Wishing For Someday Soon Page 9

  “Katelyn, look how awesome this is,” he said, holding it up so I could see the large screen.

  “Neato, bud, but make sure you’re careful with that. Those things cost a lot.”

  “I will,” he promised as he clicked onto his new favorite game.

  “Don’t worry,” Max said, watching me keep an eye on him. “It’s been sitting on my desk untouched for the last six months. It was cool at first, but between my iPhone and laptop, I really don’t have much time for it.”

  “Still, be careful,” I told Kevin.

  Max grinned at me.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Sometimes you sound just like an adult.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” I asked, feeling a slightly paranoid.

  “No, it’s a good thing. Matter of fact, it’s one of my favorite things about you. I like how you never seem to worry about the things girls our age normally harp on.”

  “Like what?” I asked, smiling at the way he viewed most girls our age.

  “Oh you know, dieting, clothes, who likes who, blah-blah-blah.”

  I laughed at his words. “Maybe I’m not a girl,” I joked.

  “Oh trust me, you’re definitely a girl,” he said, shooting me an appraising look.

  I felt my cheeks tinge with color at his words and glanced back at Kevin to see if he was paying attention, but to my relief, he was busy dealing with the Angry Birds on the iPad.

  “You sure about that?” I asked daringly.

  I watched him swallow at my words “Tomorrow night I'll show you how sure I am,” he finally answered, looking at my lips.

  My heart raced. We had yet to share our first kiss, and it was slowly driving us both insane. Spending each day side by side in class hadn’t helped the situation any.

  “Thanks for letting me use your iPad,” Kevin said as we pulled up to the trailer.

  “Why don’t you keep it for me this weekend,” Max said, reaching back to grab it.

  “Really?” Kevin asked before I could intervene.

  “I’m not too sure about that,” I said.

  “Trust me, it’s fine,” Max said, winking at Kevin.

  “Yeah, trust him,” Kevin piped in, hugging the treasure to his narrow chest.

  “That way he can text us tomorrow night if he needs to get ahold of you,” Max said, playing a card he knew I wouldn’t be able to resist.

  “Fine, but you have to be extra careful with it,” I told him, closing the vehicle door.

  We both waved at Max as he backed out of the driveway.

  “Make sure you hide that from mom,” I told him before we headed inside. The last thing we needed was for Lucinda to see it and decide to pawn it for a carton of cigarettes or something.

  “I will,” he said, stowing it in his backpack.

  I checked on Lucinda before heading to my room to get my homework out of the way so it wouldn’t be hanging over my head. I found her holed up in her room, busily writing on a notebook.

  “Do you need anything?” I asked, poking my head in the room.

  “Just a computer,” she mumbled, turning the page in her notebook.

  “I’m sure you'll find one tomorrow,” I said, reminding her of her promise to take me shopping for a dress.

  “Yeah yeah,” she said, shooing me off like an annoying fly.

  I just let the issue drop rather than push any further. When Lucinda got a wild hair to try something new, she would leap in full-force, forgetting about everything else. Through the years, she had attended every trade school imaginable, always getting right on the verge of completion before deciding the venture wasn’t for her. It was the same story with each new place we lived or every guy she hooked up with. She must have found her soul mate at least a dozen times by now. Eventually though, the novelty would wear off, Prince Charming would be toast, and we were hitting the road to another new state that would be the answer to all our dreams—Lucinda’s dreams was more like it. All I could hope was that the writing obsession would last and maybe we would stay here for a while.

  ***

  Dress shopping the next day went surprisingly well when I found the perfect dress right off the bat at the thrift store. With the help of Kevin, I was completely buttoned up in a deep rust-colored velvet dress that seemed to accentuate my pale skin rather than wash me out further. It was longer than any dress I had ever worn, sweeping down to the tops of my toes, making me feel like I was in the Victorian era. Long delicate sleeves trimmed in old-fashioned lace slimmed down my arms to end at a point just beyond my wrist. Kevin applauded as I swirled around to show off. Flushing with happiness, I left the dress on and headed toward the shoe section.

  I absolutely detested buying used shoes, but knew that my sneakers wouldn’t cut it with the dress.

  “Katelyn, you look great,” Jim said, offering out rare praise when he saw me in the shoe department.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  I critically scanned the size sevens with no real idea what color shoes to get. Seeing multiple pairs that might work, I pulled them off the shelf and lined them up on the floor. I separated any that looked too beat-up or worn, dwindling my stack down to a forth of it where I started.

  After twenty minutes of indecision, I was near despair, stressing over which pair to select.

  “Get the delicate black ballet slipper ones,” Lucinda said, coming up behind me.

  “These ones?” I asked, bending down to pick them up and slipping them on my feet.

  “Yes, those are perfect,” she said, looking satisfied.

  “Thanks,” I said, smiling at her.

  She returned my smile and looked at me affectionately for the first time in months.

  “Did you find a computer?” I asked, sensing where the good mood was coming from.

  “Yep, an HP desktop. It looks almost brand-new,” she crowed.

  “Wow, that’s great. How much?” I asked casually as I returned the discarded shoes back to the rack.

  The price she quoted was definitely going to stretch our budget.

  “I need ten to cover the difference from the voucher. Is that okay?” I asked, keeping my fingers crossed.

  “Sure,” she said, still smiling happily.

  It was partially my fault for encouraging Lucinda to write, so I felt I really shouldn’t complain about them using the majority of our cash to buy a computer, but that didn’t help the sickening knot in the pit of my stomach.

  On the way home we stopped off at Wal-Mart to pick up cartons of cigarettes for both Lucinda and Jim. I insisted that Kevin needed gloves and a hat, so I shepherded him over to the kids’ department to see if they had anything. Not surprisingly, he picked the ones with Batman emblems plastered across them. On our way back to find Jim and Lucinda, we spotted a clearance section of backpacks marked down to three dollars apiece. Finding one with Batman that matched his hat and gloves, I grabbed it up.

  “We can at least ask, right?” I said as he studied the backpack longingly.

  Lucinda only agreed to let Kevin get his backpack once she was sure they had enough money for their cigarettes. What else was new? In the past, Kevin and I had witnessed Lucinda spend our last three dollars on her cancer sticks instead of getting us something to eat, so we were both well aware of where we ranked in the pecking order.

  It came down to our very last cent, but Kevin left the store with the backpack clutched securely in his arms. He grinned the entire way home and I couldn’t help reaching over and ruffling his hair. Seeing him happy made me happy.

  We arrived home moments before Max pulled into the drive. I grabbed my purse and peeked in on Kevin who was happily playing on Max’s iPad.

  “Remember to keep that out of sight,” I reminded him, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. “You remember how to use the texting app too, right?”

  “Yep,” he said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

  “Okay, see you later, punk.”

  “Bye, sis,” he said, finally looking up.
>
  Max was just about to knock on the door when I pushed it open, making him take a quick step back.

  “Oops, sorry,” I said, giggling at his quick reflexes.

  “No problem, it’s only my nose,” he pretended to grumble.

  “Seriously, I am,” I laughed, climbing into his Navigator, anxious to get out of the frigid temperatures that had come out of nowhere. The newscaster on TV had said that it would be too cold to snow which completely confounded me. It just sounded like an oxymoron. As far as I was concerned, if it was snowing, it was cold, so being too cold to even snow seemed crazy.

  “How was your day?” Max asked, cranking up the heat as he backed out of our drive.

  “Good. I found the perfect dress right away,” I said excitedly.

  “Wow, that’s amazing. You must have radar senses or something to find one that easily. My sister, Trish, would drag us from one shop to the next, for hours, and then settle on one she had seen at the very first store. I personally think she did it to torture me.”

  “I’m sure,” I agreed, not bothering to tell him I only had the option of one store.

  Max slowed the SUV, turning down a dirt path two miles from my house. Right on cue, I began nervously tugging on my bottom lip at the thought of meeting his parents.

  “You know, it’s very distracting when you do that,” Max said, putting the vehicle in park between another SUV like his and a dark blue pickup truck.

  “What is?” I asked confused, turning to look at him.

  “Tugging at your lip like that,” he said, reaching over to caress my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.

  His hand slid to the side of my face and I sighed uncontrollably, running my tongue over my lip where his thumb had previously been. His eyes darkened as he watched. He slid a hand behind my neck, anchoring me in place.

  I shivered in anticipation as he leaned toward me with clear intentions.

  Suddenly, headlights flickered behind us, breaking the spell.

  “Well crap,” Max said, dropping his hand reluctantly. “The others are here,” he continued, clearly disappointed.

  I sighed, having a hard time curbing my own disappointment.

  Max smiled. “Later for sure,” he said, climbing out of the vehicle.

  He pulled my door open and reached up to help me down, pulling me in for a quick hug. “Is it later yet?” he asked huskily, voicing my own desire.

  “I wish,” I said, pulling back as our friends joined us.

  Together, we headed toward his house. I kept my gawking to a minimum this time, though I was pretty awestruck at the entire structure. Where Clint’s house had a formal Victorian feel to it, Max’s looked like a large ski resort lodge I had seen pictures of in the past. Multiple hand-carved wooden rockers lined the porch that overlooked a small frozen pond off to the right of the house.

  The interior was warm and inviting with large rooms filled with honey-colored wooden furniture and plush leather couches and chairs. Fireplaces burned throughout the house keeping the wind that howled outside at bay.

  We entered the kitchen as a group and I saw an attractive couple cooking dinner together with obvious affection.

  “Mom, Dad, this is Katelyn,” Max said, introducing me.

  “Katelyn, this is my mom, Karen, and my dad, Maxwell Sr.,” he said.

  “Katelyn, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Karen said, reaching in to give me a quick hug. The delicate smell of the perfume she wore enveloped me. I held myself rigid at her touch, unaccustomed to another female hugging me. By the time I thought to return the hug, I found myself in a crushing hug by Maxwell Sr.

  “Something smells good,” Max said, moving around the large island to peek into the stock pot sitting atop the stove.

  “Sweet, chili and cornbread,” he said, sneaking a look into the oven.

  “Hey, out of there,” Karen said, taking a swipe at him with a checkered oven, mitt.

  “Aww, come on Mom,” he said, dancing out of the line of fire before placing a quick affectionate kiss on her cheek.

  “Ladies first,” she admonished him, shooting me a warm smile.

  “Yeah, ladies first,” Alicia piped in, moving to grab a deep ceramic bowl off the counter.

  The rest of us followed suit and filed past Max's dad as he ladled oversized spoonfuls into each of our bowls while Karen pulled the cornbread from the oven.

  The enticing aroma of the spices wafted through the air as I sprinkled shredded cheese over the top of my chili.

  Max and I were the last two of our large group to leave the kitchen. He led me down the hallway toward a large room bustling with chatter and good spirits. I sighed with pleasure, seeing it was my kind of room. Several loveseats and recliners were scattered about, along with the largest bean bag chairs I had ever seen, that easily would sit two people.

  “These are great,” I said, sinking into one of them while Max held our bowls.

  “I know, right?” he said, handing both bowls to me so he could join me. “My mom found them online last year and ordered like eight of them.”

  “Nice,” I said appreciatively.

  Karen came in and passed out chunks of homemade cornbread once we were all settled in while Max's dad handed out sodas. They took the time to talk to everyone and I could tell all my friends genuinely liked them.

  “Your parents are great,” I whispered to Max after the movie had been on for a while.

  “I guess they’ll do,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Okay, they’re pretty cool,” he finally admitted. “Just don’t spread it around that I like to hang with my parents,” he added, shooting me a wink.

  “I don’t know, what's it worth to you?” I teased.

  “Hmm, I'll have to think about that,” he said, arching an eyebrow at me suggestively.

  I swallowed hard and couldn’t stop my eyes from drifting to his lips.

  “You need to stop looking at me like that,” he whispered in my ear.

  “Why?”

  “Because, I don’t want the first time we kiss to be in front of my bonehead friends.”

  “Ah, I see,” I said, grinning at him as I gently licked my lip.

  “Grrr,” he growled, surging to his feet before he could act on my dare.

  “Who’s done with their bowls?” he asked, pausing the movie.

  Laughing at his frustrated tone, I stood up to help him gather the dishes. I followed him down the hall, still chuckling slightly. Karen was in the kitchen cleaning up when we walked in. I joined her at the sink and started rinsing out the bowls.

  “Katelyn, I have this. You go watch your movie and have fun with your friends.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked dubiously, looking at the stack of dishes. I couldn’t remember the last time Lucinda had washed a dish, let alone insist that I have fun. I felt a knot form in my throat as I got a glimpse into how it worked in a real family with an equal amount of give and take.

  “Of course dear, go have fun,” she said, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

  I was lost in thought as Max and I headed back to our friends, so it took me a moment to comprehend when he veered off into an empty room.

  Taking in my surroundings, I looked at him puzzled.

  Without saying anything, he pulled me into his arms. Finally understanding the detour, I smiled, looking up into his eyes as he ran his hands up my arms, making me shiver.

  “I’ve wanted to do this since I first laid eyes on you two weeks ago,” he said, bringing me closer to him.

  “Really?” I asked breathlessly, dragging my lower lip between my teeth.

  Max groaned, running his hand up to the side of my face so he could run his thumb over my lip once more. “I can’t tell you what that does to me when you do that,” he said, dragging in a ragged breath.

  “Show me,” I whispered, more daring than I had ever been before.

  Needing no further encouragement, he crushed his lips to mine. My knees turned to putty as he anchored me more firmly to h
im. His lips were as soft they looked and I couldn’t resist touching them with the tip of my tongue, making him groan. Misreading his groan, I retracted my tongue, sealing my lips.

  “Uh-uh, open them please,” he whispered against my closed lips.

  I parted them slightly, giving him the access we both wanted. Time lost all meaning as our mouths became one. Finally, after what could have been mere moments or eternity for all I knew, he finally pulled back, reluctantly.

  “We need to go back,” he said, still breathing heavily as he rested his forehead against mine.

  I nodded, trying not to stare at his lips that were still within reach. His eyes darkened with need as he saw my stare.

  “You're driving me crazy,” he said, pressing his lips to mine for a quick searing kiss that made my head spin.

  “Is that a bad thing?” I asked as he reached for my hand.

  “No way, that’s a good thing,” he said, pulling me snugly against the side of his body as we joined the others.

  “Hey, what took so long?” Clint complained. “Dude, you dog,” he added, seeing my flushed look and kiss-swollen lips.

  “Shut it,” Max said, chucking a pillow at him.

  Clint plucked the pillow out of the air before it could hit him and threw it back at Max with precision.

  Alicia and Shirley giggled as my cheeks brightened with color.

  “Let’s get back to the movie,” Max said after throwing the pillow back at Clint.

  Alicia dimmed the lights as Max and I settled back on our bean bag chair.

  My eyes met Rebecca’s before the lights dimmed, and I felt awful for the pained look she tried to disguise.

  I sighed unhappily as the movie came back on.

  “What?” Max asked, draping an arm across my shoulder.

  “Rebecca,” I whispered back simply.

  “I know, but trust me, it was never like this with her,” he said quietly in my ear.

  I nodded. With so few kids at one school, someone was bound to get hurt as couples switched around. At least at a larger high school, you could move on and wouldn’t necessarily have to see your crush with someone new so frequently.