Maxim. I gave the girl her start in business, and she’s still my partner. We enjoy working together. It’s going to be fun.”
Fun? The only fun that Max could see in the entire equation was the time he could spend with Lily Susan. But he’d barely admitted that to himself—and certainly wasn’t ready to say a word to his mother.
Lily Susan intrigued him more than he’d expected. Her cool, polished exterior contrasted with the warmth she’d shown with his daughter. And the challenge in her eyes fascinated him. Especially her strength and the vulnerability he sensed she was hiding. Oh, yeah, the woman fascinated him.
He was having life signs where he’d least expected them. Figured that he’d start to emerge from his shell for a woman who in no way meshed with any aspect of his life.
Max leaned back in his chair and considered his reply. He needed to redirect before his mother thought she had permission to assume control. His mother understood money.
“Please keep in mind that while I—” emphasis on the singular “—may be hosting this event, Raymond and Jamilyn are paying for it, so I’m accountable for every dime. I have no choice but to be involved with the decision making otherwise I won’t be able to adhere to their budget.”
Rising quickly, he kissed her cheek. “But I do appreciate your connections and your help. You know that.”
Her expression said she recognized the dismissal for exactly what it was. There was nothing left to say as far as Max was concerned. Of course, he didn’t think for one second his mother would back off of the planning even if she didn’t have carte blanche to assume control.
“Kiss Madeleine for me.” She sounded cool as she retrieved her purse and copy of the paper. “Please let her know we’re scheduled at the spa Friday afternoon for our nails. Brigham will pick her up after school.”
“I’ll tell her.”
She didn’t say another word as she strode out the door, unhappy. Max rubbed his temples, determined to come up with the next move before he had a train wreck on his hands.
But at least his mother hadn’t taken out her displeasure on his daughter. That was definitely something. Madeleine always enjoyed outings with Goddess, usually involving grooming or shopping expeditions. His mother wasn’t exactly an involved grandparent—nothing along the lines of the hands-on Rosie—but as his daughter and mother were both female and kindred souls in a family with a lot of men, he encouraged his mother whenever she reached out.
Max didn’t want to strain their relationship, either, but he refused to allow his mother to ruin his plans. He had to tread carefully because Lily Susan was comfortable working with his mother.
He had no intention of stepping aside. His mother and Lily Susan had no choice but to deal with him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LILY DROVE DOWN Main Street with the noon traffic in her dad’s Cadillac, which she’d commandeered as her own until arranging for a rental. Downtown Poughkeepsie had come a long way since the days when she and her friends used to sneak into town to hang out at the Main Mall and ogle boys. The pedestrian mall had been built to preserve the nineteenth-century commercial buildings that lined the town’s main street. While it had been a noble endeavor, the inception of suburban shopping centers had degenerated Main Mall into a seamy place that had fascinated teens from the rural hamlet of Pleasant Valley.
Main Mall had met its official demise only a few years before Lily’s last visit home. The street had since been reopened and all those commercial buildings were now on the historic register.
Her own building had undergone a similar transformation, and as she turned onto a side street and found a parking space, she remembered how this row of Victorian town houses hadn’t looked nearly so well-preserved a decade ago. But to the twenty-year-old college student with very big dreams, the three-story town house, with its mansard roof and dormer windows, had been the epitome of worldliness and charm.
As the property had needed considerable work and everyone had believed the demise of the Main Mall inevitable, she’d purchased it for a song. Then, with the help of her father, brothers and friends, she’d undertaken the renovations of the interior and exterior herself.
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