Page 46 of Mack

She laughed and he loved the sound of it.

“How was your Sunday?” he asked.

“I picked up T.J.” She stopped, and he watched the color come into her cheeks. He did his best not to smile. “Then I spent the day at my parents. I try to get out there every weekend. I see my mom every day at the shop, but my dad not as much. T.J. spends more time with them than I do some weeks.”

“I don’t see mine as much as I should either. Especially lately, with everything up in the air about whether I was staying.” He glanced at her when she went quiet.

She was staring at him.

“You were thinking of leaving?”

He held her gaze. “This was always meant to be temporary. Sam needed someone to fill in. I hadn’t decided what I wanted to do.”

“When were you going to tell me?”

“When I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“How I felt about staying.”

She was quiet for a moment. “And?”

“I’m staying.”

She exhaled, and he couldn’t quite read it. He reached for her hand and she pulled it back.

“Mallory.”

“You should have told me, Mack. If you’d left—” She shook her head. “T.J. loves you. You’d have broken his heart.”

“What about yours?” he said quietly.

She met his eyes. “Mine too. But he’s three. He doesn’t understand why people leave. I do, and it’s still hard enough.”

“I’m not leaving. I’m staying because of you and T.J.” He reached up and cupped her cheek. “You have to know I’m falling for you.”

“How would I know that? You haven’t been straight with me about this.” She pulled back slightly. “You should have told me.”

“It’s a moot point now. I’m not going anywhere.” He reached for her hand again. This time she let him take it.

She nodded and he squeezed her hand until she looked at him.

“I promise,” he said quietly.

“Okay.”

They finished lunch and Mack paid Connie, then took Mallory’s hand and led her back out into the cold. The snow was coming sideways now, and they walked fast, heads down, leaning into it.

When they reached Festive Finds she unlocked the door and pushed it open, then turned back to find him still on the sidewalk.

“I have to get back.” He squinted against the snow. “I’ll find out what night works for my parents and let you know.”

“Okay.”

They stood there for a moment, snow pelting both of them, until he leaned down and kissed her.

“Go inside,” he said against her lips. “I’ll talk to you later.”