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“And now you’re back in San Francisco for good?” For some reason, my heart constricts as I wait for his answer.
“Yeah. For now, at least. We’re moving into new territories all the time, and opening offices. Until now we’ve always sent someone from the family to oversee new markets, but it doesn’t mean we’ll be doing it again. I’m overseeing our international development from here, and it’s working out great. Your turn.”
I shudder as a breeze sweeps over me. Digging my hand under the couch, I retrieve the thick blanket we keep there for chilly evenings and drape it over me. “As you know, I moved with Grams to Montana after I left California.” I pause, because thinking about that time is bittersweet. We were financially better off because Grams had a better-paying job as an accountant, but I’d missed Max terribly. “It was actually nice there.”
“Did you find another partner in crime?” Max asks, and I can practically hear his smile.
“Nah, you were pretty much it for me during my childhood. What about you? Found a replacement for me?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
My heart sinks as an irrational jealousy grips me over that nameless and faceless playmate of his.
“Christopher,” Max clarifies, referring to his twin brother. “We got over the fact that we looked the same. Actually, we started using it to our advantage.”
I chuckle. During my time with them, the twins hated that they looked alike. That meant they made a point to have different haircuts and clothes, and they spent time apart as often as they could.
“You finished school in Montana?” Max asks.
“Yeah, then I moved here for college. Grams also got a job offer and moved here, which was just as good because I could take care of her after she got sick.” I wrap the blanket tighter around me as another gust of wind sweeps over me.
“About Grams,” Max says. “I know a very good neurologist. He’s the father of a college friend. I called him today and asked him about the disease, without mentioning names or anything personal. If you want, I can set up a meeting with him. You wouldn’t even have to bring Grams to him. I can drive him to your home.”
For a long moment, I remain silent as a rush of emotions overwhelms me. This is what I missed most about having Max in my life. More than the banter and laughter we shared, I missed his warmth and the kindness that runs bone-deep in him. And right now, I miss him so much that the ache is almost physical.
“Thank you for doing that—calling your friend’s dad. I’d love to take you up on it, but I have to convince Grams first. She already has a neurologist, but another opinion wouldn’t hurt. But she hates doctors. Seeing one is always an emotionally draining experience.”
“I’ll be there with you this time.”
And cue the fluttering in my stomach, which feels dangerously close to butterflies.
“Let me know when you want to go,” he continues. “Let’s move on to more cheerful things. Do you still like pancakes?”
“Absolutely. Once a pancake girl, always a pancake girl. Only now I almost always pair it with decadent toppings.”
“Describe decadent, Emilia.”
His voice has a husky undertone that sends ripples of heat down my arms. Also, I realize, it’s the first time he used my first name, and it sounds so perf
ect coming out of his mouth. Almost… decadent.
Damn, I’m losing it.
“Let’s see,” I reply in an uneven voice. “Whipped cream and caramel. Sometimes chocolate topping on top of everything. Decadent enough for you?”
Is it my imagination, or did I just hear him swallow hard? Definitely my imagination, because when he speaks again, his voice is perfectly composed. “Absolutely. Just concerned you might overdose on sugar.”
“There is no such thing.”
“Do you still clip photos on notebooks with all the places you want to visit?”
My jaw drops. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
“You stole my car magazine. Of course, I remember.”
“I didn’t steal it,” I argue, recognizing our familiar bickering routine. I pull the blanket up to my chin and wiggle my butt on the couch. “I borrowed it when you weren’t looking.”
Max snickers. “And returned it with a hole.”
