Wedding in T minus six days . . .
Max had felt ill from the moment they’d gotten up and dressed. They’d spent most of yesterday in bed, even going so far as to ask the staff to bring them a tray of food. Grady had been content to remain cocooned away from the world. Max apparently was too much of a coward to argue. They’d talked, made love, and dozed in bed while watching television. If anyone ever asked Max again what his perfect day would look like, he’d always come back to his lazy day with Grady.
Too bad the rest of the world wouldn’t wait forever.
Justin hadn’t told him not to tell Grady the truth, not to inform him of the ultimatum. Max knew he wouldn’t have been able to keep it from Grady even if Justin had. Grady had been so sweet, so ready to take on his family and make everything right, that it turned Max’s stomach knowing what his father had wanted to do to him.
Currently, Max sitting two rows behind the wedding party and a group of wedding planners, watching chaos unfold. Flower arrangements were being paraded in front of Serena and Lincoln. Serena, her little wedding planning book on her lap, was directing the florist where she wanted the baskets of greenery to be positioned. Not that Max knew much about weddings, but apparently, prewedding flowers were just as important as the actual wedding flowers.
He didn’t want to ask if there was such a thing as postwedding flowers.
No one had said much of anything to him since he’d shown up. The staff had clearly heard about the incident at the party; more than a few of them gave Max a smile and a thumbs-up. Kevin must not be a popular member of the family.
Mr. Barnes was in his office. Max had caught sight of him as they’d passed by on their way to meet Lincoln and Serena. Their eyes had met briefly, and if the glare was anything to go by, he was less than pleased Max was still in his home.
Justin had shown up shortly afterward, and he was now hovering off to the side. His attention seemed to be split between Max, Grady, and the door. God only knew what was going on in that man’s head. Probably had a goon squad waiting outside in case Max didn’t do as he was told.
For his part, Grady was playing the role of annoying younger brother to a T. Currently, he was sitting on a table tossing the remains of flowers that had fallen off as they were brought in for inspection directly at his future sister-in-law.
“You’re an asshole.” Serena threw the most recent bud that had hit the side of her head back at Grady. “Don’t you have something else to do?”
“Not a thing. I was told I had to be here, and for once I’m listening. You should all be thrilled!”
“It’s not too late to kick your ass out of the wedding party.” Lincoln plucked a flower petal from Serena’s hair. “I’ll get Max to fill in as best man. I like him more. Especially after he punched the hell out of Kevin. I wish I’d had the balls to do that years ago.”
Serena kissed Lincoln on the cheek. “He’s a twat and not worth the aggravation. Besides, Max has a proper left hook and you’d only have ended up breaking your hand.”
Grady laughed. “You’re welcome to have Max as your best man, but keep in mind if I’m not allowed to come, I might be forced to run away. If that happens, I’ll be taking my fiancé with me.” Grady winked at him. “Isn’t that right, darling?”
“Again, I’m staying the hell out of this.” He smiled as best he could at Grady, but was keenly aware of Justin’s gaze on him. “I know better than to mix it up with your family.”
“You’ve made the days leading up to this wedding far more entertaining than they would have been.” Serena giggled and threw a flower at him. “Though I don’t want you getting arrested again. At least not until after the wedding.”
Max felt his face heat, and he looked back toward the door. “I’ll behave.”
“Don’t pick on him. Max was merely defending my honor.” Grady got to his feet, sauntered over, and leaned over the chair to place a kiss to the tip of Max’s nose. “He was being all noble and stuff.”
Justin cleared his throat. “We have the caterer coming in twenty minutes to present the reception meal sample. We need to be done here so the press can get set before that happens.”
Max’s stomach bottomed out. “Why the hell are the press here?”
Grady stood, his attention fixed on Justin. “Yes, why are they? This wedding is a family affair.”
“It’s fine. We knew about it.” Serena stood and walked over to a large arrangement of calla lilies. “This one for the main hall. The carnation arrangement for the living room tables. And use the roses for the gazebo. I want to take some pictures there tomorrow. And done.”
Lincoln got to his feet, shaking his head. “You could have done that half an hour ago.”
“Link, why is the press coming?” Grady’s body shook. “Did Father put you up to this?”
“Grady, it’s fine.” Lincoln shot Grady a smile. “It’s our way of keeping them from hounding us at the actual ceremony. They get to have some sound bites, Father gets the PR he wants before making his announcement with Bouchard and the China deal, and then the press backs off on our big day. Pretty much win-win for everyone.”
Everyone except for Max. While Grady seemed to think they’d be able to tell his father where to go and how to get there, Max wasn’t as confident. If Theo wanted to put pressure on his businesses, then neither Max nor Grady would be able to stop him. Max certainly didn’t want to give in to Theo’s heavy-handedness, but neither could he afford to have his professional reputation destroyed.
Fucking wonderful.
Without thinking, Max got to his feet. “I need some air.”
“I’ll come with you.” Grady reached out to touch Max, but he moved away.
“I need a moment alone. If that’s okay.” God, he needed to get away from this, clear his head, and catch his breath. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Without waiting, Max made a bee-line for the backyard. Dampness filled the air, and the gray clouds threatened rain. Grady had mentioned that this was pretty typical Vancouver weather for this time of year, but it wasn’t something Max thought he’d be able to get used to. Still, the damp felt good on his face and filled his lungs with freshness.
The backyard gardens were beautiful. He’d stared out over them from the bedroom window, but this was the first time he’d taken the opportunity to go exploring. Nature wasn’t really his thing; he always felt more at home in the big city than he ever did in the suburbs. But there was something relaxing about the various scents, the vibrant green of the grass and the shrubs. This oasis was as far removed from Frantic and Ringside as Max was from the Barnes family.
What the hell was going on with his life? Max had no business entertaining thoughts about being a part of this world, of fitting into what Grady would want and expect from a partner. Max was a simple man, who wanted to spend time with the man he loved, watching movies, going out to the club for fun. Could he even do those things with Grady and not spend time looking over his shoulder for the press or, worse, Justin?
Maybe he should end this charade so they could move on with their lives.
Or maybe he could take a chance and tell Grady how he felt.
Maybe.
Max didn’t know how much time passed, but it was long enough for his hair to grow damp from the mist. Running his fingers through it to slick it from his face, he turned to go back inside.
Grady stood in the doorway watching him. Max didn’t have a clue how long he’d been standing there, but it was certainly long enough to cause Grady to frown. With a sigh, Max made his way back.
“You’re soaked.” Grady’s arms were crossed, his slim body blocking the way inside. “You’re going to drip all over the floor.”
“I’ll go upstairs and change.”
Grady gave him just enough room to get by, but a hand on Max’s shoulder stopped him short of leaving. “What’s going on? You’ve been off since you got out of jail.”
“Ya think?” Max squashed his annoyance. “Sorry.”
“Dude, I get it. I’m the one who’s sorry. My family is shit, and you’ve got caught in the crossfire by doing me a favor.” Grady reached up and brushed away a trickle of water that had slipped down Max’s cheek. “I just need you to hold on for six more days. I’m pretty certain Ryan is happy to have dodged a bullet, since he wasn’t interested in me at all. Once the wedding is done we can get the hell out of here.”
“‘We’?” That simple little word shouldn’t have made Max that happy to hear.
A trio of people Max didn’t recognize had entered the other end of the hallway. Camera bags and flash reflectors emerged; the press had arrived.
Wonderful.
“Of course ‘we.’ I told you I was going to leave as well. If I’m not around to antagonize Father, then he’s less likely to cut me off. And I need some time to think. I know I’ve screwed things up between us. I just don’t know how to make them right. Or if I should even try.” Grady looked behind him at the sudden chattering of voices. “Shit. Look, I know this is messed up. But things will be fine. I’ll be free, you’ll get some money for the gym, and we’ll all live happily ever after.”
“Your father wants me to break up with you, publicly, going so far as to break your heart. I don’t think that’s changed, despite you knowing about it.”
“It doesn’t matter. What he wants is to keep me controlled. I haven’t let him do that before, so no worries that I’ll start now.”
“What about Kevin?”
“Fuck Kevin.” Grady’s voice rose, clearly frustrated.
The voices in the background died down. Max threw the suddenly observant reporters a nasty look, before turning his attention back to Grady. “If I don’t do exactly what he wants, he’s going to have Kevin press charges for the assault. I don’t have a leg to stand on. I hit him in a public place. The reason doesn’t really matter.”
“It damn well does matter—”
“I hit the prick, and I’ll be accountable for my actions. But your father’s also threatened the bar and the gym. Threatening to either take them over, or shut us out somehow. I don’t know exactly, but I can’t—” Max swallowed down his anger. “I can’t put the livelihood of my employees or my friends at risk.”
“No. Of course not.”
One of the reporters took a step closer to them, but had his back toward them. Max didn’t need this to be a public display. “We should go to our room so we can talk freely.”
“No. ”
“Grady.”
“No! I’m tired of everyone telling me what to do. What they think I should be doing.” The muscle in Grady’s jaw jumped. “We’re having a simple conversation. My father is trying to get his own way by being a bully. I’m not going to let him.”
“This isn’t completely about you.” A strange mix of disappointed sadness welled up inside him. “Grady, I know we haven’t known each other long, and I have no business telling you how to live your life. But my business, my friends are also involved. Whatever we do, I have to keep them in mind, to ensure that they’re not caught up in this.”
“Of course you do. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your own happiness to do it.”
Max grabbed Grady by the shoulders and held him still. “Lower your voice.”
Over the short time that they’d known one another, Max had seen just about every side of Grady there was: drunk, embarrassed, happy, mischievous, loving. He’d born witness to his anger as well, but he’d never been on the receiving end. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“We have an audience. I just didn’t want you to—”
“I know you’re here because I asked you to be. That doesn’t mean you get to be in charge. Even if we were in a real relationship, I’d be damned if I’d let that happen.”
Max let his hands fall away. “I thought you knew me better than that.”
“You said it yourself: I’ve only known you a few weeks. I’m as familiar with you as you are with me.”
Max couldn’t be sure if the reporters were paying attention to them now or not. All he could focus on was Grady and the overwhelming grief he felt bubbling inside his chest. “I know that you roll your eyes when you’re trying not to laugh. I know that you love your brother and would do anything in the world for him. I know that despite hating how your father treats you, you’d like nothing more than to win his approval. I also know how I feel about you.”
He snapped his mouth shut then, uncertain if he dared say the words out loud. Grady’s mouth was clamped shut, and he was breathing hard through his nose. Not that he needed to say anything, because Max could read the emotions as they danced across his face. Grady had clearly never been in this position before; hell, neither had he, though that didn’t make what he was feeling any less powerful.
Grady cleared his throat and gave his head a shake. “You found me puking in an alley. The only thing you should be feeling for me is annoyance and frustration.”
“And what if I’m not? What if, despite how we met and what’s happened, I care for you? Would that make a difference?”
“Max, I . . .” Grady looked away. “You don’t have a clue about what my life is like.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re seriously going to say that after everything we’ve been through this week? I spent last night in jail for you!”
The sound of someone clearing their throat had Max look over Grady’s shoulder toward the reporters. A camera was fixed on them, the red light indicating that the entire thing was being recorded.
“Shit.” Max physically turned Grady toward the cameras, and spoke against his ear. “I’m aware of your life. I don’t give a shit about it. I’m falling in love with you.”
He felt rather than heard Grady suck in a breath. “No.”
“I know you might find this hard to believe, but I am.”
Grady pulled away and turned his back to the camera. “No.”
How could one word be so painful? “So your father is going to get what he wants after all? I go away and you’re back under his thumb.”
“I’ve never been under his thumb.” But he didn’t make eye contact. “I’ve done just fine on my own.”
Max had seen a car accident once. He’d been standing at a crosswalk waiting for the light to turn and saw two cars coming toward one another. It was clear that they were going to T-bone and there wasn’t a damn thing Max could do to stop it. Instead, he watched helplessly as the vehicles slammed into one another, metal twisting and glass smashing.
Here he stood now, in the middle of his own figurative car crash, watching helplessly as the end result rushed toward him. Memories of their earlier lovemaking squeezed his heart and brought tears to his eyes. There was no way he should be in love with Grady; there were too many things going against them. But he was, and if this was going to be the end, then there was no way he’d walk away without saying what he needed to say. “You’re a coward.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. A coward. You like to think that playing the part of the asshole, of pushing against everything your father wants, makes you some sort of hero, but it doesn’t. Do you know what makes someone a hero? Doing hard things for the right reasons. Sometimes that means sacrifice, or standing up for yourself and your beliefs. Sometimes that means listening to the other person, seeing their perspective before you say no. You didn’t talk to your father about this engagement; you simply came up with a plan to thwart him.”
“Do you honestly think I haven’t tried talking to him?” Grady stepped back. “Since mother died I’ve needed him, and he’s never been there for me. He didn’t care.”
Max couldn’t help but picture his own dad. “He’s your father. No matter what happens between you, he cares.”
“Like you’d know.”
Everything seemed to screech to a halt. “I do, actually. I know what it’s like to have problems with my family. To have to deal with outside forces trying to tear my world apart. I’ve had to pick up the pieces and move forward. Life isn’t fair or always kind. You need to take the opportunities that come your way and run with them. You need to accept love when it’s given.”
“You sound like a fucking Hallmark card.” Grady wiped tears from his eyes.
“And you sound like a reality show washout.”
“Please. My mother killed herself when I was fifteen. There’s nothing worse than that. I was a kid, and she left me alone to deal with Father.”
Max wanted to scream at him. He settled for sighing. “You don’t get to say that I don’t understand. Don’t you dare think that you have a monopoly on shitty childhoods. It’s hard, a struggle, and a lot of people have it a hell of a lot harder than you did. You have money, a brother who loves you, and you never want for a god damned thing. You need to address this with your dad or else you’re going to live the rest of your life angry.”
“No.” Grady crossed his arms. “Father doesn’t give a shit about me.”
He couldn’t do this anymore. “I’m leaving.”
“Fine.”
“I mean I’m leaving Vancouver. Tonight. This is over.”
Grady nodded but said nothing else. If that was how he wanted things to play out, Max was more than happy to comply. Moving down the hall past the reporters, he caught sight of Justin standing off to the side, holding the plane ticket out for him. Max marched over to him, glared for a moment before snatching the paper from his hand. “I guess you got what you wanted.”
“Believe it or not, this brings me no joy.”
Screw this family and everything it stood for. Max turned his back on Justin and strode away.
Max went to the room, threw what little he had with him into his suitcase, making sure to leave behind the new clothing Grady had bought him, and headed for the limo waiting out front. “Take me to the airport.”
“Of course.” The driver took his things and put them in the trunk.
Max pulled the ticket Justin had given him from his pocket and looked down at it. There was no way he wanted to go back to Toronto and his empty apartment. No way he could face Zack and Nolan, their happy relationship on full display. He needed time to calm down and lick his wounds before he went back to playing the happy best friend.
He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed the airline. “Hello. I’m scheduled to fly out tonight, but I’d like to make a change to my destination. Is that possible?”
“Where would you like to fly, sir?”
“Calgary.”
He needed to go home.