Danielle Steel - Rogue

“I'm really sorry, Max. All the phone lines were down. My cell phone and email haven't worked till today. It was a nasty earthquake, and a lot of people got killed in villages not far from here. I've been trying to help out, organizing airlifts of supplies.”

“Since when have you been playing Good Samaritan?” She was seriously pissed at him. Charles had been there for her. As usual, Blake hadn't.

“They need help. There are people wandering the streets with no food, and bodies all over the place. Look, do you want me to fly in for Sam?”

“You don't need to. He's okay,” she said, calming down. “But it was scary for all of us. Particularly him. He's asleep now, but you should call him in a few hours.”

“I'm sorry, Max,” he said, sounding sincere. “You've got enough on your hands without dealing with that too.”

“I'm all right. Charles was here.”

“I'm glad,” Blake said quietly, and she realized that he sounded tired too. Maybe he really was doing something useful in Morocco, although it was hard to believe. “I'll call Sam later. Give him a kiss from me.”

“I will.”

And he did in fact call Sam several hours later. Sam was thrilled to talk to his dad and told him all about it. He said Charles had stayed in the operating room with him, and held his hand. He told Blake that his mom was upset and the doctor wouldn't let her come in, which was true. She had nearly fainted, worrying about her son. Charles had been the hero of the day. And Blake promised to come and see Sam soon. By then, Maxine had read all about the earthquake in Morocco. It was a big one, and two villages had literally been destroyed and everyone in them killed. There was even extensive damage in the cities. Blake had been telling the truth. But she was still upset that she hadn't been able to reach him for their son. It was typical of Blake. He never changed. He would be a rogue to the end of his days. Or a flake anyway. Thank God she had Charles.

He was still sleeping on the couch by the end of the week, and he had been there for all of them every night after work, and he had been so good with Sam. They both agreed that it was a good time to share their plans with the kids. It was time. It was June, and school was out.

Maxine gathered everyone in the kitchen on Saturday morning. Charles was there with her, which she wasn't entirely convinced was a good idea, but he wanted to be there when she told them, and she felt she owed it to him. He had proven himself with Sam, she couldn't shut him out now. And the children could unburden themselves later to her, if they had anything to say about it.

She sounded a little vague at first, talking about how kind Charles had been to them in the last several months. She looked at each of her children as she said it, as though trying to convince them as well as remind them. She was still afraid of their reaction to the news. And then there was nothing left to do but say it.

“So Charles and I have decided to get married in August.” There was dead silence in the room and absolutely no reaction as they stared at their mother. They looked like statues.

“I love your mother, and you,” Charles added, sounding stiffer than he meant to. But he had never done anything like this before, and they were a daunting group. Zelda was hovering in the background.

“Are you kidding?” Daphne was the first to react, and Maxine answered her seriously.

“No. We're not.”

“You hardly know him.” She spoke to her mother and ignored Charles.

“We've been dating for almost seven months, and at our age we know when it's right.” She paraphrased Charles, and Daphne got up from the kitchen table and walked out of the kitchen without another word. They heard her bedroom door slam a minute later.

“Does Dad know?” Jack asked.

“Not yet,” his mother answered. “We wanted to tell you first. Then I'm going to tell Dad, and Grandma and Grampa. But I wanted you to be the first to know.”

“Oh,” Jack said, and then disappeared too. His door didn't slam, it just closed, as Maxine's heart sank. This was even harder than she thought.

“I think it will be good,” Sam said quietly, looking at them both. “You were very nice to me at the hospital, Charles. Thank you.” He was being polite, and he looked less upset than the others, but he wasn't thrilled either. He could easily figure out that he wouldn't be sleeping with his mother anymore. Charles was going to take his place. It was upsetting for them all, and as far as they were concerned, their life had been fine before Charles. “Can I watch TV in your room now?” Sam asked. None of them had asked details of the wedding, or even when it would be exactly. They didn't want to know. And a moment later, Sam had left on his crutches, which he was managing very well. Charles and Maxine were alone in the kitchen, and Zelda spoke up from the doorway.

“Congratulations,” she said softly. “They'll get used to it. It's kind of a shock. I was beginning to suspect that's what you two had in mind.” She smiled, but she looked a little sad too. It was a big change for them all, and they were used to the way things were, and liked them that way.

“It won't change anything for you, Zellie,” Maxine reassured her. “We'll need you just as much. Maybe more.” Maxine smiled.

“Thanks. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you didn't.” Charles looked at her and smiled. She seemed like a nice woman to him, although he didn't love the prospect of running into her in his pajamas late at night when he moved in. He was in for a whole new life, with a wife, three kids, and a live-in nanny. His privacy was a thing of the past. But he still thought this was right. “The kids will adjust,” Zelda reassured them again. “They just need some time.” Maxine nodded.

“It could have been worse,” Maxine said encouragingly. “Not much,” Charles said, looking discouraged. “I was kind of hoping some of them would be pleased. Maybe not Daphne, but at least the boys.”

“No one likes change,” Maxine reminded him. “And this is a big one for them. And for us.” She leaned over and kissed him, and he smiled at her ruefully as Zelda went back to her room, to leave them alone.

“I love you,” he said to her. “I'm sorry your kids are upset.”

“They'll get over it. One day we'll laugh about it, like our first date.”

“Maybe that was an omen,” he said, looking worried.

“No… it's going to be great. You'll see,” Maxine said, and kissed him again. And Charles silently hoped she was right as he took her in his arms. He was sad that her kids weren't happy for them.

The children stayed in their rooms for the next several hours after the shock of their mother's announcement, and Charles decided to go home. He hadn't slept there in days, and he thought it was a good time to leave Maxine alone with her children. He left, still looking upset, and Maxine reassured him again that they'd adjust, but he wasn't as sure. He wasn't backing out, but he was scared. And so were the kids.

Maxine collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table after he left, with a cup of tea, and she was relieved to see Zelda wander into the kitchen from her room.

“At least someone around here is still talking to me,” she said to Zelda, as she poured herself a cup of tea too.

“It's mighty quiet around here,” Zelda commented as she sat down across from Maxine. “It's going to take some time for the dust to settle.”

“I know. I hate to upset them, but I think it's a good thing.” Charles had proven himself to her again with Sam's accident. He was everything she had hoped he would be, and the kind of man she had needed in her life for years.

“They'll get used to it,” Zelda reassured her. “It's not easy for him either,” she said, referring to Charles. “You can tell he's never been around kids.” Maxine nodded. You couldn't have everything. And if he had children of his own, they might not have liked that either. This was simpler.

Maxine cooked dinner for the children that night, and everyone pushed their food around their plates. None of them could eat, including Maxine. She hated the look on their faces. Daphne looked as though someone had died.

“How can you do that, Mom? He's a creep.” It was a mean thing to say about him, and Sam intervened.

“No, he's not. He's nice to me. And he'd be nice to you, if you weren't so mean to him.” What he said was true, and she didn't say it, but Maxine agreed. “He's just not used to kids.” They all knew that was true.

“When he took me to the basketball game, he tried to tell me I should go to boarding school,” Jack said, with a worried look. “Are you going to send us now, Mom?”

“Of course not. Charles went to boarding school, and he loved it, so he thinks everyone should go. I'd never send you guys away.”

“That's what you say now,” Daphne commented. “Wait till you're married to him, and he makes you.”

“He's not going to ‘make' me send you away. You're my kids, not his.”

“That's not how he acts. He thinks he owns the world,” Daphne said, glaring at her mother.

“No, he doesn't.” Maxine stood up for him, but she was glad that her children were venting. At least it got everything out in the open between them. “He's used to running his own life, but he's not going to run yours. He wouldn't want to, and I won't let him.”

“He hates Dad,” Jack said matter-of-factly.

“I don't think that's true either. He may be jealous of him, but he doesn't hate him.”

“What do you think Dad will say?” Daphne asked with interest. “I'll bet he'll be sad if you get married, Mom.”

“I don't think so. He's got ten million girlfriends. Is he still with Arabella?” She hadn't heard anything about her recently.

“Yeah,” Daphne said, looking glum. “I just hope he doesn't marry her. That's all we need.” They all sounded as though something terrible had happened. This had certainly not been good news to them. She had expected it, but it was hard anyway. Only Sam seemed to think it was okay, but he liked Charles better than the others.