Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
MACKENZIE
The door chime buzzes, cutting through my already foul mood as new customers stomp inside. Great. Just what I needed. My first day back since Liam’s accident, and I’m still not ready to deal with people. But life moves on, doesn’t it?
The only silver lining is that the death gratuity was finally deposited into my account. So there’s that.
“Mackenzie. I’m sorry about Liam. His teammates were pretty shaken.” Mark leans a hip against the counter, his mother standing stiffly beside him.
“Thanks.” I force a smile. “Liam’s going to miss playing.”
“I imagine he will.”
And then Mrs. Morgan strikes. “Who’s taking care of him now? I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be working already.” Her voice is smooth and laced with judgment.
I grip the edge of the countertop. Breathe. Punching an old lady is still frowned upon, right?
“Nate’s with them.”
Her lips thin. “The stranger in town?”
“He’s not exactly a stranger to us,” I say, my tone sharper than I intended. “Besides, he helped save Liam. I certainly can’t trust my brother now, can I? ”
A flicker of surprise crosses Mark’s face, but his mother remains unmoved. “I suppose.”
“Mom, I can vouch for Nate. He’s a standup guy.”
Mrs. Morgan’s lips flattened even further, which I didn’t think was possible. Great, she’s going to choke on her disapproval.
Mark glances at me apologetically and mouths, Sorry . I resist the urge to smirk. At least he knows how she treated me when we were together.
“What can I get you?” I ask, eager to get them out of my café and out of my hair. My mood is soured, especially since Jordan’s words still linger a week later.
“Blame me. Hate me. Do whatever you want. But trust me when I tell you your boyfriend is playing you.”
I heaved a frustrated sigh and dug my finger into his chest. “Nate helped save Liam’s life. The only one playing anyone around here is you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Fair? Don’t even get me started about things being fair.”
“His full name is Nathanial Dixon-Anders. Did he tell you that?”
No.
At my silence, Jordan continued, “He’s from San Diego. Not San Francisco. That’s why I wasn’t able to find anything on him.”
“Maybe he lived there when he was a kid. Many people stake claim to towns they grew up in when they were little.”
“That’s possible, but get real. There’s a reason for him dropping Anders. His dad is sitting in prison. Did he tell you that?”
That drew me up short. I could tell something was amiss by the way Nate talked about him, but he never mentioned prison. Even after my admission about my dad. “For what?”
“Money laundering. It seems like dear old dad liked to screw people out of their money. I’m telling you. He’s after your death gratuity. You need to protect yourself, sis. Either sign over the accounts in my name or at least add me to them. I don’t trust him. ”
“You’re crazy if you think he’s after my money. Newsflash, Jordan. I don’t have any.”
“But you will. It’s just a matter of time. Don’t you find it odd that this guy appears out of the blue, sniffing like a hound?”
I’d like to think I’m the reason for him hanging around. It was evident in the way he stared. Ethan never looked at me the way Nate does. No way was he using me.
Once I gather their to-go order, they’re almost at the door when Mark hesitates. “Mom, I forgot Jeanine’s order. I’ll meet you in the car.”
She eyes him for a long beat before leaving.
The second the door swings shut, he beelines for the counter. “I’m so sorry. She can be a bit judgmental.”
“A bit?” I quirk my eyebrow.
He chuckles. “Okay. A lot . Don’t think I haven’t noticed how she looked down on you. It’s worse now since she still blames you for Toby being born.”
My breath catches. I always suspected, but hearing him say it outright is something else entirely.
“I didn’t realize you having a son was bad.”
He sighs. “It’s not. But since I tried to”—he rubs the back of his neck—“screw you out of my system, it led me down a different career path. You know how Mom wants all of us working at the winery.”
“But you never wanted that.”
“No. But I never told her, so I used Toby as an excuse.”
“And I’m the scapegoat.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“There’s no point now.” I laugh to lighten the conversation. “What can I get, Jeanine?”
“She’ll kill me if I don’t return with a caramel latte and blueberry muffin.”
“We can’t have that. Your mom would find a way to blame me.”
“Touché.”
His gaze flicks to me, hesitating. “Is Nate back at the house?”
“Yeah.”
He nods. “I need to talk to him. Are you guys going to Halfway Inn Friday night?”
“We hadn’t planned on it. Why?”
“They’re celebrating Sabrina McMahon’s latest record’s success. It’s basically an excuse for everyone to get together and drink.” He smirks. “It’d be a good way for Nate to meet more people. You know, make him less elusive .”
I exhale. “I’ve heard people talking about that.”
Mark chuckles. “Small-town folks love a mystery.”
More than you realize.
“I heard Sabrina married a Cobbs. Someone’s going to have to fill me in.”
“What? Linda doesn’t visit you enough?”
I grin. “I’ve been dodging her. Jill handles her.”
Jill appears just then, arms full of Styrofoam cups. “It’s true. And don’t think she’s joking.”
Mark laughs, and the sound is familiar. Comforting, even.
“Well, think about Friday,” he says, flashing a grin that used to make my teenage heart stutter. Now? Not so much. But Jill…
Jill looks way too starry-eyed.
When he leaves, I spin on her. “What was that?”
“What?” She feigns innocence.
“That wasn’t nothing.”
She laughs, reaching for a gift bag beneath the counter. “Speaking of something, I got you a little present.”
I eye the bag warily. “What did you do?”
She shrugs. “Call it The Enticer.”
I open the bag, pull out a slinky black lace number, and immediately shove it back inside. “Oh my God . You didn’t.”
Jill smirks. “My cousin had another one of those sex parties. Unless I wanted a butt plug, a present for you was my best bet.”
I gape at her. “This is so inappropriate.”
“You’re welcome. ”
I take another peek at the negligee. Damn, it is sexy. “Um, thanks?”
She laughs. “Oh, you’ll be thanking me when that sexy man of yours decides to stay.”
Blushing, I pull out my phone and dial. “Mom, I need a favor for Friday night.”