Page 46 of The Maxwell Brothers
“Mr. Maxwell, what’s this? Are you trying to stake your claim on me? After one kiss?”
“Yes,” I said roughly. “Yes, I am.”
“Tate…”
“I have half a mind to come where you are and make it clear to everyone that you’re off-limits.”
She drew in a sharp breath. “Oh, wow. Well, just so you know, no one is interested in me. Better?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t, though. Not really. I felt possessive of her in a way that consumed me. But all I said was “Good night, Lexi. Have fun.”
CHAPTER 13
LEXI
For the restof the week, I didn’t see Tate at all. He was always out before I arrived, and I left before he came home. Beatrice was sleeping at the house and spending the day with us. I wasn’t sure why, but I certainly didn’t mind; having this extra time with her was a gift.
I found an excuse to stay later than six every evening, and notjustbecause I hoped to get a glimpse of Tate. Beatrice seemed in way over her head watching Paisley, who was full of energy even after spending the whole day outdoors.
Besides, Beatrice was ahoot. She was like the grandma I never had, giving me advice for everything, be it food or dresses. She even taught me how to make apple pie.
Now it was Monday, and I was buying cherries for yet another pie.
On the drive to the house, I also checked in on my parents. They weren’t big on phone calls, but we had a WhatsApp group where we shared random pics, mostly of food. Snapping a photo of the cherries, I sent it to them along with a message.
Lexi: I’m learning to make cherry pie today.
Mom: Yum. Good for you. Send me the recipe, and I’ll try it too. I’m feeling great today.
Dad: I’ll help.
Mom: No you won’t. You’ll be in my way.
I chuckled at their banter without interfering. They had a healthy relationship.
When I arrived at the house, Beatrice and Paisley were in the kitchen.
“Tate already left?” I asked, looking around.
“Yes. About half an hour ago,” Beatrice said, relieving me of the bag of cherries. “How is your mom feeling, Lexi?” she asked as we prepped them.
“She’s recovering, slowly.” And despite Mom insisting that I didn’t have to help with the medical bills, I could hear the relief in both their voices whenever we spoke. That meant the world to me.
“That’s good to hear. By the way, I wanted to ask you—are you dating anyone?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Paisley perk up.
“Uhh… no, I’m not.”
I wasn’t lying, technically. Tate and I had just kissed. And flirted.
Beatrice eyed me speculatively. “Haven’t found the right one yet? It’s good to be picky. Two things in life you never have to chase: buses and men. There’s always another one waiting just around the corner.”
I burst out laughing. This was exactly the grandmotherly advice she liked to dish out.
She glanced at Paisley, who was perched on a chair at the island coloring in her book. “Don’t tell your father I said that.”
Paisley grinned. “I won’t, Gran. I promise. But you and Grandpa were together for a long time, right?”
