Lovers at Heart (The Bradens, Book One: Love in Bloom Series)

Chapter Thirty, Lovers at Heart

Chapter Thirty

I SHOULD NEVER be allowed to drink again, Max thought as she reached for her throbbing head. It took only a few seconds for her to recognize Chaz and Kaylie’s guest room. The combination of the pictures of the twins on the dresser and their happy little voices filtering into the room were hard to miss.

“Don’t wake up Auntie Max,” Kaylie warned them.

Max sat up with a groan. Flashes of Taylor’s Cove came back to her, and she sifted through them and put the pieces of the previous night back together. She stood and held on to the dresser for support while the room circled her for a few seconds, then finally righted itself. She made the bed and straightened the throw rug that she must have pushed to the side.

Still wearing the same clothes she’d worn the night before, she went across the hall, washed her face, and rinsed out her mouth. She missed waking up with Treat’s heart beating beside her, his strong arms enveloping her. “Damn it,” she muttered. She looked at herself in the mirror and fixed her ponytail, making a disgusted tsk sound at her puffy face. Then she said to her reflection, “No more of this. You made your decision, and it was the right one. Now hold your head up high and get into work. Do something productive.” Like pick up your car. She groaned. She couldn’t believe she’d put Kaylie out like that last night. With another irritated tsk, she went in search of Kaylie. 

She walked down the hall in her stocking feet, and two adorably rambunctious toddlers raced toward her.

“Auntie Max!” Lexi said as she jumped into Max’s arms.

“Auntie Ma-Ma-Max.”

Max scooped Trevor into her other arm, then realized that either they’d both gained weight in the last month, or she was really worn out. She set them both down with a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the tush.

“Auntie Max needs coffee,” she said, holding the side of her head.

“Lover girl walks,” Kaylie teased. “Here. I heard you in the bathroom, so I was prepared.” She handed Max a warm mug of coffee, which only made her miss Treat even more, and then two aspirin, which made her love Kaylie almost as much as she loved Treat.

The kids ran to their playroom, and she and Kaylie sat in the living room.

“How badly did I embarrass myself last night?” Max asked.

“Well, if you call telling my husband that you once thought you were in love with him but then realized you really just loved him like a brother embarrassing, then I’d say just a little. I found it hilarious. I have never seen Chaz unable to respond to someone before.” Kaylie laughed.

Max covered her face with her hands. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Kaylie.”

“For what?”

“For saying that. For Joe calling you to come get me. God, Chaz must hate me.” I ruined my career.

“No, he took it in stride. Actually, I think he was glad. He always worries that you don’t do anything besides work. When you went to Wellfleet, he was so happy. He said, ‘I hope she finds him and he sweeps her off her feet. She deserves someone wonderful.’”

Max covered her face. “That’s really sweet, but ugh…how humiliating.”

“Oh, stop. Your worst drunken night is ten times more tame than my tamest drunken night.”

“Thank you,” Max said. “Whether that’s true or not—and I don’t want to know either way—thank you. I guess we should get my car.”

“We already did,” Kaylie said.