Page 90 of Paging Dr. Summers

A cheerful server, probably no older than seventeen, appeared with our order, her bubbly energy a stark contrast to the weird vibes atour table. She placed the dishes down with a bright smile, oblivious to the awkwardness hanging in the air.

“Here you go! Let me know if you need anything else,” she chirped.

We thanked her, our voices strained with politeness, pretending this was no more than a friendly lunch. The plates of food she set in front of us, my favorite aromas wafting from them, did nothing to soothe the knots twisting tighter in my stomach. I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat a bite, no matter how tempting it looked.

As soon as she left, I took a moment to compose myself, still trying to digest Maxwell’s words. They only gave credence to what I’d believed all along.

“I guess my mom and I weren’t good enough for you to be a better man.”

Maxwell’s face fell slack, stripped of its usual poise. “That’s not true. My actions are not a reflection of you or Roxanne. They are a reflection of me. I should have been man enough to stand up to my parents. But the truth of the matter is, I wasn’t ready for your mom, or for you, and I took the coward’s way out.

“I am sorry, Brooke. If I could get back all the time we lost together, I would. When I saw you for the first time this summer, the full force of what I’d done and missed out on hit me. You were just as beautiful and full of life as I imagined you would be all these years.”

While his words were pretty, they didn’t persuade me. “Yet you still didn’t tell me who you were.”

“No. I didn’t.” Maxwell’s shoulders rose and fell dramatically. “Like I said, lies breed lies. I’d already disappointed your mom and you. I didn’t want to devastate Camila and Lola too.”

“Is that why you tried to get rid of me? Send me away?”

“No.” He shook his head vehemently. “It was my foolish way of trying to make up for not being there for you.”

“It felt a lot like buying me off ... again.”

Maxwell hung his head. “I can see how you would feel that way. For that and much, much more, I am sorry. But just so you know, Sidney Harper is still interested in speaking to you. It disappointed him when you canceled your interview. Of course, he understands whyafter I explained the situation to him,” Maxwell quickly interjected. “All the same, he says he hasn’t seen talent like yours in a long time.”

“Really?” I said before I could stop myself. “I mean—I don’t believe you.”

Logan chuckled next to me.

Even Maxwell’s lips twitched, but given the circumstances, he held back his smile. “He’s not wrong, Brooke. You are talented and passionate like your mother,” he said fondly. “I know I have no right to tell you what she would think. I can hear her telling me right now to shut the hell up. But I have to believe that she would tell you to at least talk to him.”

I turned to Logan to see what he thought about it. Florida was one thing when I thought this was a fling, but this was no fling. This was the real deal.

“You need to follow your dreams. We’ll work things out together,” Logan assured me before I even said a word.

I loved that so much, but I wondered if Maxwell had read my mind when he added, “Sidney knows that you may not wish to move. He has some remote possibilities in mind.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, a small wave of relief washing over me. I wasn’t sure I wanted my dreams to lead somewhere other than Aspen Lake. Weird, huh? The place just didn’t seem finished with me yet.

“He does?” I turned slowly to face Maxwell, trying not to sound too excited.

Maxwell offered me the first sincere smile I think I’d ever seen from him. “Yes,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost reflective. “Like I said, he sees your potential, Brooke, and he doesn’t want to miss out on it. He’s a smarter man than I am.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, though the bite in my tone had dropped significantly. And not just because of the potential new job. “So, where does this leave us?”

I felt like there was no point in dragging this conversation out. Nothing he could say was going to change the past or even make me feel better about it. Acknowledging that fact actually gave me some peace. But now, a connection existed between us, whether we liked itor not. My mother had made sure of it. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook again. Not that she ever had. She’d simply bided her time.

Maxwell leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, his eyes searching mine for the right words to say. “Brooke,” he said carefully, even affectionately. “I know I can’t undo the past. There is no making up for what I did and didn’t do. But ...,” he paused. “I would do anything to have a future with you in it.” His voice broke off.

And dang it if that didn’t make my eyes sting, but I refused to let them reveal any sort of sheen. “I’m going to have to think about that.” And believe me, there would be lots of thoughts. It was going to be a WWE wrestling match of the mind. I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be or what the winning situation would look like. Was there one?

“Of course.” Maxwell sounded relieved I would even consider it.

“I’m mostly thinking of Lola here,” I added.

He gave me an understanding nod. “You have your mother’s fire.”

“Did you ever love her?” I had to ask.

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