Page 84 of Craving You

“Hey, Max! How do I calm these guys down?” John asked with a laugh.

“Their schedule is on the refrigerator door. And if you want them to just sort of leave you alone, go over to the sliding glass doors and ask them if they want to go out. They love the yard.”

“Let’s go out!” he called out, making his way toward the doors, and both Max and Hailey laughed as the dogs chased after him.

“I hope they won’t be too much for him,” Hailey commented. “I just figured he’d be comfortable hanging out here tonight.”

“He’ll be fine. He’s been here enough that the dogs know him.”

“Whew! They have a lot of energy!” John said as he walked back into the room. “Now you two go and have fun tonight. I’ve got it all under control.”

“Thanks, John. There are a few things for you to choose from for dinner. I made a batch of chili and there’s cornbread to go with it. There’s also a small pan of lasagna that I took out of the freezer that Billie had made, if you’d prefer that. And if none of that appeals to you, we have everything you could want to make some great sandwiches.”

“Wow! You thought of everything! Thank you, Hailey,” he gushed. “Enjoy yourselves, and I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Max picked up the suitcase and followed Hailey out to his car. She was smiling and looked positively radiant. He held the door for her while she got situated before putting the suitcase in the backseat and climbing in.

They talked about work on the drive and how he hoped to finally find the time to do the walk-through of the bar. “If nothing else, maybe we can swing by after your doctor’s appointment next week,” he said.

“I’d like that. Is it near the doctor’s office?”

That made him laugh. “Hales, everything is near everything in this town. The most you’d have to drive to get from Point A to Point B is like ten minutes. But…yeah, they’re only two blocks apart.”

“And you don’t think your brother is going to want to be there with you to do the walk-through?”

“Not at all. He’s not a visionary. He just wants the numbers. It’s scary how his brain works. Well…his and Billie’s.”

“They’re supposed to be home late Sunday night. I kind of hate that they won’t have the place to themselves. I’m sure after being away, they’d love to be alone.”

“They’ve been alone for over two weeks. Besides, it will only be another two weeks and we’ll be out of their way. It won’t be an issue. Trust me.”

She made a non-committal sound.

“So what brought this on tonight? You didn’t even mention us going away for the night.” Turning his head slightly, he smiled. “Not that I don’t love it. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

That made her grin. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who needs to be in control of everything and can’t handle when things are out of your control.”

“Well…not exactly. I guess I’m just not used to anyone surprising me like this.”

“I promise you’ll enjoy yourself. No rides this time, though. We’re just going to have a nice, relaxing dinner and spend the night in one of their gorgeous rooms. I love my cousin and I’m so thankful for her hospitality, but the rooms at Summit Ridge are just so damn luxurious!”

“We should try to go for that vibe in the new house with our bedroom. Maybe not as sterile as a hotel room, but really go heavy on the luxury vibe.”

Her smile grew. “You are full of surprises, Max.”

“Me? I’m not the one who planned a secret getaway for us!”

“Then I guess we’re both equally full of surprises. We’ve talked a lot about paint colors and furniture for the house, but I thought we were going to wait until we moved in to really finalize stuff.”

“And we will, but maybe we should walk around the hotel for some inspiration. That could be fun.”

“Absolutely!”

The rest of the drive went by quickly, and he saw her tapping out a text to someone, but didn’t ask who. When they pulled up to the front door, he figured Hailey had to be excited about the night because she practically sprinted from the car into the hotel. He handed the valet his keys, grabbed the suitcase, and found her at the front desk. He let her take the lead since she planned all of this. When she turned and waved their key card, she looked like a kid on Christmas morning. It seemed a little extreme for checking in to a hotel, but if it made her happy, he wasn’t going to complain.

In the elevator, he was surprised when she used the key card for the top floor. “You got us a suite?”

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