The Good Father

Chapter Eleven

Max tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. Had he actually just said that? Had he thrown himself at Jane Selwyn, his employee and a freshly divorced single mom who was not interested in a casual relationship?

Yes, he had. He’d broken every rule he’d ever made for himself regarding women.

Max pinched the bridge of his nose. “Before you say anything, let me just make it clear that no matter how you react in the next thirty seconds, your job is completely secure. You could throw your drink in my face and I would still be happy to see you at the office come Monday morning.”

At least she wouldn’t have to worry about her job, which she seemed to do on a daily basis.

Her eyes widened slightly. “So despite everything I just said, you…uh…”

“I’d like to see you outside of work. Socially.” Sexually. He trusted she understood that part without him spelling it out. “You can say no.” Please, don’t say no.

“It wouldn’t be smart for either of us,” she said a little desperately.

“So was that a no? One simple word, Jane, and you can easily put an end to this discussion. I’ll never bring it up again.”

She opened her mouth. But no words came out.

“Just think about it.” He walked away while he was ahead.

JANE MANAGED to get through the fish fry with no further contact with Max. She took him at his word-she was going to think long and hard about taking the next step with him. No impulsive moves.

She had until Monday, anyway, before she saw him again. She spent the weekend quietly shopping for a new place to live. She’d thought she would probably go with one of the new beach condos. They were small, but they had ocean views.

Then the Realtor showed her a quaint little cottage. Well, not so little. Three bedrooms. It was in desperate need of paint and repairs. The kitchen was completely outdated, the tiny yard overgrown. But it had a big deck overlooking the dunes and the ocean beyond.

“I like this one, Mommy,” Kaylee said as she stood at the railing, watching a trio of seagulls fly overhead.

“Really. What is it you like?”

“I don’t know.”

Funny, but Jane felt the same way. As dilapidated as the place was, it had a good feel to it. She could see it all fixed up, floors refinished, new furniture, a fresh coat of bright blue paint.

Of course, if she bought it, she wouldn’t have any money left over for repairs. But the place was livable even without a makeover. She could work on it slowly, maybe finance the renovations with her portrait work. She’d been working like mad every evening, and she almost had enough finished drawings that she could send them to Erin Freeman.

She resisted the urge to sign a contract on the house. If she was being cautious about Max, she should be cautious about her new home, too.

JANE WAS STILL THINKING about both decisions Monday morning when she arrived at work bright and early. She immediately sensed a hushed tension in the office. Carol’s brow was furrowed as she sat at her desk making notations on her computer. Max was in his office with the door closed. She could hear his voice on the phone, and he didn’t sound happy.

She put her things away in her desk, then returned to the reception area. “Is something wrong? It’s not the real-estate magazines, is it?”

“No, the client was thrilled and he actually wrote us a check on the spot.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“I’m not really sure.” Carol took a sip of her coffee. “But I do know there’s a loan payment due this week. Max has been counting on being able to put it off, even though Reece said no way.”

“That’s terrible.” Jane would be crushed if her bailout only delayed disaster a few days. “How much are we talking about?”

“Again, I don’t know for sure. But I overheard some figures being bandied about-we’re talking mid-five figures, at least.”

“Oh.”

“The good news is, we have paychecks.” Carol handed Jane an envelope. She peeked inside, a little disappointed in the amount. Still, it was her very first paycheck ever. She couldn’t wait to show it to Kaylee.

Her first, and possibly last, paycheck from the Remington Agency.

A thought occurred to her. She would close the deal on her boat in a few days. She could invest the proceeds into the Remington Agency.

That would mean she couldn’t buy the beach cottage. Her salary alone wouldn’t qualify her for that high of a mortgage.

Was she crazy, even thinking about throwing away her entire divorce settlement, all so she could keep a low-paying job? But she believed in Max. Furthermore, she believed in herself. They could get things going, she knew they could. They just needed a little more time, and the cash would come rolling in.

Then Max would pay her back, and she could buy herself the beach cottage. Or a different one, if her first choice was no longer on the market.

Max came out of his office and joined them in the reception area. He looked a little pale and not quite himself. “Good morning, Jane,” he said with unusual formality.

“Hi. Everything okay?”

“Ah, not exactly. In fact, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Carol put a hand to her forehead, as if she’d suddenly developed a killer headache. Jane just felt a dull ache in her stomach.

“I’m about to default on my business loan. The bank will start foreclosure proceedings, which means my operating accounts will be frozen. I’ll have to close the doors. I’ll try and come up with some severance funds for both of you-”

“No.”

Max looked at her quizzically. “You don’t want a severance check?”

“I don’t want to be severed,” Jane said. “Listen, Max-I can cover the loan payment. I think I can.”

He shook his head. “I can’t let you do that. It was bad enough, borrowing as much as I did-which I will pay back, by the way, I swear to you I will. But I can’t let you throw any more money down a bottomless pit.”

“It’s not a bottomless pit. You’re going to make it. I know you are. All you need is a few more weeks and you’ll turn the corner, I know it.”

“Jane. I appreciate your faith in me-”

“In me, too. I do good work. Look how happy Coastal Bank was with our presentation.”

“Oh, yeah, they’re thrilled, all right.”

“Don’t tell me they hold the loan.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then they should understand we’ve got what it takes to succeed. Although it’s probably a completely different department. Still…never mind. Tell me how much you need, and how much time that buys us.”

“I can’t let you-”

“Let her, for God’s sake,” Carol said. “I need this job.”

“Jane, if you have all this money lying around, why were you so desperate for me to hire you?”

“It’s a recent windfall. That’s all you need to know. If you don’t let me help you, I’ll just march right over to Coastal Bank and handle it myself.”

By noon, it was a done deal. She had backed Max into a corner, she knew, but in the end he’d grudgingly agreed to let her make the loan payment, buying them three whole months.

In three months they could conquer the world.

As they walked out of the bank, she was trembling. Had she completely lost her mind? If her parents got wind of her recent actions, they might just take steps to have her committed.

“Max, I need the rest of the afternoon off.” She needed to start all over in finding a place to live, this time looking for a cheap rental. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, of course. You want me to drop you off at the marina?”

She nodded.

They were silent as they settled into Max’s Corvette, fastening seat belts. Max adjusted his mirror. “Second thoughts?”

“No,” she answered without hesitation. “I know I did the right thing.”

“I can’t even begin to thank-”

“No, don’t go there. My motives are purely selfish. I love my job and I don’t want to lose it.”

He put the brakes on, halfway out of his parking space. “Really? I thought I was a pretty horrible boss.”

“No, you aren’t. You work me hard. You challenge me to be my best. I need that.”

“I pressured you to lie to a client. I forced myself on you in the break room.”

She had to laugh at that. If that kiss involved any force at all, she was Angelina Jolie. “I guess I needed that, too.”

He finished backing out of the parking space, unable to conceal the half smile on his face.

Jane felt warm all over just remembering that kiss. How had her life gotten so complicated? When she was married to Scott, she essentially had no choices except for whether to stay or leave. Now that she was single, her life was a mass of crazy decisions and complex, multilayered situations. Nothing was black and white anymore.

They were driving down Front Street, Port Clara’s main drag, when Max’s cell phone rang. He answered it, and Jane clicked her tongue and shook her head. She’d lectured him before about the dangers of driving and cell phones.

“You’re kidding.” He slammed on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the street. “You’re kidding,” he said again. “You wouldn’t kid about this, Carol, would you? I mean, you’re not getting back at me for never cleaning out the coffeepot-”

Jane closed her eyes. Was Carol quitting? That would be terrible. She was a crucial component of the Remington Agency, not to mention that Jane now considered her a good friend.

When Jane opened her eyes, traffic was backing up behind the Corvette and people were starting to honk.

“Max! You’re blocking traffic!”

“Hold on, Carol, I have to drive.” He set the phone in his lap and whipped onto the nearest side street, then pulled into the first available spot at the curb. “Okay, I’m back.” He extracted a gold pen from his shirt pocket and searched for something to write on.

Jane pulled a notebook from her purse and Max scribbled something in it. “Okay. I’ll call her right now…yes, I’ll let you know.” He disconnected, looking stunned and puzzled at the same time.

“Max, what is it? Have we had another disaster?” Another fiasco like the pink real estate magazine would finish them off.

“I don’t know. Ellen Lowenstein wants me to call her.”

“Really.” That was interesting. “Do you know what she wants?”

“She wouldn’t tell Carol. Maybe she plans to sue me for fraud or something.”

“If she were going to sue you, her lawyer would call. Are you going to call her back or not?” Now Jane was consumed with curiosity.

“Carol said she seemed impatient to talk to me. That was why she tracked me down.”

“Well, call her!” Then something occurred to Jane. “If you want some privacy, I can take a walk. I’ve been meaning to check out that quilt shop across the street.”

“Don’t you dare leave me alone. If it’s bad news, I’ll need you. If it isn’t, I’ll want someone to share it with.”

Jane felt flattered that he would need her for anything. He’d always struck her as such a strong, self-sufficient man, though the events of the last week had shaken him, that was for sure.

“So, call her.”

Max took a deep breath and dialed the number he’d just written down. His blood pounded in his ears. “Ellen Lowenstein, please. Max Remington, returning her call.”

Ellen picked up almost immediately. “Max? How the heck are you?”

“I’m good. How are you?” he asked cautiously.

“I’m good, too. Listen, I’ve been thinking. And I don’t like the way we left things.”

“That makes two of us.”

“It seems silly, now, getting our feathers ruffled over the fact you were pretending to be a husband and father. I mean, it’s kind of flattering, the lengths you went to to get our business.”

Max was afraid to say anything, so he didn’t, but he reached over and grabbed Jane’s hand, squeezing hard.

“I mean, even if you are a bachelor, clearly you like children and feel comfortable around them, and that’s all I care about. What I’m trying to say is, I want you to do our advertising. None of the other agencies we talked to had your vision. And I want Kaylee to model for the magazine ads. Maybe the TV commercials, too.”

Max thought his heart had stopped beating altogether. “That shouldn’t be a problem.” He was amazed he sounded halfway normal.

“I’m sending over a retainer check by FedEx. You should receive it tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Ellen.” He forced himself to breathe as they worked out the details of their next meeting, during which they would outline the specifics and sign a contract.

When he hung up, he realized he was still holding Jane’s hand-nearly crushing it. He loosened his grip but didn’t let go altogether.

“You got the Kidz’n’Stuff account?” Jane said.

“Yes.”

Jane squealed and threw her arms around him, though it was an awkward hug in the Corvette’s close confines. “I’m so happy for you! Your first national ad campaign.”

“Our first. Your drawings are what tipped the scales.” He didn’t let her go, because it just felt too good holding her. She didn’t seem eager to escape, either.

Suddenly they were kissing like mad, making out in his front seat like teenagers necking on a lovers’ lane, except they were in the middle of town in broad daylight.

Max’s body ached for more. “It’s a good thing I don’t have a backseat,” he murmured against her ear.

He expected her to laugh, but she didn’t. “My boat is five minutes away.” She kissed him again, harder this time.

“So’s my condo.” He barely breathed the words.

“We can’t. It’s the middle of the day.”

“Is that all that’s stopping you?” More. He needed more of her. He buried his face in her soft hair and breathed in the scent. “We have to take a lunch hour.”

His cell phone rang.

Jane pulled away. “Get it. What if it’s important? What if you’d ignored that last phone call?”

He saw from the Caller ID that it was Carol. “What?”

“What happened?”

Oh, right. He was supposed to have called her. “We got the account.” The triumphant feeling returned, surging through his body and mixing with his lust for Jane, transforming into a potent mixture.

“Oh, my God!” Carol screamed. “That’s great! We need to have a party. Can I plan a party? I’m great at parties.”

“As long as it doesn’t cost me anything,” Max said with a laugh. “Listen, I’m going to lunch. I’m turning my phone off. I’ll be back by one-thirty.”

“Okay, see ya then.”

He turned his phone off and looked at Jane, who was studiously repairing her lipstick in the rearview mirror. “Change your mind?” he asked.

She looked at him, raising one eyebrow. “Did you?”

“Are you kidding? I just bought us-” he looked at his watch “-an hour and fifteen minutes.”

Jane looked like she was about to burst. “What are you waiting for? Drive.”