CHAPTER 14
Friday morning, Mackenzie found herself in the kitchen, listening to a YouTube tutorial on how to bake simple strawberry cupcakes with whipped-cream frosting in five easy steps. Cupcakes with whipped-cream frosting hadn’t exactly been her goal when she’d awoken, but since it seemed less threatening than navigating downtown—or saying goodbye to Hunter when he’d left for the airport—she’d chosen the easy way out.
Yup, Cowardly Lion decision-making in full effect, she’d stuck to her not air-travel-qualified story—which suddenly seemed less terrifying than what would happen if she went to LA—then waited for Hunter to hop in the shower. The second she heard the water flick on she’d bolted for the nearest exit, under the guise of getting a jump on the homework she’d been assigned at support group.
Even more embarrassing, the focus of support group had been “Expanding Your World,” which had highlighted the importance of stepping out of her comfort zone and venturing into situations that challenged her.
Mackenzie decided to take a literal approach, avoiding the emotional and going straight for a physical location. Except the only public places she felt comfortable going were Bark ’N’ Bean and the market. Option one wouldn’t work, because Tia would call her a cheater before she even entered the café. Which left the market.
Sure, she’d been there before, several times, in fact, with Hunter. But she’d never been down aisle five. So technically, it was a new place for her. Sneaking out the door to avoid a goodbye? Not so much.
In her defense, she had left a note. Placed it on top of his duffel bag, which had been sitting by the door, packed and ready for his trip.
So Mackenzie packed what she and Muttley would need fortheirtrip and expanded their world by fifty-five feet of chips and salsa.
To ensure that she’d explored every inch of her newly expanded world—and to give Hunter enough time to depart for the airport—Mackenzie strolled through aisle five three times, even asking a passerby to help her add a few new chip flavors to her collection.
It was on her final lap when she remembered some of the outings the other patients in her support group were going to take. When compared to navigating an ATM solo or taking in a concert on Broadway Street, a trip down aisle five sounded particularly lame, so she added aisles six, seven, and eight to the adventure, even grabbing a box of cupcake mix in aisle nine.
Surely a fresh batch of homemade cupcakes would deflect attention from the fact that her idea of branching out had consisted of picking salt and vinegar chips over honey barbecue. She’d hit the dairy section on the way to the counter and grabbed a carton of heavy cream, because no self-respecting cupcake baker could forgo the frosting.
Her therapist stressed the importance of using family to help navigate the new world, but Mackenzie didn’t have any family. And in a week Hunter would be gone. Not just for a meeting but for good. Which was why she’d decided to venture out alone. Well, that and the fact that she was terrible at goodbyes.
Only now she was home from the market, Hunter was well on his way to the airport, and she was regretting her decision. Note or not, sneaking out while he was in the shower hadn’t been cool.
In fact, it was a move straight out of the old Mackenzie’s handbook. She wasn’t sure what a bold Mackenzie move would have been, but she imagined it would have involved a goodbye kiss.
“You blew that,” she grumbled, adding some heavy cream to the blender. While it was too late for a kiss, she could still make his return trip special. Which was where the batch of homemade cupcakes came in.
A good portion of the cupcake batter didn’t make it in the tray, but thankfully a dozen or so of the cupcakes were salvageable. Hunter’s sweatshirt—the one he’d left behind and she’d slipped on, not because it smelled of him but because she was cold—was another story.
She added a teaspoon of vanilla and started the hand blender.
“Damn it!” Cold liquid splattered everywhere.
She turned the mixer off, wiping her face on the shoulder of the sweatshirt—the last clean space she could find. She didn’t even want to ponder the current state of the kitchen. She’d have to call her cleaning lady to swing by before Monday.
Maybe for an extra twenty, she’d stop by the bakery on the way.
“Simple, my ass,” she mumbled, setting the bowl aside. Muttley, who’d benefited from her earlier screwups, panted with anticipation.
Mackenzie was stuck on the last step: whipping the frosting. She’d carefully measured out the cream, vanilla, and sugar. Even used a chilled bowl. But instead of light and smooth whipped frosting, it came out more like melted ice cream.
“Simpleisn’t theSword I’d use when it comes to you,” Hunter said from behind her.
His voice came from the doorway, but the scent of aftershave and damp skin filled the entire space from across the room. He smelled fresh, as if he’d just stepped out of the shower, and the sound of hisbare feet moving across the floor made her heart flip. It also made her wonder what else of his was bare.
An image that created enough heat to melt the polar ice caps.
“More likestubborn.” He moved closer, all that charm and easy swagger from yesterday gone.“Sneaky,”he whispered—and he was directly behind her. “As for your ass,smackablecomes to mind.”
Mackenzie dropped her hands over her butt. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m way past thinking.” Coming up behind her, he placed his palms on the counter, effectively caging her in.
Oh my ...
“Nice sweatshirt.”
