Page 37 of Tide and Seek (Dr. Maxwell Thornton Murder Mysteries #8)

Max glanced down at his suit as if surprised to find himself still wearing it. “No, I... got distracted. C.J. called while I was upstairs.”

“Everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah. She wants me to see her new yoga studio tomorrow. She’s very excited and proud.” He gave a weak smile. “I hope it’s okay with you if I go? You can go too if you want, but I didn’t think you had any interest in yoga.”

“I don’t.”

Neither do you, Max.

Usually.

But I didn’t say any of that out loud. I bit my tongue and forced a smile. “You should go. It’ll make her happy.”

“I probably will.”

It was obvious he was hiding something behind his back, and I was getting more and more nervous about his odd behavior. I decided to just say something. “What have you got behind your back, Max?”

He looked like a deer in the headlights. “Nothing.”

I laughed gruffly. “It’s obviously something.”

He cleared his throat. “I bought some champagne.” As he spoke, he awkwardly pulled a bottle of bubbly from behind his back. “Dom Pérignon.”

I lifted my brows. “Wow. That’s pricey stuff.”

He frowned. “Are you going to start worrying about money again, Royce?”

“No, I wasn’t being negative,” I said quickly. “It was more of an observation than anything. Is it chilled?”

“Yes.” He moved closer, his face tense and his mouth a grim line. “I thought we might celebrate.” While it was a nice thought, he looked more like he was at a funeral than a celebration.

“Celebrate what?” The question came out more cautious than I’d intended. People didn’t celebrate break-ups, right? But then again, Max didn’t do things the way regular people did. Maybe he thought breaking up with me and then getting me drunk would soften the blow?

“I thought we could celebrate the time we’ve had together.” He made a vague gesture with his free hand. “Not just this trip but also our time in Rainy Dale. It wasn’t a waste of time.”

“No, of course not.” My heart was racing so fast I felt breathless. “Why would it be a waste of time?”

He grunted. “I just mean this vacation has given us a chance to figure out what we want our future to be.”

“I already know what I want, Max.”

His jaw clenched and then he said, “I do too, finally.”

Why does he sound so cryptic?

“We’ve had some really good times together, Royce.” His voice wobbled, and he looked frustrated. He cleared his throat. “It’s been fun.” He winced.

“Yes. It’s been… fun.” My gut churned as I searched his face for some clue where this was going. But he just looked so uptight, it wasn’t comforting. I was completely confused by the bottle of champagne combined with his grim expression. None of it made sense.

“You’re a really good person and man, Royce. It’s been an honor getting to know you.” His words sounded forced, like he was following a script he wasn’t comfortable with.

“Thanks.” My throat was so tight it was hard to speak.

This felt like a farewell speech, and if it was, I wasn’t sure I could handle it.

I watched him carefully, noting the way his grip tightened on the bottle’s neck, the slight tremor in his hand.

He definitely didn’t look like a man about to deliver good news.

“Royce.” Max’s voice cut into my spiraling thoughts. “This might seem out of the blue, but I need to ask you something.”

My stomach dropped, but I kept my expression neutral. “All right.”

Max walked to the patio table and set the champagne bottle down with enough force that I worried the glass bottle might crack. He stared at it for a moment, then looked back at me with an almost expectant expression.

“I’ve thought long and hard about us,” he said huskily. “About our relationship. About what I need in the person I love.”

Somehow I managed to sound calm as I asked, “And what did you decide?”

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His face was flushed, and there was obvious worry in his blue eyes. “I love you,” he said hoarsely. “I need you to understand that.”

Oh, God. This is a kiss off, right?

He stammered, “I… I… I love you more than I thought it was possible to love another person.”

I waited for the but. It just felt like there was definitely going to be a but in there somewhere.

Max ran his hand through his hair, and the result was a few silky tufts sticking up. “Look at the bottle, Royce.”

“What?”

“The bottle. Look at it.”

I glanced at the champagne, then back at his increasingly agitated face. “Okay. I looked at it.” What in the world was happening? Why did I need to look at the bottle when I was on the verge of hyperventilating?

“Really look at it.”

A fat raindrop hit my shoulder as I stepped closer to the table. I glanced up at the dark clouds, scowling. “It’s raining.”

“That’s okay.” Max pointed at the bottle again. “Look at the bottle.”

What is his obsession with the damn bottle?

I glanced at the bottle but winced when a few more drops hit my face. “Should we go inside?”

Max blinked at me, looking flustered. “Go inside? But I pictured this happening out on the deck.”

“Well,” I flinched when more drops splattered on my cheek. “But, it’s raining on us. Your suit’s going to get ruined.”

“I have other suits,” he said tersely. “Just hurry up and look at the bottle, Royce. I don’t want to do this inside. I planned this for outside.” As he finished speaking, the rain really started to come down. “Ugghh,” he growled.

Bewildered, I stayed where I was being pelted by rain. “You sure you don’t want to go inside?”

“Shit,” he hissed, shielding his head with his arms. “This was supposed to be romantic. The rain is ruining everything.”

Romantic?

The same time that word sank in, my eyes fixed on a thin band of gold tied around the bottle’s neck with red ribbon. The metal ring caught what little light remained as more drops began to fall.

“Max.” My voice came out gravelly. “Is that a ring?”

“Yes.” He was watching my face intently, rain beginning to darken his suit jacket. His dark hair was plastered to his head. “I bought it for you today.” He scowled up at the dark sky, swearing under his breath. “It never rains in California. Why is this happening?”

Staring at him in complete astonishment, I mumbled, “Are you proposing to me?”

“I’m trying to,” he cried, fumbling with the wet ribbon tied around the neck of the bottle. He finally managed to get the ring loose and he held it up, as water streamed down his grim face. “Royce, will you marry me?”

I stepped closer, covering his hands with mine. The relief that flooded me was so intense my eyes stung. “Jesus, Max, I thought you were going to break up with me.”

“Break up with you?” Max stared at me like I’d announced I was moving to Mars. “Why would you think that?”

“You were acting so strange. I was afraid maybe when James tried to kiss you at the party, it woke something up inside you.”

Max winced. “Oh, you heard about that, huh?”

“Yes, C.J. told me.”

He drew his dark brows together. “Nothing was awoken other than anger. James acted like a fool, and I made it clear I have no feelings for him other than friendship.”

“Thank God.” I slumped. “You didn’t want to talk about what happened at the party, and I got in my head again.”

“I’m sorry, Royce.” Max squeezed my fingers. “I didn’t want to talk about how he acted because I was so disappointed in James.”

“Okay. I… I guess I understand that.”

“You really thought I was going to break up with you?” His eyes were dark with emotion. “Royce, that’s the last thing I want.”

“You sure, Max?” I didn’t love how needy I sounded, but I couldn’t help it.

His expression was dead serious as he pulled me close, putting his mouth near my ear. “Royce Callum, you’re the only man I’ve ever loved, and you’re the only man I can see myself marrying. So please, say yes.”

“God, yes,” I choked out. “Of course I want to marry you, Max.”

“Okay, then.” He kissed me, his mouth warm and sweet.

I kissed him back eagerly, and he tasted of rain and relief and promise. I couldn’t believe this was really happening. Max had actually proposed to me. He wasn’t breaking up with me, he was asking me to be his husband.

When we broke apart, we were both smiling, despite the downpour soaking our clothes.

“Hold out your hand,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion. I did as instructed and he slid the ring onto my wet finger.

“It’s perfect,” I said softly, admiring the ring. It was beautiful, rose gold with a single diamond set to one side, elegant and understated and so perfectly Max.

“I bought two of the same, one for you and one for me.” He frowned. “Should I have let you buy my ring? Did I do it wrong? I don’t know the etiquette. Am I supposed to wear one now, or do I wait until after the wedding?”

The wedding.

My wedding.

To Max.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I said softly. “I love the idea of us wearing the same ring. We can do whatever we want.”

“I want us to wear the same rings.”

“Then I do too.” I smiled.

“How about we pop the champagne, but we do that inside?” He smiled wryly, raindrops clinging to his thick, dark lashes. “Unless you’d rather stay out here. Now that I’ve accepted my waterlogged fate, it’s rather refreshing.”

“Nah, let’s go inside.” I kissed him again. When the kiss ended, I said, “I think we need a hot shower so we don’t get pneumonia.”

“Okay.” He grabbed the bottle of champagne and we headed inside.

After grabbing two champagne flutes from the bar area, we went straight upstairs to the master bedroom. I popped the cork on the bubbly, while he got the shower going. We stripped out of our wet clothes, and then toasted each other stark naked, standing in the steamy bathroom.

It was the best glass of champagne I’d ever had, and that had nothing to do with the fact that it was expensive, and everything to do with the fact that Max was going to be my husband.