Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
T here were only a few times in Juliette’s life when she could honestly say she’d lost control of herself. One time was in grade school, when she’d pitched a perfect softball game and had jumped and celebrated like a mad woman.
Or the time her grandfather had died and she’d cried herself to sleep for weeks.
The moment Max had claimed her had now been added to that short list. It was as if the man knew exactly what her body wanted. The way he’d touched her, kissed her, did things that no other man had done to her—her mind went over it on repeat and dreamed of when he’d do it to her again.
She didn’t want her time with him to end. Even after they’d eaten the delivered sandwiches from the Golden Oar on the sofa they had just gotten naked on, she still wanted him.
Once their food was gone and they had returned to the table and finished editing and uploading the videos from the day, she made some lame excuse and packed up and headed home. Max probably thought that she didn’t want to rough it out on his sofa for the night, but in truth, she needed some time to think things through. To test the waters and make sure she wasn’t just overreacting about her feelings when she was around him.
Her dreams that night assured her that what she was feeling was true. By the time she walked into his place the next morning, she was determined to tell him how she felt.
Only, she came up short when she saw Max with his arms wrapped around a petite woman with sandy blonde hair.
Without thinking, she turned around and headed towards the front door, only to stop when Max grabbed her hand. “Easy tiger. It’s Faye,” he whispered and wrapped his arms around her. “Come meet my sister and my mother.”
She relaxed. Of course it was his sister. What in the hell had she been thinking? Her face heated as embarrassment overtook common sense. Why had she jumped like that? She’d never been the jealous type.
Then she remembered what she’d been so eager to tell him, how she felt for him, and realized why. She was in love. Plain and simple.
The moment they stepped back into the kitchen, she saw what she’d missed the first time. There was an older woman sitting at the table watching her, and Faye stood in the middle of the room with hair and eyes that looked so much like Max’s that it was obvious who she was. If she had looked for more than a second, she would have realized it herself.
“Mom, Faye, this is Juliette,” Max said, signing along for Faye.
“Hi,” she said and signed as well. “This is a surprise visit,” she added after they both greeted her.
“We decided on a day trip to get out of the city and enjoy some beach time, and of course to see how Max’s construction project is going firsthand,” his mother answered.
“I’ve been glued to all the videos the two of you are posting,” Faye said as she motioned to the kitchen. “It’s so much better already.”
She glanced around and noticed that Max had already installed the microwave and refrigerator. He must have gotten up early and moved them himself.
Even though there still weren’t countertops, a sink, or a stove, things were coming together. In the morning light, she could just imagine how things would look once it was finished.
“Yeah, it’s coming together nicely,” she agreed.
“Soon we’ll be able to eat here,” he joked. “I’m having half of the team start in my bedroom today.” He motioned towards the staircase. “I plan on sleeping in a bed, a real bed, by this weekend.” He chuckled. “I’ve given them a quick tour of the changes,” he told her.
“Everything looks a lot cleaner, at least,” Faye said. “The last time we were here, the place was packed with old things. Now I think I can finally see the potential.”
“You came down for the day from Portland?” Juliette asked.
“Yes,” his mother answered. “Just for a little while before we head to…”
“My doctor’s appointment. There’s a specialist I’m seeing after lunch.” Faye tapped the side of her head.
“I hope it all works out. Your brother has told me a little about what you’re going through. Did you know that one of Pride’s famous residents, Iian Jordan, lost his hearing at eighteen?”
Faye looked surprised. “Iian Jordan lives in Pride?” She glanced at Max. “I’ve seen him on that episode of Kitchen and Cocktails .”
Juliette chuckled. “He only did that episode because we all begged him to. I used to work at his restaurant, the Golden Oar. You should take them there while they’re here,” she said to Max.
“I’d love that.” Faye sounded excited.
Just then they heard some of the workers knock and call out and then come in the front door.
“We can get out of your way,” his mother said standing up.
“Why don’t we head into town and have some breakfast at the Golden Oar?” Max suggested. “The guys can get along without me for a while.”
His mother nodded and then stepped out of the way as the men started setting up for that day’s work. Faye seemed very eager and excited at the possibility of meeting Iian.
“Juliette?” Max turned to her.
“Go, I’ll get started on filming.” She smiled.
He nodded and then, to her surprise and she was sure his mother’s, he bent over and kissed her. “Can I bring you back anything?”
“I wouldn’t say no to a coffee and a sticky bun.” She smiled. “They know how I like my coffee.”
He nodded. “See you soon.”
“It was nice meeting you,” she signed to Faye and his mother.
“You too.” Faye smiled and then followed them out.
Before they had driven out of the driveway, Juliette shot Iian a text message.
“Are you at the restaurant?”
His reply came back quickly.
“Yes, why?”
“VIP guest heading your way. Max’s sister Faye. She’s going through a lot right now. Losing her hearing. She is eager to meet you.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for them and give them extra attention. Sure miss having you work for me. But we’re glued to those videos you keep posting about the lighthouse. Let us know when we can come for a tour.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
She absolutely loved living in Pride. Loved that, with a quick text, she could ensure that Max’s family had a great experience before they set of to what she assumed would be a difficult appointment.
For the next two hours, she followed Palmer’s team as they worked on the backsplash tile in the kitchen. Parker’s team was busy working in the bedroom, replacing the windows with what would be massive French doors that would step out onto the new deck that another team was currently building outside. Yet another team was working on the dining room walls and floors.
She had cameras set up on those locations for time-lapse videos and kept checking them and adjusting them for the best angles.
When Max returned from breakfast with his family, he seemed preoccupied with his thoughts. She assumed it was because of his sister’s health, and so she kept busy and gave him space.
He took over filming the deck work outside while she remained inside.
By the end of the day, she had barely spoken to him alone. On the plus side, they had enough footage that she was thinking of posting the deck scenes later that weekend when the workers had a few days off.
As everyone was packing up for the day, Max disappeared while she sat at his kitchen table and worked her magic with the edits. When he came back, his hair was wet and he was dressed in a clean shirt and pants.
“How’s it going?” he asked, looking over her shoulder at the laptop screen.
“I finished today’s posts. I’m working on this one to post on Sunday.” She glanced over at him. “Have you heard from your mom or Faye?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Not yet.” He sighed.
She laid a hand over his. “Take a walk with me?” she suggested. “The sea air always helps when I’m worried about something.”
He nodded and she shut her computer screen and grabbed her jacket.
Even though it was only weeks away from summer, the nights still had a bite to them.
They walked in silence until they hit the stairs leading them down to the beach.
Max stopped as his eyes scanned the horizon. “This is why I purchased the place.” He motioned with a nod towards the bright colors of the sky as the sun disappeared behind the Pacific.
“It’s easily my favorite view too. I used to love coming up here when I was a kid.”
“You came up here?”
She chuckled. “What kid that grew up in Pride didn’t sneak onto this property and look for missing diamonds.”
He took her hand in his, and they stood there for a moment, breathing it all in. Then he squeezed her hand and started down the stairs.
“Thank you,” he said halfway down.
“For?”
He stopped a stair below her and turned to gather her in his arms before answering. “For reminding me I have a center. I spent the day worrying about Faye. Consumed by it, really.” He leaned back slightly. “No news is good news. They will call when they get home.”
“Thank you,” she returned.
“For?” She saw a hint of a smile curve his lips.
“For giving me an opportunity.” She motioned back to the house. “I’m really enjoying myself and making more money than I would waiting tables.”
“Without you, we never would have gained such a following.” He took her hand and continued down the stairs.
When they reached the bottom, they headed off to the right instead of the left towards town.
She let the cool evening breeze wash over her as they walked side by side, their feet sinking into the damp sand. Other than the rhythmic crash of the waves, there was silence, but it was a comfortable one. The kind that didn’t need filling.
She glanced over at him, his expression thoughtful as he looked out at the water. The last of the sunset painted the horizon in streaks of deep violet and fiery orange, reflecting off the ocean like a moving painting.
“I know you’re telling yourself no news is good news,” she said gently, giving his hand a squeeze. “But that doesn’t stop you from worrying, does it?”
Max let out a slow breath. “Not even a little.” He chuckled, but there was a tightness to his voice. “Faye’s been through so much already, and I hate feeling helpless. I can’t fix this for her, you know?”
Juliette nodded. “It’s hard watching someone you love go through something like this.”
He looked at her, searching her face. “You get it.”
She smiled softly. “Yeah, I do.”
He squeezed her hand back. “I just keep thinking about how different things must be for her now. She’s been adjusting to the hearing loss for a while, but this last surgery was a big one. Even though she acts tough, I know she’s struggling.”
“She’s lucky to have you,” Juliette said.
Max huffed a small laugh. “Yeah, well, Ally would argue that.”
Juliette tilted her head. “How’s she holding up?”
His jaw clenched slightly before he sighed. “Not great. Her ex, well, it’s messy, and she’s exhausted. Charlotte is the only thing keeping her sane right now. Mom says she’s doing better this week but still.” He shook his head slightly.
At the mention of his niece, his face softened.
Juliette smiled. “You light up when you talk about your niece.”
“She’s a bright spot in all of this,” Max admitted. “Charlotte’s got this way of making everything seem simpler.”
“Sounds like she takes after her uncle.”
“I prefer to think she gets the best of us all,” he said, his voice full of affection.
Juliette watched him for a moment, admiring the way he spoke about his family. He was so steady, so devoted. It was one of the things she loved most about him.
Not loved, she corrected quickly. Liked. She liked that about him. She had to slow herself down. Love was a step often taken too quickly, and she didn’t want to fall into that trap. What did she really know about him? Sure, there was a ton of physical sparks between them. That much was obvious. She knew he loved his work. Knew that he loved his family. He was an amazing storyteller. She loved his movies and the few books he’d published were some of her favorite re-reads.
She also knew that he made her laugh, that he listened—really listened—when she spoke. That he challenged her in ways no one else had. But was that enough?
She let out a slow breath, the salty air filling her lungs as they walked along the shore. The cool breeze played with the hem of her jacket, and she hugged herself as she glanced over at Max.
“What happens next?” she asked, her voice barely audible above the sound of the waves.
Max slowed his steps, turning his head to study her. “With what?”
She gave him a knowing look. “With us.”
He stopped walking entirely, and she followed suit, shifting to face him. The fading light cast a soft glow over his features, making the warmth in his eyes stand out even more.
“I was hoping you’d tell me,” he admitted as he pulled her close. “I know what I want, but I don’t want to push you.”
She shifted and rested her head against his chest and swallowed. “And what is it you want?” she whispered.
He leaned back until their eyes locked. He smiled but there was something serious in his expression. “I want to see where this goes. I don’t want this to be just some fling or something we look back on as a ‘fun little thing’ that happened while we were working together.” He reached up, tucking a strand of hair that had been blowing in her eyes behind her ear. “I want you, Juliette.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. He always spoke with such certainty, like he wasn’t afraid to say what he felt. She envied that.
She took a breath. “I just… I don’t want to rush into something we aren’t ready for.”
Max nodded. “I don’t either. But that doesn’t mean we have to pretend like this isn’t happening.” He gestured between them. “Because it is. And it’s real.”
She bit her lip, torn between the part of her that wanted to throw caution to the wind and the part that whispered reminders of past heartbreaks.
He must have sensed her hesitation because he took her hands in his. “I’m not asking for forever right now,” he said gently. “I’m just asking for a chance to see where this goes. Together.”
Juliette let his words settle over her, warmth spreading through her chest. Maybe she was overthinking things. Maybe she didn’t need all the answers right now.
Maybe, for once, she just needed to take a chance.
A small smile curved her lips as she looked up at him. “Okay,” she said finally. “Let’s see where this goes.”
Max grinned, then pulled her into his arms again, wrapping her in a hug that felt like home. She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the feeling, into him.