Page 8 of Rescuing Macie

For the first time in a long time, she was furious. At the situation, at Ford saying something she knew. But as soon as the feeling swept through her, she pushed it away. Anger was what had pushed her brother away all those years ago.

“She can stay with me,” Colt said, successfully diverting Macie’s attention.

“What?” she asked.

“That’s a good idea,” the detective said.

Macie looked from one man to the other, not sure what to say.

“Macie, look at me,” Colt said quietly.

She turned to him.

“What do you want to do? What are you thinking?”

“I don’t want to stay here,” she blurted. “One of the guys was determined to get his hands on me, and not in a good way, if you know what I mean. But I don’t want to stay with my brother because he and Mary just got back together again, and I don’t want to mess that up. But I also don’t want to make him mad by staying with you.” Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. “The last time I got in a fight with him, I didn’t see him again for almost twenty years.”

And with that, Truck was at her side again. “Mace…what are you talking about?”

Macie bit her lip and couldn’t look at him. She stared at his shoulder instead. “We fought before you left for the Army, and you were so mad at me you never came home. You didn’t write or talk to me for years. I don’t want to do anything to make you that mad at me ever again.”

“Mercedes Laughlin,” Truck said gently but sternly. “Look at me.”

She didn’t want to. She really didn’t want to. She could already feel his condemnation. Her breaths sped up and she pinched her thigh again, trying to stave off another anxiety attack.

“Easy, Truck,” Colt said.

“Macie,” her brother said in a gentler tone, leaning closer but not touching her. “We fought the night before I left, but I was already over it by the next morning. Brothers and sisters fight. It happens. I was worried about you. You know I didn’t like that guy you were seeing. But we were teenagers. And I wrote you. For years. But when I didn’t hear anything back, I thought you were still mad at me.”

Macie’s head came up and she stared at her brother. “You did?”

“Yeah, Mace. I love you. I always have, and I always will. I even called. Several times. On Christmas. Your birthday. But Mom always told me you didn’t want to talk to me,” Truck said.

“I didn’t know you called,” she said in shock. “And I didn’t get any letters.”

Truck’s face got hard then. “Damn our parents,” he said under his breath.

“They said you never came home because of me. Because I was a terrible sister. Because of the—”

She caught herself and snapped her mouth shut at the last second.

“The what?” Truck asked.

Macie shook her head.

Truck sighed. “I was worried about you then, and I’m worried about you now. But I’m not mad at you. I just found you again; nothing is going to keep me from talking to you. From getting to know you better. I love you, sis.”

“But you don’t want me to stay with Colt. Why not?”

She watched as Ford took a deep breath. He looked over at Colt, then back to her. “You’re my sister. No one is good enough for you. I don’t like that I didn’t know you guys had gotten…close, at my wedding.”

Refusing to look at Colt, she somehow got up the nerve to ask, “Is he not a good person?”

She felt Colt squeeze her hand, but he didn’t interrupt or otherwise put in his two cents.

“He’s an amazing person,” Truck said immediately. “I trust him with my life. I have no doubt that he’ll take good care of you and make sure you’re safe. But you’re my sister. And I don’t like the thought of you being with any man. I didn’t like it when I was eighteen and you were dating that douchebag, and I don’t like it now.”

“I’ve dated,” Macie told him. “In fact, I just broke up with a guy before your wedding.”