Page 160 of The Games We Play
I pulled the note from my lap and read it again, this time with a little more weight.
“The overlook.”
Rhodes nodded, shifted the truck into drive, and pulled onto the road. I doubted he didn’t know where we were going; he was just asking for good measure.
Silence fell between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
“I know you knew the whole time,” I finally said.
He gave me a sidelong glance. “It wasn’t my place to say anything. But for what it’s worth… he’s really sorry, Penny. I’ve known Mac a long time. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“I know,” I whispered, looking down at the rose still in my lap. “I can see how hard he’s trying. He’s been trying for a while now.”
The overlook wasn’t far—just a few minutes from downtown Faircloud. As we got closer, my heart beat faster, nerves tangling with anticipation in the center of my chest.
“So,” Rhodes began, “you two came here a lot?”
I smiled and turned to the window, my gaze drifting to the trees Mac and I parked beneath more than once.
“We did,” I said softly. “Nights when we needed to breathe. When his place felt too small, mine too quiet.”
I could still picture it. The two of us lying in the truck bed, the stars twinkling above us like our own private sky. We’d point outfake constellations and invent stories for them, laughing until our stomachs hurt. He’d wrap his arm around my shoulders, at first pretending it was just to stay warm or get comfortable.
But now? I knew better. It was always just an excuse to hold me closer.
The truck rolled to a stop, and I spotted a figure near the edge of the overlook.
Boone.
He stood with his back to me, the familiar shape of his cowboy hat outlined by the fading sun. He turned as I approached, his signature smirk already in place.
I didn’t wait for Rhodes to open my door—I was already out and striding toward him.
“Oh my God,” I said, laughing as I threw my hands up. “Did Mac recruit everyone for this?”
“Just about,” Boone said, pulling me into a one-armed hug. “Took a lot of planning. He wanted it perfect.”
“I can tell,” I replied, my voice thick with emotion.
Boone’s smile softened. “I’m sure Rhodes said something like this already, but I’m saying it, too. Mac really does love you, Penny.”
The words landed deep in my chest. And not in a shocking way. No, they settled there like they’d always belonged.
And the fact that our friends saw it, believed in us enough to dress up and play along, to spend their night helping Mac…
It meant everything.
“Good thing I feel the same way about him.”
Boone grinned and handed me the rose, letting it go only when he was sure I had it. A note was tied around the stem with twine.
I untied it with trembling fingers, heart racing, and read:
Penelope,
I can’t wait to see you.
Your next and final stop is the place where we spent our first night together, surrounded by our friends. It was the night I knew I’d make you mine.
