Along Came Mr. Right (21 page)

Instead of fear, excitement built in her eyes. “At first he was furious. Furious that I’d lied to him, furious that you’d offered to shoulder so much of the burden. Then he grew even madder that I didn’t trust him to understand.” She shivered as if remembering some horror.

“I’m sorry, Annalise,” he said, smoothing her arm in a reassuring manner.

“No, don’t be sorry.” She covered his hand with her own. “He threw a few things, but not at me, and when his anger worked its way out, he actually cried.” Her eyes went wide. “I’ve never seen my father cry before. It was terrifying and heartwarming at the same time.”

“How did things end up between the two of you?” Max glanced into Annalise’s face, searching for some sign that everything would be all right.

The smile she gave him warmed his heart. Instead of words, she held out her left hand. The ring she’d bought for herself to announce their engagement was gone. In its place was a simple white-gold band studded with small diamonds. “James and I applied for a marriage license on Tuesday. We’re getting married in a civil ceremony on Friday. Mom and Daddy will be our only witnesses.”

“You’re going to marry the father of your child?”

She nodded.

Max’s smile broadened. “Brilliant move on your part.”

Annalise chuckled as she stepped away from his touch and moved to the refrigerator to retrieve several sheets of paper from beneath a magnet that clipped them to the door. She handed the papers to him. “You helped.”

“Me? How?” Max immediately recognized the sheets as one of those he’d generated for Annalise as possible matches. “My algorithm matched you with the father of your child?”

“No. Not even close. But these men made me realize I’d already found the right person for me all on my own.”

“Who is he?” Max asked.

“Only the man I spend more time with than anyone else. My chauffeur.”

Max couldn’t hold back his laugh. “You’re going to be fine, Annalise. Just fine. As I recall, Jimmy knows exactly how to handle you.”

“James,” she corrected. “And, yes, he does.”

Though his Matchmaker app hadn’t had a thing to do with Annalise and Jimmy coming together, she’d found her perfect match.

He wanted the same thing for himself.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Olivia headed for The Lucky Club. For the first time, they’d had to change their meeting to a Wednesday in order to accommodate an emergency Jordan had had at the hospital. Olivia had recommended that they just skip meeting that week, but Ellie and Jordan had talked her into a special meeting today. She knew her friends were both concerned about her and wanted to see how things were going with Max.

Just the thought of Max brought a lump to her throat as she walked to the club instead of driving. She needed the pinch of the crisp evening air on her cheeks to settle her thoughts. Did she and Max still have a chance?

She strolled through the crowd near the club and entered the bar ahead of schedule. Once seated at their usual table near the back, she ordered a round of pink champagne and waited for the others to arrive. It wasn’t long before Ellie and Jordan entered the crowded room together and slid into their seats at the table.

“So how are you and lover-boy doing?” Jordan asked before she’d even set her purse down.

“I told him I didn’t want to see him again,” Olivia said, proud of herself for not breaking into tears.

“You certainly don’t look all broken up about that fact,” Jordan said, sharing a look with Ellie.

“Shedding more tears won’t change anything.”

Ellie moved into the booth beside Olivia. “What happened?”

“What happened? He’s supposed to marry Annalise in three days.”

“About that,” Ellie said. “Annalise isn’t returning my calls about all the last-minute wedding details. When I contacted her father today, he hung up on me.”

Jordan’s gazed narrowed on Olivia. “You told Max to leave you alone?”

“Yes,” Olivia said with a soft sigh of regret.

“Well, he obviously doesn’t listen very well.”

“What do you mean?” Olivia’s words died on her tongue as she followed Jordan’s gaze. Her stomach flipped.

Max.

He was wearing jeans and a shearling coat. His laptop bag hung from his shoulder, and his hair was wet, as if he’d just stepped out of the shower. Her pulse beat faster as he moved toward their table.

“How did you know I was here?” Olivia asked when he stopped beside her.

“After I checked your house and with the Millers, Paige suggested I look here.” Something wild and urgent reflected in the depths of his eyes. “Olivia, can we talk?”

Instantly a wave of longing shot through her.

“This is Max?” Jordan interrupted, studying him with interest. “He’s even better-looking in person than in pictures. And he does smell like oranges.”

Olivia hid a smile at Max’s questioning glance. He greeted Ellie and Jordan with a smile, but then his gaze turned to her. Held her captive. “Maybe we should talk alone?”

“Yes,” Ellie agreed, quickly scooting out of her seat to stand, then casting a meaningful glance at Jordan. “I’m sure you have lots to talk about.”

Jordan took the hint and stood. “We’ll catch you later.”

Silence hovered between Olivia and Max for a moment until she asked, “How was your trip?”

“Productive. I sold Matchmaker 2.0.” Max reached for her hand.

A tingle ran up her arm. “That’s wonderful,” she said, hoping he heard the pride in her voice. “Congratulations. You’ve worked so hard for this moment.”

“That’s not all I’ve been working on.” He released her hand and opened his bag, setting his laptop on the table. He played with the keys for several long moments before turning the screen to face her. Staring back at her was the Tomorrow Foundation’s logo and, underneath, the words
Foster Match
.

“Do you remember when you took the Matchmaker test for the second time and how you wished you had an app that would help you match foster parents with foster children?”

Her jaw went slack as she nodded. “You created that app? For me?”

“For you and all the deserving families and children you serve. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been helping me formulate questions, and I’ve added their information to the database. We still have a long way to go, but—” He stopped suddenly at the look on her face.

“The Tomorrow Foundation can’t afford fancy software,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He gave her a gentle smile. “It’s a gift from me to you.”

Olivia bit her lip to hold back tears. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” She tried to convince herself that his gift was because of what Paige had told him she’d experienced at other foster homes before coming to the Millers. But when she was done lying to herself she knew the reason could only be because he loved her. Every kiss, every touch, every soft word he’d spoken had been real, no matter his situation with Annalise.

Her eyes ached with unshed tears at the tenderness in his expression. “Thank you, Max. This will help so many people have better lives.”

At her words, an amused, knowing smile came to his lips. “You believe in my invention now?”

He reached for her hand, folded his fingers around her cold, numb ones. Suddenly the throbbing emptiness that had filled her heart since she’d told him good-bye vanished. Her heart began to hammer with a mixture of hope and nervousness. “I’ve always believed in you and your app.”

His smile hit her like a blow to her heart. He was so unbearably handsome when he looked at her like that. “I’ve missed you, Olivia,” he said with a raw ache in his voice.

“I’ve missed you a hundred percent more,” she replied with a watery smile.

He pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, tears of joy and relief on her cheeks. He held her close, rubbing his smooth-shaven jaw against her temple. “I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused you. I’m so damn sorry.” Slowly he bent his head and covered her mouth with his.

She kissed him back, holding him tightly, until she remembered where they were. Regretfully, she pulled back and stared into his eyes. “I’m sorry for losing faith in what we had. Annalise couldn’t have destroyed what we had together, no matter what she threatened, unless I allowed her to.”

With a smile, Max kissed her nose and said, “I have two more things to show you.” Releasing her, he reached into his bag and pulled out what looked like a cashier’s check. “If this check doesn’t work, I’d be happy to issue a new one that will.”

Olivia’s hand shook slightly as she saw the check was first made out to Annalise then changed to the Tomorrow Foundation in the amount of $1 million. She gasped. “Annalise did this?”

He nodded. “She’s changed, and for the better, in the last few days. Not only did she sign over this check to you without a moment’s hesitation—she’s going to marry the father of her child on Friday.”

“She’s getting married to someone else?” Olivia squeaked, then lowered her voice. “When did this happen?”

“Yesterday.”

“I can’t believe the press wasn’t all over this news.”

“Speaking of news . . .” He withdrew another piece of paper from his bag and handed it to her. It was a press release dated for tomorrow. “This announcement of the sale of Matchmaker 2.0 will hit all the news agencies tomorrow by the time we wake up.”

Everything he’d said to her, showed her, sank deep. He was free to love her. There was nothing else standing in their way except the two of them. It was time to be brave and reach for what she wanted.

Olivia leaned toward him. Against his ear she whispered, her voice shaking with love and desire, “You asked me for a second chance.”

“I did,” he replied, his voice filled with anticipation.

“I’d like nothing better than to wake up in your arms.”

Twenty minutes later, Max pulled up in the driveway of his house in Magnolia. He shut the door behind the two of them, then took her coat, hanging it on a hook by the door. When he turned back around after placing his coat beside hers, he offered her a sudden smile. “I’ve waited long enough. I can’t wait a moment longer.”

Max held out his hand and opened a little black box to reveal a diamond ring inside. “Will you marry me, Olivia?”

Dazed by his words, she stared at the ring. Catching the lights overhead, the diamonds sparkled brilliantly. A circle of smaller diamonds surrounded a larger one in the center. It was just the ring she would have picked for herself.

Max raised his right hand to her cheek, cupping her face. “You know I love you quite desperately. Please tell me you’ll be mine.”

Olivia’s heart pounded in her chest. Her hearing dulled. He’d finally said the words.
I love you.

His smile softened, and she saw the depth of his love for her in his eyes. He had such confidence, such faith. She loved that about him. “Oh, Max. Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

His eyes filled with such profound love and joy that her heart tightened. What had she ever done in her life to deserve a look such as that? She reached up to gently frame his face with her hands and brushed her lips against his. “I love you.”

He eased the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger. She took his hand in hers, felt the gentle strength that was Max, savored it. But then her smile faltered as another thought occurred to her. “You sold Matchmaker 2.0. Does that mean you’ll stop teaching? What about Paige? She’s doing so well. She’d feel so abandoned if you . . .” Olivia couldn’t finish the sentence.

“I would never abandon you or Paige. I already declared I would renew my contract with Denny High School. As for Paige, I’d be thrilled to be her teacher, her tutor, her Guys and Pals mentor, and whatever else life throws our way.”

It was all there in his eyes, his love for her, for Paige, for the life they’d all share. “What about our own children?” Olivia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Max’s smile turned intimate. “I want children—lots of children. I want to fill our home with the patter of all kinds of feet—those of the children we create, the children we might adopt, and those who live with us until they unify with their own parents.”

Pulling her close, he said, “I want to hold you in my arms and watch our children play and fight and challenge us as kids are supposed to. We’ll let them know they are loved, truly loved, for who they are.”

He brought his lips to hers, kissing her until she was breathless. “Is that all right with you?”

“Nothing would make me happier.” Her eyes stung with tears.

He smoothed the tears from her cheeks, then swung her up in his arms. “Will you come upstairs with me?”

She nodded and looked at the ring on her hand. She still couldn’t quite believe she and Max belonged to each other. “This is the first night we’ll share together where nothing stands between us.”

“There is still something between us,” he said as he carried her up the stairs and gently set her on her feet before him. At her startled expression, he immediately moved his hand to skim her waist, delving beneath the fabric of her sweater. “You’re overdressed for what I have in mind.”

With a laugh, she reached for his shirt, pulling it up over his head. They were fueled by desire, and their clothes melted away. Joy and happiness swelled in her chest. “Max, what’s the statistical probability you and I will be together forever?” she teased.

“I’d say that’s one hundred percent.” His gray eyes smoldered as he bent to kiss her, stirring the flames between them to a fever pitch.