‘No!’ January snapped.
‘Yes,’ May countered firmly, giving January a frown. ‘You don’t shoot the envoy, January,’ she reproved teasingly.
Max’s mouth twisted. ‘I would like to stick around and watch one of you shoot Jude!’
‘Be my guest,’ January returned sharply. ‘But, of course, you’re going back to America, aren’t you?’ she added scathingly.
What he would most like to do at the moment was put her over his knee and give her a good spanking. A thought May, if the teasing smile she gave him was anything to go by, was all too aware of!
Going back to America was not the ideal thing for him to do with this attacker called the Night Striker still on the loose, but with January hating him in the way that she did, he didn’t feel he could stay here, either.
To say he was disappointed in this uncertainty of the sisters about selling the farm after all would be an understatement. He had come to admire all three sisters for their determination this last week, had to admit he had half relished going back to Jude and telling him the answer was a definite no!
No doubt about it, he would never understand women. But this possible change of mind by the Calendar sisters ultimately made no difference to his own plans. Someone else could sort out the details, he really had had enough.
‘I am,’ he confirmed evenly. ‘So what happened?’ He turned to May—deciding, of the two, she was probably the one who would give him a straight answer. ‘Is one of you getting married or something?’ If it was January—!
He felt a jolt in his chest just at the thought of her marrying some faceless man. Just as well he was leaving!
‘Or something,’ May told him dryly.
Immediately starting Max’s heart beating again. Until that moment he hadn’t even been aware that it had stopped!
May looked slightly abashed. ‘A director has approached me about appearing in a film he’s going to make in the summer.’ The words came out in a self-conscious rush. ‘I’ll probably be awful at it, but…’ She gave a rueful shrug.
Aha! The answer to May’s nonexistent dental appointment earlier in the week? The derisive smile May shot his way told him that his supposition was correct.
Well, well, well. So May might be going off for some time filming. And he already knew that March had a full-time job. So what was January going to do?
As if aware of his curiosity, January snapped, ‘I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be part of the entertainment team on a cruise ship.’
‘You have?’ May frowned—obviously hearing this for the first time.
‘I have,’ January confirmed with an awkward shrug, at the same time shooting Max a resentful glare—obviously not at all happy with having him here as part of this family ‘baring-of-hearts’.
A sentiment that he wholeheartedly agreed with—although, as January didn’t think he had a heart, she probably wouldn’t believe that!
He stood up abruptly, once again keeping his gaze firmly fixed on May. ‘It all sounds great.’ He nodded. ‘I hope it works out for you. I just felt I owed it to you all to come and tell you what I plan on doing tomorrow.’ He drew in a sharp breath; now that the time had actually come for him to part from January his legs felt like lead, his heart even heavier.
‘That was very kind of you, Max,’ May told him warmly. ‘Wasn’t it, January?’ she prompted pointedly.
‘Very,’ she echoed dryly.
He gave a self-derisive smile. ‘What she really means, May, is she’ll be glad to see me go!’ he murmured softly.
January gave him a level stare. ‘Is that so surprising? You’ve done nothing but cause mayhem and confusion since you arrived here!’ she accused, her anger obviously starting to rise, two spots of colour in the paleness of her cheeks too now.
‘January!’ May gasped.
‘But he has, May,’ she defended impatiently. ‘He’s harassed us about selling the farm,’ she claimed heatedly—a little unfairly, Max thought. ‘He’s lost me my job, he claims because of concern over my safety,’ she continued disgustedly. ‘And now he’s got me into such a state of paranoia that I’ve even started imagining people are following me home at night!’
Max tensed, his gaze narrowing with sudden alertness. ‘Someone followed you home last night?’ he echoed slowly.
‘Of course not,’ she dismissed irritably. ‘I just thought they did—’
‘Why did you think they did?’ he cut in softly, every muscle and sinew of his body tensed now, a nerve pulsing in his cheek.
January gave a dismissive smile. ‘Because they obviously live somewhere in the area and were driving home at the same time I was!’ she snorted self-derisively.