Page 77 of Craving You

She surprised him by coming over and hugging him. “You did good.”

His voice sounded gruff as he thanked her. When he took a step back, Chloe and Ashlynn were coming into the room and they both came over to hug him and see how he was doing.

One of the things he was learning about the Donovans since Marcus and Billie got back together was that they were an incredibly affectionate family. They hugged, they kissed, and they just loved on one another. It was very different from his own family. It had been like that when his mother was alive, but once she had passed, it was like all of those emotions died with her. He was getting used to all the touching and hugging again, and he had to admit that he’d been missing it all these years.

“I had a tray of enchiladas in the freezer,” Chloe was telling him. “I remembered how much Hailey enjoyed them, so I brought that over and I’m just waiting for the oven to finish preheating and I’ll put them in. They’ll only take around thirty minutes to heat up.”

Nodding, he thanked her.

“I brought over all the stuff to go with them,” Ashlynn explained. “Chips, salsa, guac, and a salad.”

Another nod as he thanked her too.

“I stopped over at Books & Beans and grabbed you guys a couple of brownies, a few chocolate chip cookies, two slices of the lemon pound cake, and two blueberry muffins. That should hold you over for a few days.”

Emotion suddenly overwhelmed him. “I don’t…” Pausing, Max let out a long breath. “I don’t know how to thank you guys. This whole day has been an emotional roller coaster ride, and I’m beyond thankful for all of this.”

“We’re family,” Jade assured him. “And this is what family does.”

“We know we’re a lot sometimes,” Ash added. “And I know that you and Hailey haven’t really defined where your relationship is, but just know that we consider you family.”

He wasn’t the kind of guy who ever cried, but for the second time today, he felt like he was going to.

“Why don’t you go inside with Hailey and just relax,” Chloe suggested. “We’ll handle getting dinner ready, and then we’ll get out of your way.”

That sounded amazing, but…

“As great as that sounds, I need to run back into town to pick up the vitamins that the hospital prescribed. Neither of us seemed to think about it on our way home, so I told Hailey I’d go back out to get them.”

“I can…”

Holding up his hand, he said, “I think Hailey would love it if you all stayed and hung out with her for a little bit. I won’t be gone long, and with everything that happened today, she might appreciate talking to people who can completely relate.”

“Max,” Jade said, reaching for his hand. “Yes, Hailey went through something traumatic today, but so did you. I don’t mind running into town for you.”

It was tempting to take her up on it, but there was also a part of him that needed to be alone to process it all. Hopefully they’d understand.

“Thanks, but…I think maybe I need a few minutes alone to just decompress. Today had a happy ending, but it was a lot in a short amount of time. It was only a few hours, but I swear I feel like I’ve been awake for days.”

“Then you should go,” Ashlynn agreed. “Take the time to just enjoy the quiet. We get it. We’ve all been there—maybe not in this exact situation, but trust me, there are just times when the only way to recharge is some time alone.”

“Go,” Chloe encouraged. “We’ve got this.”

“I won’t be long,” he assured them. “Tell Hailey…”

“We’ve got it,” Ashlynn said, giving him a playful shove toward the door.

So, he left and made his way into town, taking his time—and maybe even taking the long way—while he listened to the music on the radio. There were so many things that he should be thinking about, like the bar, the move, his and Hailey’s relationship, but he forced himself to just clear his mind and focus on the music and the scenery for a few minutes.

It was wildly therapeutic.

Inside the pharmacy, he stopped to talk to a few people and wandered the aisles for a few minutes before stepping up to the counter and paying for the prescription.

Back out in the car, he once again took a more scenic route back home, and when he looked at the dashboard clock, he saw he’d been gone for almost forty-five minutes. Feeling refreshed, he parked off to the far side of the driveway so he wasn’t blocking any of the girls’ cars.

He opened the door to the sound of laughter, and it was music to his ears.

So was the sound of the oven timer.

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