You Dropped a Blonde on Me (52 page)
Max sighed into his mouth, soft, willing, pushing her hands under his jacket to wrap her arms around his lean waist.
Campbell pulled away first when she shivered. “You’re freezing, honey, and you only have one shoe.”
Max clung to his neck. “I’d have two if you didn’t make me chase you down like Flo-Jo,” she said with a smile against his neck.
“So I guess you don’t want to push the cart?”
“I want to go home and bathe in the microwave.”
Campbell suckled her bottom lip, sending hot waves of pleasure along her spine. “I can think of better ways to warm you up.”
Her sigh was breathy, and she almost lost focus. “Yeah, me, too.”
“
Reallllly?
” he drawled, low and sexy.
Reallllly?
” he drawled, low and sexy.
“Yep, and I’ll show you all three and a half of them if you do the right thing here.”
“In the parking lot? Wow, Max Henderson—give you four days of self-healing and you’re an animal,” he growled.
Letting her arms fall to her sides, Max penetrated his desire-filled gaze with serious eyes. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it, and hurry it up before I have to have my foot amputated.”
A lone snowflake fell, landing on her nose. Campbell brushed it away then cupped her chin, his eyes tender and so, so genuine. “I love you, Max Henderson.
Big
.”
Big
.”
A sting of pleasure punctured her heart. Perfect and pure, it settled in right where it should have always been. Exactly where it now belonged. Max pulled him down for a kiss. “Know what really says love?”
Scooping her up, he carried her toward his truck. “What’s that, honey?” he grunted.
“A new pair of shoes.”
“I’ll scour Payless until its shelves are bare,” Campbell teased, yanking open the door to his truck and tucking her inside.
“Promise?” she asked, dragging him to her lips for one more delicious kiss.
His blue eyes held hers for a long moment, solemn and honest in the intent she recognized he meant to convey. “That’s definitely a
promise
.”
promise
.”
EPILOGUE
Note from Max Henderson-Barker to all ex-trophy wives and a final note on the art of sucking it up: When life sends you a monsoon, once the heavy rainfall has passed and you clear the debris, suck it up, Princess, and dance in the puddles. You
can
do this. You
will
do this—even if it blows big chunks. You will
not
give up. Nothing in life is worth having if it comes easy. Just ask me—I’ve got buttloads of worth.
“So now that you’ve heard my story, in closing, this is what I have to say to all of you. I know where you are. I lived where you are. I hated where you are,” Max said, tacking on a knowing smile.
Her audience laughed. An audience that included Lacey Gleason. An audience of ten women or so, tired, alone, afraid.
But not for long. “But I can assure you, short of a natural disaster, I’m never going back to where you are again. And if I can prevent it, I promise you don’t have to stay where you are either. Here at Trophy Jobs Employment Agency we provide job training, counseling, and the first of its kind Suck It Up, Princess, Boot Camp for the formerly privileged. It won’t be easy for a lot of you. Adjusting to places like Walmart and Payless shoes will seem like a travesty. However, I need you to trust me when I tell you, Payless shoes are better than no shoes. Walmart might not employ personal shoppers, but it has a helluva deal on ramen noodles in bulk.”
Each woman glanced around her, unsure, afraid, yet Max saw the determination to survive. It was only an ember, but who better than her to breathe life into that spark of a flame?
Her smile was warm when she concluded, “In closing, I’d just like to say that first, I’m so happy to have you all as employees. You each bring something unique to the Trophy Employment table, and I look forward to your input. And second, as we begin this venture together, one more bit of advice—no one but you can truly help yourself. It takes strength and the will to succeed—no whiners allowed. But if you heed my words when I say, ‘Suck it up, Princess,’ and get to the business of thriving, I promise you, you’ll dance in the puddles of the monsoon responsible for washing away your former life.”
From the back of the room, Campbell began to clap, joined by Len and Adam, who sat side by side, holding hands. Following suit were Connor, Mona, Mary, Gail, Mr. Hodge, Garner, and several of the seniors from the Village who’d offered their retired services in starting up Trophy Jobs Employment.
Max made her way around the tables in the coffee room, giving each woman a hug and a word of encouragement.
Campbell held out a hand to her, and she took it, still thrilled by the shot of happiness it sent to her heart. “So, how does it feel to be a business owner on her way to getting a fancy college degree, Max Barker?”
Max planted a kiss on his lips. “It feels pretty damn good.”
Connor handed out paper cups filled with pink punch, nudging Max. “I have to hurry, Mom. I hate to trash your big day, but I gotta get back to study for my SAT.”
Max tweaked his cheek. “I’m so proud of you, kiddo, and I’ll miss you like crazy when you’re off at college. Now, gimme a hug and beat feet.” Connor obliged before thumping Campbell on the back and taking off.
“Wise investment you made with all that money Dorothy left you, Maxine,” Adam commented, tucking Len closer to him. Never once had Adam asked for payment of the debt Max owed him for not only helping her finally get divorced, but for recouping the money Dorothy had intended for her and Connor.
In turn, when Adam had come across two women so much like the person she once was, who needed representation but were penniless, she’d hired them. Skilless, clueless, and still sobbing over the loss of their private jets as they were.
“That’s my girl,” Mona bragged. “Finally landed on her feet. She’s a slow learner, but when she gets it, she gets it.”
Gail poked her head over Mona’s shoulder. “I still say you should have shipped Penis-less off to jail for stealing your money.”
Len’s head nodded her agreement, running an affectionate hand over Adam’s arm. “I’m with Gail. I rather liked the mental picture of him in orange.”
Max shot Gail and Len an affectionate smile. “Oh, don’t think for a second I wouldn’t have, but he agreed to counseling with Connor and he shows up twice a week faithfully. If it mends their fences and teaches Fin to be a better parent, I’d rather see that than him end up Little Anthony’s bitch.”
Campbell pulled Max tight to his side, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “So a toast—to sucking it up, and new beginnings!”
“Hear-hear!”
“Hear-hear,” Max whispered up at him, wiping a drop of pink punch from the corner of his mouth.
Campbell nipped at her thumb. “So you suppose, being the boss, you can take
long
lunches?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
long
lunches?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
A thrill of warmth sizzled in her veins. “You just want to try out the new couch in the meditation room, don’t you?”
“It is pretty comfortable,” he whispered, nipping her ear.
“I guess I could be talked into it,” she whispered back.
“Then I say we leave the celebrating to everyone else.” Taking hold of her hand, Campbell led her out of the coffee room and down the small hallway to the infamous couch.
Max went instantly to the big window in the center of the room. The view from it never failed to thrill her. It was in a prime location, right in the center of busy downtown.
Campbell locked the door, coming up behind her to pop the button on her blazer and cup her breasts. “Have I told you I love you today?”
Arching back against him, Max shook her head. “Nope, but I have it covered. I love you, Campbell. You’re the smartest choice I’ve ever made.”
He walked her toward the couch, running his hot palms over her length. “You wanna show me how smart you are?”
Max chuckled, low, her throaty laugh filled with desire. “In spades.”
Just as Campbell pulled her down to the couch and seconds before she let everything else go but the deliciously wicked things he’d do to her body, she caught one last glimpse of the view from the window.
Her window.
The one that overlooked downtown.
At a location that just happened to be right up the road from Cambridge Automobiles.
Didn’t that put your seat in something sweet?
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