Page 54 of Property of Max
“I have one in every color,” she blushes. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
I look up at Max. Joy lights his face in a way that stops my breath. Do I really make him that happy? As happy as he makes me? Is this possible when we’ve only just met?
“It’s definitely possible,” he chuckles. “I can’t explain it, and I don’t care to. I just know you’re quickly becoming my everything.”
“Did I say that out loud?” I ask, mortified.
“You did,” Sunny laughs. “Happens to me all the time. Same thing happened with me and Bones, by the way. Instant connection. When you know, you know. Don’t fight it.”
“Go on, babe,” Max says. “Have fun. I’m going to go rescue our girl before Maverick recruits her into his strange and secretive world.”
I glance over. Sure enough, Maverick and Bree are deep in conversation. Bree’s little brow is furrowed in concentration, nodding at whatever he’s saying. But I don’t feel anxious that my daughter is talking to a strange man I’ve only just met…only oddly reassured. Maverick’s eyes on my daughter are full of something like both sorrow and joy. He seems careful, and that steadies me.
Wonder what his story is?
“Ourgirl?” I ask, looking back at Max.
“Damn right, Lila,” he growls. “Ours. Bree and Micah are ours.”
“Yeah, I like the sound of that.”
“Me too, baby,” Max rumbles.
“Dang it,” I groan, covering my face. “Did I do it again? Sunny, take me away from this man before I start telling him how much I think I…”
“I don’t think I pulled you away fast enough,” Sunny pants as we practically sprint across the compound, Max’s laughter echoing behind us.
“Great. Just great. I can never see him again after that one,” I groan. “It’s over before it started because I’m a freaking sap.”
“I don’t think Max would let you walk away just because you almost said you loved him,” Sunny teases.
“You dragged me off before I could finish,” I remind her as we head toward a house with a light purple door. “Why are three of the house doors so colorful?”
“Because this place was dull when we first arrived,” Sunny says, smiling. “We plan to have every door a different color eventually.”
“Bet the guys love that,” I giggle.
“They hate every second of it, but they tolerate it because they love us.”
“What color is your door?”
“Mostly yellow,” she laughs.
“That seems like the complete opposite of aBonescolor.”
“Every color is the opposite of a Bones color,” Riley calls as we close the door behind us. “Anyway, Abby’s a nervous wreck about showing her designs to everyone. Come on, let’s go help a sister out.”
So, we do. We rally around her, hyping her up the best way we know how…by strutting down a makeshift runway in the driveway, showing her family… my newfound family… just how talented she is. Turns out Abby’s not just opening this boutique for the fun of it. She’s damn good at what she does.
Chapter Fourteen
Lila
“I’m sorry, what?” I repeat, incredulous.
The woman blinks, then leans forward. “I said your husband came to pick her up today.”
“Ex-husband,” I correct, jaw tight. “And he’s not on the approved pickup list. So how was that allowed?”
