Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Every inch of Devin’s body hurt. Between the volleyball and the vigorous sex he and MacKenzie had had throughout the night, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to do a whole hell of a lot at the festival the next morning.
The kissing booth. What the hell had he been thinking?
“That I was a single guy and it could be fun,” he muttered over his coffee.
Ashlynn and Avery had come by an hour ago to pick up MacKenzie so they could decorate the local businesses tent. It was nice that they wanted to keep including her in things, but he was starting to feel like it was that sort of stuff that was making it harder on her to decide what she wanted to do.
And where she wanted to be.
Dammit.
The house was quiet, but his brain wouldn’t shut up.
If my car had been running…I was going to head out on Sunday.
Yeah, that had been playing on a constant loop for most of the morning.
If the damn car was fixed, she would be on the road to Oregon right now, no matter how much she said she wasn’t in a rush.
Was she lying to him then? He had no idea what was the truth and what wasn’t anymore because she kept flip-flopping on her plans and it was making him crazy.
And clearly he already was well on his way to losing his damn mind because he was the reason the car broke down yesterday.
Shaking his head, he still couldn’t believe he’d sabotaged it.
He’d loosened some wires and knew once she shut the car off, she wouldn’t be able to restart it.
He was pathetic. What the hell had he thought he’d accomplish with such a childish act?
Eventually the car was going to be fixed and she was going to be free to leave.
Thankfully, MacKenzie knew little to nothing about cars and she’d have no way of knowing he’d been the reason her car had stopped working the other day.
Desperate times, desperate measures. And for what? She was still going. He let out a loud sigh and almost jumped out of his skin when there was a loud knock on the front door. Slowly, he got to his feet and ambled over to answer it.
“Will,” he said with mild confusion. “What’s up?”
“Hey! Do you have a few minutes? I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Devin nodded and took a step back, motioning for Will to come in. He sounded serious and normally, that wasn’t the case. “Sure. Can I get you some coffee?”
“No. But thanks.” They walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Will let out a long breath but seemed hesitant to speak.
“What’s going on?”
“First, I want to apologize for my behavior the other day and for what I said to MacKenzie. I was completely out of line. I thought I was doing a good thing.”
“Is that all?” he asked with a small laugh. “We’re good, Will. We talked about this that day and we’re cool. Really. Stop worrying about it.”
“I want to. I really do, but…” He let out another sigh as he shifted in his seat. “Okay, you know one of the things that sucks about living in a small town?”
“Um…”
“It’s how everyone knows your business and can be gossipy,” he stated. “So I ran into Books & Beans this morning and ran into Ashlynn, Avery, and MacKenzie.”
“O-kay…”
“I was minding my own business when Avery pulled me aside and told me that MacKenzie’s been talking to her mom–like they messaged each other on Facebook or something–but she doesn’t think MacKenzie really wants to go to Oregon.”
For a moment, he was too stunned to speak. MacKenzie had talked to her mother and didn’t mention it to him? Why?
“I don’t know what to say to that,” he admitted.
“Why?”
Not sure what exactly the question was, he looked at Will in confusion.
“Why does she suddenly not want to go?” he explained. “I mean…that was her plan when you found her on the side of the road, and that’s been her plan ever since. Until now.”
If my car had been running…I was going to head out on Sunday.
“It’s still her plan,” Devin replied lowly. “She told me so last night.”
“Well, that’s not what the girls all think. So again I have to ask…why?”
“She’s got a life, Will. She never planned on stopping–or staying–here in Sweetbriar Ridge. Her plan was to go to Oregon and do…something. This was a slight detour on the way there.”
Will’s eyes went wide. “A detour? Seriously? That’s what you’re reducing it to?”
“What am I supposed to call it?”
“Um…fate?” And then Will let out a snort of disgust. “Geez, listen to me. I sound like a damn teenage girl.” He sighed loudly.
“Look, I know I’m probably the last guy to be giving relationship advice.
I haven’t had anything long-term since high school.
But…damn, Devin. You and I have known each other for a long time and the way you’ve been these last two weeks? I’ve never seen you that happy.”
Devin knew it was the truth because he felt it too. “It’s only been two weeks. Everyone can be happy for two weeks.” It was bullshit and he knew it, but he was trying hard to justify MacKenzie’s leaving and convincing himself it was going to be all right.
“Dude, who are you trying to kid? I mean, I get it–yeah. The first two weeks of a relationship? It's pretty hard to screw that up and not be happy. But like I said, I know you. You’re not like that. You’re too damn serious and grown up.
You don’t play the casual dating game and if you’ve been half as happy as you appear to be, then I know you really feel something for her.
And with the way the two of you have been around each other nearly 24/7, you know it’s technically a lot longer than two damn weeks. ”
“Will…”
Will threw up his hands in surrender. “I know, I know. What the hell do I know about this? I can’t even find a girl to pretend to be happy with me for two dates, let alone two weeks, so…never mind.” He stood up and looked toward the front door.
“Will wait…”
He waited and looked at Devin expectantly.
“What do I do? I asked her to stay but…” He stopped and shrugged. “She’s fairly determined to go.”
“You could dismantle her car so she can’t leave,” Will said, a sly grin crossing his face.
Devin chuckled. “Already tried that.”
“Really? Man, that’s awesome!”
“I don’t think I could do it again. I’m not good at lying, and I don’t want MacKenzie to stay if she really wants to go.”
“Sometimes you’re too noble.”
He shrugged again. “What good would it be to force her to stay?”
“What good is going to come out of letting her go?” Will countered.
Hanging his head, Devin let out a weary sigh. When he looked up, Will was still standing there watching him. “What am I supposed to do?”
Will considered him for a moment. “And you’re sure we can’t dismantle her car again?”
Devin shook his head. “Absolutely not. Hell, the car will be fixed in less than ten minutes. When we get to the shop, I had planned on just doing it and handing her the keys. After that, I have no idea what’s going to happen.”
“And you’ve asked her to stay?”
“I even reminded her she had a job here already to hold her over until she found one she really wanted.”
“Well, damn…”
“Believe me. I know.”
“Okay, so other than Ashlynn and Avery, do you think she’s told anyone else about her plans to go?”
“Honestly? I have no idea. If she has, I haven’t been around to hear it.”
That slow, sly grin was back on Will’s face.
“What? What’s that look about?” Devin asked, his curiosity piqued. “What are you thinking?”
“There are things about this town that are a blessing and a curse. And growing up here was a real pain in the ass sometimes because of it.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“Gossips, busybodies, the never-ending parade of people butting into your business! Exactly what I said at the beginning of this conversation!” Will exclaimed, but Devin was still confused. Finally, Will rolled his eyes and slapped Devin upside the head. “You know what? Never mind. Leave it to me.”
“Leave what to you? What are you going to do?”
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with just yet. But when the time comes, you need to follow my lead and not question it,” he said, rubbing his palms together.
“I don’t know, Will. Shouldn’t we just…?”
“What? Let her leave? Let the best thing that’s ever happened to you just drive away?”
“If it’s what she wants…”
“I don’t think it is,” Will said firmly. “You know it. I know it. For whatever reason, she thinks it’s the right thing to do, but she’s miserable about it. Don’t tell me you don’t see it or hear it in her voice.”
He did, but he had no idea how to go about changing her mind. From everything she’d shared with him over the last few weeks, she was used to picking up and moving. It was kind of her thing. How could he possibly expect her to suddenly change?
“You know what, Will? I don’t think…”
Will held up a hand to cut him off. “Do you love her?”
“It’s only been two weeks.”
Shaking his head, Will repeated the question.
“It’s crazy,” Devin said quietly. “It’s not supposed to be like this. This fast.” Then he looked up. “Is it?”
“Sometimes you just know,” Will replied with a helpless shrug. “So? Are you in?”
For a minute, Devin thought his heart just might pound right out of his chest. Was he? Was he really going to let the perfect girl for him simply drive out of his life?
Looking at Will, he held out his hand. “I’m in.”
“Good! Now go fix the Mustang and I’ll see you later at the festival!”
She’d helped set up brochures.
She’d blown up a hundred balloons.
And she’d given her mother her phone number.
It had been a busy morning, but MacKenzie knew she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything if she didn’t at least try to do things where her mother was concerned about the way she felt she needed to. The phone had yet to ring, but she reminded herself that there was a three-hour time difference.
“I think we’re all set!” Ashlynn called out from the other side of the tent. “We only have to be in here from noon till four, and then we can enjoy the rest of the festival.” She smiled at everyone as she walked over to where MacKenzie was standing, staring at her phone.