Page 37 of The Fun Part
I shrug, my arm brushing against his. “I don’t know. It just came out.”
“So what do we call it?”
I face him, grab his shirt, and pull him close. “Complicated.” We’re so close I feel his sharp intake of breath. Slowly, his hand moves, cupping the back of my neck. A moment of shimmering tension hangs in the space between us before I close the distance, sinking into a kiss that feels as inevitable as breathing. My pulse jumps as his mouth slants over mine, taking control. Why did I give this up?
“Mom made bruschetta,” Dad announces.
Cal and I jerk apart. Cal looks guilty. As for me, I’m thinking Cal and I aren’t done.
Dad sets a plate of bruschetta on the coffee table in front of us, gives Cal atouch my daughter and dielook, and checks in with me. Overprotective much? I smile.
“Thank you, sir,” Cal says, taking a piece of bruschetta.
Dad grunts and turns back to the kitchen.
Cal
Dinner was amazing. Steak done perfectly, baked potatoes with crispy onions and cheese, and steamed broccoli. Josh marinated the meat for hours beforehand. It’s like Mackenzie’s parents knew we’d stay for dinner.
Mackenzie sits directly across from me at the table. I caught her sneaking looks at me while we ate, or maybe that was me sneaking looks at her.
“Would you like to stay for dessert?” Hailey asks. “We have ice cream from Shane’s Scoops.”
Mackenzie tilts her head. “Mmm, tempting, but Cal and I have plans after this.”
Josh and Hailey exchange a look. It’s like a secret conversation, though I’m not getting any negative vibes from it.
“Oh? What are your plans?” Hailey asks.
“Cal asked me to take a look at his new place for some decorating ideas,” Mackenzie says.
“Decorating,” Josh says. “Is that code for—” He jerks and abruptly goes silent. I think Hailey kicked him under the table with her good foot.
I don’t blame him for calling Mackenzie on it. Like any guy would invite a woman to his place for the purpose of decorating on a Saturday night. Still, I back her up. “Just a question on the living room layout; then we’re going to watch a movie. Mackenzie has never seenField of Dreams, the best baseball movie of all time.”
“I’ve seenBull Durham,” she says, like our earlier conversation in the car.
“That’s a relationship movie.”
She narrows her eyes. “It’s definitely a baseball movie. Let’s watch both.”
“If we’re going to have a doubleheader, I vote forMoneyball.”
“We can discuss,” she says airily.
Hailey smiles serenely. Even Josh seems okay with us.
Mackenzie gives me a lovesick smile, which sends chills down my spine because it’s not real. My mind knows it’s not real, but my body senses danger. My pulse rushes through my ears, all sounds fading to a dull roar.
Mackenzie stands abruptly. I do too. She puts her hand on my arm. “You’re the guest so sit. I’ll clear the dishes. I’ll make you work later.” She gives me a sexy smile, leaving me stunned in a good way, the panic receding.
I watch her go, hips swaying as she balances dishes expertly.
When I turn back, Hailey’s smiling at me. A big smile, almost proud, like I’m the best guy she could imagine for her daughter. She turns to Josh, and he inclines his head.
Was that parental approval? I don’t dare let Mackenzie in on the secret. She’d want to end our fake relationship before it even got started. And it seems really important to her.
A deception within a deception on the woman who started it all. Is that playing dirty? Maybe. But the alternative, not seeing her again, doesn’t sit well with me either.
