CHAPTER 9
His new house was very…nice.
Max stood in the center of the parlor, still holding his worn carpet bag, and slowly turned in place. It was amazing what could be accomplished with enough money. Not only had his house been built in a matter of weeks, but it was completely furnished as well. The wallpaper was tastefully muted, the pair of chairs in front of the fire looked comfortable, and the gas lamps were modern.
But it wasn’thome. Not that he’d ever felt at home at the ranch in Wyoming, but over the years, he’d grown used to his father—to the décor picked by the man he’d thought had been his father. Here, there were no paintings hanging on the wall, no knick-knacks on the mantel or the tables.
Shaking his head, Max set down his bag and stepped back into the foyer, then crossed into the dining room. Had he really expected the builder topersonalizethe house as well?
That’syourproblem.
And itwasa problem, because the more he saw of his new house, the more he could imagine it personalized. Not with his things—because, despite the shopping sprees Lysander had forced upon him, Max’s clothes could still fit in two suitcases—but withhers. He could imagine a sewing kit tucked there, beside the chair, or a colorful painting which had caught her eye sitting on the mantel. He could imagine the fancy china plates she’d picked out sitting in that cabinet, and a painting of the two of them hanging along that wall.
And theherhe was imagining—the woman standing beside him in that painting—was Ember.
Was he crazy? He’d known her for such a short time, but he could absolutely imagine sharing his home with her.
Sharing hislifewith her.
He picked up his second suitcase and began to climb the stairs to the next floor. The house’s design rivaled the ranch back in Everland in terms of quality, but it was nothing like Newfincy Castle or Dumpkins Estate.
Snorting softly, he stepped into the first bedroom. Imagine, someone likehimknowing what the inside of a castle looked like! He was a simple man, and he knew this house was too fancy for him alone. Why, this bedroom was finer than the room he’d stayed in at the inn, which had been part of the ancient manor house!
He dropped the suitcase near the bed, knowing he’d have to hang up the suits so they wouldn’t wrinkle too badly, and wandered across the hall. This bedroom was smaller, and would be ideal for a nursery?—
A nursery?
Max blew out a breath.
He was thinking aboutbabies? With…with Ember?
No, you’re thinking about alifewith Ember.
Ember, the serving lass he’d only just met. Ember, the lady he’d danced with at the ball. Ember, the woman he’d almost taken against the workbench at Oliphant Engraving.
Ember, the woman he loved.
Well, shit.
Max scrubbed a hand over his face while he muttered to himself.
He loved her?
Yes, by God, he did. He loved her!
So what are you going to do about it, idiot?
The way he’d left things with her…
She’d been crying.He’dmade her cry. He hadn’t purposefully hidden his identity from her or anything, but she’d been right to have been hurt by the confusion. Now that he realized how much she was relying on impressing “Mr. DeVille,” he could see why she’d been so upset.
He needed to figure out how to make it better. How to convince her he wasn’t a bad guy. How to make her see how much he needed her in his life.
“I’m going to need some help,” he muttered.
“Ye home?”
Max jerked at the sound of the voice from downstairs. It took him a moment to recognize it. “Leonidas?” he blurted in surprise. It was rare for Da’s heir to leave the old estate, wasn’t it? Max shook his head and called, “I’ll be right there!”
