Page 51 of The Billionaire's Christmas Baby Surprise

“I don’t want to talk about business, either,” Max snapped. “Come on, Dad. We’re family and it’s the holidays. Don’t you think we should make an effort?”

Jim sighed. “I see you’ve caught a little of the Christmas craze this year. Next, you’ll be expecting presents, I imagine. Is this about that woman I met at the party? The charity woman?”

Max deeply didn’t want to talk about Billie right now, so he focused on another part of the sentence that was equally frustrating.

“Maybe Iwouldlike a present.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Not now, necessarily, but when I was a kid. Would it have killed you to give me a gift or two?”

“You wouldn’t have enjoyed them properly without earning them yourself.” Jim shook his head. “I thought we’d talked about all this.”

“We never talk!” The frustration, the feelings of inadequacy, and the sadness Max felt all skyrocketed. “You only care about the Bluebell Diner. You don’t care about me. When I was a kid, you were never around, and you were never there for me.”

“I wasn’t around because I was building a future for you, for our family. Because of the diners, we went from a family who relied on food stamps to one that can afford more than one home. How can you say I don’t care about you?”

“Well, you nevershowedit.” Max shook his head. “I always felt like I wasn’t good enough for you. I still do. And worse, I think I’m becoming you!”

The words slipped out before Max could think twice. He regretted them instantly, especially when his father leaned forward, his brows furrowed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m going to be a father.” Max shook his head. “The woman I love is having a baby. But I was so scared that I was going to mess things up, that I was becoming you, that I might have ruined everything already.”

“You have a baby on the way?” Jim’s face was unreadable.

“Yes, I do. You remember Billie Stone, the ‘charity woman’ from the party? Well, I love her.” The words felt so natural to say, as though they had always been true. “And she told me she was pregnant a few days ago. Instead of being there for her, instead of supporting her, I said I’d contribute financially and that was it. I never wanted my baby to feel inadequate or unloved because I made a mistake — and by stepping away I've just become even more of an absentee father thanyouwere.”

There was a long pause. Jim’s face was still unreadable, but Max was certain that his father was going to kick him out of the house. There was no way Max would be allowed to talk like this.

Then Jim sighed. “You love this woman?” The question was unexpected, but the answer was easy.

“I do.” If only Max had recognized that sooner. If only it was enough.

“Then you should be with her. You should be a father to your child. Maybe I didn’t do everything right with you, but I must have done something well, because you’ve turned into a man I admire. One who’s braver than me.” Jim ran a hand through hishair. “I was never able to balance work with family life. Because of that, I hurt my relationship with you, and with your mother. But we aren’t the same, and I believe that you can do better.”

Max was blown away by his father’s admissions. Jimadmiredhim. He thought he was brave. These were the things Max had wanted to hear all his life — but they didn’t change anything.

“It’s too late,” Max said. He shook his head. “I’ve already messed everything up. Billie doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“I don’t know this Billie.” Jim shrugged. “But I do know that if you love her, you should go after her. Maybe she still won’t want to be with you, but at least you will have tried. You need to go after what your heart wants — nothing else is more important. Take it from me, Max. I chased all the wrong things for too long, which made me miss out on a lot of important moments with the people I love. Don’t make the same mistake.”

“Okay.” Max took a deep breath. “I will. I’ll tell her how I feel.”

“Don’t just tell her.” Max and Jim both looked up to see Max’s mother leaning against the doorway. “Showher. If you think you’ve messed things up, you need to prove that you won’t do the same thing again.”

“I will.” Max stood. He was filled with a new energy — he did love Billie, and even his own father thought that Max could do better than he himself had. Maybe there was still a chance to make things right.

“But first, let’s eat.” His mother nodded to the dining room. “There’s no point running off into the cold to make a grand gesture on an empty stomach.”

Max laughed despite himself and followed his parents into the dining room. His mother had prepared his childhood favorite: macaroni and cheese with a side of carrot sticks. Max smiled. Even if his father had been distant, his mother had always tried her best. He gave her a quick hug.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Anytime. Now, sit down, get something to eat, and tell us everything about this girl you love.”

“All right.” Max sat and took a scoop of macaroni and cheese. “Well, her name is Billie Stone. She runs a charity called Sweetest Surprise that helps local children.” He glanced at his father, but Jim looked interested and far less judgmental than Max had anticipated. Encouraged, he continued. “She’s smart, playful, creative, and generous. And she’s beautiful. She has curly brown hair and big brown eyes…”

For the rest of the afternoon, Max told his parents about Billie. His mother was supportive, and, to his surprise, his father was, too. When Max left a few hours later, he hugged his mother, shook his father’s hand, then got into his car feeling more optimistic than he had in a long time.

There was, of course, one big problem. Max had experienced a change of heart and knew that he wanted to be a part of Billie and the baby’s lives. He still had to win Billie over, though, and it wasn’t going to be easy. He’d really messed up with her. He needed to make things right, which meant that he had a few errands to run.

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