by Sammi Franks
So, this was the notorious Max.
We boarded the boat - yacht, I had to keep reminding myself; I didn’t want to offend anyone - and I kept a tight grip on my purse. Not because I was afraid someone would take my things but because I didn’t like water all that much. I could deal with it, certainly, as long as I didn’t think about it.
“So, this must be the renowned Beatrice,” Max said with a smile once we were safely on the yacht. “Tori has told me so much about you.” He glanced down at Thea. “Hey peanut, Penelope is in the game room. I think she’s playing some dance game if you want to join her. You guys can bunk up.”
Thea let out a shriek of excitement and ran off.
At that moment, Victoria - whom I had never pictured with any sort of nickname, much less Tori - walked up with a glass of wine. She was in a smart, white dress, perfect for being on a yacht. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled away from her face, but rested on her shoulders. When she saw Max, her entire face lit up. Despite having an audience, Max didn’t refrain from sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him, giving her a lingering kiss on her cheek.
“Bea, I’m so glad you could come,” Victoria said with a smile.
I forced a smile in return. Was it wrong that I was jealous of Victoria and Max? Of the easiness of their new relationship, the sparks that seemed to sizzle between them? I didn’t even have that with Stan when I was with him and the thought made me sad. I wasn’t bitter, but I did want to experience such a thing. Though I hadn’t known her for long, I had never seen Victoria this happy before, and I was so, so thrilled for her. But I could not help but yearn for the same thing for myself.
The past few weeks, I thought that might be possible with Will. The truth of the matter was, however, I didn’t think that was the case anymore.
In fact, while Victoria fell easily into Max’s arms, a graceful smile on her pretty face, Will and I stood a foot apart, our bodies leaning away from each other. If that wasn’t a telltale sign of where we were, I did not know what was.
“I know it’s late,” Max said. “Why don’t we get you guys settled? If you’re up for it, we have wine. If not, there are beds. We do have you in the same room. Hope that’s okay.” He glanced over at me and stepped forward. “Beatrice, where are my manners? Let me get that for you.” He took my bag and I could see Will roll his eyes next to me.
I didn’t think he directed it at Max. It was more of an I should have thought to grab your bag sort of reaction.
“This way,” Max said, turning around and leading us off the deck and down the stairs.
He had us together in a small room. Max placed my bag in a small closet and Will dropped his on the chair. The bed was barely passable as a queen, and I highly doubted either one of us wanted to sleep on the rocking floor. The thought nearly made me vomit. I did not do well on boats - yachts.
“So,” Max said from the doorway. “Wine?”
“I think I’m going to turn in,” I murmured. I still couldn’t take my eyes off the bed and how small it seemed.
“I’ll take some wine,” Will said as he all but sprinted out of our room.
Max offered me a smile and shut the door, leaving me in the bedroom alone.
17
Will
I lay awake for far too long. Knowing I was sharing a bed with Beatrice and we’d have the privacy I both craved and feared was far too much for me to handle. No matter how hard I tried to get comfortable, I couldn’t. My skin would graze hers and it was entirely too much.
Finally, I sighed, gave up and decided to wander back to the main deck. I hoped no one would be awake at the moment, since Max and Tori claimed they were going to bed about an hour before. To my surprise, when I reached the seating area, I found Tori sitting by herself. I stiffened some. We’d never really hit it off, even though our daughters were best friends. “Oh, I’ll just…” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder, hoping to indicate I was happy to go below deck once more.
Tori shook her head. “Can’t sleep either?” She smiled as she curled up in the seat.
“No.” I swallowed hard. “Beatrice,” I murmured by way of explanation.
“Ah. I see.” Her grin had my cheeks burning and her laugh only made it worse. “You know what your problem is?” she began confidently.
My shoulders sagged and I inhaled deeply. “No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me,” I grumbled.
Another laugh. “I am.” Tori nodded. Then she leaned in conspiratorially. “We share the same problem.”
I frowned as I tried to imagine what we had in common besides the girls. And I’d never consider Thea a problem. “I have no idea,” I admitted.
“Well, we both are trying to fight what we should be embracing.” She gazed past my shoulder, out over the water. “Only Max melted me. I never stood a chance.” Tori met my eyes again.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” I lied.
Her brows rose. “Really? I think you do. I think you know exactly what I’m saying. We’re not so different.”
Apparently, it was my turn to laugh. “Are you sure about that?” I shook my head. “You’re marrying a billionaire. You’re living in the lap of luxury. I do well enough, but before Max came along, I spent a lot of time scraping to get by.” I blew out a breath. “I’m a piss-poor excuse for a father, while you’re a loving mother…” My voice trailed off. I worried over how long she was going to let me go on.
“That’s how you see things, I’m sure, but in reality, I wasn’t the best of moms either. You hold Thea at a distance for obvious reasons—“
“What reasons?” I snapped. Then I rubbed my face. “Sorry. I’m tired and stressed. It makes me ugly.”
“I understand.” Tori studied me sadly. “Anyone with eyes can see how much Thea looks like Megyn. She’s growing up beautifully. So smart, so loving. You’ve done a great job with her, even if you’re afraid to get too close.”
I sank down in the seat across from her. “I’m not afraid,” I argued. “I do everything for her.”
With a nod, Tori agreed. “Of course you do, but you have to be there for her too. Before, I think it was simply about Megyn, and this overwhelming fear of loss. Now, I think it’s Beatrice too.”
I froze. “What about Beatrice?”
“Well, again, anyone with eyes can see you’re attracted to her.” She smiled gently. “It’s okay. You’ve been sad long enough, Will. You deserve to be happy.” She frowned. “Are you worried what people will think? Worried what Megyn would’ve wanted?”
“That,” I admitted weakly. “And more.” I raked a hand through my hair. “She’s here on a fiancé visa.”
“Right. Stan.” Tori rolled her eyes. “How a guy like him ever turned the head of a beautiful young woman like that, I’ll never understand.”
I laughed. “Me neither.” Then I sobered. “Her time’s nearly up. She applied for a work visa. We’ve heard nothing. I don’t think I can handle losing one more person I care about.” I choked out the last few words. My throat constricted as I tried to imagine my life without Beatrice.
Tori tilted her head and tapped on her chin a moment. Her face took on a faraway gaze. “What would you do to keep her?” she asked quietly. “What lengths would you go to ensure your happiness, hers, and Thea’s? How badly do you want to keep your family intact?”
My lips twitched as a smile played at the corners of my mouth. “She makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches. I’ve watched her helping Thea with homework and reading books to her. Thea’s happy in a way she hasn’t been since she lost her mother, even with Mo in residence.”
“What about you?” Tori leaned over the table. “You’re different too.”
I nodded. “Beatrice makes me want to be a different man. She makes me want to be better.” I chuckled. “I don’t even mind when she scolds me. I’d gladly fight with that woman for the rest of my days.”
“I think you actually mean that,” she responded happily. “So how much time do you have?�
��
Closing my eyes, I quickly did the math. “Maybe two weeks. I’ve been telling her not to worry, but that’s because I’ve been doing it for both of us.” I shrugged. “I have no idea how to fix this.”
Tori clapped her hands together. “I do.”
I tilted my head. “Well, don’t keep it a secret. I’m open to suggestions.”
She licked her lips while carefully considering her words. “Do you trust me?”
“I’ve remodeled your house and you’ve never stiffed me, treated me unkindly, or been mean in any way. You referred me to Max. You’re the mother of Thea’s best friend. Of course, I trust you.” I stared at her impatiently. “So, what do I do?”
“The answer seems simple to me.” She smiled. “Marry her.”
“We haven’t even kissed. How do I ask her to marry me?” I shook my head. “And why would she ever go for that? She has been burned by Stan.”
“Yes, but I saw them together once. She looked…miserable. So did he.” Tori sighed. “Tonight, you two seemed tense. And I’m guessing it’s all the feelings you’re suppressing.”
“She threatened to leave me.” I frowned.
“We women say the darndest things when we’re trying to be strong and hide our feelings. Beatrice likes you, Will. I’m confident if you showed her how you felt, she’d be your second chance at love.” She propped her head on her fist. “What do you say?”
The idea of a second chance appealed to me more than I cared to admit. “I never imagined I’d love anyone again. Now, I can’t imagine losing her.” I glanced around and chuckled. “So where does a guy get a ring in the middle of the ocean?”
18
Beatrice
“You’re awfully quiet today.”
I turned to look at Max with a blank stare. As polite as I could be, I was not in the mood to fake my mood and be happy right now. I woke up to a headache and an empty bed.
“You don’t even know me,” I pointed out. “What makes you think I’m quiet?”
Max nodded his head and took a sip of what I assumed was coffee. We were both on the deck of his yacht, attempting to get some sun. In reality, I didn’t want to be anywhere Will might be, and Will didn’t strike me as the relaxing under the sun type. Neither did Max, but he decided to join me anyway, which was fine since it was his yacht and I couldn’t exactly tell him otherwise.
“Touché,” he said. “I’d like to get to know you, though. Tori speaks…”
“Doesn’t speak about me at all,” I pointed out. “The girls know each other and when she’s able to pick Penelope up from school, she’s always late and in a rush. Not that I take that as rude, I just don’t think she knows my name. Which is fine. But let’s not kid each other.”
“Fair enough.” Another long sip of coffee. “Can I give you some advice?”
I rolled my eyes. Typically, I wasn’t this rude, but I was tired of everyone giving me advice; Stan, Mo, Will, the women at school (because apparently, not being a parent means I have no idea how to treat a child), and now Max. Max, a man who I had never met before and I only knew because Will was working for him and Westport was in a tizzy that he was moving to town.
“I’m just going to take your silence as a ‘fuck you, I don’t want to hear your advice,’ which is understandable,” Max admitted, “but I’m going to go ahead and give it to you anyway because I’m kind of an asshole.”
“So I’ve heard,” I grumbled. “Go on, then. I’m sure you’ve been informed about my stumbling blocks ever since moving out to Westport. I’m sure you know I was engaged to marry Stan, of all people.”
“The sailor?” he interrupted.
I cut him a look. He’d barely been here and somehow, even he knew that Stan was not the relationship type. Well, that was a lie. He was, just not with me.
“Sorry,” Max said. “Go on.”
I shook my head. “I think I interrupted you, actually,” I murmured.
“See, I didn’t think you could be annoyed with me for very long.” Max grinned. “Tori, yes. She can go days without talking to me. But you’re sweet. At least, that’s what I heard. And looking at you, I tend to think they’re right.”
“Because I’m blonde and British?” I asked, raising a brow.
“Because you have more laugh lines than frown lines,” Max replied. I felt my cheeks flush. Not because I was embarrassed by the gentle crinkles around my eyes, but because he noticed them so quickly. “Anyway, I can see the attraction you have for Will. I typically don’t notice things like that, but it’s too obvious not to. You care about each other. You might even love him.”
“Why are you talking to me about this?” I said. I pulled my eyes away from the ocean so I could look at Max. “What business of yours is it?”
“You’re right,” he replied. “It’s definitely not my business. But I know what you’re going through. And instead of bumbling around and making the same mistakes I made, I wanted to give you advice on how to avoid all of that and jump to getting what you want.”
“And what do you think I want?” I asked.
He set his coffee cup on the table that divided us. “That’s easy,” he said, spreading his arms out. “Will.”
I nearly choked on my own saliva. I shot him a look and he gave me one of those smirks that said he knew it and was also amused by my reaction.
“I’m not good at this love stuff,” Max continued. “Bodhi and I are notoriously bad at committing to women. Until we meet the right one, obviously. But I’m a businessman and I’m good at knowing when someone wants something. And you want Will.”
“I do not,” I argued weakly.
“It’s not a bad thing,” he continued over me. “He wants you too. He wants you bad. He just doesn’t know how to express it.”
I slowly closed my mouth and waited for him to go on.
“I don’t know much about Will except he’s damn good at his job,” he said. He took another gulp of his coffee. It seemed he needed the drink to survive. “He could probably make a better effort to be around for his daughter, but you know why he avoids her.”
“That’s no excuse!” I exclaimed. I didn’t know why it came out like that but I couldn’t help it.
Max leaned back as if I had struck him. “I agree,” he said slowly. “Look, just be patient with the guy. You never know what he’s going through.”
“And what about me?” I asked before I could stop myself. I clamped my mouth shut and shook my head, glaring out at the sea. I didn’t think anyone was so rude to something so glorious before. “Everyone has something going on. I’m here on a K-1 visa. I’m trying to get a work visa, but I still haven’t heard back. I’ll be forced to fly back in roughly two weeks.”
“Did you tell that to Will?” Max asked.
“Of course I did,” I grumbled. “And all he said was that Thea wouldn’t want that. I’m glad he’s finally concerned with her well-being, but I can’t - I’m not going to do it again. If I stay, it won’t be for a man or for a girl - as precious as Thea is. I’m going to stay for me.”
Max nodded and let that sink in. “Just,” he said. “Patience, okay? Please? Trust me.”
“I don’t even know you,” I pointed out.
“You’re on my yacht,” Max pointed out. “Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“Sure.” I huffed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take a shower.”
19
Will
I’d opted to sleep topside instead of lying beside Beatrice. Until she agreed to marry me, it seemed wrong. Somehow, Tori and I managed to get off the boat without being spotted by the woman I hoped to marry. “She’s going to be furious,” I muttered under my breath while we rode in the back of the taxi.
“Yeah, well Max won’t be much happier with me. He would’ve wanted to help.” She sighed. “You know what that means, right?”
“Uh, mostly that he’d try to convince me to buy a more expensive ring than I could afford and then pay for it, wh
ich would be more like Max proposing than me.” I sighed. “We’re doing this right. Assuming Beatrice lets me ask her before stomping off mad.”
“Maybe you should wait until we leave the dock.” Tori teased.
I chuckled. “We don’t have a dinghy we’re towing behind us, do we? I think I need her to have zero possible means for escape.”
“That’s right, lock her down from the start.” She rolled her eyes and the car came to a stop. “Well, this is nothing like the jewelry store where we picked out this rock, but I actually think that’s a good thing.” She stared at the storefront while I paid the cab driver. “I think I’d have been far more comfortable here.”
“Great. Let’s go.” I rubbed my hands together nervously while I waited for Tori to join me. As soon as she emerged, we entered the store and I almost immediately felt guilty and overwhelmed.
“You can do this. Megyn would approve,” Tori whispered as she pushed me toward the counter.
I nodded numbly. I knew she was right, but still it felt like I had an elephant sitting on my chest as I stuffed my hands in my pockets and leaned over the glass cases as I stared into the display. “Hi,” I mumbled weakly to the man in the suit behind the counter. “I’m here to buy an engagement ring.”
An hour later, we were riding back to the marina. “She’s going to love it,” Tori commented for the twelfth time.
“I hope so,” I responded, yet again. Now, I simply needed to figure out what to say.
“Good luck.” She snickered.
“Wow, I expected something more encouraging and supportive.” I shook my head and stared out the window.
“Will, I’m not the kind to pretend any of this is going to be easy, but focus on the big picture. You’re going to have a wonderful life together.” She smiled warmly at me. Then she glanced out the window and saw the yacht parked at the day dock. “I’m pretty sure everyone is on deck. Let’s go.”
