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“Thank you.”
“Have a great weekend.”
“You, too.” Max got out and hooked his bag over his shoulder as he went up the walk to the front door, which flew open.
Lexi’s grandmother, Carol, hugged him in the doorway. “She’ll be thrilled. She’s talked all about you and your son and your family this week.”
“That’s good to know.”
“It’s so wonderful to see her smiling and happy again.” The older woman blinked back tears. “It’s been a long time.”
“Thanks for helping me pull this off.”
“My pleasure. Shall we go surprise our girl?”
He held out his arm to her. “Let’s do it.”
Lexi thoughtshe was seeing things when her grandmother walked into the dining room with Max. It took a few seconds for her to blink him into focus and to catch up with the fact that he was there, in her house, with her grandmother, who didn’t seem surprised at all.
He walked over and held out his hand to her.
Lexi took his hand and let him help her up and into his arms. Max was there. He’d left his home and his son and had come all the way to Houston to see her.
“You’ve left her speechless, Max,” Lexi’s dad, Larry, said with a laugh.
“So I see,” Max said, smiling. “Are you okay, Lex?”
“I’m shocked.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
“In the best possible way.”
They shared a warm smile, and she could tell he was dying to kiss her but never would in front of her parents and grandparents.
“Oh, give her a kiss, Max,” her grandfather, Jim, said. “We all know you want to.”
Max shrugged and gave her a quick kiss that was nowhere near enough.
“How did you get here?” Lexi asked. “How long can you stay?”
“I flew from Burlington to Atlanta to Houston, and I can stay until Tuesday night.”
“Oh my God!” She hugged him tightly, thrilled to have four days to spend together. “That’s amazing.”
“Good surprise?” he asked.
“Best surprise ever.”
“You must be hungry, Max,” Lexi’s mom, Angie, said. “We were just about to eat. Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
He joined them for a delicious chicken dinner, complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing and a variety of vegetables. “This is great,” he said. “Thanks again, Mrs. Bradshaw.”
“We’re happy to have you, Max,” she said. “And call us Angie, Larry, Carol and Jim.”
“Thank you.”
