Page 32 of Shattered

“No problem.” He tried to grin but missed the mark. His features twisted into that of a gleeful serial killer. “Charisma came over with Mikey, and the kids wanted to make them. Well, by the time they were done, we had over three dozen.”

“I see.” She tilted her head. “Is Charisma still with the kids?”

He scowled. “Why wouldn’t she be? She’s probably got them elbow-deep in some concoction she’ll call dinner, as we speak.”

She stared at him for a moment a little weirded out but also grateful he’d dropped by. Mackenzie wasn’t model-hot like Kalkin or Caden. He didn’t have a flare to him like Jase. For all intents and purposes, Mackenzie was blue-collar hot. His hands were calloused from working in construction. His skin was darker than his brothers from spending way too much time out in the sun. And his black hair fell in waves to his shoulders, setting off his cobalt-colored eyes. She could tell his nose had been broken a few times and he enjoyed shaving. Of all the Raferty brothers, he’d been the one to shave every day. He also smelled like sandalwood and cedar, an interesting combination for sure.

Unfortunately, he was way out of her league. “Everything okay?”

“Sure, yeah. Everything is fine,” he replied as he continued to stand there.

“Abby behaving for you?”

Mackenzie nodded. “She’s a peach of a kid. Very polite, a bit different.”

Aurora snorted.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” he hurried to add.

“Didn’t think you did,” she answered pointing to the box in his hands. “So, the cookies.”

“Oh...right, right. Uh, where should I leave them?” Mackenzie ran his tongue across his bottom lip, and all Aurora could think about was that damn wolf tongue of his licking her.

“He-re.” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. “’Scuse me. I can grab them through the drawer.” She pointed down to the big box below the window.

“Interesting,” he murmured, depositing the container into the hidden compartment. “So, do you like working here?”

“I mean, it’s better than asking people if they’d like paper or plastic while listening to their kid scream about wanting a candy bar.” Aurora slammed her hand over her mouth.

Mackenzie laughed. Or, at least she thought he did. The rough noise didn’t sound like any laugh she’d ever heard before. However, when she glanced up at him, his eyes were crinkled, and a true smile formed on his mouth as he continued to sound like a dying pterodactyl.

“I shouldn’t have said something so crass,” she said then held up her finger when Nico radioed her. “Go ahead seventy-seven.”

“Dispatch call animal control, we’ve got an invasion.”

“Of raccoon, or...” One could never be too careful, she realized.

“Yes, raccoon.” Nico sighed. “Area 51 is in Nevada, not Arizona. We don’t have aliens here.”

She closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself. “Sorry, right. Call animal control. How many are there, so I can relay the information?”

“A hundred by the all the hissing and spitting that came from inside the can.” Then he added, “Probably like four or five.”

“Got it,” she said.

“Also call Danielle. I need to stop by and see her. I’ve been scratched up.”

Aurora’s eyes went wide. “On it. Anything else?”

“Nope. I’ll be 10-2 until animal control arrives.”

“10-4.” Aurora flicked open the rolodex Loraine gave her and flipped through to the county animal control card.

She glanced up from her computer expecting Mackenzie to be gone, as she’d become busy with her work, yet, there he stood, waiting. She didn’t understand him. Since the moment she’d said hello to him, he’d been stand-offish, almost aloof. Now, since they’d had dinner together, he’d been creepy—not in an old guy standing on a corner cat-calling every woman he saw, more like he tried too hard to care. Not only that, but why her? He was sixty-six years old; for a man of his mature stature, he still had the looks of a forty-year old or maybe a bit younger. He could have any woman in Window Rock—hell, she’d have to be blind not to see how the other women look at the Raferty men. So, it begged the question, why did he stay? Why did he not remember what happened at the Halloween party? Why had he picked her to torment and torture?

Certainly, wasn’t for her sex appeal.

She didn’t have it. She hadn’t even had a boyfriend who lasted past the kissing stage, let alone the bump-uglies phase. Plus, when he found out her virgin status, he’d probably walk away, anyway. A mature man like him didn’t have time for an immature girl like her. Also, they would have to actually date for her to worry about the sex part and as of that moment, they were nowhere near dating. For all she knew, he hated her, but was doing his brothers a favor.

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