He removed the protective glasses and perched them on top of his head. “When you come to Karltenberg, I shall challenge you to the European way of clay shooting.”
“When I come to Karltenberg?”
He took off his noise-blocking earmuffs. “Perhaps you will come someday, and I can return the favor of taking you around to my favorite activities.”
She slipped off her glasses and earmuffs too. Was Max being serious, or was he only being nice? And what did it really matter?
This morning when she’d arrived at her office, she hadn’t been able to resist googling him. A whole host of pictures had flooded her laptop screen, of him with various women—movie stars, other royalty, models, and more. All of them had been beautiful and rich and famous.
Then there had been the pictures of him with Sarah, who, as it turned out, happened to be the Duchess of Bavaria. She, too, was pretty and nearly perfect in every way. From all accounts, Sarah had been devastated to lose Max, especially because she’d hoped for a proposal, and instead, he’d delivered a breakup. If he went back home and worked harder at his relationship with her, no doubt he could make things work.
Even though last night’s discussion about relationships had made him uncomfortable, she wasn’t ready to let the topic go quite yet. “What will your wife think of you inviting me to come visit and taking me around to all your favorite activities?”
“My wife?” Max set aside his gun and supplies. “I thought you knew I am single.”
“You won’t be forever.”
He bent and retrieved a log from the woodpile, opened the stove door, and added more fuel. As he straightened, he expelled a tight breath. “I suppose if I implement our agreement to work hard in a relationship, I shall hopefully facilitate love.”
“You’re a great guy, Max. I’m sure women have an easy time falling in love with you.”
“Easy time falling in love, eh? I assume you are referencing yourself in the matter.”
“Oh, you guessed it,” she deadpanned. “It was love at first sight.”
“Precisely what I expected.”
This time she rolled her eyes.
He chuckled.
“If women fall in love with you so quickly, then I guess that means you’re the one not falling in love back.”
His mirth faded, and the muscles in his jaw ticked.
Was she pushing him too much? If only she could control her curiosity. “Why haven’t you fallen in love with anyone yet?”
He paced back to the railing of the shooting stand and peered out over the barren landscape.
She surveyed the land too. The wide-open range with its thick grass had drawn her relatives to begin ranching cattle so long ago. And it had drawn lots of McQuaids ever since. It was easy to love the land and the mountains and the beauty of it all. And she did...
But there were times when she felt stuck, when she couldn’t help wondering if her life would have turned out differently if she hadn’t failed out of school, if she’d kept going with her degree in business. Where would she be now? Would she have made a life for herself apart from her family?
Shoulders slumping, Max stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I was in love once. Long ago.”
The hollowness in his voice tugged at Emberly. She crossed to the railing and stood beside him. She might not be able to say or do anything to take that hollowness and hurt away, but at least she could listen.
“Ava. She was my tutor’s daughter.” His tone dropped low. “She came to the tutoring sessions with Mr. Koch, her father, and we became good friends.”
“How old were you?”
“Sixteen when I first met her, and naturally, our friendship turned into more. She was my first kiss, first love, first everything.”
“Sounds like you really cared for her.”
He was silent for a heartbeat. “Before I left for Cambridge, I gave her a promise ring and asked her to wait for me.”
Emberly could guess the direction of his story, and already her heart ached for him.
