chance.”
Max sighed and glanced around the trailer that had become his temporary office and home. The LEGO rendering of the bridge sat next to his desk. A small Christmas tree blinked in the corner. Two stuffed puppies sat next to Sophie’s desk. Sophie had complained many times over that she wanted a dog, but there was no way she could drag a pet to all the places Max had taken her for projects, many of which were international. From the first time she’d assisted him on a job, he’d learned she was the best assistant he could possibly have despite her complaints. He grumbled and she helped fix things. She anticipated his needs. Thank goodness he’d never given into any errant urges to have sex with her because he was certain that would have ruined the best relationship he’d ever had with a woman.
If she weren’t his assistant, she might have been the perfect woman for him. Low-maintenance, undemanding and she wasn’t at all clingy. Max, however, had Sophie’s number. Underneath that practical veneer, Sophie was a romantic at heart. Even though she’d followed him around the world, he had an itchy, uncomfortable feeling that Sophie wanted a husband and baby to go along with that dog she so desired.
And with his past disastrous relationships with women, he’d learned to steer clear of women who wanted romance and home and hearth. “You’re never gonna stop with this until I visit Chantaine,” he said. “Are you?”
She looked at him from behind her glasses with unapologetic determination. “Never. Ever.”
“Okay. I’ll go,” he said. “For one day. Just one day and then you don’t get to look at me with that guilty face.”
Sophie gave a slight smile. “One day will be enough.”
Max felt a sinking feeling at her expression. She looked like she knew something he didn’t. That wasn’t a good thing.
Max left the following day for the island country of Chantaine to meet his new relatives while Sophie wrapped up the loose ends of the contract. Terri Caldwell, one of the other assistants on the project, walked into the trailer.
“How’s it going?”
“I’m halfway through a million pages of paperwork,” Sophie said without looking up from her laptop.
“That’s what you get for being so efficient and devoted,” Terri teased. “And head over heels for Max Carter.”
Sophie grimaced. Nearly a decade older than herself, Terri was a good woman from Arkansas, honest to a fault. Her husband was a truck driver back in the States, but they visited every chance they got. Terri had started taking the long-distance work to pay for her twin boys’ college tuition. She had become a good friend to Sophie especially during the last couple of months. Terri was intuitive enough to spot Sophie’s unrequited feelings for Max, and Sophie had grown to trust the woman’s discretion. It had been a relief to have the older woman’s sympathy. “Don’t rub it in. I’ll get over him someday. Maybe someday soon. I really want a King Charles spaniel and there’s no way I can do that if I allow him to keep dragging me all over the world.”
“What amazes me is that he doesn’t seem to notice your feelings for him when everyone else can see it as plain as day,” Terri said, leaning against Sophie’s desk.
Sophie felt a jagged twist inside her. “He doesn’t see me as a woman. He sees me as the ultimate assistant.”
“Well, you are the ultimate assistant,” Terri agreed with a nod. “But you’re also a woman. Ever thought about giving him a clue about that?”
Sophie stopped keying in the final construction details and glanced up at Terri. “I’m not exactly sure how. I’m not the type to wear low-cut shirts or short skirts. Or lots of makeup. But I’m still feminine.”
“Of course you are. I wonder if Max might belly up to the bar if he had a little competition.”
Sophie shook her head. “That’s not my way.”
“Sometimes men need a little push. You may have to think outside the box. Unless you’re okay with having unrequited love for the rest of your life.”
Sophie sighed, remembering the first time she’d met Max. She’d been bowled over. He was the Indiana Jones of road construction. She’d quickly learned how to anticipate his professional needs. He’d learned, not quite as quickly, how valuable she could be to him. Though her feelings for him had deepened over the years, only his professional respect had grown for her, and nothing more.
Sophie had hoped and wished, but nothing romantic had developed between them. She’d watched Max engage in several quickie affairs that had brought her enormous pain. Somehow, his relationship with her had turned out to be his most long-lasting one with a woman. Except, he didn’t really view her as a woman.
“Maybe with the holiday break, I can go back home and get my King Charles spaniel. Maybe then I’ll get over him,” Sophie said. “Not being around him could help me get over him.”
“It would help if he weren’t so good-looking,” Terri said.
“I can get over the good-looking part, but he can be charming,” Sophie said. “When he wants to be, he can be so damn charming.”
“He can also be a toad. He’s fine about making us all work long hours” Terri said.
“True, but he works longer than anyone else. And everyone is well-compensated. The real trouble for me is that he is charitable. He puts on this front about only caring about himself, but everywhere we go, he gets the crew involved in some kind of charity project.” She pointed at the pile of wrapped gifts next to the Christmas tree. “For children stuck in the hospital over the holidays. If only he were as selfish and uncaring as he says he is.”
“Have you gone out with another man since you’ve met Max?” Terri asked.
Self-consciousness burned through her. “Yes, I have,” she said. “Four times. All during my vacations.”
“Woo-hoo. Four times in four years.” Terri shook her head. “I dare you to meet six new men over your holiday.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Online. You can arrange meet-ups in no time.”
“I think I’d rather poke out my eye with a pencil,” Sophie said under her breath.
“You gotta do something,” Terri said. “You either need to pull that pony in or let him ride.”
Max couldn’t see much of the island country of Chantaine while soaring in the sky since he was arriving after dark. He’d run a computer search and caught a few images. Beautiful country that seemed to combine Greece’s Mediterranean views, France’s sophistication and Italy’s charm. While he’d run the search, he’d also looked into his new so-called siblings. The eldest, Crown Prince Stefan, came across as a hard worker, more serious-minded than their biological father, Prince Edward. It appeared that their father had enjoyed yachting and living like a playboy, much more than ruling.
Max figured that his adopted parents’ failed marriage was one more reason for him to never get married. They had fought more than they hadn’t when his father had been around. When things got tough, which was quite frequent, his adoptive father would leave the house and desert Max’s adoptive mother. He’d always been grateful for
