Page 23 of Embracing Us

Chapter ten

Linda

Max reappears an hour after he left. I hear the bedroom door close shut with a bang. “We’re out on the terrace,” I call. Moments later, he steps out into the mid-morning sunshine. I’m sitting on a deck chair reading a trashy magazine on the roof terrace. Jackson is lying on his playmat beside me, gurgling away happily. Both of us are protected by the huge sunshade Max wrestled up here on our arrival, insisting we always sit under it.

One look at him tells me the news he received wasn’t good. In my heart, I knew that would be the case, but I’d hoped my premonition was wrong. He walks over and sits down in the chair beside me. I place my magazine on the side table then lift the sunglasses from my eyes, propping them on top of my head. He leans forward with his elbows on his knees and drops his head into his hands. His fingers twist the front of his hair, nervously.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask him, quietly. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Beautiful, of course I want to discuss this with you. You’re my teammate,” he says, moving his gaze to me. His lips move into a sad smile. “I’m just processing what I’ve been told and the proposition made to both of us.”

“Proposition?” He sits up and takes both my hands, I run my eyes over his face in search of clues. Max is an open book. During our short time together, it’s never felt like he’s been hiding information from me. Normally, in a single look I can tell if he’s happy or sad. Today, I can’t read him. He looks confounded.

“Aunt Susan has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.” I blink at him, stunned. “It’s in the early stages but obviously being on her own means she has some difficult decisions to make while she still can.”

“But she’s so healthy. I don’t understand.” He nods, then glances out to the ocean then back to me.

“For the past few months she’s been finding that she forgets things. Words, where she placed her keys, things like that,” he explains. “Crystal has been supporting her. Helping run this place and keeping her right if she gets confused.”

“What does this all mean?” I ask, softly.

“The disease she has tends to progress slowly. It’s likely she will be able to live independently with limited help for a few years. But the diagnosis has made her question what she wants her life to look like from now on.”

“Okay, what does she want? And what did you mean about a proposition?”

“She wants to travel,” he says, simply. “She’s offered us the hotel while she does so.”

“What?” I shriek and Jackson gurgles loudly in response to my outburst. Max leans down to pick him up then rocks him gently in his arms. I look at my future husband with his son, and my heart melts. He is such a good man, an attentive father and a loving partner. “How can she offer us the hotel?”

“Short term,” he explains. “We stay here and run the place. She still has an income whilst she travels with Crystal.” He chuckles to himself; I nudge his arm softly and signal with my eyes for him to give me more information. “They’ve already decided on an around-the-world cruise. I’ve had a port-by-port account of the itinerary. It sounds amazing.”

“And does this once-of-a-lifetime trip depend on us doing as she asks?” I say, nerves rising in my belly at the sudden turn in events.

“No, Beautiful, she wouldn’t put that kind of responsibility on us. Her suggestion is an opportunity, not a demand.” His focus moves to our son, who is lying calmly in his father’s arms “We stay and run the hotel for a year, maybe two depending on how her illness progresses. Our little family gets to bloom in our favourite place in the world, and she maintains a source of income.”

“And if we don’t?” I question.

“She will sell up now. Her plan is to do so in the future, and then to use the proceeds to fund her care when she loses the ability to look after herself. She’s started to research care facilities near London.”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, dropping my gaze from his. “Our lives are in London. Our jobs, what would we do long term?”

“I’ve only had an hour more than you to process this,” he says with a smirk. “But I’m sure we could work something out. Either ask for a sabbatical or quit then get new positions on our return.” He shrugs. “Marina could move back into the house, and we could rent my flat out for an income to boost what we make here.”

“You’ve thought about this,” I mutter, slightly annoyed at being behind.

“Since she asked me, yes, I have. My initial reaction was it would never work, but once I started to think things through, it seemed possible.” He shuffles forward in his seat and moves Jackson onto one arm. His other hand moves to my face, cupping my cheek. “Imagine spending a year or more here, Beautiful. The three of us, no outside pressures. No traffic jams. No grey skies.”

“And no Marina,” I mumble. “I know she’s an annoyance.”

“A slight annoyance,” he agrees with a snort. “But she’s also twenty-four, and she can come visit. You have to let her stand on her own two feet. Jackson and you are my priority. This change could do us all some good. I’ve never seen you happier than you are here. So relaxed and confident. The Spanish sunshine suits you, and this is an opportunity I feel we should consider seriously, not just dismiss it as not achievable. Take a few days to think about it. There’s no pressure other than their cruise leaves in four weeks.”

“Four weeks,” I gasp.

“Don’t panic. She will hire an agency to cover until the hotel sells if we decide to go home. But…” He trails off, his lips press together as if stopping himself from saying what he wants to.

“But what?” I prompt.

“But part of me would love to accept her offer and have a year with you here under the sun. Life is for living, Beautiful. If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that what doesn’t seem right for you, normally is. We don’t need to live our life checking off boxes. We don’t owe anyone anything.”

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