He nodded. ‘January, this is no excuse, I know, but since my mother walked out on my father and me when I was five, I’ve been pretty determined not to let anyone into my life—particularly a woman—who might hurt me like that again. But you—’ He broke off, shaking his head. ‘You sneaked in without my even being aware of it. I’m in love with you. I know I’m in love with you,’ he assured her with certainty. ‘The thought of leaving you, even for a short time, has been driving me crazy! This will tell you exactly how crazy I am,’ he added self-derisively. ‘I’m even willing to learn how to run a farm if that’s what you want to do. Anything, as long as I can spend the rest of my life with you,’ he added gruffly.
January looked up at him with dawning wonder in her eyes. Had Max really just said he was in love with her? But Sunday night he had said those awful things to her—
‘I’m not expecting you to make any declaration back,’ he told her ruefully as he obviously saw the doubt in her face. ‘After the way I’ve behaved I couldn’t expect that. I’ve been so busy trying to protect myself, my own emotions, that I’ve said and done some terrible things to you. No, I’m not expecting you to love me in return, I’m just telling you how I feel. A declaration of intent on my part, if you like.’ He smiled self-derisively. ‘In case you’re in any doubt, I can be a very determined man when I choose to be. And in your case, I definitely choose to be!’ he added with feeling.
January swallowed hard before speaking, but nevertheless her voice was still husky when she spoke. ‘Max, having your mother walk out on you when you were five doesn’t mean that there won’t be someone else to come along who will love you for a lifetime.’ She drew in a deep breath. ‘I was three when my mother walked out on us, but that doesn’t stop me from being able to love you with all my heart.’ There, she had said it!
‘Your mother walked out on you…?’ Max gasped incredulously. ‘But—that’s why your father cut her image from the photograph be
side his bed!’ he realized with a pained frown.
‘Yes.’ January nodded. ‘May has always tried to protect March and me from knowing, still thinks we believe that our mother is dead, and although we both know the truth we let her go on thinking that. It’s the reason May is so protective of us,’ she added affectionately.
‘How could a mother possibly walk out on three such beautiful little girls who were only aged three, four and five?’ Max groaned.
January gave a pained smile. ‘I don’t know, you would have to ask her that.’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t understand how any—’ He broke off abruptly, suddenly looking at January with widely incredulous eyes.
Ah. The second part of her statement had finally penetrated. How was Max, who had been so wounded at such a young age, going to react to knowing that she was in love with him?
Had January just said—? Had she really just told him—?
She gave what sounded like a huskily nervous laugh. ‘Does knowing I love you in return change anything?’ she prompted warily.
‘Change anything?’ he repeated, love for this woman welling up inside him so that he thought he could no longer contain it. ‘Change anything!’ His voice rose triumphantly. ‘It changes everything!’ His hands tightened about hers. ‘But are you sure you love me? Enough to marry me?’ Still he hesitated, not sure this could be happening to him. ‘After all—’
‘Why don’t you ask me that question again in forty years or so?’ January interrupted gently.
‘Forty years—? You will marry me?’ He held his breath as he waited for her answer, his heart beating so loudly he was sure she must be able to hear it.
Her smile was mischievous now. ‘I don’t think May would let you get away with anything less!’
‘I don’t want anything less,’ he assured her breathlessly. ‘In fact, I want more; forty years isn’t nearly long enough!’
There were tears of happiness in her eyes now as she reached up to caress the hard curve of his jaw. ‘How about fifty years? Sixty?’ she added laughingly when he still didn’t reply.
He wanted eternity with this woman. Wanted to spend the rest of his life at her side, loving her, being loved in return.
Being loved in return…
‘January!’ He couldn’t wait any longer, sweeping her up into his arms, kissing her with a hunger that would take an eternity to assuage.
Everything else could come later now that he knew January loved him in the way he loved her. Everything. May and March. The farm. Jude. Even poor disturbed John.
January was all that mattered to him now.
She always would be!