Page 91 of The Games We Play
I knew I loved her. That much had been clear the day she left that little pink glitter bomb in retaliation for everything that happened.
In that moment, every emotion hit me like a freight train; everything crashed down at once.
Anger.
Sadness.
Guilt.
Fear.
There was sadness for her, for me, even. Guilt for the way I’d handled everything in the beginning. Regret for not doing things sooner. Happiness, because I reflected on the moments when things were so damn good.
Penny made mefeel.
27
PENNY
Penny: Thank you for coming today I’m glad everything worked out
Mac: Who is this?
Penny: Seriously???? You should be careful, you’re still on my shit list.
Mac: Well, then good thing I have a few more things up my sleeve.
Mac: Can you at least tell me, is it working?
Penny: Now, what would be in the fun in that?
Mac: Since you said the word fun, I’m assuming it is working
Penny: Let’s just say, you’re on the right track
28
PENNY
Islammed my laptop shut and tossed it into my oversized tote, eager to get a move on. Tonight, I was stopping by the bar after work, and I didn’t want to waste a second.
Mac showing up yesterday, completely unprompted, to help at Petal Pusherhad lit a burning flame inside me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it or about him.
He hadn’t just shown up—heperformed. Every delivery was spot on, dropped off with care and perfectly on time. When he and Logan returned to the shop, Mac didn’t check out or disappear.
Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and stayed until close.
He swept floors, helped customers choose arrangements, smiled at strangers, and charmed even the grumpiest regulars.
I hadn’t even asked him to help. I’d called Logan and Ellie. Not Mac.
And yet, he stayed later than anyone else.
When the store started to look like itself again, Mac convinced Sandy to head home before dark, remembering her rule without needing to be reminded. When everyone was gone, he still stayed with me.
We closed up shop together, moving through the motions in comfortable silence and playful teasing. He was patient, gentle, respectful. The kind of man who made sure everything was done right—not for praise, but because it mattered to me.
The night was spent laughing, talking, wrapped up in that familiar thread of banter that had always been ours.
