A Fair of the Heart, Welcome To Redemption, Book1 Read Online Free

Collier from
down the road explained how he’d caught Max and two of his friends
throwing eggs at his house. He’d given chase, but they’d gotten
away.
    “I’m sure. Listen, I don’t plan to press
charges, but if I catch him again, I’m calling the cops.”
    “As you should. I’m so sorry, Mr. Collier.
And of course, I’ll pay for any damage.” Her stomach lurched at the
thought of another debt.
    “There’s no damage, young lady. I just need
to get the hose out and wash the brick.”
    “I’ll send Max down to help as soon as I find
him.” If I find him, she thought, tempted to call the police
herself.
    Mr. Collier let out a snorting laugh. “Please
don’t. Just find him before he does some real damage.” And he hung
up.
    Lauren packed Emma into the car, and then
started combing the neighborhood for her wayward son. She felt so
helpless, so frightened. Max’s antics were getting worse by the
day, and she had no idea what to do to help him. All she knew for
certain was if she didn’t nip this destructive crap in the bud
soon, Max would find himself sitting in a jail cell with a one-way
ticket to juvy hall.
    By the time she found him—hanging out in
front of the hardware store with his friend, Eddie, and two boys
she’d never seen before—Lauren was ready to drag him home by his
ear.
    “Maxwell Frazier, you get in this car right
now,” she said through her teeth. Max swung around and, at first,
seemed shocked to see her. But then his new friends razzed him a
bit, and a scowl replaced his doe-eyed expression.
    “I’ll be home later,” he snapped, while his
friends snickered and offered comments she, thankfully, couldn’t
hear.
    Lauren angrily blinked back tears. Without
thinking, she swung the door open, but quickly realized she
couldn’t leave Emma alone. Max knew she wouldn’t give chase with
Emma in the car, so he turned his back on her, effectively
dismissing her.
    “Momma, Max bad boy,” Emma informed her in
all seriousness, which would’ve been funny under normal
circumstances.
    Lauren blew out a frustrated breath and put
the car in gear. Before she could turn out onto Main Street,
someone tapped on her window, scaring the bejesus out of her.
    “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
Caleb leaned down to wink at Emma. “Hey, punkin.”
    “Ca’yib! Max bad boy ’gin. He make Momma
cry.”
    Lauren put the car back in park, then turned
and shook her head at the little stinker. “Tattletale.”
    Caleb’s expression hardened. He cast a look
at Max and his friends, who were all openly staring at Caleb, and
then reached in and cupped Lauren’s cheek. “I’ll handle this, if
you like.”
    Lauren was somewhat surprised by the intimate
touch. But in a good way. She’d love to close her eyes and snuggle
into his warm palm. “I’d like very much. But if you help me drag
him back home, he’ll just run out again. He’ll also resent you ten
times more than he already does.”
    Caleb waved that off. “He’ll get over it. I’m
more worried about what he’ll do in the meantime. I’ve been in
Max’s shoes. He’s got a lot of anger brewing inside of him. Mixed
with adolescent angst, that’s a lethal combination.”
    “Okay, not helping,” Lauren said, her fear
escalating.
    Before Caleb could respond, a rock whizzed
past the windshield, followed by a second, which just missed his
head. Caleb dropped to a crouch and let out a curse. “Stay in the
car,” he ordered.
    Lauren watched in horror as Caleb gave chase.
All four boys split up and ran in different directions, but Caleb
raced after Max. And my God was he fast. Lauren watched with her
mouth hanging open as Caleb caught Max by the collar before he’d
even reached the edge of the hardware store’s parking lot. She
opened her door and got out of the car, tempted to run over and
intervene, but the fact that Emma was in the car kept her rooted
firmly in place.
    “Let me go! You got no right touching me. I’m
a minor! You