Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Carissa examined her appearance for the hundredth time. Nothing had changed, but somehow, noting her makeup hadn’t smeared and her hair wasn’t out of place calmed her.
Why am I nervous? It was just lunch between friends. Or at least, that was what she kept telling herself. While they might not be calling it a date, it certainly felt like one. Which meant so much could go wrong. If things didn’t work out, the next few months would be awkward until after the wedding. Or if Lanie found out, she might not like the fact that Carissa was mixing business with pleasure.
Carissa was thankful Max didn’t have any more children. As happy as she was to have snagged two clients from the same family, she doubted she would survive another McAllister wedding.
The doorbell rang, and her heart leaped into her chest. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her nerves and opened her door.
Max’s eyes traveled down her body, and she bit her lip to hide her smile. The blue long-sleeved dress she wore had been sitting in her closet, gathering dust. She was thrilled to not only have a reason to wear it but also that it still fit.
“You look…” He stopped as if he couldn’t find a word that quite fit whatever he saw.
“So do you.” Her voice came out much more breathless than she’d intended, but it was true. He wore a leather jacket over a dark-blue button-down shirt, which went nicely with his black trousers. Normally, she wasn’t into such dark colors on a man, but somehow, on Max, it fit.
He cleared his throat. “Shall we go?”
After grabbing a light trench coat, she nodded. He held out his arm, and she took it, feeling her fingers warm where they brushed his leather jacket.
When he opened the passenger door, she smiled. “How chivalrous.”
He grinned. “What can I say? I’m old-fashioned. Or, you know, just old.”
She laughed as she climbed into the truck. The cab was nice and toasty, a welcome change from the chill.
“Won’t be long now before we’ll be wearing coats and scarves all the time,” Max said a moment later, buckling his seat belt.
“Mm, don’t remind me.”
“Don’t you like autumn?”
“Oh, I do.” She turned toward him. “But it means we’re running out of time to get everything set up for your daughter’s wedding.”
He scoffed. “If she’d stop coming up with these harebrained schemes, we’d be fine.”
“She’s excited.”
“I’m glad she’s happy.” As he drove toward the highway, he glanced at her. “But enough about weddings. How did your pitch go? We haven’t had much of a chance to talk about it.”
“Eh.” She closed her eyes, trying to push away the memory of how condescending the CEO had been. “The board seemed interested in the Deep Creek idea, not so much the other two.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic.”
“To be honest, I’m not.” At his frown, she sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want the opportunity anymore, but part of me wonders if it’s worth it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’d hoped the CEO would have been too drunk to remember our aborted dinner the other night. Unfortunately, he was the first person in the room after I got there, and then during his introduction, he couldn’t seem to resist making a few jabs to throw me off my game.” She chewed her lower lip. “If I get the event, I may have to work with him directly, and I’m not sure I can handle it.”
“Any idea what he has against you?” He glanced at her before returning his gaze to the road.
“I’m sure it has a lot to do with the fact he thinks I’m not qualified for the job.” She rolled her eyes. “He keeps referring to my business as ‘a little wedding planning.’”
“Which just goes to show he doesn’t have a clue about what goes into a wedding. He probably showed up on his wedding day drunk and forgot his vows.”
She laughed. “That wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m trying not to let his behavior color my perception of the company. While yes, he’s the CEO, the event I’d be planning is more focused on his employees. And he doesn’t make the ultimate decision. The board does.”
“I suppose that’s something.” A few minutes later, Max pulled into a parking garage. “Still, I’d hate for your first experience in planning corporate events to be with someone who doesn’t respect you.”
“I’ve dealt with worse.” She raised an eyebrow and patted his hand.
His deep laugh sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach. “I deserve that.” Then he climbed out of the truck and came around to her door. When he opened it, he offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
He led her through the busy streets toward the river. Her eyes lit up when she recognized the restaurant they were heading to.
“Oh, McCormick and Schmick’s! I do love this place, though it’s been years since I’ve been. Not since—” She stopped herself as a wave of sadness washed over her. The last time she’d come was with Chuck for their anniversary.
“Not since…?” Max paused at the door to the building and searched her face. Understanding dawned in his eyes. “You came here with your husband.”
Unable to speak, she nodded once then stared at the ground, taking deep breaths until she’d regained control of her emotions. It had been five years, and still, little things like that could trigger tears.
“It’s okay.” Max wrapped his arms around her. “I get it. Grief is an unpredictable animal. Just when we think we’re moving on and letting go, it jumps up and bites us in the rear.”
Despite being on the verge of crying, she burst out laughing at his crazy analogy. As she raised her eyes to meet his, she realized that was his goal.
“We can go somewhere else,” he offered. “There are plenty of other restaurants nearby.”
“No, I want to go here. It’s one of my favorites as well, and it’ll be nice to make some new memories.”
He stared at her for a moment as if debating whether she was lying to him, then he shrugged and opened the door. The place was busy, and she wondered if they would even be able to get a table, but Max walked up to the host stand with confidence.
“Reservation under McAllister,” he said.
She blinked. It hadn’t occurred to her to make reservations. So many places didn’t even accept them anymore. But the host confirmed the reservation and gathered menus before leading them to a back-corner table with a spectacular view of the Potomac River.
Max pulled out a chair for her on the side of the table closest to the wall. “So you have the best view while we eat.”
Her surprised smile coaxed a shy grin from him as he sat opposite her. If someone had asked her months ago how to describe Max, she would have said he was arrogant, stubborn, and overbearing. But in the last few weeks, he’d proved to be thoughtful, understanding, and kind. She began to understand that his gruff exterior was a hard outer shell he’d created to protect his soft heart.
Her eyes swept the room. The walls were covered with dark-wood paneling, with beautiful red flowers adorning each table. When she turned to the window, a large Ferris wheel stood in the distance, just before the rippling water of the Potomac River. “This would be a nice place for a wedding.”
His gaze followed hers, and he pursed his lips. “Bit too fancy for me. But maybe an idea for your corporate event.”
Tapping her fingers against her chin, she considered that. “It’s a bit more expensive than I would like, but I bet the CEO would love it. While the board loved the idea of Deep Creek, he didn’t seem as enthused. I imagine he’d prefer to stay close to the city.”
“No team-building exercises on a local working farm?”
She snorted, trying to picture any of the men she’d met mucking out a barn, their designer trousers drenched in mud. “I’m afraid not.”
“What would a corporate retreat look like in a place like this?” He crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward.
“Probably a lot of boring presentations about how to lead from the bottom.” Her smile faded. “Which is exactly like every other retreat they’ve probably done.” She sighed. “I want to stand out, do something unexpected, while still incorporating learning and team building.”
He furrowed his brow. “What about sailing? That’s a great way to learn teamwork.”
“Do you sail?”
“I used to when I was younger. Not so much these days.”
The server came and took their drink orders. While Max was giving his, Carissa mulled over what he’d said. Sailing would be a good team-building exercise and something the corporate employees might enjoy. And Maryland was practically surrounded by water between the rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic. Although it was too late to pitch another location, she could keep that in mind for any future retreats. Assuming I get another shot at a corporate event.
“I can practically see the wheels spinning in your head,” Max said when they were alone again.
“You’ve given me ideas for future events.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Are you planning on pitching other companies?”
“Maybe. But if I do, it’ll be in the new year.” She pulled out her phone and typed into her Notes app, where she kept her ideas so she wouldn’t forget them.
“Anyway,” she continued, “enough about business. Tell me what you’ve been up to since our trip to the orchard.”
“Not much. I did some woodworking this morning, and then I watched a Hallmark movie with Lanie.”
She raised an eyebrow. “ You watched Hallmark?” Shifting forward, she put her hand on his forehead. “Maybe I should take you home. You’re clearly feverish.”
“Ha ha.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “I didn’t say I enjoyed the movie.”
His expression changed, and he looked so vulnerable, she wished she could take back her joke. “She also said some… things.” He cleared his throat, clearly not in the mood to elaborate. “I loved spending that time with her. I don’t have much of it left.”
Though curiosity burned in her chest, Carissa didn’t push him about his conversation with his daughter. Instead, she gave him a gentle smile. “She’s not dying.”
“No, I know.” He sighed. “But she is going to move out as soon as she’s married, and, well, we don’t have the greatest relationship, as I’m sure you’re aware.”
Her heart went out to him. “She does seem to have been closer to her mother.”
“Yeah, that’s my fault.” He pushed his hair off his forehead. “I don’t know what happened, really. With Steven, it was easier. We’re a lot alike, and he’s… simpler, I guess.” Running a hand over his face, he shook his head. “I’m not making any sense.”
“I get it. I mean, I don’t have any children of my own, of course, but I can certainly understand the struggle. Every child is different, and I suppose it’s natural Lanie gravitated to her mother, especially as she got older. And then, with caretaking, that can forge an even stronger bond.”
“If the caretaker and the person being cared for don’t kill each other first,” he grumbled.
She pressed her lips together to hide a smile. “That’s also a possibility.”
“Anyway, I promised my lat—er—ex-wife I’d work on rebuilding a relationship with Lanie.” He stared at his hands. “And I guess I promised myself that too.”
Impulsively, she covered his hand with her own. “You can call her your late wife.”
“We weren’t married at the—when she?—”
“Did you love her?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Of course.”
“Then that doesn’t matter.”
The slow, shy smile that blossomed on his face took her breath away. But the moment was soon interrupted by the arrival of the server with their drinks. They flushed and pulled away from each other.
“Are you ready to order?” the server asked.
After exchanging a look, Max nodded. “Ladies first.”
“I’ll have the seafood pasta, please,” Carissa said.
“And I’ll take the crab cakes.”
“How very Maryland of you,” Carissa teased when they were alone again. “Though I don’t recall Steven or Lanie mentioning any crab feasts this summer. Is that because of Steven’s accident?”
“No.” His eyes darted around the room, then he leaned closer. “I’m not actually into the whole crab-picking thing,” he stage whispered.
Her hand flew to her mouth in mock shock. “Isn’t that like sacrilege here?”
“The only foods I like to eat with my hands are burgers, hot dogs, and french fries.” He shrugged. “Picking crabs is too much effort. But the kids normally do it for the Fourth of July. After Steven’s accident, nobody was interested in upholding summer traditions.”
“He looked like he was doing well on Sunday.”
“He’s doing a lot better, though he’s still having some balance issues.” Max smiled at her. “I’m glad you joined us. I had a really nice time.”
“Me too.” She smiled in return.
“Maybe we can do it again sometime. The town’s fall festival is coming up in a few weeks.”
Her heart leapt at the thought, but she took a deep breath to calm her emotions. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
The warmth in his eyes dimmed slightly. “Right. While Lanie seemed okay with you coming with us apple picking, two events back-to-back might make her think I’m breaking my word.”
“Exactly. Besides, we’re just getting to know each other.” She took his hand. “Let’s take our time and enjoy it.”
He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “Sounds like a plan.”
Butterflies exploded in her stomach, and she ducked her head to hide her smile. If she wasn’t careful, she might fall for the softer, happier side of Max. And she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.
By the time they finished lunch, it was late afternoon. The sun glinted off the stream of cars on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, signaling the beginning of rush-hour traffic. Carissa lingered over her glass of wine, savoring the evening and wishing it didn’t have to end.
“Did you want dessert?” Max asked, breaking into her reverie.
She shook her head and grinned. “I can’t eat another bite.”
After signaling for the check, he leaned back in his chair. “This was nice.”
“It was,” she agreed, trying to hide her disappointment with how quickly the time had passed.
“What’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?”
The question surprised her. “Um, I’ve got a few wedding details to work on for my other brides.”
“So…” He hesitated.
“Yes?”
“You don’t need to hurry back?”
Where is he going with this? “No. Why?”
“Since we’ve come all this way, maybe we could check out the harbor.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds good to me.”
“Great.” He paid their bill. “Let’s see what this little city has to offer.”
The late-afternoon air was much cooler, though the lingering humidity kept her from being cold. They walked toward the pier, away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. As they meandered down the narrow docks, the sound of water lapping against the wood helped soothe Carissa’s butterflies.
But the afternoon was starting to feel like déjà vu. She and Chuck had spent a night eating at the restaurant then lingering in the city afterward. It had been their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, and she’d joked they should rent the private room at McCormick & Schmick’s for their fiftieth. Chuck had smiled and told her he wasn’t sure it could fit all of their friends and family.
“I’d prefer a more intimate gathering,” she’d said.
His arms encircled her waist, and he kissed her cheek. “A big party is more appropriate for such a milestone, don’t you think?”
“Fine.” She’d relented. “A big party, so long as for our fifty-first, we stay in and have a quiet evening at home.”
“Deal,” he’d promised.
Her heart ached at the memory. They never celebrated another anniversary. Seven months later, he was gone.
“I’d offer a penny for your thoughts, but I get the feeling they’re worth much more.” Max had stopped a few feet back and watched her.
“Sorry. I was remembering the last time I came here.”
“With your husband?”
She nodded, swallowing the sob that threatened to escape her throat. “For our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.”
“Quite a milestone,” he murmured.
If they kept on that track, she was going to lose the thin control she had over her emotions. She changed the subject. “How long were you married?”
“Almost thirty years.”
“Really?” She cocked her head, doing some quick math. “How old were you when you got married?”
“Nineteen.” His lips pressed into a grim line. “I don’t recommend it.”
“Still, you lasted longer than most people who marry that young.”
“I guess,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. “Come on. Let’s go check out the Capital Wheel. I’ll bet you get amazing views up there.”
“Um, I’ll pass.” She pressed a hand to her stomach as it flipped at the thought.
His eyebrows shot up. “Why? You afraid of heights?”
“A little.” That was a lie. She was terrified of them, but she didn’t want to tell him that.
“Then what?” His face fell. “Unless… Do you want to go home?”
“No,” she said, quicker than she’d intended. “Let’s check out some of the shops instead.”
“It’s too nice out to be cooped up in a shop,” he countered. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her toward him. “Come on. It’ll be fun.” He had a gleam in his eye. “And if you happen to get scared, I’ll be there to keep you safe.”
The words both frustrated and thrilled her. It was clear he hadn’t bought her declaration that she wasn’t afraid of heights, but the idea of being in his arms, even if she was terrified, was enough to coax her to go with him.
That was, until they were actually sitting in the gondola, or cage as it seemed to her. What she’d initially believed was excitement soon revealed itself to be paralyzing fear as she gripped the edge of the bench. The ride had no bar or seat belt, and Max sat on the opposite side.
“Where’s the safety bar?” She tried to keep the panic out of her voice.
He gave her a weird look. “There isn’t one. It’s not like a Ferris wheel at the county fair.” Her face must have betrayed her fear because he took both her hands. “Keep your eyes on me and take a deep breath.”
The first instruction was easy to follow—she’d barely taken her eyes off him all day. But the second… Suddenly, the air seemed too thick, and when she tried to breathe, she started choking on it.
The operator shut the door, and they began to move. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Max’s hands tightened around hers, and he took several loud breaths. After a moment, it dawned on her that he was breathing that way in hopes she would mimic him. She focused on his breathing and matched it, and soon, her fears began to subside.
When she opened her eyes, Max was staring in wonder off into the distance. Then he turned to her and smiled.
“That’s better.” He nodded to the view. “I can describe what I see if you’re too afraid to look.”
“Just… give me a minute,” she said, still sounding breathless. Her stomach had tied itself in knots, but otherwise, her heart rate was slowly returning to normal.
“Take all the time you need,” he said, giving her hands another squeeze.