“The drums.” Jed stepped closer and traced the tribal pattern. “I’ve seen them before.”
“You’ve been to the Congo?”
“No. Uganda, and I spent some time in Rwanda once. Where did you get these? Not much gets out of that region intact.”
“My mother was born in Kinshasa.”
Ah. Jed filed the information away in the newMaxpart of his brain. His African heritage explained his dark complexion and eyes. Jed suspected Kim’s parents were dead, and the sadness in Max’s eyes told him he was probably right. Perhaps that explained the distinct nagging sensation that he didn’t know something really important. “Do you speak French?”
Max laughed, and all trace of melancholy disappeared. “God, no. Kim does. If you want to shoot the breeze in gibberish, you’ll have to talk to her.”
“I think she wants to get rid of me.”
“No, she just worries like an old woman. She doesn’t like me being up here alone.” Max reached down and petted the collie by his feet. “She should know by now that Flo can take care of me better than anyone else. Right, girl?”
The dog’s solemn expression made Jed smile, but Max’s words led him back to the strange haze he’d seen in his eyes. Since the first time, it had come and gone, but there was no denying there was something different about Max. For brief, heart-stopping moments, he seemed to fall off the earth. “What am I missing?”
Max opened the door to the bedroom that would be Jed’s if he chose to move in. The room was basic and plain, with a huge window that opened out onto the lake. Jed loved the window and the nightstand carved from the trunk of a tree, and he was intrigued by the huge atlas pinned to the far wall. The map was littered with tiny black pins, and he pondered their significance.
Max seemed to read the question on Jed’s face. “Kim didn’t tell you?”
Jed shook his head. “No. She didn’t tell me much about you at all.”
Max shrugged. “There’s not much to tell, really. I’m gay, but I’m guessing someone already told you that. It’s the worst-kept secret in town; I reckon you wouldn’t be here if it was a problem for you?”
The only problem Jed had with Max’s sexuality was that he was the most disarmingly attractive man he’d seen in years. Leonine, agile… beautiful. “I don’t care who you bang, but that’s not it, is it? What else do I need to know?”
Max walked to the window that looked out over the yard. Jed couldn’t see his face when he spoke again. “I guess there’s no reason trying to hide it from you. Everyone knows.”
“Knows what?”
“I have epilepsy. It’s not so bad right now, but sometimes….”
“That thing with your eyes?”
“You caught that?” Max faced him with a heavy sigh. “Absence seizures. I have those every day. I’m not usually gone long enough for anyone to miss me, though. Most times, I don’t even notice. Sorry if they freak you out.”
“They don’t.” Though Jed still felt like a piece of a puzzle had gone astray, he was faintly reassured he hadn’t imagined the odd interference in Max’s eyes. “Do you get grand mal seizures?”
“Oh yeah,” Max said dryly. “I get all the good stuff, but you don’t need to worry about it. Flo warns me when they’re coming, and I can take care of myself.”
The belligerence in his tone made Jed want to smile, but he didn’t. It was clear Max valued his independence, and Jed saw nothing funny about that. “Flo is your alert dog?”
Max pointed to a handset Jed hadn’t noticed on the hallway floor. “Yeah, I got her from the pound when she was a pup. The disability center in Portland helped me train her. Most times, I’m fine, but if I’m not, she can press the button on that phone and call for help.”
“Who does the phone connect to?”
“A call center in Portland. If they can’t get me on the phone, they send help and contact Carla.”
“Dan’s sister?”
“Yep.”
Jed absorbed the influx of information. Carla Valesco seemed to be everywhere he turned. “Why not Kim?”
“She freaks out too much. Makes me go to the hospital when all I need is a nap.”
Jed covered his amusement by gazing out at the boat shed. “Power tools and seizures can’t be a fun mix.”