Page 348 of The Maxwell Brothers
I greeted the rest of her family, and then Rose cleared her throat.
“I think a do-over is necessary. I wasn’t myself yesterday,” she said.
Liz chuckled. "At least you can both meet under better conditions this time."
"Hello, Declan. So glad to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you."
“So I heard,” I replied, glancing at Liz. “I know all about the nicknames.”
Rose grinned. “You deserved ‘the landlord from hell’ though. I’m thinking now you deserve a new one. ‘Boyfriend of the year’?” She winked at Liz.
“It’s got my vote,” Liz said.
“And mine,” Danielle added.
Jake looked at his wife in confusion.
“Don’t get into their conversation when they’re like that,” Mark told him. “Though I’ll note that I was never nicknamed that.”
Rose wiggled her eyebrows at him.
Danielle came up to me. “Declan, I’m going to take this opportunity when I'm not shaking like I was last evening to say thank you for coming here and for making my girl so happy. We haven't seen her like this in a while. Well, actually, we haven’t seen her at all in a while."
Liz frowned. "Oh, Mom, don't make me feel guilty. I'm here for Rose, remember?"
“And I’m invoking all sister privileges to beg you to come home next month for your birthday,” Rose chimed in.
Liz jutted out her lower lip like a kid. “I can’t let my team alone too often. And the trip here takes forever.”
I stepped right next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Babe, Travis will be happy to lend us his helicopter again. We can come for dinner if you want. Say the word, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Awww, I like you even more now,” Rose said.
Liz looked up at me with soft eyes. “You truly deserve the title ‘boyfriend of the year.’”
“I’ll make it happen, babe.” I kissed her forehead, already making a plan in my mind. Not that I didn’t like the title, but I wanted an upgrade.
CHAPTER 29
LIZ
One Month Later
"And here we are.Your personal pilot is at your service," Travis exclaimed as we landed on the heliport and took off our headphones. As I’d promised my parents, I was back one month later for my birthday.
"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" I asked him. "My parents would love to have you at the table."
"Nah, I got an errand to run," he said. "But I'll be back for you in time."
Next to me, Declan frowned. "Is that safe? How many hours a day are you allowed to fly?"
Travis glanced at me. "Please make him relax."
I winked. "It's on my to-do list. Don't worry. Thanks a lot, Travis. Come on, let's go," I told Declan.
"I'm so excited that we're here."
He got out first, then held the door of the helicopter open, giving me a hand to help me climb out. I couldn't believe we were back in Sunnyvale. We found an Uber quick enough and immediately headed to my parents' house.
