The Better Man (Chicago Sisters)

by Amy Vastine

  She led them down a short hall to her room and left them alone. Kendall shut the door and paced around. The tears she’d been fighting flowed freely. “I’m failing Simon. They won’t listen to me.”

  Max shook his head. “You aren’t failing Simon. I think they hear what you’re saying, but are you hearing them?”

  “They want to kick him out of school.”

  “They want to help him.”

  “They think I screwed him up. They think I baby him. They think I’m a bad mom.”

  In the middle of her complete meltdown, Max grabbed her and kissed her. His lips gently caressed hers as his hands released her arms and slipped around her waist. Pulling her closer against him, she felt her own arms wrap around his neck.

  When it came to an end, he continued to hold her in a tight embrace. Their noses still touched. Kendall had to remember to breathe. That was the best first kiss she’d ever had. Her entire body felt like it was filled with jelly.

  “You are the best mom for Simon. No one loves him more than you do. Those people in there would never argue with that. You know what he wants and needs better than anyone.”

  “He wants a smaller class. And more time with the social worker,” she said, remembering their conversation from the other night.

  Max smiled. “See.”

  “You kissed me,” she said, still a little lightheaded from it.

  “You looked like you needed it.”

  Kendall busted out laughing. He’d rid her of her nerves, that was for sure. One hand cradled her face as his thumb gently caressed her cheek. He kissed her once more, a short and sweet peck.

  “That one was for me. Come on, let’s finish up this meeting and get some food. I didn’t eat breakfast this morning.” He held out his hand. Their fingers threaded together and she wanted to believe she wasn’t going to end up alone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “WHY ARE YOU smiling like that?” Joanna asked as she mixed another disgusting kale smoothie in Max’s blender.

  Max had been smiling a lot. He couldn’t stop. There was a lot to be happy about lately. The restaurant opened tonight, he had a very successful arbitration meeting with Katie, and a few pleasantly unsupervised visits with Aidan. Father and son had had a dinner date at the Rainforest Cafe with Grandma Jordan, a play date with Simon and Simon’s car collection, and a visit to Lincoln Park Zoo for a couple of hours. Not once did Aidan cry for his mom to stay when she dropped him off.

  Kendall, however, was the reason for this particular smile. She had texted him a picture of her and Simon holding a sign that said, “Every time you eat at Sato’s, an angel gets its wings!” They had drawn angels flying around the words and the address at the bottom. Kendall promised to post a copy of it on every street corner between their house and the restaurant.

  The blender stopped whirling.

  “When are you going back to Portland?” As much as he appreciated his mother’s support, especially when she’d first gotten here, he was ready for her to go home. He was tired of sleeping on the couch and having no room in his refrigerator because of her fruits and vegetables.

  “I kind of like it here. I have several reasons to stay.”

  “I have several reasons why you should go.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Be nice to me. I don’t have to stay here. I mean, I like it here in Chicago. You’re here. My grandson is here. I like Kendall and her family.”

  The last one gave him pause. “Her family?”

  Joanna took a drink of her smoothie instead of clarifying. Kendall’s family included a lot of people. One Montgomery, in particular. Max couldn’t be bothered with that today. He had a lot to do to make sure the restaurant was going to be ready to go this evening when they opened for business.

  “Well, if you’re moving here, you’ll have to start looking for your own place. No one is ever going to marry me if I live with my mother.”

  “Marry?” His mother perked right up. “You’d consider getting married again?”

  “Not anytime soon, but yes. I’d like to get married again. To the right person this time.”

  “You know that makes me want to move here even more, don’t you?”

  Max shook his head. He couldn’t figure out what version of herself she’d be if she moved here. Doting mother and grandmother? That would be...interesting.

  “Chicago is a great city. Move here if you want to, but I want my bed back.”

  “I can sleep on the couch, you big baby.”

  “Right, like I’m going to be the guy that makes his mom sleep on the couch.”

  “You’re the guy who kicks her out of your house,” she teased.

  Max rolled his eyes and headed for the bathroom to get ready for the day. Today was hopefully the day many, many angels would be getting their wings.

  * * *

  SATO’S WAS READY for business. No detail had been overlooked. The bar was properly stocked. The chef was a madman but a genius in the kitchen. The handpicked staff was pumped up for opening night. Max was proud of what he had helped accomplish. Sato’s was going to be the most talked about restaurant in the city after tonight. He’d done a ton of promotion via social media and in the local newspapers. The reservations had been coming in all week. It was going to be an amazing opening.

  Kendall and her family were due in around seven. He’d reserved the very best table for them. They were close to her mural and he made sure his best waiter was working that section. Kendall and Owen had a lot to be proud of, as well. From the fabric on the banquette to the chandelier that hung in the reception area, their design helped make Sato’s the chic, contemporary restaurant Mr. Sato had envisioned. Celebrating with Kendall would be the perfect ending to the first day of this new beginning.

  Twenty minutes before the doors opened, Jin arrived, dressed to the nines and ready to work the room. Max had been trying to do as Mr. Sato asked. Of course, mentoring would be a lot easier if the mentee wanted it. Jin still had a hard time admitting he didn’t know it all. Every time Max took a moment out of his busy schedule to explain something, young Mr. Sato would roll his eyes and make some snide comment. Kendall’s wise suggestion had been to think of mentoring Jin as good practice for parenting teenagers.

  “Did you want to say anything to the staff when I get them all together before we open?” Max asked him as he jotted down some last-minute notes.

  “What would I need to say? Shouldn’t they be ready?” He didn’t even look up from his phone, which always held his interest better than anything Max had to say.

  “It would be your chance to thank them and to build a positive morale.”

  “Why would I thank them before they do their job?”

  “Many of them have been working all week getting this place ready to go. All of them have put in several hours of training and learning the menu. Thanking them before we open encourages them to continue working hard and makes you look like a good guy.” And Jin needed all the help he could get to look like a good guy.

  “Fine.”

  “I also moved your father’s table to the west room and will make sure we have space for him and your mom at the sushi bar if he wants.”

  “Well, aren’t you going to be my father’s favorite. Congratulations,” Jin said sarcastically.

  Max set his pen down. Resting his elbows on his desk, he folded his hands together in front of him. “All right, I’ve had enough of your attitude. You don’t like me. You also think you’re ready to run a restaurant like this all on your own. Well, it doesn’t matter if you like me or not. I don’t care. I can also tell you that you aren’t ready to manage a restaurant of this caliber by yourself. If you want to run a successful restaurant someday, I suggest you get over your hurt feelings and listen to the things I tell you.”

  “I graduated from one of the
most prestigious business schools in the country. I don’t think there’s anything someone who didn’t even go to college can teach me.”

  Jin thought that slam would hurt, but Max had heard it all before. He didn’t need a college degree. He had learned how to run a restaurant by working in one since he was a kid. He’d been in the business longer than he hadn’t. Business school didn’t teach you how to estimate the weekly supply needs or how to smooth-talk an unhappy customer. Those things had to be learned outside the classroom.

  This wasn’t about who was smarter. This was about Jin thinking his father didn’t believe in him. Max knew all about daddy issues.

  “Your dad asked me to help you so he could give you your own restaurant someday. If you don’t want my help, that’s fine by me. Can you go ignore me somewhere else, though? I have some work to do.”

  “He said that?”

  Finally, something struck a chord with this kid. “He said all of it.”

  “He wants to give me my own restaurant?”

  “When he thinks you’re ready, yes.”

  “All I have to do is listen to you?”

  Max sighed, exasperated. “Yes. All you have to do is listen to me. Knock that chip off your shoulder and listen to me. Then you’ll get what you want.”

  “Why didn’t my father just say that? He acts like I should know what he wants from me. He says, ‘You have much to learn,’ but he doesn’t say, ‘Listen to Max and I’ll give you a restaurant to run.’ I thought he was punishing me.”

  “I’m no expert on fathers. But yours has done nothing but give you opportunity after opportunity. Take advantage of them and learn something instead of simply taking advantage.”

  Jin put his phone away and smirked. “I do hate you, Mr. Jordan. But I’ll listen to what you say. Then I’ll run my own restaurant that will make more money than yours, and all will be right with the world.”

  Max chuckled. Jin could believe anything he wanted if it meant he wouldn’t be such a thorn in Max’s side. “Good luck with that.” He rose to his feet. “But let’s go get this one up and running first.”

  * * *

  SMOOTH WAS THE word of the day. Everything was running smoothly. People were coming in the door, food was getting to the tables, money was filling the register. Max worked the room the best he could, spending a little extra time at one table in particular.

  “How’s the sushi?” Max asked Simon, who was busy putting a whole piece in his mouth.

  “It’s very good,” Kendall’s dad replied.

  “The shrimp avocado is to die for,” Emma said, picking up another piece with her chopsticks.

  “Do you know where you get your edamame from? Our waiter wasn’t sure.” Jon, their waiter, had told Max all about Lucy and her questions. She apparently had a thousand of them.

  “All our produce is purchased from a local wholesaler. I can get you more information if you’d like.”

  “You should consider having some organic options,” Lucy suggested.

  “I love that idea.” He glanced at Kendall who was trying not to laugh. “So, what’s Simon’s favorite?”

  Owen pointed at the half-empty plate. “He’s been eating the California rolls like they’re going out of style.”

  “You like crab, huh?”

  Simon’s eyes bugged out and he immediately spit out what was in his mouth.

  Kendall grimaced, handing him a napkin. “We didn’t tell him what was in them for a reason.”

  “Sorry.” Max failed to hold in his laughter. “How about I get him a chicken kabob since I ruined sushi for him?”

  Simon nodded, grabbing for his water. “Yes please!”

  He found their waiter and had him add a complimentary kabob. When Max turned to go back to talk to Kendall some more, two patrons seated by the window caught his attention. The image of his mother sitting with Paul Montgomery made his blood boil. He stormed over there, unable to control his rage.

  “What in the world are you doing here with him?”

  Joanna set down her menu and smiled up at her son. “We came to see what you’ve done with the restaurant.”

  Max refused to even look at her companion. He couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. “He can’t eat here. He’s not welcome.”

  “Max.”

  “I’m serious. We have the right to refuse service. I want him to leave.”

  “Maxwell.”

  “I can’t believe you would even sit with him.”

  “Your father is going to have dinner with me at your restaurant, or we’re both leaving.”

  Paul set his napkin on his plate and raked a hand through his hair. “Joanna, I don’t want to make a scene.”

  Max’s blood pressure skyrocketed. “You don’t want to make a scene? You abandoned her when she needed you the most and now you’re going to sit here thirty-four years later and eat sushi with her?”

  “He’s your father, like it or not,” Joanna argued. “He’s here to support you.”

  “He’s not my father.”

  She cocked an eyebrow and lowered her voice. “Since when does being a father have a time limit?”

  Max wanted to scream at her for using his own words against him like that. It wasn’t the same. What happened with Max, Katie and Aidan was not the same as when Paul chose his family over him and Joanna. He had to get out of there before he did something stupid. He ran for the kitchen and the safety of his office. He picked up his stapler and threw it against the wall.

  A knock on the door stopped him from doing the same with his pen holder. “Hey.” Kendall poked her head in.

  He sat on the edge of his desk and scrubbed his face with his hands. What in the world was his mother trying to do to him?

  Kendall shut the door. She stood in front of him and pulled his hands away. “That didn’t go well.”

  He took a deep breath and tried to focus on Kendall’s face and nothing else. “Did you know he was coming here tonight?”

  “No clue. If you hadn’t confronted them so loudly, I’m not sure I would have known he was here at all.”

  It was a little comforting to know he wasn’t the only one who’d been blindsided. She placed her hands on his face and gently placed her lips against his. The kiss was so soft, his whole body relaxed.

  “What was that for?” he asked when she pulled away.

  She shrugged one shoulder. “You make me nervous when you’re so upset. Kissing you is my thing, remember?”

  Her answer made him half smile. He stood up and retrieved his stapler, setting it back on his desk. There was a nice indentation in the wall where it had hit. “How loud was I?”

  Those kissable lips twisted up while she thought about it. “Loud enough.”

  Max dug his fingers through his hair. “Great.” Thank goodness Mr. Sato was in the west dining room and hopefully not in earshot of his outburst. “I just can’t understand how she can share a meal with him. And I can’t believe she thought I would be okay with them being here tonight.”

  Kendall frowned. “Your mom is a big girl. She gets to choose who to forgive. She also said she knew he was married when she got involved with him, which means she didn’t go into their relationship blindly. She was taking a risk and she knew it.”

  “So, you’re siding with him?” Max took a step back. “He told her he was married, so it was okay to leave me behind?”

  Kendall shook her head. “I am not taking anyone’s side. I also don’t condone anything Paul did.”

  “I can’t forgive him,” Max said, reaching for her again. Having her close made him feel better.

  “You also get to choose who you forgive. Or not forgive, in this case.”

  “I choose not.”

  “But,” Kendall began.

  He
let go of her. He didn’t want to hear what was coming next. “No buts.”

  She held up one finger. “One but, and it’s a big one.” Max shook his head. There was nothing in this world that would make him forgive Paul for deserting him. Kendall continued anyway. “He is Simon’s grandfather. He will always be part of Simon’s life, of my life. You haven’t wanted to talk about it, but now I think I need to know if you can handle that.”

  “His relationship with Simon means nothing to me.”

  “So, when Simon has his birthday party in a couple of months and Paul’s invited, should I not bother sending you an invite?”

  This wasn’t easy to answer. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to be in Kendall’s life. That was indisputable. Simon was a nonnegotiable bonus. Max couldn’t have one without the other. Paul was something altogether different. Could Max accept that Kendall and Simon had to have a relationship with him? Probably. If there was ever a Max, Kendall and Simon, could he accept Paul as part of his family? That answer was less certain.

  Letting out a breathy sigh, he said, “Simon and I could celebrate separately.”

  “What about Thanksgiving? Christmas? Paul has no one. I have to invite him. Simon’s going to want his Uncle Max there, too. What about that?”

  Suddenly, his mother having one meal with the guy seemed like much less of a problem. Historically, Max had spent his holidays working. Work allowed him to keep everyone from getting too close. That all changed when he moved to Chicago. Kendall opened him up, and being vulnerable was more than uncomfortable. He pushed back a little. “I feel like you’re telling me I have to forgive him.”

  “I’m not telling you anything,” she said, holding her hands up. “This is the reality of our situation. You can be mad. You can hate him. But he is eating dinner with your mother tonight. He will be sitting at my dining room table at Thanksgiving. He’ll be at Simon’s birthday party this year and the next and the next. You can’t refuse to deal with him without removing yourself from key parts of my life, of Simon’s life.”

  She was right and it made him crave a cigarette. Old habits had a way of refusing to die. Hating his father had become somewhat of a habit. A destructive habit like smoking. One he feared he’d always struggle to overcome if he tried to quit it.