CHAPTER TEN #2
As the day went on and more people made their way into the Inn for the event, Lucy found herself thinking of Max each time she explained the ginger biscuit tradition to someone or told them about the special place the recipe held in her heart.
She kept the thoughts of the man that held another special place there to herself, though her thinking of him had become so frequent over the course of the day that she could have sworn she had seen a glimpse of him nearly ten minutes ago.
That was ridiculous of course, but she supposed it wouldn’t be a total surprise she would hallucinate the man she had wanted to be there so badly.
As she passed by a table, she looked down and saw fresh tea had been poured into cups for the guests that sat there.
Lucy shook her head. She must really be losing it if she was imagining Max and now had forgotten that she filled tea cups moments earlier.
With a smile, she checked in with the group that was currently creating an absolute mess of their biscuits but looked like they were having the grandest time doing it.
“How are we all fairing?” she asked, trying to ignore the glob of icing that plopped onto the rug.
“Wonderfully,” an older woman told her. “This is definitely an event we’ll be coming back to town for. And I just love the charming young man who’s helping you out.” She leaned in closer to Lucy and stage whispered, “I would hold onto that one if I were you.”
Lucy nodded, slightly concerned that the elderly woman was hallucinating a few things herself.
There was no one helping her out today, but when she glanced over at the kitchen door, she could swear she saw it swinging on its hinges slightly.
“Thank you for coming,” Lucy told the woman absently as she walked cautiously over to the kitchen.
After she slowly pushed the door open and peered inside, she had to blink a few times to make sure what she was seeing wasn’t another conjuring of her tired mind.
“Max?” She could hear the hope in her voice, and as the man at the island peered up at her and smiled, her heart nearly burst open with emotion. “Is that really you?”
Dream Max’s smile widened as he rounded the island and came over to her.
“Of course, it’s me, my darling,” he insisted, his voice laced with amusement.
“Who else would I be?” When he opened his arms, she walked in automatically, sighing with relief when she felt the solidness of his body next to hers.
Dream Max was indeed very, very real and very welcome.
Lucy wrapped her arms around his middle and took a shuddering breath. She wanted him to be back for good, but that may be too much to hope for. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice shaking with nerves.
Max looked down at her, his brow furrowed.
“I came back to right a very egregious wrong.” He pulled her over to the island and picked up a tiny ginger biscuit person, one that looked to have blonde hair and be wearing a green sweater, much like the man who decorated him.
“I noticed that your ginger cottage was missing something. In addition to a ginger Lucy, there should be a ginger Max, too,” he explained.
His eyes searched hers, and he put the biscuit down on the tray before cupping her face. “Unless that’s too presumptuous of me.”
Lucy sniffled, the thought of him being a part of her cottage, a part of her life, had her heart nearly beating out of her chest with how happy it made her, but did he mean just today, or something more permanent?
She leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his.
“It’s not presumptuous at all. I want you here.
” Her voice was solid and sure, just like her heart. “I love you, Max. I should have told—”
The rest of the sentence never made its way out of Lucy’s mouth because it was too busy being kissed by Max.
His lips pressed against hers so fiercely she couldn’t be sure he didn’t permanently imprint himself onto her.
If he did, she wouldn’t have minded. She was his for the taking, and if there was evidence of that on her face for the rest of the world to see, all the better.
After devouring her mouth for a good few minutes, Max pulled back, his face slightly red and his breath coming in short.
He stared at her so adoringly, Lucy thought she might cry.
A rogue tear escaped and tracked down her cheek, but Max scooped it up with his thumb before clutching her tightly to his chest once more.
“I love you too, Lucy. So very much.” The declaration was so wonderful to hear that a happy sob escaped her chest. Max pulled back, his face panicked. “Don’t cry, my darling.”
A small laugh burst out of her as she sniffled.
“They are happy tears. I promise,” she vowed, holding onto him again and knowing that now that he was there with her, she was never letting him go again.
Lucy laid her head against his chest, enjoying the steady sound of his beating heart as she did, but eventually, noises from the other room alerted her to her neglected duties.
“The event. I have to get back.” She leaned up and kissed him briefly one last time before turning toward the dining room.
She stopped short and peered at him over her shoulder. “You are staying, aren’t you?”
Max smiled and joined her by her side, interlocking their fingers together. “Always,” he promised. “Not for now, but for always.”
The words were like music to her ears, but before they left the kitchen, another thought occurred to her. “What about your family?”
Max chuckled and led them out to the dining room.
“Well, seeing as how I was rather melancholy over not being with the woman I loved, they didn’t find me particularly good company.
” She felt awful that she had contributed to his family having a lackluster holiday, even if it wasn’t directly her fault.
At her worried expression, he leaned down and kissed her temple.
“But if there happens to be room at the Inn, they would love to come down and join us as soon as possible.”
Lucy’s worry slipped away and she smiled happily. “For you and your family, there is always room.” And with Max back by her side, there was now more room than ever in her heart.