Page 39 of Anchor Point

I was scared to death that things would go wrong because I knew we couldn’t relive the past. I didn’t want to find him so attractive. I didn’t want my daughter to be so obsessed with him. I didn’t want my career to take me away from her and push her to him.

But here I was, rolling with the punches.

Everything was mostly going my way now—new job, new place, wonderful kid. Maybe if Tim and I had been able to make things work, I wouldn’t feel like such a failure. But I couldn’t even regret it too much, because seeing her with Mac drove home how tense and unhealthy that relationship had become.

I was so tired.

Tired of thinking, of being in charge, tired of waiting on the next challenge and facing it alone.

But I wasn’t alone right then.

Rosie had Mac, and in a way, I had him too. He was definitely stepping up to the challenge of learning to be a dad, whether he’d wanted it or not. I sank into the comfort of that thought and closed my eyes, drifting on a wave of their voices and low TV background noise.

A warm finger brushed across my forehead, followed by a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Hey.” Mac’s voice was extra rough in my ear. “Why don’t you head to bed?” A cascade of goosebumps broke out over my skin. Mmm, Mac. Bed.

My eyes popped open, darting around the room as I tried to get my bearings. The television was off, and a single lamp broke the darkness. Rosie tottered down the hall, yellow lab in tow. Mac was in the space where Rosie had been earlier. I sat up, loopy after what must’ve been a deep sleep.

“She stole your dog” popped out of my mouth.

“He’ll find me once she goes to sleep. That’s what he did last night, anyway.” He sounded like he didn’t mind so much, and I clung to that hope because I didn’t want him to be upset with her.

I hugged the blanket that someone had thoughtfully covered me with. The moment felt intimate and right in so many ways. Somewhere deep in my heart, a little piece of me that I’d kept protected and sheltered began to unfurl. That split second of thinking Mac would join me in bed woke a desire I’d not experienced in a long time. Not since before the divorce. Not a desire for sex, just for… companionship. I didn’t want to sleep alone, didn’t want to be alone. I was lonely. Had been lonely for so many years.

“Mac…” I started, my voice thick with sleep.

“Liv, just let things be for a while. We don’t have to know the answers, and we don’t have to make any decisions or solve any problems.” The intense set of his jaw was the only indication that he felt more than he was admitting to. His hand brushed my hair softly. “Get some rest. We can sort things out tomorrow.”

He pushed to stand and stretched, the hem of his shirt riding up, exposing a tanned strip of his stomach. He dropped his arms and padded across the room to the back door, checking the locks. My eyes were glued to his every move until he disappeared down the hall, toward the front door, breaking my trance.

This was not good. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him, nor keep my thoughts out of the past. I didn’t know how this whole thing would go, but I didn’t have a good feeling about it. I rose, folded the blanket, and headed to my room. I felt him come down the hall behind me, his presence warm and solid. At my door, I paused and looked over my shoulder to him.

“Thanks for everything, Mac.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked as he silently regarded me. With a single nod, he walked into his bedroom. The soft click of the latch catching nearly shattered me.

Chapter Eleven

Olivia

The next morning, I found Mac on the back deck watching the sunrise. The storm had cleared during the night, leaving behind a gorgeous, clear blue-sky morning. A long wooden walkway stretched from the house to the lake, broken by a large deck decorated with comfortable-looking outdoor furniture and a raised fire pit. Two more wooden walkways led off the deck; the one to the left went to a covered pole barn, where a modest-size boat was anchored. The walkway to the right led down to a floating dock. The backyard was landscaped with large rocks bordering a small grassy area, not a huge space, but enough for a dog to romp around.

Mac sat in one of the chairs, his long legs stretched out in front of him, casually rubbing the ears of the yellow lab that seemed to be watching the sunrise with him.

The morning birds sang, and the sun gleamed across the glass surface of Lake Martin.

The peacefulness of the place seeped into my bones, and I released a level of stress I didn’t know I’d been holding on to.

I walked as softly as possible to not disturb the stillness, but the boards creaked beneath my weight. Mac turned his head my way, a soft smile on his lips. Gone was the intense glare and subtle jaw tick. Just a peaceful man, taking in a peaceful morning. He was so rugged and handsome sitting there bathed in early morning light.

“Morning,” he greeted.

“I see you still enjoy sunrises.” I smiled at the memory of the week we’d spent together, sometimes watching the sunrise after a night of lovemaking and then napping under a cabana during the day.

He nodded. “Looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day. I was thinking we might take a boat ride.”

That sounded amazing. I hadn’t been on a boat in forever. But still, I didn’t know if I should. “I should really head back to town. It’s not right for me to stay here.”

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