“Come on, Mom, you know it, and I know it. I’m an impulsive fuck up. Why get entangled with me?”
“Max, you have a successful business and a great circle of friends. A home. And it seems working with you has benefitted her a great deal. I don’t see where this belief you’re a screw up is coming from.”
His title as a landscape architect might have gotten them clients, but his impulsiveness nearly cost them both jobs. He shouldn’t have come on to Paloma at the Thompson house. He shouldn’t have fallen asleep at the wheel. Hell, he shouldn’t have let his curiosity lead to that night with his ex in Chicago. Had he thought through the consequences of his actions, they wouldn’t be haunting him. Maybe Paloma would be more interested in him.
He couldn’t tell his mother about any of this, so he said, “Aren’t you the one who always says I’m impulsive?”
“Yes, you are on the impulsive side, but not wild. And while you may have been reckless at one point, that was a long time ago. And I’m sorry if I made you think I viewed you as reckless.”
“I still am. I change my mind constantly. I go back and forth. When we first met at The Hill, I turned Paloma down.”
“You turned her down?” Drake said. “Why in the hell would you do that?”
Max startled, forgetting his brother was there. “Long story, but yes, I did. Then, I almost immediately changed my mind once we started working together, even though she made it clear she thought a professional relationship was better. I made everything more difficult.”
“Did you push something she didn’t want?” his brother asked. “Did you wear her down? Or did you only make your feelings known?”
“I’m not an asshole, or desperate,” Max huffed. “I’m not gonna force myself on someone not interested.”
“Then let yourself off the damn hook,” Drake said. “Paloma isn’t going to do anything she doesn’t want to do.”
He had apoint. Paloma’s strong will and assertiveness were two of the things he loved about her. And yes, he could admit he was falling for her.
“True,” he said. “But the fact remains that my impulsiveness had made our working relationship more difficult. And in turn, she’s probably happy to get rid of me. From the start, she’d said she wanted things simple. That wasn’t us.”
“If you care about her, you should make sure she knows,” his mom said.
“This comes from the woman who told me not to pursue someone I’m working with.”
“Well, son. It’s too late for that. You did, and it is obvious you care about her. Impulsiveness is one thing, but are you also afraid to go after what you want? I see how you hold back, waiting for others to decide if you’re worth choosing.” His mom wiped her hands on her apron and moved closer, placing a palm on his cheek. “And Max, you are worth choosing. The question is, are you brave enough to let Paloma make that choice for herself instead of deciding for her?”
His brother stole a spoonful of the muffin mix and said around it, “And this isn’t about you, asshole.”
“Drake,” their mom chastised him.
At the same time, Max asked, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Lotte mentioned Paloma was engaged—”
“Who’s Lotte?” Their mom looked between them. “How—”
“A friend,” Drake said, probably hoping to cut off more questions.
“Yea. The guy screwed her over. What’s that to do with me?” Max asked.
“Don’t you think her trust in men, in commitment, would be all kinds of fu—” He glanced at their mom. “All kind of screwed up?”
He turned to his bowl, dumped in the frozen berries, and mechanically folded them in the muffin mix. Drake had a point. And her ex-fiancé wasn’t the only one who’d hurt her.
And Max was no better. He hadn’t stolen from her, then tried to make her feel like it was her fault, but he hadn’t shown her that he was willing to fight for her, for them. Instead of talking to her, he’d been ready to let them fade away.
“Earth to Max,” his mom’s voice cut through his thoughts. “You’re going to crush those berries into juice if you keep stirring like that.”
“Sorry,” he muttered, setting the bowl down. “I am an idiot.”
His brother snorted. “Only now realizing this?”
“Drake,” their mother chided him, then turned to Max. “Care to elaborate?”
