Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
I’m gonna be sick…
Trembling and mortified, she cursed herself for waiting too long. For making such a big spectacle out of tonight and having it all go so wrong.
When will I learn to stop being impulsive?
Max was gently grasping her arms, and she couldn’t even bring herself to look at him. “I…I um…I should go and…”
Her name was softly whispered, and then one hand came up and caressed her cheek, leaving her no choice but to look at him.
He was so damn handsome, and his face was just…it was everything she wanted to look at for the rest of her life. Right now, he was looking at her so tenderly that it made her heart ache.
Pity. He’s looking at me with pity.
“Hailey Shae Donovan, not only are you full of surprises, but you also completely stole my thunder.”
Tears stung her eyes. “What…I don’t understand.”
That’s when he reached into his pocket, dropped down on one knee, and held up a ring. “I was hopeful,” he said with a boyish grin. “I’ve had this for over a month, hoping there would be a time when you would feel for me what I feel for you. I’ve kicked myself a thousand times for not reaching out to you after the wedding. You were all I thought about and you’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I know this baby put us on a sort of fast track to getting here, but…this was always where I wanted us to be.”
Tears were now rolling freely down her face, and she tried to quickly wipe them away before they completely ruined her makeup. “I’m sorry I waited so long to believe in us,” she told him. Still trembling, she smiled in between the sobs she was desperately trying to calm. “Everyone saw it but me, but once I did, I knew I wanted all the things you’ve been promising me. Every time you talked about our future, I felt like you were saying it all out of practicality. Like our getting married was for convenience. You never said that you loved me.”
“I should have,” he admitted. “I thought I was showing you how I felt, but looking back, I can see why it didn’t seem the least bit romantic.”
Slowly, she got back down on her knees so they were almost eye level, and she could see that his eyes were a little damp too.
“I wanted tonight to be special,” she went on. “I wanted to do more than just say the words. I wanted to show you.” And just because she couldn’t help herself, she reached up and cupped his jaw. “I thought I was so clever and you would never suspect it.”
“I didn’t. I swear,” he assured her. “This ring has been hidden in my dresser for the last month. When I moved into the house and the guest room, I took it with me because I swore as soon as the time was right, I’d propose properly.” Leaning in, Max rested his forehead against hers. “You just beat me to it.”
Hailey simply cherished the moment before slowly pulling back. “This ring was actually my grandfather’s,” she told him. “I know men don’t wear engagement rings, but this was more of something symbolic. He had given it to me years ago because it originally belonged to his grandfather and was handmade. It’s not new and shiny, but…” She held up the simple platinum band. “My grandfather used to tell me a story that was a spin on Cinderella, but instead of a glass slipper, there was a ring, and the princess would know when the right man came along to give it to.” Meeting his warm gaze, she smiled. “You’re the right man, Max.”
Then she silently prayed it was going to fit his finger.
Holding out his hand, Hailey slipped it on and nearly sagged with relief when it seemed to fit perfectly.
“This ring doesn’t have a story behind it,” he said quietly. “I kind of wish now that it did. When I went to look for what I hoped would be the perfect ring for you, I went in blind. We didn’t know each other well enough yet, but when I saw this ring, it felt right.” Then he grinned. “Great minds.”
The emerald-cut diamond was flanked by two smaller emerald cut stones, set in a platinum band, and when he slid it on her finger, she swore she’d never seen anything more beautiful. “If I could have picked it out myself, this is what I would have chosen. I love it.”
And then he finally kissed her. It was slow and sweet and so damn perfect. They awkwardly moved closer as Max’s arms banded around her. She loved his kisses—how soft his lips were, how warm and hard his body was—and wanted nothing more than to get up off the floor and take this to the bed.
Max must have read her mind—at least partially—because he broke the kiss and carefully helped her to her feet.
“This has been an amazing night,” he murmured seductively. “I just wish we were doing more than having sparkling grape juice and eating dessert—like stripping each other down and having a night of hot and sweaty nonstop sex.”
Was he serious? Did he think this night wasn’t leading up to them getting naked and making love?
“Um…I’m confused. Why can’t we have a night of hot and sweaty nonstop sex?” she bluntly asked.
He was looking at her like she were crazy. “Hailey, I want you. I was trying to be respectful. The doctor said you needed to rest, and I just thought that meant no sex.”
“Ah…okay. I asked the nurse today and I’m fine. There was nothing wrong and there’s no reason we can’t have sex.”
That was clearly all he needed to hear because, in the blink of an eye, he was hauling her up in his arms, and gave her a wicked grin before claiming her lips in a savage kiss.
But it ended way too soon.
Max took a step back and took off his suit jacket, kicked off his shoes, and loosened his tie. Hailey watched him with total fascination. Every move he made was sexy, and watching him undress was one of the biggest turn-ons. With his gaze steadily holding hers, he undid the buttons on his sleeves and rolled them up, exposing his forearms.
“Max…”
Then he was close and pulling her back into his embrace. “That’s better,” he murmured before he began kissing his way along her jaw and ultimately pressing his lips to hers.
The way he was holding her and kissing her told her he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. She loved this about them—the passion, the need. When they met that weekend and were finally alone, she remembered thinking that no man had ever felt that way before. She had been completely swept up in the excitement and ecstasy and she loved that every time with him, she got to experience that feeling again and again.
And I’m going to right now…
Together, she slowly moved across the room like an orchestrated dance. When they were beside the bed, she felt Max’s hands gently undoing the buttons on her collar. While he did that, she worked on the ones on his shirt, desperate to feel his warm skin. Breaking apart, they were breathless and smiling, and Hailey took that time to shimmy out of her dress.
“Damn, Hailey,” Max whispered reverently. “Look at you.”
Standing there in nothing but white panties, she felt her skin go hot under his gaze. When he reached out and traced a finger over one breast and then the other, she shivered with delight.
“Max. Please.”
That was all she had to say. He gently lifted her into his arms and placed her on the bed before he quickly got rid of the rest of his clothes. As soon as his body covered her, Hailey swore every time with him felt better and better, and couldn’t believe this man was hers.
“Hailey Donovan, you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. Do you have any idea how much I want you?”
“Hopefully it’s as much as I want you.”
Bracing himself above her, he shook his head. “No. It’s more. You are sexy and desirable, and so damn beautiful.”
Blushing, she said, “There’s only one thing that would have made this night perfect.”
He looked at her with confusion.
“The name. I wish it wasn’t Hailey Donovan anymore. I can’t wait to be Hailey Calloway.”
And for some reason, that was like hitting the launch button. Groaning, he lowered himself and claimed her lips in a brutal kiss that just went on and on and on.
So, she held on tight and let him take her to the heights that only he could.
“The Donovan gossip line strikes again.”
Beside him, Hailey laughed. “You need to get used to it because there’s no stopping it. I knew as soon as I texted Sloane that everyone was going to find out.”
“And you texted her back…why?” He was teasing, and when she looked at him, he winked.
“Sloane actually helped me put the whole thing together and she was completely unwilling to wait for me to call her.”
“Next time, please ask her to wait until after eight to call or text. Six a.m. is a bit unreasonable.”
“I promise to let her know. Boundaries are important. But this is a celebration! I just wish Marcus and Billie were back to celebrate with us.”
“I just hope they’re not upset that we’re hosting a big celebration in their house without them.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” she murmured.
“Too late. We’re here and so is everyone else.” He spotted Jade and Levi’s car, Ashlynn and Reid’s, Chloe and Tanner’s, Ronan’s, his dad’s, and a couple he didn’t recognize. “Um…Hales?”
“Hmm?”
“There’s no way your parents could have gotten here already, could they?”
Laughing, she climbed from the car. “Um…”
Max got out and looked at her over the roof of the car. “Seriously, could they be here already?”
“I honestly don’t see how. It typically takes about five hours and two flights to get here, not including driving to and from the airports. The only way they could have gotten here was if they flew up last night or somehow got the first flight of the day. And considering Sloane didn’t know until after six…”
“They’re here!” Someone called out, and Max watched with a bit of horror as tons of people came rushing out of his brother’s house. “How…?”
Not only were the local Donovans here, but sure enough, Hailey’s family was as well.
“Mom! Dad! What are you doing here?”
Bridget came over and hugged him first before cupping his face in her hands. “Congratulations and welcome to the family!”
“Thanks, but…uh…”
“Sloane told us about Hailey’s plan and we got on the first flight we could and flew up!” she went on. “There was no way we were going to miss celebrating with you two!”
“Max!” Kevin cheerfully called out as he walked over and shook his hand. “Congratulations, Son! We’re thrilled for the two of you! And now I can walk through the bar with you! It’s like two birds and one stone, right?” Laughing, he walked over to hug Hailey. She looked over at him with amusement, and he knew he just needed to embrace the chaos.
It took several minutes for everyone to congratulate them, with Sloane being the last to walk over. By the impish grin on her face, it was obvious she knew he wasn’t thrilled with the ambush.
Hugging him, she said, “I promise this will be the last time I do this. Don’t hate me, okay?”
Chuckling, he hugged her back before looking at her. “A little heads-up would have been appreciated. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Just make my sister happy, and I’ll be sure to warn you whenever my parents are planning a surprise trip, which—considering you guys are having a baby—you know is going to happen. My brother and his son live local, so they see him all the time. But your baby? Let’s just say I hope you have a guest room because they’re going to be here a lot.”
“We do and we were already prepared for it.”
“Good. Now let’s go inside. There's cake, cookies, and champagne.”
“Hailey can’t…”
“Neither can half the women in there,” she said, knowing what he was going to say. “There’s sparkling grape juice too. Come on.” Hooking her arm through his, she led him into the house where Hailey and the rest of the family were already gathered. But before they got too close, she stopped them. “One more thing.”
“O-kay…”
“The ring you got Hailey is gorgeous! And it is exactly her taste. Good job!” And then she flounced away and got swallowed by the crowd.
Max made his way through the kitchen and to Hailey’s side. Her father was pouring drinks, Jade was telling them what desserts she’d brought, Silas was chasing the dogs around and trying to get them out to the yard, Bridget was tossing out ideas for their wedding, Reid and Tanner were offering their help for the move…there were easily a dozen conversations going on at once and every one of them made him smile.
“Chaos looks good on you,” his father said as he came up to Max’s other side.
“Thank God I had time to prepare for this with Marcus and Billie,” he joked. “This is very different from any Calloway get-together.”
“Well, my side of the family were always a bunch of stick in the muds, and your mother’s side were all just…indifferent. I always wished things were different when you and your brother were growing up, but I think you’re making up for it now.”
“Lucky you that you get to be right in the middle of it too!”
“At least you both married into the same family,” John said with a laugh. “Imagine if you’d married into a different one that was just as loud and enthusiastic as the Donovans?”
“Dad, I don’t think there’s another family quite like the Donovans!” he said with a wink.
“Hey,” Hailey said, turning toward the two of them. “What are you saying about the Donovans?”
She was smiling, so Max knew she was in on the joke, but he tugged her close and gave her a loud, smacking kiss before replying, “We’re saying how there’s no one like your family.”
“Aww…” Hugging him, she reached and held one of his dad’s hands and it didn’t matter that there were a dozen other people in the room and just as many conversations going on around them. In that moment, it was just the three of them and it was perfect.
My family.
“Everybody, take a glass!” Kevin shouted. “Non-alcoholic to the left, champagne to the right!” It took a solid minute for everyone to have a glass in their hand, but when they did, Kevin raised his. “To Max and Hailey! We couldn’t be happier to be here celebrating the two of you today. This might not have been the way either of you planned it, but it’s obvious to everyone who knows and loves you that you were made to be together. Here’s to many years of happiness! Cheers!”
“Cheers!” everyone echoed before all the conversations started up again.
Jade started serving desserts, and everyone started spreading out and breaking up into smaller groups to talk. It got quieter and more manageable, and he actually breathed a sigh of relief when he could sit and hear what Ronan and his father were saying to him without having to ask them to repeat themselves.
“It just makes sense since Kevin’s here to do the tour on Monday,” Ronan was saying. “He already has some ideas that he wants to run by you when we’re all there together. Are you free on Monday?”
“Anytime after four,” Max told him. “I was going to bring Hailey with me the other day when I was supposed to join you for the tour.”
“Just don’t eat any leftovers that day!” Giving him a hearty slap on the back, Ronan laughed.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
“There’s my future son-in-law!” Kevin said as he sat down with them. “I’m glad I could come to town and do the walk-through with you, Max. I have some ideas that are a little different from what we originally discussed.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t worry, though. I think you’re really going to love them.”
“What are you thinking?”
Waving him off, Kevin grinned. “What day are you free this week?”
“We’re going to do it Monday after four,” Ronan answered. “And why are you being so secretive with him? You told me what you want to do, and…”
“Hush!” Kevin scolded. “You big blabbermouth! I want Max to see it in person rather than just hear about it.” Looking at Max, he asked, “You’re okay with that, right?”
“Um…sure?” It seemed like the safest answer.
“Perfect!”
The afternoon wore on, pizzas were ordered, everyone ate, and it seemed like forever by the time they all left. When Max shut the door for the last time, he felt like he had run a marathon. He found Hailey in the kitchen getting herself some water.
“I know they’re a lot, but I kind of love how they cleaned everything up!” she said.
“I have to agree. Where are your parents and Sloane staying?”
“They’re all at Uncle Ronan’s house. I told Sloane she should stay here, but she said she’d already intruded on our privacy enough, so…”
Walking over, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Remind me to thank her.”
“Why?”
He responded by kissing her soundly. When they broke apart, he smiled down at her. “I love you.”
“Mmm…I love you too.” They held each other and savored the silence for several moments. “I’m completely beat. Can we just go upstairs and maybe watch TV in bed? I know it’s barely nine o’clock, but…”
“Are you kidding? I am more than ready to just curl up under the blankets with you. Why don’t you go up and get settled while I deal with the dogs and lock everything up?”
“Okay, but don’t be long.” She kissed him before turning and going up the stairs, and Max watched her go.
It took almost fifteen minutes to get the dogs settled in their room for the night, and as he walked around the downstairs, he marveled at how he couldn’t tell they’d had a houseful of people here today. “They’re impressive; I’ll give them that.”
Turning off the lights, he walked up the stairs and found Hailey just climbing into bed. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and slid in beside her, immediately wrapping her in his arms.
“Today was a good day,” she said as she snuggled close. “I know it was a lot, and I told Sloane she has to stop encouraging our parents to fly up here on a moment’s notice, but it was nice to celebrate with everyone.”
“I kind of preferred our private celebration last night,” he murmured gruffly. “You looked spectacular in those tiny white panties. I just about swallowed my tongue when you stripped down to them.”
“I decided to splurge on sexy undies before I get too big to look good in them,” she teased.
“Oh, stop. You’ll always look good in them, even when your belly is all round because our strawberry has grown to the size of a watermelon.”
“Ugh…that already sounds very uncomfortable…”
“Uncomfortable or not, you’ll still be the sexiest woman I know.”
“Aww…” Smiling up at him, she asked, “How much pressure did you get today about us setting a date?”
“A lot. Your mother cornered me every chance she got. From what I can tell, she’s aiming for something very soon. What about you? What do you want?”
“At first, I didn’t think it would be a big deal to wait a little, but now I’m thinking that I’d prefer sooner. We’re going to have so much to do with the house and getting ready for the baby if we wait too long, and I don’t want a big wedding, so…”
“Aren’t all the Donovan weddings big?” he asked with a nervous laugh.
“Not always. I think something like Billie and Marcus had would be perfect. And from what I learned today, we can pull that off in about a month. What do you think?”
“Well, we’ve gone the fast route with everything else, so why not with our wedding?”
Yawning, she nodded. “We’ll look at the calendar tomorrow and let everyone know.” Another yawn. “Right now, though…”
“Right now, you need to get some rest,” he said softly. Reaching back, he grabbed the TV remote and turned off the light. “Let’s watch some reruns of Frasier and we can talk more about wedding stuff tomorrow.” Kissing the top of her head, he whispered, “Sleep, beautiful girl. I love you.”
After another loud yawn, Hailey sleepily replied, “Love you, too.”