Page 55 of Anchor Point

“Anyway, I came here to thank you for being so gentle with Rosie this morning. She’s trying really hard to please you.”

I sighed and let go of the repressed memories that tried to surface, of the confusing mix of frustration and heat that Olivia so easily fueled, and focused on my daughter. “I know. I probably came off as a jerk. I didn’t mean to. I’d been up all night and was exhausted when I came in.”

Olivia nodded her acceptance at my apology. “Understandable, and that’s what I told her.”

Her hand reached out toward my chest, pausing, hovering just near my heart. “You’re a good man, Mac Collins. And you already have her heart. I’m asking you to have a care with it.” Her fingers tapped lightly on my chest, punctuating her words, before sliding away.

It was all I could do to stand and watch her walk away, knowing she took the half of my heart that Rosie didn’t already hold with her.

Chapter Sixteen

Olivia

Try as I might, I couldn’t get past that day in the workshop. The next week, things remained stilted between Mac and me. The almost brushes in the hall, him usually shirtless, were becoming unbearable. I’d even thought about busting out the bullet vibrator I’d stashed in the front pocket of my suitcase, but I was scared he’d hear the buzz and figure out my secret. Until one morning I was over being sexually frustrated and snapped at him.

“Put a fricking shirt on, for Christ’s sake! There’s a young girl in this house.”

Unfortunately, I’d hurt myself in the process, because he did, in fact, begin wearing a shirt, and he also began avoiding me more. Stealing away in his bedroom, the one I had to pass on the way to my guest room. And somehow, the distance grew more charged; the more I avoided him, the more I noticed him.

I was definitely not touching myself while replaying that kiss in my mind. Or the way he lifted me so easily, placing me where he wanted me. And I absolutely was not thinking about how incredibly turned on I’d been—until he brought up me being tense. I’d been damn proud of myself for not stumbling as I basically ran away.

His words had hurt. I knew I was tense. Hell, after all that I’d been through, anyone would be.

The thing was, Mac calling attention to my stress was too close to how Tim used to make me feel. And I wasn’t going to try for a second chance to prove to him that I wasn’t frigid or tense. I’d gone that route with Tim, and it had blown up in my face.

“Mom?” Rosie slid in beside me while I was putting on makeup the Friday after that thing that didn’t happen in his workshop.

“What’s up?”

“Are things okay with you and Mac?”

I focused on my mascara. “Sure, honey,” I lied. I hated lying to my daughter, but I also didn’t want to get her hopes up on a “ship,” as she called it, between me and Mac. “Why?”

She shrugged. “It’s just felt kinda weird around here lately. It’s like y’all keep avoiding each other. If one of you comes into the room, the other leaves.”

“We’re fine, honey. I’m sure Mac is ready for us to get out of his hair, and I’m ready to get back to our place.”

“Why?” Her eyebrows shot to her forehead, her chin jerking back in shock. “You don’t like it here?”

“Of course I do.” Truth was, I loved Mac’s house. It was peaceful and quiet, and I found myself relaxing more and enjoying my time with Rosie while leaving the work behind. But… “It’s a great place, but we can’t stay here forever. We need to make a plan.”

“Has that bad guy been caught?”

“Well, no.”

“But it’s safe for us to suddenly leave? I thought the whole reason we were here was because of him?”

She had me there. “No other threats have been made. The police think it’s safe to assume that he was just doing it for attention.” I didn’t know how I felt about that. I didn’t fully trust the PD investigation’s lead and was waiting on confirmation from Harrison before I put my daughter in harm’s way. I’d trust my guy over the police chief and mayor any day. It’d been months that the PD’s lead investigator had been searching for Watkins, and why he suddenly felt like things were fine left me unsettled.

Rosie leaned against the counter, shoulders slumped, looking positively dejected.

“Do you think Mac would let me come stay when we move back to the townhouse?”

My heart squeezed at her request. Losing a little piece of her was a knife to the heart. Still, I couldn’t blame her for wanting to be here, to be with Mac. And I wouldn’t deny her the opportunity, no matter how much it hurt me.

“I’m sure he would love that, honey.” It was the truth, because for every step away that Mac and I took, he and Rosie grew closer.

“Now, run and go get ready for school, or we’ll be late.” I shooed her away so I could have a moment to let the tears brim.

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