All The Wrong Reasons: A Serendipity Falls Novel

by Erin Bevan

  “You don’t beat around the bush do you, boy? I like that about you, so I won’t waste your time. No. I haven’t decided to invest.”

  Max tensed in his chair, and stared down at the ring box on his desk. He now had two more reasons for his business to thrive. And the community center. Without more income, more help, he couldn’t get the money for the center before the city voted to possibly tear it down.

  “A simple no through email would have sufficed,” Max said.

  “I understand, but I flew in on my private jet. Thing costs enough. I have a full staff at my disposal that doesn’t get utilized enough. The wife’s been threatening to sell it, so I find any excuse I can to use it.”

  His own jet. One day…

  “That seems reason enough to come in person, I suppose,” Max said.

  “But actually, I’m here for another reason other than my refusal to join your company.”

  “Okay?” Max asked, confused.

  “I wanted to offer a donation to your campaign for mayor. I researched you on the Internet. I like your campaign slogan, ‘Helping those who can’t help themselves.’”

  “Thank you.” Max nodded. “While it might not be real catchy, it means something to me.” Much like his hot sauce company and Alex. “But, I can’t accept a donation, sir. I decided from the beginning I was going to fund my own campaign.” Taking money from people wasn’t something he was fond of. Asking Mr. Thurgood to invest was even a stretch. Perhaps it’s best the man said no.

  “I appreciate your desire to be a self-made man.” Thurgood explained. “I hope you’ll excuse my intrusiveness, but I know a guy. He did a little more digging for me than what I could do for myself. I found out your history.”

  “My history?” What was this man getting at?

  “Left on the fire station steps, adopted then dumped again by your father.”

  Max cracked his neck. “Yes. That’s right, but I’m sorry Mr. Thurgood, I don’t see why this is important, or any of your business, frankly.”

  “I always research people I’m thinking about investing with. That’s how I also found out about your way with the ladies, which made my ultimate decision in not investing with you.”

  Could he not catch a break?

  “That’s all changed.” Max tapped the ring box. “As I told you on our last call, I’m engaged.”

  “So you are. Congratulations. But for now, I still stand with no on investing.” Thurgood scooted up in his chair and leaned closer to Max’s desk, like he had something important to say. “However, after doing the digging, and understanding your past, your slogan made more sense. You want to put safe guards in place for those who can’t help themselves to be better taken care of. Like the Safe Haven Baby Boxes fire stations around the country are installing.”

  “Yes, that’s correct. I was left outside the fire station steps in the cold on Christmas morning. All the firemen were on call, but no one had to be at the station on Christmas. The Chief…he’d forgotten his wife’s Christmas gift at the station, so he drove back to retrieve it. That’s when he found me. Safe Haven boxes will allow children to be protected from the elements while alerting officials a baby is inside.”

  “Amazing.” Thurgood nodded. “I support that one hundred percent. My oldest son is adopted. My Mary and I, we tried for years to have a baby. Then a teenage girl, Helen March, got pregnant and we got our Shane. I guess my wife and I finally got so excited, the good Lord decided to bless us with five more after that, but he knew we needed our Shane first because if we’d have had our own, we never would have adopted him.”

  “That’s a wonderful story, Mr. Thurgood. I’m happy for Shane. He must realize how lucky he is.” Despite his past, Max still knew how lucky he was. If that firefighter hadn’t been so forgetful about his wife’s gift, hadn’t found him when he did, Max could have frozen to death on the steps of the firehouse.

  “I think he does,” Mr. Thurgood said, cutting into Max’s thoughts. “Much more than the other five, but with saying all of that, I want to make a contribution to the baby boxes.”

  Thurgood pulled out a check from his wallet and handed it over to Max.

  “Whether you win or not, I hope you use this money for those who can’t help themselves, like your slogan says.”

  Despite not wanting to take money for his campaign, Max didn’t see any problem taking a contribution to help the city. But would it be enough? Could it be more than enough? Could it help the community center, too?

  Please, God.

  Praying wasn’t something Max did often, but in a time like this, when he was so close to getting everything he ever wanted, he’d pray, wish upon a star, do whatever he needed to see his dreams come true: Watching Alex’s face when he told her he could give her what she wanted.

  Max held out his hand. “Yes, sir. Thank you, and I’ll make sure wherever we use the money, everyone knows you were critical to the endeavor.”

  “Then I’ll know you’re a man of your word if you do that, and perhaps we can talk again about Hot Sauce King in the future.” Thurgood shook his hand. “Best of luck with everything, Max. I’ll see myself out.”

  “Sure,” Max said and stared down at the folded check in his hand, scared to open it. The man had researched him. Hired someone to do some digging on him. Could it be? Could he hire someone to do some digging for Alex? Give her everything she asked for, not just almost everything?

  “Oh. Mr. Thurgood.” Max stopped the man in the threshold of his office door. “Before you go. Do you mind if I get the name of that guy you know? The one with the sleuthing skills?”

  “Sure.” Thurgood pulled out his phone. “I’ll text you his information. Anthony Bennett’s his name. He’s an old grade-school buddy of mine. Best PI around.” Thurgood nodded again before he walked out of Max’s office.

  Max opened the folded check. The amount of one hundred fifty thousand dollars stared back at him. It was enough to implement a safe baby drop-off and get the community center back to its former glory.

  Now, whether he won the election or not, two of his greatest dreams were coming true. Alex would be his wife, and he would be able to help those who couldn’t help themselves.

  He grabbed his phone. Three-thirty. Alex would be leaving work soon. He shoved his cell and the ring box in his pocket then grabbed his keys and wallet from inside his desk. He had to get to her. Once he placed this ring on her finger, he would tell her the good news, proving to her he’d stop at nothing to give her what she wanted.

  As soon as he crossed the threshold of his office, Tawana stared back at him. Max came to an abrupt stop before he slammed right into her.

  Christ almighty. Not now.

  “Tawana. I wasn’t expecting you.”

  Brenda ran over breathless. “I’m sorry, sir. She wouldn’t stop.”

  “It’s okay,” Max assured the woman. “What can I do for you, Tawana?”

  “I think it’s more what we can do for each other.” Tawana ran a finger down the buttons of Max’s shirt.

  He took a step back. “Tawana, I’ve already told you, what we had…it didn’t mean as much to me as it did to you. I’m…”

  He almost said the word engaged but decided better of it. The minute Tawana found out he was engaged, if what Alex said about Tawana’s character was true, he couldn’t chance Tawana gloating to Alex that they’d slept together. Not before he could tell his fiancée the truth first.

  “Your what?” Tawana asked.

  “Sorry.” He straightened his jacket. “I’m sorry if I’ve misled you in any way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting.”

  “I didn’t expect you to be such a coward, Max.”

  The word struck a nerve with him.

  “Is this how you handle all the women of your past?” Tawana smirked. “Ghost them and hope they’ll just go away without any explanation until they confront you first.”

  “I’m sorry if you read more into what we shared than I did. My intentions
were never to hurt you.”

  “No, but you did intend to use me, right?”

  “I’m pretty sure we were both using each other,” Max said. “Now, please. I have somewhere to be.” He held his hand out, pointing her to the door.

  “Of course you do. This isn’t over yet, Max.” Tawana flipped her long red hair behind her back and turned on her pointy heels. “Oh,” she pivoted. “Did you see the latest? You’re down in the polls. I can’t say I’m upset. Tata…for now.” Tawana gave an evil smile that prickled Max’s skin.

  When Tawana was out of hearing range, Brenda said, “She’s pure evil.”

  Evil or not, Tawana was right about one thing. He was a coward. He should have told Alex the truth about him and the Evil Queen. He clutched the ring box in his pocket. He might be down in the polls, and he may have just lost his most promising investor, but he would not lose Alex.

  “Close up for me, Brenda. I won’t be coming back tonight.” He had to get to his fiancée.

  15

  Max pulled up to Alex’s apartment building, the ring box heavy in his pocket. He’d technically already asked her to marry him in the most unromantic way possible—twice—but he hoped that with what he bought her, she’d forgive his terrible first attempts. The ring was nothing too flashy, despite the fact she deserved the flashiest, largest diamond the store had, but flashy wasn’t Alex. Classic, subtle, simple…that was Alex. Although, there was nothing simple about her.

  Max placed his hand on the car door handle when his phone lit up. Mr. Thurgood had finally shared with him the PI contact information. Before Max could second-guess himself, he dialed the number.

  “Hello?”

  The man’s voice—thick and raspy, exactly what Max would expect a PI to sound like in one of those old-timey black and white movies.

  “Yes, is this Anthony Bennett? The private investigator?”

  “It is,” the man said. “What can I do for you?”

  “My name is Max Buchanan. I got your information from Arlis Thurgood.”

  “Yes, he said you might be calling.”

  “I need you to help me locate someone. I don’t have his name or even a physical description other than curly hair, but I have some known whereabouts.” Max tapped his fingers on his steering wheel.

  Mixed emotions swam in his gut. What if this Curly guy decided he wanted to fight Alex for custody of the baby? What if he had some sort of genetic disease that would harm her baby? But what Max really wanted to do was find this guy and punch him in the face for taking a drunk girl to bed.

  Anthony talked about the logistics of how they would work together, contracts and other paperwork and information he needed to proceed forward. Max gave the man his email address, and added the task of filling out the paperwork to his calendar for the next morning.

  Max didn’t want any obstacles standing in their way, preventing him and Alex from being together. He’d have to make sure Curly was not an obstacle, in Alex’s mind or physically.

  Tawana ran through his mind.

  He was certain he could handle logistics with the baby’s father…but Tawana. She was a possible loose cannon he didn’t know how to handle.

  He stepped out of his car, clutching the ring box. When the time was right, he would tell Alex about the Evil Queen. He would have to.

  He just hoped that time would be fifty years from now when he was on his death bed. By that point, Tawana would have been forgotten.

  If he could only be so lucky.

  Taking the steps to Alex’s apartment two at a time, he stood outside her door and rapped his knuckles against the frame. This would be one of the last times he did that. They needed to discuss her move to his place. Soon. Preferably before he told her about Tawana.

  She opened the door, wearing a royal blue dress, exposing the creamy, smooth skin of her collarbone while her blonde hair hung loose by her shoulders. She glowed. She was every politician’s dream trophy wife, and soon she’d be his.

  “Wow. You look amazing,” she said before he could even piece together a coherent sentence.

  “Me?” He walked in and closed the door. The television hummed in the background. “You’re going to steal the show. I’ve never seen that dress before. Is it new?”

  “Yeah.” She looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I can already tell my stomach is changing.” She bit her bottom lip and glanced down as she placed a hand to her paunch.

  Her baby.

  “There’s really something in there, isn’t there?” He stepped closer and placed his hand over hers. She moved her thumb caressing his as she stared up at him.

  “Yeah. There really is.”

  She smiled, and the world between them grew still and quiet as they stood there, holding her stomach—their future child.

  Mentally, he understood there was a baby in her stomach, but an actual child. A little boy or little girl he would raise as his own. Her stomach would expand, and so would their family. The family he’d always wanted. A family he would be completely responsible for. His life was no longer about his wants, his needs, but about theirs.

  “Max, are you okay? You look like you stopped breathing for a second.”

  Because he did. Because of her, he had everything he’d ever wanted. Everything he’d ever been searching for.

  He removed his hand. “I’m fine. I just…” He ran his hands up and down her arms. “I just can’t believe this is all real. It’s all happening. I have you. I have this baby.”

  “And we have you.” Alex reached for his cheek.

  He kissed the inside of her palm, seeing her bare finger. “I have something for you.”

  “Yeah? What?”

  He dug in his pocket to pull out the blue box. “I think we should make it official.”

  She sucked in a breath and raised her hands to her mouth. “Is that? Is that what I think that is?”

  “I don’t know.” He raised an eyebrow. “If you’re expecting a ring, then no.”

  Her face fell, and so did her arms limp by her side. “Oh. Okay, sorry. I just thought since we decided—“

  “Since we decided to officially get married, did you really think I’d let my fiancée go without a ring?” He opened the box. The prefect one-karat halo diamond stared back at her. “What kind of guy do you think I am?”

  Her eyes widened.

  The minute he had seen the ring he knew it was hers, as if it had her name on it.

  She held a hand to her heart, stone still.

  “Now you looked like you’ve stopped breathing. Do you like it?” He stared down at the diamond. Was something wrong with it? Maybe he didn’t know her like he’d thought he did.

  “Oh, Max. No.” She held a hand to her mouth. “It’s just…” Tears flooded her eyes. “It’s perfect.”

  He took the ring out and placed the box back in his pocket. Lifting her left hand, he slid the ring on her finger. “With this ring, I thee wed,” he said, and kissed the ring on her finger, sealing the deal.

  “Max.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “It’s all real isn’t it? It’s real. We are really going to get married.”

  “Yes. It’s real.”

  He pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her waist. Brushing a loose strand out of her eyes he leaned in, kissing her soft and slow. The way she deserved to be kissed.

  A tear fell down her cheek and onto their lips. This was how he wanted his future wife to react; happy and excited, not like she was part of a packaged deal.

  He pulled back. The old Max would use this as the perfect excuse to carry her to the bedroom and say to hell with the election dinner, but he had duties and responsibilities to her, to this town.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She dabbed her eyes, careful of her makeup. “Oh gosh, you have my lipstick all over you.” She wiped at his lips.

  “That’s okay. I like your mark on me,” he teased.

  “Stop it.” She continued wiping, nearly
rubbing a hole in the side of his cheek.

  “You done there? Ow!” He winced.

  “Stop complaining.” She chortled. “There. Done.”

  “Good. Geez.” He held his hand to his face. “Give a woman a ring and she nearly rubs your face off.”

  “Stop it.” She straightened his jacket. “How’s my lipstick?” she asked.

  “Perfect.” He smiled.

  Just like her.

  “Good because red lipstick is a beast to get off once it smears. Let me get my purse.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  She slipped her feet into shoes that matched her red lips and grabbed her handbag off the counter. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  “Alex, listen…” He hesitated.

  “Yeah?” She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling like the diamond on her finger.

  Telling her about Tawana now…it just wasn’t the right time. But when? When would it be right?

  Not tonight. It wasn’t like they’d run into the woman tonight anyway.

  “You okay?” she asked. “You look like you’re pondering something important.”

  “I’m fine.” He held the door open for her. “It’s just, you know, we’re going to have to get you moved into my house rather quickly. I can call movers on Monday and schedule something.”

  “Movers. Wow, you’re right.” She stepped outside the threshold to her apartment. “I hadn’t even allowed myself to think that far, get that excited.”

  “Why would you not let yourself get excited?” He took her keys from her and locked her apartment door.

  “Because, we’ve only been officially engaged less than a week, and I’ve had a ring for all of five minutes. It’s still like it isn’t real.”

  “It’s very real, and we will be married in two weeks.” He placed her keys in his pocket.

  “Two weeks.” Alex took a deep breath. “It’s all happening so fast. You don’t think…” She bit her bottom lip.

  Oh no. He didn’t want her thinking. If she started thinking she might back out.

  “I think, we shouldn’t think so much.” He took her hands in his and squeezed. Her ring sparkled against her finger. “Does this feel right to you?”