Page 42 of Seizing Mack
Chapter Nineteen
~ Nick ~
He liked that playfultwinkle in her eye and smiled, silently appreciating the fact thatshewas the ‘and more’ and didn’t even realize it. “Definitely. It hasn’t changed much.”
“You’ve been here before?”
He nodded. “I grew up here.”
“Is that why you came back? To be around your family?”
“That’s part of it,” he answered. “My sister still lives in town, but she’s currently on her honeymoon.” The knowledge still rankled. “My parents retired to Florida years ago.”
He liked that she was asking questions. He sat back and let her take the lead, pleased that she seemed genuinely interested in his answers. Her attention was solely on him, not roaming around the café.
“What about friends? Is it weird, reconnecting with people you haven’t seen for a while? Like a class reunion that never ends?”
He laughed. Fortunately or unfortunately, he hadn’t met up with many old acquaintances since he’d returned. After Annie died, he’d withdrawn from everyone and everything, and most of those connections had been severed before he’d even left.
“I’ve lost touch with most of the people I knew then. Right now, in fact, you are on a very short list of people I want to hang out with.”
“Me?” Her widened eyes and genuine surprise were adorable.
“Yes, you.”
She raised her mug and sipped her tea. He remained silent while she wrapped her mind around that. Then she cleared her throat and quietly said, “Same.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged as if it was no big deal but it was to him. It definitely felt like a much-needed check in his win column.
He barely had a chance to celebrate that minor victory when she followed up with, “So why’d you leave? Small town life not exciting enough for you?”
Unlike her sister, Mack hadn’t gone digging. She didn’t know about his tormented past. If only he could have kept it that way for a little while longer. He tried to keep his smile when he replied, “Just the opposite.”
He must not have done a very good job of it, because her teasing smile faded and she cast her eyes back to her tea. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business.”
Nick didn’t like talking about what happened, but if he was serious about wanting to pursue something with her (and he was), he wanted her to know.
“No, it’s okay. A simple Google search will tell you everything you want to know.”
She wrinkled up her nose and shook her head. “Cyberstalking isn’t my style. Besides, it’s not like you can believe everything you read on the internet.”
“You’re a wise and special woman, Heather MacKenzie.”
Her eyes opened wide at the deliberate use of her first name. Then she smiled. “Touché, Detective. I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me who ratted me out?”
“A good detective never reveals his sources.” He winked. “As far as why I left...”
Mack put her hand over his and looked him in the eye. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Nick.”
Two things registered in that moment. One, she was touching him, and that simple contact infused him with a warmth and comfort he hadn’t felt in a very long time. And two, she had called him by his first name.
He looked down at her hand, trapping it when she tried to pull away. “I know. I want to tell you. Covendale is a small town, so it’s bound to come up eventually. I’d rather you hear it from me.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“About ten years ago, my fiancée was killed in a car accident. She died believing that I was unfaithful.”
