happiness racing through her veins.
Her words were met with a chorus of cheers and smiles, all except for Max's mother, who was quietly weeping into her tissue.
"Susan," Emma said, squeezing her hand.
"Don't mind me," Susan said. "These are happy tears now." She gave Emma a watery smile. "My boy is going to be all right."
"He is." Emma hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was give up her seat at Max's bedside, but she knew his mother was very worried about him, too. "Do you want to go in and see him first?"
"Oh, no, dear," she said, shaking her head. "Max will want you there, Emma. Just tell him we're all thinking about him."
"Spencer?" she asked, offering him the same courtesy.
He smiled. "Are you kidding? I'm not the pretty face my brother wants to see when he wakes up. But tell him next time he wants to go to the bank, I'm going to pass."
"Online banking from here on," she agreed. She looked back at her sister, Nicole. "We should make some calls, let people know."
"I'm on it," Nicole said. "I'll start with the guys downstairs."
"And I'll call the family," Lynda said.
"I'll go through the wedding list with Cynthia and make sure all the guests get an update," Shayla said. "Don't worry about anything, Emma. Just go see your man."
"I will. You've all been amazing to me. I couldn't have gotten through this without any you. I'm so lucky to have this wonderful, incredible family."
"You never have to get through anything without us," her father said, giving her a hug. "We're Callaways. All for one. One for all."
"Always, Dad." She ran to the door to meet the nurse who was coming to get her. She couldn't wait to see Max. She wouldn't feel completely better until he opened his eyes and smiled at her. Then her world would be right side up again.
* * *
As Emma left the room, Spencer ran a weary hand through his hair and looked at Hallie. "I guess that's it."
She gave him a warm smile. "I'm so glad you got good news."
"Thanks for staying with me."
"No problem. I learned a lot. I think I might even try my own hand at a stew."
He grinned at her teasing smile. "I told you I would bore you."
"You didn't. But I think I will find myself a cab and go home."
"Why don't I drive you?"
"You should stay with your mom."
He knew she was right, but he really didn't want to say goodbye to Hallie yet. He was just getting to know her, and he was afraid if he let her walk away now, he'd never see her again. The day's events had brought down her guard walls, but would they be back up in the morning? Would she get on a plane and fly off to her dream island and never come home again? "I'll walk you to the elevator then."
"Great."
The walk was far too short.
As she reached for the elevator button, he stepped in front of her. "Hallie…"
"What?"
"We need to get that drink."
"We will," she said.
"When you get back from the island?"
She shook her head. "I'm not going to the island."
"But the beach is calling, isn't it?"
"It was, until I spent half the night talking to you. You're very persuasive Spencer." She paused. "I'm going to give my dad a call in the morning and maybe go see him."
"Really?"
"You said some things that made sense."
"I'm glad. So if I'm that good, can I persuade you to give me your phone number now?"
She smiled. "I already did."
He gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
"I put it in your phone when you went to the restroom earlier."
He grinned. "Sneaky."
"You really don't know anything about me."
"I'm looking forward to finding out more."
"I kind of feel the same way about you." She reached around him and pushed the button. "Before we say goodbye, I just need to know one thing."
"What's that?" he asked.
She stepped forward, put her hands on his head and pulled him into one hot and amazingly good kiss. Her lips were warm and inviting, and the spark that had been burning since he'd first laid eyes on her leapt into a full-blown flame. He felt a passion brewing that he hadn't
Her words were met with a chorus of cheers and smiles, all except for Max's mother, who was quietly weeping into her tissue.
"Susan," Emma said, squeezing her hand.
"Don't mind me," Susan said. "These are happy tears now." She gave Emma a watery smile. "My boy is going to be all right."
"He is." Emma hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was give up her seat at Max's bedside, but she knew his mother was very worried about him, too. "Do you want to go in and see him first?"
"Oh, no, dear," she said, shaking her head. "Max will want you there, Emma. Just tell him we're all thinking about him."
"Spencer?" she asked, offering him the same courtesy.
He smiled. "Are you kidding? I'm not the pretty face my brother wants to see when he wakes up. But tell him next time he wants to go to the bank, I'm going to pass."
"Online banking from here on," she agreed. She looked back at her sister, Nicole. "We should make some calls, let people know."
"I'm on it," Nicole said. "I'll start with the guys downstairs."
"And I'll call the family," Lynda said.
"I'll go through the wedding list with Cynthia and make sure all the guests get an update," Shayla said. "Don't worry about anything, Emma. Just go see your man."
"I will. You've all been amazing to me. I couldn't have gotten through this without any you. I'm so lucky to have this wonderful, incredible family."
"You never have to get through anything without us," her father said, giving her a hug. "We're Callaways. All for one. One for all."
"Always, Dad." She ran to the door to meet the nurse who was coming to get her. She couldn't wait to see Max. She wouldn't feel completely better until he opened his eyes and smiled at her. Then her world would be right side up again.
* * *
As Emma left the room, Spencer ran a weary hand through his hair and looked at Hallie. "I guess that's it."
She gave him a warm smile. "I'm so glad you got good news."
"Thanks for staying with me."
"No problem. I learned a lot. I think I might even try my own hand at a stew."
He grinned at her teasing smile. "I told you I would bore you."
"You didn't. But I think I will find myself a cab and go home."
"Why don't I drive you?"
"You should stay with your mom."
He knew she was right, but he really didn't want to say goodbye to Hallie yet. He was just getting to know her, and he was afraid if he let her walk away now, he'd never see her again. The day's events had brought down her guard walls, but would they be back up in the morning? Would she get on a plane and fly off to her dream island and never come home again? "I'll walk you to the elevator then."
"Great."
The walk was far too short.
As she reached for the elevator button, he stepped in front of her. "Hallie…"
"What?"
"We need to get that drink."
"We will," she said.
"When you get back from the island?"
She shook her head. "I'm not going to the island."
"But the beach is calling, isn't it?"
"It was, until I spent half the night talking to you. You're very persuasive Spencer." She paused. "I'm going to give my dad a call in the morning and maybe go see him."
"Really?"
"You said some things that made sense."
"I'm glad. So if I'm that good, can I persuade you to give me your phone number now?"
She smiled. "I already did."
He gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
"I put it in your phone when you went to the restroom earlier."
He grinned. "Sneaky."
"You really don't know anything about me."
"I'm looking forward to finding out more."
"I kind of feel the same way about you." She reached around him and pushed the button. "Before we say goodbye, I just need to know one thing."
"What's that?" he asked.
She stepped forward, put her hands on his head and pulled him into one hot and amazingly good kiss. Her lips were warm and inviting, and the spark that had been burning since he'd first laid eyes on her leapt into a full-blown flame. He felt a passion brewing that he hadn't
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