Max could believe it all right, like it or not. Accusations and ugly confrontations were the last thing Lily Susan needed to deal with right now. “What did Ms. Angelica do?”
“She rallied fast, and kept it simple. Told everyone that if she was the blogger this was the first she’d heard about it. She thanked the press for the warm reception and offered an exclusive after being advised by her attorney about how to deal with Ms. Delmonico’s slander. Got some laughs, I can tell you.”
Max didn’t think Lily Susan would be laughing, and the urgency he felt to drop everything and find her made it nearly impossible to think straight. He told George to come in and write the story then handed the phone to the switchboard operator. He wanted to talk with Lily Susan and find out exactly what had happened so he could manage the coverage. Breaking news would be going live on his competitor’s websites soon.
Max didn’t care about breaking the story. He cared about damage control. He cared about Lily Susan. The Herald would be one news source with the plain facts because he knew the headlines would get sensational fast.
Wedding Angel confronted by ex-fiancé’s ex-fling.
The Wedding Angel’s desperate bid for attention.
Angel vs. Demon: live and uncensored.
He touched base with his editor-in-chief then headed to his car, trying Lily Susan’s cell. She didn’t pick up. So he made a few more phone calls as he drove the blocks toward her office. The last person to see her was Rosie when she’d gone into town to handle some problem with a vendor.
Joey was the only one in the family who’d heard about the confrontation. “Dad had to go pick up an order from the supply house, so he doesn’t know yet. If you find her, let me know. Everyone’s going to be worried if she doesn’t show up.”
“You got it,” Max said.
Her car wasn’t at her office, either.
Not sure what to do, Max drove toward Pleasant Valley by way of the cemetery. If she wasn’t there, then maybe she’d gone to Riley’s place. He knew the twins were staying with Rosie and Joe, so maybe she’d gone to the farm for some privacy.
One thing Max did know, he wasn’t heading home until he found her, so he called Claire and told her to take Madeleine down to dinner with his grandfather and whoever else may be eating in tonight. He’d try to make it home for their bedtime story but couldn’t promise.
Lily Susan wasn’t in the cemetery, either, but he found her when some uncanny sense of premonition prompted him to glance in his rearview mirror as he was cruising through the Valley.
Her rental car was parked behind Chick’s Tavern.
Chick’s in the Valley was a hole-in-the-wall tavern that had been around as far back as Max could remember. Long enough to become sort of a Pleasant Valley institution, where anyone who lived in the area had passed through at some time or another. Chick knew everyone in town and everyone knew Chick. Max didn’t think anyone had a clue what his real first name was.
Max fired off a text to Joey before he went inside.
Found her. Tell everyone not to worry. She’s with me.
He didn’t mention where she was. Since the hardware store was down the block, he assumed that parking behind Chick’s meant she didn’t want to be found.
Max found Lily Susan sitting in a dark corner alone, long hair tumbling around her shoulders and practically glowing in the low light. She leaned back in the chair, twirling the stem of a wineglass in her hand. An ice bucket held a bottle of champagne.
“Hey,” he said quietly, not to be overheard by the happy-hour patrons looking to start the weekend. “You good?”
She glanced up at him as if she wasn’t at all surprised to find him standing here.
“I’m toasting my life. Would you like to toast with me?” She didn’t wait for a reply, but hopped up and headed toward the bar, noticeably unsteady. “Chick, I need another glass.”
The balding, middle-age man who owned the place set a glass down on the bar with a barely perceptible nod. Lily Susan was smiling, however, when she headed back to Max.
She didn’t sit down, but reached for the bottle. Max got there first.
“Please, allow me.” Pulling the bottle from the ice, he checked to see how much was left. A lot more than he’d expected.
“Are you working on your second bottle?”
“God, no.” She bent over enough so he got a prime glimpse of the smooth swell of her breasts as her neckline dipped, and whispered, “It’s awful. Like my life. I’m sorry.”
Max didn’t like the sound of that at all. This whole situation was ripe for disaster. He had no clue how long ago she’d gotten here. He did know that she was big news right now, and if she’d been thinking clearly, she wouldn’t be running the risk of having photos of her drinking at the local watering hole splashed all over the news.
He had no way of knowing whether or not anyone in the bar was with the press or if anyone might have recognized her. Instead of pouring himself a glass, he grabbed the bucket.
“Let’s toast in private.” He steered her toward the bar. “Chick, anyone in your back room?”
Chick inclined his head at the swinging doors that led to the kitchen and the rear entrance. “All yours.”
Lily Susan didn’t resist when Max shouldered open the door then held it open while she strolled through. The private room was used for small local meetings, card games and the like. He got Lily Susan inside and pulled the door shut behind them.
Setting the ice bucket on the table, he filled his glass. “So what are we celebrating about your life?”
“What a spectacular failure I am.”
Max discovered a few things then. Lily Susan had been impacted by the confrontation with her ex’s fling and she was a serious lightweight in the drinking department.
“I won’t argue spectacular.” He sat next to her at the table. “But I’ll argue the failure part.”
“That’s very nice of you, Max. So we’ll toast you, too. That’s the kind thing to do. Cheers to Max Downey, loving, responsible, loyal and general all-around nice guy. Hear, hear.” Raising her glass, she saluted him and sipped.
Max was glad to hear she had a decent opinion of his character. That was something to add to their chemistry. Respect. All good so far. Sinking back in his chair, he brought the glass to his lips and sipped. “This is bad.”
“I know. It’s all Chick had. I’m guessing he doesn’t do a whole lot of toasting.”
Max could say the same about Lily Susan. “I heard what happened at the recording studio.”
She gulped deeply this time, thick, dark lashes fluttering shut as she pulled a face. “Mom could pickle beets in this.”
“Are you okay?”
“Just ducky, thanks.”
“I’d like to help however I can.”
She grinned. “That’s nice of you. We should toast again.”
“Not necessary.” His fingers brushed her hand, grazing skin against skin, and directed her glass back to the table. “You might pickle your insides if you drink much more.”
“No arguments there.”
“Do you have any idea why people would think you’re the blogger?”
“No clue. I don’t know how the press knew. I don’t know how anyone knew where I was. I don’t know anything anymore.”
The press part Max could guess since the ex-fling had already proven she liked media attention. “Why were you down at a recording studio? I thought you were on vacation.”
“I was. This is all your fault, Max Downey. You and your stupid wedding.” She scowled with great animation, and Max decided he would get her tipsy again sometime. On good champagne. A picnic at the river, maybe. Champagne, even the bad stuff, broke through Lily Susan’s polished veneer until there was nothing left but a lovely woman who was candid and funny and so very, very real.
“What does my stupid wedding have to do with why you were downtown on your vacation?”
“Because of your stupid entertainment. Mara couldn’t
go to contract because nobody wants to work on Thanksgiving Day and the only band we could get was from a B-list company so I had to hear them—how could I not?—and they happened to be in town today, so I went even though I was supposed to be on vacation.”
All that on one long, exasperated breath. Max couldn’t help smiling. “I guess it is my fault then. I’m very sorry.”
“Oh, I’ll bet you are.”
“I am. I’m a loving, responsible, loyal and general all-around nice guy, remember.”
“I know. You’re Mr. Perfect as far as my parents are concerned. They approve of you.” She narrowed her gaze and pursed her mouth in disapproval. “They’d probably approve of me, too, if I brought you home.”
It took Max a moment to make sense of that, and his heart began to pound with a slow, hard beat. “Who wants you to bring me home? Your parents?”
“Oh, please. Don’t act like Mr. Innocent. I know you’re in on this whole thing. Mom admitted it.”
“Admitted what? That you want to bring me home?”
“Not me. Joey. He told them. Well, Mom anyway.”
Max shook his head, as if he could shake loose a few brain cells and understand what she was talking about. “Joey told your mom what exactly?”
“That we have chemistry.”
Max couldn’t imagine Joey ever using those words, but he could imagine Joey figuring out that something was up between them. “And your parents approve of me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Max. You’re more a part of my family than I am. Didn’t you get the memo? Everyone loves Max. And now everyone is worried about you. ‘Don’t hurt Max.’ Like I’m some sort of…Brazilian runway model.” She shoved the glass away so fast that he caught it while tipping over. Then she dropped her face down onto her outstretched arm and heaved a dramatic sigh that ruffled the silky hair covering her face.
“I don’t think you’re a Brazilian runway model.” He wrapped his fingers around hers and gave a reassuring squeeze. “And no one needs to worry about me. I’m ducky.”
“Maybe you should tell them that because I don’t think they got the memo.”
“You could bring me home and make everyone happy. What do you think of that idea?”
“What…about making me happy?”
“You’ll be happy, too.”
She tugged her hand from his and brushed aside enough hair to stare him down through one eye. “You sound sure of yourself.”
“I am. Because what we feel for each other doesn’t come along every day. I think you’ll agree. We’d be foolish not to give us a chance to see where we can go.”
“Us.” The word fluttered out on a breathy sigh, a sound that managed to reveal everything she wasn’t saying. It seemed she liked the way it sounded as much as he did. “How can there be any us? I’m leaving in a few weeks.”
“I recognize the situation presents some challenges, and I don’t have any answers about how to resolve the logistical problems. But I know how I feel, Lily Susan.”
She didn’t reply, was silent so long that he would have thought she’d fallen asleep if not for the sidelong gaze that didn’t waver. “It’s a fantasy, Max. Fantasy doesn’t translate into reality. Trust me, I know. That’s my area of expertise.”
“You create fantasies.”
“I do. But they only last a day then my couples have to go off and live their real lives. They have to live their vows. Or choose not to. That’s the reality.”
“You can bring fantasy into reality, Lily Susan. Look at what you’ve done with your work. When you want something, you make it happen.”
“I don’t know what I want anymore.”
“You do. You want me.”
She blinked, once, twice, looked so startled that for a split second he questioned whether he’d imagined the awareness between them, made it up because he wanted her so much.
“Oh, God, who told you?” She sat upright. He didn’t get a chance to reply. “It was Joey. I know it was. That rat. No wonder Mom is all like, ‘Oh, you’ve always had a crush on him and he knows it so be nice to him, Lily Susan. Don’t hurt him, Lily Susan.’ She thinks I’m a Brazilian runway model with no moral center.”
Alcohol-fueled passion animated her beautiful features. Max wasn’t interested in the vulnerable part—except to appreciate Rosie’s concern for him. Or the moral part, either. But the crush part… “You’ve always had a crush on me?”
“Nothing is sacred anymore, honestly. You’d think family counted for something, wouldn’t you?”
“You’d think.” He brought the glass to his lips, taking a swig that singed like acid all the way down.
Her family secret had been safe because he hadn’t a clue, hadn’t once suspected. He’d thought this awareness was a purely adult occurrence, but it didn’t really matter when it had begun. He was right, and that was all he was interested in. She wanted him. He wanted her.
No matter how hard she tried to avoid him, the simple fact was that she did feel something for him. And had for a lot longer than he’d realized.
There was hope.
His phone vibrated and he glanced quickly at the display, knowing he would ignore anyone but his daughter right now.
Scott.
He glanced at the wild blond beauty staring daggers at him and knew he couldn’t ignore this call. He couldn’t help smiling when he said, “I’ll be right back.”
He had the phone to his ear before the door shut behind him. “I thought you were supposed to be honeymooning.”
Scott laughed. “Yeah, well, made the mistake of checking my email. Joey told me she’s with you. How’s she holding up?”
“Fairly well, all things considered.”
“Riley will be relieved. Listen, Max, there’s not much I can do from up here, so I’ve called the chief. He’s going to start the wheels turning. Someone has been leaking Lily Susan’s whereabouts since she got back to town. Now there’s this accusation she’s the blogger. The woman who had a cease-and-desist letter drafted got information from somewhere.”
Max leaned against the wall, grateful for this family that looked out for each other, grateful to be a part of it. Maybe not a real part like Scott was. The thought made him smile. “What can I do?”
“If you want protection for Lily Susan, we can do that. But the rest, well, we’re talking FBI. Internet crime is their jurisdiction. The chief is on the phone now getting things rolling.”
Max tried to put aside everything he felt—surprise, hope, worry. He needed to think clearly. “I don’t have any indicator that she’s in any physical danger. I’ll keep her with me for a while to be on the safe side. Sound good?”
“Sounds good. I’ll be in touch when I hear something.”
“Don’t work too hard. This is Riley’s last vacation. Ever.”
Scott laughed and ended the call. Max was about to step inside the room when the doors to the bar swung open and Chick appeared.
“Thought you’d want to know that two reporters from the Poughkeepsie Journal showed up asking about the celebrity you’re hiding in there,” he said. “They heard she was driving a MINI-Cooper and wanted to know if that’s hers in the back. They saw the rental plates.”
Max slid the phone into the case. “Thanks for the heads-up. Can you keep them entertained while I get her out?”
“You got it.”
“The bill—”
Chick waved a dish towel dismissively. “On the house. Don’t keep champagne in the inventory. That was a gift someone left one Christmas.”
A decade or so ago from the taste of it. “You’re a gentleman and a scholar, Chick.”
Chick furrowed his bristly brows and tried to look mean. “Get her out of here. I’ll keep them at the bar.”
Max pushed the door open and found Lily Susan leaning back in the chair with her eyes closed. “We’ve got company,” he said. “The press.”
Her expression melted into one of pure horror and she was pushing away from the table. Even tip
sy she knew this drill. “Can we get out the back?”
Slipping a hand around her elbow, he steadied her. “Yes. I’ll drive. We’ll come back tomorrow and pick up your car. Chick will take care of it.”
She hurried along beside him down the hallway, all humor gone. It wasn’t until she was safely inside his car, hunkered down in the seat, that she asked, “Are you taking me home?”
“No. You’re still a little looped on bad champagne.”
“I’m an adult, Max, not fifteen. You can’t threaten to tell my parents.”
He remembered that incident, but before he got a chance to respond, she pressed a hand to her forehead. “Oh, dang. The twins are there. You’re right. I shouldn’t go home. They might notice I’m not right, and what kind of example would I be setting for them?”
Max liked that she’d considered that. But he was actually more worried about the press. They could easily find her parents’ address online.
“Don’t worry, Lily Susan, you’re coming with me. I know the perfect place to hide.”
“Overlook?”
He glanced at this woman who’d come to mean everything to him—a woman who, by her own admission, had had feelings for him for a very long time. “I want you to trust me.”
Meeting his gaze, she considered him. “Are you sure you have my best interests at heart?”
“I do.” And he’d never meant anything more.
He’d known he wanted to pursue how he felt for her, hadn’t known where that pursuit would lead, since she’d soon be leaving town. But Max was going to figure out how to make this work, because what he wanted from Lily Susan had nothing to do with temporary. And what Lily Susan wanted—whether or not she was willing to be honest—had everything to do with him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“LILY SUSAN, we’re here.”
Max’s voice roused Lily. She must have dozed because she opened her eyes to find the car coming to a stop. The faint glow of the dashboard gave way to darkness when he turned off the ignition. He turned toward her, his face all pale angles in the shadows, somehow unfamiliar. Or maybe it was drowsiness that made her feel this way.
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