Chapter 12 #3
“We underestimated you. I’ll admit that. This is a side of you we never saw.”
“How could you when you were so busy hiding me away,” she murmured.
“You went to some of the best schools and had opportunities that some people would die for! We hardly kept you locked in a dungeon.”
She didn’t want to concede that he had a point, so she didn’t comment on it directly.
“I wanted to be in my own home, sleep in my own bed, and have a normal family. I wanted the chance to have a normal life. I know it’s possible. We have plenty of relatives who don’t act like we do.”
“They’re idiots,” he mumbled. “We didn’t coddle you and look at where it got you!”
Maisie seriously almost choked. “Where it got me? Are you freaking serious right now? I got thrown out of my home—my condo—had my credit cards taken away, was given a crappy truck that nearly got me killed more than once because it was so unreliable, and I practically had to live out of it. So…where exactly did your lack of coddling get me?”
He was quiet, but when he spoke again, his voice was different, a little less cool. “And yet you went out and somehow brought down a powerful family. I’m sure you’ve done other things—not that you’ve shared that with me or your mother—but this one act showed how resourceful you can be.”
It sounded like praise, but it wasn’t.
“I can’t do this with you right now. I have other things that I need to deal with today.”
“Like what?”
“It’s none of your concern. I’m coming to dinner tomorrow night, so be sure to let Mom know. We’ll settle this then.”
“What is there to settle? You made your point with Bryce and his family. The marriage and merger are off the table.”
“And who’s your backup for me, huh?”
“Wh…what do you mean?”
“Oh, please! Don’t tell me you don’t have someone else already lined up to pawn me off on.”
Silence.
“That’s what I thought. We’ll talk tomorrow.” And she hung up before he could respond.
In the distance, she could hear the hum of activity and hated that she had been forced to step away from her job.
Stepping through the doorway and back out to join everyone, she made a beeline for Milo. He turned and smiled, but it faltered a little when he saw the grim look on her face.
“Hey,” he said, meeting her halfway. “Is everything okay?”
Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Can you really get information about my father?”
His smile was back. “I can. When do you need it?”
“Tomorrow by six p.m. I’m meeting him and my mother for dinner.”
Pulling his phone out, he nodded. “I’m on it.”
Later, she was back at the hotel and packing.
She told everyone that she needed to go home to finally put an end to this mess, and luckily, they all agreed.
Harlow was going to take over doing the inventory of everything that was coming into the lodge, and Maisie promised to be back in a few days to finish this phase.
Connor had asked her to stay and have dinner with all of them, but she politely refused. And then thanked him and Milo again for all of their help in getting her life back.
She looked around the dingy hotel room and sighed.
She’d be back in Harbortown, but the next time she’d be staying either in one of the cabins or the lodge.
Walker insisted. It was crazy how this group of strangers—people who should have just been business acquaintances—were more caring than her own friends and family.
Maybe being forced to run away and prove herself was more beneficial than she ever could have imagined.
She was tossing random things into her suitcase when her phone dinged with an incoming text. She’d told Harlow to reach out if she had questions about the furniture placement and figured that’s who it was.
But it was Axel.
Letting out a shaky breath, she read his messages. In her mind, she wanted to just ignore them, but the last one made her pause.
Axel: I’m so sorry, beautiful girl. Please tell me I didn’t screw this up.
Dammit.
As much as she wanted to be mad at him, she had to see it from his point of view too. Connor had warned her, and she didn’t believe him, but he was spot on.
So where did that leave her?
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Maisie stared at the phone as if willing it to tell her what to do. Ultimately, her heart decided for her.
Maisie: You didn’t screw this up. This whole situation just really sucks.
Maisie: I’m sorry for not being honest with you. I’ve just been in survival mode for so long and didn’t know how to handle it.
Sighing, she wondered if he was going to reply right away or if this was just a way of testing the waters.
“Screw this. What am I waiting for?” Done with texting, she called him. And if he didn’t answer, then that was on him, not her.
“Hey, beautiful girl,” he said, his voice soft and so damn good that she almost burst into tears.
“Hey, you,” she whispered. “Where are you? Can you come to the hotel? Please?”
“I wish I could, but I’m a freaking idiot who drove aimlessly and now I’m like three hours away.”
“What? Why would you do that?”
“Because I’m an idiot,” he said with a small laugh.
“I just needed to clear my head and get over being butthurt.” She heard him sigh.
“I’m so sorry for the way I behaved. I was only thinking about myself and—not that I’m trying to make excuses—I have a lot of issues because of my childhood.
Everything about this situation today brought it all to the surface, and… I’m sorry.”
“Axel, you have nothing to be sorry for. Are you kidding me? You were so freaking amazing with how you just…you know…beat the crap out of Bryce!” The laugh was out before she could stop it.
“And when you had him by the throat? At the moment, I was shocked, but when I think about it, it was kind of amazing. No one’s ever defended me like that. Ever.”
“Probably because they had better manners than I do.”
“No. It has nothing to do with manners and everything to do with being a decent person who defends people who apparently can’t defend themselves.
For far too long I’ve been looking for someone to…
not save me but just help me. Getting the job at the resort was me saving myself, but that didn’t mean I didn’t need help. And you did that for me.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. I kind of feel like Connor and Milo did the hard stuff,” he murmured.
And that’s when she told him about running into Connor at her cousin’s wedding and him telling her about his marriage.
“It was crazy how similar our situations were,” she told him. “He was the first person who could understand what I was facing. And when he offered to help me by doing a little digging, I never thought he’d find out what he did.”
He muttered a curse.
“I know you’re mad at him, but please understand that this whole thing has been so humiliating for me. I begged him not to tell you because I wanted it to come from me. When it was all over.”
“Is it? After everything that happened today, I’m sure it is or at least it’s close to being over.”
“I spoke to my father.”
“And how did that go?”
She laughed softly. “Not great.” She gave him all the details of the conversation. “I’m having dinner with him and my mother tomorrow. So, I’m leaving in the morning and driving back to Manhattan.”
“Oh.”
“I should only be gone for a few days—maybe not even—and then I’ll be back.”
“Wait…you’re coming back?”
“Of course I am! Besides the fact that I still have a job to do, you and I need to sit down and talk in person. I love that we’re talking now, but I’d like it much more if I could touch you and see your face.”
“Maisie, it’s okay. You don’t…” He let out a long breath.
“You’re going to go home tomorrow and work shit out with your family and be able to go back to your life.
I don’t really know anything about it, but I’m guessing it’s a lot more glamorous than living in Harbortown in a two-room cabin and driving a crappy old truck. I don’t see myself exactly fitting in.”
“What are you saying?”
“I get that you have to come back because the work on the resort isn’t done, but I don’t want you to feel…
obligated to me or to us. I’ll understand if you want to end our relationship.
After all, a woman like you surely has a lot more options—better ones—than a carpenter with no family and no real money to his name. ”
She heard the vulnerability in his voice and it broke her heart. He wasn’t saying it in anger; he truly believed his own words.
“Axel…”
“Like…I can’t even imagine you introducing me to your family,” he said with a laugh that had no humor. “They’d just disown you all over again. I would never put you in that situation.”
“Axel…”
“And could you see me at a big society event? I don’t even own a suit. What would I wear? Ripped jeans and work boots? Come on. I would never want to embarrass you like that. You’re so damn perfect, and you deserve someone you’re proud to have walking beside you.”
“I’m proud to have you walking beside me, you idiot,” she said with a hint of exasperation.
“I’ve been trying to protect you all this time because I don’t want anyone talking badly about you.
And believe me, my family is awful. They talk badly about me, so I would never subject you to that kind of behavior. ”
“Maisie Quinn, I love you. And if you give me a chance, I’ll make sure no one ever talks badly about you ever again. I swear it. I’ll gladly beat the shit out of anyone who tries.”
And then she was crying because she knew he would, and it was crazy how much she wanted to see him do it again.
Ugh…what is wrong with me?
“Care to put your money where your mouth is?” she asked.
“Money? Maisie, I told you. I don’t have any money.”
“It’s a figure of speech, silly. Come to dinner with me tomorrow with my parents.”
“Are you insane? Haven’t you been listening to what I’ve been telling you?”
“I have. And I have to ask you the same question.”
“What question?”
“Haven’t you been listening to what I’ve been telling you?” she asked.
“I have.”
“Okay, then. We are both done letting my family crap all over me. I’m going there tomorrow to put an end to it all.
If they disown me, then they disown me. I’m not sure what that will look like, but this time I plan on packing up all of my stuff.
The money from the resort job will tide me over, and… ”
“And you have a place to live,” he said firmly. “With me. I want you with me. Always.”
“I love the sound of that.”
“Good.”
“I have one more thing to tell you, and please don’t be upset.”
He laughed but didn’t say a word.
“Milo’s working on seeing if he can find any information about my father that I can use as a bargaining tool. Sometimes you have to be a bully to fight a bully.”
“Holy crap. Did he find anything?”
“Not yet, but I’m hopeful. He knows I’m leaving here tomorrow before lunch and meeting my parents for dinner at six, so…”
“If there’s something to be found, Milo will find it. Don’t worry.”
“Is it wrong that I hope he finds something?”
“Nope.”
That made her smile.
“Are you coming with me to dinner?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“Will I need to wear a suit?”
Her bark of laughter was loud even to her own ears. “You wear whatever you want just as long as you’re there with me. That’s all that matters.”
“I’ll meet you at the hotel at ten.”
Her heart felt ready to burst. “Really? You’ll do it?”
“Maisie, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. I know I was a jerk today, but…”
“With good reason,” she quickly interrupted. “And I don’t even want to think about it anymore. I just want to focus on seeing you in the morning and finally having my life back. A life that I can freely spend with you.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Get some rest so you can be prepared for tomorrow. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
“The same goes for you. Get some sleep. I’ll need to go to the resort and change. I grabbed stuff when I left, but I don’t even know what I grabbed, so…”
“How about I meet you there at ten?”
“Sounds like a plan. Goodnight, beautiful girl.”
“Goodnight, my knight in shining armor.”
When she hung up, she knew it didn’t matter what her parents had to say. This life she had right now was her own, and it was perfect.
Maybe she could get the fairy tale after all.