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He was so relieved that his knees went weak. “She’s okay.”
“Go see her, Max. Give her no doubt about what she means to you.”
“I’ll talk to Mom after work.”
Max responded to Lexi’s text as soon as he could.That’s great news. Thanks for letting me know.
Were you worried?
I was worried sick.
Don’t do that! I told you not to.
I’ll try harder next time.
She sent back heart emojis that made him even more determined to put Colton’s plan into action. But first, he had to deal with Chloe.
ChapterFourteen
“People protect what they love.”
—Jacques Cousteau
Max found a stump to sit on and put through the call to the number that was still in his phone from seven years ago. Why hadn’t he deleted it? He couldn’t say.
“Max. Hi.”
“Hey.”
“Thank you so much for calling.”
“No problem,” he said, even though that was a huge lie.
She laughed. “I’m sure it was a big problem for you, and I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t sure how best to reach out…”
“He loves the truck. Thank you.”
“I’m so glad. I was hoping he didn’t already have it.”
Max didn’t tell her that the reason he didn’t already have it was because it was ridiculously expensive. “I talked to him about how you want to see him, and he said he’d be okay with that.”
“Oh my goodness, Max. I’m so glad to hear that. I wasn’t sure if you’d allow it, or if he’d want it. I just didn’t know.”
“I want to be clear. We’re talking a visit, nothing more than that. I want to do what’s right for him, and from what I’m told, letting him decide is the right thing.”
“I understand.”
“Do you, Chloe? Do you understand anything about what the last seven years have been like for me since you disappeared?”
It occurred to Max right in that moment that women tended to disappear from his life, and why was that exactly?
“No, I can’t possibly know, and I’m sorry I did that to you. All I can say in my own defense is that I wasn’t well mentally. I’m better now, but it’s been a long journey. I’m not looking to upset your life or Caden’s. I swear to you, that’s not what this is about. I just want to see him and for him to know…”
“What?”
“That I love him. I always have, and I always will, and that I’m sorry for what I did.”
He could hear the tears in her voice and felt like a monster for being so hard on her, but who could blame him for still being upset? “He’s a wonderful kid, and he’s happy. I won’t let anyone or anything mess that up.”
