Chapter 6
Six
Scott
I worried it was becoming a medical emergency.
Letting Mackenzie go was painful. Physically painful. But I couldn't chain her to my bed and make her stay with me forever. Not yet. I stood on my front porch clutching my stupid phone unable to move because every cell in my body was being torn apart, trying to move my ass to her side.
But I couldn't because I lived here and she lived there and we weren't together.
So I stood planted to the wooden planks with my local owl watching me like maybe this was his chance to take me down and have me for dinner.
Five minutes later my phone vibrated and lit up with a text from Mackenzie telling me she made it home safely. I finally took a full breath and told my body to chill the fuck out.
My front door swung open and Piggy came out. He stuffed his arms into his coat and shot a smirk my way. "So you and the Mackster?"
"If I'm lucky." This date had to be perfect. She was too skittish, too battered by life. I needed to come in hot but not too hot. Steady and sure.
" Pfffft. You don't need luck. Not with the Mack Attack. You've been head over heels for her since we were kids and she's only had those big eyes for you, even as grumpy as you are."
"That doesn't make it a slam dunk." I wanted the date to be memorable but also give me plenty of time to plead my case, so I suggested a hike. Her surprise was obvious, but she agreed.
Thank fuck.
"She was nervous tonight."
"I'm well aware." I hated it. Hated it like hell. I wanted her smiling and happy. I wanted her tucked into my side and her head on my shoulder. I wanted her to fall asleep on me and when that happened I would know all was right with the world because it meant my woman trusted me again.
"She wouldn't have come if she didn't want to. She wouldn't be nervous if she wasn't worried about losing something she cared about."
Except the thing she was worried about losing was our friendship, not me. "I'm not so sure, Jazz." Mackenzie was right. Using his old nickname felt wrong. It was time to upgrade to the one everyone else used since he graduated high school.
Jasper’s eyebrows shot up. "If this is her influence then I'll do whatever it takes to keep her around."
"I'm still going to call you Piggy when you piss me off."
"Fair." He squeezed my shoulder. "I thought Mom warning you off her in high school was silly, but I was so impressed with your ability to make that friendship work. It shows you care about her. It proves that the two of you are more important than romance or misunderstandings or a decade apart. And she's going to realize all that and fucking melt for you, little brother."
She melted in my arms when I kissed her, which was a good sign. A very good sign. If my house wasn't full of assholes it might have ended very differently.
"Have a good night."
Jasper laughed. "Thanks for dinner, Dad."
"Thanks for doing your chores, young man!"
I watched my brother until he disappeared down the path that connected our two homes. Then I went inside and kicked Digger and Logan out.
My dreams were filled with Mackenzie, which was a blessing and a curse. I relived that kiss a dozen times but each time it evolved into more. Her legs around my waist, her back to the door, or us kissing our way up the stairs and into my bed. I woke up so hard it hurt and no amount of willing it away worked.
It reached the point where I worried it was becoming a medical emergency when I took myself in hand and worked through those fantasies one at a time. My hand was a sad, sad stand in for Mackenzie and one orgasm barely took the edge off, so I walked my ass into a freezing shower and then checked on my yogurt. It took for fucking ever to make yogurt, but it was so much better than store bought and I didn't half-ass food.
The yogurt was fine. The fruit compote cooled nicely. My granola was still there. For some reason I felt the need to confirm it hadn't been carted off by rabid raccoons who somehow fought their way into my house.
And yet my dick still pointed towards Mackenzie like a fucking compass. This was going to be a real serious issue if I couldn't get this under control.
The problem was that I kissed her. Up until that point everything was theoretical. I wanted her, but that wanting was nicely caged away with careful restraint and a lack of carnal knowledge. But now I knew how she melted, how she tasted after eating my cooking, how she shivered when my lips touched hers.
Which was why I spent most of the night jerking off like a teenager until I was exhausted and finally fell into a dreamless sleep for approximately two hours. When my alarm went off I moved on autopilot, making coffee, prepping her breakfast, getting dressed, and double checking my invoice for pickup later today.
I only found relief when I pulled up to the Lost Creek Cabin offices and only Mackenzie's car was parked outside.
Thank you Joanne. Her chronic lateness to absolutely everything was my salvation. "I have a breakfast delivery for one Mackenzie Howard."
I loved watching her fight that delighted grin. "Well good morning Scott. Fancy meeting you here."
I had a stupid fucking grin on my stupid fucking face and if anyone saw me they would have thought I'd gone feral. It was all wrong but so right. "How did you sleep?"
Her little shrug told me she slept as well as I did. "Fine."
I set my box on her desk and started laying out the dishes. "Well I slept like shit because I was all alone."
"You sleep alone normally, don't you?"
"Every miserable night." I let myself drink her in as she opened the lids on each of the containers. She tamed her hair in a low bun which I loved and hated. I liked her hair, but I also liked the idea of fisting that bun and holding her mouth right where I wanted it. She wore a soft, loose sweater that revealed nothing and yet I could still feel those curves pressed against me.
"This looks amazing. You're joining me, right?" She handed me one of the three bowls I packed.
"If you want me to."
"I insist."
I took the bowl. She dished my homemade yogurt into hers and topped it with a shocking amount of fruit compote—high school Mackenzie would never—and a generous helping of granola. She waited until I had my bowl and then we took seats by the large window that overlooked the stream that ran beside the offices.
Then I waited. Making food for people was my way of showing my love, but I was also selfish. Watching that first bite, drinking in their reaction, was where I got my hit of dopamine.
Mackenzie filled her spoon and popped it into her mouth. She blinked, her eyes rounded, and then they fluttered shut and she sighed.
Hellfuckingyeah.
"Scott, this is the best yogurt I've ever tasted. What brand is this? I need to stock my fridge immediately. You asked if you could get me something in the city. Well this is it. I need a fridge full of whatever this is."
I took my own bite and carefully chewed the granola while she babbled through bite after bite until her bowl was empty and sat back with her hands on her belly and a very satisfied smile on her lips.
"Damn that was good."
Not half as good as the show she just put on for me. I finished my bowl and stacked it with hers. "I'm glad you liked it. Would Joanne like the rest?"
Mackenzie shot to her feet. "This is all mine." She slapped the lids back on and stacked them with the unused bowl. "I'm hiding this in the back of the fridge."
That was almost as sexy as her smile. Down boy. Not now. "I'll make you more then."
She paused, her ass in the air as she hid away her treasures in the refrigerator. Then she turned, eyes narrowed as she looked at the Pyrex full of yogurt. "You made this yourself, didn't you?"
I shrugged. I would make her just about anything if I got this reaction every time.
"You're so over the top." She shoved it to the back and closed the fridge. "You know they stock tons of yogurt at the grocery store. Any of that would have been fine."
"But it wouldn't be good . I'm not serving you grocery store yogurt when I can make it for you."
"That had to have taken hours."
"It took all night," I confirmed. "And it was well worth it."
She stopped in front of me, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous. And...and I really appreciate that you did that for me. Thank you."
I couldn't have her this close and not touch her, so I closed the gap between us and put my hands on her hips where they belonged. "All you have to do is ask. I'll make you some to keep at home, but I plan on bringing you breakfast as many mornings as I can until you move in with me."
She huffed. "You keep bringing that up."
"Because it's what I want, and I believe in manifesting."
"This is very incongruous with your normal grumpiness."
"I can grump and know what I want at the same time."
I watched as my words landed. Tense and then melting. "We'll see after this date."
A date that was entirely too far off for my liking. "I can cancel my trip. We can go out today and I'll pick up my supplies tomorrow." I really couldn't but a part of me wanted her to say screw it, let's go.
Or maybe I just needed to hear her say we could wait a day if this was real. I'd already waited years .
She splayed her hands on my chest. "A day will give me a chance to catch up with all of this. You're very close."
"I'd very much like to be closer."
"And I just need a day to breathe. I promise I'm bringing my A game on Thursday."
And that would have to do. I kissed her forehead and let her go. "We'll have breakfast first. Where would you like to meet?" For some reason she didn't want me at her house.
"Why don't we let Annie cook for both of us? We can head out from there."
I wanted to growl and drag her back to my cave. I was the only one allowed to cook for her now. It didn't have to make sense. I was the one who laid out the difference between being served at a restaurant and cooking specifically for someone, and yet I was still irrationally jealous.
"Fine. I accept your terms."
She pressed up on her toes and kissed my cheek. "See you tomorrow."