Mad About Max by Penny McCusker

Author:Penny McCusker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“Go, go, go!” Max shouted at the portable television in the kitchen. He banged the side of the TV and managed to clear the picture long enough to see Michigan’s running back tackled on USC’s twenty-eight yard line before static clouded the screen again. Fourth down, Michigan was losing by three with seventeen seconds remaining on the clock. Any coach who valued his job would have dropped back, taken the field goal and sent the game into overtime. Instead the players were lining up for a running or passing play.

Max placed one hand on top of the television, raised the other in the air and lifted his left foot, wiggling around until the picture came into focus. The players lined up, the screen panning to shots of the fans, the sidelined players and finally the coaches, everyone silent, their eyes glued to the field. Then the cameras went back to the line of scrimmage, the ball was snapped and a couple thousand pounds of human flesh collided with an audible crunch. The quarterback danced in place, arm poised, searching for an open receiver while the crowd screamed, the coach chewed his thumbnail and the clock ran down, six seconds, five, four…he drew his arm back and launched the ball—

There was a loud hissing sound, and a cloud of steam that quickly turned into black smoke filled the kitchen. “Damn!” Without thinking, Max raced to the stove, stopped short and looked back at the television. The screen was a blizzard of static again. He almost ignored the overboiling pot, but he’d never get himself pretzeled into the perfect human antenna position fast enough to see the end of the play. Or the instant replay, for that matter. Christmas Day football had been a lot more fun when he wasn’t doing the cooking, too.

He stomped across the kitchen and grabbed the pot, then dropped it immediately, sucking a breath in through his teeth. Its contents sloshed over the side and another cloud of steam and smoke billowed up. Grumbling out a choice phrase or two, Max bunched up the skirt of the frilly apron tied around his waist and used it to buffer his hand from the red-hot handle. Heat leached through to aggravate his burned palm, so he set the pot aside and went to run cold water over it.

It wasn’t blistering, he noted as he studied the burn under the running water. That was something, at least. He shut off the TV and retrieved the first-aid kit he’d taken to leaving in the kitchen, wondering if he should bandage it or leave it uncovered. Sara would know. He was halfway to the back door before he remembered she wouldn’t be in her cottage.

Max wrapped a clean towel around his hand. He still couldn’t get used to her being gone, or believe that one person’s absence could make such a huge difference in his life. When Julia left, he’d hardly noticed.

Because Sara had been there to pick up the pieces.

Sara

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