Lovers at Heart (The Bradens, Book One: Love in Bloom Series)

Chapter Thirteen, Lovers at Heart

MAX AWOKE WITH a smile on her lips and Treat’s letters beside her. She picked them up and read them again, then turned on the radio. She danced her way into the shower singing along to “My Type of Crazy”by Thompson Square. She was surprised at how much her outlook had changed overnight. The combination of a good night’s sleep and everything Treat had done and said gave her the confidence, and the desire, to try to work things out with him. What kind of man sends an enormous cake to a woman when he’s hurt her? Or leaves notes professing his love on her doorknob?

Treat. That’s who.

It was Sunday, and she was relieved that the festival was over, though she still needed to swing by and go over the final figures with Chaz. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, threw on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, slipped on her sneakers, and headed out the door. She’d get her work done quickly; then, when Treat called, as she was sure he would after the notes he’d left, she’d make plans to meet him when she was done.

Just thinking about how happy he’d be, how relieved they’d both be, brought a bounce to her step.

CHAZ WAS ALREADY at the office when she arrived.

“How’d they like the cake?” she asked.

He looked up from the spreadsheets. Hints of the late night shone in the dark circles beneath his eyes. “Chocolate smiles for breakfast,” he said with a smile. “Kaylie thanks you, but she said she’ll hate you when it lands on her hips.”

“Oh, please. That woman gave birth to twins and is still the hottest girl in all of Allure.”

“Maybe so. She also said that she’d call you later.”

Max sat across from Chaz and began going through the records from the day before. “Hey, Chaz. I’m really sorry that I was so exhausted and in such a petulant mood yesterday.”

Chaz set the papers down. “Actually, it was kind of nice to see that you’re as normal as the rest of us.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she asked.

“Yeah, actually, it is. You’re always so damned on top of things. So yeah, it was nice to see that you have a less neurotic side to you.”

“Neurotic?” She arched a brow. “That’s not complimentary. I’m a damn good work wife. Just ask your…wife wife.”

“My wife wife loves your neurosis, and so do I.” He looked down at the spreadsheets, and after a couple minutes, he sat back and watched Max work.

“Spit it out,” she said.

“What?”

“Whatever is causing you to look at me like a big brother who knows something that he shouldn’t.”

Chaz laughed. “Is that what I look like?”

She studied his face with a serious scowl. “It’s either that, or I’ve grown a third eye in the middle of my head.”

“Let’s go with me knowing something. It’s not hard to figure out after Kaylie was trying to get you to leave early and Treat showed up in the parking lot.”

“Okay, let’s go with the third eye thing.” She buried her nose back in the spreadsheets.

“Max.”

“Chaz,” she said without raising her eyes.

“Just tell me this. Are you going to fall in love, get married, and move away to a tropical island?”

Max sat back and put her pencil between her teeth. She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Is that what the stare is for? You’re wondering who will do your sponsor coordination if I’m whisked away under the guise of love?”

“Embarrassingly, no, because I know that no matter where you live, I can convince you to still do the coordination and show up for the festival. I just want to know if I’m going to lose my work wife and, more importantly, my friend.”

Max looked back down at the spreadsheets, thinking about how much that meant to her. “You could never lose me. But no one is running off and getting married. We haven’t even gotten to the being-able-to-spend-seven-hours-together-without-fighting stage.”

“Funny. Treat doesn’t seem like the fighting type.”

“He’s not.” She flashed him a mischievous grin.

Two and a half hours later, they set their work aside.

“I’m so glad you closed the office Monday,” Max said. For the past three years, Chaz had closed the office the Monday after the festival.

“We work so hard over the weekend, it just makes sense. Go relax. Have some fun,” he said.

Max checked her cell phone several times and was surprised not to have heard from Treat. She assumed he was spending time with his family, relaxing after two very stressful nights. She couldn’t wait to erase some of that tension.

On her way back to her apartment, she realized that she didn’t have Treat’s number, which meant she would have to wait for him to call her. Or…

She punched his father’s name into her cell phone, followed the links to obtain his address, and then plugged it into her GPS. With a confident smile on her lips, for the first time in days, she headed out of Allure and toward Hal Braden’s ranch.

TREAT AWOKE TO a knock at his door. With nothing but embers left in the fireplace, he shivered as he answered it.

“TB!”

His childhood friend, Charley “Chuck” Holtz, stood before him. More gray than brown up top and more belly than muscle in the middle, Chuck beamed with the same vibrancy he’d always possessed.

“Chuck, how are you?” Treat waved him in.

“Smitty told me he opened the old place up for you. Saw the rental parked out front and thought I’d stop by. Haven’t seen you in a year. What brings you out?” Chuck had a thick New England accent. The word “parked” came out sounding like “pahked.”

“Just needed a break.”

“Bonnie’s having a bonfire tomorrow night. Wanna join us?”

Treat rolled the idea over in his mind. He had no plans. It might do him good to spend time away from the bungalow, and Chuck and Bonnie were such a nice couple. “Sure.”

“Great. I’m heading into town to meet her now. Wanna come along? We’re having dinner at the Pearl.”

Treat hesitated. Tomorrow night he’d be rested and more able to deal with being civil around company. His mind was still mourning Max. God, he missed her.

“Come on, TB. It’ll be fun. Bonnie would be so upset if she didn’t get to say hello to you. She tells everyone she knows about you. You know how that goes. Around here you’re a big deal, a big fish in a small pond.” He winked.

The last thing Treat wanted to deal with was to be shown off like a trophy. “I’m a little tired. I just got in a few hours ago.”

“Come on. I’ll make sure we don’t stay out too late.”

It was hard to ignore Chuck’s enthusiasm. “Why not.”

“Great. Let’s go,” Chuck said with a wave.

“Now?” Treat looked down at his clothes. He desperately needed a shower. He touched his chin. And a shave.

“You’re at the Cape. No one looks at what you’re wearing. Up here, jeans and T-shirts are dressing up.”

“All right then. Just give me a second to wash my face and brush my teeth.” He picked up his bags and went upstairs to the bedroom. “Make yourself at home,” he hollered down. He heard the refrigerator open and the clink of beer bottles. Good old Smitty.

“I already am,” Chuck called up.