The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the backyard, Vivienne was keeping an eye on Natalia and Yasmine as they played in the garden. She was merely watching, as the kids always behaved and stayed close when she was around.

Maddox tried to approach stealthily, but Vivienne spotted him instantly.

He looked around nervously, as if he was worried about being followed. His attempt at being sneaky was almostical.

Even Natalia and Yasmine noticed him, but they just glanced his way and continued with their flower picking, unbothered. When Maddox turned and met Vivienne's calm gaze, he felt like she could see right through him. He awkwardly touched his nose and said, "Vivienne, um, you've been getting along well with my niece's husband, right?" Vivienne was puzzled. Was this snew, odd way of greeting? She remembered Maddox's call a few days ago, which was followed by a message saying it was nothing urgent. She hadn't pressed the matter, but now it seemed like she might have missed something important.

Pretending to be casual, she asked, "Uncle Mac, I haven't seen Willa around today, have you?" Mentioning Willa made Maddox's face fall instantly. He sat down and started lamenting, "Vivienne, do you think Willa's mad at me? She won't answer my calls or texts, and I have no clue where she's gone..." Vivienne quickly moved away, rubbing her forehead, "What did you do to Willa this time?" Maddox hemmed and hawed without giving a straight answer, his face turning a shade of red.

Vivienne guessed, "She didn't accept your proposal?" Maddox froze, his face turning beet red in shock. "Vivienne, how did you guess?" Vivienne looked at him with a "what do you think" expression. Everyone in the family knew about their relationship, including her considering Willa as an aunt.

The wedding was only a few days ago, and they were already having issues. It had to be about the proposal.

Maddox was lost in his thoughts, "Did I rush things and scare Willa? If so, I can just drop the subject. Honestly, as long as I can be by her side, I don't care about anything else..." Vivienne could only sigh. It was clear why her mother got along so well with Uncle Mac.

"Uncle Mac, when did Willa disappear? Did she say anything before she got upset?" Maddox was frantic, "I saw her last night and tried to talk, but she kept avoiding me. And now she's gone first thing in the morning!" Vivienne's patience was running thin, "Uncle Mac, is it possible that Willa just stepped out for a bit?" Maddox was certain, "Impossible, she looked atin a way last night... Vivienne, you don't understand, Willa, she..." Just as Vivienne was about to lose it, Natalia and Yasmine crunning over, each grabbing one of her hands, and giving Maddox a disdainful look.

"Uncle Mac is at it again. Let's go play somewhere else," they suggested.

Vivienne nodded, unable to handle Uncle Mac's romantic woes any longer. No wonder he had been chasing Willa for over a decade without success.

In the living room, Arthur was surrounded by the Perez brothers, while Sasha was chatting with a few aunts. Willa, whom Maddox had been fretting over, was right there.

Vivienne understood why the family had been ignoring Maddox's antics. A simple outing had turned him into a bundle of nerves, and only Willa had the patience for him.

Feeling Vivienne's gaze, Willa turned and greeted her with a smile, "Vivienne." Vivienne walked over, "Willa, you're back." Willa nodded, holding onto Sasha's hand, "I heard Sasha wasing, so I went to grab sof her favorite snacks. I missed you guys arriving." As Vivienne settled down with the kids, she blurted out, "Uncle Mac has lost it, you know?" Willa glanced at Sasha, thinking Vivienne was joking, unsure of how to respond.

The aunts just laughed, choosing not toment.

Sasha gave Vivienne a look, signaling her concern for Willa.

Vivienne waved it off, "I'm serious. Ask Natalia and Yasmine; kids don't lie." The girls nodded vigorously, their hands wildly gesturing, "She's right. Uncle Mac is having a meltdown in the garden gazebo..." Willa couldn't sit still any longer and excused herself to step outside.

Sasha teased, "Be careful, Uncle Mac mighte after you." Zelda gathered Natalia and Yasmine, chuckling to Sasha, "You worry too much. With Willa going to him, Uncle Mac's probably over the moon!" Aunt Carmen expressed frustration with Maddox, wishing he'd be more assertive for Willa's sake, while Aunt Alice Churchill gently reminded everyone to mind the children's presence. Carmen, realizing her slip, quickly explained her outburst, emphasizing the need for Uncle Mac to grow up and stop playing Romeo to Willa's Juliet.

Zelda blinked, "Maybe we should et lend a hand. Jake's proposal last twas way too lackluster. I mean,e on, a single sentence? That's hardly what you'd call heartfelt." Sasha, a bit slow on the uptake, asked, "Jake proposed to Willa?" Vivienne gave her mom a look that screamed, "Are you even listening?" Sasha pretended to sip her tea.

No wonder, with those two dancing around each other for over a decade without tying the knot, she had assumed Jake preferred this kind of relationship.

Turns out, he just couldn't seal the deal.

Vivienne raised an eyebrow and glanced outside, "Aunt Zelda, no need. Uncle Jake's made it clear this the won't let Willa slip through his fingers again." In the garden, under the gazebo.

Maddox, in a daze, held the flowers left by Natalia and Yasmine, plucking the petals one by one, muttering under his breath.

"She loves me, she lovesnot, loves me, lovesnot... No, no, let's start over." "Jake?" The familiar voice made Maddox freeze.

His body sprung into action, and he spun around to envelop her in a hug, blurting out in distress, "Willa, I'm è sorry, I won't pressure you anymore. Marriage doesn't matter, I just beg you not to run away again. I'm scared!" won' Maddox's breath washed over her, making Willa's heart skip a beat. She coughed and pushed him away. "Who said I ran away?" mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflo&1