Page 63 of Dancing on Air

“They like you,” she said, nudging him slightly.

“Will they still like me if we tell them you’re moving in with me?”

“Let’s find out.” She wiggled her eyebrows, then turned and got the entire table’s attention. “Thank you everyone for coming out tonight. It’s such a wonderful thing to have people”—she shook her head—“to have family who care about you. Some family by blood, some by choice.” She lifted her glass in the air and the others raised their own glasses. “I’ve decided to move in with Max when we return to the city,” she added and several people cheered. “Now, who wants dessert?” There were more cheers.

“That went well,” Max said when she sat back down while everyone ordered desserts.

“It’s just real proof that they like you.” She kissed him.

She couldn’t have asked for a better end to a perfect day. As they said their goodbyes, she made a point to kiss each of the sleeping kids. She wanted to say proper goodbyes, but they were all fast asleep except for CJ.

Kayla agreed to meet them the next day for lunch at the pizzeria since they were heading to the mainland early in the morning.

As the three of them climbed the stairs, Missy’s phone rang.

“It’s Mom,” she said, stopping at the top.

“Want me—” Max started, but Missy waved at him.

“Go, enjoy the night.” She pushed him on the shoulder. “I’ve got this.” She turned away and answered her phone.

“Come on.” She took his hand and pulled him down the hallway towards their rooms.

“She’s better at that than I am,” Max said when they got to the room.

“What?” she asked, unlocking the door.

“Dealing with them. For some reason, they treat her differently than they treat me.” He shut the door behind him.

“Maybe it’s because she’s a girl?” Cora suggested taking off her heels.

“I think it’s because she stopped caving to them a lot earlier than I did.” Max pulled off his jacket and tie. “Going into the military was the first thing I did without their permission.”

“Parents can be difficult when children decide their own futures. My mother hated that I chose dancing. When I was younger, she kept trying to get me kicked out of my school.” Cora sat on the edge of the bed. Max walked over and sat next to her.

“When I told my parents I’d enlisted, they tried to bribe me. When that didn’t work, they tried to pay off a doctor to say I had bone spurs or something.” He shook his head.

“Seriously?” She took his hand in hers. “Was it what you needed? Being on your own?”

He nodded. “I could have done without losing some of my brothers. But…” He took a deep breath. “I needed to grow up. When I went in, I was a spoiled child. Someone who had never been told no. Someone who couldn’t make decisions on my own.” He glanced towards the doors. “My parents assumed that both Missy and I would just bend to their wishes for our entire lives.”

“When I have kids, I’m going to let them decide what they want to do when they get old enough. Like my brother and sister are with their kids.”

He smiled at her. “I’ve never really thought about having kids before. I mean, I knew that one day I’d want them, but… I guess I didn’t really think about the logistics. How I’d raise them.”

“Me either.”

“Are you tired?” he asked her suddenly.

She leaned closer to him and purred, “Not really.”

He kissed her, then surprised her by jumping up and saying, “How about we head out and enjoy that hot tub?”

“That sounds perfect.”

The following morning after breakfast, the three of them met JT at the dock. They decided they would need to drive the rental around town, so Max pulled it back onto the ferry and chatted with JT while she and Missy hung out exchanging Silver Cove gossip.

She filled Missy in on Crystal Holley and Rory Sinclair. How they were married a few years back and lived in Holley Hall, Crystal’s historic family home.