Twenty-Five
Christian didn’t feel like playing games Sunday night. Hugh, Maizie, and Jayce were playing something, but he wasn’t paying attention. Every time he looked at Maizie, he saw Rob’s smug grin, and then he wanted to punch something. But he had no one but himself to blame. Maizie had been in his arms, kissing him, and he’d pushed her away.
She had been using her two cousins as a buffer between them all night. He couldn’t say he blamed her. He wished he had a buffer for Caroline. The girl barely left his side this weekend long enough to let him go to the bathroom.
“Can we go for one more four-wheeler ride?” Caroline asked, snuggling up next to him on the couch.
“Youcan go on one last four-wheeler ride if you’d like,” Christian said.
Caroline pouted but made no move to get up.
“Hey, Christian, should we show your mom the two-by-four game?” Jayce hollered.
“Yes.” Christian jumped up, eager for any excuse to get away from his ex-girlfriend.
“The what?” His mom looked at him wide-eyed. It was the same look she’d given him yesterday when he’d taught her how to drive a tractor.
“Don’t worry, it’s fun, Mom.”
“That’s what you said about the tractor too.” His mother rolled her eyes, and he laughed. He might have nudged the tractor into neutral when she wasn’t watching. She’d freaked out thinking she had broken an expensive piece of equipment so he told her the truth. And she had promptly slapped him.
“I want to do it,” Caroline said, batting her eyelashes up at him.
“Sure,” He said. He followed Jayce and Hugh outside to get it set up, leaving Caroline and his mom waiting inside.
“You can be on the side with Maizie,” Jayce said.
“But I’m way taller than her. Let me lift.”
“It’s fine, just go down at the same speed as her.”
“Fine,” Christian conceded.
Maizie brought out his mom first, gently guiding her across the yard. He remembered the night those hands had been on his chest, and his mouth went dry.
“Just step up here,” Maizie said.
“Christian?”
“Right here, Mom.” He grabbed her other hand and placed it on his shoulder.
Maizie explained what to do then turned to look at him. Her eyes held a million secrets, and he wanted to know every one. He watched her drop and slowly fell with her, his eyes never leaving hers.
“Okay, put me down!” His mom screamed.
“You’re doing great, Mom.” He dropped out of the way, but Maizie was too slow and his mom had a death grip on her shirt, pulling it off her shoulder.
“Put me down now.” She yelled as the board wobbled again. But it knocked her off balance and she fell flat on Maizie.
Christian jumped over the board and reached for his mom. He helped her off of Maizie. “Are you okay?” He asked both of them.
“What just happened?” His mom whipped the blindfold off and looked around. “Oh dear, I’m sorry I fell on you.” She said, helping Maizie up.
“I deserved it, apparently.” Maizie said with a chuckle.
“No, he did.” Christian’s mom looked him dead in the eyes.
“It was Jayce’s idea,” he said with a boyish smile he hadn’t used in forever.
