Page 24 of The Fun Part
“Oh no, I’m so sorry,” Hailey says. “I hope she didn’t suffer. What happened?”
“You can’t ask that,” Mad says.
“Why not?” Hailey asks.
“Because it’s personal,” Mad says through her teeth.
Hailey turns to me. “Cal and I have gotten to know each other pretty well, right, Cal?”
“You’ve shared a lot,” I say diplomatically.
“See?” Mad says. “You shared. Not him. Let’s get back to business.”
Mackenzie appears, placing a hand on my arm. Warmth rises from the small touch and spreads through me. I really miss her touch. “Can I steal him away?”
Mad and Hailey exchange a look I can’t interpret.
“Mad, I’d be happy to help with any legal contracts,” I say. “Nice to meet you.”
I follow Mackenzie to the back room of the restaurant. She stops by a jukebox, puts a quarter in, and runs her finger along the selections.
“Thanks for the save,” I say.
She keeps her eyes on the jukebox. “You looked cornered.”
“They were asking about my deceased mother.”
She turns to me, eyes wide. “Oh my God. Unacceptable. And I’m sorry. Sutton mentioned it before. I understand how hard it must be.” Her lips form a flat line. “You know what? I’m going to have a talk with them. Was it Mom or Aunt Mad who brought it up?”
“I don’t want to cause a problem for you.”
“It’s my problem already.” She jabs a button, and a Tom Petty song starts. She turns to go, but I stop her with a hand on her shoulder. She stiffens. I drop my hand, stung by the rejection.
“Don’t worry about it,” I say. “I’m fine.”
“Okay.” She gestures for me to follow her to a small table in a corner of the room. I take the seat opposite her. “So, Cal, I have to ask, how’d you get roped into another Campbell family gathering?”
I lean forward. “Networking.”
She narrows her eyes. “So you’re going to keep showing up to all business and personal events organized by my mother?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Will you be there?”
“Cal.”
“Mackenzie.”
“It’s not that I don’t like you. I do. Very much.”
My heart shifts in my chest, a weird feeling. I hope it’s okay in there. “So?”
“I just thinkusis a bad idea. You’re on the rebound. We’re both not into commitment—”
“Who said anything about commitment?”
