Page 31 of The Reverse Cinderella

Noah grunted. “I’m up by twenty. You’re not paying attention.”

“Twenty?” Max grimaced. “Are you sure about that?”

“Spill it already,” Noah said as he went to the edge of the park and grabbed his water bottle.

Max hesitated but decided to confide in Noah. Noah had experience with trying to win over a woman. He was married to Elle, one of Max’s friends and it hadn’t been a smooth courtship, but the couple were completely happy now. “There’s a woman.”

“This is a first,” Noah remarked mildly. “A woman having you in knots when usually it’s the other way around.”

“She’s special.”

“How special?” Noah cocked an eyebrow. He was slightly amused to see Max this way.

“Knock the breath out of you the first time you see her, ring worthy, future sharing…” Max reflected. “She’s kind, she’s accomplished, she’s sweet…”

“That is special,” Noah studied Max. “You’re in love with her.”

“That’s not the problem,” Max said ruefully.

“What is?”

“She’s mad at me because she thinks I lied to her,” Max admitted. He wiped his face with his shirt then took the ball from Noah. He tossed if from hand to hand, feeling fidgety.

“Did you?” Noah raised an eyebrow. Lying to a woman was a sure way to get on their short list.

Max gave Noah an unamused look. “No.”

Noah waited patiently. There was more to this story than what Max was telling.

“I may have omitted an important detail about my living situation,” Max allowed.

“She didn’t know you’ve been living at the men’s shelter again,” Noah said flatly. He hated that his brother refused to live in a regular apartment or a house. Max had some idea of paying off a debt he had before paying out for rent or utilities.

“The shelter is better than the truck. At least I can get regular showers there,” Max threw the ball and it sunk through the basket perfectly. He watched it bounce across the tarmac.

“Women tend to appreciate that a man has a place of residence. A house, a condo, an apartment. It makes them feel like he can provide for them,” Noah gently said. “It may have been a bit of a shock to her.”

“I want her back,” Max groused.

“Then I would suggest groveling, long and hard. Preferably with gifts,” Noah retied his sneaker. “You should explain why you’re living at the shelter or out of your truck. Maybe she’ll understand.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“Then it wasn’t meant to be,” Noah laid a hand on Max’s shoulder. “Look, I don’t agree with what you’re doing because I think you could at least take care of yourself in a cheap apartment or let me pay for one. And while I don’t agree with the how, I still understand why you are doing it, giving the money you earn to those kids. You know, if you want me to up my annual donation to your fund, I will.”

Max shook his head. “You have Elle now and two kids on the way. I’m not going to ask you to do that.”

“I’m offering,” Noah insisted.

“I’m turning you down,” Max sighed. “Most of the beneficiaries have passed away. There are only a couple left. Once I catch up on the bills, I’ll be okay. I almost wish I had met Piaget a year from now, when it’s all finished.”

“No, you don’t,” Noah admonished. “Then she couldn’t understand the sacrifice that you’ve done as well as she can by seeing you go through it.”

Max nodded morosely.

“You’re going to have to tell her everything.”

“I don’t want to,” at Noah’s enquiring look, he clarified. “I don’t want her to know I’m a Ramesly. Not yet. We just started dating and I just want to keep it to myself for a little longer.”