TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 56 - THE TWO SURPRISES

Lillie's POV

The first morning in our new home, I woke to Max next to me. That was a feeling I would never grow weary of. Having his skin touching mine made everything in the world okay. I wrapped my hand around his bare waist and kissed his cheek.

"Good morning, handsome," I whispered.

A smile filled his face when he heard my voice and I knew that he felt as blessed as I did. He rolled over until he was hovering above me.

"Are you ready for the first day of the rest of your life, Ms. Easton?" He asked as he kissed me.

"Hey mister, you should be using my new name," I reminded him.

"Well, that will come soon enough but in this room, you are still my Lillie."

"And you're still my Max," I said with a smile.

The thought occurred to me I get to wake up to him every single day. That was a life I would happily live. All I needed was him.

When we dragged ourselves out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen, we found Chase and Piper already there. They looked as happy and content as we were.

We all sat down and chatted over breakfast. The panoramic views made it even more enjoyable. While we were all a little nervous, it was the best kind of nervous. We had a fresh start, and none of us intended on wasting it. Before we got up to get our day started, Piper announced that she needed to go to town.

"I'll take you," Chase chimed in, but I could see hesitation on her face. For a moment I thought she might be up to something but shrugged it off as me being paranoid.

Max told them to have their pick of vehicles in the carriage house. A fleet awaited them that included Outlanders and Land Cruisers. Even using false identities in a foreign country he made sure we wanted for nothing.

The two of them took off and Max and I had the house to ourselves. He asked me to go for a walk with him. Of all the things I imagined we could fill our time with, that was not one of them. It didn't matter though. I was up for doing just about anything with him.

He took me by the hand and let me out the door. We walked around the property for hours exploring until our hearts were content. We played in waterfalls, took a hike through the forest, and let our feet hang over the side of the wooden bridge. That was where we finally had a heart to heart.

We talked about the accident and the days that followed. We discussed what our lives would look like. He told me all his plans for the land. He wanted to turn it into a ranch and had a thousand things he wanted to build on it. Who would have thought my New York boy would dream of life on a ranch?

By the time we got back to the house, we had wasted most of the afternoon. A delicious smell greeted us when we walked in. Max told me the Chef had finally arrived and was preparing dinner.

I took that as an opportunity to grab a much-needed shower. The hot water cascaded down my back as I leaned my head against the stone wall. It was something I always did after a long day. Something about the hot water massaging my muscles felt so good.

A few minutes in, a pair of hands snaked around my waist and startled me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Turning around, I saw a very amused Max.

"You scared me half to death," I shouted as I smacked his arm.

"Well, that wasn't my intention I can assure you," he said with charm oozing from every word.

"What are your intentions, Mr. Livingston?"

"I wanted to get a little closer to you, beautiful. You didn't think I could let this gorgeous body shower alone, did you?"

"I don't know," I said, mesmerized by how he was looking at me.

"Well, there's no way that's happening," he said as he picked up the sponge and began washing me.

That was one shower that I never wanted to end. After, we took a quick nap and then joined Chase and Piper for dinner. We had worked up an appetite so by the time we sat down my stomach was growling.

The Chef put our plates down in front of us, and we all devoured them. The food in the hospital and the safe house could not compare. The mouth-watering delicacies she prepared for us were so good.

After dinner, we all retired to the living room for a few drinks. Chase and Piper were filling us in on their trip to town and I noticed that she was still acting odd. When she said she didn't want a drink, I wondered if she was sick or something. She excused herself to the bathroom, and I asked Chase if she was okay.

"She might be coming down with something, she had me stop by the pharmacy," he said.

Things were getting weirder by the minute. If she was sick why hadn't she told me and why was she taking so long? The boys continued talking and sipping on their drinks. I was growing bored with all the "man" talk about two minutes in and pulled my phone out. At least that would help me pass the time until she came back. I was scrolling through my news feeds hoping to see what was going on back home. I saw a heading that stopped me in my tracks.

"Guys," I shouted, but they kept talking.

"Guys," I shouted a little louder, and they finally turned to look at me.

"You might want to see this," I said as I held up the phone. Max took it from me and started reading out loud.

"Capitol Hill is reeling as a prominent US Congressman is under investigation for multiple crimes including murder."

We all looked at each other, stunned. Smiles found each of our faces. James had made good on his promise, he was holding him accountable. We only hoped that they would bring the whole family down.

As we were discussing what had happened, Piper walked in with a bewildered look on her face. We all stopped and looked at her, realizing something was wrong.

Tears were streaming down her face as she held up a white stick.

"I'm pregnant." 

*********

A/N

Well, guys, I wasn't sure if that would take one or two chapters but it fit seamlessly into one. That is the end of Lillie and Max's story. I would love to hear your thoughts on the whole book. Did you enjoy it? Was there something you hoped would happen that didn't? Thank you for going on this journey with me. You will never know how much I appreciate your reads, votes, and comments. 

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