Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
“ T here. All done.” Margot set the hairbrush down, having finished brushing out Lily’s hair after her bath. “Go pick out a book.”
The girl scampered out of the bathroom and down the hall to the room Max had set up for them months ago. It was outfitted with two twin beds, a mountain of toys, and a bookshelf filled with every children’s book he’d been able to find. Margot had tried to protest when he did it. She didn’t mind the idea of him having some toys and books in the house; they did spend a lot of time here. But he’d gone well over the top with their room. She’d convinced him to return some of the toys, but he’d put his foot down on the books, telling her more books were never a bad thing.
She couldn’t argue with that, so her daughters now had a better library than she did.
Turning off the light, she left the bathroom and followed Lily down the hall. Emily was already in the bedroom, picking out her own book.
The scene on the floor by the bookshelves made her smile.
Max was in one of the oversize bean bags, Emily in his lap. The book she’d chosen was open in front of them, but he’d paused to help Lily pick hers. She had two in her tiny hands and was holding them up for him to see.
Margot walked over, grabbing the second bean bag and dragging it close to his. She sat down, and Lily climbed into her lap with a book about kittens. Max flipped back a couple of pages and started Emily’s book again, so Lily could hear it all.
Normally, once they finished their stories, Margot would pop both girls in bed and bid them goodnight. But tonight, she and Max wanted to talk to them. The girls were bound to notice how differently they treated each other, and she didn’t want there to be any question about why.
So, when Lily tried to get up at the end of the book, Margot tightened her hold. “Hang on, sweetie. Max and I need to talk to you two.”
The girl stilled and looked up.
“So, what would you say if we spent even more time with Max?”
“Swimming?” Em immediately asked.
Margot chuckled. “I’m sure there will be more swimming. But I meant more as like a family. Like Amy and Ezra with their daughter Gretchen.”
“Like a daddy?” Lily asked.
Max met Margot’s gaze. A slow smile spread over his face, happiness making his eyes shine.
“Yes,” Margot said. While they hadn’t made a hard and fast commitment to each other—no professions of undying love or proposals of marriage—becoming a family unit was the goal.
“I’d like a daddy,” Em said. “Gretchen has a daddy. He’s nice.” She tipped her head back to spear Max with a look. “Will you take me to surfs?”
Max chuckled. “Of course I will. We’ll do all kinds of stuff. Just like we do now. Mostly, this means that we’re all going to spend more time together and that I’m responsible for you guys, just like your mommy is. I hope one day soon you’ll all move in here.”
“Are you gonna get married, like Ann-beth and Dean?” Emily asked.
Max’s gaze flicked to Margot’s, and he smiled again. “If your mommy says yes when I ask her.”
Emily’s head turned to look at Margot. “Say yes. We want a daddy.”
Margot laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that.” She clutched Lily close, pressing her cheek to the girl’s damp hair as she gazed at Em. The emotion she’d been dancing around for months but never letting herself fully feel finally overflowed its well. She looked up at Max with a tremulous smile, unable to stop the words that spilled free. “I love Max very much.”
The smile froze on his face and his eyes rounded. A moment later, the widest, happiest smile she’d ever seen on him brightened his expression.
“Yeah?” He tipped his head.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“I love you too.” He held her gaze for a moment, then looked down at the girl in his arms, then Lily. “All of you.”
Emily turned in his arms, standing up on his lap. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I love you too.”
Lily pushed out of Margot’s lap and scrambled into Max’s. “Me too!”
Tears swam in Margot’s vision. She’d worried a bit how the girls would take the change in their relationship with him. She shouldn’t have.
Max looked at her from between the twins, his bright smile now a little watery.
Emily pulled back. “I’m gonna call you Daddy Max.”
A surprised chuckle slipped past his lips. “You are, huh?”
She nodded, her expression solemn. “Yep.”
Lily looked back at Margot. “Mommy, can we play with Gretchen tomorrow? I want to tell her I have a daddy, now, too!”
Margot smiled at her daughter. “We might be able to arrange that. I’ll call Amy in the morning, okay?”
“Okay!” Lily kissed Max’s cheek, then turned and sat down. “Can we have another story, Daddy Max?”
He chuckled. “Sure. Which one do you want?”