Chapter 6 #2
“You know,” MacKenzie began a few minutes later, “back home–in Syracuse–one of my co-workers made her lunch like this every day. It was like a culinary event for her.” Pausing, she took a sip of her wine. “I never understood the appeal until now. Clearly I just wasn’t doing it right.”
“You can really put anything on the board that you want,” Ashlynn told her. “Reid and I tend to make one every Saturday night while we watch a movie. Sometimes we make it a dinner board, other times a dessert one.”
“Ooo…remember the s’mores one we did when we went camping back in March?” Jade asked.
“Don’t try to make that sound like a fun memory,” Ashlynn murmured. “It was freezing out and there was no need to go camping!”
“Oh, stop,” Chloe said with a small laugh. “It wasn’t that bad.”
All Ashlynn did was snort.
“What am I missing?” MacKenzie asked the group.
“Well…” Billie began hesitantly. “We took a family camping trip, but since neither me or Chloe are big on that, we sort of went overboard on supplies to be comfortable.”
“It was like glamping,” Chloe explained.
“Right. Glamping,” Ashlynn huffed before facing MacKenzie.
“The two of them rented a camper while the rest of us had tents and sleeping bags! And it had electricity and everything and while the rest of us were sleeping on lumpy ground and freezing, the two of them were snug in their beds while binge-watching HGTV!”
“Glamping?” MacKenzie asked in mild confusion. “That’s really a thing?”
“You’ve really led a sheltered life,” Avery said with a grin. “Oh! That’s what we should do for our next big girls’ night adventure! Make it a weekend of glamping! We’ll rent a couple of those camper things and do the s’mores charcuterie board and roast marshmallows and…”
“And do it when it’s warm out, so we don’t freeze our asses off,” Ashlynn added.
“Okay, fine!” Jade said with a laugh as she got up to pour herself another glass of wine. “Bitch all you want, but me, Levi, and Silas had a great time.” Then she looked over at Ashlynn. “And you were snuggled up with Reid, so I don’t know what you’re complaining about.”
“It was really cold…”
“I imagine you would be used to that with living in the mountains and all,” MacKenzie commented. “The cold weather doesn’t bother me at all. Growing up in upstate New York, it’s just the norm.”
“Are you looking to move to another cooler climate?” Billie asked. “Are you set on going to Oregon?”
She shrugged. “You know…it’s something I swore I’d never do. I mean…my mom walked out on us and had zero interest in staying in touch.” Pausing, she shook her head. “But…she’s all the family I’ve got left.”
“Have you reached out to her?” Chloe asked. “Recently?”
“I keep telling myself that I have to–need to–but then I always chicken out. I’ve looked her up on social media and…
and she has a whole new family now. Like…
I have siblings or…half-siblings, that probably don’t even know I exist.” She sighed loudly.
“Basically, I’m torn. If I reach out to her, there’s a good chance she’s going to tell me to stay away. But if I just show up on her doorstep…”
“She could still say it,” Billie said gently. “Damn, MacKenzie. I’m sorry. Our dad took off when we were younger, but we still saw him and heard from him once in a while. I can’t even imagine how you must feel.”
“I’d say that I had a crappy life, but…I didn’t.
My dad was amazing. Like…seriously, he was the best dad in the world and I’d fight anyone who said otherwise.
He tried so hard to keep things as normal as possible after my mom left.
I swear I don’t know how he did it all. When he died, I was so lost and I didn’t know what to do with myself.
I stayed in the apartment we lived in and then it got depressing.
I couldn’t move on from my grief because everything of his was still exactly where it was the day he died. ”
Billie came and sat beside her and held her hand. “That had to be rough.”
She nodded. “It was. Two years ago when I met Kevin, I thought it was time for me to move out of that apartment and find someplace new. He agreed and somehow convinced me we should move in together. Looking back, I realize just how big of a mistake it was.”
“Hindsight and all,” Avery murmured.
“Exactly. But…I don’t think it was so much that he wanted to live with me as much as he didn’t want to pay the full amount for rent. We split everything fifty-fifty, so…”
“You are so much better off without him,” Ashlynn told her. “So…what happens now? How long are you staying in Sweetbriar?”
“Just until my car’s done.” And yeah, just the thought of it made her sigh. “I hate how much I’m inconveniencing Devin. If there were any rooms available in town…”
“Yeah, the reunion and festival really brought people out of the woodwork,” Avery said before popping an olive into her mouth. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many people in town. It’s crazy!”
“But it’s so good for business!” Jade chimed in. “I mean…we’ve sold out of everything almost daily, right Billie?”
“Yup! It means I’m having to make a lot more stuff–especially until the festival is over–but it’s worth it.”
“Here, here!” Ashlynn said as she held up her glass.
After that, the conversation immediately went back to her and Devin, and it felt a little like she was under the microscope.
“Are you going with Devin to all the reunion stuff this weekend?” Chloe asked.
“Um…I really hadn’t planned on it. He asked if I wanted to go, but…” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” Avery asked, frowning. “It’s just a big party weekend. It’s not like a big deal just because you didn’t go to school here. You’d be going as Devin’s date.”
“Oh, um…I don’t think that’s what he meant…”
“How else would he mean it?” Ashlynn asked. “He’s a single guy who asked a single girl to go with him to a big celebration. Did he say that he wanted you to go as a friend?”
“No, but…”
“So I’d say that sounds like a date! Yay!” Avery said, clapping her hands happily.
“Okay, okay,” Billie interjected. “Everyone leave MacKenzie alone. You’re scaring her. And if you keep it up, she’ll leave town sooner rather than later.”
“I’m leaving when the car’s done,” she murmured, but no one was listening.
They were having a rather spirited discussion over whether or not they were ganging up on her.
Sighing, she stood and went to the kitchen and poured herself another glass of wine.
Leaning against the counter, she stared out at her little group of new friends and hoped she’d find another group like them wherever she ended up moving to.
You could stay here…
Yeah, yeah, yeah. She’d thought about that too, but it felt like she was being lazy by settling in the first town she really stopped in. For all she knew, there was someplace out there that was ten times more fabulous than Sweetbriar Ridge.
Maybe.
Walking back into the living room, she curled up in the oversized chair in the corner of the room and smiled as the discussion was still going on. And as she got a little more comfortable, she realized she was feeling very good, very relaxed, and very happy.
It was a little after eleven and Devin was almost asleep on the couch when his phone rang. Fumbling for it, he sat up and said, “H’lo?”
“Your girl’s a lightweight.”
That had him sitting up straighter and clearing his throat. “Um…what?”
“It’s Billie, in case you didn’t know,” she said with amusement. “Anyway, MacKenzie’s asleep in one of my chairs and she was mumbling something about wanting to go home and we all thought she meant back to Syracuse, but then she said your name, so…”
Now he was on his feet and doing his best to wake up. “Okay, okay,” he said gruffly. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, and…”
“Devin, relax,” she told him. “I can tell I woke you up and I’m sorry about that. But we all drank tonight, otherwise one of us would drive her home.”
“How’s everyone else getting home?” Raking a hand through his hair, he went in search of his keys.
“Let’s just say you’re not the first call I’ve had to make, and Chloe’s crashing here. It’s all good.”
Yawning loudly, Devin shook his head to clear it. “Okay, cool. I’ll be there in a few minutes and thanks for looking out for everyone. You’re good people, Billie.”
“I can say the same for you, Dev.”
That made him smile. “I’ll see you in a few,” he said before hanging up.
Within minutes, he was out the door and in his truck.
Billie only lived a few blocks away and they’d known each other for years, so getting to her house wasn’t a problem.
Once he pulled into the driveway and walked up to the door, he ran into Leo James–Avery’s fiancé–practically carrying her out the door.
“Devin!” Avery cried. “You totally have to bring MacKenzie to the reunion this weekend! You have to!”
“Um…”
“C’mon, Avery,” Leo murmured. “Let’s get you home.”
With little more than a head nod and a murmured, “Hey”, Devin stood back and let them walk out before he tried to walk in.
“Hey, Devin,” Billie said before pointing to where MacKenzie was asleep in the corner. “She really didn’t drink that much. Maybe two glasses of wine. That’s why I said she’s a lightweight.”
“Well, to be fair, we get up really early to go to the shop, so…”
Billie yawned and nodded. “I’m not trying to be rude, but I’ve got to be up early too.”
“No problem.” And instead of trying to wake MacKenzie up, he simply lifted her up in his arms before looking back at Billie. “Her purse?”
She walked across the room and grabbed it before handing it to him. “Thanks for coming to get her.” She paused. “And for what it’s worth, she’s great. You should definitely see about bringing her to the reunion. I think she’d enjoy it.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to get into a discussion about it, but it was late and everyone was tired. Instead, he said, “Thanks, Billie. Have a good night.”
It wasn’t until he was next to the truck that he realized he was going to have to wake her. There was no way he could get her into the passenger seat and buckled without her help.
“Hey, MacKenzie,” he said softly. “Time to wake up.”
Luckily, she opened her eyes slowly and looked at him.
And immediately frowned.
“Devin? What…?”
“You fell asleep and Billie called me.” Carefully, he lowered her to her feet and then held onto her until she was steady. “C’mon. Let’s get you home.”
All she did was nod sleepily as he helped her into the truck.
The drive was short and yet when he pulled into the driveway, she was snoring softly again.
Walking around to the passenger side, Devin figured it was best to simply carry her inside.
It was slightly awkward to unlock the door and get through it, but he managed.
MacKenzie hummed quietly and curled into him and it was wreaking havoc on him, but he reminded himself that in two minutes, she’d be in her bed and he would be in his.
Well, that sucks…
In her room, he threw the blankets back and slowly set her down. It wasn’t until he was taking her shoes off that she finally woke up a bit.
“Hey,” she whispered, pushing herself up on her elbows.
The only light was coming from the hallway and when he looked up at her and she was smiling drowsily at him. Her long hair was all tousled and she just looked so damn beautiful that it made his heart ache. “Sorry I fell asleep again.”
“No worries,” he said gruffly before he straightened. “Get some sleep. And if you want, you can totally come in late to the shop. Or…take the day off, it’s totally up to you.”
Languidly, she laid back down and pulled the blankets up and said something he couldn’t hear. Thinking she was just falling back to sleep, he took a step back but paused when she distinctly said his name.
He silently cursed himself for not leaving the room faster.
With a hesitant step back toward the bed, he waited, but when she mumbled again, he decided to simply say, “Good night.”
“Devin, wait,” she said with a bit more energy.
Then she held out her hand to him.
Another silent curse and then he moved to the side of the bed, where she reached for his hand and tugged him down onto the mattress.
Oh, God…
She sat up and they were practically nose to nose.
With her free hand, she caressed his jaw.
“Devin Maxwell, I love how you’re like a knight in shining armor.
” Her eyes were like saucers as she met his gaze.
“You’re like the best person in the whole wide world and I love that you keep coming to my rescue. ”
“Oh, well…I…” But he never got to say another word because MacKenzie closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his.
Devin groaned but couldn’t help but kiss her back.
It was all sweet and languid, and all he wanted to do was sink down beside her and keep kissing her all night.
Her lips were so soft, her skin was so smooth, and he was tired of denying himself when clearly this was something they both wanted.
He pulled back slightly so he could rain kisses on her cheek and jaw.
He whispered her name and then pulled back even more when she fell back against the pillows.
And began to snore.
“Shit…”
Then he got to his feet while silently berating himself. But because he was a gentleman, he pulled the blankets back over her and then quickly left the room–all the while wondering how the hell he was going to survive another week with MacKenzie under his roof.