“I love presents!”

  “This one’s for you,” Maxim said, handing him the gift bag.

  I wasn’t sure whose face showed more shock—mine or Ryan’s—when he pulled out a video game console, the newest, fanciest one Ryan had enjoyed playing at the resort.

  “Is this really for me?!” Ryan cried.

  Maxim smiled. “You told me how much you loved playing it at the hotel, so I figured you might like one for your house.”

  “Like it? I love it! Thank you a million!”

  I was stunned by Maxim’s grand gesture, though maybe I shouldn’t have been. He was a giving person, and I had to remind myself that a video game that wasn’t in the budget for me was just a drop in the bucket for him.

  I didn’t want to think about money, about the differences that might break us apart. Instead, I thanked Maxim for his incredibly thoughtful gifts, both for Ryan, and for me, as Ryan brought his new video game into his room.

  “That was so sweet of you,” I said. “You just made a happy kid even happier.”

  Maxim shrugged it off as if he’d just given Ryan a five-dollar toy instead of a gaming console I was sure had to have cost hundreds of dollars. “Ryan’s a good kid,” he said. “He deserves it.”

  The three of us sat down at the kitchen table, and, instantly, we were right back where we’d left off when we’d left Switzerland. There was just one person missing.

  “Maxim, how come you didn’t bring Lucie?” Ryan asked while taking a too-big bite of the lasagna.

  “I wish I could have,” Maxim said. “But she had to get back to school. Maybe we can work something out so that you two can video chat.”

  Ryan must have decided that Maxim’s answer was sufficient, because, soon enough, we were in the middle of a completely different conversation. More accurately, Maxim and Ryan were discussing some athlete I didn’t know anything about, and I was sitting back, soaking it all in. Not that I’d ever been one for casual dating, but I had never expected to be able to find a man who was this great with Ryan. He made it seem so effortless.

  Aside from Lucie’s absence and my noticeably small dining area, it felt as if we were right back in Geneva. I’d worried that I had built everything up in my head over these past few weeks, but it was clear that I hadn’t. That same comfort and warmth I’d felt with Maxim was out in full force.

  “This sausage is delicious,” Maxim announced once he’d finished explaining European sports leagues to Ryan.

  “Flattery will get you everywhere, my friend,” I replied with a grin.

  “I’m being honest. Actually, everything is delicious. I’m quite disappointed that you never told me you moonlight as a chef.” He turned to Ryan, always sure to make sure he felt included in the conversation. “What’s the best thing your mom cooks?”

  Ryan seemed thrilled with the question, audibly hemming and hawing to build up the suspense. “Probably her macaroni and cheese,” he finally said. “She uses a whole bunch of different cheeses and bakes it in the oven so the top gets all crunchy.”

  “I’ll have to try it sometime.”

  Maxim’s hint at a future involving both of us was not lost on me. In fact, it sent butterflies fluttering around my stomach every time he mentioned a future date, or experience, or interaction. I wondered if he was as confident about it as he seemed.

  I learned from Maxim and Ryan’s conversation that the field trip I’d be chaperoning was to a local museum, followed by a local aquarium. Ryan ran over to the refrigerator, pulled the permission slip away from the magnet, and ran back over to the table, reading the details word for word. “We will be seeing the amphibians we learned about in science class.”

  “That sounds like a great trip,” Maxim said, obviously sensing Ryan’s enthusiasm. “Did you show your friends any of your pictures from Switzerland?”

  Ryan’s eyes lit up. “Tons of them!”

  “It’d be easier if you asked which pictures he didn’t show to his class,” I said, smiling to myself as I thought about how, the first week we’d gotten back, Ryan couldn’t finish a conversation without somehow mentioning Switzerland, or the resort, or even airplanes. “We adored our trip. I even printed out hard copies so he could show them around.”

  Maxim nodded knowingly. “We ordered Lucie a print of the picture we took of her and Ryan on the lake cruise so she could show all of her friends at school who she’d spent her spring break with.”

  “I hope she said nice things about me,” Ryan said.

  “I’m sure she did. She had the best time with you!”

  After we’d all eaten second and third helpings of dinner, Ryan and I cleared the table together, per usual.

  To my disbelief, Maxim picked up some dishes from the table and carried them over to the sink. Part of me wanted to ask if that was the first time he’d ever cleared a table or washed a dish in his life, but it didn’t seem like the right time. Besides, what did it matter? He was rich, I wasn’t, and it seemed like we were starting to move past it.

  With all the excitement of the day, I’d completely lost track of time, and, by the time I looked at my watch as I did the dishes, it was already past Ryan’s bedtime. We’d spent almost three hours chatting and catching up, and it had felt like twenty minutes.

  Ryan must have been just as worn out from the busy day as I was, because he didn’t even argue when I told him it was time for bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his eyes closed, and he was out like a light.

  Finally, I could get some alone time with Maxim. Of course I adored my son, but I’d been looking forward to this sort-of fresh start with Maxim, just the two of us.

  I walked out of Ryan’s bedroom after checking on him to find Maxim sitting on the sofa. The realization hit me that, even though it was a discount, off-brand couch in a sort of ugly green color, it didn’t matter to him. It did the job it was supposed to do, and that was what was important.

  I took a seat on the couch beside him and curled up closer than I maybe should have. I didn’t care. After all this time apart, I just wanted to be close to Maxim again.

  I laid my head on his shoulder, partly because I was exhausted and partly because I wanted to gauge his reaction. He didn’t move a muscle at first, then he suddenly shifted his entire body to face me.

  “I want to help you, Tia,” he said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I want to help with your financial struggles.” Maxim spoke the words as if he didn’t fully understand their gravity. “I took some money out of the bank this afternoon, and I’m hoping it would be enough to take some pressure off of you.”

  “Oh, wow. I don’t think that’s—”

  “Do you think fifty-thousand dollars would suffice?”

  I gasped, surely loud enough for him to hear. I couldn’t remember ever having fifty-thousand dollars, and here he was, offering it up like it was chump change. That kind of money would take a huge amount of pressure off of me, and I knew that. But some things were worth more than money. It was simply too much. I could never accept it.

  “Maxim, that’s so incredibly generous of you, and I can’t even begin to thank you for being willing to give me some of your hard-earned money.” I drew in a breath, carefully choosing each word. “But I don’t think it’s the best idea. I’d actually prefer that you keep from giving me anything at all.”

  “What are you saying?” Maxim asked.

  “That I want us to let things take their natural course,” I said. “Money makes things messy. I just want to see how things develop between us. Obviously, with the distance, things won’t exactly be normal, but I don’t want money to be part of our relationship. Can you understand that?”

  “I must say I’m surprised, but I truly do understand.”

  I scooted closer to Maxim until our legs were touching.

  “I appreciate you so very much,” I said, “and I appreciate your boundless generosity. It’s just that, the whole reason I pretended to be someone else in the first place was because I was worried about feeling inferior to you. Taking money from you would only magnify that feeling, and I don’t want that.”

  “Tia, you have my word that it’ll never happen again,” Maxim said. “Of course, if you ever need money, you know that I am happy to help, but I don’t want to ever make you feel like less than the amazing woman that you are. And you know what else?”

  “What’s that?”

  “You are far from inferior to me. In fact, I’d wager that you’re definitely out of my league. You’re the kindest, and most interesting and talented woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I don’t want you to ever feel as if you’re not my equal.”

  This conversation had turned out far differently from what I had expected, but I was glad it had. Sure, it stung a little to turn down money that could make such an obvious and drastic difference in my life, but it was important to me that money didn’t play a role in my relationship with Maxim. It had driven us apart the first time, and I didn’t want that to happen again.

  Content with where we were leaving things, I curled up on the sofa, against the warmth of Maxim’s chest. It felt like home, like it was the spot where I belonged. I looked up to Maxim, whose eyes were fixated on me, and felt a rush of passion run through me.

  Maxim brushed my cheek with his hand and pulled me in close. We kissed, deeply, passionately, like we were on a mission to make up for lost time. Our lips fit perfectly together, like they were meant to be a pair.

  “I’m so glad I came to see you,” Maxim said, the feeling of his lips still lingering on mine.

  “Me too.”

  Maxim kissed my hand, just as he had at the airport weeks earlier.

  Without knowing what had come over me, I found myself with a new sense of confidence, asking the question that had been on my mind all night.

  “Maxim?” I asked, my lips brushing his.

  “Yes?”

  “Would you like to stay the night?”

  Chapter 22

  Maxim

  Waking up in a small home in West Virginia was, for me, the equivalent of waking up in an alternate universe. That’s not to say it was a bad thing. It was just different.

  The past twenty-four hours had been a complete whirlwind, but things were shaping up even better than I’d anticipated. I was still adjusting to the life Tia lived instead of the life she’d told me about, but, the more I thought about it, the less it bothered me. What did it matter what Tia did for a living? As long as she remained the caring, interesting, intelligent person she was, that was what mattered most.

  Now that I’d learned that Lucie had arrived safely back at school, I could enjoy my first—and last—full day in Charleston. The button-down shirt and slacks I had planned on wearing today felt a bit too formal—and heat-inducing—for the day. I was thankful that Lucie had told me to check the weather forecast before leaving Switzerland, because I would have packed all long sleeves and long pants without knowing that it was supposed to reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

  I’d packed two other outfits, jeans and a short-sleeved polo, and an athletic T-shirt and workout shorts for exercise. I threw on my workout clothes after deciding they could pass as pajamas if I looked out of place, and figured I’d check out plans with Tia before deciding what outfit was appropriate.

  Unsure of what the day had in store for us, I walked to the kitchen, where Tia was standing over the stove.

  “Good morning,” she said. She had on a baggy sweatshirt with the name of a college scribbled across the front and a pair of athletic shorts.

  “Good morning.” I walked over and hugged her from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek for good measure. “That smells delicious. What is it?”

  “Chocolate chip banana pancakes. A Birchfield family specialty.”

  Ryan sauntered into the kitchen half-asleep, seemingly unaware up until this moment that I had stayed over. “Maxim! You’re still here!”

  “Just for today,” I said. “Your mom is going to show me what it’s like to be Tia Birchfield for a day.”

  “What does that mean?” Ryan asked.

  “It means I’m going to see all of her favorite things in your town, and maybe even go to work with her for a little bit.”

  “Can I come?”

  Tia rustled Ryan’s hair. “You have school, you goofball.”

  “I was hoping you forgot.”

  Tia and I laughed as she plated up some pancakes for each of us. I’d only had pancakes a handful of times in my life, usually opting for muesli or eggs and a croissant. There were no Schelling family recipes because we’d eaten whatever the cooks had made for us.

  I couldn’t tell if Tia was an incredible cook, or if I had just missed American breakfast foods since my last trip abroad. Either way, the pancakes were delectable. The three of us made small talk between chocolatey bites of breakfast, a routine I could get used to.

  I was excited at the prospect of seeing how Tia lived. Coming here, I’d expected to maybe take a trip to her PR firm or go out to an upscale restaurant together. Learning her reality hadn’t changed how I felt about her. Rather, it had simply changed my expectations of the trip.

  It didn’t matter to me whether we ate at a local dive bar or a five-star restaurant. Not only had the diner food we’d eaten the night before been delicious, but the experience had been perfect because it was with Tia. Whatever she had in store, I was just happy to be spending the day with her.

  “Do you walk?” Tia asked as I helped her with the dishes.

  I grinned before realizing she was serious. “Define walk,” I said. “I have legs, and I use them. I walk around the cities that I visit, but I don’t exactly seek out walking trails for leisure.”

  Tia explained that there was a fabulous trail along a nearby river with some gorgeous views of the nearby trees and bridges. This was her day to show me her life, so I told her that anything she wanted to do was fair game. The walking trail was the first stop on our list.

  As it turned out, the outfit I’d put on was “perfect,” as Tia had described it, for the casual day she had planned. I felt completely unlike myself wearing a T-shirt somewhere other than the gym or around the house, but my outfit fit right in with the other walkers.

  The trail was even more spectacular than Tia had described it. The perfect weather, complete with a shining sun and clear sky, made the river glisten. Friends and couples kayaked in the water, calling to each other as laughter filled the air.

  Tia and I walked hand-in-hand, more in sync than ever before. I wasn’t exactly sure what we were, but it didn’t matter. Today was a beautiful day, and I was going to enjoy it with the woman I cared about.

  “What are you thinking at this exact moment?” I asked Tia, trusting that she would indulge me with an answer.

  “That I’m glad you came,” she said. “I know that sounds lame, but there’s no other way to put it. I’m happy that you’re here, and I’m happy that you can accept me for who I am.”

  “That’s only because who you are is so wonderful.”

  Tia’s cheeks flushed, a mixture of my flattery and the heat index.

  “I’m serious. It’s still completely unreal to me that you’re here in Charleston. I get to show you around where I grew up, and I’ve never cared about anyone enough before you to even show them.”

  It was a good thing I was wearing sunglasses, or Tia would have seen my eyes fixated on her. I thought back to how I’d felt when she’d turned me down that last night in Geneva, and this feeling was the exact opposite. It was like we were at peace, content with every part of one another.

  As we walked further along the trail, it became clearer to me that Tia, despite her lack of skiing skills, had conveniently left out any detail of her athleticism. In Switzerland, we had all been bundled up due to the cold. Here, it was humid outside, and, in her tank top and athletic shorts, Tia’s muscle tone was in full view.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’re an athlete?” I said.

  Tia giggled. “Going to the gym a few times a week doesn’t make me an athlete.”

  “Sure it does. Look at those calf muscles!”

  “Look who’s talking.” Tia ran her hands up and down my right arm. “You’re all muscle.”

  Before I knew what was happening, she yelled, “Race you!” and took off running.

  She was fast, faster than I could have guessed based on her complete lack of coordination on the slopes. I supposed everyone had their strengths.

  Our race could hardly be called a race, with Tia having reached the end of the trail before I could even see it. I was impressed, wondering what other secret talents she was hiding.

  When I was finally able to catch my breath, I asked Tia what she had planned for us next. “I thought I’d take you to my favorite market,” she said.

  “A market?”

  “You’ll see,” Tia said, walking back toward the car.

  As much as I was enjoying our time together, and as many times as I’d told Tia that I would do whatever she wanted today, I was confused that she was taking me to the supermarket of all places.

  Nevertheless, this was my walk in her shoes, and I’d vowed to do whatever she wanted. I was surprised—and relieved—to learn that the market she’d brought me to was not, in fact, a supermarket, but rather a large indoor market. Rows of vendors were set up, selling everything from spices, to clothing, to flowers.

  We strolled up and down the aisles, stopping into booths as we saw things of interest to us. At one of the corner jewelry booths, a necklace caught my eye. It had a sun and a moon back-to-back, and, for some unknown reason, it reminded me of Lucie.

  “What do you think of this?” I asked, holding it up to Tia.

  “For Lucie? I think she’d love it!”

  Before I could get another word in, Tia called the person manning the booth over and told her we’d like the necklace. I pulled out my wallet to pay, but Tia shooed my hand away.

  “Let me get this for her. You bought Ryan a three-hundred-dollar game console. The least I can do is buy Lucie a six-dollar necklace.”

 

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