Page 77 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
“I get it.” Mac nods. “It’s like going to med school, just working with animals at the end of it.”
“Exactly. Not a lot of people realize that. I didn’t really know myself when I first committed to the idea.”
“I remember when you made the announcement.” Mac nods. “Your mom was pretty proud to have a future doctor in the family. Extremely proud.Repeatedlyproud.” His mouth slips sideways, but my stomach twists.
“She still is.”
“Anyway, the news might not have made it to Abieville, but McCoy Construction has been doing a fair bit of investing lately.”
“Yeah, Aunt Remy’s said a thing or two.”
“Of course she has.” Mac chuckles, running a hand across his chin. “Those sisters sure can talk. Especially when they’re extremely proud of their kids.”
“And even when they’renot.”
“Good point.” He grins, shaking his head. “Anyway, our company partnered with Homes 4 Humans a while ago, and more recently, we started working with Dodd Shipping. We’re trying to use my dad’s legacy to really make a difference. The whole family agrees. But so far, we’ve mostly been helping out strangers.”
Mac takes a beat, and my heart starts pounding. Where is he going with this?
“So if you’re up for it,” he says, “I’d like to cover the cost of your vet school.”
What?My chest constricts, and I choke out a laugh. “Come on, man.”
“I’m serious, Brady.”
My whole body goes numb, and I feel like I’m hovering outside myself, looking down on this conversation. If becoming a vet was my real passion, this would be a dream come true. Mac’s generosity would relieve me of the entire financial burden. But the truth is, he’d be spending all that money to fund something I don’t even want.
“Absolutely not.” I shake my head. “That’s way too big an offer. I can’t accept something like that.”
“You can.” Mac arches an eyebrow. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m pretty rich.”
“But—”
“Don’t say yes or no,” he interrupts. “Not yet. You’ve got a lot going on right now, and I wouldn’t have even brought it up, except I wanted to talk to you about this in person, and give you a few days to think about it while I’m still in town.” He lays a hand on my shoulder. “Brooke, Daisy, and I won’t be leaving until Tuesday. And I’d be happy to make financial arrangements while we’re in Abieville, but there’s no deadline. No rush. Take your time.” He drops his arm. “But, Brady…”
I wait for him to finish his sentence.
“Take me up on the offer,” he says.
I’m still gaping at him when Three barrels toward us holding an armful of flowers. “Time to get lei’d,” he crows, tossing a couple of flower necklaces at Mac and me. “You’ve got to wear these while we play pool. Winners of each round take the losers’ leis until one guy’s got them all.”
Mac guffaws. “What if Iwantto lose?”
And what ifIneed to get out of here?
As if the universe can hear my inner thoughts, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Slipping it out, I see I’m about to be saved by back-to-back messages from Doc Swanson. Then I quickly remember this might be bad news.
This isn’t about you, Brady.
“Sorry, men.” I hold up the screen. “It’s the doc. Gotta find a quiet place to deal with this.”
Mac’s brow furrows. “Of course.”
“We’ll be at the pool table when you’re ready,” Three says, but I’m already angling for the parking lot.
On my way, I spot the bridesmaids in a semicircle in the back corner. True to her word, Natalie’s got them taking turns draping Kasey in strips of that white sheet. They’re all wearing the crowns and boas Nat brought, and her face is bright with laughter.
My heart stretches across the pub, like I’ve got tentacles reaching out for her. I just want to be wrapped in that woman’s joy. When she glances up and we lock eyes, she cocks her head. An unspoken question.
