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He nodded. “For sure. Really. Yes, easy to do. Come with me, my man.”
Muffy blinked fast. “Oh you don’t have to—”
He interrupted her. “Easiest thing in the world. I don’t blame him. I didn’t want to eat fancy food when I was his age. Little pasta. Little red sauce. Easy as pie. Come on.”
Although the noises in the kitchen—the banging and clanging—continued, I couldn’t help but notice the conversation had ceased. Max’s entire staff watched their exchange. He picked up Timothy as though that were the most natural thing to do and carried him over to an area of the kitchen not being used. Setting him down on the counter, he started to grab pots and pans, filled them with water, and began making pasta, as promised, despite the party happening in the next room.
“Well, if you’ve got him.” Muffy waved her hand and exited the room, leaving her son in the care of two childless people she barely knew.
Max shook his head but said nothing, instead turning to Tim. “I have several nephews your age.”
“Do they live close by?” Tim’s eyes lit up as he asked the question.
“No, they’re in Maine, unfortunately.”
I walked over to them. “Have you been to Maine, Tim?” I pulled out my phone. Was it appropriate to let him play one of the games I had on there? Like the matching game that I couldn’t put down when I played it and really needed to get off my phone… “Do you like Candy Games?”
He full-on grinned. “You’re so nice, Hope.”
“You are too.” I patted his head. I loved kids, but I had next to no experience with them and really no idea what to do when I was around them. That was okay. I would spoil Noah, and that might be the extent of children I ever really knew. Ignoring the pain the thought brought me, I focused on Tim instead. “Did you do anything fun for summer this year?”
Max set some carrots down in front of Tim, who started immediately munching on them. When had Max pulled out thecarrots? It was funny, if I didn’t watch Max intently in this kitchen, I missed things. He cooked the pasta, but his eyes never really stopped monitoring the kitchen. Waiters came in and out to collect food and drop off trays, and staff passed plates around to each other to serve and cook things. Max reminded me of a conductor with an orchestra.
“I went to my grandmother’s. She lives at the beach.”
Max side-eyed him, placing a piece of buttered toast on the plate that was now vacant of carrots. “I grew up on the beach.”
“Actually on the beach?” I hadn’t known that. Quaint town in Maine that turned into an artist’s retreat was all I knew about his hometown.
“Rocky and good for fishing but there… It counted.” He winked at Tim and turned off the heat on the pasta, spooning it out of the pot, while Anna came over and poured some red sauce on it. How had they communicated for her to know he wanted her to do that? Maybe it just came from working with someone for so long that you eventually knew what they wanted you to do without having to be asked to do it? “What was your grandmother’s beach like, Tim?”
He stared at the pasta, his eyes widening with each inhale he took. “White.”
“White. That sounds pretty. We’re going to let this cool for a second. This is a carb heavy meal, but you are young and growing. Plus, you’ll never believe it, but what Anna put in the sauce is good for you. It just looks red, so you like it. My mother’s trick.”
He really was good with children. In fact, as I watched the back and forth through Tim’s whole meal, of which he ate all of it, it was very obvious that Max just knew how to talk to him. Still, when the food was done, Tim jumped at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and holding on.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to do in that second or why Tim had grabbed me. As it was, the door opened and Muffy entered. Tim’s body stiffened, and I set him down. Poor guy. He was definitely tense around his mother.
“Time to go.” Muffy smiled at me and took Tim’s hand. “Keep the escrow money until we get back.”
I nodded. That was fine. The money was in an account and not going anywhere. All in all, Muffy’s event had been cheap, not that I would tell her that. “Are you taking a trip?”
“Oh yes, of course. We’re going to Slomestikan to give out the food with the charity workers. Didn’t I tell you?” She leaned forward. “It’s going to be so exciting.”
No, she had absolutely not told me that she intended to visit a country that the State Department suggested we avoid visiting. “Um…you are going yourself?”
“Yes, of course. This ismycharity donation. I want to be there to see the gratitude.”
With that, she took Tim and walked back into the dining room. My body was cold, and I rubbed my arms to warm myself up.
“You’re not wrong.” Max placed a hand on my arm. “That’s a really stupid thing to do. I’ve been there. She has no business going. Honestly, I’m not sure who the organization is that she hired at all, but I hope they know what they’re doing.”
He’d been there? “When you were in the army?”
“Afterward, actually.” He touched the side of my face. “Not going to talk about it, but yeah. So I wish Muffy well, but boy…that’s a dumb move. Kid was cute.”
He was. I sighed. “I suppose I should go make an appearance at the party.”
