His expression slackened, then that stupid charming grin reappeared as he slapped a hand over his chest. “You wound me, m’lady.”
Lacey rolled her eyes. And he was back. The guy couldn’t be down for long. She folded her arms and moved toward a table with chairs. When she took a seat, he pulled out a chair across from her, blocking her view of Bridger.
Of course he was following her.
He leaned back in his chair until the front legs lifted from the earth. “So…” he drawled. “should I tell you my life story right now, or should we wait until our first date?"
Lacey groaned. “You really don’t let up, do you?”
“Never,” he purred.
“Pass,” she murmured, peering around him to see Bridger playing tag with some children slightly smaller than he was. Good. He’d been alone for so long. As much as she wished she could give him a sibling, she knew that just wasn’t in the cards for them.
“Why not?”
She sighed, turning her attention back to him. “Because I’m not interested.”
“That’s not a reason.”
“Of course it is,” Lacey scoffed. “I don’t need to explain myself to you.”
“No, you don’t,” Mack agreed, drawing her focus back to him once more.
She lifted a brow. “Then why are you being so persistent?”
“How else am I going to replace my number?”
“What?” This time she truly was lost. But the second she saw his eyes sparkling and his smile growing, she instantly regretted asking him.
Mack laced his hands behind his head, still leaning in his chair. “You see, I lost my number, and I was hoping I could get yours instead. I swear I’ll be careful. I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t lose it.”
Lacey snorted, fighting the silly grin that threatened to cross her face. The man was incorrigible. He’d managed to take her from amusement to frustration and back so quickly, she felt like she was riding a rollercoaster. “You’re not going to let up, are you?”
“Where would the fun in that be?”
She couldn’t believe she was actually considering his request. Mack was just like most men. They wanted one thing. Men like Caleb were rare finds.
No, that wasn’t true.
She sincerely thought that there were plenty of good men out there—they were simply only good for that one woman who could tame their heart.
And Lacey had learned the hard way that she wasn’t that woman.
Still, as she watched Mack from across the table, she couldn’t help but wonder what the harm would be in accepting.
One date.
That was simple enough. She’d gone on dates over the years. Heck, she’d gone on one just a few weeks ago. It had been a blind date, compliments of Sammie and Caleb, but she’d actually done it.
No second dates. That was her hard and fast rule. No man was allowed into her home. Rarely did she allow them to meet her son. She’d keep Bridger shielded from anything or anyone that could hurt him—and that included men he might grow attached to.
Lacey eyed Mack, feeling her defenses lowering in real time. “I don’t date,” she hedged.
His expression didn’t shift. “I don’t believe you.”
“I mean, I go on dates, but I don’t date. I won’t go out with you again.”
Mack smirked at her. “We’ll see.”
