Page 29 of Max

Max excused them and kept an arm around her until the elevator doors closed. Then he turned hard eyes on her. “What the hell, Shay?”

“I just blurted it out. It was the first thing that popped in my head. I couldn’t tell Daddy I have a stalker. It might cause another heart attack, and I was scared, Max. I’m so scared about everything right now.” Tears welled up, and she hunched in on herself.

She heard him curse, and then he pulled her back to his chest and stroked her back soothingly while her tears soaked his shirt. Everything welled up all at once, and there was nothing she could do to hold the back the flood.

“It’s all right, darlin’. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing when it came to my mother. There’s not a force on this Earth that would have made me worry her more when she was in the hospital. I won’t tell him any different. I promise.”

She cried harder. Desi said her brother was the nicest guy she knew, and he proved her right. He had every right to march up there and deny the fib she’d told, but he was putting her father’s health ahead of his own discomfort.

“Aunt Ethel and Amy Jo are going to give you the third degree before we leave,” she warned.

“I got this, darlin’. Don’t worry.”

The elevator doors opened, and more people piled in on their way to the ground floor. Shay pressed herself tighter against Max, not wanting to be recognized while she was a mess. Everyone in this area knew her.

When they finally reached the ground floor, Shay kept herself tight against Max as he guided them outside. He moved off to the side under one of the trees and gave her time to get herself together.

“It’s going to be okay, Shay. Your father’s going to be fine. Once he gets his bypass, he’ll have a new lease on life.”

“How do you know that?”

“My uncle had one, and he lived another twenty years. He’s going to be fine.”

“How old was your uncle?”

“Seventy-five.”

“Really?” She drew back from his shirt to make sure he wasn’t messing with her.

He nodded, his face solemn. “Uncle Ray was a mean old coot who defied death at every turn. I have a feeling your father is another old coot who looks death in the eye and dares him to come for him.”

She smiled because Max wasn’t wrong. Her father had fought his heart problems most of his life and hadn’t died yet. She had to remember that. Had to remember her faith. Her father was still here through his own force of will and by the grace of God. She’d pray and trust in her father’s will to live.

It would be all right, just as Max promised.

“Shayna?”

Her head whipped around to see a woman she’d gone to high school with. Deborah Johnson. Debbie had been head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school. She’d always looked down her nose at Shay.

“Debbie.”

“Is everything all right?” Debbie might be asking her the question, but her eyes were on Max.

“Daddy’s getting bypass surgery.”

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry to hear that.” Her tone was sugary sweet, but there was no real sorrow behind her words. She could care less about Shay’s father. “Are you going to introduce me to your…friend?”

Max didn’t like the way the woman said the word “friend,” like he was some kind of plaything. Or that was the way he took it. She seemed concerned, but he was good at reading people. This lady was a nasty piece of work. He only had to spend a moment in her presence to understand that.

“I’m Max Sheridan, Shay’s boyfriend.”

“Oh? I assumed after such a nasty divorce and losing your baby, you’d still be grieving. It hasn’t even been a year.”

Shay stiffened in his arms, and Max’s temper shot up. Nasty didn’t begin to describe this woman.

“Everyone grieves in their own way, and saying bullshit like that doesn’t help at all. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we were going to get some coffee.”

Without another word, Max led them over to the coffee cart, his temper spiraling. Did she have to put up with that kind of shit all the time? No wonder she was worried about people taking photos and spilling to the press.

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