Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
W aking up with Juliette’s body wrapped around his as the sunlight streamed through the new French doors was possibly the best feeling in the world.
Max lay there for a moment, soaking it in—the warmth of her pressed against him, the soft rise and fall of her breath, the way her fingers rested lightly on his chest. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to break the spell. But when she stirred slightly, her lashes fluttering against her cheek, he brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“Morning,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
She blinked up at him, a slow smile spreading across her lips. “Morning.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead before stretching. “What do you say to breakfast in town?”
Her stomach grumbled in response, making them both laugh. “I think that’s a yes,” she said, pushing herself up. “After I pay you back for last night’s torture.”
He wanted to point out that the torture had been mutual, but then she lowered and put her mouth to him and all thoughts of talking disappeared.
An hour later, after showering together in his new shower, they strolled hand in hand through the doors of Sara’s Nook. The moment they stepped in, the scent of sweet treats, bacon, and freshly brewed coffee hit them. The place was already buzzing with locals, the first real morning of summer bringing everyone out.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones who had this idea,” Juliette said as they stepped inside. “Morning, Sara,” she said when they finally stepped up to the counter to order.
He’d met Sara, the owner of the small café, a few times. He knew that she was Brook’s mother and married to Allen Masters, one of the men who oversaw the Coast Guard training facility just outside of town.
“Well, look at this!” Sara smiled at them. “The pair of you walking in together like a fresh breath of air.”
Juliette laughed and he saw her cheeks heat. No doubt because the gossip of them being together this early in the morning on a weekend would probably spread like wildfire around town.
“What’s the special this morning?” Juliette asked.
“Brook just pulled out some fresh sticky buns or I can heat you up one of those spinach quiches you love. Your choice.”
“How about sticky buns and a quiche, and coffee of course.”
Max ordered his usual coffee and a stack of blueberry pancakes, and then they found a small table near the window with a view of the waking town.
As they ate, they talked about everything from the latest work being done on the house to the upcoming summer events in town. Every now and then, someone would stop by to say hello.
His focus was entirely on Juliette, on the way she laughed at his dry humor, the way she stole a bite of his pancakes with an innocent look that didn’t fool him for a second.
When they finished, they took more coffee to go and wandered down towards the beach. The town had come alive. There were kids running towards the water and families setting up blankets and umbrellas.
“Looks like summer is officially here,” Juliette said, slipping off her sandals to walk barefoot in the sand.
Max did the same, the warm grains pressing between his toes as he matched his steps to hers. “Hard to believe a few months ago this place was covered in snow.”
As they walked, Juliette suddenly slowed. Max followed her gaze and spotted a familiar pair up ahead—her parents, sitting on a weathered wooden bench, two dogs as their feet while they chatted with a group of townspeople.
He hadn’t officially met the couple yet but had seen them in passing several times.
Juliette groaned softly. “I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later.” She turned to him. “They haven’t seen us yet, we could…” She nodded with her head back the way they had come.
Max chuckled. “You act like they’re terrifying.”
She shot him a look. “You try growing up with a town that reports everything you do to your parents.”
“Fair point.” He took her hand and started walking towards the couple where they were lounging near the water’s edge.
The dogs spotted Juliette before her parents did and bolted towards them.
“That’s Uno and that’s Tres,” she said as Max pet the dogs.
“No Dos?” he asked.
“He died a couple years back.”
When they reached them, her mother beamed. “Juliette! Max! What a lovely surprise.” The dogs instantly settled at her feet, as if done with the attention.
“Morning, Mrs. Elliot, Mr. Elliot,” Max said, shaking her father’s hand after he stood up to greet them.
Her mom’s sharp eyes darted between them, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say something but held back. “Did you two enjoy your breakfast?”
Juliette sighed. “Mom?—”
“It was great,” Max cut in smoothly, shooting Juliette a grin before looking back at her parents. “Nice to see the town so lively this morning. I guess summer is finally here.”
As they chatted, a few more locals passed by, stopping to exchange pleasantries. Eventually, her parents excused themselves, leaving Max and Juliette alone again.
She let out a breath. “That wasn’t so bad.”
He smirked. “Told you. Parents love me.”
She rolled her eyes but laced her fingers through his, tugging him back towards the shoreline. “Come on, let’s keep walking. I’m not ready to head back just yet.”
A few hours later, as they were walking through his front door, her phone chimed with a message. His phone followed a second later.
Max barely had time to glance at the screen before another notification followed. Then another.
“What the hell?” he muttered as he looked at his phone.
Juliette was already reading hers, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief. “Max…”
His phone buzzed in his hand as he unlocked it, but before he could read the flood of messages, a notification popped up with a link to a live press conference. And there, standing in front of a row of microphones, was Gabriella, her perfect blonde waves blowing in the breeze, a knowing smile painted across her lips.
“…Max and I have always had an undeniable connection,” she was saying in that soft, practiced voice of hers. “We may have had our ups and downs, but the truth is, we always find our way back to each other.”
Max felt his stomach drop as the cameras flashed, reporters hanging on her every word.
Juliette exhaled sharply, her grip on her phone tightening. “What is she talking about?”
Gabriella continued, tilting her head just slightly, as if she were sharing an intimate secret with the world. “He’s been working so hard on the house for us—our future. It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?” She gestured and he realized they were holding the press meeting on the beach entrance just down from his property.
Juliette gasped. “She’s still in town.”
The image zoomed out to showcase a shot of his house, taken from a distance, capturing the newly built deck and the stunning ocean backdrop.
Max’s jaw clenched. “How the hell did she?—”
But Gabriella wasn’t done.
“And, of course,” she continued, her voice dropping to something softer, more sentimental, “he promised me something special this time in way of an engagement present. A token of his love, one that means everything to us.” She sighed wistfully, then looked directly at the cameras. “The Ocean’s Heart diamond.”
Juliette gasped. “No.”
Max’s blood ran cold. “How in the hell did she know about it?”
“The Ocean’s Heart diamond?” one of the reporters asked.
“Did Max find the lost diamond?” several reporters shouted.
Gabriella smiled coyly. “Not yet. But I’ve heard that the rare blue diamond lost on the property will be all mine when he finds it. He told me it belonged to me, that it was always meant to be mine. As a symbol of our forever love.”
A murmur swept through the reporters, some of them scrambling for details while others whispered excitedly.
Juliette turned to Max, her expression unreadable. “Okay, I think this has gone a little too far.”
Max’s pulse thundered in his ears. “I agree,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Why would she do this?” she asked. “Is she trying to force you into something again? Do you think she’s after the diamond or the attention?”
Max dragged a hand through his hair, trying to control his rising frustration. “She’s always been manipulative, but this…” He gestured to the screen, where Gabriella was now taking questions. “This is next level.”
His phone vibrated again—this time a call. His agent.
Max let out a sharp breath and turned to Juliette. “I need to fix this.”
She nodded, but something in her expression made his stomach tighten. This wasn’t just another media circus—this was personal. And if he didn’t get ahead of it fast, he stood to lose more than just his reputation.
Gone was his plan to spend the rest of the day with her. Instead, after he took the first call, she packed up her things and went home while he took the next wave of calls.
That evening, he lay alone in his bed cursing Gabriella and her manipulative ways and dreaming of holding Juliette again soon.
The next morning, he was woken by his phone again. Deciding not to answer his agent’s call, he stripped and stepped into the shower. He planned to finish painting his office to release some of the frustration and anger.
His phone was still ringing when he stepped out of the water and dressed.
Glancing to make sure it wasn’t Juliette calling him, he took his phone into the kitchen with him and made himself some coffee.
When someone rang his doorbell, he thought about ignoring it. It could be Juliette, though, so he went to answer it.
“I thought you could use a pick-me-up,” Juliette said, holding a box of donuts in front of her. “And I figured you’d avoid heading out in the fray since the swarm is still lurking around town.” She stepped inside.
He kissed her, almost tipping the box of donuts in the process.
“You are a godsend,” he sighed.
“It’s a circus out there.” She motioned behind her as they stepped into the kitchen. “There are actually a line of cars at the end of your driveway. Normally, I’d assume the summer crowd was hitting the area, but every single car is from a TV station.”
“Right. Gabriella strikes again.” He groaned as he sat down. He opened the box and took the biggest chocolate donut in the box and bit into it.
Juliette sat across from him and grabbed one of the maple bars. “I had an idea that might smooth things over.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I’m all ears.”
“While we’re filming, we let it slip about us.” She motioned between them. “Then let the internet decide what the truth is instead of Gabriella.”
Max leaned back in his chair, watching Juliette take a bite of the maple bar. His chest tightened with unease but also admiration.
“You want to let the internet decide?” he asked, rubbing his jaw. “Have you met the internet?”
She smirked. “I have. And right now, it’s eating up Gabriella’s lies like it’s prime-time television. Our followers have almost doubled since she made her claim. We need to give them something real for once. Something they can’t twist into her fairy-tale narrative.”
Max exhaled, considering it. His whole life had been a careful balance of keeping personal matters private while still maintaining enough presence to keep his work relevant. Something Gabriella had used against him the first time. But this… this wasn’t just about him anymore. This time a woman he really cared about, possibly even loved, was in harm’s way.
He met Juliette’s steady gaze. “You’re sure about this?”
She took another bite, chewing thoughtfully before answering. “Look, I’m not saying we put on a whole show. But while we’re filming, if we don’t hide anything—if we act like ourselves—it’ll be obvious to anyone watching that Gabriella is full of it.”
Max ran a hand through his hair. It wasn’t a bad plan. In fact, it was probably the smartest way to shut this thing down without feeding Gabriella’s need for drama.
“I don’t want this to backfire,” he said finally. “People are ruthless online.”
Juliette’s lips quirked. “I appreciate that, but I can handle it.” She paused. “Can you?”
His stomach did a slow, measured flip.
She wasn’t just talking about internet trolls. She was talking about the reality of making this—whatever it was between them—public.
Max let out a slow breath and nodded. “Yeah. I can.”
A slow smile spread across her face, and damn if it didn’t make his pulse spike.
“Good,” she said, standing and brushing crumbs off her fingers. “Then let’s give them something real to talk about. I know you had plans to paint today, so I’m here to help or to film. It’s up to you.”
Max sat there for a beat, watching her, knowing with absolute certainty that this wasn’t just about proving Gabriella wrong.
It was about proving to himself that this—Juliette, the life they were building, the way she made him feel like he actually had a home again—was something worth fighting for.