Chapter Thirty
Max cooed at the tiny bundle in Ava’s arms. Little Lila Rose was six weeks old. Jameson was asleep on the couch, having fallen into an exhausted slumber after working long hours to complete the new house for his budding family.
“She’s beautiful, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, Max.”
His eyes lifted to his sleeping brother. “Daddy passed out before baby.”
Ava smiled. “He’s been working so hard. I think I’ll let him sleep.”
A set of headlights flashed across the ceiling.
Ava frowned. “Who could that be?”
Max moved to the window, pulling the curtain back. A compact car rolled slowly up the gravel drive.
Ava peered over his shoulder as the driver climbed out.
“Malee,” Max whispered under his breath.
Ava touched his arm. “It takes a lot of guts for a girl to come to a man like this. Don’t be too hard on her.”
Max let the curtain drop, and he stepped back, his mind whirling through every possible reason she could have for coming here. Don’t get your hopes up, boy, he told himself. It may not be what you think.
There was a soft knock at the door.
Ava stepped over and answered it.
Malee looked surprised for a moment, and then her eyes dropped to the bundle in Ava’s arms and lit up, her mouth dropping open as she pointed to the baby.
Ava grinned and nodded, holding Lila Rose up proudly.
Malee tickled the baby’s cheek but stilled when her eyes moved past Ava to see Maxwell standing stiffly behind her in the living room, his hands jammed in the hip pockets of his jeans.
“Hello, Max. Can I talk to you?”
“Please, come in,” Ava motioned her inside, but Malee shook her head and motioned outside.
“Can we talk out here?”
At last, with a single curt nod, Max yielded. He stepped out onto the porch beside Malee, reluctance written all over him.
Out in the darkness, Max heard the hoot of a faraway owl and his own too rapid, harsh breathing. To the back of the farmhouse, he could see where the land lifted higher, all the way up to the ridge—and the place he still thought of as their spot—now just a black, looming, outline against the shadowy night sky. Finally, he signed to her, How have you been?
“Lonely.”
What was he supposed to say to that?
“I’m sorry about everything, Max.”
I know you are, Malee.
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
Easy? None of this has been easy.
“I never meant to hurt you.”
He nodded, his throat closing and the muscles in his jaw tightening. Well, if that’s all you came to say… Maxwell signed impatiently.
When she didn’t respond, he leaned against a porch post, his eyes on the horizon, wondering how many more times he was going to have to encounter Malee and pretend he was okay.
“That night I saw you in town… who was that girl you were with?”
Max kept his gaze on the horizon, then finally looked back and signed, No one.
He wasn’t sure where the sudden anger came from. He knew he wanted to forget the disgust and shock and disapproval that had been written with blinding transparency on her face that night as she’d gaped at him through the passenger window. For one split second, under the intensity of her wide, dark eyes, he’d felt branded with shame, and he’d wanted to hide the mark on his neck and the cuffs on his wrists.
Heat and anger tore through him now, coming to his rescue. I saw the look on your face that night. You broke up with me, Malee. Not the other way around. We weren’t together. But I didn’t do anything with her other than a few kisses. There hasn’t been anyone since you. And I don’t know why I’m even telling you this. You have no right to know anything about what I do anymore. You lost that right.
She stepped back, and he closed his eyes, already regretting the words he’d spewed at her like that. He ran a hand over his head and then signed slowly, Why did you come here?
“I’m sorry, Max.”
For what?
“For everything. I was wrong, Max. So wrong.”
He stood still as a statue, frozen with fear that this was no more than just words. He refused to let himself hope again, and he fought to keep that extinguished flame of hope from sparking to life again. Finally Max’s eyes met hers with a penetrating stare. I want so bad to trust you… to trust you mean it this time.
She searched his eyes. “I have a shop now, Max. I should be happy.”
He nodded. Why haven’t you opened back up?
“You noticed.”
I noticed. Are you back at the restaurant?
She shook her head. “My aunt left me some money. I don’t have to work for my father. I’m not trapped there.”
You were never trapped there. He felt the need to remind her of the fact.
She nodded.
So you’re free now, like you always wanted.
“I have a business that I love. But do you know what I do? I sit in the back room of the dark, closed shop, trying to create something beautiful, something happy and full of life, but I’m not happy. I’m miserable.”
He hung on every word, intently.
“I made a decision. I can sit in that room and make all the beautiful art in the world, but it won’t mean a thing if I don’t have you. So I’m here, baring my heart for you, hoping you won’t throw it back in my face.”
She studied his face intently, but he couldn’t hold her gaze. He didn’t want her to see the hope in his eyes or the fear that he’d be hurt again, so he glanced at the horizon, his jaw tightening. She touched his arm to get his attention, and he had no choice but to look at her.
“If you did, I know I would deserve it, but I’m hoping you won’t. I had to come here, Max. Don’t you see? Until I have you back, I can’t do anything else.”
He signed to her, almost resignedly. Malee, it’s not that easy. Your father—
“I love you. I don’t care what my father says, what he thinks.”
Yes, you do.
“Okay, I do. But I care more what you think.”
You won’t be happy. Not if you have to give up your family. You’ll come to resent me.
“My aunt gave me some good advice. Do you want to know what it is?”
He shrugged.
“She told me I can’t live my life for anyone else; I must live my life for me. She’s right. I can’t…I won’t live my life to please my father. I love my father, but I’m in love you, Max. Please tell me you still love me.”
He looked away, and his eyes glazed over.
“Max?”
I still love you. He wasn’t happy when he made the motions with his hands to admit it. He turned to face the horizon, one hand on the porch post. He sensed her move behind him, and then her thin arms slipped around his waist and her head pressed against the hollow between his shoulder blades. It was his undoing. He felt all his walls shatter like glass.
Then she was pulling him around. He looked down at her, all the vulnerability plain on his face. She could hurt him again, and he hoped he wasn’t a fool for giving her another chance.
She asked, “Will you marry me?”
He searched her eyes and tried one last time to get through to her. His motions were jerky and abrupt when he signed to her. Look at me, Malee. Really look. My skin is covered in ink. I ride a motorcycle. I work in a tattoo shop. Don’t you see? I’m not Thai. I’m an O’Rourke, and this town has always looked down on the O’Rourke brothers. That didn’t change until Jameson became famous, and it became profitable for the town to accept us. Are you really seeing me? Do you see what you’d be getting? Because I’m nothing like what your family wants for you. You need to be sure this time.
She stepped closer to him, right in his face. “I see you. I see all that you are, not just the ink on your skin.” She took a breath and signed more slowly. I see a man that’s gentle, with a good heart. A man that took the time to learn sign language for a girl he’d only spent five minutes with. I see a man who looks at me and doesn’t see my disability; he sees a woman. I see a man who cares about other’s feelings, a man whose heart is full of life and big enough to share his love. I see a man who would never hurt me and who I never want to hurt again. I see a man I am completely in love with. I see a man I want for my husband. I see a man I want for the father of my children.
He stared at her, his eyes glazing at her words, and then his eyes shifted away. But this time she wasn’t having it. She gripped his jaw and turned his head back.
Finally, she asked, “What do you see, Max?”
His jaw muscles worked, and he signed, almost with resignation. I see a girl who stole my heart the first moment I laid eyes on her. I see a girl I want to live beside me all the days of my life, until we’re both in rocking chairs, rocking beside each other, watching our grandchildren run in the yard. So you better be sure, Malee.
She jumped into his arms, and he buried his face in her neck. When finally, she stopped crying, he pushed her back and signed, If we’re doing this, then we’re doing this now, tonight, just the two of us. Will you come with me?
She nodded, not even knowing where they were going.
No luggage. I’ll buy you what you need. Are you game?
“I love you. Yes! Yes! A million times yes! Tonight! Now! Let’s go!”
He took her face in his hands and pulled her up to his lips, kissing her long and slow—a kiss filled with all the heartache of months apart and the sweet taste of reunion.