“Her dress says differently, man,” Wade said, and it sounded as if there was a struggle for the phone. Clearly Wade won, because when the muffled fight ceased, the phone was no longer on speaker, and Wade was on the line. “We’re talking red silk and tiny straps. Definitely not a reschedule type of dress.”
Mackenzie wasn’t a reschedule type of woman. She was the kind of woman you dropped everything for, a fact he somehow had overlooked the first time around—and would never miss again.
“I have no intention of rescheduling.” This was nothing more than a simple problem with a simple solution, one that all couples face, and one he could easily resolve. So Mackenzie couldn’t just jump in the car and meet him at the venue. So what? That just meant they’d have to get creative. And if there was one thing Hunter loved, it was getting creative with Mackenzie. “Could you drive your boss and have the company car take Mackenzie and Muttley to the venue?”
“The driver is a total tool. Says he’s hired to drive the CEO and only the CEO. So unless you want Walter Chapple to join you on this date, it’s a no go,” Wade said.
“Tell him I’ll pay him under the table. Give him front-row seats and VIP passes to my next concert. Even hire a driver for him and his lady friend. Whatever floats his boat.”
Wade breathed heavily into the phone, and Hunter could hear him considering his options. And the only reason his cousin wasn’t telling him to go fuck himself was because Mackenzie was in the room, arguing that it wasn’t a big deal. That she was tired anyway and could use a quiet night at home.
“Come on, man. I need this.”
“It will cost you,” Wade said quietly into the phone. Then in a loud voice for all to hear, he added, “Mike always likes an early night and he’d be waiting on the mayor until midnight. I don’t see a problem.”
“Thank you, Wade.” It would take Hunter twenty minutes, tops. Which gave him enough time to stop by his tailor and change into something more appropriate for a date night with the perfect woman.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” Wade said with a grin so loud Hunter’s head throbbed. “Was that a thank-you?”
Hunter snorted. “I said ‘Fuck you,’ but I can see how you’d mistake the two.”
“Are you sure? It sounded more like a ‘Thank you for being such a forward thinker, Wade. Nobody is as great as you.’ But I couldn’t be positive.”
“Nobody likes a smart-ass,” Hunter said, then explained the exact location for the driver to meet him. It was the entrance the talent used, which Hunter had asked the venue’s security for access to ahead of time. He wasn’t worried about Mackenzie and Muttley making it through the mash of symphony goers. He was worried about being stopped for an autograph—or ten.
Tonight was about him and Mackenzie, a normal couple simply going for a relaxing night on the town. Their talk about the future could wait.
“I’ll have her there by six,” Wade said.
“Great, I’ll meet her there.” He disconnected, and even before he turned around, he knew Brody was behind him. The loud huffing gave him away.
“Please tell me that wasn’t a hired car,” Brody said.
“No,” Hunter said. “That was Wade. And before you go lecturing me, I got it handled.”
Brody gave an amused laugh. “The fact that you can say that and not break out into a sweat tells me you have no idea how close to drowning you are.” Brody leaned against the doorjamb, ankles crossed,mantini in his hand. “Just do me a favor—when you realize you’re drowning, don’t pull Mackenzie under with you.”
“When did you become such a Debbie Downer?” Hunter asked. “No wonder it took you a decade to win over Savannah.”
“It took me as long as it did because I wasn’t ready to be the man Savannah deserved.” Brody pushed off the wall, not stopping until he was in Hunter’s face—and Hunter could see the whites of his eyes. “Are you ready to be that kind of man, Hunter?”
“I’m not the one drinking a fucking mantini.”
“Exactly. I’m drinking this mantini because my wife made it for me. And, even though it tastes like pineapple and ass, I’m going to go order another because it makes my wife smile. That’s what people in love do, Hunter. They put the other person’s happiness first.” Brody downed it in one sip. “Mackenzie needs stability, not a last-minute plan B.”
“Plan B is often better than plan A,” Hunter argued.
“Yeah, but you can move from plan B to plan C, D, E, and F all before lunch,” Brody said. “And if you hadn’t been so busy figuring out the next plan, you’d realize that Mackenzie likes to know what’s coming, since she can’t see it. She can’t wake up and hop on a plane like Savannah can and meet us on the road. And you won’t always have someone sitting around to pick her up when plan A goes to shit. If you’re late to meet her at the airport, she can’t just hail a cab.” Brody took a breath. “The other option is for her to sit back and wait another year for you. And you can’t ask her to do that.”
The truth of the statement was like an arrow through his chest. “I can’t let her go.”
“Holding on isn’t the same as letting go,” Brody said.
Hunter knew that, just like heknewseeing Mackenzie a day or two a month wasn’t an option. He wanted more time with her. Lots of time. Time that didn’t have an expiration date. This past weekend had cemented that.
Brody was right about one thing. Mackenzie needed a steady place in Hunter’s life. And it was up to Hunter to figure out how to make that happen.
