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Macie’s phone buzzed again right after dinner had been cleared. It was the eighth time Barb had texted her that day. She read the text, which was similar to the previous seven.
Please tell me you changed your mind, hon. The girls are dying to meet you! It will be so fun, and we can drown our sorrows about lame men together. I can tell you all about my ex, too.
Bonding over exes wasn’t really Macie’s idea of fun, especially with Barb.
Going to a bar and mingling with people who all knew Knox at some point or another, answering questions about herself, and probably Knox as well, didn’t sound appealing at all.
Besides, Holt had been gone from the ranch all day. And she felt off, for some reason. She couldn’t explain it, but she’d thought Holt would at least be back in time for dinner, and then she could . . . what? Figure out what he thought of their hug that morning? Nothing, she told herself. She’d hugged him, and as the gentleman he always was, he’d held her for a couple of moments to comfort her. Because she’d been crying, again, for heaven’s sake.
So what if he’d called her darlin’ a time or two—two times to be exact. She was in Prosper, Texas. Everyone was a darlin’, a doll, a sweet pea, even a pumpkin. Which is what Barb called Holt, and Macie could tell he hated it. The thought made her smile.
“Everything all right?” Heidi asked.
Macie looked up from her phone. She’d almost forgotten that she wasn’t alone in the kitchen, where she’d spread out her jewelry-making kits.
Rex had snagged Ruby, and they were watching some Disney movie in the other room, so Macie had decided to get a head start on the new orders that had come in that morning.
“Oh, it’s just Barb,” Macie explained. “She doesn’t take no for an answer, it seems.”
Heidi smiled. “She’s one determined woman. But you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”
Macie tried not to read into that too much.
“Is this about that girls’ night out?” Heidi asked.
“Yeah.” Macie set her phone on the table and picked up a small bag of charms. She opened the bag and laid out the charms on a piece of felt so that they wouldn’t roll around.
“Ruby will be fine with us,” Heidi said. “You should go. Have fun.”
Macie wasn’t exactly sure why Heidi was so insistent about her going to a bar. Especially when she wanted her to get back together with Knox. “I was speaking the truth when I said that I don’t think I’m ready to face so many questions.”
Heidi didn’t respond, and finally, Macie looked up.
There were tears in the woman’s eyes, and Macie felt sick. What had she said?
“What’s wrong?” Macie asked.
Heidi brushed at the tears. “I don’t know exactly. I’d just hate for you to cancel on Barb. She’s being so sweet to you, and you probably haven’t done anything fun for a while.”
“That’s true, but—” Macie cut in.
“Let me finish.” Heidi placed a hand on top of Macie’s. “It needs to be said. Yes, Knox took both of you away from us. He didn’t want anything to do with our family. But you were our family, too—you and Ruby. And we should have never let Knox stand between us.”
“I don’t think—” Macie began.
“There’s no excuse for our behavior,” Heidi said. “I should have gotten on a plane and come to visit more. Rex could have fixed his own breakfast.”
Macie smiled, but her nerves were on the rise. Where was Heidi going with this?
Heidi took a shaky breath. “I don’t know how I could have five children, and have all of them turn out so different. I’ll always love Knox, because that’s what a mother does, but I want you to know that you are family, Macie. No matter what.”
Macie couldn’t have been more surprised. And then the real reason came out.
“Besides,” Heidi continued, “you’ll meet a few men at that bar, and you’ll soon realize that maybe Knox isn’t so terrible after all.”
Macie’s breath hitched. “I never said Knox was terrible.”
Heidi arched a brow. “Then why did you divorce him?” She lowered her voice. “You can tell me, you know. I can help you better if I know why.”
