Levi and Jeremy were talking about something, and Levi kept touching Jeremy’s arm. There was no need to be touching him that much. Definitely no need to be leaning so close. Jeremy could surely hear him fine.
What were they talking about? Why were they smiling so much?
Why am I such an idiot?
The sweet smell alerted Max just in time as he spun and snatched the bubbling pot off the camp stove. “Shit!” He grabbed the ancient candy thermometer that had been Mamy’s. It was in Fahrenheit, and he could just make out the faded numbers. Two-fifty, which was at least ten degrees too hot, but oh well. The first batch would be a little crunchy rather than chewy.
He called out, “Who wants maple taffy!”
Soon, he was swamped with kids who took a Popsicle stick and lined up along the planter. Max poured the hot syrup in a line along the planter, the kids rolling their sticks in it to create a sort of lollipop. In the season, they’d do this with sap straight out of the trees, but it still worked well with syrup.
Max was busy with a steady stream of takers. When he turned back from the stove with a fresh pot, there was Jeremy—and Levi. And the nieces, who enthusiastically rolled their sticks. This batch was perfectly chewy, and they giggled in delight as they pulled at it with their teeth.
Max could only watch as Levi rolled up a ball of taffy and offered it to Jeremy, putting it right up to his mouth. Jeremy licked it, his pink tongue darting out, and why had Max encouraged him to go on that stupid date? Surely Levi and his nieces would leave soon.
Except they didn’t.
An hour went by, the kids somehow not bored and Levi hanging on Jeremy’s every word and sometimes hanging on his body, an arm around his shoulders or a squeeze of his biceps.
“Looks like Jeremy made a new friend.”
Max bit back a groan. “Shut up, Meg.” He fed the stove more kerosene, ignoring her and hoping she’d go away. Of course, she was standing there smiling placidly when he turned.
“What’s the prob, big brother?”
“You know exactly what,” he grumbled.
With a laugh that was a straight-up cackle, she said, “I sure do. You loooove him.”
“Meg.”
“Okay, okay.” She held up her hands in surrender. “Mom’s going to give Papy a break and take out the next wagon tour. I’ll do taffy if you want to take over the sugar house. Oh look, Jeremy and his hot date are heading in there.”
Max cursed her under his breath, giving a bright smile to a nearing family as he passed them. Sure enough, Jeremy and Levi were in the sugar house, examining the boxes of maple sugar treats. Judging by the depleted stock, they’d sold quite a few.
“Hey folks!” There were about fifteen people milling around. “I’m happy to answer any questions you have, and I can tell you about our operation.” In the silence, his gaze slid to Jeremy—and Levi, who slung his arm over Jeremy’s shoulders and gave Max a bright smile.
“How many taps do you put in the trees?” Levi asked.
“We have um—” Max cleared his throat and gulped from his metal water bottle. “Sorry. Frog in my throat. I’m sure you all saw the tubing run along the trees as you drove in. When the sap starts running, probably in March, we’ll put the taps back into the trees, and the syrup will travel through the tubes. We have thirty-four hundred taps.”
Levi’s niece asked, “Does it come out of the trees like this?” She motioned to the clear bottles of amber lined on the shelves.
“No, it’s just sap when it comes out of the tree and finds its way here to the sugar house. He motioned to the metal equipment that dominated the space. “That’s our evaporator, which is wood-fired. We cook the sap in there until it becomes the syrup you pour on your pancakes.”
He answered more questions and sold some products from the little register. When that group moved on, he sighed in relief before realizing Levi and Jeremy were still there. And Levi was still way too handsy, leaning close and whispering something in Jeremy’s ear near the evaporator.
Which Max was about to shove Levi into.
“You should go,” Max blurted. Jeremy and Levi blinked at him in surprise. “We have a two-hour limit. To, uh, give other people a chance,” Max added weakly, motioning to the new vehicles pulling in outside.
“Uncle Levi, I’m hungry for real food! I’ll get a tummy ache if I eat more sugar.”
Levi smiled at his nieces. “Burgers and fries? Don’t tell your mom.”
“Yay!” The girls jumped up and down.
“You want to come with us?” Levi asked Jeremy, whose face had flushed. Which was perfectly reasonable, Max reminded himself.
“No, I should stay and help.”
This was the part where Max should have told him to go for lunch, but he couldn’t seem to get the words out. Because he was an asshole.
“Sorry we stayed too long,” Levi said to Max, offering his hand. “Good to see you again.”
Max cringed inwardly. “No, it’s cool. You can stay as long as you want.” He shook Levi’s hand.
“Burgers and fries!” One of the nieces exclaimed, and Levi ushered them out. At the door, he said, “Later, Jeremy.” And winked. Because he was the worst even if he seemed disgustingly nice and reasonable.
Max unclenched. The guy was gone. Now he’d tell Jeremy what an idiot he’d been—except Jeremy was glaring at him. His stomach clenched.
“That was so rude!” Jeremy hissed as Valerie led a red-cheeked family into the sugar house. Shaking his head, he squeezed through the group, disappearing outside.
“Wait!” Max asked Valerie to take over and dashed out, speed-walking across the lot so he didn’t draw attention. Jeremy neared the house. Cursing, Max followed him inside and yanked off his boots before sprinting up the stairs, taking them two at a time, Jeremy disappearing around the corner.
No doubt about it. He wanted Jeremy. The snowball was still careening down the hill. The snowball was a damn avalanche, and Max was done fighting it.
Chapter Eleven
Jeremy reached behind him to close the bathroom door, hitting solid flesh instead. It was Max, and he crowded him inside and shut the door behind them. He pulled off his hat and gloves, tossing them on the counter. He still wore his coat.
“Look—”
“No, you look!” Jeremy clenched his jaw, frustration and embarrassment battling. Levi had only been trying to help him. “He’s a nice guy, and you were totally rude.”
“I was just—” Max huffed. “Rude. Yes.” He held up his hands and let them drop. “I’m an asshole. I’m sorry.”
Jeremy wasn’t sure what to say. “That’s it?” After the call with his mother, he was automatically in argument mode, expecting defensive justifications and lashing out.
Max rocked on the balls of his socked feet, looking agitated. He unzipped his coat and restlessly flicked the overhead light on and off even though sunlight streamed through the window at the far end of the small bathroom. “I really am sorry. I was out of line.”
“No, I mean—you’re just admitting it?” Jeremy had slung his parka on a hook in the foyer, and he fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater before crossing his arms.