Chapter Thirty-Three
TREAT SPED THE whole way to Max’s apartment. Traffic was light, and he made it there in record time. He flew into the parking lot and took a cursory glance for Max’s car as he ran for the steps, taking them two at a time and feeling lighter on his feet than he had in years.
He knocked on her door twice, then twice more without waiting for her to answer. He had no idea what he’d say, but knew he’d figure it out when he saw her beautiful eyes.
Treat held his breath as the door swung open.
“What did you forge—”
“Kaylie?”
“Treat?”
He looked over her shoulder. “Where’s Max?”
A smile spread across Kaylie’s lips. “She’s heading toward your father’s ranch.”
“My father’s—”
“Yes! Go! She just left ten minutes ago. Go!”
He bolted down the stairs and then sped toward the highway.
BY THE TIME Max pulled up in front of Treat’s father’s house, she was so nervous she could barely see straight. She watched one of his brothers riding a horse across the field, toward the driveway. As he approached, she saw it was Rex, the one with the big muscles. Not that all of them weren’t cut from some incredibly sexy fabric that she’d never known existed, but Rex’s biceps were the size of footballs.
He pulled up on the reins as Max stepped from the car. She realized he was riding Hope and took that as a good sign.
“Max?” He ran an appreciative gaze down her body.
Ugh! She had forgotten what she was wearing, and now, with the swell of her breasts saying hello to the world and her leather pants leaving nothing to the imagination, she felt like a fool.
“Rex, right?” she asked.
“Yeah, that’s right. You just missed Treat. He took off to find you.”
“Me?” Oh gosh!
Rex shrugged. “That’s what he said.”
His gaze returned to her breasts and Max cleared her throat. His eyes darted up to hers again. “Thank you,” she said curtly and climbed back into her car, vowing never, ever, to try to surprise Treat again. She was the worst at pulling off surprises. Her surprises needed to be preceded by a bright red neon sign alerting Treat—SUCKY SURPRISE GIVER COMING YOUR WAY! STAY PUT! She snapped on her seat belt thinking about the way Rex had ogled her. She’d come out looking to entice Treat, and now Rex probably thought she was a tramp!
Ugh! She jerked her car into reverse and slammed the pedal to the floor—she couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
She felt the impact that sent her flying chest-first into the steering wheel before she heard the crunching of metal on metal. No, no, no, no, no. Dazed and shaken, she blinked away her tears and saw the rest of the Braden clan running toward her car. What had she done now?
Rex yanked open the door. “Are you okay?”
“Is she okay?” Max heard someone yell.
“Get away from her.”
Treat?
“I’ve got her,” Treat said.
And then he was yanking Rex from beside her door and gathering Max in his arms. Treat. My Treat. Max registered voices, but she was too shocked from the accident to think beyond being in Treat’s arms.
“I’ll call an ambulance.”
“Wait. Let’s see if she’s okay first.”
“What happened?”
“Max?” Treat’s gentle voice was shaken. “Sweetness, look at me.”
She looked into his eyes as he helped her to her feet.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She saw his car behind hers, the front end smashed by the rear of hers.
“I think so,” she whispered. Then, amid the shock, the worry, and his family members pawing at her, unexpected words fell from her lips. “You said you’d love me through it.” What happened to my voice? Why am I whispering?
“What, sweetness?” Treat asked.
“You said you’d love me through anything,” Max said, a little louder this time. “I asked you, that night in Wellfleet, when I told you that if I got scared or insecure and my walls went up, I’d need you to love me through it.” Why am I crying? “And you said you’d love me through anything, Treat. Anything! You promised.”
“Uh-oh,” Dane said.
“Of course, Max.” He tightened his hold on her.
His siblings stared at her. His father watched him like a hawk. Max looked from Hal to Treat and then back again. She didn’t care if she was making a fool of herself, or if his father was sending him telepathic messages that she was a freak. She needed him to know how much his promise meant to her.
“Max, I always keep my promises. You must be really shaken up. Try to hear me, sweetness.”
“I hear you! You did what you promised, and it means the world to me that you loved me even though I was broken.”
“Broken?” Dane uttered.
Savannah shushed him.
“You’ve never been broken, baby. Not in my eyes.” Treat’s voice was a tender caress to her shaken-up heart. “And I know you worry, so please hear me. I’m not giving up my life for you. I’m not giving up Thailand or anything else.”
“I don’t understand.” Tears brimmed in her eyes.
“I’m rearranging how things are done, not giving them up. I’m coming back to help my father on the ranch—for a while, anyway—and I want to put down roots. But I don’t care where, as long as you’re with me.” He wiped her tears with a whisper of his finger across her cheek. “I slayed my demons, Max. All of them. Just like you did. We’re fated to be together.”
Max was shaking all over. She closed her eyes to try to calm herself down.
“Open your eyes, sweetness,” Treat urged. When he had her attention, he said, “The world can test us, but I’m not budging. It’s enough already. This is who we are. Treat and Max. Not Treat Braden and Max Armstrong, two separate people. It’s not you and me; it’s us.”
Us. She swiped at the river of tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to remember all the things she wanted to tell him. “I’ll travel.”
“What?”
“Whatever we need to do for your business. I’ll travel with you. I can work from anywhere.”
“Max, we’ll figure all that out,” he said.
Between her sleepless nights, the craziness of the last twenty-four hours, and the accident, she couldn’t think straight. Everything was blurring together. Treat loved her. He loved her! She was in his arms. This was real. This wasn’t a dream.
Then Treat released her, and for a moment the world stood still. Her gaze bounced from Savannah’s to Josh’s, and a smile tugged at his lips. Dane put a hand on Hugh’s shoulder, and Rex was grinning like a fool. It was the tears in Hal’s eyes that drew Max’s gaze back to Treat, only he was no longer standing before her.
“Max.” He took her hand in his as he perched on one knee.
She gasped. “Treat?”
“Max, I would be honored if you would let me love you through the rest of your life. Through every insecurity, every argument, and every incredible moment until I take my last breath. And then I’ll be waiting for you on the other side of this crazy life.” He stood and gazed deeply into her eyes. “I love you with all of my heart and soul, Max. I want to make your dreams come true and to see your belly round with our babies, and when we’re old and gray, I want to see you wearing that scarf we bought in Wellfleet and remember making out behind the bushes. Will you marry me, sweetness? Be my wife, and let me be the husband you deserve?”
Savannah grabbed Josh’s arm, and that little movement pulled Max from her stupor.
“You’re sure?” she asked again.
“You are one careful, beautiful woman. Yes, I’m positive.”
Max launched herself into his arms. Her chest ached with the constriction of her muscles, but she didn’t care. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist and said, “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
“I cannot wait to design her gown!” Josh exclaimed.
Treat’s laughter filled the air, mixing with the cheers from his family and Savannah’s giddy squeal. He smiled as he brushed his lips over hers and said, “I adore you, Max Armstrong.” He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing the ache right out of her.
“Looks like we’re gonna have a wedding!” his father said.
“I love you,” she said as Treat lowered her feet to the ground and withdrew a velvet bag out of his pocket.
Looking her in the eye, with a tease in his own, he said, “Max, just to be clear, will you marry me?”
“Absolutely, one hundred percent yes.”
He slid the most gorgeous canary diamond ring on her finger, stealing the remainder of her breath from her lungs.
TREAT HELD MAX’S trembling hand, wanting to never let it go. In all the business dealings he’d ever handled, in all the resorts he’d acquired, he’d never once felt the elation he did at that very moment. It was as if the universe had righted itself, and he and Max were in the perfect place at the perfect time.
Rex pushed past Treat to hug Max, taking a full-body glance at her before pulling her into his arms. That was when Treat finally noticed what Max was wearing. His body reacted instantly to seeing her in such a formfitting, sinfully sexy outfit. Unfortunately, with the way Rex was holding on to her, he assumed her figure had his brother reacting in the exact same way. He tugged him away from Max by his collar.
“Okay, back off. Get your own fiancée.” He loved the feel of that word on his lips. Fiancée.
Savannah pushed between them and wrapped her arms around Treat, whispering, “Finally! I love her!” Then, louder, she said, “She’ll keep you on your toes.” She turned to Max with a wide smile and said, “I’ve wanted a sister for so long,” and then she hugged her.
Treat held Max’s gaze over his sister’s shoulder, and they were passed from sibling to sibling. He couldn’t wait to get Max’s hand back into his own, where it belonged.
Hal embraced Max. “That was my wife’s ring. She and I could not be happier than we are to see it on your finger. Welcome to the family, darlin’.”
Max touched the gorgeous stone. “Thank you for the honor of allowing me to wear it and share in the joy of one day being a Braden.”
He glanced at Hope and said, “It was my wife’s doing.”
Savannah shook her head, but her beaming smile remained.
When congratulations had been doled out and Treat and Max finally came together again, he whispered in her ear, “That outfit is going to make me do dirty things to you right here and now.”
Max smiled and said, “Then it fulfilled its purpose.”