she was a strong, independent woman who owned a successful business. A woman who was dating another man. A woman who had been hurt, but who had moved on with her life.
No. All she needed from Max Harper was a divorce.
First, though, she needed to feed him.
MAX TURNED AT the sound of the knock. Instead of Eleanor, it was Daniel with the bottle of bourbon he’d managed to acquire. He held up the bottle, and Max nodded.
The man poured them each a few fingers, then handed Max his glass. Max took a deep sniff, letting it seep through his senses. Yet another thing he was getting to re-experience. Booze.
He took a sip and savored the heat of it melting down his throat.
“So you’re Eleanor’s...”
“Husband. Yes, I thought we established that. And you are her...date. How did you two meet?”
“I’m an investment banker. I look for opportunities with thriving young companies to take them to the next level. Eleanor has one of those companies. I pursued it...then I pursued her.”
“Yes. I’m aware of the company. Head to Toe. Fitting. She always did all my shopping. Said I had no sense for fashion, which I suppose I don’t.”
“She’s got excellent taste. She picked this tie out for me. Do you like it?”
Max thought about that. It was a nice tie. “No.”
Daniel tilted his head back and laughed. “I see. This isn’t going to be a situation where you wish us all the best in our burgeoning relationship and fade out of the picture.”
“I’ve been out of the picture for more than two years. Fading away is the last thing I want.” He sure as hell didn’t want his wife finding happiness with someone else. Not when he planned to fight for her.
“Look, man, you can’t possibly be serious. You’ve been dead for over two years, gone for longer than that. Eleanor doesn’t talk about you much, but she told me the basics. You were married for three years, gone for most of that time, on the verge of a divorce when your ship went missing. Any feelings you might have had, any she might have had, that’s all in the past.”
“You’ve known me for all of a minute and offered me a drink, but you think you can tell me how I feel about my wife?”
“Your ex-wife,” Daniel said pointedly.
“Technically, that’s not true.” Eleanor was back and shutting the door behind her. She had a plate piled high with food in her hands. She looked pale, but more in control of herself than she had been earlier.
Yes, she’d changed in two plus years. She’d grown into herself. And as much as he’d loved the woman she’d been when he married her, that was how much he wanted to know this version of her, as well.
“Daniel, I’m sorry. I know this is incredibly rude of me...”
“I don’t know that there is etiquette regarding dealing with a husband back from the dead.”
Max gave the guy some credit. He was smooth. Freshly shaven, expensive suit. He looked and acted like money. No doubt a fish out of water in Hartsville, Nebraska. Still, he’d come to the sticks for Eleanor, which showed she meant something to him.
Daniel was a man in pursuit of Max’s wife.
It was something Max simply could not stand for.
“I need some time alone with Max. I don’t want you to feel like I’m ignoring you...”
“But of course you need to ignore me right now. You and Max obviously have things to work out. I understand completely. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head back to Denver tonight rather than stay at the B and B.”
“So late?”
“It’s only after nine, and with no traffic I should be home in three hours.”
She nodded. “You’ll text me to let me know you arrived home safely.”
Daniel flashed a smile in Max’s direction. “See how she cares about me?”
Max prevented himself from tackling the asshole, deciding violence wouldn’t get him anywhere. Certainly not with Eleanor.
“I do,” Max answered. “But wouldn’t anyone, given they were asking you to leave in the first place?”
Another shut-it look from Nor. Max wanted to tilt his head back and shout to the world. For years he’d been lost, for weeks he’d been devastated by the knowledge of his parents’ death. But now, finally, things were starting to make sense. Eleanor was telling him to shut his mouth with the power of a look.
He was here. With Nor. And regardless of Daniel and whatever it was they had between them, Max was still legally her husband. His plan was to hold on to that, if nothing else, with both hands.
Daniel flashed another smile, then very deliberately kissed Eleanor on the cheek. “Good night, my dear. You’ll pass on my regrets to your mother and tell her I hope to see her at the wedding?”
“Of course.”
Douchebag, Max thought. But he supposed he had to feel some sympathy for the guy. If the situation were reversed, he would also fight like hell to keep a woman like Eleanor.
Daniel left, and Max waited until the door was closed.
“He’ll see her at the wedding? Didn’t they just get engaged? And the wedding’s not for a while? Pretty ballsy move if you ask me.”
“Yes, well...I don’t want to talk about Daniel.”
“That’s unfortunate because I do want to talk about him. He says you two have a burgeoning relationship. Can you quantify what that means?”
Eleanor opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”
“None of my business? My wife is dating someone and that’s none of my business?”
“Oh, please, Max. Let’s not pretend here. I’m glad you are alive... I’m, well, the truth is, in a way I feel sort of redeemed because I never truly believed you were dead. I thought I would feel differently if you were dead...and I didn’t...but then I had to accept it. So I did. But just because you are back doesn’t mean anything has changed between us.”
“You’re right about that,” he said.
She nodded. “Good. It’s important that we are on the same page here.”
“I agree. Can I eat?” He pointed to the plate of food.
“Sure. Sorry. I know you said you were hungry. You’ve obviously lost weight.”
He smiled at that. “I’ve been
