Janet Evanovich - Full Tilt

They faced the stage when the crowd burst out with fresh applause. Max listened for a few minutes, then turned, trying to thread his way through the people.

Jamie glanced around and saw that Max was gone. Where could he be? she wondered. "Deedee, have you seen Max?"

"No, honey. Maybe he went to the concession stand."

Jamie pushed through the crowd, calling loudly to Max. She felt a knot of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. Had Max simply decided to leave without saying good-bye to her?

It seemed to take forever for her to escape the throng of people. Jamie sighed a breath of relief when she spied Max heading toward his car, which had miraculously come through the crash without so much as a scratch.

"Max!" she yelled. "Wait!" He kept on walking. "Double damn," she said, knowing he would never hear her with all the noise. She took off in a run. He turned as she caught up with him. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Jamie, you should be with the others."

"You're leaving, aren't you? You were just going to leave without saying good-bye. I don't believe it."

He smiled and tugged a strand of her blond hair. "I knew it would feel like silk, and I was right." His look softened. "I have other business waiting," he said. "Besides, your fiance needs you right now, what with his mother still hospitalized in critical condition."

"Max—" Jamie tried to speak but her tongue suddenly felt weighted. "The engagement is off."

He looked amused. "This is a hell of a time to call it quits with the poor guy, don't you think? Talk about kicking a man when he's down."

"I had no choice. Phillip suspected all along that things weren't right, but he looked the other way because he wanted to protect his mother. The same woman who tried to kill my friends," she added.

"He probably won't be indicted."

"I can't marry him."

"Because you're hot for me?"

Jamie rolled her eyes in order to keep him from seeing how close to the truth he was. "You never give up, Holt." She crossed her arms over her breasts. "I don't love Phillip the way a wife should. He knew it, but he figured things would change in time. I'm not prepared to wait that long or take the chance that it'll never happen."

"Look, Jamie, you had your life all figured out before I got here. I had no right to interfere. I'm sorry."

"So you're just going to take off for Tennessee and look for that preacher?"

Max hesitated. "Like they say, it's not over till it's over."

Jamie nodded. "Okay, what you're saying is that we still have more work to do."

"We?"

"These people tried to kill me, too, Max. I'm just as involved as you are."

"No way, Jamie. I have a feeling the person I'm looking for is a whole lot more dangerous than anything we've come up against so far."

She walked over to Max's car and waited. "Let's go," she said.

"Jamie—"

"If you won't open the door for me I'll ride in the trunk like before. Or I'll follow you."

Max grinned. "You can't follow me. Your car's in the shop, remember?"

"And it'll probably be there for six months, so you owe me a ride."

Max sighed. "Jamie, I don't know how long I'll be gone, and you've got a newspaper to run."

"Mike and Vera are doing a fine job. Besides, I can check on them from time to time." It was odd how the newspaper had suddenly taken second place in her life as soon as Max Holt had appeared.

He shook his head. "I don't like it."

Jamie tried to open the car door but found it locked. She knocked on the hood. "Muffin, let me in."

"Get lost," Muffin said.

"Is she still mad at me?" Jamie asked Max.

"You stole her thunder. Muffin doesn't like being upstaged by anyone."

"I wasn't upstaged," Muffin snapped. "I had a better plan and Jamie wrecked it."

"I'm really sorry," Jamie said. "I'm only human." She tapped the window. "Come on and let me in, Muf."

The lock on the door clicked, and Jamie reached for the handle. "Be careful about knocking on the exterior," Muffin said. "I'm still sore from you barreling through that damn garage door."

"You don't have a mark on you," Jamie said, noting the proud look on Max's face.

"I'm emotionally scarred," Muffin replied.

Max let himself into the car and stared at Jamie thoughtfully. "Honey, you need to stay in Beaumont where you belong. You need the predictability this town and its people bring you. You know what my life is like."

"So maybe I'll learn to take more risks."

Max shook his head sadly. "It won't work."

"Is that why you decided to sell me your shares of the company back to me for one dollar?" she asked. "So you wouldn't have to come back?"

"Of course I'll come back. Frankie and Deedee are here. As for selling you my shares of the business, you weren't supposed to find out about that until later."

"Sorry, Max, but my lawyer is also one of the guys who tried to get me in the backseat of his car at the drive-in movie. He thought I should know. He also told me you left a check for me in the amount of two hundred thousand dollars to add to my business account. Do you have any idea the kind of raise Vera is going to expect when she catches wind of that?"

"The newspaper belongs to you. It belonged to your family. Beaumont needs a good newspaper, and we both know you're highly capable. I gave you the money because I never want you to struggle like you did in the past." He smiled gently. "I have to go, Swifty."

Jamie felt a moment of sheer panic. "Okay, answer one question. I know we drive each other crazy and tend to argue most of the time, but how would you feel if you thought you'd never see me again?"

Max looked at her. Their gazes locked. "Oh, Jamie," he said, running one hand over his head as though confused. "I don't know. My life is, well, very different from what you're used to."

Jamie felt her heart sag in her chest. The thought of watching Max Holt drive away and never seeing him again was more than she could bear. Breaking it off with Phillip had been painful, but it was kid's stuff compared to this. "Okay, Max," she said softly, trying to blink back tears. "I understand. I just want you to know—" She turned away and reached for the door handle. "Never mind. You and Muffin take care, okay?" She stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her.

Max just sat there.

"Way to go, big shot," Muffin said. "You just hurt her feelings big time."

"It's better this way," Max told her.

"So what are we waiting for? If you're in such an all-fired hurry, let's go."

Max started the engine, and the bar closed over him. He put the car into gear and backed out of the parking slot. "Here we go," he said.

* * * * *

Jamie left the courthouse square and started home. Luckily, she lived near town, which would serve her well with her car in repair until God only knew when. Thankfully, Max was handling the costs.

Her eyes filled with tears as she continued walking. She didn't need to think about Max Holt anymore. They had shared a lot together, good times and bad, and now he was heading toward a new adventure. Thankfully, she still had her newspaper, and although she was glad to have the added funds for her account, she would not buy back Max's shares. He was stuck with the paper whether he ever planned to return to Beaumont or not.

She sniffed. What she needed was a good cry. After all that had happened, her stress level was at a new high. She would go home, lock all the doors, and fall into bed and cry to her heart's content.

Jamie started to cross the street but paused at the sound of an approaching car. Lord, she needed to get Max off her mind before somebody ran over her. She glanced up in time to find Max pulling up to the curb beside her. She merely stared in silence.

"You're just begging me to let you come so you can get in my pants," he said.