Don't Tell (54 page)

Tom tilted his head, giving Max the wariest of nods.

Max’s arms tightened around Caroline. „I’m feeling relieved, to be honest. Relieved he can’t escape and find us again. I’ve lost hours of sleep in the last six weeks worrying that he’d find a way to escape and come back to hurt your mother and you. Worrying that we’d spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders, waiting for him to jump out from behind a tree. I’m also feeling sad… heartbroken, really, when I realize you’ve never known a father like mine was. Men like my father are incredibly rare, I think. I wish I could be half the man he was. But somehow, despite never having the privilege of a father like mine, despite everything you’ve been through, you’re more a man than most men I know. But most of all, I feel proud of you, Tom. I could be no prouder if you were my own son.“

Her tears now flowing freely, Caroline craned her neck backwards to see Max’s face. Compassion filled his eyes, softening the normally hard line of his jaw and she knew she would never love him more than in that moment. Max looked down and caught her staring and smiled, that tender, sweet smile that turned her heart to mush.

Someone cleared a throat and as a group the three of them turned toward the kitchen door. David led the pack, but the others were there right behind him.

„I’m not eavesdropping in the foyer. This is the kitchen,“ David protested before Caroline could say a word and it had the effect he’d been trying for. She laughed, even though it came out sounding more like a hiccup.

Phoebe pushed her way to the front of the group. Her eyes were damp, but she wore an expression of challenge. „Max, I haven’t wanted to be a royal pain all these weeks, but I have some questions for Caroline.“

Tom stepped away, smiling a little when Phoebe put her arm around his waist and pulled him against her. Caroline wiped the tears from her cheeks, even as her fingers continued to tremble. Max’s arms slid around her waist from behind, holding her tight against the strength of his body. „Yes, Phoebe? What is your question?“

„Questions. Number one, what was your name before?“

Caroline blinked. No one in Max’s family had asked her any questions since her return and she wasn’t sure why Phoebe had picked this moment to… pry. „Mary Grace.“

„Mary Grace.“ Phoebe repeated the name as if testing it on her lips. „Appropriate, I think. Will you name your daughter Grace should you be so blessed?“

Caroline blinked again. „I’d considered it.“ She had. She twisted around to look up to Max. „If it’s okay.“

Max looked totally perplexed. „It’s okay with me. Ma, what’s this about?“

„I’m not finished, son. Will you adopt this boy, Max?“

Max started and Caroline twisted to look back at him again. He was frowning, his brows bunched across his forehead. And he was blushing! Caroline had never seen Max blush before and the sight was riveting. „We haven’t talked about that yet, Ma. This isn’t the – “

„Life is too short to think as much as you do, Max. I honestly thought you would have learned that by now. Tom, do you want to be adopted by my son, here?“

Tom’s lips twitched. He liked Phoebe, Caroline knew. He liked her blend of sarcasm and grandmotherly cuddling. Right now he was enjoying the way Phoebe dressed down her six-and-a-half-foot son as if he were no older than little Petey. „Yes’m.“

„The boy says ma’am,“ Phoebe said to no one in particular. „Peter, can you draw up the papers?“

„Yes, Ma,“ came Peter’s easy reply, as if an argument never entered his mind. „I’ll get on it tomorrow, bright and early.“

„Then, Caroline, if you’re already planning to have a baby with my son – “

Max choked on a cough.

„ – and if your son will soon be adopted by my son – “

David snickered from the corner of the kitchen.

„ – and since you appear to be unmarried at the moment – “

The laugh bubbled right out of Caroline’s chest. „Next Saturday, Phoebe. I’ll marry your son next Saturday.“

Phoebe grinned cagily. „I’ll call Father Divven. He’ll marry you in short order, just to keep you from living in sin any longer. Tom, come with me. I have half a cow to cook and David here still hasn’t started a fire in the grill.“

„Yes’m.“ Tom looked back over his shoulder, the sadness gone from his eyes if only for now. He smiled, a subdued curving of his lips, but it was sufficient. For now.

One by one each sibling left the small kitchen, each bestowing congratulatory hugs and kisses on Caroline and Max as they made their less than tactful exits. Finally only David remained.

David hesitated, then spoke soberly. „You’re wrong about one thing, Max.“

Max raised a brow. „And that would be what?“

David looked away, but not before Caroline caught a glint of light reflecting off the tears in his eyes. „Dad was rare, that is true, but not unique. You are his son and I know he’d be as proud of you today as I am.“ He left the room quickly, not saying another word.

Caroline let her sigh escape and looked up at Max, who was visibly moved.

„That was nice, Max.“

He swallowed. „Yes, it was.“ He looked down at her then and smiled, his composure restored. „Next Saturday? I thought we agreed to wait until you could do the wedding the way you wanted it, with a fancy dress and a cake with two people on top that don’t look like us.“

Caroline stood on her toes and placed a kiss on his chin. „Life’s too short to think so much, Max. Cathy can make a cake from a mix and I don’t need a dress that takes weeks to order. Your mother was right. It’s time we got on with our lives, don’t you think?“

He stared into her eyes – her beautiful blue, expressive eyes that had captured his heart from the first moment they’d met – and was overcome by a wave of love so intense it weakened his knees. The cute quip on the tip of his tongue was wiped from his mind, replaced by the three words he wanted to be able to say every day for the rest of their lives.

„I love you, Caroline,“ he whispered fiercely, his voice shaky and watched her expression soften, her eyes fill. „I promise I’ll only make you happy. I promise you’ll never be afraid again.“

She swallowed and raised a trembling hand to his jaw. „I love you, Max. I promise to be your wife. I promise to make a family with you.“

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, kissed every one of her fingers. Then he drew her into his arms and kissed her lips, long and deep, leaving her sighing and melting against him. „Can we start right now?“ he murmured against her hair.

She looked up, her lips curving. „Start what?“ she asked, even though her eyes said she knew.

He grinned at her. „Start making that family,“ he said and counted to himself, one, two, three. Her cheeks went pink and she looked over her shoulder.

„Your mother is here, Max.“

„My mother made nine children altogether. My mother knows how it’s done.“

Caroline’s laughter filled the room. Filled his heart with ease. „Your mother’s son can wait 'til after lunch,“ she teased.

„Promise?“ he asked, looking into her eyes and seeing the rest of his life with content anticipation.

Her eyes softened again, caressing him. „I promise, Max.“

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

RITA-award winning, USA Today best-selling author Karen Rose earned her degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland. For a number of years she worked in the engineering field, earning two patents, but began writing romances when scenes began filling her mind and her characters would not be silenced.

Her debut suspense novel, DON’T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has released four more novels and a novella. To date, her books have been translated into three languages. Her third novel, I’M WATCHING YOU, received the Romance Writer’s of America’s coveted RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005. In that same year her second novel, HAVE YOU SEEN HER? was also a 2005 RITA finalist.

Her fourth novel, NOTHING TO FEAR, is a 2006 RITA finalist and has been nominated for Romantic Times BOOK-club Magazine’s Best Suspense and for the SIBA Book award for Fiction.

A former chemical engineer and high school teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her family and their cat. When she’s not writing, Karen enjoys traveling, walking on the beach, and, although not a popular Florida pastime, skiing.

For more information on Karen and her books, please visit www.karenrosebooks.com.