A clean break indeed.
*
At one o’clock, Emily and Coleman stood on the sidewalk in front of the Carver Center, both of them shivering despite being bundled up in down coats, wool scarves, and ski mittens. She and Coleman had blocked off several empty parking spaces with orange cones so the delivery truck would be able to pull up right in front of the center.
“Maybe they got stuck in traffic,” Emily said, peering down the street to see nothing but a few cars.
“Ms. Emily, it’s barely one now. Why don’t you go back inside and wait?”
“Why? It’s not much warmer in there,” she said. She’d turned off most of the space heaters since right now the kids were in school buildings where the heat worked, thank goodness.
Coleman chuckled. “You got me there.”
Five minutes passed. The thought of the space heater in her office was beginning to tempt her as her nose and fingers went numb. But the deep growl of a heavy truck’s engine vibrated in her ear, and she spotted a big platform hauler turning onto their street. Behind it came a van marked Pisano Brothers Heating and Cooling Systems. And then another van and another, until five matching vehicles were trundling down the street behind the truck.
“Oh my God, there’s not going to be enough parking,” Emily said, laughter bubbling up in her throat as worry slid off her shoulders. Max might not want to talk to her, but he didn’t hate her so much that he wouldn’t send in the cavalry. She stepped out into the street to wave like a madwoman.
“Pays to know a billionaire,” Coleman said, moving the cones. As the truck drew closer, he whistled. “Ms. Emily, there are two units on that hauler. You’re gonna get a dual-zone system.”
Dismay halted her waving. “That’s going to be more expensive, isn’t it?”
“Not if your billionaire foots the bill.”
“I can’t let him do that.” Returning to the sidewalk, she resigned herself to cutting back on the wish-list items once again.
The truck pulled into the parking space, and the driver’s door swung open. A man wearing a black ski jacket and jeans leaped down and turned.
“Max?” Emily stared, feeling that kick in the gut in a different way. “Why are you driving the truck?”
His face was lit with satisfaction. “I used to drive the big military vehicles at Lejeune. Illicitly, of course. I wanted to see if I still remembered how. But now I have to let someone who knows what he’s doing work the crane.”
“I don’t understand. Your assistant called me. Not you.”
He grimaced. “I was still working out some details.”
Two men were attaching steel cables to an HVAC unit while the crane swung into place over it. A third man was deep in conversation with Coleman.
“I didn’t expect you to come.” She looked into the face that was even more dazzling in person than in her dreams.
He took her shoulders. “Nothing could have kept me away,” he said. “Wait for me.” His hands fell away, and he was striding over to the clot of men around Coleman. The circle opened instantly to include him.
Emily just stared at his profile while he talked, her emotions spinning like a tornado.
She jumped when a man took her elbow to lead her aside. “You need to get out of the way, Miss. They’re taking the unit off the truck.”
The truck’s engine revved as the crane lifted the unit off the flatbed and swung it onto a rolling cart the men had also taken off the truck. The doors of all five vans slid open to discharge a battalion of men in blue coveralls who swarmed around the unit, the truck, and the men consulting with Max.
Emily climbed a couple of the center’s front steps to avoid being engulfed, but she kept her eye on Max’s dark head. He’d said to wait, so she was going to.
Because he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t want to speak to her, would he?
The consultation broke up as Coleman and one of the Pisano Brothers honchos strode to the service entrance to the basement. The rest of the blue coveralls streamed after them, rolling the furnace in their midst, leaving Max alone in the middle of the sidewalk, looking up at her.
“You waited,” he said.
She nodded, her heart flipping. In his casual clothes, he looked more like the grad student she remembered.
“Coleman says you have some space heaters inside,” he said.
“Right. It’s cold.” She’d forgotten. “Let’s go to my office.”
She turned to walk up the rest of the steps, hearing his footfalls just behind her, his presence sending sparks of heat through her. That needed to stop.
He held the door and followed her up the inside stairs.
“That’s an impressive number of HVAC installers,” she said to fill the silence.
“Sal Pisano wants to get the job done fast. He’s got another commitment today.”
“I don’t think I can afford whatever amount it took to move us to the front of the line, but I’ll pay the regular price for the system.” With the Catalyst Foundation’s money, but that’s what it was for.
“We’ll discuss it later.” His tone was sharp, so she didn’t pursue it.
When they reached her office, she waved him in, closing the door to keep the warmth generated by the heater inside. She stripped off her mittens and unwound her scarf. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Don’t. It’s a bribe.” He unzipped his jacket and tossed it on the chair. Underneath it he wore a plaid flannel shirt in shades of dark red and green. It tempted her fingers to trace the lines over his biceps.
“A bribe?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a rueful smile. “When private jets didn’t interest you, I realized I was going about this all wrong. You didn’t want things for yourself. You wanted things for the kids. Your call was my golden opportunity to give you a meaningful gift.”
This wasn’t making sense. Did he mean a farewell gift? “It’s wonderful, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re moving to Chicago.”
“That’s the detail I was working out.” Shoving his hands in his jeans pockets, he stood with his legs braced wide. “I figured there wasn’t much point to having all this money if I didn’t have anyone to share it with. So MatCorp and I did a trade that allows me to stay here to do my research.”
Joy swelled in her chest, making it hard to breathe. “What did you have to give them in return?”
“I’m paying to set up the lab.” He grinned. “With part of the money they paid me for V-Chem Industries.”
“Oh my God, we’re two of a kind. I was going to pay you for the HVAC system with the money from your foundation.”
In two strides he was in front of her. “That proves that we belong together,” he said.
The focused desire in his eyes was so intense that she had to look at the top button of his shirt. “Or that we’re a bad influence on each other.”
He took her hands. “There’s nothing I’d like more than for you to lead me astray.”
“Max, you’ve given up an awful lot.” She lifted her gaze to his face as guilt clutched at her. “What if this doesn’t work out?”
“Then I’ll have a state-of-the-art lab in the greatest city in the world.” The teasing light vanished from his face. “You know better than I do that there are no guarantees in this life, except for loss. If I stay here, I might lose you, but it will be my own damned fault. And it’s worth the happiness I’ll have with you before that happens. Whereas if I went to Chicago, it’s certain that I would lose you for no good reason except some business deal. The thought of that ripped my guts out.” She saw his chest expand as he took a deep breath before saying, “Because I love you. Not just six days’ worth, but for seven years.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this for me.” Her head was spinning with his logic and his declaration.
“That’s not what I wanted to hear.” He actually looked worried.
“Oh, Max.” She shook her hands loose from his and raised them
to frame his gorgeous face. “If we break up tomorrow, this moment, this joy, would make it worthwhile. But I plan to spend many, many days and nights leading you astray.”
She pulled his head down so she could kiss him, pouring her delight into the touch of their lips. “I love you so much,” she murmured against his mouth.
His arms swept around her, crushing her against him while he kissed her hair, her forehead, her eyebrows, her cheeks, before returning to her mouth. “I might do some leading astray as well.”
“As long as we both end up in the same place, that works for me.”
“Right now, the place I want to end up is inside you,” he said, his low voice rumbling beside her ear.
Her toes curled in her boots as his words spiraled downward to her belly, leaving a trail of fire behind them. “My office door locks.” She felt his body go tense and smiled. “However, I’m wearing long underwear.”
He was already striding to her door, where he punched in the lock and lowered the shade on the glass window. “If you think long underwear will even slow me down, you don’t know much about my determination.”
“Just don’t tear it.”
His jaw muscles flexed. “Woman, you are putting some very astray ideas in my head.”
And in her own. She gave him what she hoped was a seductive look. “Shall I clear off the desk?”
“Allow me.” He pushed her laptop to one side and then swept his forearm across the other side, sending pens, papers, and knickknacks flying.
Before she could object to his treatment of her possessions, he grabbed her waist and set her on the desk.
He took her head in his hands, holding it so she could see the emotion flaring in his eyes. “This is where I want to be,” he said. “You are my home.”
Epilogue
Ten days later
“Mommy, can we give Max his present now?” Izzy was vibrating with excitement. Emily looked at Max across the dining-room table where they’d just finished eating Christmas dinner. Happiness fluttered inside her at his presence in this room, when just ten days ago she’d thought she’d never see him again.
He raised his eyebrows at Izzy. “Wouldn’t you like your gifts first?”
“No, I want to give you yours.”
“Your generosity does you credit,” he said.
“You’re draggin’ it,” Izzy said with a grin.
“Izzy!” Emily had to squelch her smile.
“Translation?” Max asked.
“You’re exaggerating,” Izzy said. “Diego says it all the time. Well, probably not now, since he’s living with Violet. She’s like Mommy and doesn’t let him use slang.”
More happiness glowed through Emily as she pictured Diego sitting at the table with Violet, eating a hearty, homemade Christmas dinner with one of her famous pies for dessert. Somehow the woman who never raised her voice had induced Diego’s vicious, violent father to grant her guardianship of the boy.
“Okay, we’ll give Max his present,” Emily said, pushing her chair back to go with Izzy. She was nervous about her choice of gift. It was a little over the top.
Izzy already had the box closed up and was sticking the big bow on. “You better carry it,” she said. “I don’t want to drop it.”
Emily lifted the carton carefully and carried it into the living room. Max had started to clear the table, so she called him in as she put his gift down in front of a chair.
He came in, looking so delicious as he strode across the room in his dark red shirt and black trousers that she had to stand on her toes and kiss him.
His eyes lit up. “What was that for? I haven’t even given you your present yet.”
“It’s for being here and not in Chicago.”
He put his arms around her and held her for a long moment. “I can’t imagine being anyplace else.”
“Guys, the present!” Izzy said, her voice loud with impatience.
Max let her go and sat down where Izzy pointed. Emily was relieved to see that he gave Windy a pat when she came over to sniff at his gift.
“I hope this is okay,” Emily said.
“If you chose it, it will be perfect.” His voice was a caress.
Max leaned over and pulled off the bow. Then he flipped open the top of the box.
Up popped a small, furry brown-and-white head with one ear standing up and the other flopped over.
“A puppy?” Max’s face was a study in astonishment. The little dog licked Max’s hand where he still held the box. “You got me a puppy.” He reached for the dog, bringing the small creature up to cradle it against his chest. The puppy licked his chin.
“If you don’t want to take care of him, he can be a K-9 Angel at the center, but . . .”
Max just shook his head while he stroked the puppy, who was now chewing on the red bow tied around his neck. When Max finally looked up at Emily, his gaze was filled with amazed wonder. “You’ve given me a gift that I would have never given myself.”
She smiled. “Now you’re part of the K-9 Angelz project, too.”
Max laughed, but his attention had returned to the puppy. He kept touching the little creature as though he couldn’t quite believe it was his.
“His name’s Rocco, but he doesn’t really know it yet. So you could change it, if you want to,” Izzy explained. “He’s from the shelter. Mommy and I picked him out. His stuff is in my bedroom.”
Holding the puppy up in front of his face, Max said, “He looks like a Rocco to me.” The puppy licked his nose, and Max laughed and lowered the dog to his lap. “Does that mean he agrees?”
“Can I open my presents now?” Izzy bounced up and down on her knees.
Max was engrossed in the puppy, but he looked up. “By all means. I might have a vested interest in them.”
“What does that mean?” Izzy asked as she jumped to her feet and headed for the largest of the boxes Max had placed under the tree.
“That he will get something he wants because he gave you the gift,” Emily explained.
“That’s dope.” Izzy was ripping the paper off at high speed. She tore off one large piece and gasped. “It’s a sewing machine for kids! I can make my own clothes. This is the best gift ever!” A guilt-stricken look crossed her face. “I mean, except for my new cell phone. That’s the best gift ever, too.”
Emily laughed. “It’s okay, sweetie. You asked for the cell phone. This was a surprise.”
Izzy launched herself off the floor and over to Max, winding her arms around his neck from the side so she didn’t squash Rocco. “Thank you so much. Once I practice, I’m going to make you the most rad chemist outfit ever.”
Max freed one hand to touch Izzy’s cheek while pure happiness glowed on his face. “I’m counting on it. Now open the other big box.”
Izzy charged back to the tree and shredded the beautiful paper from the next box, lifting off the lid to spill bolts of brightly colored fabric across the rug. Her eyes and mouth went round with excitement as she riffled through the treasures. “This is poppin’.”
“Izzy!” Emily had reached her limit on the slang.
Her daughter just giggled as she held up a piece of cloth with blue-and-yellow swirls.
“One more,” Max said. “Then it’s your mom’s turn.”
Emily was about to protest that Max had already given her a present until she remembered that it wasn’t something Izzy should know about. In the privacy of her bedroom, he’d presented her with a silver box tied up with a huge taffeta bow. Inside were at least two dozen pairs of thigh-high stockings, which had made her laugh. Under those was a selection of filmy silk and lace lingerie, all exquisitely beautiful and highly improper.
“The Chemistry of Baking,” Izzy said, reading the title of the thick book she’d unwrapped. She flipped it open. “It’s a cookbook! For pies! And other stuff.” She turned to Max. “I thought it was going to be all sciencey, but this is do—great.”
He laughed. “I couldn’t help myself when I saw the title.”
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“’Cause you’re a chemist. I get it,” Izzy said.
Max met Emily’s gaze. “I’d present you with your gift, but I have an impediment.” Rocco was sprawled over Max’s lap like a rag doll, sound asleep.
“I’ll get it,” Izzy said, snatching up the flat package and bringing it to where Emily sat.
Emily looked at Max, who gave her a smile that held a nervous tightness. She untied the burgundy silk bow and peeled away the velvet-flocked paper. Flipping open the top, she folded back a layer of gold tissue paper.
It was a photograph of Max standing in front of a sleek white private jet and holding a hand-lettered sign in one hand while gesturing to the jet with the other.
“What does the sign say?” Izzy asked, leaning over her mother’s shoulder.
Emily lifted out the photo to read it. “‘Wherever you and Izzy want to go. (Except Chicago.)’”
“Why can’t we go to Chicago?” Izzy asked.
“Because I’ve developed a strong dislike of the city,” Max said, his tone dry. However, his eyes were locked on Emily.
She hugged the photo to her chest, beaming at him. “This is the best gift ever. Adventures together.” She held the picture out to examine it again. “And you look really handsome in front of a jet.”
“I’m very glad that you like the gift, because the jet is all fueled up and ready to leave.” He gently shook Rocco awake. The puppy yawned widely and jumped off Max’s lap.
“Now?” Emily stared at him. “But Windy . . . and Rocco. And the center.”
Max held up his phone. “The house sitter–slash–dog sitter is awaiting my call. And your second in command at the center has already met and approved two temporary helpers to take up the slack in your absence.”
“You mean we’re going somewhere right this second?” Izzy asked. “Like right now?”
“Well, I can allow you time to pack,” Max said.
Izzy began capering around the room. “We’re going on vacation!” She stopped. “Wait, do we pack winter or summer clothes?”
“That’s up to your mother,” Max said. “Although I have a couple of suggestions.”
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