Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
NATE
“Thanks for letting me extend my time,” I say to the owner of The Cabins in appreciation.
Mrs. Overly’s wide eyes blink up at me, not holding back her surprise. This is probably the most I’ve ever spoken to her.
“It’s no problem,” she finally says. Then she shakes her head as if she can’t believe she’s talking to me. “You’re a quiet one. I admit I had reservations about you in the beginning.”
“Why, Mrs. Overly, I didn’t know you cared.” I wink and back away from the counter.
She blushes as I jingle my keyring. I don’t confirm or deny her real question, though. I know her ties to the town gossip chain.
“Just leave the key on the table when you’re done.”
“Will do.”
As I trek across the lawn to my rental, my mind races. Buying a house in Naperville. Maybe it’s a mistake. Maybe it’s the only move that makes sense. Maybe it’s the only way to show Mackenzie how serious I am.
I once told her I never found that one special place to call home. But I was looking at it all wrong.
Home isn’t a location. Home is people. And I want to surround myself with Mackenzie, Liam, and Nick .
Opening the door to the rental cabin, I scan the room. The few boxes I took the time to unpack have already been repacked, taped, and stacked. My work basically consists of moving them to my new house.
My new house.
Christ.
It still hasn’t quite sunk in.
I’m carrying the last box out when two men wearing suits walk up. I recognize one immediately.
“Nate Dixon, right?”
“That would be me.”
“We met the other night at Halfway Inn’s. Detective Stubbs.”
I shut the truck bed, keeping my expression neutral. “Yeah, I remember.”
His partner, a stone-faced guy with a permanent scowl, glances at my packed boxes. “You leaving town?”
I narrow my eyes. “Is there a problem?”
Detective Stubbs gives his partner a look that says back off .
“Can you answer some questions?” he asks, his voice calm.
I fold my arms. “Mind telling me what this is all about? Is Mackenzie okay? Are the boys?”
“It’s nothing serious.” A pause. “Just some concerns about financial discrepancies.”
My stomach tightens. So that’s what this is about.
The taillights of the detective’s car disappear down the road, but I don’t move. My chest tightens as I replay the last twenty minutes.
I, Colonel Nathanial Dixon-Anders, was interrogated over theft.
Mackenzie thought I stole from her.
Me. A special ops doctor. A man who’s spent his life saving others .
What the hell?
The sting of betrayal cut deep, but underneath it, I feel something worse. Hurt. I should be furious. Maybe I am. But more than anything, I need to make sure she’s okay.
Caleb mentioned Plymouth Rolling Rock, Inc.
The name prickles in the back of my mind. Why does that sound so familiar?
I shelve that thought for later. First, I need to find Jordan. If anyone besides me had access to Mackenzie’s account, it was him.
Ten minutes later, I find myself on the porch of Mrs. Turner’s house.
“Nate, I’m surprised to see you.” She looks nervously behind her. “Mackenzie isn’t here.”
A clatter of feet come trampling across the floor. Nick springs from behind his grandma and bounces on his heels. At least someone is happy to see me.
“Nate, are you here to take us for ice cream?”
I drop to a knee and look him straight in the eye. “Not today, buddy. But I promise soon, okay?”
He nods as Liam makes his way into the living room. He hangs back, looking unsure whether to join us. His bruises have faded, and his cast comes off soon. He’s on the mend. I push back to my feet.
“Everything still going well?”
“Yeah.” His answer is clipped. His body language emits I-don’t-want-anything-to-do-with-you vibes, but his eyes tell a different story. There’s a longing to them. If I’m reading you right, I miss you too.
I nod and force my gaze back to Mackenzie’s mom. “I was hoping to talk to Jordan.”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “Like I told the detectives, he left this morning to run errands. I thought he’d be back before lunch, but he hasn’t returned yet.”
That can’t be good. I nod, holding her gaze for a minute. That look pretty much tells me everything I need to know. Jordan stole from his sister, and their mom realizes it. But the question is, why? What am I missing?
“Did he take off in Stan’s truck?”
She shifts uncomfortably. “No. His car is fixed.”
“We helped him fix it,” Nick says, the excitement apparent in his expression. “The car’s really old but cool. It goes beep-beep.”
“It does?” Even though the situation is serious, I can’t help but be amused by Nick’s enthusiasm.
“Yep! That’s what Uncle Jordan said. He said roadrunners go beep-beep.”
Roadrunner? My gaze cuts to Mrs. Turner. “Is his car a Plymouth?”
“Yes. A black, nineteen seventies model.”
“And you don’t know where he went?”
“I know where Uncle Jordan went. I heard him on the phone,” Nick says.
“Mom said you shouldn’t be eavesdropping,” Liam scolds from the living room. He has inched closer to us but isn’t fully committing to the conversation.
“I wasn’t.” Nick crosses his arms across his chest. “He was next to the bathroom.”
“What did Uncle Jordan say?” I ask.
“He said he’d be there to pick him up. Paw roles won’t know.” He scrunches his nose. “What’s paw roles?”
“Paw roles?” I ask, not knowing what the heck he means.
Mrs. Turner stiffens. Her gaze whips toward mine. “Mackenzie’s dad gets out of jail tomorrow. He’ll be on parole.”
My stomach rolls. When the state brought charges against my dad, he was brought up on charges in San Francisco County. The question hung in whether to transfer him to their prison.
“From the Rolling Rock penitentiary?” I ask.
“Yes.”
Well, shit.
I say goodbye to the kids and drive straight to Mackenzie’s house. The need to see her outweighs the risk of her hating me. I have to make sure she is okay.
On the way, I call Caleb and pass along the information I’ve dug up. He seemed in the same frame of mind but warned me to not go after Jordan.
I knock. Hard.
Mackenzie yanks the door open, eyes flashing. Her creamy skin is flushed, and her auburn hair is piled in a messy bun. Loose tendrils frame her face. She’s absolutely stunning.
But she doesn’t let me in. She folds her arms, blocking the doorway.
“You called the police on me?”
Idiot. That’s not what I wanted to lead with.
“They asked who had access to my computer. I mentioned your name.”
I exhale sharply, raking a hand through my hair. “Did you honestly think I’d rip you off?”
Her lips part, hesitation flickering. “No.” Then, softer, “Maybe.”
She tosses her hands in the air, her voice rising. “I don’t know! I had Jordan in my ear, and I wasn’t thinking straight after I found out you lied to me.”
“I’d never pull that kind of stunt.” I try to contain my tone. “Are you going to be okay financially?”
Her body stiffens. “I don’t need your help.”
I clench my jaw. Clearly, that was the wrong thing to say.
“I’m at a loss here, Mackenzie. I want to make this up to you. Tell me what I can do to make you forgive me.”
Her green eyes glisten as she swallows hard. “I don’t know if I can forgive you.”
My heart fucking breaks.
“Can I at least come in?”
She blinks, looking down at our feet. “That’s not a good idea. ”
I rub a hand down my face. I need to say it. I need to tell her I love her.
But not like this. Not when she’s still looking at me like I could be the villain in her story.
“Mackenzie, please. We need to talk about this. I’m lost without you.”
Her breath catches, and for a split second, she almost softens. But then her walls go back up.
“I don’t think that’s enough.”
I nod, defeated.
Lies and deceptions never win. I should’ve known that.
“I’ll go,” I say. “But no matter what, I’m never leaving you.”
Her green eyes shine. “I’m not asking you to stay.”
That one stings. But I don’t believe it for a second. She still wants me. She just doesn’t know it yet.
I step back, locking eyes with her. “I’m not asking you to.”
With that, I turn and head back to my truck.
Because I need to get answers.
And that means heading straight for San Francisco. I may be a retired army ranger, but I’m done following orders. This time, I’m getting to the bottom of this.
On my terms.