Blossom Street Brides (Blossom Street #10)(76)

Apparently, Annie had checked to see who it was, because she didn’t show any surprise to find him on the other side of the door.

“What do you want?” she demanded, striking a casual pose.

“Could the two of us talk for a few minutes?” he asked, doing his utmost to remain pleasant.

“Fine. Whatever.” Still holding on to the doorknob, she stepped aside and let him into her condo.

Max came into the living area, and it was a mess. Discarded clothes littered the carpet, along with magazines and empty fast-food containers.

Annie must have noticed his surprise, because she commented, “I’ve been busy lately.”

“So it seems.” Max didn’t wait for an invitation to sit down. He cleared a space on her sofa and made himself comfortable.

Annie walked to the other side of the room as if to get as far away from him as possible. “What do you want?” she asked again, and examined a fingernail before putting it in her mouth and chewing on the end.

Rather than watch, Max looked away. “I came because your mother is miserable and it looks as if you are, too.”

“Wrong,” Annie corrected him. “I’m doing fantastic; sorry to hear Mom’s upset, though.”

She sounded anything but. Max let the comment slide. “I heard you’re looking for another job.”

“Found one.”

“Oh?” It was tempting to repeat what Andrew had mentioned. Max didn’t, because he wanted to keep Annie’s brother’s confidence.

“I’m going to be working with my father.”

Max pretended to be impressed. “Selling real estate?”

She shrugged. “Eventually. Dad’s going to train me.”

“I’m glad to hear it; I’m sure you’ll do well.”

Annie sighed as though the conversation bored her.

“Your mother misses you.”

“Really. I saw that she tried to call a couple of times.”

And Annie had let her mother’s call go to voice mail. He wanted to shake the young woman for being so heartless toward her own mother.

“You know I hate you, don’t you?” she said as casually as if she were telling him what she’d eaten for lunch.

“I pretty much got that impression.” He stretched out his arm along the back of the sofa.

“If it wasn’t for you, I’d have my family back.”

“Perhaps.” Max couldn’t see any point in arguing with her.

“Everything would be the way it used to be.”

“You’re already a family,” Max countered.

“Except there’s you.”

“Yes, there’s me. I happen to love your mother very much, Annie.”

“So does my dad.” She yawned as if to say the conversation bored her. “Why are you here?” she demanded, seeming impatient now.

“To ask you to make peace with your mother.”

Annie snorted.

“She loves you, Annie, and having you walk away from her without a word is tearing her apart.”

“She made her choice. It’s you she loves.”

“Yes, she does,” he reiterated, “but loving me doesn’t mean that she loves you any less. You’re part of her, and she is part of you. In the end, I fear the one who will be hurt the most is you.”

“I doubt it.”

Max studied the young woman across from him and frowned. “You want her to suffer, don’t you? You find some twisted sense of rightness knowing you can hurt her.”

Annie shrugged, neither confirming nor denying his accusation.

“Be careful, Annie.”

“Careful?” she repeated. “What are you talking about? Are you threatening me?”

“No threats. All I’m saying is that the one who is going to end up losing this battle is you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You are threatening me!”

“No,” Max said as he stood. “I would never do that.”

She pointed her finger at him. “You ruined my life.”

Feeling sad and discouraged, Max shook his head. “Actually, I don’t think you needed any help. You’re doing a perfectly good job of that all on your own.” He started toward the door, and then looked over his shoulder. “I hope, Annie, that when the time comes you’ll realize how much your mother loves you. If you need anything or need to talk, I want you to know I’m available any time of day or night.”

“Like I’d ever reach out to you.”

Max thought it was highly unlikely, but he still felt compelled to say so. “Remember what I said,” he mentioned again.

“And you remember what I said,” she countered.

As he walked toward the staircase, Max heard Annie turn the lock on her door, and it seemed on her heart as well.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Just as she suspected, Lauren didn’t see Elisa until Friday morning. Rooster had grown impatient waiting for the owners to return so he could have time together with Lauren before he was forced to return to California. Truth be told, Lauren was as frustrated as her husband. But she wasn’t comfortable leaving the shop in the hands of a part-time employee when she knew how much Elisa and Garry counted on her to oversee the business in their absence. It was rare for them both to be away at the same time, but then these were extenuating circumstances.