Mack chuckled at the look of shock that had replaced the blush Lacey wore. They slowed as they neared a statue in the middle of the square.
“Mom? Can I go see the statue?”
Lacey nodded, her eyes still locked with Mack’s. “But don’t go anywhere else.” The second her son had run off, she faced Mack and placed a hand to her hip. “What are you doing,Mike?”
He couldn’t wait until she ran out of names to call him and started using his given name. For now, he wasn’t going to give her any pleasure in knowing how much it bothered him that she hadn’t yet. “What do you mean, what am I doing? I’m having a lovely conversation while I take a walk with a lovely woman.”
He wasn’t sure, but he thought he caught a glimpse of that blush returning. She shook her head. “I’m not going out with you again. I told you, I have a rule.”
Mack leaned forward. “And some rules are meant to be broken.”
“Keep dreaming,” she muttered, not backing away from him.
His face was inches from her own, and yet she stood her ground. Mack itched to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear, if only for the excuse to touch her again. His focus dipped to her lush lips, and he pondered how hard it would be to convince her to let him steal a kiss.
With the hardball she was currently playing, he figured it would be near impossible.
“Mack,” she whispered, drawing his gaze to her eyes again.
“Yes,” he murmured, breathily.
“You need to stop following me. People are going to get the wrong idea.”
“And what idea is that?” This time he couldn’t help himself. He brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips linger before he dropped his hand to his side.
“That there’s something going on between us.” Her voice sounded strained this time, but it was her brown eyes that had latched onto him, preventing him from pulling away.
“Maybe there is something going on between us,” he offered.
She blinked rapidly, his words breaking the spell. Much like the night of their first date, she placed a hand to his chest to push him back. “There is nothing going on between us, and there never will be.”
“Why is that? You never really gave me an answer at dinner.”
She sighed, turning away from him so her shoulder brushed against his chest. “You want the truth?”
“We already know what happens to liars…” He teased.
Lacey rolled her eyes but didn’t comment on that. Instead, she turned her attention to her son. “He’s my whole world. I’m not going to risk him getting hurt just because I might want to go on another date with someone.”
“So you admit you want to go on another date.” Mack knew he’d push her buttons with that one. She was already on the edge, but whether she fell on the same side where he stood or on the opposite side of the walls she’d erected, he couldn’t be certain.
She shot him an irritated look. “Just cut your losses. This isn’t going to happen. I’m sure there are several women in this town or the ones surrounding us that would fall all over themselves to go on a date with someone as good-looking as you.”
Mack bit back the retort that clung to his lips. She thought he was good-looking, too. The only thing that stood in his way was the kid.
He glanced toward the child. If he could get the kid on his side, then his mother would have no choice but to accept his request for another date—especially if the kid was invited along.
Or was that pushing his luck too far?
There was no telling at this point.
“Will you stop looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” He flashed her a grin, hoping it covered for his lapse in attention.
“Like…” She groaned. “Never mind.” Lacey waved over to Bridger. “Come on, honey. Time to go.” The boy hurried to her side, but before his mother could cart him off, he waved.
“Bye, Mack.”
