don’t want to come to depend on him. If I do, and things don’t work out between us, then when he takes off, I’ll be left with a gaping hole, not just in my heart, but also in my life, and worse yet, my confidence.
Max comes back, a heaping plate in hand, and pulls out a chair across from me. In spite of my irritation, my heart gives a little leap at his nearness.
Oh boy. Do I have it bad or what?
But I don’t want him to figure it out. Not how much his appeal affects me. So I decide to ignore him. As far as he’s concerned, you understand. There’s no way I can ignore Max Matthews. No way. No matter what.
“Got something going with your breakfast?” he asks after he puts a mountainous plate across from me, and two cups of coffee between us. I grab one and gulp down a scalding shot of the deep, dark stuff.
He goes on. “You were staring at those eggs as though they might give you the answers to the universe’s mysteries.”
I shovel in a bite of cold eggs to avoid answering. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his smile and arched brow. What’s a girl to do when a guy like Max knows her too well?
This girl finishes her now less-than-appetizing breakfast, grateful for the oomph provided by the excellent Colombian coffee bean. I sip and stare out the window. Anything to keep from looking at the blond hunk with me.
After a while, he sets down his coffee mug and pushes back his chair, but instead of standing, he stares at me, questions in his blue eyes. Finally, when he does talk, he goes the unexpected route.
“What’s the plan for today?”
I’d fully thought he’d get into my irritation or my shortsightedness in coming to Colombia alone. But I gotta give the guy credit for his understanding. I’d rather talk about emeralds any day. Especially today.
“Mr. Cruz is going to show me the stones he’s willing to offer us. And, if it’s possible, he’s going to get me to the mine site. I suppose I have to tell him you’ll be tagging along. He’ll have to take you into account.”
Max tips his head to the side. “He knows I’m here.”
They’d all conspired against me. Max, Miss Mona, and Aunt Weeby. None of them had trusted me. They’d gone behind my back and manipulated my situation as though I were an incompetent boob. And now I’m stuck with the
California surfer-boy gem-dunce for as long as I stay in Colombia.
Hah! Who am I kidding? I’m stuck with Mr. Magnificent even after I go home. He’s everywhere, he’s everywhere. I roll my eyes.
So how am I going to handle this? Lord?
I sigh. I’m not the one who’s going to handle this. I’m going to have to trust God and simply obey. Not just in the “biggies,” like the ten whopper-sized ones, but also in the little things, the so-called gray areas that aren’t so gray to God, but hide deep inside us. The first one is to set aside my pride.
Which, in my case, I guess isn’t so little after all.
I have to accept that Max is here, overprotective as can be. “Well, since Mr. Cruz knows, then I guess he’s expecting you this morning. We’re going to the negotiating table—but I do warn you, Max. Don’t stick your nose into the haggling. You don’t have your GIA certificate, and you sure haven’t seen anywhere near enough emeralds to know what you’re doing.”
He looks as though he’s about to argue, but then he makes a grimace that I read as acceptance. “Fine. I don’t question your competence, not when it comes to gemstones. Just think of me as the brawn to your beauty and brains.”
“Don’t even go there. No amount of buttering up is going to make up for your lack of trust. And your sneaky arrogance.”
“Are Miss Mona and Aunt Weeby sneaky and arrogant?”
“They’re just plain sneaky.”
He slaps his hands on the table. “Tell you what. I’m not going to go over this anymore. It’s moot. I’m here, and I’m going to make the best of it. I suggest you do the same.”
“I thought I just did when I
Max comes back, a heaping plate in hand, and pulls out a chair across from me. In spite of my irritation, my heart gives a little leap at his nearness.
Oh boy. Do I have it bad or what?
But I don’t want him to figure it out. Not how much his appeal affects me. So I decide to ignore him. As far as he’s concerned, you understand. There’s no way I can ignore Max Matthews. No way. No matter what.
“Got something going with your breakfast?” he asks after he puts a mountainous plate across from me, and two cups of coffee between us. I grab one and gulp down a scalding shot of the deep, dark stuff.
He goes on. “You were staring at those eggs as though they might give you the answers to the universe’s mysteries.”
I shovel in a bite of cold eggs to avoid answering. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his smile and arched brow. What’s a girl to do when a guy like Max knows her too well?
This girl finishes her now less-than-appetizing breakfast, grateful for the oomph provided by the excellent Colombian coffee bean. I sip and stare out the window. Anything to keep from looking at the blond hunk with me.
After a while, he sets down his coffee mug and pushes back his chair, but instead of standing, he stares at me, questions in his blue eyes. Finally, when he does talk, he goes the unexpected route.
“What’s the plan for today?”
I’d fully thought he’d get into my irritation or my shortsightedness in coming to Colombia alone. But I gotta give the guy credit for his understanding. I’d rather talk about emeralds any day. Especially today.
“Mr. Cruz is going to show me the stones he’s willing to offer us. And, if it’s possible, he’s going to get me to the mine site. I suppose I have to tell him you’ll be tagging along. He’ll have to take you into account.”
Max tips his head to the side. “He knows I’m here.”
They’d all conspired against me. Max, Miss Mona, and Aunt Weeby. None of them had trusted me. They’d gone behind my back and manipulated my situation as though I were an incompetent boob. And now I’m stuck with the
California surfer-boy gem-dunce for as long as I stay in Colombia.
Hah! Who am I kidding? I’m stuck with Mr. Magnificent even after I go home. He’s everywhere, he’s everywhere. I roll my eyes.
So how am I going to handle this? Lord?
I sigh. I’m not the one who’s going to handle this. I’m going to have to trust God and simply obey. Not just in the “biggies,” like the ten whopper-sized ones, but also in the little things, the so-called gray areas that aren’t so gray to God, but hide deep inside us. The first one is to set aside my pride.
Which, in my case, I guess isn’t so little after all.
I have to accept that Max is here, overprotective as can be. “Well, since Mr. Cruz knows, then I guess he’s expecting you this morning. We’re going to the negotiating table—but I do warn you, Max. Don’t stick your nose into the haggling. You don’t have your GIA certificate, and you sure haven’t seen anywhere near enough emeralds to know what you’re doing.”
He looks as though he’s about to argue, but then he makes a grimace that I read as acceptance. “Fine. I don’t question your competence, not when it comes to gemstones. Just think of me as the brawn to your beauty and brains.”
“Don’t even go there. No amount of buttering up is going to make up for your lack of trust. And your sneaky arrogance.”
“Are Miss Mona and Aunt Weeby sneaky and arrogant?”
“They’re just plain sneaky.”
He slaps his hands on the table. “Tell you what. I’m not going to go over this anymore. It’s moot. I’m here, and I’m going to make the best of it. I suggest you do the same.”
“I thought I just did when I
Similar Books
