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“I’d love to,” Max answered honestly. “Let me see what happens when I get home, and I’ll call you.”
“Great,” Wallis said.
“Hey, what do you know about Tom Barnes?” Max couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Not much,” Wallis told him. “His father has lived on Marco Island his whole life, but Tom’s parents divorced when Tom was a kid, and his mother took him and his brother and moved to Naples.”
“That sounds like you know quite a bit about him.” Max snorted.
“I know his father,” Wallis said. “Tom moved to the island with his daughter after getting divorced some years ago and works for his father’s construction company.”
“I know that much,” Max admitted.
“Why are you asking about Tom?” Wallis asked. “I thought you already had contractors working on the center.”
“Oh, no reason,” Max clenched his jaw, regretting having asked like a jealous fool. “Tom is doing the plans for the extension of Scotts Hotel.”
“Ah, you’ve decided to stand with Lorry against the expansion,” Wallis teased Max.
“Yeah, no!” Max shook his head. “When it comes to being on good sides, I prefer being on my mother-in-law’s good side.”
“Always the wise choice.” Wallis laughed. “Listen, buddy, I have to go, but call me later and let me know if you want to come around for beer, pizza, and baseball later.”
“Will do,” Max said, hanging up.
The rest of the day flew by with meetings, reports, and building inspections. Max was exhausted and wasn’t sure how he’d managed to get through the day with the constant worry about Steph nagging at the back of his mind. He couldn’t remember a day when he’d checked his phone nearly every other minute, hoping for a call from Steph.
He was about to leave when Kendal breezed into his office.
“Max, could you have a look at the turtle habitat before you go?” Kendal asked him. “I know how much this project means to you, and I’m hoping I’ve managed to get it exactly to your specifications.”
“Kendal, all the marine life rehabilitation projects are equally important to me,” he told her. “And I’m sure you’ve done a great job on the turtle project, but that’s one of Clyde’s projects, so you’d have to ask him.”
“Clyde’s?” Kendal sputtered in disbelief. “But this was supposed to be your special project. That’s why I insisted on being part of it and rallied for the sponsorship.”
“While I appreciate how much you helped by getting the project funded, you know that Clyde oversees all the rehabilitation projects,” Max reminded her again, closing his briefcase, pulling the car keys from his drawer, and heading out with Kendal trailing behind him.
“What projects are you working on, Max?” Kendal persisted.
“I have other work going on at the moment, and I’ve delegated the research center to be overseen by Clyde,” Max informed her, irritated by her refusal to listen. “Will you excuse us, please, Kendal? I have to speak to Glenda before I leave.”
Without waiting for her response, Max ducked into Glenda’s office, missing the narrowed-eye look Kendal shot his way.
“Glenda, I’m heading home,” Max told her, handing her a folder. “Here are all the forms from some great new investors.”
Glenda took the folder from him, grinning as she went through it. “It looks like you’ve had quite the lucrative day.”
“It was.” Max gave her a tight smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Max left the center and headed home, wondering if he should stop and buy some flowers for Steph or if she’d consider going to dinner with him that night. He let out a nervous breath, not knowing what to expect when he arrived home. Before today, Max and Steph seemed to have fallen into a pattern of tiptoeing around each other. At least he knew what to expect with that pattern. What had happened between them this morning had fractured whatever little peace was left between them.
When Max pulled into Scott House’s driveway, he noticed that Hannah’s car was missing and remembered she was going back to Palm Springs that day. A pang of guilt rushed through him as he hadn’t said goodbye. Max made a mental note to message her later and find out if she got home safely as he made his way to the pool house. Max was glad he’d not run into one of the Scott family members as he slipped into the pool house.
Max put his briefcase down where he always did near the door and Steph’s keys on the side table. His brow creased as a heavy silence greeted him, and before even looking through the rooms, Max knew there was no one home. Not wanting to read anything into it, he walked into the kitchen and froze when he saw the note taped to the refrigerator door.
Max, the boys, Tammy, and I have decided to take Hannah up on her offer to spend a few days with her in Palm Beach. I’ll get the twins to call you when we’re there.
Steph
