I played dumb since Max wasn’t moving in order to give me privacy. “Who?”
Mom didn’t like me playing dumb, then again she never did so she nearly screeched, “The man who answered the phone!”
I started to throw back the covers and find my own privacy since Mom was in the mood to talk. But Max was of a different mind and his arm hooked around my waist before I could even get the covers back. Then I felt him at my back and his other arm went around my waist.
My neck twisted so I could give him a glare over my shoulder.
His response: he dropped his head and kissed my shoulder.
I pulled in breath.
“Nina!” Mom called.
“I’m here,” I replied, twisting back around.
“What’s his name?”
“Max,” I answered and felt Max’s arms get tight and his face went into my neck.
I put my hand over the phone, twisted my neck, his head came up and I snapped, “Will you stop? I’m talking to my Mom!”
He grinned and dropped his chin to my shoulder. I growled and turned away.
“…there?” Mom called in my ear.
“I’m here.”
“What’s going on? Are you okay”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“Have you broken it to Niles?”
I tested Max’s arm strength, unsurprisingly got nowhere considering their steely nature, settled in again and said, “I sent him an e-mail.”
Max’s arms convulsed as Mom had the same exact reaction as Max.
“You sent him an e-mail?” she asked incredulously.
“I know, Mom, but you know I’m better with words when I write them out.”
She didn’t answer at first then asked, “When?”
“Mom, can we talk about this later?”
“My daughter is in the wilderness with a strange man with an amazing voice having just changed the entire course of her life and you want to talk about it later?”
I sighed because it might be irritating but this was Mom’s way too then I answered her earlier question, “A couple of days ago.”
“What’d he say?”
“Who?”
“Niles!” she cried.
“I don’t know, nothing, unless he e-mailed back.”
“E-mailing,” she mumbled, “insane.”