Page 37 of Seizing Mack
Chapter Seventeen
~ Nick ~
Nick watched Mack walkaway, resisting the urge to follow.
Delilah licked her lips and flexed her nails against into his forearm like claws, despite the fact that he’d removed them only a minute earlier.
“Let me be very clear about this, Delilah, so there is no misunderstanding,” he said, firmly removing her hand. “I am not interested.”
She blinked as if confused. ‘No’ was probably not a word she heard often. Her eyes moved toward the door Mack had just exited.
“But you’re interested inMack?” she asked in stunned disbelief.
Hell yes, he was, but Nick wasn’t about to share that — or anything else — with Delilah. “I’m interested in finishing my workout. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Turning away from Delilah and her scowl, Nick’s first inclination was to go after Mack. To seek her out and do whatever it took to put that playful sparkle back into her eyes.
He didn’t, though. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t think Mack would want him to. They hadn’t reached that stage yet.
Instead, he set a course for the cardio deck and relieved some of his simmering angst in the form of a full-out run. His heart wasn’t in it, though, and after just a few miles, he hit the showers. His evening plans now included looking more into the Necromancers and maybe texting Mack. Nothing heavy, just something to open up the lines of communication again and get some dialogue going. Maybe something simple, like asking how her class went or following through on his do-over request.
On his way out, he saw Delilah again, only this time, she didn’t spare him more than a passing glance. She was giving most of her attention to Kent Emerson, who didn’t seem to mind her attention at all. That was just fine with Nick. In fact, the two seemed well-suited for each other.
“Detective, wait up.”
Nick slowed his pace across the lot as Mack’s housemate, Jay, jogged up to him. “Did you make use of those digits?”
“I did,” Nick confirmed. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem. Chrissy told me about the coffee this morning. Very smooth.”
Nick laughed. “Thanks. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know Mack’s first name, would you?”
Jay eyes twinkled with mischief. “Maybe.”
“Care to share?”
“I don’t know if I should. What exactly are your intentions, young man?”
Nick shrugged. “Just looking to make a friend, that’s all.”
“That’s all?” Jay asked skeptically.
“No,” he admitted. “But that’ll do, for now.”
Jay said nothing for several moments, then nodded. “Fair enough. Mack’s first name is Heather.”
Heather MacKenzie.Nick rolled the name around in his mind. It fit Mack to a “T”. Strong and beautiful, just like her. His mother was particularly fond of the plant and used to have several bushes around their front porch. In the winter, she kept the fragrant dried sprigs around the house for good luck. The scent of heather still filled him with feelings of comfort and warmth. Was that some kind of cosmic sign, he wondered?
“Thanks, Jay.”
“Knowledge is power, Detective. Use it wisely.”
Jay’s subtle warning echoed in his head as he cruised through town, puzzling out the best way to engage Mack when he caught a glimpse of what looked like his classic Shelby disappearing around the corner, drawing his instant and complete attention.
Could that be his baby? Was Liz finally back in town?
Nick turned the corner and stepped on the gas, closing the distance between them. He might have been mistaken, but it was doubtful. He’d spent too many hours lovingly restoring every inch of that car; he knew each curve and dip as well as he knew his own body.
