Page 70 of The Long and Winding Road

“I won’t mess it up. I promise. When can we get together?”

“Next week?” He’d already decided to stay in Houston until Tuesday. “Wednesday or after is good for us.”

“Wednesday it is. I can come there in the afternoon if that works.”

“He gets out of school at three. I can pick him up and meet you at our place. We live at my grandfather’s house now. Do you remember where that is?”

“I do. Your grandfather… Did he…”

“He’s fine. He lives with my parents now.”

“Oh good. I remember him as such a sweet man.”

“Yes, he is.”

“I’m glad to hear he’s well. And the rest of your family?”

“Everyone is good. They’re all married and have tons of kids who are like siblings to Caden.”

“And you? Are you married?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well… I um… I’m engaged.”

“Congratulations. I need to get back to work. I’ll see you at my house next Wednesday around three thirty?”

“I’ll be there, and, Max… Thank you so much for this.”

“You’re welcome.”

He pressed the red button to end the call.

“Who was that?” Colton asked when he emerged out of the trees, eating a protein bar. He never stopped eating.

“Chloe.”

Colton stopped dead in his tracks. “How’d that go?”

“Fine, actually. She’s going to come see him next week.”

“Damn, my life is boring compared to yours.”

“Be thankful for that.”

“I am. Every day. My biggest issue this week was Coop putting slime on Molly’s hair at school and how the dye in the slime turned her hair green.”

“No way!”

“Yes way, and so now I’m paying for a very expensive hair salon to fix it, and Coop is doing extra chores to reimburse me—after he apologized to his cousin.”

Max snorted with laughter. “Thank you for sharing that. I need a good laugh after talking toher. And you wonder why I don’t want to leave Caden with you guys.”

“I don’t wonder.”

Max laughed again. “You know I love your wild children.”

“They’re pretty wild and pretty awesome, but I worry about the teenage years.”

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