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“Someone that I wanted to get to know?” he asked – and hesitated. “Never. You’re the first person that I’ve wanted to bring you coffee in bed.”
The waiter walked up to their table, did an about-face and didn’t hesitate, saying, “Yeah, I’ll come back.”
“You don’t know me,” Elana pressed. “This is our first date – and I’m wondering now if I should have even accepted.”
“Don’t give up on me,” he replied. “I know I’m a lot, but that is because I am only here for a few days. I’m trying to cram a lifetime in a week, so yeah, I’m a little pushy and overbearing. If you still want me to get lost on Sunday, then have no fear. I’ll be in Afghanistan on Monday, and your wish will be granted.”
“You’re here for just the week?”
“Yup – four more days.”
“Oh,” Elana hesitated, her mind racing as she realized that all of this flattering attention was going to evaporate in the blink of an eye… and she wasn’t sure she wanted it to. It was extremely overwhelming, but it also made her feel so pretty to have Max looking at her like the moon rose and set at her command. “And in four days, I’ll never see or hear from you again?”
“If you want to continue, we can email each other, or I can try to call you occasionally… but there is a twelve-hour time difference.”
“I see.”
“Why, Kitten - you look almost bothered. Does this mean you’ll miss me?”
“I can’t miss you if I barely know you…” she retorted as the waiter set down the plates, interrupting them once more. Max nodded and looked at her, smiling.
“So, let me tell you about my time at the Air Force Academy and a few tidbits from my childhood. Did the rumors ever get around the high school of my messed-up family? Buckle up, ‘cause boy, have I got a story for you…”
Fascinated, she saw Max lean back slightly in his seat and cut into his steak as he began to talk. He held nothing back, either. There were stories about his father, his brother, how they were related – and she knew Reese Carpenter had been a relative, but she assumed he was an uncle or cousin due to the age difference between the two.
She was also floored to learn that Ruth Kendall was Reese’s actual mother – and silently sending Max care packages overseas out of the goodness of her heart without a return address.
“She’s been doing it for years,” Max chuckled nervously. “I’m nobody to her, yet I think she does it for Reese. He’s the one who told me because I thought it was him. I started sending her flowers at Christmas and on her birthday as a ‘thank you’ – but I didn't sign the card either. It’s like we each have a Secret Santa out there, and that just makes the world a better place, you know?”
Elana stared at him, seeing the real him for the first time. What kind soul he was to do something so touching and kind – with such a gentle sentiment behind it. He didn’t want gratitude or ‘thank yous’ but just wanted to give back to someone who had shown him unconditional affection.
“I usually split up the box and put a little something on everyone’s bunk or chunk it across the barracks at them, making a game of it… because I don’t need all of that stuff, but the candy, treats, and other things sure help pick up morale. I know it’s stupid, but…”
“No, it’s not,” she interrupted, touched. “I like this – a lot, in fact, it’s amazing.”
“I’m not that great of a guy,” he began and actually looked a little embarrassed.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because if you sent me something, there’s no way I’m sharing. I’m gonna give ‘selfish’ a whole new meaning.”
There was such openness in his words and his eyes, and all the teasing was gone as he sat there before taking another bite of his steak. It was like he was trying to play off his words and oh, what beautiful words they were. If she sent him a care package, he was going to keep it to himself because it meant that much to him?
It was all those little things, those comments, the looks, and his actions that led her to her next statement as she looked up to see the waiter.
“We’ll take that cheesecake to go,” she whispered.
An hour later, Elana was inserting the key in the lock of her front door and heard Max fidgeting behind her. Walking in, she immediately went to the alarm keypad and punched in the code to shut it off and saw the lifted eyebrows and surprise on his face.
“Not everyone likes attorneys,” she said simply.
“Uh, have you been threatened?” he balked, looking keenly uncomfortable, and she rolled her eyes.
“Of course. I’ve been threatened, followed, harassed, had my car egged, you know… all the childish, stupid stuff that won’t help anyone’s case,” she began and saw his brow furrow in worry. “I’m fine, Max.”
“You need a dog… or a pack of dogs.”
“I have an alarm system and guns.”
