Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Max patted Bouncer on the rear and sent him out into the pasture before closing the gate. He leaned on the fence and watched his horse graze. It was still early, and a mist hung over the forest and the foothills closing the valley in. He breathed in the sharp, pine-scented air and found himself smiling. Life was good. Phoebe was . . .

“Hey, dreamer.”

He turned his head to find Luke coming down the path from the barn. “Just taking it all in, boss. You should try it sometime.”

Luke stopped beside him, his gaze trained on the trees.

“I still look for snipers.”

“So do I.” Max sighed. “We’re screwed, aren’t we?”

“Probably, but we’ll be heroes when the zombies turn up.”

Max turned back toward the barn and Luke followed him. “Have you come up with any ideas for Noah’s bachelor party?”

“Yeah, I have, actually.” Max grinned. “I think Noah is going to love it.”

“Maybe it would be best if you tell me about it first,” Luke suggested. “Since I am his best man.”

“I’ll email you the details. It’s not that far from here, and I promise there will be no alcohol, no strippers, and no bad surprises—except I can’t wait to see Noah’s face.”

Luke groaned. “He’s so strung up about this wedding that he might just walk out.”

“He won’t be able to leave if we drive him there blindfolded.”

“Max . . .”

Noah came out of the barn and stared at them. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Max gave him a bright smile. “Just talking about your big day.”

“You probably know more about it than I do.” Noah glared at Luke. “Jen’s making sure I don’t interfere.”

“Then why not lie back and let her take care of things for you?” Max asked.

“Because . . .” Noah shook his head as if Max was an idiot. “I’m the one who should be taking care of her.”

“But she’s enjoying it, and if you take over, you’ll spoil it for her.”

“Who made you the expert on what Jen wants or how she thinks?” Noah demanded.

“No one,” Max said patiently. “I’m just saying—”

“Then maybe stop talking? I don’t need any advice from you on how to manage my relationship.”

“There’s no need to get salty, Noah,” Luke intervened. “I happen to agree with Max.”

“Just because Max is ‘married’, he’s suddenly thinks he’s husband of the fricking year.” Noah jabbed a finger in Max’s direction. “And yet he’s too scared to ask Phoebe what the hell she’s doing here, and whether she plans to come back or will drop him when she gets to England.”

Max held Noah’s stare and took a couple of deep breaths.

“Don’t take your wedding jitters out on Phoebe, okay? She’s been nothing but nice to you since the day she arrived.”

“And why is that, Max? Don’t you think it’s weird how she’s suddenly turned up here?”

“She has her reasons and she’s a far better person than either of us.” Max pushed past Noah. “I’ve got to get going. Go kick a rock or something and come back in a better mood.”

He walked away, his hands clenched into fists, a red mist obscuring his vision. He and Noah had always had a contentious relationship and he could deal with that, but he wasn’t going to let Noah insult Phoebe.

“Hey.”

Noah’s voice came from behind him, and Max quickened his stride.

“Hey!”

“What.” He looked over his shoulder as Noah strode up the path toward him.

“I apologize.”

“Did Luke send you after me?”

“No!”

Max stopped short and just looked at Noah.

“I was out of line going after Phoebe.”

“Damn straight.” Max held his gaze. “Shit-talk me all you like but leave her out of it.”

“Understood.” Noah grimaced. “I guess I’m wound up tighter than a clock over all this wedding stuff.”

“I guess you are.”

“I’m . . . not good at giving up control. But I’m trying to be better for Jen.”

“Then trust her, okay?” Max said. “She loves you and wants the best wedding for both of you.”

“Yeah.” Noah swallowed hard. “I know that.” He half-turned away. “Anyway, seeing as you picked up the early shift, I’ll get back to work.”

Max nodded and watched his friend head back down to the barn. He took a moment to compose himself before he headed up to the house to get some breakfast. Phoebe was way too good at sensing his feelings and he didn’t want to worry her over Noah’s stupid comments. He knew Phoebe wasn’t screwing with him and nothing Noah could say would change that.

He hesitated at the front door. She hadn’t said anything about coming back to the ranch with him after the wedding. But had they ever actually discussed it? Most of their conversations were about how Phoebe could get around her brother’s legal blockades while they were in England. Should he ask her?

Annoyed with Noah for putting the thought in his head, he immediately dismissed it and went into the house where Phoebe was in charge of cooking breakfast for everyone. He paused at the entrance to the kitchen to watch her. She was peering into the oven, her ass up in the air, and muttering to herself, which was never a good sign.

“Boo!” Max said.

She jumped and straightened up clutching her chest. “Don’t do that!”

“Sorry.” He walked over to give her a kiss. Her cheeks were flushed, and she smelled like bacon and maple syrup. “What’s up?”

“I’m keeping the bacon warm in the oven, and I’ve started the eggs, but I’m not sure how to make the pancakes. Should I start now? Do they keep?”

“They’re pretty resilient.” Max turned the griddle on. “Where’s the batter?”

“Here.” She offered him a large jug. “I just made it.”

“Then how about I take care of the pancakes while you focus on the eggs?” Max suggested. “Noah and Luke won’t be long.”

“That would be most helpful.” She smiled at him, the relief in her brown eyes obvious. “I was worried I’d mess everything up.”

Max tested the heat on the griddle and started to pour circles of batter in regular intervals over the heated surface. Phoebe seemed to have forgotten the eggs and was just staring at him.

“What?”

“You’re really good at that.”

“I’ve worked in a few kitchens.” He found a spatula in the drawer and tested the first pancake to see if it was ready to flip. “Can you get me a plate so I can start stacking them up?”

* * *

After breakfast Phoebe went into the bedroom and checked her phone but there was nothing from George. He hadn’t contacted her since she’d rebuffed his offer and threatened not to bring Max to England with her. There was a reminder from Eugenie that if Phoebe failed to turn up for the wedding, her sister would personally fly across continents to make her sorry and haunt her in the afterworld. Since Phoebe adored her bossy, younger sister, she wasn’t worried by the threats. She texted back, reassuring Eugenie that she’d be there and that she’d be bringing Max.

What happened after that she wasn’t certain. She couldn’t deal with the idea that she might fail to break free of her family’s outdated inheritance laws. But was she being fair dragging Max into it? He’d certainly done enough to help her already. She sank down on the side of the bed and smoothed her hand over the sheets, remembering their nights together.

He was an amazingly patient teacher and she so looked forward to his attention. He was the one insisting they didn’t need to rush and that half the fun was getting to know each other. She trusted him to make things right for her and that was a beautiful thing.

She looked up as the door opened and Max came into the bedroom. He’d stayed in the kitchen to help with the washing up while Phoebe took a shower.

“Hey, sweet pea. Breakfast turned out great.”

“Mainly thanks to you.”

His eyebrows went up. “You did all the prep; you made the bacon, eggs, and pancake batter. All I did was pour a few circles and flip ’em.”

“Maybe we’re just a good team.”

“You got that right.” He went over to the closet and took out a rain jacket. “Any plans for the day or are you coming out with us?”

“I’m going with Jen to look at some wedding flowers.”

“Sounds fun.”

“She said there’s a good wholesale supplier near Reno.” Phoebe watched as Max put the jacket on. “Sally’s home and she offered to take care of Sky.”

“Which means you and Jen can have a nice day out and not worry about rushing back.”

“Max, do you think Jen would be offended if I offered to pay for the flowers?”

“I’m sure she’s budgeted for them, but I don’t think she’d be offended if you asked,” Max said. “I bet they can get expensive.”

“That’s true. I organized Eugenie’s, and even though we’re doing most of the arrangements ourselves, I was surprised at the cost.”

He returned to sit next to her. “I know it’s none of my business, but I don’t want you to spend money you don’t have just to be nice, Feebs. I mean it must have cost you a lot to come all the way out here to find me.”

Phoebe stared at him. “I have money, Max.”

He frowned. “I thought it was all tied up in this inheritance thing?”

“Oh, no,” Phoebe waved her hand. “That’s a different matter entirely. That’s more about property. I have a monthly income from a trust set up by my great-grandparents, and then there’s the bequest from my godmother I received when I was twenty-five, and a couple of minor family trusts. Also, I live and work at home, and I’ve saved most of it for years.”

“Okay, excuse me if this sounds rude.” Max looked like the whole idea of inherited wealth was a mystery to him, which she supposed it was. “You get money every month for doing nothing?”

Phoebe made a face. “That’s one way of putting it, yes. It’s not uncommon for families like mine to have provisions for family trusts that go back generations. Of course, sometimes the income is significantly smaller than it would have been when the trust was started.”

“Sure.” Max nodded like he was in a trance.

She sighed. “I suppose it still sounds awful however hard I try to justify it. Eugenie gives most of hers to charity because she earns a great salary and so does her future husband. Most of mine has ended up in the bank so coming to find you wasn’t a problem.”

He regarded her seriously. “It’s okay.”

“When I say it out loud it sounds dreadful, like I’m an entitled ninny.”

“I don’t see you like that.”

“I forget how lucky I am sometimes,” Phoebe confessed. “I’m so busy fighting to be free of the rest of it that I forget to be grateful for everything else.” She paused to breathe. “I do have plans to use the money for good purposes, but a lot of that depends on the outcome of my current dispute with my brother over my property rights.”

“I think you’re doing okay.” Max took her hand. “I’m glad you came to find me.”

She met his gaze. “I’m glad, too.”

“So, if Jen’s all right with it, buy her all the damn flowers you want.” He raised his hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “You’re a good person, Feebs.”

He got up and went toward the door. “I’d better get out there before Noah starts shouting at me.”

“Was he okay today?” Phoebe asked. “He barely said a word at breakfast. I was worried he hated my cooking.”

“He’s just stressing about the wedding,” Max said easily, but there was something in his eyes that told her there was more to the story than he was letting on. “Seeing as he ate enough for three, I don’t think your food was a problem. I hope he said thank you.”

“He did.”

Max nodded and blew her a kiss. “Have a nice day, Mrs. CSR. Don’t rush back and don’t forget to buy yourself something pretty.”

“Like what?” Phoebe asked.

He waggled his eyebrows. “Something soft and silky and easy to remove?”

“Oh!” Phoebe’s cheeks heated. “I’ll definitely look into that.”

His laughter followed him down the hall. Phoebe sat on the bed until she’d stopped blushing, gathered her things, and went to find Jen.

* * *

They stopped on the outskirts of Reno at a wholesale flower nursery where they had a wonderful time walking through the aisles with an employee experienced in weddings. Phoebe wasn’t surprised that practical Jen liked simple arrangements and classic flowers and that she did indeed have a budget for what she could afford in her wedding spreadsheet. After an hour of looking, they sat down in the local café to discuss their options. One of things Phoebe liked most about Jen was her straightforwardness, which allowed Phoebe to be equally direct.

Jen flicked through the photos she’d taken on her tablet and sighed. “I guess I got a little too carried away. We can’t afford half of this.”

Phoebe looked at the pictures. “You’d be surprised what we can do with amazing greenery and a few standout flowers.”

“You’re the expert.” Jen smiled “Thank you for coming with me. I wouldn’t have known where to start if you hadn’t asked all the right questions.”

“I’m just thrilled that one of the most useless years of my life spent at a finishing school finally came into play.” Phoebe took a quick breath. “If I offered to make up the difference in your budget as a wedding present to you and Noah, would you be okay with it?”

Jen looked at her for a long moment and then slowly nodded.

“Only if you promise me, you won’t go mad and put yourself in debt.”

“I won’t. I was trying to explain to Max earlier, I’m relatively comfortable financially.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised.” Jen grinned. “That ring you wear is probably worth more than Noah’s and my savings put together.”

Phoebe glanced down at her betrothal ring. “It’s just because I’ve been lucky enough to inherit things. I’ve done nothing to earn them.”

“That’s not your fault.” Jen said. “I’m only a teensy-ween sy bit jealous.”

“I’d quite happily swap places with you, but—” Phoebe paused. “Then I’d have to marry Noah, and I don’t think that would work at all.”

Jen reached over and hugged her. “Phoebe, you are wonderful, and if you want to buy some of our wedding flowers, please be my guest.”

Phoebe returned the hug. “Just promise me that you won’t tell Noah until it’s too late for him to object.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Jen waved her hand. “There are a whole lot of things that are going to come out in our post wedding financial debriefing that will blow his mind.”

Phoebe finished her tea. “Do you want me to go and talk to the wedding coordinator about the flowers while you plot our next stop? I was wondering if there were any department stores, we might visit.”

“I’ll get on that,” Jen promised. “And I’ll check in with Sally that all’s well at the ranch and that Sky is behaving himself.”

Phoebe walked back across the street to the wholesalers as the sun shone down on her. It was much warmer away from the forests surrounding the ranch and she appreciated the nonstop, dazzling brightness at least for a little while. She had Jen’s budget in mind alongside her vision of how the wedding should look, and for the first time in ages she felt genuinely excited to create something. She’d coordinated large events at her father’s house for years and that experience stood her in good stead.

She paused at the entrance to the main shop. Was it possible she could have a business out here as a wedding and event coordinator? Was there even a need for that in Plumas County? Max hadn’t really said anything about whether he wanted her to come back to the ranch with him after the wedding, but she hadn’t exactly brought the matter up, either.

The sales assistant they’d spoken to earlier spotted her in the doorway, waved, and came over.

“Hi, Phoebe. Have you and the bride made any decisions?”

“Yes, we have.” Phoebe said and flipped open the tablet. “Shall we start with the greenery and move on from there?”

Half an hour later, flushed with success, she came back to Jen in the café.

“It’s all sorted.”

“That’s wonderful.” Jen looked slightly relieved. “I must confess I’ve been dreading this task.”

“Why? You had a clear vision for what you wanted, and you were able to convey that concisely to the wedding coordinator and me.” Phoebe grabbed her water flask and took a long drink. “I hope you’re going to love it.”

“Can I see what we bought?” Jen asked.

“It’s up to you, but I’d love for it all to be a surprise,” Phoebe said. She didn’t really want Jen to know that she’d practically doubled her budget. “I’ll settle up with you after the wedding.”

“You must.” Jen held her gaze. “Thank you for being so kind and so gracious.”

“Thank you for letting me feel part of your wedding,” Phoebe replied.

Jen stood up. “I’ve checked in with Sky and he’s having a lovely day with Sally, so there’s nothing to stop us heading to the nearest mall.”

“Excellent.” Phoebe grabbed her handbag and gave Jen the tablet. “I’m a little short on clothes and I’ll definitely need something to wear for the wedding.”

“And I need a going away outfit and something beachy to wear on my honeymoon,” Jen said.

“Where are you going?”

“Hawaii.”

“I hear it’s beautiful there.”

“It is. You should get Max to take you on your delayed honeymoon.”

Phoebe thought about Max in his swim shorts slowly tanning in the sun and almost swallowed her tongue.

Jen glanced at her as she unlocked the car. “You really like him, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Phoebe held her gaze. “He’s amazing.”

“I’m glad that Max has someone like you in his corner,” Jen said as she hastily turned on the AC in the hot car. “He’s so much happier with you around.”

Phoebe got in and gingerly put on her seat belt, trying not to touch anything metal.

“I mean, I’m sure you know he’s had his ups and downs with Luke and Noah, but hopefully that’s all in the past.” Jen adjusted her sunglasses and waited for the navigation system to load before leaving the parking lot. “He’s always been very sweet to me, but he and Noah are like two prickly hedgehogs trying to play nice sometimes.”

“I’ve noticed.” Phoebe sat back as Jen turned right and headed for the freeway. “I was slightly disconcerted when I first heard them sniping at each other.”

“Me too, but I know that if it came down to it, Noah would do anything for Max and vice versa. They just have a funny way of showing it.”

Phoebe chuckled. “That’s definitely true. I still have a lot to learn about Max.”

“Don’t we all.” Jen increased her speed as they joined the freeway. “None of us knew he had a sister until recently.”

“He told me he doesn’t have any other contact with his family,” Phoebe said.

“I didn’t know that either, but it explains a lot. Families are complicated. I lost most of mine when I was fostered out, and I don’t really have strong enough ties with any of them to want them at my wedding.” Jen glanced at Phoebe. “At least it keeps the guest list down because Noah has three sisters and a mom he adores.”

“I live and work with my family and sometimes it gets very claustrophobic,” Phoebe said. “I spent three years caring for my dying father and hardly ever left his side.”

“That must have been hard.”

“I wanted to do it because I loved him very much, but it was hard.” Phoebe let out a breath. “And sometimes I felt like I couldn’t breathe without someone telling me I was doing it wrong. I lost myself somewhere.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

“It wasn’t. The longer I spend apart from my family the better I feel, and then I have guilt because I know that in their hearts, they think they know what’s best for me, and they can’t understand why I won’t just fall in line and do my duty.”

“Sounds like you could do with putting some space between you,” Jen said. “Or, as my therapist used to say, establishing some boundaries.”

“I’m trying,” Phoebe said, shifting in her seat. “I’m just not very good at it yet.”

Jen reached over and patted her clenched hands. “You’re here with Max. I’d say that was a good start.”

“Yes.” Phoebe found a smile. “I suppose it is.”