“It was really pretty amazing, Mr. Maxwell,” Magdalene said.
Sebastian looked to me and then back at Birdie before bending down to rub the dog on the head, seeming a bit shaken now that he’d fully absorbed what had just happened.
He looked up at me. “You used the Heimlich maneuver on him?”
God, I didn’t even know what I did. I just remembered the steps from that video and stepped into action.
“Something like that, yes.”
Still kneeling down, Sebastian wrapped his arms around his daughter. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
My eyes focused on his strong hands as he rubbed her back.
“Why don’t you go into the kitchen with Magdalene and have her give you some cookies and milk.” He looked at me as he stood up straight. “Can I have a moment with you, please?”
“Me?” I stupidly said.
“Yes.”
Who the hell else?
“Sure.” I turned to Birdie. “In case I don’t see you again before I leave, it was great meeting you, Birdie.”
“See you next week, Sadie. Don’t kiss any ugly boys.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I might not see her next week.
Wait . . . “might”? Now I was doubting whether I was going to cut things off after today?
I followed Sebastian into his office. It was as intimidating as he was, with dark wood and a dark-brown leather chair behind his large desk.
We stood a good few feet across from each other, and before he could say anything, I started to stammer.
“S-she was just . . . I write for a dating column. I told her that. She . . . That’s why she said that about kissing boys.” I cringed over my own words.
“You’re a writer?”
“Yes. The dog-training thing is . . . extra.”
It’s extra, alright.
He nodded and contemplated my admission for a moment before rubbing his eyes.
“The last thing I needed in this house was that dog. I’d put my foot down for years about not getting one. I work too many damn hours and can hardly keep my daughter alive and healthy, let alone bringing what’s closer to a horse into this house.”
“I understand. It’s a lot of responsibility.”
“My daughter had been asking for a Great Dane named Marmaduke for I don’t even know how long. I had no intentions of making that dream come true. But a few weeks back, for some reason, she became convinced that her dead mother was mad at her for some things she’d done. I honestly don’t know where she gets some of these ideas. All I know is that the one thing she really wants most, more than a dog, more than anything . . . I’ll never be able to give her. And that’s to have her mother back.”
He paused. Tears were starting to form in my eyes, but I did my best to fight them as he continued.
“So I did something that probably in retrospect was a very stupid thing. I got her the exact dog she wanted. I’d looked everywhere for the right black-and-white-spotted Great Dane—minus the different-colored eyes—she wanted. I told her that her mother had come to me in a dream, that she’d told me to get the dog but to let Birdie know that just because she’s not getting signs doesn’t mean her mom’s mad.” He stared off and shook his head. “I basically lied to my daughter to take away her sadness. I’ve somehow convinced myself that lying for the good of making someone happy cancels the lie out.”
Wow.
And that, Mr. Maxwell, is precisely why I am standing before you at this very moment.
“I understand that more than you know,” I said, swallowing.
“Anyway, things have been better with her since that damn dog arrived, aside from the fact that he wakes me up with a sticky face every day. But that’s my problem. My point is . . . I can’t imagine what we would’ve done if anything had happened to that animal today. Not only for the dog’s sake but for my daughter’s. I’m very grateful you were here.”
My cheeks felt hot as he stared into my eyes. The power of his emotions was almost too much for me to handle.
I cleared my throat. “Like I told Birdie, anyone would’ve done the same thing.”
His eyes seared into mine, seeming to challenge my feeble attempt to downplay what had happened.
“I doubt Magdalene would’ve known what to do. The fact that you were here saved that dog’s life.”
“Well, I’m really glad I was . . . here, then.”
He chewed his bottom lip a bit, then added, “I also want to apologize for being short with you when you arrived last week. I was having a bad day for more reasons than one. But that’s no excuse.”
“Well, I was . . . late, so I understand.”
He said nothing as he slipped his hands into his pockets and continued to look at me. His apology came as a surprise. It proved Sebastian was definitely not the insensitive jerk he appeared to be during our initial meeting. He had a vulnerable side. I could see that now. He was a man who wanted to protect his daughter from having to experience another tragedy.