Page 18 of Comeback
“I don’t expect you to understand,” I muttered.
“Gee, thank you.”
“I didn’t mean that as an insult. It’s just—” I drummed my fingers on the tabletop nervously. “It just seems like no one’s loyal anymore. In a way, I wanted you to be married, and I wanted you to shoot me down.”
“Well,” she said, “I’msinglebut I’m still shooting you down. How’s that?”
I had to laugh. She was funny. “Fine. I’m officially shot down. Can we just talk now? As friends?”
She rolled her eyes, but she was at least sort of smiling now. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t know. Anything. What brought you to Bayfield, for real?”
She sighed. “Honestly, I’m not really ready to talk about that.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“What brought you here?” she asked.
“I’m not ready to talk about it yet, either.”
“Gee, we’re great conversationalists,” she joked. “But does it have anything to do with you being a retired hockey player trying to get back into shape?”
I felt the blood rush from my face. My pulse thumped in my neck.
“What?” I croaked, my throat dry.
She giggled. “That’s what people say about you. Crazy, right?”
“Whois saying that?”
“It’s just a rumor around town, I guess.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous.” I couldn’t believe people were talking about me—I thought I’d managed to keep a low profile. “What else do people say about me?”
“That you sleep around.”
I didn’t say a word.
“Hm.” She pursed her lips in disappointment. “Judging by your lack of response, I’d saythatrumor is true.”
My mind ran a million miles a minute. Rumors. There wererumorsabout me circulating around town. Adrenaline flooded my bloodstream. I felt the urge to get up and leave—not just leave the cafe, but pack my shit and leave Bayfield altogether. Brent was right. It was only a matter of time before someone found me here.
But right before I could, Emma spotted something over my shoulder. Her eyes grew wide and a smile stretched across her cheeks. She slid out of the booth, squatted on the floor, and put out her arms.
“Hey, Mackenzie! Come here, babe!”
Chapter 9
Emma
Over Jack’s shoulder, I saw Nicole push the cafe door open, leading Mackenzie by hand.
Nicole didn’t look happy—and that wasbeforeshe saw me with Jack. Once she saw him, she shot me a look and mouthed the word, ‘Really?’
Shit.Busted.
I slid out of the booth and put my arms out for Mackenzie. Mack’s eyes were red and puffy—she’d been crying. She broke free from Nicole and ran towards me. She made sad whimpering noises as I hugged her tight.
