“That’s not true. Well, it is a little in that you didn’t know what you wanted to do, but you could have always taken over your father’s company. There was never any real doubt about what you could do. It was just a matter of you getting serious. I projected my fears on to you. Back then, I was afraid that I’d never make anything of myself and all the whispers around town about us would seem . . .” Robyn searched for the right words. “True. My father worked for your dad. If I didn’t make something of myself, there would have been no one there to catch me.”
His voice was low. “I would have.”
“Then why didn’t you come with me to New York?”
“Do you remember what you said to me that night?”
Robyn’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “I said a lot. Which part?”
“The ‘There’s no opportunity for me here, Ian! Don’t you want to see and do more than just getting worked up for the Jubilee Day parade during the Fourth of July?’ I memorized it word for word.”
“That was . . .”
He interrupted her. “True.”
“No, not true. It was awful of me to say.” Robyn loved the Jubilee Day parade too.
Maxwell was thoughtful. “You needed to see what was out there. I know I’ve said it before, but last night, for the first time, I actually meant it.”
“Maxwell, I’m really sorry for how everything happened. I should have shared my real fears with you, and I certainly shouldn’t have accepted the job in New York without discussing it with you. Can you forgive me?”
He was incredulous that after everything she was asking for forgiveness. But if he were honest, if felt as if he’d been waiting for it for years. Maybe he had been. “Can you forgive me for all this?” He gestured around him.
“Yeah. I can forgive you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel some kind of way about last night. I’m still pissed, but I think it’s more important we put the past behind us.” She paused. “I think . . . I think we needed this to understand each other better.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
They sat in silence as they thought about what the other had said. After a moment, Robyn smiled.
“So. You built me a house?”
He laughed. “Two of them. That one at the base of the hill with my own hands.”
“Really? I feel like such a terrible human.”
“Don’t. There’s no point.”
“Where exactly is it?”
“I haven’t been to it in a while, but I never sold it. I built it close to where we would sneak off and . . . where we would go when we wanted to be alone . . . just down at the base of this hill.”
Her voice was soft. “I’d love to see it one day.”
Even after their frank talk, Maxwell still wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss the hell out of her. He resisted that urge. “I might not have an opportunity to show you before I go back to California, but the next time I’m in town we should plan a tour.” It was time, past time, to let Robyn go and move on with his life. Forgiving her was the first step in the process.
Robyn had never been good at holding her tongue. She couldn’t help asking about the woman he was on the phone with earlier. “So, this Marissa? Is she special?”
Maxwell sat back in his chair. “Honestly, I don’t know. We’re good friends, but she wants to be more. I’ve known her for a few years and from time to time we hang out. She’s perfect on paper, but we’re not exclusive. If we were, I would never have . . .” He looked over into Robyn’s eyes. “Last night wouldn’t have happened.”
Robyn glanced down at her hands. She knew her cheeks were probably inflamed.
“We had some unfinished business.” Maxwell lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. “I’m glad we finally talked. I needed this more than I knew. Even though I think you broke my jaw, thank you.” He sighed. “Maybe now I can put the past where it belongs.”
Robyn wanted to scream. Yes, they needed to move on from the past, but she wanted to get to know the real him, the man he’d become today. She didn’t completely want to let go of the love of her life. She thought better of it, though. Maybe Maxwell was right. Maybe it was time to move on—no, it was more than past time for both of them. “We were friends once. I hope we can find our way back to that.”
Maxwell’s smile was slow but honest. “I’d like that too.”
Robyn got it. The message of the day was closure. That was what Maxwell had been seeking all along. Their reunion wasn’t going to be a new beginning. Robyn hadn’t found peace in their reconciliation. As the disappointment settled into her bones, she hoped he had.
Chapter 15
Robyn lay across the bed in the guest room with her arm thrown over her face. She’d been in the same position since her conversation with Maxwell earlier. She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered into the air. “How the hell did I end up here?”
Her personal life officially sucked.
Restless, Robyn sat up and pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She placed her cheek on top
