do.
“You cannot just leave the house without telling me,”
she said to him, gripping his shoulders tightly. I got the
impression she wanted to shake him, but was holding
herself back with great effort. “I was worried. I didn’t know
where you were. I called you from the backyard. I checked
the playground. I knocked on doors. I didn’t know where
you were. ” She seemed to run out of steam then, and simply
pulled him into another hug.
“You were busy with Cece,” Max said, his words
muffled by his mother’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to bother
you.”
“You are never a bother.” Elena was almost
frighteningly firm when she said it, shoving him back to
arm’s length so she could look him in the eye. “Never. Do
99
Georgia Beers
you understand me? You’re my son and I love you and you
are never, ever a bother to me. Okay?”
Her voice cracked and I had the sudden fear she was
going to burst into tears right there in my foyer. Feeling
intrusive, I looked around for an escape, but found none, so
I stood there like an idiot.
“What’s on your face?” she asked him once she pulled
herself together, and swiped a finger across his cheek as she
stood.
“We made cookies.” His giant grin was contagious and
I couldn’t help but catch it.
Elena turned her gaze my way and I could tell she was
annoyed with me, as she should have been. It also felt a
little like maybe she didn’t want to be, so I decided it was a
good time to re-launch my apology.
“I’m so sorry, Elena,” I said as I moved into the
kitchen. “I assumed you knew where he was and I didn’t
ask him and I should have. It won’t happen again.” I hoped
my accompanying grimace was pathetic enough because
having her flash fire at me from those espresso-colored
eyes was too much for me to bear for very long.
How I managed not to jump when she reached
toward my face, I’ll never know. She ran a fingertip along
my chin and held it up, showing me the flour I was
apparently wearing. “It got you, too,” she said, her voice
colored with amusement as she rubbed her finger and
thumb together.
I swallowed hard and tried to fight the sudden surge
of nearly overwhelming arousal she’d just caused by
holding up a chocolate-chippy confection. “at’s because
we made cookies,” I offered and tried to mirror Max’s grin.
100
Starting From Scratch
She pursed her lovely lips and cocked an eyebrow at
me, very clearly telling me that she was still irritated, but
my silly facial expressions were making her rethink things.
Or maybe she just liked chocolate chip cookies.
Regardless, she took it from my hand and when she bit
into it, I felt forgiven.
“Oh, still warm,” she said, nearly moaning. I had to
look away.
“Coach King just took ’em out of the oven, Mom,”
Max informed her, in case burning the roof of her mouth
wasn’t enough of a clue.
“And you helped?” She swiped again at the splotch of
flour on his cheek. Like me, she must have concluded it
was just too damn cute to wipe off.
“He was a huge help,” I told her as I spatula’d an entire
tray of cookies onto a plate. “I hardly did a thing.”
Max beamed at the praise. “I was sistant chef.”
“Wow,” said his mother, looking impressed. “You got a
title and everything?”
“Yup.”
“Hey, we don’t mess around here,” I said. “You do the
work, you get a title.”
Elena seemed to have let go of her initial anger and
panic and was now smiling softly at her son. A good time
to offer refreshments, I decided.
“Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? A big glass of
milk?”
e small crinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened.
“at’s very sweet of you, but I’ll have to take a rain
check.” To Max, she said, “We have to go to dinner and
Nana and Papa’s.”
“Oh!” Max exclaimed. “I forgot.”
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Georgia Beers
“No kidding.”
I quickly put some plastic wrap over the plate
“You cannot just leave the house without telling me,”
she said to him, gripping his shoulders tightly. I got the
impression she wanted to shake him, but was holding
herself back with great effort. “I was worried. I didn’t know
where you were. I called you from the backyard. I checked
the playground. I knocked on doors. I didn’t know where
you were. ” She seemed to run out of steam then, and simply
pulled him into another hug.
“You were busy with Cece,” Max said, his words
muffled by his mother’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to bother
you.”
“You are never a bother.” Elena was almost
frighteningly firm when she said it, shoving him back to
arm’s length so she could look him in the eye. “Never. Do
99
Georgia Beers
you understand me? You’re my son and I love you and you
are never, ever a bother to me. Okay?”
Her voice cracked and I had the sudden fear she was
going to burst into tears right there in my foyer. Feeling
intrusive, I looked around for an escape, but found none, so
I stood there like an idiot.
“What’s on your face?” she asked him once she pulled
herself together, and swiped a finger across his cheek as she
stood.
“We made cookies.” His giant grin was contagious and
I couldn’t help but catch it.
Elena turned her gaze my way and I could tell she was
annoyed with me, as she should have been. It also felt a
little like maybe she didn’t want to be, so I decided it was a
good time to re-launch my apology.
“I’m so sorry, Elena,” I said as I moved into the
kitchen. “I assumed you knew where he was and I didn’t
ask him and I should have. It won’t happen again.” I hoped
my accompanying grimace was pathetic enough because
having her flash fire at me from those espresso-colored
eyes was too much for me to bear for very long.
How I managed not to jump when she reached
toward my face, I’ll never know. She ran a fingertip along
my chin and held it up, showing me the flour I was
apparently wearing. “It got you, too,” she said, her voice
colored with amusement as she rubbed her finger and
thumb together.
I swallowed hard and tried to fight the sudden surge
of nearly overwhelming arousal she’d just caused by
holding up a chocolate-chippy confection. “at’s because
we made cookies,” I offered and tried to mirror Max’s grin.
100
Starting From Scratch
She pursed her lovely lips and cocked an eyebrow at
me, very clearly telling me that she was still irritated, but
my silly facial expressions were making her rethink things.
Or maybe she just liked chocolate chip cookies.
Regardless, she took it from my hand and when she bit
into it, I felt forgiven.
“Oh, still warm,” she said, nearly moaning. I had to
look away.
“Coach King just took ’em out of the oven, Mom,”
Max informed her, in case burning the roof of her mouth
wasn’t enough of a clue.
“And you helped?” She swiped again at the splotch of
flour on his cheek. Like me, she must have concluded it
was just too damn cute to wipe off.
“He was a huge help,” I told her as I spatula’d an entire
tray of cookies onto a plate. “I hardly did a thing.”
Max beamed at the praise. “I was sistant chef.”
“Wow,” said his mother, looking impressed. “You got a
title and everything?”
“Yup.”
“Hey, we don’t mess around here,” I said. “You do the
work, you get a title.”
Elena seemed to have let go of her initial anger and
panic and was now smiling softly at her son. A good time
to offer refreshments, I decided.
“Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? A big glass of
milk?”
e small crinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened.
“at’s very sweet of you, but I’ll have to take a rain
check.” To Max, she said, “We have to go to dinner and
Nana and Papa’s.”
“Oh!” Max exclaimed. “I forgot.”
101
Georgia Beers
“No kidding.”
I quickly put some plastic wrap over the plate
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