by Kay Lyons
Neither of them spoke as Max gunned the gas and got them moving. Finally he looked over to where she sat in the passenger seat and then did a double take.
"What are you wearing?"
She winced at the fact he'd noticed she wasn't her usual put-together self and shrugged. "I was at the beach with my sisters," she said. "These are London's pants, Caro's shirt. But I'm here. Have you talked to Violet or Sally?"
For a short second, his gaze warmed when she'd mentioned her clothing, but just as quickly the warmth faded.
"You look beautiful. And, no. Neither of them will pick up."
They hit traffic along the way because of an accident and Max impatiently squirmed in the driver's seat. Long minutes passed with the tension growing between them.
"I can't believe she's doing this," he muttered.
"I can't believe you can't believe it."
Max glared at her from across the interior.
"Max, he was her first love. Of course she's going to want to see him. I think it's sweet."
"You would. You're a romantic."
"And you like to pretend you're not but you are."
"Come again?"
She nodded repeatedly but kept her gaze on the inching traffic ahead of them. "You are. You want to protect her and that's a hero's heart. And what makes a hero vulnerable? Love. You love her, you're afraid she'll get hurt like you did when things with what's-her-face didn't work out, and now you're afraid to try again, so why should your ninety-four-year-old grandmother try? Am I right?"
"You don't know what happened with me."
"So why don't you tell me."
He hit the steering wheel when the traffic stalled again.
"She wanted my money, didn't mind it that I traveled a lot, and I came home one day to find her in bed with her Pilates instructor."
"You chose wrong. It happens to the best of us," Holland said. "David probably felt the same way about me when I turned him down."
"Did you sleep with your Pilates instructor?"
"Hurt is hurt, Max," she said, ignoring the question. "Let Violet remember the past. Let her see him. Meet him again after all of these years. Just let her enjoy the time she has left here to enjoy. Is that such a bad thing?"
"He could keel over and die tomorrow."
"So could we."
A rough chuckle left Max's chest.
"I'm not going to win with you, am I?"
"I don't know. Do you really want to?"
“You left without saying goodbye.”
“I didn’t think you’d care.”
“I do. But this whole thing with Nan…” He inhaled and exhaled roughly. “I guess this means we’ve had our first fight.”
“I guess it does.”
So where did they go from here? Could they survive the world and the drama and the chaos of life in the twenty-first century? “Holland, I have to leave soon. Go back to the village where my uncle and aunt live with the items they desperately need.”
He glanced across the expanse and saw her close her eyes and nod.
“I know. I’ll be traveling soon, too. Once I take some time off for my sister’s baby shower and London’s wedding and the like.”
Silence descended, the impact of that future distance weighing heavily on them both.
His grandmother had already boarded by the time they made it to the airfield, but Max had ordered the pilot to delay takeoff. Holland heard Violet's gasp when Max entered the plane and quickly moved through the interior to where she sat.
"You've given me a few gray hairs today, Nan."
"I'm going. Please, don't try to stop me, Max. I have to do this."
Max turned so that his grandmother could see Holland standing behind him, and he held up his hand for her to take, motioning Holland to take one of the two seats across from Violet and Sally.
"I know. That's why we're here. I think we all want to meet the man you love."
Chapter 11
Max found his grandmother utterly adorable as she fussed with her hair and makeup during the car ride to Akihiro Tadashi's home. He glanced at Holland and found her watching Nan as well. She must have sensed his attention because her gaze shifted to his. "Thank you."
"For what?" she asked.
"If it wasn't for you, I would've missed this. I love seeing her this way," he whispered. "She's like a schoolgirl."
Holland's smile warmed his heart and did a number on his insides.
"That's why this is so special. Love is precious. It shouldn't be dismissed."
He was finally seeing that. No matter the age.
The driver turned the luxury SUV into a driveway outside of a two-story house, and Max noted the beautiful flowers and landscaping. The man had an eye, that was for sure.
When he'd left the house this morning so angry, he'd made some calls and done a bit of research on Tadashi. By all accounts, he was the honest, hardworking man his grandmother had proclaimed him to be.
The group of them exited the vehicle, and Max welcomed his grandmother's arm through his as they made their way toward the door. He knocked and, after a moment, it opened. The elderly man was dressed in khakis and a crisp white shirt, and his face lit up like a Christmas tree when he recognized who stood on his porch.
"My flower?" the man asked, his voice breaking on the words.
His grandmother burst into tears and laughter and surged forward on her cane, unable to get in the door fast enough.
"Aki. Oh, Aki, I can't believe… I thought you were dead. Oh, Aki!"
The two hugged and patted, talking incoherently with tears streaming down their faces.
"Please, come in," a young woman stated from behind them.
She held a baby on her hip, her smile sweet and welcoming.
"I'm Tia, his granddaughter. And this is Mae," she said of the baby.
Max quickly made the introductions while his grandmother and Akihiro continued to stand there and hold each other tight.
Finally the two separated and Max watched as Akihiro produced a handkerchief, giving it to Nan so she could dry her eyes.
"Oh, Aki. I've dreamed of this day. Of seeing you again. I'm so happy."
"I am stunned. What are you doing here?"
Nan explained about her father's lie and how Holland had searched for him.
"I'm sorry we've just shown up like this but I couldn't wait to see you. Not another moment. I had to come."
"I'm glad you didn't wait."
"Aki, did you ever think of me? Of us?"
Max looked around and realized he was the only one not shedding tears. It wasn't from lack of emotion, though. The fist in his chest squeezed tighter and tighter as he listened to their conversation.
"Come," Akihiro said. "Follow me. Please."
Akihiro took Nan's hand and, side by side, they walked to the back of the house. Tia hitched the baby higher on her hip and motioned for them to follow.
"You'll want to see,” Tia said. “I’ve always wondered who she was. Such a gift to finally know."
Sally went first, with Holland and Max following. Tia and the baby brought up the rear as they all exited the house onto a beautifully designed brick patio and Japanese garden. A path led the way to a large atrium, and once there, Akihiro swung open double doors.
"Did I think of you? Every day of my life," the man said.
"Oh, my word. Max, look at the violets," Holland said. "There are hundreds and hundreds of them."
Max swallowed hard. If ever there was proof the man loved his grandmother…
"Oh, Aki. Oh, they're so beautiful," Nan said, crying again.
"Never as beautiful as you," the man said. "I had a good life, as did you, but I never forgot my flower. Nor did I stop loving her."
Holland held a hand to her face, her expression one of pure awe and heartfelt love and silent tears. Max wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tucked her to his side, deciding then and there, as she pressed her face against his chest and held tight, that she would get the
same kind of love and devotion for the next seventy-nine years if she would have him. "Holland, we can let jobs and distance separate us." He kissed the top of her head and used his free hand to lift her chin to better see her face. "Or we can commit to doing whatever it takes to see where this could go. Maybe it's too soon to declare our love, but after knowing you little more than a week, I do know I feel more than I have for any woman," he said, thanking God he'd seen the ex-fiancée for what she was before it was too late. Otherwise he wouldn't be here now. "Like you once told me, love means something and it’s worth fighting for, and I'd very much like to learn what we could be. If it's something like this," he said, tilting his head toward the atrium. "What do you say?"
She nodded rapidly, her voice thick when she said, "This. I want this."
Max pulled her close and kissed her, not stopping until she made that little sound that called to him, told him that whatever love they'd lost in the past had been found in each other. "Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too,” he said against her lips, adding, “And maybe during your time off, I can sweep you off to Africa."
Epilogue
Six months later…
* * *
Holland stared out at the waterway and sighed, wondering how it was possible to feel so content. She and Max had spent a lot of time physically apart in the last six months but they’d talked or video-chatted every one of those days. He’d even whisked her off to Africa and shown her the area and the people he loved so much. She’d met his aunt and uncle, and watched Max in action. Talk about a sight to behold. Seeing him surrounded by all of the village children, laughing and playing… Just when she thought she couldn’t love him more, she found her heart expanding.
“Hey, you.”
Holland smiled when Max’s strong arms slid around her waist and she felt his lips on her neck.
“There you are.”
“Miss me?” she asked.
“Always. Enjoying the view?”
“Mmm. I love it that everyone is here and getting along. Well, for the most part,” she said, thinking of the political debate she’d left inside between her father and his. “How are the fathers doing? Come to blows yet?”
“They’re fine. Everyone’s making their way outside.”
Max had suggested hosting a family dinner so that everyone could meet each other and Violet had loved the idea so much it had turned into quite the party. Aki’s family had arrived yesterday, and Holland’s entire family and the Banes had been showing up for the last several hours. Her sisters had shown up in force, all smiles and laughter and gasps as Holland had shown them around Violet’s beautiful home.
Max loosened his hold, and she mourned the loss of his touch when he withdrew from her.
“Holland.”
Holland turned to find everyone standing outside along the beautiful patio facing her. Her sisters’ husbands held cameras or phones pointed in her direction while the girls had champagne glasses held at the ready. Except for Ireland who held baby Isaleigh and bounced the chubby baby in her arms. “What’s happening? Did I miss something?” she asked, searching the crowd for Violet and Aki. The two lovebirds were seated on a couch, holding hands as well as champagne glasses.
Max grinned and lowered himself to one knee, producing an exquisite ring. Holland gasped, her eyes stinging with tears when she realized Violet wasn’t the one getting a proposal.
“Holland Cohen, I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
She nodded, unable to speak due to the lump in her throat, and held out her shaking hand. Max placed the gorgeous cushion cut diamond on her finger and straightened, using his hold on her fingers to tug her toward him while the group cheered and toasted them. Holland dove into his arms and lifted her face to his for a kiss that took her breath and gave her life at the same time. She’d waited so long for this. This man, this feeling. The lost kind of love she’d always hoped to find but feared no longer existed.
It did exist. The man in her arms was proof.
WANT TO CONTINUE READING KAY’S WORK? BELOW IS AN EXCERPT OF HEALING HER COWBOY, THE FIRST NOVEL IN KAY’S MONTANA SECRETS SERIES.
EXERPT FROM HEALING HER COWBOY:
GRACE KORBIT FLINCHED when a book slammed against the wall three feet to the right of her head.
“Next time I won’t miss. Get out.”
Gathering her courage, she peered into Seth Rowland’s bedroom, unable to see much because of the dark blinds covering the windows. Too bad they didn’t block the smell. Musty air and a decidedly unpleasant aroma assailed her.
“You gotta hearing problem? None of you’ve managed to fix me yet and I’m sick of waiting for a miracle.”
Grace was shocked. This wasn’t the Seth she remembered. Taking a deep breath, she ignored his order and went inside, hoping her instincts would protect her from any additional flying objects. Three steps in, her foot landed on something soft and skidded an inch to the left. Eeeew.
But the goo sticking to her foot explained the smell. At least part of it. The pungent odor of a too-ripe banana filled her nostrils. She lifted her shoe, hobbling momentarily and, using the light streaming in from the connecting bedroom, spotted the outline of an overflowing trash can. She shook her foot over the container until she heard a dull thunk.
“How about I open the blinds and windows?” she asked, her voice husky as she scraped the sole of her shoe over the edge. That done, a steadying breath full of dust and the lingering smell of fruit propelled her quickly through the mess.
“How about you go—” Seth finished his crude suggestion. Grace winced, but she’d heard worse.
She trailed her fingers along the wall until they found the drawstring pull of the blind and yanked hard, although she regretted it instantly when the dust flew. She waved one hand in front of her face while unlocking the sash with the other. Cold, crisp air flowed in.
Seth’s eyes bored a hole into her back as Grace made her way to the second window, thankful the sunlight enabled her to maneuver around the messy room, which looked as though it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks.
Mindful of the dust, she raised this blind slower, giving the task more attention than it deserved due to a sudden nervousness. How had she ever convinced herself she could do this? See Seth again? Talk to him, touch him? But in the same vein, how could she have said no?
She stared outside, at the dirt-and-gravel road leading away from the house, and knew this was one window she’d better keep closed. Otherwise she’d have a hard time fighting the temptation to climb through and make a run for it.
Unable to postpone the inevitable any longer, she turned. “Seth, I—” Grace gasped at the sight of him and hated herself because she wasn’t quick enough to squelch the revealing sound. He heard, too, because his gaze narrowed on her and she knew the exact moment he recognized her—and she realized in an instant Jake hadn’t told Seth his ex-girlfriend was to be his next physical therapist.
Seth’s eyes widened, then he looked away. But in that moment in between she saw it all. Saw the cold, bitter distance she’d created. The anger and upset and breath-stealing pain.
Seth’s guarded stare reminded her of an injured, cornered animal, fighting back out of instinct, but unsure of whether or not he really wanted to continue the battle.
Oh, Seth.
Lucky for her he appeared as shocked to see her as she was to see him in such a condition. She fell back on six years of training and experience. Lessons hard learned and refined by taking on some of the most difficult cases others had given up on. Like Seth.
Squaring her shoulders, she swallowed. “It’s good to see you, Seth. Do you throw books at everyone who comes through the door or just me?”
Jaw tight, he continued to glare. “I thought you were— Ah, hell no,” he growled as understanding replaced his shock.
She forced herself to move closer with a confidence she didn’t feel. “That’s right. I’m your new therapist.”
Grace crosse
d her arms over her chest, hoping it looked like a gesture of strength, even arrogance, instead of what it really was—an attempt to control her quivering limbs.
He laughed, the sound gruff and low, sending shivers through her.
Seth glowered at the door. “Jake!”
Moving forward another step, she was amazed at the difference in the man she’d known compared to the one before her. Ten years ago Seth had been clean-cut and entirely too handsome, God-gifted with one of those rugged, craggy faces that only got better with age. Tall and lanky, he’d had a natural swagger and smile that stopped what little traffic North Star, Montana, could lay claim to.
Now the handsome cowboy was gone, and in his place was a bitter and broken man with eyes that burned hot with anger, and an appearance that stated quite clearly Seth didn’t care what happened to him. Not anymore.
“He isn’t—”
“Jake!” When Jake didn’t appear, Seth turned to her. “You’ve had your look at the cripple, now get out.”
Her nails dug into the flesh of her arms. The sharp pain stiffened her resolve and reminded her, for the moment at least, she was the one in charge. She just had to prove it to Seth. And to herself.
“I can’t leave you like this.”
He laughed without humor. “You didn’t have a problem leaving me before. Now’s no different.”
Now was different, but her reasoning was the same. And as badly as she wanted to do as he said, to turn tail and run, she was just as determined to stay.
She shook her head. “I’m good at what I do, Seth. What do you say? Will you work with me?”
A vicious curse filled the air, succinct with fury.
“Fine, I’ll leave,” she said, careful to keep her voice from shaking even as she raised it to be heard over his ongoing litany. Seth stilled, then smirked in triumph, and that’s when she decided he needed a firm kick in the rear. “That is, when you’re able to get out of that bed and throw me out yourself.”
