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“Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.” He slaps his palm on the table. “We could start new, and Arlene and Otis wouldn’t be our problem. Listen, I’ve gotta get back to work, but what do you say about us continuing this conversation over dinner?”
I force a smile, uncertain if we’re doing the right thing but not willing to sit by and let everyone else around me move forward.
“Sounds good. Kel’s giving me a ride home. You okay if she has dinner with us? I’m not keeping this from her and I’m not going too far from Prospect. I plan to see her often.”
He stands and shakes his head then wordlessly nods and leaves.
* * *
Ipower off the computer just as there’s a knock at the office door. The day is done, but my mind is still running the mental list of everything I need to do. It’s been three days of non-stop conversation and planning with Travis, but I’m finally ready to leave Prospect.
“Come in,” I holler, slinging my purse over my shoulder, and stop dead in my tracks at the man standing in the doorway.
Hat in hand, in a blue cotton button-down and dark blue jeans, Mackenzie Mitchell smiles warmly at me before awkwardly clearing his throat. “Hi, Lacy. It’s nice to see you.”
Cautiously, he ambles into the office, and despite his polite manners and gentle gaze, I cross my arms over my chest.
I can’t help but be defensive. He may not be a Kincaide, but he’s Ridge’s best friend. And as if that wasn’t enough cause to distrust him, he also works for the vipers at Canyon Spring Ranch. Heck, he’s practically one of them.
“Mack.” Instinctively, I step back behind the desk, seeking some kind of physical barrier between us. “What can I do for you?”
“I promise not to take up too much of your time, but I wanted to have a word with you.”
“About what?”
He scratches at the back of his neck and clears his throat once more. I don’t know this man, but if I was a gambling woman, I’d say he’s nervous.
“Before you tell me where to go, I’ve gotta say that I know it isn’t my place to stick my nose in your business.”
He doesn’t have to say another word. I know this is about Ridge. My body tenses, and as though he picks up on this, he leans back against the wall to give me more space.
“But that’s what you’re here to do, isn’t it?”
Mack isn’t someone I know well, or at all really. Over the years, I’ve seen him around town and often with Ridge. For that alone, I want to tell him to get out. Who cares if I’m rude?
But here’s the thing… Anyone who has ever spoken about Mack has only ever had good things to say. Even Oz speaks highly of him, says Mack is a kind and respectful sort. Because of that, out of my love and trust for Oz, I lower my shoulders and try to give this man the time he’s asking for.
Ridge hasn’t said much about his best friend, only to speak about him in vague terms. Though, from the little he did say, he cares deeply for him. I’d even venture to say he loves him like a brother. The kind of brother he may never have had with the ones he has through blood.
“Yes.” His sheepish smile doesn’t soften me one bit, though it’s a battle to keep myself shuttered against this man’s seemingly genuine intent. “Before I get started, I want you to know Ridge didn’t ask me to come here and plead his case.”
If not for my rib cage, my heart would be out of my chest, leaping at the mention of the man I’m trying in vain to forget.
“He told you about us? About what recently happened?” I don’t want to say too much in case Mack doesn’t know.
He’s right; this isn’t his business.
“He told me some. Enough for me to get the idea that he made a grave mistake and you two are no longer together.”
His pause is long and again, I wish I knew Mack better because this feels deliberate, like he wants me to say more. Maybe enough to hang myself?
“And?” I push, suddenly hot and claustrophobic in this office.
“I’ve never seen Ridge like this before. He’s a mean, stubborn, son of a bitch, and though not the right thing to say, I mean that quite literally.”
A bark of laughter erupts from me, and I quickly slap my hand over my mouth. Not embarrassed at liking his insult of Sage, but more shocked at how easily he’s put me at ease.
