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“Yes, he is,” Max said, smiling for the first time in a while.
“You kids need to go have some fun while your little guy is with us,” Linc said. “Lexi is only here for the weekend.”
Max tried to pull himself out of the tailspin to focus on Lexi and the limited time they had together. “I could eat something.”
“Me, too.”
“Want to hit Kingdom?”
“I’d love to. I’ve never had pizza as good as theirs.”
Elmer came in with the kids, who ran ahead of him from the mudroom into the family room, their faces red from the cold.
“Ew,” Max said to Caden. “Go do something with your nose.”
Grinning, Caden darted toward the bathroom while Chase and Molly attacked Max.
He caught them in a tight hug, making them squeal when he kissed their necks. When he released them, they came right back for more.
“Lexi, you might want to look out,” Linc said. “This can get rough.”
She moved over to give Max and the kids room to wrestle. “I see that.”
When Caden returned, he jumped on the pile.
By the time Max emerged from the scrum, he was red-faced and sweating, but the sick feeling he’d arrived with was gone. His parents were right. He was in control of this situation, and he would do what was best for his son—as always.
“Now that I’ve gotten them all wound up, I’ve gotta roll,” Max said to his parents.
“Thanks a lot, pal,” Molly said, smiling.
“You guys be good for Grammy and Gramps and Grandpa-Great, you hear?”
“We will,” Caden said. “Grandpa-Great said we can have ice cream later if we pick up all the toys.”
“Then I’d get busy picking up if I were you. Give me a hug first.”
Caden hurled himself into Max’s arms and was squirming two seconds later, wanting to be released to go back to playing with his cousins. Max kissed his cheek and let him go, trying not to be hurt when Caden wiped off the kiss, which never would’ve happened only a year ago.
His little boy was growing up, whether he liked it or not.
ChapterSeven
“Love is composed of a single soul
inhabiting two bodies.”—Aristotle
They left the barn and headed into town as a light snow began to fall. Lexi was full of so many emotions, she could barely process them all. Her heart and soul were coming back to life after a long, dark winter of despair and certainty that her life would be cut short.
“I’m really sorry about my drama interfering with your weekend,” Max said after a long silence.
“Don’t be sorry. I enjoyed seeing you in protective-dad mode. It’s kinda hot, actually.”
Max snorted out a laugh. “Sure, it is.”
“No, really. It is. You’re so good with him.”
“He makes it easy. He’s a great kid.”
