With the First Goodbye (Thirty-Eight Book 5)

by Len Webster

  “You didn’t?”

  Ally dropped her hand with a shake of her head. “I came to see how you were and ask if you wanted to come to PJ’s tonight? We’re celebrating Robbie being world champion. So will you please come celebrate with us? Stevie will be there. And where Stevie is … Julian is, too.”

  “You mean your brother-in-law?”

  Her new boss’ shoulders sagged. “Yeah. The title has gone to his head. So what do you say? See you at PJ’s at seven?”

  Josie opened her mouth to oppose. She had a ton of reading to do and cases to start making notes on for her final assignments. “I would love to but—”

  “Max will be there.”

  “Ally, Max is my tutor,” she stated, downplaying whatever romantic notions Ally had in mind. “Nothing’s going on between us. We’re friends. Nothing more.”

  Ally’s grin faded into a slanted smile. “Well, if you just wanna hang out with me and Stevie, you should come. No pressure. And I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with my ‘you like Max’ accusations. I just think if you did, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. He’s a great guy. I actually like the idea of you and Max.”

  “Ally, you ready to talk paperwork?” a man interrupted as he entered the kitchen.

  The former socialite glanced over her shoulder. “Sure. I’m ready, Adam.” Her focus returned to Josie. “No pressure about tonight. But I know Stevie is looking forward to seeing you.”

  “Thanks for the invite,” Josie said, not wanting to commit her attendance. She didn’t want Max to think she was stalking him, and she didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable with her presence.

  “I’ll be back. I’ll finalise this ownership transfer, and then we can catch up.” Ally spun around and made her way to the door.

  When Josie was alone in the kitchen, she unlocked her phone and read Max’s message.

  Max: Josephine, I promise, your education is a priority of mine. So please don’t think I’m avoiding you tonight. As I said, you’re important to me. But so is Rob. He and Ally, as well as Stevie and Julian, are back. They’re celebrating tonight at PJ’s. You should come, too. Be my plus one, Josie. I promise, this weekend I’ll tutor you until you get bored of me.

  “You don’t play fair, Max,” she whispered to herself, unsure of where she’d be tonight.

  “I’m going to kill you!” Julian Moors yelled loud enough to have the indie band stop playing. Letting out a sigh, Max set his pint of Guinness down and faced his best friend.

  “Okay?”

  “Where is she?”

  “Where is who?”

  “Orchid!” Julian growled.

  Rob’s burst of laughter boomed behind him, and Max couldn’t help but join along. He quickly cleared his throat and composed himself. “Orchid?”

  “Yes. Where is she?”

  “Your plant?”

  Julian nodded, annoyance flared in his light blue eyes. “Where is Orchid the orchid?”

  “Maybe she got plant-napped?”

  Julian straightened his spine and then shook his head. “I didn’t find a ransom note.”

  Max chuckled as he picked up his beer and let out a breath of air. “Maybe you didn’t look hard enough.”

  “Seriously, Max, I won’t be able to convince Stephanie that I can take care of a dog if you’ve killed … Did you kill Orchid?”

  After a sip from his pint, Max set the glass down and turned to face his best friend. “I didn’t kill your plant child.”

  “Then what did you do with her?”

  “How do we even know your orchid is a girl?”

  “Because I couldn’t tell if it was either. Apparently, orchids can be both or something, so I chose a girl. If Orchid turns out to be a boy, I’ll still be a proud mother,” Julian said.

  “Mother?” That was when Max burst out laughing.

  “What?”

  Rob’s loud sigh caught his attention. “Julian, Max didn’t kidnap your plant.”

  “Then who did, Rob? Who did? We need to report this!” Julian pointed at Max. “We need to know what Max did.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Max said, defending himself from his best friend’s accusation.

  Max was no longer a lawyer. Instead, he was a suspected plant-napper.

  “Stevie, can you please put a stop to this?” Rob pleaded.

  Julian set a palm to his chest. “Blondie, no. No. I love you, remember? I was just joking when I said I didn’t love you. Please don’t tell me you did it.”

  Stevie pushed past Rob and covered the hand on her fiancé’s chest with hers. “I go to the bathroom for one minute, and you’re accusing Max of murdering your plant. Julian, you overreact so easily. I put Orchid in Clara’s room because there was no decent sunlight on the balcony. It’s on her window seat.”

  Max watched as Julian cupped the side of Stevie’s face with his free hand. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You’ve been sleeping all day. You’re terrible with jet lag. Now, apologise to Max for calling him a kidnapper and a murderer.” Stevie pulled away from Julian, turned, and offered Max an apologetic smile.

  Julian rubbed the back of his neck with his palm. “Sorry, Max. It’s just when you’re a mother, you—”

  “Apology accepted,” Max said, interrupting Julian before he could give Max a speech about maternal instincts.

  “Julian, you’re such an idiot,” Rob muttered.

  Julian’s lips spread into a large grin. “Ever since you became world champion, you’ve been even more gracious with your compliments, Robbie.”

  “Speaking of celebrations,” Ally said, adding herself to the conversation. “Can we celebrate?”

  Max peeked over to see the smile on Rob’s face. He had never seen his best friend so happy, so content before. After everything he and Ally went through, and everything they were both about to sacrifice, it had worked out in the end for them.

  Rob became the Men’s Single Scull World Champion.

  Ally got a new kidney and was no longer a socialite.

  They were now happily married.

  “Hey, Max,” Ally said.

  Max pushed off the bench, leant over, and kissed her cheek. “Hey, Ally. And congratulations on marrying my best friend over here. Now, let me buy you both a drink.”

  “Max, you don’t have to—” Ally started.

  “No, I insist. So when is this actual wedding?” Max spotted Mitch, the bartender, and waved him over.

  When Mitch reached them, he nodded at everyone but smiled at Ally, his former employee. “Hey, Max. Tiff pour your beer all right?”

  “She did,” he confirmed. “Can we please get Rob a Guinness and a Sprite for Ally?”

  “No worries,” Mitch said as he reached for a glass.

  “Say, Mitchy,” Julian said.

  Max turned his head to find Julian leaning on the oak counter staring at the bartender. Mitch had been the bartender at PJ’s on Southbank for years, so Mitch was very familiar with Julian’s antics.

  “Yes, Julian?” Mitch didn’t even look up as he poured the beer.

  “How come Rob is allowed back in this pub? Did you or did you not ban him?”

  Mitch set Rob’s Guinness on the bar and grabbed another glass for Ally’s Sprite. “I did ban Rob,” he confirmed as he added ice to the glass and brought the soft drink dispenser nozzle to Ally’s glass.

  “So why is he allowed back in? I stood on the counter and wasn’t allowed within two metres of it. I had to shout my orders at you until you got tired of me yelling.”

  Once Mitch filled the glass with Sprite and dropped a slice of lemon in it, he handed the glass to Ally with a smile. Not one of the usual smiles Mitch gave to other female patrons. Instead, it was a friendly smile. “I love Ally like a sister. So if she’s happy, I’m happy. As much as Rob pissed me off, he came to his damn senses and married her. But that doesn’t mean I’m not afraid to punch him in the face again if he hurts her. Kidney or not.”

  Ally’s ki
dney transplant was kept from the media. In fact, she only allowed a small few to know. She didn’t want the attention to fall back on her, and she knew Rob didn’t need it either.

  “Max, want me to put it on your tab?” Mitch asked him.

  He nodded and sculled back the rest of his Guinness. “Thanks, Mitch.” Once Max set the glass down, he spun around and faced the newly married couple. “Congrats again, World Champ.” Then he smiled at Ally. “Mrs World Champ.”

  “You’re leaving,” Ally said, sadly. Almost as if she was disappointed.

  Max shook his head. “Just gotta step outside for a minute. I’ll be back. Your husband may be the single scull world champion, but I think Julian and I could scull back a beer faster than he can.”

  Rob shook his head. “Can’t drink like I used to now, Max.”

  He winced. “The kidney?”

  Ally’s eyes fell to her drink.

  Her husband wrapped an arm around her and brought her to his side. “The kidney,” he confirmed proudly as he pressed a kiss to his wife’s temple.

  “Save all the lovely sentiment till I get back.”

  “Will do,” Julian said over his shoulder. Then he returned his attention to Mitch. “But seriously, why isn’t he still banned?”

  “Julian, stop trying to get your brother banned from PJ’s!” Stevie scolded.

  Laughing, Max made his way away from his group of friends. He loved them all like family. They had all grown up together. But Max was the only single one left. It used to be the five of them, but it had dwindled to just him.

  Alex Lawrence was engaged to Keira Perkins and had a baby with her in New York.

  Noel Parker married Alex’s little sister, Clara Lawrence, and they lived together in Boston.

  Julian Moors returned after years of living in Sydney and was reunited with Stevie Appleton. They had spent years apart after their spontaneous romance in Thailand. Now they were engaged and lived together.

  And Rob Moors recently eloped with Ally O’Connor in New York when they had visited her specialist before the Rowing World Championships.

  Max Sheridan was the last one standing.

  He had wanted love more than some of his friends.

  But Max knew he didn’t deserve love.

  Not after everything he had done to Alex and Noel behind their backs.

  Someday soon, he had to tell them.

  He should have told them at Noel’s wedding.

  Face to face.

  But Max was too much of a coward.

  Just like right now, he was escaping the Moors brothers and their perfect relationships to go sit outside for fresh air. He wanted what they had too much to stay exposed to it for too long. They both deserved it. They had both faced their darkest fears to keep the ones they loved.

  He had to continue to be happy for them rather than envious.

  Once Max made it out of PJ’s, he found a free table and sat down at it. The night air was slightly warm for September, but he enjoyed it. The sun had already set, and the city lights reflected off the Yarra River. In all the cities he had visited, Melbourne was still his favourite. It was home. And he had been close to saying goodbye to it when he almost went to Boston to be with Andrea.

  Letting out a sigh, Max reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. To his disappointment, out of all the missed calls and messages he had received, none had been from Josie.

  “Thought I’d find you here,” he heard behind him. Max set his phone down and glanced over his shoulder to find Ally Moors behind him with two drinks in her hands. She shouldn’t be doing that much work for him. Not after her stint in the hospital. Just as he was about to stand, she shook her head. “If you stand, Max, and try to help me, I will never talk to you again.”

  Max laughed at her determination and turned his attention back to the glittering river as Ally sat down. He peeked over to find her smiling up at him.

  “You okay there, princess?” he asked, knowing she’d cringe at the nickname she hated.

  And tonight was no different as she muttered, “I hate when you call me that.”

  “I know,” he said with a laugh and craned his neck to give her his undivided attention. “Shouldn’t you be inside with your husband?”

  Ally let out a sigh and leant forward in her seat. He and Ally had things in common. Though they had never really vocalised their struggles with the pressures of a rich, better-off life, they had silently understood each other. “And you should be inside with us, Max.”

  “Just needed a minute to myself.”

  “You’ve been outside for almost a half-hour. Is everything okay with you?” She sounded worried. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry over his self-pity. Allison Moors had done a lot of worrying in her short lifetime. She was still practically a kid who had too much burden on her shoulders. Max would not add any pressure.

  So he smiled.

  Long and almost true.

  A smile just for Ally.

  “Just work, Ally.”

  The concern in her hazel eyes didn’t leave her. “Then come inside and celebrate with us. It’d mean a lot if you did.”

  Ally was far too sweet to him.

  He’d always found her attractive.

  But she had always hidden a lot from him and everyone.

  It had taken his best friend, a better man, for her to open up.

  But something had bugged him since he visited her in the hospital almost four months ago. It had to do with the guilt in her eyes and the burden he was sure she still had resting on her shoulders. “Can I ask you a question?”

  She blinked at him as her hand slipped away from her drink. “Umm … okay?”

  “Why did Liam leave after you were in the hospital? It was as if he never wanted to be alone with you or anyone.”

  Ally flinched. “You noticed that, huh?”

  He offered her a reassuring smile. “I didn’t want to bring it up. But seeing how happy you are, that little bit of guilt in your eyes tarnishes it. You deserve to be happy, Ally. So I feel compelled to ask, but are you okay?”

  At that moment, Josie’s question that day on the bridge erupted an uncomfortable sensation in his chest. It felt as if flames were searing his heart. The thought of Josie resurrected a form of missing in him he hadn’t known.

  It was pointless.

  They were friends.

  He missed having someone to talk to.

  He liked talking to Josie.

  But all he got was silence from her since he sent that stupid message for her to be his plus one tonight.

  “I’m okay, Max, honestly,” she assured. And Max believed her. Then she let out a sigh. “The thing with Liam and four months ago was because of several things. He left Melbourne. I was trying to be a better person for Rob, but I couldn’t escape the family company with Liam stepping down. He wanted to find himself. And I think he did … or almost did. He got a tattoo. And the moment my kidneys failed, he felt guilty about that because he couldn’t give me his kidney.” Tears brimmed her eyes, and Max felt like an asshole for making her cry. “And now I have Rob’s and I am so grateful that I do because it means I get to love him for more days than I should have had, but I never wanted him to give up an organ for me.”

  “Hey,” Max said in a soft voice. “He loves you, Ally. You’re his world. His entire world. I’ve never seen him so content with his life.”

  Ally wiped her tears away, and that smile of hers returned. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to unload all that on you.”

  “Does Rob know how you feel?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. He knows all this.”

  “Even the Liam stuff?”

  Another nod. “Yeah. He isn’t a big fan of Liam’s right now—especially when they had a screaming match in our apartment. It was after Clara went back to Boston, and it was the reason I had to go back to the hospital for a few days as a precaution.”

  “I didn’t know you—”

  “No one but us did. Nothing seriou
s came out of it, I promise.”

  “What happened?”

  Her eyes fell to her hands. “Please don’t judge Liam. He made a mistake.”

  “What did he do, Ally?”

  “He pushed her out of the way, and she fell into the glass coffee table,” Rob said, surprising them.

  “Robbie,” Ally breathed.

  Then Rob was kneeling by his wife’s side. “I’m sorry about that day, Allison. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up Clara. I shouldn’t …”

  “It’s okay, Robbie,” she assured. “You have to understand he’s my brother. And I married someone who reminds him of the man who he lost her to. He wants to move on, and reminders of and seeing Clara isn’t helping him. That’s why I signed the bakery ownership transfer today. The burden of that bakery and what it symbolised for him is no longer his to bear.”

  Max flinched in shock. “You own the Little Bakery on Little Collins Street?”

  Ally faced him and nodded. “Yeah, I do. I was there today. I saw Josie, too.”

  “You did?” he blurted out.

  A smile returned to Ally’s lips as Rob stood and sat in the seat next to her. “Josie?” Rob asked, confused. “Max, why are you so interested in Josie?”

  “I … uh … I’m not,” he said, instantly hating the fact he had lied. No one had interested him the way Josie had. And he hated himself for denying it. “I mean … It’s…”

  Rob squinted at him. “You haven’t stuttered like this since we were teenagers. Max, do you like her?”

  Max could see hope in Rob’s eyes—as well as Ally’s.

  They wanted him to confirm it.

  He knew that Rob would approve of his interest in Josie more than Andrea or Sarah.

  But so much had happened while Rob and Ally were in France.

  Max had done a whole lot of growing.

  He had let go of so much of his past.

  So instead of confirming he was interested in Josephine Faulkner and all her mystery, Max stood from his chair and said, “I don’t know.”

  He hoped it was enough to satisfy Rob and Ally.

  Just as he lifted his chin, he noticed her standing nearby with a small smile on her face. “Josie,” he breathed. “You came.”