There was no denying the way Lacey stiffened. She glanced over her shoulder at him, and all he could do was shrug. “We had fun playing catch. He wanted to know my name. What a relief to know he doesn’t have your propensity for forgetting names easily.” He laughed as she wheeled her son down the street. Today was a good day.
“Mack? Is that you?”A squeal from across the parking lot caught Mack’s attention. He turned just in time to see a brunette woman rushing toward him. Her brown eyes were just as warm as he remembered.
“Angela? It’s been… boy, it has to have been a decade.”
She pulled back. “I know! I can’t believe it! Are you visiting your family? I can’t tell you how sad I was when we moved to the city. I even considered running away for the summer so I could go hang out at Sagebrush with you and your cousins.”
Mack smiled at the memories. “You always did spend most of your summer there, didn’t you? I’d wondered what had happened to you.” He glanced up at the apartment complex. In his hand, he had a black forest brownie, and in his back pocket, three day passes to ZooMontana in Billings. He knew better than to think Lacey would drop everything and go today. But he’d planned on convincing her to go in the next couple of weeks. Hisfocus returned to Angela. Shoot, she was talking, and he’d let his thoughts drift again.
Thinking of Lacey seemed to cause that a lot.
“…It’s a lot of work, but it’s going to be so rewarding! Anyway, enough about me. Why are you here? Sorry, I didn’t let you answer.”
“Here?” he stammered. As in this parking lot? Or in Rocky Ridge?
“Are you working in Rocky Ridge, now? You always had a knack for being a cowboy.”
He relaxed. At this point in time, he wasn’t sure he was ready to admit his interest in Lacey to anyone, and Angela might still have friends in town. Rumors from the women at the salon were one thing. Confirmed truth was something else entirely. Mack rubbed his neck and grinned sheepishly at the woman who had once been a friend he’d hang out with when they were children. “Yeah, my uncle built my folks a house. We moved out here to help with the ranch.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s amazing. I bet you love it. Do you love it?” She placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed, her voice growing soft and almost sultry.
Mack nodded, momentarily distracted by her touch. It was strange. They’d never been romantically involved. He’d never had a crush on her. He took a slight step back and folded his arms. “Yeah, it’s been a good change. I don’t know what I’m going to do long term, but I’m trying out a lot of different stuff.”
“Sounds amazing. I guess we’re both finding our way.” He didn’t miss the underlying tone of her voice. Angela had also struggledwith deciding what she wanted for the future, but as a teenager, she’d had time.
Now he was the only one without a determined path laid out in front of him—and he was an adult.
Angela gasped. “You’ve never met my sister.”
He vaguely recalled that she’d mentioned she had a sister. Back when they were kids, she spent more time with friends than her family during the summers. He hadn’t minded. She was fun enough to be around. Mack offered a smile. “Actually, I’m here visiting?—”
She grabbed ahold of his forearm. “Oh, it will only be a moment.” Angela adjusted her purse on her shoulder and winked. “Then again, it’s important for old friends to catch up. We could all go out for dinner afterward.”
His refusal was on the edge of his tongue until he realized they were headed in an all too familiar direction.
No. It couldn’t be.
A new sense of glee flooded his middle.
By the time they reached the apartment door, it felt like Christmas.
Angela pushed open the door. “Lace! I’m back! Turns out Cliff’s didn’t have what I wanted. I’m going to have to try a different store. Might even have to go all the way to Billings for it.”
“That’s ridicu—” Lacey emerged from the bedroom in the back and froze when her eyes landed on Mack. She looked like she’d been turned to stone after catching sight of Medusa herself.
“This is Mack.”
“Mack?” Lacey mumbled.
“Yeah, you remember those summers when I hung out with my friends over at Sagebrush? Anyway…” She paused for a moment, glancing between the two of them, but it wasn’t until Bridger exited the bedroom and grinned at Mack that something seemed to click. “You guys meet already?”
Lacey cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing deeply. “Yeah, I think so. Sammie’s brother-in-law, right?”
Mack nodded. “That’s right.”
Angela’s grin widened. “Perfect! Everyone knows everyone else. Now, we can go get dinner.” She turned to Mack. “If that’s okay with you. I’m not sure what your plans were.”
“Is that for me?” Bridger tugged at the forgotten brownie in Mack’s hand.
