Page 17 of The Engagement
Haley throws herself at Mack and wraps her arms around him. “Thank you, Daddy!”
Mack hugs his daughter and kisses the top of her head.
Philip extends his hand to Mack, and the two of them shake. “Thank you, sir. You won’t regret this, I promise.”
“I’d better not,” Mack says. “I’m trusting you to take care of my daughter. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Haley blushes. “Dad!”
Philip looks utterly serious as he nods. “I do, sir. And I will.”
After Haley and Philip depart, Mack crashes on the living room sofa. He doesn’t look happy. If anything, he looks devastated.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as I sit beside him, turning to face him.
“I realized something today.” His voice is flat. “Something I’m not proud of.”
“What?” My confusion deepens to concern when I see tears pooling in his eyes. “Mack, what’s wrong?”
“I wouldn’t let Haley date Philip because of the age difference.”
“Yes. And?”
“It was my preoccupation with the difference in our ages that prevented me from going with you to that New Year’s Eve party. If I hadn’t been so damn obstinate—”
“Mack, no! You cannot blame yourself for what happened to me.” I know he does. He always has. But it wasn’t his fault. I don’t know how to make him understand.
“If I hadn’t been so obstinate, I would have been there with you, at your side, andno onewould have dared hurt you. Seeing Philip with Haley today made me realize that. I have no doubt that if Haley askedhimto go to a party with her, nothing would keep him away. Not evenme.”
“Mack.” I make him turn to face me. “It wasn’t your fault.”
He nods, his expression bleak. “It was, Erin. If only I’d been there—”
“Dwelling on the past doesn’t do anyone any good.” I know I’m reaching for straws. I don't know what to say to convince him. “Idon’t think it was your fault,” I finally say. “You were honestly doing what you thought was right at the time.”
“But that’s just it, Erin.I waswrong, and you suffered for it.”
The look on his face guts me. “Mack, no.” I climb on his lap, straddling him. I cup his face and peer into his pained eyes. “Not another word.” And then I lean in and give him a gentle kiss. “You saved me, remember?”
His hands come around my hips, and he holds me close. We sit there quietly for a long while, just breathing the same air and healing together.
* * *
We end up doing chores for the rest of the afternoon. For dinner, we make sandwiches because neither one of us is very hungry after such big lunches.
Toward evening, we crash on the sofa and read. I lay my head on his thigh, and he lazily runs his fingers through my hair.
His hypnotic touch is making me sleepy. Yawning, I lay my book down and close my eyes.
“We should turn in early,” he suggests as he lays his book on the coffee table. “Tomorrow’s a work day, and neither one of us got much sleep last night.”
Mack carries me down the hall to the bathroom, where we stop to get ready for bed.
When we head for our bedroom, I’m wearing one of his T-shirts, which hits me mid-thigh—and nothing else. He’s wearing his black Under Armor underwear.
I climb onto the bed and lie on my back, smiling sleepily up at him. Even though I’m tired, my body is heating up as my belly quivers in anticipation. I recognize the hunger and heat in his dark eyes.
He kneels on the mattress, hovering over me, bracing his weight on his arms. “I really want to kiss you right now.”
