turns to me and, with a decorous nod of his head, says, “Jillian.”
I counter with my own stiff greeting. “Hello, Max.”
He and Meredith gather the snack platter and lemonade, and we head for the living room. Marcy sits down with Ally in one of two chairs while Meredith snags the other, leaving Max and me with the couch. Fantastic.
I claim an end for myself. It’s big enough to seat three, but Max sinks down right beside me, so close I have to tuck my feet under so they’re not resting against his leg. I can’t decide if he’s oblivious to the fact that I value personal space or if he’s trying to tempt me, but either way, his nearness is taxing. I don’t trust myself to touch him in the most platonic of ways, yet we’re inches away from cuddling in front of his mother and Meredith.
He and I sit in silence while the two of them chat. He swallows truckloads of food. I try not to think about him.
Time trickles by, until I jump to attention at the sound of my name; Marcy’s looking at me expectantly. “Um… What?”
“Your middle name? What is it?”
“Oh, it’s Grace.”
Max peers at me. “Jillian Grace… Why didn’t I know that?”
Because you’re an ass, I want to say. I’ve known his middle name—William, after his dad—since I was eight.
“And Allyson Claire,” Marcy says, gazing down at the baby.
“Ally sounds good with Jilly,” Max remarks. Odd, considering he’s the only person who calls me Jilly. I bite my lip to conceal a spontaneous smile.
“Mer,” Marcy whispers. “She’s dozed off. How long will she sleep?”
Meredith checks her watch. “Probably an hour. She’s not due to eat until two.”
“Can I treat you to a cup of coffee in town?”
I’m pretty sure the panicked expression Meredith’s wearing mirrors my own. There’s no way I’m comfortable babysitting a newborn, and I doubt she’s cool with letting me try. “I don’t know,” she says. “I haven’t left Ally for a minute since she was born.”
“That’s why you need to get out,” Marcy says. “You have to take care of yourself, too.”
“But she’s so little, and Jill doesn’t have any experience with babies.”
“Max does. He’s been watching Oli since he was a few weeks old. We’ll be gone thirty minutes, tops.”
“I don’t mind sticking around,” Max says. Of course he doesn’t—tormenting me is his favorite pastime.
Meredith looks to me. She knows how unprepared I am for baby duty, and she knows I’m not supposed to be with Max unsupervised. Surely she won’t leave.
“Well,” she says. “What do you think, Jill?”
I blink, dumbfounded—I thought we’d made headway in our relationship!
“I can handle it,” I lie, because how can I refuse without sounding entirely self-centered?
Max wraps an arm around my shoulders. “We’ll be fine. Ally’ll probably still be sleeping when you get back.”
Meredith nods, but her shifty gaze says she’s unconvinced. She gets up and lifts Ally from Marcy’s arms. She kisses her cheeks, then snuggles her into the swing. “I’ll get my purse,” she says, glancing back at the baby like she might never see her again.
A few minutes later, Marcy pulls her out the door, leaving Max and me alone.
I shrug away from the warmth of his arm and move to the chair Meredith vacated. “You don’t have to stay,” I tell him. “I’ll be fine for a half hour.”
