Maxie (Triple X) Read online

  She grinned. “Now that was fun.”

  “Where’s Lexie?” Maxie stared at the doorway. Had she been too cold and distant earlier? Had the other sister decided not to come? Nerves began to bubble up inside her. She liked the woman, even if she wasn’t ready to commit to being her sister.

  “On the phone with lover boy, Cam.” Roxie fanned herself. “It’s like a sauna out there. I couldn’t take it anymore. She’ll be in soon.”

  “So we can watch it all over again?” Zac smiled. “You’re right, this is fun.”

  Maxie nibbled on her lip. Half of her was relieved, while the other half was puzzled at her own reaction. It was bizarre, was what it was. She’d thought she was prepared for it, seeing herself again in multiple forms, but she wasn’t. “Martin’s likely to swallow his tongue,” she murmured.

  “The host?” Roxie swiveled in her chair. “Oooh, I wanna see.”

  And with that observation, Lexie walked in.

  The reaction in the restaurant was palpable. Some gasped, while others let out a murmur. Martin was dumbfounded.

  His mouth opened and closed like a fish, but he pulled himself together to accompany their latest arrival to the table. Visibly bursting with questions, he seated Lexie and placed her menu in front of her. “The likeness is amazing. Are you related?”

  “They’re my cousins,” Zac said.

  Martin frowned and did another sweep of the table.

  “Once removed,” Roxie clarified.

  The host’s lips pursed in consternation. The light bulb wasn’t coming on inside his head, but he bowed lightly. “Have a nice meal, ladies. Sheriff.”

  Roxie let out a pleased chuckle.

  Lexie smiled and looked around the restaurant. People were staring. Instead of ignoring them, she said hello. The patrons quickly went back to their meals. “I like this place,” she decided.

  “It’s not the Ruckus, but it’s definitely unique,” Roxie agreed.

  Now that they were at the table, Maxie didn’t know what to do. Small talk seemed so small. This morning she’d awakened as an only child, and now she might be part of an identical threesome. That was huge. She couldn’t talk about the fish on the wall or the temperature outside. Her nervous fingers bumped against the bouquet. She slid it towards Lexie. “Here are the flowers you ordered.”

  “Oh.” Lexie reached out eagerly. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

  Roxie touched a red rose. “You’re really good, sis.”

  One little word. One little syllable, and Maxie stiffened. Zac wrapped his arm around the back of her chair and rubbed his thumb against her shoulder.

  “Did you two have a good day?” he asked.

  She let out a small breath and had to remind herself to inhale. Deception or not, it had been a good idea to bring him with her.

  “The falls were lovely,” Lexie said, still admiring the flowers. “I’ve always wanted to see them. There are some fun shops here along the waterfront too.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Roxie’s eyes narrowed. “How was your day?”

  Maxie felt pinned. She wasn’t ready to tell them what she’d found or hadn’t found…what she’d decided or what she believed… It was all so confusing and overwhelming. She didn’t know what she thought. Not yet.

  Zac cleared his throat and shook his head.

  Roxie sighed and picked up her menu.

  Maxie was so relieved she touched his leg in thanks. He looked at her sharply, and heat flooded her face. She yanked her hand back as if she’d touched fire. She hadn’t meant to do that. She didn’t want to leave, but she’d given him the high sign.

  Flustered, she reached for her own menu. It had just seemed so natural. She was happy he was here, because he kept the conversation going when any words she tried were clumsy or frozen.

  Oh God.

  He clicked his tongue and took her hand. He led it back under the table. He settled her palm against his thigh and put his hand over hers. She stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed. He felt warm and strong. Protective and bolstering.

  And sexy and hard and male.

  “So how long have you two been seeing each other?” Lexie asked.

  Maxie reeled her head back around. Seriously? He’d teased her that their guests would ask questions, but she hadn’t thought they’d need to rely on their cover story so soon.

  “About four months,” Zac replied smoothly, his hand tightening on hers. “Right after I moved here.”

  Maxie blushed when Roxie threw her a wink. “A sucker for a man in uniform, huh?”

  She would be too if she saw the way he moved.

  Maxie winced. What was wrong with her head? It was as if all her filters had been removed. She needed to deflect and focus the attention on someone or something else. “Roxie said you were on the phone with your boyfriend, Lexie. How long have you been seeing each other?”

  “Cam,” the classy brunette said, smiling. “It’s new, although I don’t know if boyfriend is the right term.”

  “He’s her hot-and-heavy lover man. I still don’t get it.” Roxie shook her head. “The Hatchet Man in love.”

  Zac rubbed his thumb across the back of Maxie’s hand. “Hot and heavy, huh?”

  Her stomach dipped. Trust him to remember that part of their cover. Deflect. “Hatchet Man?”

  “He’s a reorganization specialist,” Lexie said. “Or he was. We’re starting a new company together. He’s driving up here, by the way. I wanted him to meet you.”

  Maxie’s face went stiff. She was meeting family members already? She hadn’t even decided if she wanted to be part of the family herself.

  Roxie lifted her glass of water. “If I had to choose my favorite boyfriend-in-law, you’d get my vote, Sheriff.”

  “Boyfriend-in-law?” Maxie and Lexie said at the same time.

  Roxie smiled with glee. “It’s starting!”

  Maxie was beyond flummoxed. This morning, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to say hello to the man sitting next to her. Now, she was rubbing his leg underneath the dinner table, giving everyone the impression they were a couple.

  What had she gotten herself into?

  Lexie frowned at Roxie. “Don’t pressure her.”

  “What? We’re like that Firestorm arrangement. Three flowers, all the same, but a little different.”

  “Flashpoint,” Maxie and Lexie said over one another.

  They held each other’s gaze in shock. They’d done it again.

  “It’s okay.” Roxie actually sounded sympathetic. “It freaked me out at first too. We might not have grown up together, but we tend to think and act the same way.” She pushed her hair over her shoulder, but froze. So did Maxie when she found herself doing the same thing.

  An excited expression came over Roxie’s face. Lifting the tablecloth, she looked underneath the table. Maxie tried to pull her hand away from Zac’s thigh, but that wasn’t what had captured Roxie’s attention.

  “Look.” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she pointed towards the floor.

  Lexie seemed confused, but she bent over too. Maxie raised her eyebrows at Zac. He shrugged but slid his hand beneath hers and entwined their fingers. Palm to palm, he gave her hand a squeeze.

  Together, they searched under the table with the others. At first, Maxie didn’t see what had Roxie so keyed up.

  “Our feet,” Lexie said in amazement.

  Maxie looked from one to the other, trying to see if they’d worn the same shoes or the same nail polish. When she saw the similarity, though, it had nothing to do with style and everything to do with behavior. All three of them had their right foot cocked back onto its heel. It was a habit she had whenever she got nervous or angry or excited. She did it without thinking.

  Apparently, so did they.

  Slowly, she sat upright. Her head was spinning and her heart was beating hard. For a brief moment, she wondered if she was about to faint again. Only this time, she squeezed Zac’s hand for support.

&nbs
p; “This calls for a celebration!” Roxie waved at the bartender. “We need bourbon.”

  “Oh no.” Lexie’s face turned green. “Anything but that.”

  “It’s tradition.” Roxie was brimming with joy as she smiled across the table. “We always have shots when we find a new sister.”

  Chapter Five

  She liked them. It was the thought spinning in Maxie’s head when they left the restaurant. She liked them a lot.

  Of course, the bourbon helped.

  Her brain felt uncluttered for the first time all day, and her heart was light as they stepped out into the parking lot. They’d drunk more than she’d expected and had stayed longer than she’d planned. Still, it had been a good time. They’d stayed away from the more delicate matters and had just gotten to know each other. She and the sisters—and she and Zac. Roxie was wild, funny and fearless. Lexie was smart, cultured and friendly. And Zac? He was observant and clever. Sexy and devious. There were times over the course of dinner where even she’d forgotten they weren’t really a couple.

  Which was dangerous in and of itself.

  Twilight was settling in as they headed to their cars. Unfortunately, it wasn’t bringing any relief in the weather. Heat billowed around them. In the dimming light, Maxie could have sworn she saw waves of heat spiraling upwards from the cement. Either that or the alcohol was making her vision waver.

  “Whew.” Roxie wiped a hand over her brow. “It’s nasty hot out here.”

  “And humid,” Lexie agreed, plucking at her close-fitting dress.

  Humid was a mild word for the way the air felt. It was like walking through an invisible sponge. “Nasty,” Maxie agreed.

  Zac smiled down at her and touched the tip of her nose. “You’re tipsy.”

  She scrunched her nose at the tickle. “Maybe a little.”

  She wasn’t a big drinker. When she did imbibe, she preferred mai tais and daiquiris to the hardcore stuff. Still, the bourbon had loosened her up. As tense as she’d been, it had helped calm her down. She had to admit, all those weird coincidences had shaken her—and secretly excited her. It was strange to be part of something larger than herself, and not only a new family, but a more powerful, almost mystical connection. She was even beginning to pick up on the invisible language she’d noticed before, the innate communication.

  “I only had one or two,” she insisted.

  “Or three.” He ran his hand lightly over her hair.

  So she’d had three. She still had her wits about her. She was relaxed or, at best, not quite as panicked as she’d been during this long, crazy day.

  Roxie tilted her head back to look at the sky. The last streaks of color from the sunset were fading. The loss of the sun should have dropped the temperature, but instead the darkening sky felt like a lid closing over the simmering town. “I’m being poached,” she complained.

  Lexie clutched her vase of flowers with one hand and fanned herself with the other. “I don’t know if the air conditioning in our room will keep up with this. It was having trouble before we left.”

  “Where are you staying?” Zac asked.

  “A place called the Inndigo. It’s down the river a bit.”

  And right in the worst part of town.

  Maxie frowned. The Inndigo wasn’t quite a dive, but it wasn’t far from it. “Maybe you should upgrade. There’s a nice bed-and-breakfast not far from my shop.”

  “The Blue Morning? It’s booked full.” Lexie shrugged. “This place was all we could get with the art festival in town this weekend, but that’s all right. We didn’t want to wait to come find you.”

  Unease began working its way back into Maxie’s chest. These two didn’t belong in that place. The Inndigo might not look bad, but it wasn’t safe.

  Roxie groaned. “The bottoms of my shoes are getting gummy. Let’s get going.”

  Maxie knew how she felt. Heat was radiating up her legs as her dress tried to cling to them. It was an uncomfortable, icky feeling—almost as bad as the idea of the two of them sleeping at the Inndigo. “You can’t stay there,” she insisted. “It’s not a good part of town.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Lexie said.

  “But the air conditioning.”

  “I’ll have the manager come down to look at it.” She unlocked her car with her remote.

  “But…” Maxie looked at Zac. Having them stay at the tiny motel was wrong. The place was relatively clean and privately owned, but it was right along the interstate. Indigo Falls attracted a lot of tourists, but they tended to stay in town. The Inndigo served the kind of people who moved on through: long-range truckers, traveling salesmen and transients. It was a crowd that tended to stir up unrest. Only a month ago, someone had OD’d there.

  “Did you look in Freeman?” Zac was the sheriff. He knew better than anyone the kind of calls that came in from that place. “It’s another fifteen minutes down the road—not that we’re trying to get rid of you.”

  Roxie held her hair off the back of her neck. “I’m too tired to find another place. Besides, I’ve stayed in worse. Hell, I live in West Cobalt.”

  “No.” The word was out before Maxie realized she’d made a decision. Bourbon, she thought musingly. It put words in your mouth before your brain had a chance to review them. Still, it was out there and she wasn’t going to let the sisters stay in that rundown place. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to them.

  “You can stay with me.”

  Three heads turned towards her simultaneously. Lexie’s expression was cautious, while Roxie’s was happy. Zac’s was simply surprised.

  “Are you sure that’s not the alcohol talking?” he asked low enough that only she could hear.

  “I have plenty of room, and my air conditioning works fine.”

  “Hallelujah,” Roxie rejoiced.

  Lexie was a bit more hesitant. “But Cam should be here soon. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  Zac’s expression altered. It was subtle, but Maxie was beginning to learn how to read him too. She could tell as his mood went from surprised to disagreeable to thoughtful. When he turned towards the sisters, it had changed yet again. Calculating, she worried.

  “The more the merrier,” he said. “We’d love to have you.”

  We?

  Maxie had thought her head was clear, but that one word jumbled it back up. “What?” she squeaked.

  He smiled at her and hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans. “You don’t think I’d let a strange man stay overnight with you alone, do you?”

  She stared up at him.

  He brushed a finger across her cheek. “I’m the big, bad, protective boyfriend. Remember, Beauty?”

  She did when he stole a quick kiss from her lips. The hot brush of his mouth unhinged her knees, but he was already pulling back and jingling his keys at Lexie.

  “Are you okay to drive?” he asked.

  Besides him, she was the only one who’d watched her intake. One bourbon was all she’d managed to choke down before she’d switched to Diet Coke. She held up her keys, smiling. “I’m fine. What’s the address?”

  Maxie followed along dumbly when Zac grabbed her hand. What had just happened? How had she filled her house with guests, including a pretend hot-and-heavy boyfriend?

  “We’ll come to the motel and help you pack your things. You can follow us to the house.”

  “Thank God,” Roxie said as she got into Lexie’s Acura. “You know how sweet I am. Let’s go before I melt.”

  If possible, the air was even steamier when Maxie climbed out of Zac’s Jeep at the Inndigo. The moisture in the air made it hard to breathe and the heat felt physically heavy. Of course, that could have been the pressure she suddenly felt pushing down on her. For a timid sort, she’d taken a huge, unsuspecting leap.

  She glanced around the parking lot. The place wasn’t as rundown as she’d made it in her head, and it was relatively empty. The motel’s guests might be on the road or at the bars. Park Art wasn’t a big d
raw for these types.

  She sighed. Maybe she’d blown things out of proportion, but she was glad she wasn’t letting Lexie and Roxie stay here. It was the addition of Zac that had her flummoxed.

  Where was she going to put him? He wasn’t thinking he’d sleep with her, was he? How far were they going to push this deception?

  “It shouldn’t take us long.” Lexie had the rental unit’s key in hand as she got out of her car. “We haven’t unpacked much.”

  “Don’t forget all the trinkets you bought at the shops along the waterfront,” Roxie said.

  Lexie grimaced. “Okay, it might take a bit longer than I thought.”

  “I can help carry things,” Zac offered, following along.

  They gathered at the door, but the moment Lexie opened the motel room, stifling heat swirled out.

  “Holy steam baths, Batman.” Roxie pulled back sharply. “It’s even worse inside.”

  Maxie stood on the threshold and felt the mugginess coating her skin. The air conditioning not only wasn’t working, it was pushing out heat.

  Lexie braced herself before lunging inside. “Let’s make it fast.”

  Together, they collected things and threw them in suitcases. Maxie gathered sacks from the local stores and rushed them out to the car. Zac went down to report the malfunctioning cooling unit to the manager, and when he returned, they loaded him down with suitcases to carry to the trunk. It took only a few minutes, but by the time they had everything ready to go, they were all sticky with sweat.

  “I can’t take it.” Roxie pulled her tank top away from her skin. She looked miserable as she panted for air. Turning around, she searched for relief.

  “Get in the car,” Lexie said. “I’ll turn the A/C on high.”

  Roxie didn’t hear her. She was already heading across the parking lot, her steps gathering speed.

  Maxie watched her. What was she doing?

  Her gaze focused on the only thing that could be Roxie’s destination. But she couldn’t. She absolutely couldn’t be thinking of—

  But she was.

  Astounded, Maxie watched as Roxie yanked open the gate to the chain-link fence that surrounded the outdoor swimming pool. Without hesitation, she started peeling off her clothes and tossing them onto a poolside chair. She seemed uncaring of her surroundings, any onlookers or any pool rules.