Who Gets to Marry Max?

by Neesa Hart

  Max switched off the doll. “Max Loden,” he said quietly, “is a one woman kind of man.” He reached into the box again and produced a second doll. A one of a kind he’d driven his art department crazy with. He’d spent hours checking every detail of the face, the hair, the eyes. They’d been ready to kill him, but he didn’t care. He’d wanted it to be right. And it was. It perfectly resembled Sidney Grant. He set the doll on the lectern next to the miniature Max. “And there’s only one woman he wants.”

  Sidney finally raised her eyes to meet his gaze. He silently began to plead with her.

  In tandem, the crowd followed the direction of his gaze to stare at Sidney. Max saw Philip prod her to her feet. “Sidney.” His voice sounded gravelly, but there was no helping it. She had his life in her hands. He stepped off the platform and began to make his way toward her, “I’ll do anything you want,” he said. The crowd parted before him like stalks in the wind. “Anything.”

  When he reached her, he curved his hands around her shoulders. “I’ll sell Loden Enterprises and live in a tent with you if that’s what you want, but I can’t spend the rest of my life without you in it. Please don’t do this to me.”

  She looked at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and—dare he hope—love. “Oh, Max.” Her hands covered his. “There’s only one thing I ever wanted from you.”

  He was fairly certain he felt his blood begin to flow again. “Anything,” he said. “I’ll give you anything.” And he meant it.”

  Sidney shook her head. “You don’t have to give me anything, Max.” A tear slid down her cheek. “Just love me,” she whispered.

  As relief poured through him in a torrent, he pulled her into his arms. “I do. God, I do.”

  She tipped her face back for his kiss, then laid her hand alongside his cheek. “Then we’ll work the rest out. I’m sorry.”

  He turned his head to kiss her palm. “Me, too. I should have told you.”

  When her eyes twinkled at him, he was sure he’d died and gone to heaven. “You could have picked a less conspicuous place.”

  He was dimly aware that the crowd was laughing appreciatively, but the ringing in his ears drowned them out. She occupied all his attention. “Say you’ll marry me,” he whispered.

  “I will.”

  “And that you love me.”

  “Forever.”

  He kissed her, briefly. “That’s all I needed to know.” He glanced at the crowd. “The show’s over,” he announced. “And you aren’t getting another scoop like this until the wedding.”

  PHILIP DROVE Max’s car a discreet distance behind the imposing stretch limousine. Max and Sidney had opted to let Charlie drive them home. Philip knew precisely why. He adjusted the phone against his ear. “Charlie,” he said, “you did say the glass was closed, didn’t you?”

  “Of course,” Charlie said. “They’ll have all the privacy they need back there.”

  Philip nodded. “Good. Did Max tell you where he wanted to go?”

  “He was, uh, a little preoccupied with kissing Sidney at the time.”

  Philip laughed. “Take them out to the Hudson.”

  “All the way out there? Are you sure?”

  “Yes. They’ll want the privacy for the next few days.”

  “I suppose you’re right. Are you going to call Gertie and give her the news?”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Philip promised. “You can have the honor of telling Sam and Elena.”

  “Deal,” Charlie agreed. “Say, Philip, weren’t you at least a little worried this past week that it might not work out?”

  Philip considered the question as he studied the two dolls on the front seat of Max’s car. Paul Wells had handed him the miniatures of Max and Sidney as they’d made their way from the chaotic crush in the press room. He drew a contented breath as he thought of the wonderful future he was going to enjoy with these two children he loved so deeply. They’d have children of their own for him to love. He knew that both of them had found the one person who could fill their lives with joy. Tears pricked his eyes as his heart swelled to contain the extent of his happiness. He gently patted the dolls as he cleared his throat to answer his friend. “No,” he said. “I never had a single doubt, Charlie. I always knew it would turn out this way.”

  Epilogue

  Sidney gave a sigh of contentment as she shifted her three-day-old son against her breast. His eyes drooped heavily as he finished his lunch. “Go back to sleep, darling,” she whispered. “Your uncle Philip wore you out fussing over you this morning.”

  Grant Evan Loden gurgled as he kicked his tiny feet, fighting sleep. Sidney stroked a finger over his whisper-soft skin. Max had brought her home from the hospital yesterday, where Philip had immediately hurried her off to bed. Grant had settled into his new crib and his new room with astonishing ease, and she’d fallen asleep, held fast in the warm circle of her husband’s embrace. Now, she looked around at the cheery yellow walls of the nursery with a slight smile.

  Max had picked the color himself. Swiss Vanilla with a cream wash and antique white trim. Dear Lord how she loved him. Every day, it seemed, he found a hundred new ways to tell her he loved her, too. It seemed incredible to her now that she’d ever doubted him.

  Oh, they’d faced their share of challenges. They’d both had to make adjustments, but having each other had made the first year of their marriage deeply rewarding.

  “Is he asleep?” Max asked quietly from the doorway.

  She turned to smile at him. “Yes.”

  He strode into the room, looking, she noted, as handsome as ever. He had a flat, silver box tucked beneath his arm. When he reached her side, he stopped to kiss her softly, then gently took Grant from her arms. Max laid him in his crib with such exquisite care that Sidney felt her eyes brim. She was still emotional from her pregnancy, but she knew that the sight of the profound tenderness on Max’s face whenever he held his son would always move her. He looked at her, his smile beatific. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine.”

  He gave her his hand so she could rise from the rocking chair. “You’re sure?”

  “Yes.” Sidney touched his face. “I’m sure. Why are you home so early? I thought you had a board meeting this afternoon?”

  Max walked with her to the door. “Paul’s handling it,” he said with a shrug. “I had other things on my mind.” They walked in silence to their bedroom. Once inside, Max closed the door and handed her the package. “Besides, I couldn’t wait to give you this.”

  “What is it?”

  He smiled at her. “You know we’ve been working on the apparel line for the Real Men collection.”

  She nodded as she peeled the paper away. “Yes. Colleen was showing me some of the designs. They’re really delightful.”

  Max grinned. “I don’t know what made you think of suggesting Colleen to coordinate the line, but it was brilliant. I’ve never seen her so happy.”

  Sidney tossed the bow onto the dresser. “She always had a certain flair for that kind of thing. I knew she’d enjoy it.”

  “She has. Immensely.”

  She pulled the rest of the paper free. “So what is this?”

  “It’s a prototype.”

  “Really?” she said, genuinely excited to see the first of the new products. “Pajamas or sportswear?” The paper joined the discarded bow.

  “Uh, pajamas.”

  “Oh, good.” Sidney pried open the box, pushed back the tissue paper, then met Max’s devilish gaze with a slight laugh. “Max,” she chided gently, “don’t you think black satin negligees are a little inappropriate for elementary school-age girls?”

  With a soft chuckle, he crossed to her, then lifted the more-lace-than-fabric nightie from the box. “This one is one of a kind. You’re the only one who’s going to get one.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Uh-huh.” He turned it around so she could see the front. Embroidered across the bodice in bright red thread were the words, “I g
ot to marry Max.”

  Sidney burst out laughing. “Oh, Max. You’re absolutely crazy.”

  He pulled her into the warm circle of his embrace. “Only about you, darling. Only about you.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4603-6775-9

  WHO GETS TO MARRY MAX?

  Copyright © 2000 by Neesa Hart.

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