Page 43 of The Billionaire's Christmas Baby Surprise

“Of course. Enjoy the party and don’t let your inner Scrooge take over.”

“I’ll do my best.” Max winked at her, then gently shut the door and tapped the roof of the cab. It drove away, leaving Max alone on the sidewalk. He stood in the cold for a moment, watching the cab disappear down the street. Hopefully, Billie would feel better shortly. Hopefully, she really did want to continue their conversation the next day.

Because now that Max had kissed Billie again, now that it seemed there could be a real connection between them, he didn’t think he could let her go. The same problems were still there. He wasn’t sure how to manage a relationship while being the best CEO for Bluebell Diner that he could be. He wasn’t sure how to love a woman as wonderful as Billie. Yet Max was confident that, if she cared about him, too, they could figure everything out together.

She’d been right. It was time to pave his own path, instead of following in his father’s footsteps, and Max was certain thatBillie was part of his path. Maybe, with her by his side, he could begin to imagine a new kind of future — one where he wasn’t always waiting for his father’s approval. One where he could enjoy the holidays as much as she did. One where he could care for, even love, Billie without hesitation.

Whistling to himself, Max went back inside and headed up to the party. He was ready for a festive evening.

Unfortunately, the scene that greeted him when he reemerged into the office space was hardly festive. Jim Grayson was standing in the center of the room with Stephanie, their arms crossed as they faced off against each other. Several of Max’s employees and partners had stopped to see what was happening.

“PR,” Jim scoffed. “In my day, hard work was enough — we didn’t have to make itlook likewe were doing things.”

“That’s not what PR is,” Stephanie replied calmly. “It’s about showcasing the things that make a company great.”

“Well, it seems to be about pouring money into charity and sacrificing your CEO’s time to — what — grocery-shop and decorate trees?” Jim scoffed. “No wonder this quarter saw lower profits than the last.”

“The amount we donated to the charity was a fraction of a percent of quarterly earnings,” Stephanie replied. “And Max didn’t give any time he didn’thaveto volunteering.”

As Max listened to them argue, a strange feeling came over him. He’d been deeply against Stephanie’s suggestion to volunteer with Billie’s charity when she’d first brought it up. And he’d been resentful of her insistence on posing for photos and her seeming lack of interest in Billie’s cause. Yet now, he felt defensive of herand her work. Had he been as bad as his father when he’d talked about how neither charity nor PR were very useful?

Max stepped between Stephanie and Jim.

“What are we discussing?” he asked.

“Mr. Grayson and I were discussing the ins and outs of PR,” Stephanie replied smoothly. Max admired her ability to spin the conversation into something positive.

“That sounds interesting,” Max said. “Stephanie, I’m not sure I mentioned it, but I appreciate you encouraging me to pursue charity work this holiday season. Working with Billie has been very positive for me and for the company.”

Stephanie looked a little surprised, but she smiled. “Thank you, Max.”

“And now you too, huh?” Jim asked Max. “You’d rather spend your time volunteering with a beautiful woman than putting in an honest day’s work.”

Retorts bubbled in Max’s chest, but he didn’t voice any of them. This was already turning into a scene, so the best thing to do was shut it down as quickly as possible.

“Dad, it’s starting to get late,” Max said calmly. “You might want to head home.”

Jim’s eyes widened. “Are you kicking me out?”

“Not at all. But I do think it’s time for you to go.”

“Fine.” Jim stomped out of the room, leaving all eyes on Max. He gave everyone a reassuring smile.

“Shall we continue with the party?” he asked. “I think it’s about time for dessert.”

Slowly, everyone returned to talking and eating. The atmosphere in the room eased now that Jim was gone. Stephanie thanked Max once again, then drifted off to join a few PR colleagues. Although Max and Stephanie would probably never be friends, Max’s time with Billie had taught him to appreciate the value of everyone’s work, even if it was different from what he’d do.

Speaking of Billie… Max pulled out his phone and saw that she’d sent him a text.

Home safe. Have a nice evening. XO

Max’s heart warmed at the kiss and hug at the end of the sentence. It might not mean anything, but knowing Billie, it also might. More surprising was the fact that hewantedit to mean something. He sent Billie a quick text back.

Glad to hear it. Hope you feel better soon.

After a moment’s hesitation, he added his own X and O to the end of the sentence before pressing send. Then he put his phone away and went to mingle with the other partygoers.

It wasn’t quite as fun or as festive without Billie by his side, but Max still enjoyed himself. He chatted with employees, strategized with partners, ate several Christmas cookies, and watched as some brave (or possibly inebriated) souls danced to the string quartet’s Christmas music. When the evening rolled down and everyone began to head home, he stayed behind to help the caterers clean up before making his way back to his apartment.

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