by Sammi Franks
She immediately scowled. “What?” she snapped. “I’ve had a very tense day. I don’t need your judgment. And considering I usually have Penelope, I never have the ability to just calm my nerves. I refuse to get drunk in front of her. But knowing she’s with Bodhi...”
“You want to let loose,” I finished, a smile on my face.
“I…”
“Don’t feel guilty,” I said, recognizing the look on her face. I caught sight of my steward and gestured for him to bring the entire bottle. Victoria started to protest, but I interrupted her. “I completely understand. You’ve had to deal with a lot today. A bad call from the ex, jealousy, and passing by the dream house you worry will never be yours.”
“Jealousy?” Victoria snapped. “Of what? Of who?”
I chuckled as the steward dropped off the bottle. I thanked him and took it, pouring a healthy serving for both of us.
“Bre, of course,” I said before bringing the flute to my lips. “You do know you have nothing to worry about, right?”
“Being worried implies I care about your romantic life,” she said. “I can assure you I don’t.”
“Maybe we get a few more of these in you and we’ll see what you say at that point,” I teased, my eyes sparkling.
I was only making a joke. But when she pursed her lips, deep in thought, cocking her head to the side, I waited. She looked at the flute before flicking her eyes back at me.
“How much of this do you have?” she asked.
I raised my brow. I didn’t expect those words to come out of her mouth but I was glad they did. Drinking with Victoria was something I had wanted to indulge in, practically since I met her. I wanted to know if she could hold her liquor, what kind of drunk she was. It didn’t surprise me that Victoria Hunter was a lightweight. And that was with a stomach full of Chinese Express and three flutes of sparkling wine. She was also surprisingly hilarious, in that she found everything hilarious when she was drunk.
The sun started to set, painting the sky beautiful colors of pink, gold, and blue. We were both silent as we watched it, sitting side by side rather opposite each other. There was nothing like watching the sunset on the water. The gentle lapping of the water against the side of the ship, the way the colors melted into the sea, the way the rays of sunlight made the surface sparkle, it was all breathtaking.
Nearly as breathtaking as the woman next to me who - I glanced over - was snoring softly, her head thrown back so it rested on my shoulder, a little bit of drool hitting my sleeve.
I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing.
There were many sides to Victoria I wanted to see. I just never thought it would be this one.
Without warning, she sat up. “Did I miss it?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so,” I said.
She pouted. I never thought I would see the day, but she pouted. And she looked downright adorable doing so.
“I really, really needed this,” she said once the sunset faded away. “Granted, I wanted to see the sunset, I don’t remember the last time I saw the sunset, but it’s nice to let loose every now and then. I sometimes have a glass of wine with dinner and it’s usually enough, but…” She let her voice trail off. “I’m more attracted to you than I want to be so, for the good of our professional relationship, I would greatly appreciate it if you could fix your face.”
“Fix my face?” I questioned. “Ms. Hunter, I think it’s time you retired for the night. You’re like a newborn gazelle. I’d be happy to assist you...” But when I looked over at her, she was out again. I shook my head, smirking, and knew I had no other choice but to carry her back to her room. Luckily, Penelope was already asleep on the other bed. I tried not to enjoy the feeling of Victoria’s warm body in my arms, but such a feat was impossible.
16
Victoria
* * *
When I woke, my head was throbbing. Apparently, Max anticipated this, since I found a bottle of ibuprofen and a bottle of water on the nightstand. Dammit. I really wanted to hate this guy. Love was such a crapshoot and I still hadn’t recovered financially from my first marriage. Sitting up slowly, I opened the bottle, poured three pills into my palm, assessed how badly my head was pounding, and added one more. Then I popped them in my mouth and swallowed them down with a few gulps from the water.
By the time I arrived on deck, Max and Bodhi were in a heated conversation. “I know you think you’re awesome at business,” Bodhi began.
“I am.” Max nodded his head solemnly.
“You might be, but I’m awesome at bars.” He huffed at his older brother.
“Oh, you definitely are.” Max rolled his eyes, noticed me and patted the chair beside him at the table.
I forced a smile and joined them. “So, what’s the problem?” I glanced back and forth between them, cupping my hands around my eyes and wishing I’d worn my sunglasses because I had not anticipated how bright it would be out on the water. Max removed his sunglasses and passed them to me. “You need them.” I pushed them away.
“Not as much as you. Maybe Penelope can go get yours from the cabin.” Max smiled at my daughter.
She shrugged and stood. “But I’m leaving my coloring book right here because I’m coming back.”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way, tater tot,” Bodhi announced with a laugh.
Giving in, I pushed Max’s sunglasses onto my face while I waited for Penelope’s return. “Still wondering what’s going on with you two.”
Max smirked. “Bodhi doesn’t like the name I chose for the bar.”
“I get it’s his bar and his money and I’m just running it, but seriously…he wanted to name it Rogers and Hammered Stein.” Bodhi rolled his eyes and sank down in his seat.
I snickered.
“Funny, right?” Max threw an arm around the back of my chair.
I shook my head. “No. That’s a terrible name for a bar. Something else. Almost anything else, really.”
“What do you suggest?” His brow furrowed and his disappointment was obvious.
“Hm. Well, anything with brewery in it is popular these days. Any chance you’ll have some micro-brew in the back?” I tilted my head as I stared at him. “Rogers Brewery. Westport Brewery. Brewery at the Beach. Beach and Brews. Only you’d do that ampersand thing instead of writing it all out.” I shrugged. “Just a few suggestions. I’m not paying for it. What do I know?”
“Well, you know real estate,” Max murmured as he stared out over the water. “We’ll be in Seattle soon. I have a car waiting for us. Did you line up showings for the properties I messaged you about the other day?”
I nodded. “I sure did. And they are close enough together, we can see all three in one day.”
“Perfect. Bodhi is going to entertain Penelope at a toy store while we are at the appointment,” Max commented.
I frowned. “Appointment?”
“Yeah. I have the lawyer as our first stop. We’re going to have a great day.” He grinned as I sighed. “What?”
“You used ‘lawyer’ and ‘great day’ in the same sentence. Spoken like a man who has never been divorced.” I rubbed my temples.
Max leaned closer. “I’ve never really wanted to marry before…”
“Well, I’ll never marry again. Lesson learned.” I grimaced.
“You just need to pick the right guy next time,” he suggested confidently as he moved to plant a kiss on my temple.
“I’m back!” Penelope announced.
My head throbbed. “I heard,” I mumbled.
I removed the sunglasses Max had let me borrow as he passed me the pair my daughter had retrieved for me. “How’s this?” Max asked as he helped me put them on.
“The vision is much better.” I smiled.
“Good. Then you should be able to see you have nothing to fear from me. You should see everything you need is right in front of you. You should see I’m completely trustworthy.” He grinned.
My smiled morphed into a smirk. “I�
�m supposed to get all this from a pair of sunglasses?”
“Nah, but they should help.” He chuckled.
“Come on, tater tot,” Bodhi mumbled. “I know when we’re not wanted. Let’s go decide which toy store we want to go to.”
Penelope was momentarily excited. “We never go in toy stores.” Her face fell and I knew why immediately. Obviously, Max did too.
“Hey, tater tot.” He glanced at me. “I can’t believe you prefer tater tot to Penny.”
“Believe it,” I grumbled.
Max shook his head. “So, tater tot, your mom gave Bodhi money. You can pick out some toys. We know it gets boring on a boat for kids. You can take some home and leave some here.”
Penelope tilted her head. “Does that mean we’re going to come back on the boat?”
“Would you like that?” Max asked.
My daughter positively beamed. “I would. I like it here.”
We watched her disappear below deck with Bodhi and then studied Max a moment before speaking. “You sure know how to make a little girl happy,” I commented quietly.
“I’d like to think I can make her mother happy, too, if she’ll give me a chance.” He reached out and raised my lips for a kiss. I should’ve pushed him away, but I couldn’t. I hadn’t been kissed in a very long time and as much as I fought it, I wanted Max more than I ever wanted anyone before.
When he pulled back, I felt tingly all over. “This is a terrible idea,” I murmured. “I need to focus on Penelope and custody, remember?”
Max nodded and his shoulders drooped slightly. Before he could speak, however, his phone began to ring. He frowned. “This is the lawyer. I better answer it on speaker.”
“Mr. Rogers, I’m afraid I can’t meet you in a few hours. My wife is in labor.” The man sounded winded.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Windsor. My friend really needs a good lawyer.” Max inhaled deeply. “Any chance we can do this by phone right now? You can bill me extra. You know I’m good for it.”
The lawyer was silent a moment. “Well, I’m meeting her at the hospital. I don’t see why we can’t discuss now. Go ahead. Tell me about the case.”
“Tori,” he urged. “Tell him. Leave nothing out.”
So, I regurgitated my story for what felt like the millionth time. And though it was hard, I had Max beside me, holding my hand and rubbing my back when I grew emotional. “What do you think? Do I stand a chance?”
Mr. Windsor blew out a breath before speaking. “You do, if you’re willing to make some changes.”
I groaned. “I need to work.”
“Yes, and you need to provide a stable home life. If you could show you could offer the best living situation for your daughter, maybe even provide a secure two-parent home, and you were going to be around more for your daughter, there’s no judge in the world who’d side with your ex.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t suppose you and Mr. Rogers are serious, by any chance?”
I could feel all the color drain from my face.
“We could be,” Max announced, “if she’d give me a chance.”
17
Max
* * *
I didn’t know why I was adamant about Victoria giving me a chance. I wasn’t lying when I said I had never wanted to get married before, and I’d dated plenty. Was it really as simple as finding the right person?
“Listen,” she began, clearing her throat.
I could already tell she was planning on writing me off. I couldn’t blame her. We’d known each other for a weekend and the only reason she probably agreed to get on a stranger’s boat was because she was desperately trying to provide for her daughter. She needed the commission. I could respect that, but I didn’t need her throwing me a pity party because she wasn’t interested. Not when I knew she was.
“Don’t say anything without giving me a chance,” I told her, adamantly. I didn’t want to say I was desperate because I wasn’t a fan of that particular word, but I wanted her to know that I intended to make my case. “Please,” I added, hoping that word would reach her. “Let me take you on a date at the best restaurant in Seattle. We can go to the Space Needle.”
“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.” Her voice was quiet, her eyes on her lap. These were not good signs.
Uh-oh. This sounded like a breakup and we weren’t even together.
“Tori…”
“And I can even admit that I like you, despite my best efforts not to,” she continued. “You’re ridiculously handsome and nearly as arrogant, but the arrogance works for you because you’re sweet. Somehow, wrapped up in your wealth and business savvy and arrogance, you’re sweet. You genuinely care. About Penelope. About me, for some reason.” She shook her head.
I wanted to reach out and tell her what an amazing woman she was. I wanted her to know that she deserved the best. That she worked too hard and sacrificed so much, including time with Penelope, just to be able to provide the life she wanted for her daughter, on top of saving for her dream house. I wanted her to know all of this.
I wanted to punch her ex in the face for treating her like garbage and having the audacity to attempt to steal Penelope away and even then, to want to put child support on her, to take away her hard-earned money, not working, not caring for Penelope the way Victoria did, and squandering her savings away.
She was exactly the sort of woman a guy like me should marry.
“I’ll marry you,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
She stopped what she was saying to give me a sharp look. “What?” she asked, her voice filled with equal parts annoyance and disbelief.
I hesitated. That sounded way more romantic in my head than it did hearing it out loud. I opened my mouth, but I had no idea how I was going to explain my comment. She heard exactly what I said and she wasn’t the sort of woman you could get away with bullshitting, either.
“I meant,” I began slowly, shifting my eyes over to the water. I had hoped something interesting was happening so it would distract her from our suddenly awkward conversation. “I mean, you heard Windsor. You need a two-parent household to provide stability for Penelope and I said I would marry you because I wanted to help you do that.”
I had no idea why I asked her the question.
God, I was acting like the biggest dipshit ever. I was glad Bodhi wasn’t around to see this. I would never be able to live it down.
She continued to look at me with a stare I couldn’t decipher except for the fact that it was not a good look.
She sighed and looked out at the sea. It was a beautiful day. The sun painted the sky, the ocean sparkled, the soft breeze lifted Victoria’s hair from her shoulders and it was tainted with a hint of salt. It was soothing - the ocean always was. And yet, I appreciated none of it. Not when Victoria was in front of me, looking at me that way, with that sigh that came out of her mouth.
“Max,” she grumbled, her voice low. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
I furrowed my brow. I knew that it wasn’t the most romantic way to propose marriage, but it would solve her problem and I wanted to help her in any way I could. Victoria was strong and independent. She could do almost everything on her own. This was one thing I could help her with.
“I think you think you’re being spontaneous and romantic,” she continued when I didn’t answer. “But that’s the last thing I want. I want logical and rational and I’m so tired of people thinking they know best. Joe thinks he can get custody because I should parent his way. And you think my problems will go away just because you have money. But you haven’t considered about how marriage might affect Penelope. She’s starting to realize her father doesn’t want to see her all the time. I don’t need to introduce her to another man who will just let her down.”
“What makes you think I’m going to let her down?” I asked. This was one thing I was adamant about. I was crazy about Penelope. And she and Bohdi were inseparable.
“When you’re too busy working, when
you have a meeting that runs late? When you get a last-minute call that will force you to choose between Penelope’s school recital and a meeting, you’ll choose the meeting. We can’t both choose the meeting.” She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. “On top of that, we barely like each other, let alone love each other, and I’m not going to marry again without…”
“Ha!” I interrupted. “So, you would consider getting married again.”
“Are you listening to anything I’m saying?” she asked.
I nodded my head. “Yes,” I said. “Yes, and I respect it. I’m sorry, I can come across as... ambitious, at times. You’re right. I just... let me at least take you out on a date.” I placed both hands on her bare shoulders, rubbing them with my hands. “Tell me you didn’t enjoy it when we kissed.”
When she couldn’t answer, I leaned down and took a chance. I kissed her again, smiling as I did so. She wasn’t arguing. “Good,” I responded. “I enjoyed it as well.” I stepped back to give her the deck to herself. I needed to prepare for our date.
18
Victoria
* * *
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I muttered late in the evening as Max held my hand and walked me to the limousine he had waiting for us at the marina. “How did you talk me into this again?”
“I promised to buy all three properties you showed me today.” Max chuckled as he urged me into the open back door.
I sighed. “I’m such a cheap date.”
“Cheap? I’m pretty sure this date cost me roughly five million dollars before dinner.” He snickered. “If this is your idea of cheap, I don’t want to see lavish.”
“Lavish is stuff like the Maldives for a week.” I smiled up at him while I sank deeper into the buttery leather.
“Have you been to the Maldives?” His brows arched while he waited for my response.
I shook my head. “No, but I imagine it’s lovely any time of year.”
