Happily Letter After(21)

“My daughter had been asking for a Great Dane named Marmaduke for I don’t even know how long. I had no intentions of making that dream come true. But a few weeks back, for some reason, she became convinced that her dead mother was mad at her for some things she’d done. I honestly don’t know where she gets some of these ideas. All I know is that the one thing she really wants most, more than a dog, more than anything . . . I’ll never be able to give her. And that’s to have her mother back.”

He paused. Tears were starting to form in my eyes, but I did my best to fight them as he continued.

“So I did something that probably in retrospect was a very stupid thing. I got her the exact dog she wanted. I’d looked everywhere for the right black-and-white-spotted Great Dane—minus the different-colored eyes—she wanted. I told her that her mother had come to me in a dream, that she’d told me to get the dog but to let Birdie know that just because she’s not getting signs doesn’t mean her mom’s mad.” He stared off and shook his head. “I basically lied to my daughter to take away her sadness. I’ve somehow convinced myself that lying for the good of making someone happy cancels the lie out.”

Wow.

And that, Mr. Maxwell, is precisely why I am standing before you at this very moment.

“I understand that more than you know,” I said, swallowing.

“Anyway, things have been better with her since that damn dog arrived, aside from the fact that he wakes me up with a sticky face every day. But that’s my problem. My point is . . . I can’t imagine what we would’ve done if anything had happened to that animal today. Not only for the dog’s sake but for my daughter’s. I’m very grateful you were here.”

My cheeks felt hot as he stared into my eyes. The power of his emotions was almost too much for me to handle.

I cleared my throat. “Like I told Birdie, anyone would’ve done the same thing.”

His eyes seared into mine, seeming to challenge my feeble attempt to downplay what had happened.

“I doubt Magdalene would’ve known what to do. The fact that you were here saved that dog’s life.”

“Well, I’m really glad I was . . . here, then.”

He chewed his bottom lip a bit, then added, “I also want to apologize for being short with you when you arrived last week. I was having a bad day for more reasons than one. But that’s no excuse.”

“Well, I was . . . late, so I understand.”

He said nothing as he slipped his hands into his pockets and continued to look at me. His apology came as a surprise. It proved Sebastian was definitely not the insensitive jerk he appeared to be during our initial meeting. He had a vulnerable side. I could see that now. He was a man who wanted to protect his daughter from having to experience another tragedy.

I got the urge to comfort him, to assure him that I understood how difficult it was for a widower dad to take on the responsibility of single fatherhood. After all, I’d lived that life through my father’s eyes.

But I wouldn’t say anything. Because at this point in time, I was simply overwhelmed by the power of his stare and felt the need to flee.

“Anyway, I’d better get going.”

He nodded. “I’ll send your payment to the PayPal address you gave me.”

“Thank you.”

As I walked out of his office, I still had no clue how I was supposed to break it to them that I wasn’t coming back. Before I exited out the door, though, I did feel compelled to turn around and say one last thing to him.

“For the record, Mr. Maxwell, from the small amount of time I’ve seen you and gotten to know your daughter, I can tell you that I think you’re doing an amazing job. I’m not just saying that, either. You have an incredible daughter, and that’s undoubtedly due to the kind of father you are.”

He blinked a few times, and I didn’t think he was going to respond, so I continued my way out the door.

His voice stopped me.

“Sadie.”

I turned around. “Yeah?”

“Call me Sebastian.” He paused, then flashed a genuine smile. “And . . . danke.”





CHAPTER 9

SADIE

Number of times per week you enjoy coitus.

I chewed the end of my pen while I mulled over yet another tough question. That really depends, doesn’t it? I mean, is he good and gets me to my happy place before crossing the finish line himself? I had to assume that, since I was seeking my ideal mate, they were asking about how things would be with him and not some three-pump chump. My mind wandered to Sebastian. That man had a definite edge to him. There was no way he wouldn’t deliver the goods.

I sighed. I’d decided to take advantage of my free matchmaking trial to get my mind off Sebastian Maxwell. Yet he seemed to pop into my head as I pondered every intrusive question.

Describe your ideal mate’s physical appearance.

I closed my eyes and thought about what type of man I was attracted to, then jotted down the description that came to mind. Tall, broad-shouldered, green eyes, chiseled jaw, strong forearms, and a wide alpha-male stance. Good God. The only thing missing were the gold flecks in Sebastian’s eyes. I really needed to hop off the Maxwell train.

Preferred primary residence location.

Duh. A brownstone on the Upper West Side, of course. Though, in my defense, I would’ve answered that one the same even before meeting a certain someone.