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“He lost the right to complain or feel hurt,” Alice agreed. “I’ll post it for you real quick. It’s too good not to share.”
Before I could protest, Alice grabbed my phone, which I’d kept unlocked all night, and pulled up the image she’d texted. When she handed it back to me, she smiled. “There, it’s done.”
I opened the picture and zoomed in on Mac’s expression. He was looking down at Delaney with so much tenderness and affection that I felt a pang in my heart. That’s how her father was supposed to look at her, but it was Mac.
He wasn’t doing this solely out of obligation or a sense of duty. He liked her. He wanted to make her happy. It was all a mom could ask for.
Not sure what I should do about the situation, I tucked the phone away.
“Let’s eat in front of the TV,” Kylie said, already taking her plate piled high with food to the couch. “I put the ice cream in the freezer for later.”
“I’ve got the wine,” Alice said, pouring three glasses.
“Thank you for coming over. I didn’t know how much I needed the company until you were here.”
“That’s what Mac said when he texted, but we would have checked in on you regardless,” Alice said.
“What do you mean, Mac texted you?” I asked, balancing the plate on my lap.
“He asked me to check on you and to get Kylie to keep you company.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but everything in my chest was warm. “That was nice of him.”
“Are you guys a thing now?” Kylie asked as she picked up the remote and turned on the TV.
“We’re just friends.” We hadn’t put a label on it, but that’s the only way I could describe it.
The living room was too small for socializing. I only had one couch and an end chair, but it was fine for the three of us.
Kylie nodded at my phone. “Well, after looking at the picture, I think Mac’s in love with your daughter.”
“It’s sweet.” It was all I could manage because I was thinking the same thing.
“He’s always wanted a family,” Alice said carefully.
“He said something about that but that he doesn’t anymore,” I said, moving the food on the plate around with my fork.
“I think he’s just scared. The right woman should be able to get past his defenses. Tyler and Sam always say that he’s the romantic. He always wanted a girlfriend, even in high school. He was never interested in hookups or one-night stands,” Alice said.
That was something I didn’t know, but I could see that about him. I loved that he was into relationships. It was rare to find a man like that. “He said he’s not the same man.”
“You don’t change that much. It’s still there, underneath all the scar tissue,” Alice said, and I wondered if she felt a kinship with him.
My shoulders tightened. “I don’t know if I want to start anything right now. I just got divorced.”
Kylie pointed her fork at me. “It’s been a year since Carter told you he was done.”
“It has been.” It took me a few months to get my bearings and deal with the divorce on my own since Carter wasn’t interested, then I bought the B&B and moved here. “It feels shorter.”
Kylie shook her head. “There’s no manual on how long you have to wait to date someone else.”
“What about Delaney? I don’t want her to get hurt.”
Alice chewed and swallowed before she said, “Mac’s not the type to walk away from someone he cares about. Besides, you’re both part of the family now.”
Kylie flipped through the channels, settling on an old comedy sitcom we were all familiar with. “He’s a good man.”
“He won’t hurt you,” Alice added.
