Chapter 17
Mackenzie
I missed the Clover Park spring festival this weekend to fly out to Minnesota for Sutton.
It’s okay, though, I did my part in the prep work, and they’ve got it covered for staffing.
Cal dropped out of the committee after the first meeting in favor of donating money to the cause. That’s one way to go.
Cal and I were on different flights, so I’m here with Sutton in the early afternoon on Friday before her dad is home from work. Her fiancé is supposed to stop by after work, so I guess then we’ll have a little engagement party. She’s making brownies for the occasion.
The oven timer dings. Sutton pulls the brownies from the oven and sets them on the stovetop to cool. She resembles Cal in coloring with dark brown hair and brown eyes, but her demeanor is pure sunshine whereas Cal’s more serious. “Are you an end or a middle?”
“Huh?”
“Which do you like better? The crunchy end of the brownie or the gooey middle?”
“Ohhh. Both.”
“I like the gooey middle. Cal likes the crunchy end. Perfect combo. He texted he’s on his way.”
I fidget with the end of my shirt and then smooth it out.
“Great.” Things are awkward with Cal. Okay, I admit it.
I’m in too deep, and I’m scared. I almost didn’t take this trip, but I care about Sutton, and I want to be supportive of both her and Cal.
I’m worried Cal’s disapproval of her engagement will upset her.
She told me all about her fiancé, John, making him sound practically like a knight in shining armor.
It’s hard to believe someone as smart as Sutton could be fooled by a serial cheater.
But what do I know about long-term relationships?
She said they’ve been together since high school.
Maybe knowing someone since you were an impressionable teen makes you blind to their flaws.
“Water or milk?” Sutton asks.
“Water, thanks.”
She pours us glasses of water, and we take a seat in the living room with our brownies. The two-story house has furniture and decor that looks like it hasn’t been updated since Cal’s childhood. There’s a faded green sectional sofa and a cherrywood coffee table and end tables. It’s neat and tidy.
After we make short work of our brownies and Sutton fills me in on life in Minnesota, a silence falls.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you in person,” Sutton says for the third time since I got here.
“You too.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, did you come out here for me or Cal?”
I flush. “What? This has nothing to do with Cal. I just thought it was way past time that you and I met in person.”
“I know he likes you.”
I take a sip of water, not sure what to say.
“It’s the way he says your name. He hasn’t been serious about anyone since college.”
“What do you mean? He lived with someone recently.”
She shakes her head. “He locked up his heart after Brenda. She was his college girlfriend for a year and a half. They were pretty serious. She died in a car accident about a year after Mom died.”
Poor Cal! “I had no idea.”
She leans forward, her voice low, even though Cal’s not here.
“I probably shouldn’t have said anything.
I don’t want you to be scared off because he’s not very expressive.
He’s cautious. I always thought Rayna—that’s the woman he lived with—was someone he chose because she understood his dedication to work.
She was, too, which meant their time together was limited. ”
I understand cautious. After I was cheated on by the man I thought was the One (what a silly romantic notion), I shut down all other possibilities.
But the grief that Cal’s been through must’ve been tremendous.
He never shared that part of his life with me.
I guess I haven’t talked about my past either.
Fake dating doesn’t exactly lead to intimacy.
We enjoyed each other’s company in the moment.
That’s not a bad thing, right? Except part of me longs to know him better.
I notice Sutton adjusting her engagement ring like she wants me to comment on it. “So you’re engaged. Congratulations!”
She beams and holds it out for me to admire. “Thank you! I’m excited. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Wow. And you’ve never dated anyone else?”
“Nope. Just one man.”
“He must be special.”
She turns her ring in the light, admiring the small diamond. “He is. I hope you understand why I’m not going to accept the promotion. I’m building a life here with John.”
The doorbell rings. She leaps to answer it. I wipe my face for crumbs and smooth back my hair.
“Cal!” She throws her arms around him. He hugs her back and gives her ponytail a tug.
“How’re you doing, beanpole?”
She beams. “You’re the beanpole.”
He shifts and notices me for the first time. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
You could cut the awkward tension with a knife.
I did bolt from his apartment. I didn’t know what to do.
I nearly kissed him, and my track record of kissing and not hooking up with him is abysmally low.
It’s weird now. I don’t know what to do with him and all these unrequited feelings.
Does he have feelings for me buried deep down?
Sutton looks between us curiously.
“I’ll get you a brownie!” Sutton carols, disappearing into the kitchen.
Cal puts a duffel bag and his coat to the side of the sofa and joins me. “Did you talk to Sutton about the job?”
“Not yet, but I’m not here to convince anyone. Just chime in with the facts. Her fiancé is stopping by after work, and I think she’s hoping we can celebrate with a little engagement party. She talked about ordering takeout from a restaurant she and John like.”
Sutton returns, handing him a warm brownie on a napkin.
“Thanks,” Cal says. He doesn’t take a bite, just stares at his little sister.
Sutton thrusts her hand out, showing off her diamond engagement ring. “I’m engaged!”
He takes her hand and examines the ring. “Kinda small.”
She snatches her hand back. “It’s the thought that counts.”
“Is this what you really want?” Cal asks. “You’ve never dated anyone besides John. Isn’t it possible there’s another guy out there who could be a better fit? Someone who’d want you to have a great job, an education.”
Sutton frowns. “There’s nothing wrong with the life I want.”
Cal runs a hand through his hair. “Mackenzie’s offering you a great opportunity.”
I jump in with my pitch. “Is it possible to have a long engagement? We’d love to have you in a bigger role. The stock options alone. Let me get my laptop, and I’ll show you the projections.”
Sutton shakes her head. “You really don’t need to do that.”
“The bonus to working with a startup,” Cal says.
“Not a guarantee, but it’s a definite possibility,” I say, backing him up. Team Cal!
Sutton looks back and forth between us. “It sounds exciting, but—”
“What if you try it out?” Cal asks. “Maybe after six months to a year in Clover Park, you can move back, get married, and work remotely.”
“Remote won’t work for this role,” I say. “But I could help John get a job in Connecticut. My family is very well connected. What does he do?” Team Sutton!
Sutton shakes her head. “He’ll never move. He works for the family business. One day he’ll be in charge. They sell and distribute rubber products.”
“Oh, have they ever offered you a job there?” I ask.
“John says it’s better if we don’t work together.”
Cal sends me an imploring look. Like I’m supposed to fix this situation. I’ve already made my pitch, and Sutton’s so caught up in marrying John—a guy who cheats on her—she’s blinded to reality. This is what’s so dangerous about the love fantasy. It can derail your entire life.
On the other hand, maybe he’s not as bad as Cal says. Maybe he cheated in the past when he was young and stupid, and he’s seen the error of his ways. After all, Sutton’s a sensible woman. She wouldn’t tie herself to an unworthy guy forever. Right?
Sutton looks to me. “I really am happy. I’ve been dreaming of my wedding since I was a little girl.”
“I’m sure you’ll make a beautiful bride.”
“Thanks! Cal, will you be the best man? John’s not on speaking terms with his brother.”
“No.”
Her jaw drops. “No? But John would be happy to have you there. I’d be happy to have you there.”
“I’ll be at the wedding. Don’t ask me to stand up for him. You know how I feel about the way he treats you.”
“That was a long time ago.”
Cal clamps his mouth shut. He doesn’t want to be the bad guy.
Sutton huffs. “If you can’t be happy for me—”
“I’m happy if you’re happy,” Cal says grimly.
Footsteps sound in the kitchen. “Sutton, honey, you made brownies. Thanks.”
“No problem, Dad!” Sutton calls. “We’ve got company.”
A tall man with salt-and-pepper hair walks in, holding a brownie. He looks fifties but not vibrant like my parents. He looks worn down, from his tired eyes to his slumped shoulders. “Cal, good to see you! And who’s this?”
I walk over to shake his hand. “Hi, I’m Mackenzie Campbell. Sutton’s been working for my company for the past year or so.”
“Bill Davis.” He shakes my hand firmly. He’s wearing a light blue uniform shirt. Cal mentioned he works at a warehouse distribution center nearby. His brows knit together in confusion. “Are you with Cal?”
I search my brain for a polite answer. “Actually, I came to meet Sutton in person, and I confess I was hoping she’d reconsider the promotion I’m offering.”
“Ah, but now she’s engaged.”
Cal comes over and gives his dad a half-armed hug. “How’re you holding up?”
“Fine.” He takes a seat in his recliner with a sigh of relief.
“I’ll get you a drink,” Sutton says.
“How about a beer?” Bill asks. He turns to us. “She only lets me have a beer on Fridays. I’m lucky she’s letting me have sugar today too.”
“Sounds like she takes good care of you,” I say.
“No one asked her to,” Bill grumbles.
Sutton returns with a beer for her dad. He takes it with a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
“How’re you really doing?” Cal asks his dad.
Bill glances at me, seeming embarrassed. “Is that why you’re here? I’m doing better this year. I had a nice talk with your mom.”
It’s sad, but I understand keeping the connection to his deceased wife, even if he makes up her side of the conversation. I’d still want to talk to someone I loved and lost.
Cal gives a slow nod. “And what did she say?”
Bill smiles, his face lighting up. “I brought her favorite flowers, tulips. She had tulips in her bridal bouquet, you know.”
“We know, Dad,” Cal says gently.
Bill continues, a faraway look in his eyes, “She’s waiting for me, but she wants me to be a grandparent for us first. I guess Sutton will get started on that now that she’s getting married.”
“I hope so,” Sutton says, exchanging a sharp look with Cal that seems to say, See? I can’t leave him.
“It’s okay to miss her, Dad,” Cal says. “We all do.” He gestures to a photo album on the coffee table. “Looking at your wedding album again?”
Bill tears up. “Seems so unfair that someone so dedicated to helping others was taken so soon.”
Cal fills me in. “Mom was an elementary school teacher and volunteered at a hospice too.”
“Never thought she’d be the one in hospice,” Bill says. “Ovarian cancer.”
“I’m so sorry. Can I see?” I gesture toward the photo album.
Bill nods.
I flip through the album of the happy couple as bride and groom. They look like they’re barely out of high school. Bill looks at his wife like he won the lottery. Cal’s mom is a petite brunette, her eyes shining with happiness. “Beautiful wedding pictures. You both look so young.”
Bill takes the album and gazes at his wife for a long moment before closing it. “We were. Got married a couple of years out of high school. I was playing college ball. She was working as a teacher assistant while going to night classes to become a teacher.”
“You could take night classes too,” Cal says to Sutton.
Sutton shakes her head. “I wasn’t good at school. I couldn’t wait to graduate.”
“You were grieving,” Bill says. “It’s no wonder your grades fell. Things would be different now.”
Sutton smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I’m marrying my high school sweetheart. We both have good jobs, and we’ll have a nice life right here. Our kids can grow up with their grandfather like you said Mom wanted.”
“Mom wants you to be happy,” Bill says.
Sutton frowns and bites into a brownie.
“So tell me about you, Mackenzie,” Bill says. “Sutton speaks highly of you.”
“I think she’s awesome too.”
“Mackenzie does amazing work,” Cal says.
I smile, surprised to hear him say it. “Thank you. I didn’t know you knew much about my work.”
“I worked with you on that conflict-of-interest case. You’re smart, organized, efficient yet still know when to pass the work on to your teammates. You’re a team player.”
Bill lifts his brows. “High praise from Cal.”
The doorbell rings.
Sutton pops up from her seat. “My fiancé is here!”
I look toward the door. John is a lanky guy in his twenties wearing a faded black T-shirt and jeans.
He’s scruffy looking, his light brown hair on the longish side with an unkempt beard.
His eyes shift around the room warily. If ever a man looked guilty, it’s this one.
You would think he’d feel perfectly comfortable with Sutton’s family after eight years.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
Sutton walks to his side. “Remember I told you Cal’s stopping by for a visit, and Mackenzie’s my boss at Brooks Campbell Security. I told them we should get takeout and have a little engagement party. Oh! Mackenzie, this is John, my fiancé.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say.
He lifts a hand. “You too. Cal.”
“John,” Cal says flatly.
Bill sips his beer and says nothing.
“Would you like a brownie?” Sutton asks John cheerfully, smoothing over the tension.
“Nah, I had something before I got here.”
Sutton gestures toward the sofa. “Come and sit. I’ll get you a beer.”
John perches on the arm of the sofa near where Sutton was sitting. Sutton hurries into the kitchen. He didn’t even thank Sutton for getting him a beer.
“Congratulations on your engagement,” I say to John.
“That’s what she wanted,” John says. “It was that or she walks.”
“Maybe she should’ve walked,” Cal says under his breath.
Bill jumps in. “John, how’s your dad?”
“Same old, same old.”
The doorbell rings. Bill looks over. “Now who could that be?”
Sutton returns and hands John his beer. He still doesn’t thank her. Just pops the top and takes a long swallow.
Cal opens the door to a woman with brown curly hair in a messy ponytail. Her face is tear-streaked with mascara, and she’s wearing a long sweater over her very pregnant belly.