Page 23 of The Fun Part
“Eyes here,” he commands. “Settling into your new job?”
I meet his eyes. “Yes, thanks.” His tone has me on edge like I’m in dangerous territory, but I have no idea how I got here.
“What’s going on between you and my daughter?”
Did Mackenzie say something about me?
“Uh…”
“My wife saw you in the street during the Chamber of Commerce meeting.”
Hailey saw us kiss? Or was it the intense conversation before that?
I swallow hard and lift my palms. “Just friends.”
“Appreciate the intel.”
I nearly salute, but I fear he’d take it wrong and knock me flat on my ass. Was that a warning, or was he just in overprotective dad mode?
I turn to find a smiling Hailey behind me. Did she hear all that?
“How’s everything?” she asks brightly.
“Couldn’t be better,” Josh says, his entire demeanor changing as he turns to face his wife.
“I’m going to go,” I say.
“Oh, not yet,” Hailey says. “I want you to meet my sister-in-law Mad Shaw. She’s a real estate mogul, mostly residential, but she’d like to get into commercial properties. I think you could help each other out. Sales and legal contracts go together.”
Seems like Hailey really wants me to succeed in my new law practice. I appreciate that. I follow her to Mad, a woman with short brown hair and a fierce expression that reminds me of Josh. She must be his sister. Before I can introduce myself, Mad says to Hailey, “So this is the guy?”
“This is him,” Hailey says proudly.
My head’s spinning.Am I the enemy or the hero in this strange family?
Mad gives me a once-over. “I get it. Harvard law too. Not too shabby. What’re you doing in a small town like this?”
I give my usual answer, grew up in a small town, tired of the city. I sense someone staring and catch Mackenzie’s eye. She gives me a small wave. Relief rushes through me. She’s not avoiding me after our sidewalk kiss. I don’t know what came over me when I did that. She’s like a sizzling pitch I have to catch and fire back and…she’s giving me a concerned look.
I lift a hand.
She mouths, “Sorry.”
Sorry for her dad ambushing me? Sorry for ending things when clearly there’s still chemistry? Eventually it’ll fizzle out, but right now it’s like a living, breathing thing between us.
She pulls out her phone and texts. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I’m dying to check it, but Mad and Hailey are talking to me. Wait, it’s quiet. Did they ask me a question?
“Can you repeat that?” I ask.
“I don’t think he’s serious,” Mad says.
Hailey smiles and pats my arm. “He’s just a little distracted. It’s a party.”
“I’m serious,” I say. “What’re we talking about?”
Mad fills me in. “I want to help the town buy the old Fagan property and turn it into a community recreation center. The old man lives at his son’s house halfway across the country now, so he’s game. Would you ever take in a parent?”
I’m momentarily thrown by the sudden change of topic. I clear my throat. “Mom died when I was a freshman in college. Dad never wants to leave the house where they lived together, so I guess I’d say no. Probably wouldn’t come up.” I push the grief back into its box buried deep inside me.
