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“Sir,” she said. “You don’t need to do that.”
“She knows you’re invited to this,” he said without looking up. “Why would she let you take the shift?” He shook his head and clicked his tongue, and Maddy didn’t know what to do to get out of this tension.
“Kyle’s not going to be here,” she said. She pressed her palms together to try to gain some sense of control. “So I’m not going to come either. I know we’re sort of a package deal.”
Max looked up at her, his eyebrows practically flying off his forehead. “A package deal?”
“Yeah.” Maddy wasn’t sure what she’d said that was so awful or surprising. “I’m not really part of the family, so…” She toed the ground and dropped her gaze to her sneakers, unable to hold his any longer. “I brought the cake.”
“Maddy,” he said gently. “everyone who comes here is family.”
She looked up at him, challenge rising through her. “Then why haven’t you invited everyone to this picnic?”
Max had the decency not to argue with her. “You’re invited. You should come whether Kyle is here or not. You’re your own person.”
She knew that, but she couldn’t shake the net of nerves screaming at her not to attend the picnic. “Thank you,” she said. “But I really did volunteer for that shift this afternoon. If I get out early, maybe I’ll stop by.” They both knew she wouldn’t, but once again, Max didn’t argue with her.
His fingers did fly across his phone, but Maddy didn’t want to hang around. Dealing with Max was one thing, but Sharon would be much harder. “Okay,” she said. “Thanks, Max. Have a Happy Independence Day.”
“Mm, you too,” he said, obviously still distracted by his phone.
Maddy made it out of the house and back to her car. Her stomach rioted at her and started the ignition. She glanced up to the house as she put the vehicle in gear, and Max stood on the porch, looking at her. She stuck a smile to her face, waved, and pressed too hard on the accelerator.
Her tires spun, and then she lurched forward. Embarrassment burned in her face, as Maddy drove all the way to the end of the road, past all the houses, and then turned around. She had to go by the house again to get back to the main road, but this time she didn’t look at it.
No need to further embarrass herself. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she came to the stop sign where she’d turn right to continue to the lodge and then down another private road to her cabin.
Todd turned right, nearly hitting her sedan with the nose of his truck. Their eyes met, and Maddy wanted to disappear. He’d driven Kyle to the airport, and he looked as miserable about it as Maddy felt on the inside.
She made her turn and got back to her cabin before a single tear leaked down her face. Her phone chimed several times, and she checked it to find texts from Kyle, Holly, Todd, and Max. As she stared at the first few words of each one, another message from Sharon came in.
Maddy turned off the volume on her phone, left it on her kitchen counter, and went down the hall to her bedroom. She took out her the speakers for her cochlear implants and left them on the bathroom counter. Finally in blissful silence, she got back in bed and closed her eyes. She’d had to get up very early to bake and frost that cake, and she just wanted to go to sleep and forget about the Stewart family picnic she was missing that afternoon.
ChapterNineteen
“I’m just saying,” Todd Stewart griped as he climbed the steps to Maddy’s porch. “She hasn’t answered any of my texts. Or yours. Or anyone’s. I think that’s a pretty clear indication of her intentions.”
Mama marched to the door and lifted her fist to knock on it, clearly undeterred by Todd’s speech. He followed along like a puppy, then he glanced around as if someone would see him here and he’d be embarrassed.
He was embarrassed he stood there with his bulldozer of a mother. “This isn’t going to endear her to you,” he hissed.
“If you want to leave, leave.” Mama held her ground, and in her red, white, and blue, she looked like the American flag come to life.
No one came to the door, and Todd tucked his hands in his pockets. He said nothing. He’d texted Maddy to let her know that he and Mama were on their way over, and that Mama wouldn’t take no for an answer.
She raised her hand and knocked again, and Todd did his best not to exhale mightily.
“Coming!” Maddy called from inside the cabin, and Mama visibly relaxed. The door swung open and Maddy stood there wearing white from head to toe. Her dress shone like freshly fallen snow, with an overlay of lace. Todd wasn’t well-versed in women’s clothing, but he sure did like her dress.
“Madeline,” Mama said, her voice on the outer edge of crisp. She scanned Maddy down her to her navy blue Converse shoes. “My, don’t you look perfect for the Fourth?” She grinned and moved into Maddy. She hugged her tightly, and Maddy sank into the embrace, her eyes drifting closed.
From his position a couple of steps away, Todd wasn’t sure if she’d been crying or not. She wore makeup, and her eyes stayed dry as she stepped back. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I was just running late.” Everyone standing on the porch heard the little white lie, but no one called her on it.
“Good,” Mama said. She linked her arm through Maddy’s and turned to go back to the truck. “Because I simply need to hear more about this cake, and my husband wasn’t very forthcoming with the details.”
She took Maddy down the steps and to the truck, where Todd dutifully drove them all back to Mama and Daddy’s. Mama kept up a steady stream of chatter, and Maddy mostly looked like she was a raccoon caught in a rat trap.
At the house, Mama slid from the truck and moved out of the way. Todd killed the engine and said, “I’ll stay by you, Maddy. It’ll be okay.”
