Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
A kid.
Lacey had a kid, and he looked to be at least five. Or maybe he was older than that. Mack couldn’t tell. He wasn’t good with kids.
Well, it wasn’t that. He just didn’t know much about kids. He was the middle child, and Caleb had only just started his family.
Mack ran a hand through his hair then laced his hands behind his head as he glanced up at the hospital ceiling in the waiting room.
She had a kid.
He might have admitted to making a mistake if he wasn’t so enamored with her. Mack knew he liked her from the first time Sammie had introduced them. He racked his brain for any memory of them speaking about a kid. He couldn’t recall a single thing.
Was he so airheaded that he had missed it?
Mack dropped his hands, shaking his head. No. He refused to accept that. From the outside, Lacey appeared to be outgoing and open. But the truth was she couldn’t be further from it.
The woman was as private as they came.
Which begged the question: how much of what he’d heard was true? Most of the rumors surrounding Lacey regarded how flirtatious she was. Nothing about a kid. Granted, he never put much stock in those rumors. They might have talked about her having a kid, and he’d just blocked it out.
A kid.
He dragged a hand down his face and let out a dry chuckle for no one but himself. Just because he’d made a fool of himself and asked her out didn’t mean he’d asked her to marry him. He wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. And she only wanted one date.
Mack had let himself get into his own head over this whole thing.
“Mr. Reese?”
His head snapped up as a nurse strode toward him. “Sorry about the wait. They moved your brother and his wife to a recovery room. We weren’t sure which one, and I had to track them down.”
He offered her a smile. “I appreciate it.”
She turned, her long blonde braid whipping around as she pointed down the hallway. “There’s an elevator down that way. Take it up to the third floor. Check with the nurses station, and they’ll help you get to their room. They’re in three-ten.”
“Thanks,” he murmured, flashing her a smile. Mack didn’t miss the way her cheeks colored slightly. He’d gotten really good at reading people—women specifically—when it came to first impressions.
That skill had come in handy when he’d encountered Lacey. Her words had said one thing, but he’d known better. He would have given up right off the bat if he hadn’t seen the interest in her eyes. She’d wanted to be chased. Women like her wanted to know they were worth it.
He pressed the button for the elevator, his thoughts turning once again to the bombshell that had been thrown in his direction.
He was twenty-four—definitely not ready for something serious.
And yet he couldn’t stop thinking about what it might be like to step into the role of being a father figure.
It was ridiculous.
Definitely not what he wanted.
Mack fidgeted in the elevator, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he watched the numbers climb. He blew out a breath when the doors slid open, and he stepped out onto the third floor.
Just like the nurse had mentioned, there was someone to help him at the reception desk for the floor.
“Just down that hallway and to the left,” the older woman told him.
He nodded, his steps growing leaden as he moved toward the door. He might not be ready to be a father figure, but he could be an uncle. That would be easy enough.
Right?
The sound of his knuckle rapping on the door seemed to echo down the quiet hallway.
His parents were still cleaning up after the housewarming party.
He could only imagine how his brother and sister-in-law felt over leaving their own party to go have a baby.
Thankfully, Mack’s parents were more than happy to clean up and prepare the house for when the new parents would be returning home.
“Come in,” Caleb’s voice called from behind the door.
Mack edged it open and stepped inside. “It’s Uncle Mack,” he announced. “I hope everyone is decent.”
Caleb snorted, and Mack chuckled. He rounded the area where a sink was situated just inside the door and froze.
Sammie rested in a bed, covered by white blankets, whisps of hair framing her face.
Caleb stood by the large window, his muscled arms cradling a small bundle. He looked up, and a look of absolute joy shone on his face.
Mack’s focus locked on the bundle, and he moved forward. “Is this her?”
His older brother nodded, his finger brushing at the baby’s face. “This is Annie,” he whispered.
Never in Mack’s life had he felt so drawn to one individual. Step by step, he drew closer. Perfection. There was no other way to describe the baby in Caleb’s arms. He exhaled a shuddered breath. "She's so tiny," he whispered.
Caleb chuckled. “You want to hold her?”
Mack’s eyes snapped to his brother. “Can I?”
Without a word, Caleb shifted Annie into Mack’s arms. “Watch her head. You need to make sure you support it.”
Annie’s small, pouty lips opened wide, and she yawned. A small sound escaped her lips, and her face scrunched up like she was going to cry. For a moment, Mack tensed. He didn’t want her to cry. He didn’t want to hand her back to her father.
This feeling—the humming in his chest—it wasn’t normal. It couldn’t be. He was just thrown off by learning of Lacey’s son.
And yet, he knew deep down that wasn’t the right excuse.
If he thought his little niece was amazing, how would he feel when he had his own children?
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Caleb murmured.
Mack gave him a questioning look, and his brother smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. “I always thought you’d be the last to get married—the last to want a life like this. But watching you hold her…” His voice got emotional. “I can tell you would be a good dad.”
He blinked, reality settling in.
No.
Mack wasn’t cut out to be a father figure. At least not for several years. He shook his head and failed miserably at brushing his brother’s words from his heart. “Far from it,” he croaked, carefully placing his niece back into Caleb’s arms. “I’m a forever-uncle, through and through.”
Sammie laughed quietly. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting a family, Mack. Maybe you’re more ready for it than you think you are.”
“Nah.” He brushed off his arms, as if holding Annie had left him feeling unnerved. In truth, they felt too empty. “I can barely take care of myself,” he insisted. “What would I do with a kid?”
Caleb swayed slightly with his daughter before bringing her over to Sammie. He glanced at Mack briefly. “You don’t know until it happens. Believe me, I know.”
“Yeah, well, that’s just who you are,” Mack muttered, taking a seat in a chair that sat in the corner of the room.
He crossed an ankle over his knee. “You’ve always known what you’ve wanted.
From the moment you were born, I swear you were planning your future.
” He turned to Sammie. “He knew what he wanted to be when he grew up the second he stepped foot on Sagebrush property. He didn’t even grow up there, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life there. ”
Sammie glanced up at Caleb, adoration in her eyes. “Yeah, I know. And I love him all the more for it.” The way they stared at each other stirred something inside him. He’d watched from the outside while Caleb and Sammie fell in love. At first, he’d thought they were crazy.
But the more he paid attention, the more he realized that it wouldn’t be so bad to find someone who could love him.
Not that he was looking for love. He knew better than to go looking for something that was near impossible to find. Love took time and effort. He was perfectly happy to enjoy his life as a bachelor.
His attention landed on Annie again.
How long that opinion would last, he wasn’t certain. Maybe his brother was right. Maybe he would be ready sooner than he thought. He just needed to figure out a few things first.
What kind of a man didn’t know what he wanted for his future at the age of twenty-four? Not a man worthy of a wife and kids, that was for sure. But the more he tried to plan, the harder it became.
Lately, it felt like all he was good at was standing on the outside watching everyone move on in their lives.
Caleb had graduated from college with honors.
He had two patents under his belt. He was making a difference on ranches all over the country with his formula for feed.
Now, he had a wife and a kid—and a house! His brother had everything.
And Mack? He still didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up.
He heaved a sigh and rubbed at a spot on his chest. “I’m going to let you guys get some rest. I just came to see the baby and let you know that Mom and Dad will come after the party’s cleaned up.
” He smirked. “Everyone’s talking about how fast you had her.
Some of the cousins are really jealous. I think Katrina said she was in labor for fourteen hours. ”
Sammie grimaced, and Mack laughed. “You were here for what? Three?”
“Three and a half,” Caleb corrected.
Mack rolled his eyes. “Whatever. If I were you, I wouldn’t rub it in. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of them tried to curse you with more sleepless nights than you’re already gonna get.”
“They better not,” Caleb muttered, but the amusement danced in his eyes. Pride, love, joy—all of it could be seen there right along with that emotion.
“Congratulations,” Mack murmured.
Caleb nodded to him. And Mack took his leave.
The new house didn’t feel the same as the one Mack had grown up in. It was nice, that much was certain. But what new thing wasn’t? It was built with his parents in mind. His aunt and uncle had known what they were doing when they’d decided to invite their families to live close.
Nothing was more important than family.
And yet, Mack had never quite felt like he’d fit the mold.
Everywhere he looked for evidence, he’d found it.
He didn’t fault his parents, not really.
Being a middle child came with certain caveats—mostly being overlooked.
Caleb was the smart one, the one destined to succeed, the one who could do no wrong.
He was the golden boy, and their parents adored him.
Noah was the baby of the family. He’d been doted on, probably because their parents hadn’t thought they’d have another child after labor had been hard with Mack.
Sighing, a hand dragging through his hair, Mack kicked off his boots and moved further into the house.
Pristine wood floors snaked along the high traffic areas.
Plush carpet filled only the sitting room and the bedrooms. The house was decorated with tasteful neutral colors and modern touches like the console table near the front door where everyone dropped their keys.
He did just that, letting them clatter in a piece of pottery Noah had made in grade school.
“Mack? Is that you?” Tana hurried from the direction of the kitchen, a smile on her face. He loved his parents. And he knew he was loved.
But sometimes he wished they could accept him for who he was.
She fiddled with a pastel pink gift bag. “How are they? Is she beautiful?”
Mack’s father appeared from the kitchen as well, excitement in his eyes. Their first grandchild. How could they not be thrilled?
“She’s perfect,” he murmured.
His parents exchanged glances.
“Are you two headed out?”
Tana nodded, then her eyes widened, and she gasped. “I forgot something upstairs. I’ll be right back.”
Will Reese was tall and built like his brother. He was meant to work on the ranch, though he’d only just started helping out when they relocated to Sagebrush. He clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Well, now it’s your turn.”
Mack stiffened. “My turn for what?”
His father smirked. “You’re not getting any younger. I know we told you we’d give you time to think things over, but you need to commit to something. Plan for your future.”
Insides churning, Mack chuckled. “I already told you. My dream is to be a rodeo star. Has been since I was a kid." There was more truth to that statement than he cared to admit. But whenever he brought it up, all he got was laughter and his parents changing the subject.
This time, his father didn’t crack a smile.
“It’s time, son. No more deflecting. You don’t have to work the ranch for the rest of your life, but you need to pick something.
That being said, there are a lot of positions you could take here.
Eli and Bo have done something great here, and this place is growing. ”
Just like before, he was shut down. His folks didn’t seem to like the idea of him being a professional rodeo star. Never had.
Before he could say any more, his mother returned.
“Ready?” She turned to her husband.
Mack watched them go, somehow feeling less sure of his future than he already did, and that was saying something.