Free Neighborly Complications (Stories of Serendipity #1) by Anne Conley Page B

Serendipity had been laid to rest. He leaned against Katherine’s gravestone, making daisy chains from the bouquet he’d brought her, a nervous habit he’d picked up on his weekly visits to talk to his dead wife. She was the one who’d taught him how to make them, when they were children.
    “I really like her, Katy-bug. I’ve screwed it up somehow, but I can’t help myself. I lose my mind around her.” He twisted one daisy stem around the head of another, deftly making the knot that would hold them together. “I never did that around you. You were always so comfortable, so trusting. We never had arguments like Claire and I do. It seems as if we’re always fighting about something.” He silently fiddled with the flowers. “God help me, I like it.”
    He plucked another daisy from the bouquet. “I did something last night that I regret. This is just one example of how I completely lose my mind around her. Remember that thing I did to you at the football game in high school?” He chuckled at the memory of Katherine’s flushed, awed face when she’d had her first orgasm at his fingers. “Well, I did it to her at the Gin.” He dropped the flowers. “I know. At least you had the luxury of bleachers full of people being overhead, not people all around.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know why I did it, and I feel awful. I’ve apologized, although it didn’t help much.”
    Max couldn’t stop thinking of it. As bad as he felt about fingering her in the bar, the memory of her ragged breaths, her muscles squeezing his fingers, her fingers whitening on the edge of the bar, all conspired to undo him physically. He’d wanted to make her lose control, to see what lay beneath her cool exterior. God help him.
    He picked his chain up, and continued adding to it. “That’s what she does to me, Katy-bug. I want to know more about her, I want to go out on a date and talk. I want to figure her out.” He stroked the headstone with the daisy he had in his hand. “I never had to figure you out, Katherine. You were an open-book to me. Don’t feel like I’m going to forget you, because I can’t. That’s an impossibility for me. I will always love you. But I want to love Claire too.” He connected the last daisy to the first daisy, and reverently balanced the chain on the apex of the arched monument. “Can I do that? Is it possible?”
    Max pressed his lips to the cool marble before turning to get into his car.

Chapter Twelve
    C laire decided to go see Max. She wanted to apologize for her behavior, and let him know that she was going to sell the house, if he was still interested in it. He didn’t answer when she knocked, and as she walked around the side of his house, she noticed his dually pick-up was gone. So she went on around to the back to wait on his deck where there was seating and shade.
    She perched on a canopied porch swing and lazily pushed herself, while admiring his deck. It was huge, and looked as though he were making it even bigger. A massive barbecue grill and smoker sat to the side, awaiting their new home. Claire sighed and allowed herself the brief self-indulgence of imaging what life with Max would be like. In her mind’s eye, she brought an enormous plate piled high with meat for him to grill, while Summer and countless faceless party-goers watched and waited eagerly.
    Her imaginary Max took the plate of meat, and leaned over to kiss her tenderly before twirling the spatula in his fingers and getting busy.
    She shook her head, clearing the images. She really couldn’t go there. She came over here to tell him she was leaving, so there was no use thinking like this. It was just torturing herself.
    Claire heard the loud diesel engine of his truck, and turned to see him unfolding his enormous frame from the driver’s seat. He saw her immediately and froze, his face pale and strained. He began walking closer, and Claire noticed his eyes were rimmed with red, as if he’d been