31. Chapter 31

The last time Max had been in the barn with me had been when I was 16. At 27, the experience was markedly different, though still tinged with sadness. My second-chance dad was gone, and even though I was prepared and knew it was coming, it still didn't feel real. My heart kept waiting for him to stroll over to the barn and give me hell for not coming to eat dinner with him.

"I don't know if I'm overstepping by being here," Max admitted as I pulled away from him.

"You're not. Sorry, I'm having a hard time convincing myself that Jack isn't going to barge in at any moment."

"How about you give me a quick tour and then we'll kick back and just relax for a bit. We can talk about Pops if you want, or something else if you're not ready."

"I have a letter for you," I blurted out. "Well, it's not from me this time. It was from Jack. He wanted me to mail it to you yesterday, but then everything happened, and the letter just got stuffed in my bag."

"We can get to that in a minute. I really want to see what you did with the rest of the place."

"It wasn't me. Most of this is what Jack had done. He wanted me to have my own place where I felt safe and comfortable. He knew I never wanted to step foot in my family's home again."

"Have you thought about selling it?"

I shook my head. "No. I want the land to remain in the family. Maybe, one day, I'll have the house torn down, so I don't even have to see it."

"You plan on staying here?" Max asked.

"I guess you didn't know. Jack gave me this barn and the ten acres from my side of the driveway all the way back to the trees and then west of the barn."

"I didn't realize." Max seemed surprised by that, but I wasn't sure why he should be since I was fairly certain Jack had left him a piece of land too. Evan had the ten acres on the other side of mine. Right now, it sat as a partially wooded, mostly empty lot.

"You seem surprised," I muttered.

"Not in a bad way. I'm trying to figure out why Pops wouldn't give you his house, too."

"I assumed it went to someone else."

"And you're okay with that?"

"I didn't even expect him to give me the barn or anything at all, Max. I have a huge property across the street. It wasn't that long ago that I went through the books and had the old farm manager fired. He was skimming off the profits for years. Michael has taken over now, and as a sign on bonus, he has a fifty percent stake in the farm. Eventually, I want him to buy me out because I can't bring myself to step foot over there. It's just across the street, in plain sight every day, yet it feels like there's this barrier that won't let me cross to the other side."

"Probably because you felt safe on this side with Pops."

"I still feel safe on this side, even with him gone."

"So, when you said you wanted to keep the property in the family…" Max left the thought hanging.

"I know you've been away all this time, so it's hard to grasp, but your family is my family, Max. We have all grown incredibly close over the years. Michael and I never had as strong a bond as Evan and me, but it's still there. I know he'll do that property proud, and my father, well actually both my dads, would be proud that the land passed to him."

Max swallowed and turned away as if to take in the rest of the barn around us. "The loft is your personal space?"

I grinned at him. "Yes."

"What if Evan is here working? It doesn't look like that gives you a lot of privacy," Max pointed out as he stared up at the loft that was open to the rest of the barn.

"Come on, I'll show you." I grabbed Max's hand without thinking and pulled to get him to follow me. When I went to release his hand, he held on tighter, and we walked up the stairs together.

"The stairs are a nice change from the old ladder."

"Yep, it was one of the first changes Jack made." I rolled my eyes remembering. "He was worried I'd fall one day, and no one would realize until it was too late."

"He loved you."

"I know it and I loved him back just as fiercely." When we reached the top, I turned to see Max's reaction to my space. Immediately, he moved over to stand in front of my bed as he stared down at the desks below where I worked in tandem with his brother sometimes.

"Still not seeing how you have any privacy here," Max grumbled. I moved over to my nightstand and pushed a button on the little remote control sitting there. A wall rolled down from the ceiling to settle into the track on the floor just inside the rails that kept people from falling off the edge.

"I didn't see that coming," he admitted as I giggled.

"That's not all." I tilted my head back over to the stairs we had come up and pushed another button. A separate wall came down, closing the space in completely, with exception of the windows behind where my bed sat. Another button, and those windows were also sealed up.

"Your personal space in the barn is a panic room?" Max asked as he turned back to me.

I nodded. "The retractable walls that block access to the stairs and window were features that Jack added for me after the incident where someone tried to break in. He wanted me safe when I stayed out here. It's not as secure as an actual panic room, because the walls can be busted down, but it gives me a little extra security at night to have a special door someone can't just bust a lock on or break down without a whole lot of effort."

"Wow. This place is remarkable."

"It really is. I was thinking about expanding the barn one day, if I had a family. Evan and I talked about making a new office space right on the edge of our two properties since they adjoin, that way the whole barn could be converted into a house and the downstairs area could be split into living space and walled off for a couple bedrooms and a bathroom. I didn't like the idea of taking away all that open space, though, so I thought adding the bedrooms and bathroom would be a better option."

I couldn't read Max's face as he had pushed the button to roll the wall back up and faced away from me to look out at the open space below. "I agree with the open concept down there. It probably helps when you're creating those masterpieces."

A warm blush suffused my skin at his compliment. "It does, thank you."

Max turned back to me and seemed as though he was about to say something, but shook off whatever it was. "Maybe I should read Pops' letter now."

I reached into the bag that still dangled over my shoulder and pulled the letter out to hand to him. Max pulled me over to the corner – the same one where I'd once sat curled up in a ball drawing when he'd brought his girlfriend to make out in the barn. Instead of bales of hay and dust, a comfy, overstuffed chair sat there. It was still a favorite spot of mine to sit and sketch.

Max took a seat and pulled me into his lap before opening the envelope and pulling out the folded pages. Once he unfolded them, his arms wrapped around my middle and situated the pages so we could both see what Jack wrote to him.

Maxwell,

I wished you had come back home sooner, so this letter wouldn't be necessary. I wanted to make you an offer that I didn't think you could refuse. Let's start with that.

My house and the ten acres surrounding it from the driveway over to Shady Creek and from the road to the forest are yours. The deed with the property lines drawn up is in my safe at the house. Either your dad or Posie can get you into the safe to get the official paperwork. I wanted you and your boy to have a safe place to land after everything the two of you have been through.

I understand that the timing may not be right for you to come home, but if you keep waiting on the time to be right, you're going to miss out on the life you and that boy are supposed to have.

She won't admit it, but my girl is still hopelessly in love with you. Sure, she moved on, but everyone with a set of eyeballs could see she was just phoning in that relationship with the pond scum she hooked up with. I have reason to believe that the bastard is just in it to get his mitts on the land she owns. The bastard likes her well enough too, but I don't trust him, Max.

When he betrays her, she's going to need someone she can rely on. Her heart won't be broken by him because my Petal never gave it away – not to that idiot anyway. You need to stop being stubborn and get home so you can put her pieces back together and fit them into the life you're building with your son. J.J. Couldn't ask for a better woman to influence his life than my Posie. She's one of the good ones, my boy. She has the same heart her daddy carried in him before he was taken from this world.

I know you've fought it for years because you thought you had something to prove outside of our family. Too much like your dad. Probably too much like your Pops, if we're being honest. I need you to know that we are all proud of you and everything you've accomplished on your own, but it's time to come home.

In my safe, you will find some information that might make that possible sooner rather than later. I had a man looking into that woman who birthed your boy. She's a snake in the grass, but she's not as slick as she thought. Take what's there, use it as leverage if you need to, and get you and your boy free and clear from her. Then get your butts back here. I have it on good authority that the local police are looking for a good detective.

I'm sorry that we weren't able to spend some time together before…

I'm old and not much longer for this world, Max. I need you to take care of my house, but more importantly, you need to look after Posie for me. She's seen far too much loss in her life. That girl needs a steady dose of sweet and I've always known it was you who would give it to her. Even if she's still with that prick when you read this, you should step in and see to it that she chooses you instead. Be a homewrecker I can be proud of. Ha! Your grandmother would have boxed my ears for saying something like that, but in this case, I think she'd agree with me.

Get the girl. Love your family hard and never again let go of the best thing that ever came into your life. We only get so many chances before they're all gone. Make them count.

No matter what, know that I love you and that boy of yours with all my heart. Your grandma and I will be looking out to make sure you don't screw things up again. Lord knows, you're too stubborn for your own good sometimes. Since I know I won't be around to give you a stern talking to in person, you get this letter. If you're smart, you read it with my girl. If not, you should let her accidentally find it, so she can see my true last wishes, too. She's just as stubborn as you are. It's why you'll be great together, once you both figure out that you fit.

Love her hard, Max. Never let go.

Love,

Pops

PS – If for some reason things don't work out between you two, know that I wish for the best for all of you anyway. All that matters is that you're all happy. If it does work out though, I want you to think back to the times I told you that you should get to know that girl and remember I told you so! Ha!