Page 28 of Maximum Risk (The Andrades 3)
She turned away again and this time didn’t stop. He watched her hire a taxi and get into the backseat—all without looking back at him once.
The chill of the winter air drove Max back into the restaurant to get his coat, but the cold he felt wasn’t only from the weather. He told himself he was glad she was gone. He returned to the main house half convinced she’d return and apologize.
She didn’t.
He called the island airport. She had flown back to the mainland shortly after leaving him at the restaurant. She was probably halfway to New York already.
Tara’s words had stung. What did she mean, he was better than this? Better than what? He could buy and sell the whole damn island without making a dent in his finances. He was a powerful man. A respected man. What part of that wasn’t good enough for Tara?
He regretted lashing out at her when she’d informed him that she, too, had lied to him. If he could go back in time, he wouldn’t have said the words she had thrown back at him. He wasn’t a cruel man. It had never been his intention to hurt her.
The more he thought about it, the more Max decided Tara’s leaving was for the best. She was obviously looking for more than he was willing to give. That would have brought an ugly and swift conclusion to their relationship regardless of when they realized it.
Max called for a car to drive him to the airport and had his pilot ready his plane. It was already dark, but he didn’t want to spend another minute on the island. As he stepped into the back of the hired car, he took one last look at the row of palatial homes dimly illuminated by the light of the moon and shook his head in disgust. He called Dale as soon as he was on the way to the airport and told him to move forward with the resort project. “Start the demolition phase ASAP.”
The decision didn’t improve his mood. Nor did his pilot, who rushed over to meet him at the car and explained he was concerned about the plane’s engine and wanted to have it double-checked. “I can have it looked at in the morning. The shop is closed tonight. It might be nothing, but I’d rather be sure. Would you be okay with staying until then?”
Normally Max would have been. When someone traveled as much as Max did there were bound to be glitches, even when money was no issue. However, it was late, and he was tired. He snapped, “Would I be here at the airport if I wanted to stay on the island another night?”
“I’ll make a few calls. Maybe there’s a plane we can hire here, or I can have one sent over from the mainland.”
“Do what you need to do, but get me off this damn island tonight.”
“Yes, sir.” His pilot headed inside the main building of the small airport.
Max thought he was alone, but the driver spoke beside him. “My mother lives next to one of the guys who maintains the planes here. I can have her run over to see if he can come back.”
Although it was a helpful suggestion, Max still asked, “Wouldn’t it be easier to call him?”
The driver shrugged a shoulder. He was in his early twenties, and Max wondered if he still lived with his mother. “Nah, he turns his phone off at night. Leo has a new baby, and his wife is really touchy about anyone waking it up. If you walk over there real quietly, though, sometimes she doesn’t mind. He’s the best mechanic we have on the island. Kenny’s good, too, but at this hour he’s probably at the bar, and he’s not as good after three drinks. He’ll say he is, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. I’ll call my mom. She won’t mind.”
His pilot returned and said, “There’s nothing here that can go out tonight. I called a place on the mainland, and they’re calling around to find a pilot. We should be able to find something.”
“Yes, we should,” Max said in frustration. He looked back at the driver. “What’s your name again?”
“Michael, but the locals call me Waffle.”
“Waffle? Like the food?”
“Yeah, like the food. You get it?” Michael said again with slow emphasis and pride.
Max rubbed a hand over his eyes. He didn’t, and he couldn’t believe he was going to actually say it, but he didn’t have much choice: “I’d appreciate it, Waffle, if you’d call your mother and ask her to see if Leo’s awake.”
“Will do,” Waffle said and stepped away to call his mother.
Max’s pilot opened his mouth to ask something, but Max raised a hand to silence him. “Don’t ask, but if Leo does show up, have him look at the engine. I’ll be inside getting a coffee.”
Waffle fell into step beside Max. “Mom says there’s a light on over there, so it looks promising.”
Max looked at the smile on the younger man’s face and sighed. “I’m getting coffee. You want to join me?”
“Thanks,” Waffle said. “I love dropping off people at the airport because it has the only twenty-four-hour restaurant. And do you know what they serve?”
“Waffles?” Max asked dryly.
The young man grinned from ear to ear. “You get me. That’s so cool.” His phone rang. He answered it, said thank you, and hung up. “Leo’s on his way over. Looks like you’ll be flying out tonight. If anyone can figure out what’s wrong with your plane and fix it, it’s him.” He pocketed his phone. “Oh, and Mom’s sending you a piece of pie. She’s on a baking binge. Gets like this every winter. I swear she’s the reason everyone on the island is five pounds heavier come spring.”
“You mother makes pie for everyone on the island?”
“Not all at once,” Waffle said, as if Max had said something ridiculous. “She doles out slices as people need them. Like you. Tonight. She figures you’re stuck here. You’re probably not happy about it. Pie makes everybody smile.”
“You’re serious?” Max asked at the door of the airport restaurant.
“Pie and waffles. Two things no one should live without,” Waffle joked and walked through the door Max held open.
“Can you excuse me for a minute?” Max asked.
“Sure,” Waffle said cheerfully. “I’ll grab us a booth.”
Max walked out of the restaurant, away from prying ears, and called his assistant again. “Dale, hold off on moving forward on the resort. Don’t knock down anything yet.”
“I just sent out an email telling everyone to start shipping equipment there tomorrow, but I can email everyone again and tell them to hold off.”
“Do it.”
“Are you okay, Mr. Andrade? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“They make pie here, Dale. And they bring it to you when you’re sad. Fucking pie.”
“Is it some sort of contaminated pie that would make for bad press for the island and therefore the resort?”
“No, it’s homemade by a mother who makes the whole island fat by spring.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Mr. Andrade.”
Max rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Just cancel the demolition team. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He walked back into the airport restaurant feeling oddly hopeful and thoroughly miserable at the same time.
Chapter Thirteen
A week later, in her own off-the-rack clothing with her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, Tara sat in her office at New Holmes, frustrated that she didn’t feel more enthusiastic about having returned to find two new clients who were anxious to hire her. She wanted to step right back into the life she’d had before Maddy had pulled her into the Andrade world. Before Max.
There was no denying, though, that documenting proof of men betraying the women in their lives was now depressing. I may have to take on some positive investigative jobs. Help someone find a lost dog. Anything but what I’m doing now.
What is wrong with me? I used to like this job. She didn’t like the answer that came to her. Although she’d caught a boyfriend cheating on her, her feelings for him had barely scratched the surface of what she was capable of feeling for a man. The emotional fallout from his betrayal had been minimal because she hadn’t actually loved him.
Whereas walking away from Max had left her raw and vulnerabl
e. Not that I love Max. I don’t. I can’t. Loving him would be a monumental mistake and ridiculous, since I barely know him.
We have chemistry. That’s all.
Tara laid her head down on her desk. It’s a good thing he let me leave. I was beginning to get delusional. I falsely lent significance to everything he said, every touch of his hand. He told me it wasn’t there, but I saw what I wanted to see.
Heard what I wanted to hear.
Broke my own damn heart.
Tara would have closed her office for the day and gone home, but being with Dyson and Brigitte lately was equally painful. Dyson had all but moved in. He must have knocked her panties off with some amazing sex because Brigitte claimed to be ready to try monogamy. The two of them walked around with silly smiles on their faces, sneaking not-so-subtle caresses when they thought Tara wasn’t watching.
