“Stop looking at me like that. I had the biggest crush on him when we were kids. I thought that he might have felt the same. But I guess he’s just that good of a friend.” She groaned again before tossing her glass back and taking a large swallow of wine.
Mack hadn’t kissed Angela. Even with her practically throwing herself at the guy. She’d grown up seeing the way Angela could bend guys to her whim. The fact that Mack hadn’t allowed her to get to him had Lacey spiraling.
Maybe it was the fact that Mack had been so freaking good with Bridger, but seeing him with her son today made her wonder if she could let the two of them get close. He would definitely bethe first guy who had managed to make her believe it. Mack had successfully convinced her that he was good enough.
Dang it!
What was she thinking?
She couldn’t allow herself to get closer to Mack. First, she wasn’t going to risk Bridger’s well-being just because she was starting to like the guy. The clink of glass against glass drew her from her thoughts, and she focused on her sister once more. The second reason was seated beside her.
There was a sister code between the two of them. Despite all the issues that had occurred with Lacey’s teen pregnancy, Angela had always come to her defense even though their relationship had been strained at times. She wasn’t about to mess things up with the only family that she felt was still in her corner.
Angela groaned again and placed a hand over her face. “It’s so embarrassing. I can’t believe that I did that.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Lacey insisted. “Did he say anything to make you feel uncomfortable?”
“No! And that’s the worst part,” Angela muttered, though this time she gave a weak smile. “He was so sweet about it. He told me that I was a sweet girl.” She made a face and took another sip of her wine. “But he said he didn’t want to lead me on… and he was interested in someone else.”
Lacey’s heart stopped. It was as if someone had stopped time. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move. If she’d been holding her own drink, she might have even dropped it. Mack couldn’t have been referring to her. There was no way he would admit tosomething like that. “Did he…” She finally took a deep inhale. “Did he tell you who?”
Angela shrugged. “No. He just said he’s trying to get her to see him for who he was or some nonsense. Seriously, whoever that girl is, she better smarten up because Mack is like one in a million.”
He was. And Lacey was quickly beginning to see that.
Her sister waved a hand through the air with a dismissive flair. “Anyway, I told him he should just tell her straight up how he feels. Girls like that stuff.”
“Yeah,” Lacey mumbled.
They sat in silence for a long while. Lacey didn’t know what Angela was thinking about, but the thoughts in her head had gone all haywire. She couldn’t stop thinking about how Mack hadn’t stopped hounding her for a date—how he’d wanted her to give him a chance.
Then tonight, he’d shown her just how good he could be with Bridger. But to top it all off, he’d refused Angela’s advances.
It would be so easy just to allow herself to give in to the guy. If Angela wasn’t staying on her couch for the next couple of weeks, perhaps she would.
No.
Lacey gave a short shake to her head.
She wasn’t going to let that happen. While she was secretly thrilled that Mack didn’t want to give up on her, she knew better than to believe that she’d get a happily ever after. She wasn’tsome princess. She had responsibilities and a future with her son to figure out.
No distractions.
And Mack was nothing if not a big distraction.
Angela sighed once more and curled up into a ball on the corner of the couch. “I know I’m not going to be here long, but you know how much I hate not having someone to hang out with. And you’re either working or taking care of Bridger.”
At Lacey’s flat look, Angela laughed and held up a placating palm.
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I simply think that since you have so many responsibilities, it might be nice if I can find someone to have fun with when you’re otherwise engaged. Mack is out of the question…” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I think he might have a younger brother.”
Lacey laughed, throwing a pillow at her sister.
Angela let out a squeal, shifting so she shielded her nearly empty glass from the onslaught. “Hey! Careful! This stuff costs too much to be a stain on your couch.”
“The couch is a faux leather. I doubt it’s going to do much damage that hasn’t already occurred since Bridger moved in,” Lacey laughed. “And I doubt it would look that great if you go chasing after the brother of the guy you almost kissed. Maybe set your sights on someone else. I’m sure there are plenty of guys at the rodeo who want to have a pretty girl draped on their arm.”
Angela grinned almost wickedly. “You’re totally right. I should go back tomorrow night and see if I can put my hooks intosomeone who wants to have a short fling before I have to head back to Billings in a few weeks.”
