Waiting for Willa (Big Sky, #3)(57)

He leans in and presses his lips to my ear, sending a shiver down my back. “She’s elated that I’m with you.”

That makes me feel warm and happy. I always loved Max’s parents.

“Well, that’s good.”

He kisses my cheek. “It’s not bad. Does he need anything?”

“He says he’s excited to go back to school tomorrow, but I’m not sure about sending him.”

Max nods but doesn’t say anything.

“What do you think?”

“I’m not a parent,” he reminds me, and I immediately feel like shit again for telling him that he’s not Alex’s dad last week.

“You’re an adult who cares about my kid, and I’m asking for your opinion. Please.”

“Well, he hasn’t been fever-free for twenty-four hours yet, so he could still infect someone else at school. Not to mention, he needs to rest, continue with the fluids, and we need to get more food into him.”

“How do you know this?”

“I consulted WebMD,” he says, his voice full of pride, which makes me smile. He truly does love my boy. “Besides, I really would rather he was here where we can keep an eye on him. What if he relapses? And you know the teacher won’t look out for him the way we will.”

“I understand.” I slip my hand into his and link our fingers. “You’re quite protective, you know.”

“I protect what’s mine,” he says softly but doesn’t elaborate. “So, I say he stays home one more day.”

“I agree.” I nod and walk into the living room with another bottle of Gatorade and a sleeve of saltines. “Bubba, I think it’s best if you stay home one more day.”

“Oh, man,” he says in disappointment. “Am I being punished? I didn’t get sick on purpose.”

“No, you’re not.” I feel his forehead, then lean in and press my lips there to check for fever. “We don’t want you to make anyone else sick. It’s best for you to rest up, snuggle Rocky, and then you’ll be good to go on Tuesday.”

“Okay.”

He’s not arguing too hard, which tells me he still doesn’t feel fantastic. Keeping him out of school is the right move.

“How about this? Because you were awesome at Nana and Papa’s house this week, and you can’t go to school tomorrow, I’ll reinstate your privileges a day early.”

“Really?” His little face lights up with hope. “Can I have them now?”

“You can,” I confirm. “I’ll go pull them out of my secret hiding place, and you can play video games if you want.”

“I so want. Thanks, Mom.”

I wink at him, then fist bump Max as I pass by him on my way to the master. Alex isn’t allowed in my bedroom when I’m not with him, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t hide the things I take away, just in case.

I have a chest in my closet that I bury under folded sweaters. I move the clothes and open the chest, then pull out Alex’s gaming system, games, and his iPad, and replace the sweaters before walking back out to the living room.

Max is on the couch with Alex now, under the blanket, watching the end of Harry Potter. I hook up the system and pass the iPad to Alex, but rather than starting it up, he sets it aside to finish his movie.

Maybe taking the extra electronics away for a few days wasn’t a bad thing. We may do unplugged days once a week for a while. I want my kid to enjoy playing outside and working with his hands.

I sit in the loveseat across from my men and watch as Max wraps his arm around Alex’s shoulders, pulling him into his side. He kisses Alex’s head, and Alex rests his arm over Max’s middle, settling into him.

I blink at tears that threaten and look over at the TV, but my mind is still on the two people across from me. I love them both more than anything in the world. I love that Alex has taken to Max so well. He trusts him, admires him, and there’s no one more deserving of that trust and praise than Max.

I wish that Alex had had the opportunity to have this same relationship with Cary, but that wasn’t to be. We’re here now, with a man who loves us both and wants to protect and care for us.

I wasn’t sure that I’d ever see that day. Certainly not with Max because of our past and because I’d moved on from him.

It’s new to depend on someone as a partner, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t resistant to it at first. Like I told Max the other day, I have to protect myself.

I just had no idea how good it would feel to have someone here with me, to help me, to say “I’ve got this for now, go take care of you.”

It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. Better than falling in love. Better than sex.

It’s security I’ve never had before, and I don’t want to ever let it go.

“That was a good movie,” Max says when the credits roll. “I can’t believe I hadn’t seen it before.”

“You hadn’t?” Alex asks with wide eyes. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. Are the others this good?”

“Oh my gosh, they’re the best. Let’s have a marathon. We have them all, right, Mom?”

“We do, but I thought you wanted to play your games?”