I unpressed my lips and answered, “Maybe.”

It was at that moment Max burst out laughing and at the same time my mother called. I decided a good evasive maneuver was to answer my mobile which I did only to have her shout on the phone at me for ten minutes about my disappearing act, ending her tirade telling me she and Steve were at Drake’s and would Max and I “grace us with your presence” (her words) for a drink.

Since we were within walking distance, Max and I met Mom and Steve at Drake’s. Then I calmed Mom and Steve down when they saw my face. And, shortly after, Mom and I had a heated discussion about the fact that Max and I weren’t going to some fancy seafood restaurant a town over with her and Steve that night.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” I’d finally snapped.

“Nina!” she’d snapped back in horrified maternal affront (Mom style). “I taught you how to pack better, surely. You always bring something nice. I don’t care if you’re staying in a shack in the Adirondacks. You come prepared for a nice night out!”

“I already used my fancy outfit when Max and I went to The Rooster,” I informed her.

Mom had a ready answer which, by the way, was also an oft-used answer to nearly all Mom’s problems. “Then we’ll go shopping.”

“I’m tired Mom, I got beat up last night,” I reminded her. “I want a cozy night in.”

She waved her hand around and stated, “Good seafood will take your mind off all that. You love seafood.”

“Mom, we’re in Colorado. You eat steaks here and buffalo burgers and, I don’t know, elk or something. You don’t go to a seafood restaurant.”

“I do,” Mom retorted.

I looked at Steve. Steve shrugged.

Mom caught my look at Steve and gave in but the way she did made that Max Unhappy Shimmer fill the air. “Okay, you’re tired then I’ll make you two dinner at Max’s house.”

I opened my mouth but luckily Steve, likely noting the shimmer, intervened.

“Nellie, let Nina and Max have a quiet night.”

“I can do quiet,” Mom replied.

Steve stared at her, brows raised and even Mom knew she had no hope of making the case for being able to do quiet.

Then Mom looked at me and her face fell before she whispered, “I never see you.”

I sighed, leaned into her and took her hand. “Yes, but soon I’ll be a short plane ride and a two hour car ride away, not a continent and an ocean away.”

Mom’s face grew gentle, her eyes moved to Max, na**d gratitude filled them and she looked back to me.

“Right, tonight you and Max get a cozy night, tomorrow I get you.” She looked back at Max and asked, “Deal?”

“Deal,” Max replied in his gravelly voice.

I started to release her hand but she held on tight and gave my hand a rough shake. “And Nina, sweetie, you ever run away from Max again and get yourself beat up, you’ll answer to me. Is that understood?”

Apparently I hadn’t calmed Mom down about my face so in order to do that, I used my other hand to cup her cheek, leaned even closer and I promised on a whisper, “Understood.”

She smiled at me, released my hand, I dropped my other one, we finished our drinks without any further drama and Max took me up the mountain.

Which brought me to now, tidying up the prep dishes with Max, in his kitchen, a new drama, at least for me.

This was because, firstly, Max was helping me tidy up. Niles could, if pressed (repeatedly), fill a dishwasher but mostly he ignored the dishes until his cleaning lady did them once a week. If I cooked for Niles, I did the clean up because Niles’s efforts were halfhearted at best and, if I let him try, it annoyed me so to avoid being annoyed, I just cleaned up.

Max was a natural.

Okay, so he didn’t wipe down the counters, he was more a rinse and load man, but he also was capable of putting away food which was a clear plus.

This drama was, secondly, because it dawned on me that this was my future, making dinner and tidying up with Max.

Why something this simple seemed overwhelming in a weirdly spectacular way I had no idea, but it did.

It was so spectacular, I was standing, the sponge in my hand after wiping down the counter and staring unseeing at Max, deep in my thoughts when he called, “Babe?”

My body jolted and I focused on him.

“What?”

“You all right?”

Yes I was all right. I was so all right, I had the desire to fling the sponge aside and throw myself at him bodily and show him how all right I was.

I didn’t do this. I just moved to him then around him to get to the sink and rinsed the sponge, saying, “Yes, just tired.”

Max moved in behind me, curling an arm around my middle and using his other hand to shift the hair off my shoulder. Then I felt his lips at my neck and his hand slid up to my ribs.

“You haven’t been favorin’ this, Duchess, that mean it feels okay?”

His hand, I realized, was over the boot bruise, a location, I also realized, he’d clearly memorized for he’d honed in on it with pinpoint accuracy.

My stomach melted yet again and I nodded, admitting, “A twinge here and there, if I move too fast, but mostly yes, I’m okay.”

“Good,” he muttered against my skin and then moved away.

I sighed happily and squeezed out the sponge, putting it on the edge of the sink.

Max got out plates, I got out the nachos. I loaded up our plates and gunked the chips up with all the extras while Max got us both a beer.

Then we took them into the living room where Max had started a fire. Even though it was snug, we squeezed into the chair together. I put my beer on the table and Max wedged his between his thighs, his stocking feet resting on the ottoman, ankles crossed. I curled facing him with my feet in the seat of the chair, my calves pressed tight against his lounging hip and we ate with plates in hand close to our faces.

“Do you think Shauna and Robert killed Curtis and the PI?” I asked after swallowing a big, delectable bite of loaded corn chip.

“No,” Max answered and I stared at him.

“You don’t?”

He shook his head and shoved nachos in his mouth.

“Evidence is indicating it’s her,” I pointed out.

Max swallowed then unwedged his beer and took a pull.

Wedging it back, his eyes came to me. “Believed it the other day, what you said. Now, the drywall dust? That I don’t believe. Someone’s framin’ her.”