She nodded again. She was beginning to feel like a bobblehead doll. “Yes, I did, and Max and I started seeing each other.”
She felt terrible lying to her father, but she justified her actions by reasoning that her motives were good. If she told him the truth, he would dwell on all the possibilities of what could have happened to her.
Her father visibly relaxed. “I’m very happy to meet one of Ellie’s friends. Why don’t we go inside and get something cool to drink. You must be parched.” He motioned for them to go in ahead of him.
Ellie’s mother came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a frilly apron. “William, dinner will be ready in-” She stopped mid-sentence as soon as she saw Max, and her reaction was almost identical to her husband’s when he’d first noticed the gun.
“Claire, this is Max Daniels,” William said. “He’s a friend of Ellie’s.”
“A friend?”
“Yes, Mother,” Ellie said. “A friend.”
“Oh,” she said as she nervously patted her hair. Her gaze bounced back and forth between the pair.
Max smiled as he took her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“My goodness, you’re handsome.” She laughed after making the comment. “You’re staying for dinner, of course.”
“I’d love to.”
Her mother beamed with pleasure. What had come over her? Ellie wondered.
“Why don’t we sit in our hearth room just off the kitchen,” her father suggested.
Where they could grill him, Ellie thought. And she was right. The questions began, one on top of the other.
Ellie didn’t know whether Max liked sweet tea or not, but the glass was offered, and he accepted. She stood by the kitchen island, watching, and had the most amazing revelation: Max could be charming. And her mother? She was so excited and flustered, she was blushing. Was her behavior because her daughter had finally found another man? That possibility riled. Or was her mother acting strange because Max was so adorable… with her, anyway.
“Ellie, why don’t you go upstairs and change before dinner,” her mother suggested.
“I’m almost finished painting the room. I just have the trim to do.” And one wall, she silently added. “When is dinner?”
“In an hour.”
“I’ll help paint,” Max said.
Ellie was all for that. She couldn’t wait to get him alone and find out why he had come all this way.
“No, you’re a guest,” her father said.
“He likes to paint,” Ellie rushed to say.
“How long will you be staying?” her father asked.
“No time at all,” Ellie answered for him.
Neither parent paid any attention to her.
“William, Max is Ellie’s plus one. He’ll be staying at least until after the wedding. Won’t you, Max?”
“He’s my what?” Ellie asked.
“Your plus one, dear.”
“No, he’s not-”
“I’ll be leaving when Ellie leaves,” Max said, and the look he shot her suggested she not argue.
“You’ll be flying back with her?”
“That’s right.”
Ellie was shaking her head at Max. Her parents ignored her protest and so did he.
“Our daughter couldn’t be in safer hands, with her own FBI agent at her side,” William said. “Have you checked into one of the motels or the hotel yet?” he asked Max.
“No, sir, I came directly here.”
“Good,” he replied. “You’ll stay in the apartment over the garage. It’s not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it’s very comfortable, isn’t it, Claire?”
“Oh yes, it is.”
“I’m staying in the apartment,” Ellie said.
“Yes, dear, you are,” her mother agreed.
“There are two bedrooms,” her father reminded her.
“And you’re both adults,” her mother added.
Ellie was speechless. It was so unlike her father to be lackadaisical about sleeping arrangements. Yes, she was an adult, but until this minute, her father had never treated her as such. And her mother’s attitude was even more shocking. She was always so prim and proper, a true Southern lady, who tended to worry a little too much about what other people would say. She apparently didn’t give a hoot about them now, though.
“I’ll admit I’ll sleep easier knowing you’ll be watching out for her,” William said. “Has Ellie mentioned Evan Patterson to you?”
Max nodded. “Yes, sir, I know all about him.”
He sighed with relief. “My daughter keeps things inside. I wasn’t sure whether she’d shared her past with you, but I’m very pleased she did. Now you understand why I’m happy you’ll be staying with us.”
“Dad, Max didn’t say he could stay-”
“I’d love to stay here.”
“Good,” William said. “Do you think after dinner we might sit down and talk about Patterson for a minute?”
“Of course,” he answered.
“I’d love to find out about you two,” her mother said. “How long you’ve been seeing each other and how-”
“Later, Mom,” Ellie interrupted. “After dinner you may ask all the questions you want. The paintbrushes are going to dry out. Come on, Max. You offered to paint. Let’s go.”
He followed her upstairs. She was muttering something, but Max couldn’t make out what she was saying. From her tone, he knew she wasn’t happy. Too bad, he thought. He had come all this way to protect her, and by God, that was exactly what he was going to do.
Concentrating solely on the job was going to take discipline. The first thought he’d had when he’d arrived at her house and saw her coming down the stairs toward him was that she was safe, and he’d felt a tremendous jolt of relief. The second thought was less professional. He’d wondered if her legs had gotten longer since he’d last seen her. By the time she’d reached him, he’d conjured up all sorts of fantasies about her.
Ellie led the way into Annie’s bedroom. Max took a step back when he saw the color on the walls.
She waited until he had shut the door behind him and then said, “It’s bad, isn’t it? Of course, it’s bad. You wouldn’t have come here if it was good news. You would have called, right? So it’s bad. Just tell me, Max. How bad?”
Max heard her father coming up the stairs. Now wasn’t the time to explain. Ellie was bound to get upset, and from her father’s response to seeing his gun, Max knew he wouldn’t take the news well at all.
“Roller or brush?” Max said.
She blinked. “I’m sorry?”
He repeated the question just as her father opened the door and stepped inside, saying, “I’ll use the roller. Why don’t you two paint the trim. How much do you have left to do, Ellie?”
“Two windows,” she answered.
The trim was white, the walls an iridescent shade of lavender. Max took one window, Ellie the other. She kept glancing over at him while she tried to think of a way to get her father to leave, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He was in a cheerful and chatty mood, no doubt because her friend was armed.
Once again she felt a pang of guilt. Having her home was a burden for him. She shouldn’t have given in to her mother’s pleas. It would have been so much better for her father if she had stayed away.
“You’ll have to see the falls while you’re here. It’s a short hike but worth it, isn’t it, Ellie?” he asked as he poured paint into the roller pan.
“Yes, it is,” she replied. “I don’t know that Max will have time-”
“Sure he will,” her father argued. “You did say you were going to be here until Ellie leaves, didn’t you, Max?”
“I did,” Max answered.
Ellie glared at him. He winked at her.
“How long have you two been seeing each other?” her father asked.
Determined to nip the personal questions in the bud, she said, “Awhile now, Dad. Max, did I tell you that my father has a Ph.D. in mathematics? He’s a dean now at the university. Did I mention that to you?”