Page 23 of Call It Home

The crowd laughed as Mac flushed, then bent his tall frame toward the feathered mayor, who nipped him gently with his beak.

“Mayor Sterling said it best. Go team! Let’s hear it once more for Cam and Mac.”

Sterling bobbed his head, then clucked, “Cam and Mac. Sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n—”

Sterling was abruptly stopped as Mac used his thumb and forefinger and gently closed Sterling’s beak, glaring at the bird before releasing him.

Sterling ruffled his feathers and flew back to his cage, where he hopped to a perch at the rear, keeping his back toward Mac. Everyone chuckled at the bird’s apparent indignance.

Mayor Bowen coughed lightly. “How ‘bout that. I’m going to have to remember that for the future,” he mumbled.

Mac shook his head. “Crazy bird.”

“We should get going,” Reid reminded us.

I blew kisses to the friends who’d gathered to support us and called out my thanks. Mac waved quietly and then climbed into the van.

“Well. That was exciting.” Bristol laughed as we finally pulled the rest of the way down the street amidst more cheers and honking horns. “You know it wouldn’t be Sterling Mill’s style to let you go quietly.”

I turned around to look out the rear window and saw Zach and Em following behind, and Chase’s truck behind them, blowing their horns until we were past the well-wishers.

My cheeks ached from smiling and laughing. “It was the best.” I nudged Mac beside me. “Right?”

Mac’s expression seemed almost pensive as he gazed out the windows. “It was pretty cool,” he admitted with a slight smile.

Chapter9

Mac

The past threemonths had been a rollercoaster ride. I’d gone from the guy who liked to stay low and avoid attention to the guy who had been interviewed by several newspapers and TV stations in Tennessee. We’d even already received some fan mail at the office.

Public speaking would never be something I loved, but it was good practice for what was to come. Trey seemed to think it was all hilarious. He had read all the articles and seen all the social media and televised clips. He said the other guys now thought he was the brother of a celebrity. I hoped that meant time was passing a little better for him.

Despite everything appearing to go smoothly so far, I couldn’t shake a constant feeling of being one step away from disaster. Where I came from, the Caldwell name was almost synonymous with failure. So, when all the media attention started, it was like a double-edged sword. On one hand, it felt like validation that Cam considered me good enough to partner with her on something so important. Maybe I could finally break what felt like a family curse and prove everyone wrong.

On the other hand, there was a lot of pressure, another opportunity to fall short. But for now, I’d choose to focus on the positive. For once, I had people in my corner cheering for me, not knowing or even caring about my past. Despite Mayor Sterling’s little stunt, that send-off had been something else. It made me feel like I could stand even taller than my six foot three.

Maybe Trey was right. Maybe this was a golden ticket to be noticed for my craftsmanship and to build a brand and credentials to get our foot in the door.

But first, I had to get through the next two months.

At the airport, I leaned against a support pole, slightly blocked from view by a large green plant. Through the gaps in the branches, I watched Cameron’s family gather around her, all smiles and excited chatter. I heard promises to check in on her house and the business and demands that she check in once in a while to let them know how she was doing.

With a slight twinge of longing, I wondered what it would be like to have that for myself. A place to call home. Not just a house, but people who believed in me.

Being here, at the airport, ready to board a plane for the first time, I almost felt like I was leaving one life behind and starting a new one. I almost felt like I was placing more than just physical miles between my brother and me. What if this was a success? Would that be the same as me moving on without him? Where did that leave me? Where did that leave him?

On the other hand, when I allowed myself to think about it, this was actually a bit of a thrill to be going somewhere fresh. For a few weeks, I could just be Mackenzie Caldwell, builder. Competitor.Winner.To be judged solely on my skills and talent rather than my family history.

A hand clapped down on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Chase. “You ready for this?” he asked.

I forced a smile onto my face. “As I’ll ever be.”

“I assume you’ve watched the show?”

I nodded. “Cam made me watch the last three seasons. I made it through three episodes before I told her I could watch them on my own. It was like being back in school.”

She wanted me to analyze every little detail about what the judges liked and didn’t like.

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