“I wasn’t kidding when I mentioned that you and Emberly are falling in love with each other.”
T.W. had said something about that during their introductions, but Max had not taken him seriously, had assumed he was teasing Emberly. Although Max did not want to contradict T.W., he had to correct the man. Max liked Emberly, admired her, was attracted to her—a great deal, actually. But love?
“I do think it is rather soon to conclude that we are falling in love. After all, we have known each other less than two weeks.”
“At your age, two weeks is plenty of time to know if you’ve found the one.”
Max could not quite believe he was having this conversation with T.W. It seemed slightly presumptuous and forward, but he had learned the McQuaids were not reticent. They spoke directly about most issues.
Surely, then, T.W. would not mind candidness in return. “I do not believe inthe onephilosophy of finding a spouse. Nor do I believe I must find mysoulmateor forever relegate myself to unhappiness.”
“I don’t either.”
Max paused. “Is that so?”
“Course we’ll feel more attracted to certain people than others.” T.W. was still studying Max intently. “But once we decide on a person, then they becomethe one, and it’s our lifelong job to turn them into oursoulmate.”
Max liked that reasoning. “Is that what you have done with your wife?”
T.W. smiled softly in the direction of the lower level, where Leah was using their top-of-the-line exercise equipment to work out. “Yep. I’ve made it my life’s mission to make her feel cherished every single day.”
“That is quite the noble undertaking.”
“It’s nothing less than what God designed—that a husband love his wife so completely that he would die for her.”
Everything T.W. was saying made complete sense. He could understand now why Emberly respected her father and his advice so much. “So you believe I can love Emberly the way you love Leah?” Once the question was out, Max felt foolish for uttering it. He had speculated privately about a future with Emberly, but it was not something he was ready to give voice to, especially to T.W.
“Forgive me,” he said quickly before T.W. could reply. “I am overreaching—”
“Nope. You’re fine. I’d like to hash this out before she gets here.”
Hash this out?Max wasn’t familiar with the phrase.
“It’s real obvious you both care for each other,” T.W. continued. “Fact is, I’ve never seen Emberly as taken with a man as she is with you.”
“Not even Ryan?”
T.W. scoffed. “Ryan didn’t have enough backbone to hold up against Emberly’s brothers. But yours is made of steel.”
Max’s pulse was suddenly pounding faster. Was T.W. correct about Emberly being more taken with him than with any other man? She had not said anything about liking him, nor had she crossed the line of friendship that had been established.
“I can tell you’re just as taken with her.”
Max wanted to deny T.W. After all, this was not the sort of conversation he was accustomed to having—talking with a father so openly. But if T.W. could be direct and vulnerable, Max could make the same effort, could he not?
“I shall admit,” he said slowly, “I am attracted to her, and I do admire her greatly. She is an incredible person.”
T.W.’s smile widened. “Then maybe you should decide she is your one and only.”
“I should not like to rush into something and make a mistake.”
“I know plenty of couples who waited months, even years, dating each other so they wouldn’t rush and make a mistake. But after they were married, they claimed they made a mistake anyway.”
“I understand that the length of knowing a person cannot be a deciding factor in a relationship. But taking one’s time cannot hurt, can it?”
T.W. shrugged nonchalantly. “Sometimes people delay because they say they need to get to know each other better. But the truth is, a lot of those people don’t really dig deeper into each other’s lives, even with more time. So in my opinion,quantityof time isn’t as important asquality.”
Deep down, Max knew T.W. had a good point. After all, Max had gotten to know Emberly more thoroughly in a week and a half than he had known Sarah in the many months they had dated.
