Chapter 42
“That bed was really awful,” Max remarks dryly beside her.
The sight of the beat-up driveway as Mason pulls up to her grandmother’s house still makes her stomach twist, though it feels a little less daunting with Max by her side.
Lila smooths her hair and touches up her makeup in a compact mirror, hoping her grandmother won’t notice what had transpired barely half an hour ago.
She has no intention of being called a harlot on Christmas Eve.
“What are you thinking about?” Max murmurs, leaning closer, amusement flickering in his eyes as if he can read her thoughts.
“Nothing much,” she says softly, her cheeks warming. Once she’s satisfied with her reflection, she steps out of the car, and Max promptly follows. She rummages through her purse for the house key, finally finding it buried beneath old receipts and other clutter.
When she turns, she spots Mason approaching, a stack of boxes balanced carefully in his arms, topped with a large, beautifully arranged gift basket.
“What’s all that?” she asks, her brows knitting as Max takes the pile from him.
“A small bribe.”
“My Nana doesn’t care about stuff like that,” she replies flatly.
“We’ll see.”
She can already picture her grandmother’s disapproving scowl deepening the moment she lays eyes on Max. There’s no doubt she’s already irritated that both her son and granddaughter skipped the Christmas Eve potluck.
Lila can see it all before it happens. Both her grandmother and Max are prideful and stubborn in equal measure.
It’s a recipe for disaster. A flicker of annoyance twists inside her at Uncle Sean's death, which had derailed her plan to ease her grandmother into the idea of Max before any formal introduction.
“Lila! Where have you been—who’s this?” her grandmother demands as Lila opens the door with a tall, muscular man in tow, the old woman’s eyes narrowing instantly at the sight of him.
“Nana… this is Max, my, um, boyfriend,” Lila replies nervously.
“I didn’t know you were dating anyone. And I certainly wasn’t expecting extra company this afternoon,” her grandmother says, stepping in front of the doorway as if to block them from entering. Her lips purse, her nose wrinkling in disapproval. Lila’s heart sinks.
“Hi, I’m Max,” he says, extending a hand politely.
When her grandmother doesn’t take it, he withdraws it with quiet composure, showing no sign of offense.
“I won’t take much of your time,” he continues evenly.
“I flew in this morning because I missed her—and because I wanted to meet the amazing woman who raised her all by herself.”
“You flew here from New York just because you missed her?” her grandmother asks, her tone incredulous, one eyebrow arched in disbelief.
“Yes,” Max answers easily. “And most importantly, to meet you, of course. I brought a few gifts… and some tea.” A bright smile spreads across his face—the same smile that makes Lila’s heart do crazy flips inside her chest.
She’s starting to realize he may have been weaponizing it all along.
“A flight ticket on Christmas Eve must’ve cost you an arm and a leg,” her grandmother remarks, genuine awe in her voice.
Lila bites her tongue, well aware that Max owns a private jet. For him, the cost of travel is trivial, but mentioning that would only complicate things further.
Her grandmother shoots Lila a curious look, as if studying her posture and expression for clues about this stranger. “Come in, I suppose,” she says, stepping aside to let them enter.
The warmth of the house envelops them, the scent of ginger snaps drifting in from the nearby kitchen. Her grandmother leads them into the living room, cluttered with mismatched festive decorations, where the heavy mix of pine, cinnamon, and baked goods lingers in the air.
“Your home is lovely, Laura. It’s full of warmth… and there are so many… colors and patterns,” Max says, still beaming, his voice smooth and disarming.
Of course, he knows her name. Lila presses her lips into a thin, grim line.
He sounds so sincere, but she knows Max and his refined taste. Her grandmother’s floral furniture and gaudy décor are likely far from lovely in his eyes.
“There are usually more decorations up this time of year,” her grandmother huffs. “But Miss Silent Treatment over here wasn’t around to help me set up.”
Lila bites back a groan of annoyance.
“Make yourself at home. I’ll make the tea… Lila, can you help bring it?” her grandmother says, her gaze flicking toward the items Max is holding.
Lila hesitates before reluctantly taking the gifts from him. She can feel the warmth of his triumphant smirk on her back as she slowly walks away.
Once separated from Max, her grandmother sets a kettle to boil, then turns to face Lila with a knowing smirk.
“Well, well, well… I should have known when I saw you come in with those new clothes and that fancy designer luggage. I know the brand, I’ll have you know.
Looks like you’re doing better now than when you were seeing that other boy—the one with the haughty single mother who practices witchcraft.
This one certainly takes better care of you. ”
“Nana, stop…” Lila says quickly, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.
“He’s taller and better looking than the last one, but looks and big muscles aren’t everything, you know.
” She sighs. “I just hope you’ve landed a good one this time.
You can tell by the way he dresses and carries himself that he’s probably decent.
He’s classically handsome, like that actor from back in the day—oh, what was his name again?
Anyway, I hope he comes from a good Christian family. ”
“Nana, you’re too loud… He can hear you.”
“And he brought me gifts! Just look at this basket full of imported snacks,” her grandmother exclaims, not lowering her voice in the slightest, her face alight with excitement.
“They’re all wrapped in these beautiful boxes…
like this one—” she squints at the label and reads aloud, “a delightful assortment of chocolate biscuits with pistachios, caramel, and orange zest. From Belgium! That other one would never have thought to bring something so thoughtful. This one knows how to show respect by bringing a gift. Several of them, in fact.”
Lila swallows her words, aching to defend Jake but holding back, knowing it would only upset Max. No doubt he’s listening in, feeling quietly satisfied with himself.
Her grandmother keeps sifting through the rest of Max’s gifts. “Look at this!” she gasps, reaching for a large orange box tied with a vibrant blue ribbon. She opens it quickly and pulls out an eye-catching handbag.
Crafted from calfskin dyed a striking emerald green, the Louis Vuitton bag gleams with its signature monogram covering every inch.
Lila can’t imagine Max ever choosing something like that for her; his taste for her runs minimalistic and sleek, much like his own style.
But this purse? It’s precisely the kind of thing her grandmother would adore.
She can’t think of a single thing from Louis Vuitton in his closet.
“Oh, good Lord! Did you tell him my favorite color is green? You shouldn’t have! What a sweet girl you are, Lila. Thank you. I’ll be the talk of the town carrying this around! …This isn’t a knockoff, is it?”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Ah, here’s the card that says it’s the real deal!
I’ll have to put the bag away for special occasions.
Don’t want to show off. ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches...’ Wait—aren’t these bags usually super expensive? Like a couple thousand?”
Yeah, just a couple, Lila muses sourly, watching her grandmother fuss over Max’s offerings with a heavy heart. She feels drained, her patience thinning as she tries to make sense of the chaos unfolding around her.
“But this Fendi scarf! It’s more muted in color, so I think I can wear it without people realizing it’s designer, right?”
“Nana, it still has the logo all over.”
“Oh, these hicks around here won’t know any better. What does he do to afford all of this? He isn’t into something shady, is he?”
“He’s… a business owner.”
“He must be a good man to be so blessed. ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.’” She studies the silk scarf with reverence.
“I guess God finally sent you a good one. I prayed every day for this, you know.” She comes forward and gives Lila a quick peck on her cheek. “You’re welcome, darling.”
They serve Max’s tea alongside a plate of chocolate biscuits. Lila instantly recognizes it as the special plate her grandmother reserves for only her most esteemed guests, such as the pastor and his family, and a rare few in town whom she holds in high regard.
In less than half an hour, Max has managed to charm his way into her grandmother’s heart with nothing more than a few well-placed words and a collection of extravagant gifts. It is a feat Jake never achieved in four years.
How insidious, Lila thinks, a wave of nausea rising in her throat. Max once told her that everyone has a price. At the time, she hadn’t believed him, but now, after everything she has seen and lived through, it does not seem far from the truth.
She watches as her grandmother prattles on to Max about the hardships of raising her, complaints and embarrassing moments tumbling out one after another.
Has her grandmother always been like this? Maybe Lila had just been too grateful, too indebted, to notice.
Jake, who wore his heart on his sleeve, had often pushed back against her grandmother’s critiques, so it is now clear that Laura never considered him worth her time.
In contrast, Max had entered her home with a clear goal of winning her over.
Every so often, his eyes flick over to Lila, and she can sense the irritation behind his calm expression as he listens to her grandmother.
She must have looked visibly sick from the relentless barrage of negativity, because Max quickly interjects, “If you don’t mind, Laura, my father passed away a couple of weeks ago from cancer.
I want to bring Lila home for Christmas to spend time with my family.
They’re going through a difficult period, and it would mean a lot to have her with us.
I hate to pull her away from you, but I hope you understand. ”
“Oh! I’m so sorry to hear that, dear,” her grandmother replies, her tone softening into sympathy.
“Of course, she should be there to support you. I’m glad to know she means so much to your family.
Christmastime is all about family. I wish Sean were here, but Tabitha from church has invited us over, so I won’t be alone. ”
A couple of hours later, they are on their way back to New York on his private jet. Lila curls up against Max, resting her head on his shoulder as he reads to her from his new book. Closing her eyes, she breathes in his familiar scent, the warm blend calming her frayed nerves.
Max glances down at her as she drifts in and out of sleep.
He hadn’t wanted to spend even a penny on the woman who had spent nearly an hour painting her in such an unflattering light, but what was humility for, if not moments like these?
Enduring the indignity of finding the right gifts and presenting them to the shrew himself was a small price to pay if it meant Lila could finally see her grandmother’s true colors.
Self-serving. Arrogant. Greedy.
Max recognizes those traits well, knowing he carries them himself, yet he can’t fathom ever putting down a sweet person in such a way.
To Lila, it feels like she is finally breathing again after holding her breath for too long. She survived the holidays, yet the lingering ache makes her question whether she could ever endure something like that again. Max had been right. She should have just stayed home with him.