The Ideal Man (20 page)

Then she noticed the amusement in his eyes and realized he wasn’t feeling guilty about anything. He kissed her. It was a brief glad-to-see-you-again kind of kiss and definitely unsatisfying.

“Good? Sweetheart, it was a whole lot better than good.”

“Yes, it was,” she said, sighing.

Just standing this close to him made her weak. She had thought that after making love most of the night, she would have moved past this crazy reaction to him. It didn’t happen. He still could turn her stomach into jelly.

Had she not been anxious to get the talk with her parents over and done with and be on their way, she would have kissed Max the way she wanted, but she had no intention of starting something she couldn’t finish.

Her father bellowed her name. She took a deep breath and said, “Okay, let’s do this,” and stepped back to let him go outside first, then followed him.

He made himself a target. Whoever would try to hurt her would have to go through him first.

“I’m good at removing bullets,” she whispered. She didn’t know why she needed to give him that inconsequential information. Was she telling him this so he wouldn’t worry? The possibility of him getting injured was too awful to think about.

“I know you are,” he said. “One of the other surgeons at the hospital told Sean you hit the one hundred mark before your third year of residency.”

“That’s not something I want to be remembered for,” she said. She poked him between his shoulder blades. “Don’t you dare get shot.”

“I won’t,” he promised as he looked around.

Ellie’s parents’ backyard was square, extremely large, perfectly manicured, and surrounded by trees and bushes on all sides, blocking the neighbors’ view. Behind the greenery was a fence, but that, too, was hidden from view. It would be difficult for Cogburn to get a good shot, Max thought. Even if one of the neighbors didn’t notice a stranger cutting through his yard, the fence and the bushes would be a deterrent. No, there were better places to wait for his target. Too many, in fact.

Her father held the door open for them. “I made waffles,” he announced. “Your mother’s starting the eggs, and the bacon is already on the table getting cold. Didn’t you hear me calling?”

“Dad, Max and I need to talk to you and Mom. It’s important,” she said.

“Important can wait until after breakfast,” he said.

“But this is—”

“Eleanor, you heard your father. No worrisome talk before breakfast,” her mother said.

“Is that a new rule?”

“It’s a Southern rule.”

“Yes, all right,” she said. “But directly after breakfast we need to talk.”

Neither parent responded to her demand. “Mom?”

“All right, dear. Now eat your breakfast.”

Ellie wanted only a PowerBar or a piece of toast, but she couldn’t hurt her father’s feelings, and so she ate a little of everything that was offered. Max ate like a man who’d been starving for a week.

“Want to know the secret to my waffles? Club soda,” her father said proudly. “That’s why they’re so light and fluffy.”

“Dad’s an expert on waffles,” she explained.

“And baking bread,” he added. “It’s therapeutic. But that’s all. Waffles and bread.”

“Did you sleep well last night?” Claire asked Max.

The question reminded him about the air conditioner, and he told William that he should call the store where he had purchased the unit and make them replace it.

“It was all sales final,” William said. “But I’ll have a repairman over here today. I know just who to call. In the meantime, would you mind helping me disconnect it?”

Max followed her father outside. “Don’t forget to tell him about the thermostat,” Ellie called.

He raised his hand to let her know he’d heard her just as the door closed.

Now that Claire had Ellie alone, she sat down at the table next to her.

“I see you still drink milk,” she remarked with a smile as Ellie finished her glass.

She then began to talk about all the wedding arrangements, and in the midst of describing the wedding cake, she burst into tears.

Ellie was astonished and alarmed. She hadn’t seen her mother cry in years, not since the day she had to leave her with the Wheatleys.

“Mother, stop that,” Ellie demanded. She grabbed a tissue from the box on the shelf and handed it to her. “Please, stop crying.”

“I know how hard this is for you,” her mother began. She wiped the tears away as she continued. “I wish things were different. It breaks my heart to see you and Ava not getting along. I love all my girls, but I’ll admit that Ava has been a trial for your father and me. She’s so headstrong, and what she did to you was cruel and despicable.”

Ellie was speechless. She knew her mother loved her, and she also knew she didn’t favor one daughter over the others, but she had never expressed strong feelings about what happened between the two sisters until today.

“Ava knows how her father and I feel. After you left so abruptly—and who could blame you—we got into quite an argument. You were so devastated and destroyed by the betrayal.”

No, she wasn’t, Ellie admitted to herself. She was neither devastated nor destroyed. She was furious and humiliated, but there hadn’t been any heartbreak.

“Ava said it wasn’t deliberate, that there was this instant attraction between the two of them. That does happen.”

Yes, it does, Ellie agreed as she replayed her initial reaction to meeting Max. There had definitely been an instant attraction, and it seemed to be getting stronger.

“Then she should have come to me and told me instead of jumping into bed with him,” Ellie said.

“Yes, she should have,” her mother said. “I know you don’t want excuses, and I understand that, but Eleanor, we have to find a way to get past this. Ava’s going to marry John a week from Saturday, no matter how any of us feel. She loves him, and he loves her. Please try to be all right with it.”

“Okay, Mom. I’ll try. Now please, stop crying,” she pleaded as she handed her mother another tissue.

“Do you want to hear about the preparations for the garden party?”

“What garden party?”

“You didn’t get your invitation?”

Ellie shook her head. “Maybe,” she said then. “There was a lot of mail piled up. I paid the bills, but I didn’t have time to go through all the rest . . .”

“Annie’s giving a garden party here Saturday evening for Ava. It’s going to be lovely. Annie’s taken care of all the preparations long distance, if you can imagine. Of course, Ava insisted that she approve every choice. There will be about eighty people here, maybe more.”

Ellie continued to listen while her mother talked about all the difficulties with the planning and how nervous and demanding Ava had been to have everything just so.

“You’re not paying for this wedding, are you, Mother?”

“No, no,” she rushed. “Ava and John are paying for everything.”

Ellie didn’t think she was telling the full truth, but she didn’t argue.

“Ava’s done most of the work. It’s just been very stressful. I’ll be so thankful when this is over.”

Max walked in with her father but stopped when he saw Ellie’s mother dabbing at her eyes.

“You told her?” he asked.

Ellie was shaking her head. “Not a good time.”

“Tell me what?” her mother asked, the worry already creeping back into her eyes.

Ellie braced herself for the battle ahead. “Something’s happened, and we have to leave. I didn’t think it was necessary for Max to tell you because we wouldn’t be here, but he insisted, said it was important that you know and I . . .” She realized she was rambling and forced herself to stop.

“What’s happened?” her father asked.

“Max, why don’t you explain.”

Max pulled out a chair next to Ellie, sat, and quickly told them about the Landry case and the shooting of Sean Goodman. The rest of the account took only fifteen minutes, but for the next hour Ellie tried to calm them down.

“But if you’re not a witness and you can’t identify these terrible people, why would they send someone to harm you?” her mother asked.

“They don’t take chances,” Max explained. “And they have their ways of finding out who potential witnesses are. She and Sean saw them.”

“They were both wearing disguises, you said,” William said.

“Yes, Dad, they were. I really couldn’t identify them.”

“What should we do, William? I don’t want to let Ellie out of my sight. I want to keep her locked up in the house until they catch that man, but I know I can’t.”

“We’ll figure something out.”

Figure something out? “Dad, unless you want a plus two at the wedding, Max and I need to leave.”

“What plus two?” her mother asked, not understanding.

Max understood. He put his arm around the back of Ellie’s chair and gently tugged on her hair. Plus two would be Max and the hired killer. Not funny.

“I’ve been accused of ruining several of Ava’s parties, and I don’t think she’ll appreciate someone shooting up the church during the ceremony.”

“Oh my Lord, don’t talk like that,” her father said.

“I’m putting everyone in danger staying here. I do wish I could stay for a little while. I haven’t seen Annie in over three years. And all the aunts and uncles will be here, some I haven’t seen since I was a little girl.”

“It’s too dangerous for you,” her mother said. “I so wanted you to attend the garden party, though. Annie’s going to be disappointed. The whole family would be together, and that hasn’t happened in years, has it, William?”

“Mom, please don’t tell Annie or Ava the real reason I had to leave. Make up an excuse.”

“How safe is my daughter going to be back in her apartment?” her father asked Max. “Strangers stick out here, but not in the big city.” His face was getting red with anger, for it was all sinking in.

“There will be more agents and police to watch over her.”

“What about you, Max? Are you going to keep my daughter safe?”

“Yes, sir, I am. I’m not going to let anyone hurt her.” It was a promise he would die to keep.

“Then you aren’t her friend, Max?” her mother asked. “You’re here to protect her?”

He didn’t hesitate. “I’m both.”

“I know you care about Ellie. I can see it in your eyes,” her father said. “Will that interfere with your ability to do your job?”

“No.” His voice was emphatic.

“Did I mention that the garden party is in our backyard?” her mother asked.

Ellie could see how rattled she was. “Yes, you did mention it.”

“By Saturday there will be large planters at each end of the yard and flowers galore all along the borders. The nursery will be here tomorrow morning to do the planting. There will be fullblown flowers in every imaginable color. Oh, and at the end of the yard will be a pristine white tent with tables covered in white linen cloths and covered chairs for those who don’t want to stand. There will be music, too, a violin. I’ll take lots of pictures to send you, Ellie, so you won’t feel excluded.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

None of this was her fault, but Ellie still felt guilty and responsible for her parents’ pain. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

Seeing the disappointment on his wife’s face, Ellie’s father turned to Max. “Couldn’t you two stay until after the party Saturday? You could make it safe. If Ellie stayed in the house or in the tent during the party, and if we could get someone else to help with security, wouldn’t it be possible?”

Her parents were looking eager and hopeful. Ellie knew how important it was to her mother that she stay, and she didn’t want to disappoint her, but Ellie had to be realistic. Others could get hurt.

“It could be dangerous for you and your guests if I stay,” she warned.

“I know we can make it safe,” her father insisted. “Even if we have to hire security here. You’ve got that man’s picture, so we’d know who we’re looking for . . .”

“Landry could have hired someone else,” Max said.

Claire looked hopeful. “But like William said, everyone knows everyone else around here. A stranger would stick out.”

“Even a cable guy or a repairman? Would you look twice?” Max asked.

“I know the repairman I’m going to call to fix the air conditioner,” William said. “And we won’t let any other repairmen near here until the party’s over.”

“No one knows you’re home, Ellie,” her mother said. “Because none of us were certain you’d be able to get away. I only told the relatives that you were going to try to get home but that your schedule was difficult. We’ll keep it a secret until the party. I’ll tell Ava and Annie to keep it low-key, too, and not mention you.”

The parents had a plan now and looked at Max for approval. When he didn’t immediately agree, Claire asked, “What do you think?”

Ellie couldn’t break their hearts. She made up her mind that if Max told her no, that she had to leave, she would pull rank and simply say that she was staying.

Max’s cell phone vibrated, telling him he had a text. He pushed the chair back and stood. “Let me talk to some people and see what I can do.”

Ellie’s mother clasped her hands together, and her father smiled. “Good, that’s good.”

Max put one hand up. “I’m not promising anything. If I don’t get the people I want, then Ellie and I are leaving. You’ll have to accept that. All right?”

“Yes, of course,” her father said as her mother nodded.

“I really think I should stay for the party . . . ,” Ellie began.

The look Max shot her suggested she not continue. If she thought she could show a little independence and throw her weight around with the I-can-do-whatever-I-want attitude, she was sadly mistaken.

Ellie stood up, thinking that she and Max should have their disagreement in another room so her parents wouldn’t hear them, but Max didn’t seem to care who heard what he had to say.