Page 48 of Cougar

Our friendship may not have lasted, but I guess there are some things that are just meant to be.

* * *

“Mom,” Jay calls from outside my bathroom.

“In here,” I call back as I sink down into the bubbles.

She peeks her head around the door. “Hey.” She smiles.

“Hey. How was dinner with Zach?”

She laughs and rolls her eyes as she steps into the bathroom and sits down beside the tub. “Zach stood me up, so I ended up having dinner with Harper. You remember her. We met her when we had lunch at Mac’s the other day.”

I nod. “The pretty redhead, right?”

“Yeah, that’s her. She’s so nice. She reminds me of you in a way.”

I smile. “Oh yeah? How so?”

“She’s guarded.” My smile slips. It hurts me to hear her say that. Guarded is another word for unapproachable. I don’t want my daughter to ever feel as though she can’t come to me because I’m guarded. Or unapproachable. “She doesn’t trust easily, and she doesn’t like to talk about herself much. She lost her mom about four years ago to breast cancer, and her sister died in a car accident two years ago.”

“That’s awful.” I frown. “Does she have any other family? Is her dad in the picture?”

Jay nods. “Yeah. She lives with her dad, but he travels a lot for work, so she’s on her own most of the time. I was thinking that maybe I could invite her and Lexi over for a girls’ night.”

“I think that sounds like fun. Just be careful who you let in your circle. Tell me what happened with Zach.”

“I don’t know. We were supposed to meet at Mac’s at seven, and when he didn’t show up, I texted him. Four times. He finally called at eight fifteen. I sent him to voice mail, and then he sent me a text telling me he fell asleep.”

“Maybe he did. Max used to take naps after football practice all the time.”

She shrugs as she gets to her feet. “Maybe. I guess I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” She yawns. “I’m gonna take a shower and head to bed. I’m tired.” She leans over to give me a kiss on the cheek. I love that she still kisses me good night.

“Good night, baby girl.”

Emerson

“Hi, I’m looking for Dr. Mackenzie. I’m his daughter.”

“Emerson?” a vaguely familiar voice calls from behind me. I stiffen and squeeze my eyes shut.Fuck.

When my father asked me to meet him for lunch, he failed to mention that there’d be a chance I might run into Chris. I’m not ready to face him, and if I had it my way, I’d never see him again. But I’m back, and facing the ghosts of my past is something I’m going to have to endure if I’m ever going to make Heritage Bay my home again.

Inhaling a deep breath through my nose, I plaster on a fake smile and slowly turn around to face my first ghost.

“Chris, hi.” I fidget nervously with my purse strap. “I’m supposed to have lunch with my father.”

“Ms. Mackenzie, your father was called into a consultation,” the receptionist informs me. “He should be finished in about twenty minutes if you’d like to wait.”

“Sure,” I drawl.

“I’ll show her up to his office,” Chris offers as he waves a hand in the general direction of the elevators. “Thanks, Mandy.”

We step inside the elevator and I move to the far wall, gripping the straps of my oversized purse, clutching it close to my chest like a protective shield.

Chris pushes the button for the second floor and leans against the opposite wall, bracing his hands on the railing behind him and crossing his legs at the ankles.

“So it’s true?” He smiles. “You’re back.”

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