The breath Kayla had been holding evaporated in her chest. Her heart screamed in agony, though she couldn’t give voice to the sound. Everything in her wanted to give up and crumble into nothing. Just like she had when Skye had walked away. Just like she had when she lost her clients’ fortunes and with them her career in finance. Just like she had when she missed the penalty kick that would have taken her team to the College Cup finals.
Her body was betraying her again, but this wasn’t the same Kayla who had given up without Skye or vanished in the loss of her playing career. She forced herself to remember what Dr. Frost had said. She forced herself to keep fighting.
This was a new Kayla. One who had been forged in the angry fires of the world, yes, but also in the caring hands of that woman on the sidewalk above her. Mack had always thought she was worth fighting for. Now it was time to prove her right.
Kayla bent her knees and propelled herself across the sand. She was far away, and Mack had a head start, but she wasn’t getting away this time. Not again. Damn her stupid pacing for putting her on the other side of the table. Kayla had to take her eyes off Mack to navigate the table, chairs, and torches on the darkening beach. When she looked back up, she saw something she hadn’t expected.
Mack had stopped. Or rather, she had been stopped by the last person Kayla would have expected to intervene. Skye had stepped into her path and grabbed her by the shoulders. Now she was talking to her, gesturing between herself and Mack and Kayla. Her eyebrows weren’t a bundle of annoyance like theynormally were when she talked to Mack. They were tilted at a concerned angle. A kind angle. And she was…smiling? It was a bittersweet smile, but it was a smile.
Kayla finally made it around the table and to the foot of the stairs just in time to see Mack sigh, let her shoulders slump, and nod. Hope leaped back into Kayla’s chest. That was a good sign, right? It almost looked like Skye had convinced her to hear Kayla out. Could it be possible? It must’ve been, because Skye reached her hand out. Mack stared at it for a moment, then took it and shook.
Then a miracle happened. Mack turned away from Skye and looked back at Kayla. There wasn’t anger in her gaze anymore. There was hurt, absolutely, but there was also a glimmer of the old Mack. The one who looked at Kayla like she was special. Like she was ridiculous, sure, but like she was Mack’s kind of ridiculous. That simple meeting of eyes sent a pang of longing through Kayla like she had never known. What she wouldn’t give to see that look every day. For those eyes to be the first ones she saw every morning and the last ones she saw every night. The tenderness in those pale green eyes was what made her world continue to spin.
Kayla’s feet were stuck on the beach like it was quicksand, but she forced herself to take a few steps forward. Mack was quicker. She walked down the stairs leading to the beach and to Kayla. She didn’t exactly move with enthusiasm, but at least with conviction. From the corner of her eye, Kayla saw Skye and Amy each throw her a thumbs up before they walked off into the darkness hand-in-hand. When this was all over, Kayla owed them big time.
Mack stopped a few steps away, her hands in the pockets of her linen pants, and the breeze whipping the end of her ponytail around.
Now that it was time to perform, Kayla found her strength. She took a deep breath and said, “Hey there. Thanks for—”
The waiter appeared out of nowhere at her side. “Are we ready for dinner?”
Kayla jumped at the sound of his voice. She’d forgotten he was there. She’d forgotten that anything else in the world was there. Mack’s presence had that effect on her. “Um, yes, sorry. We’ll be right there.”
“There are glasses of champagne before the first course. Shall I pour those for you now?”
“Um, sure.”
She’d hoped it would take him some time to open the bottle and pour some glasses, but apparently he wasn’t done yet. “Can you remind me if either of you has any allergies?”
“No allergies. We’ll be right over, just a moment.”
“Of course, ma’am.” He turned to Mack and asked, “Any allergies for you, ma’am?”
Mack shook her head, and he finally walked back to his tray near the stairs. Kayla took a deep breath and forced a smile. She could do this. All she had to do was speak from her heart. Turning her full attention back to Mack, she said, “As I was saying, thanks for coming. I’m sure you—”
“Your champagne.”
Kayla jumped again. How had he poured these glasses so fast? “Oh. Thanks.” Mack didn’t move to take her glass and Kayla had no interest in adding any alcohol to this situation. “You can put them on the table. We’ll be right there.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
Kayla pushed back her shoulders and started again. “Thanks for coming. I—”
“The first course will be prawns poached in white wine and butter sauce over—”
Kayla’s patience snapped, but she managed to speak through a very fake smile. “You know. I think we’d like to serve ourselves. Could you put the food on the table? That’s all we need. Thank you.”
The waiter blinked several times in confusion. “But there are several courses, ma’am.”
Was this guy really so dense? Kayla pulled the very last of her cash out of her bra and shoved it into his hand. “It’s fine. We’ll be fine. Thank you for your time.”
He took the money and turned back to his tray. Kayla took another deep breath, determined to get a complete sentence out this time. “Hi. Sorry. Let me start again.”
“I’ll just leave the dessert on the tray by the stairs,” the waiter said. “And the bottle of red wine for your third course.”
Kayla’s voice definitely held a note of sharpness to it this time. “Thank you very much. Good night.”
The waiter straightened his tie in a distinctly ruffled way, but he finally turned to leave. Kayla watched him get all the way to the stairs and start to climb them before she dared to turn back to Mack and try again.
