Page 7 of The Gingerbread Bakery
He lifted long dark lashes and caught her staring at him. His immediate smile was enough to make her stomach flutter.
Shut up, stomach.
‘So, Annie,’ he said, leaning back in the booth. ‘Should we clear the air first?’
‘Clear the air about what?’
‘About why you hate me so much?’
Annie choked on her French fry. ‘I don’t hate you.’
Mac scoffed. ‘Yeah, okay. You definitely do.’
‘I do not! Just because we’ve never been friends doesn’t mean I hate you.’
‘Ha! Every time I look at you, you frown at me.’
Annie rolled her eyes. ‘I’m sorry that I don’t fall all over you like everyone else at our school used to.’
‘They did not.’
‘Please! Captain of the lacrosse team? Girls love that crap.’
‘But not you.’
Annie shrugged. ‘I’m not that interested in sports.’
‘Or the people who play them.’
‘So what? It’s not like you were showing up at student council meetings.’
Mac shoved three more French fries into his mouth. ‘Fair. But I still think you don’t like me.’
‘I don’t like how you treated Logan when we were little.’
Mac’s eyes widened. ‘Logan?’
‘Yeah, you used to tease him. And his mom had justdied. I guess it did make me hate you.’
To his credit, he looked abashed about his behavior toward Logan. ‘I’ll apologize.’
Annie rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, I bet.’
‘I’m serious. Give me your phone.’
‘What? No!’
‘Pull up Logan’s number. I’ll text him right now.’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘I’m dead serious. I was a little shit. Let me apologize, and then me and you can have a fresh start where you don’t hate me anymore.’ Mac held out his hand expectantly. He was serious. Whatever she had been expecting from him, this was not it.
She took her phone out of her purse and pulled up her text chain with Logan. The last message was a picture of a grinning Nana Estelle in between a frowning Grandpa Henry and a squinting Logan. They all had sunburn across their noses and Estelle’s giant sunhat nearly covered Logan’s and his grandfather’s faces. Annie hoped she was having the best time. She’d been waiting to go on this cruise her whole life.
Mac’s eyebrows rose in amusement when he saw the picture, but he didn’t comment. Just took the phone and typed out a message. He handed it back to Annie to approve before sending.
ANNIE
