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Mac removed his coat and cowboy hat, and placed them on the rack in the foyer. Eyes the color of dark, sweet honey glistened from the cold, and his hair, brown with natural gold highlights, was a bit crushed by his hat. He ruffled it with his hands to an unkempt perfection. This was uncharacteristic of him, but she liked it.
“I need a haircut,” he said, glancing in the mirror. “How was your weekend?”
He took the mail from the counter but didn’t look at it yet. Instead he studied her. He was waiting for her answer.
“It was good. Uneventful except for this morning, when I found a cat on my doorstep. Cutest thing ever. I’ll need to go check on her at lunch.”
“You left it in your house?” Mac’s face showed signs of horror.
“Well, I was going to bring her here but decided against it.”
“Good decision.” He thumped the mail with his hand.
“And of course I put her in my house. She’s an itty-bitty kitten. You don’t think I’d leave her outside to freeze?”
“Bleeding heart.” Mac scrunched up his nose. “Cats are so...nasty.”
She blinked in astonishment. “How can you say that? Have you no heart?”
“I have a need to be in control. Especially when it comes to hygiene and my surroundings. And cat hair, cat food, cat smells, cat, well, you know...bodily functions...pretty much everything about a cat contradicts that.”
Jacqueline rolled her eyes. “Come with me at lunch and meet her. We’ll see if you can say that to her face.”
“I have no problem with that. You’re on.”
* * *
AT NOON JACQUELINE popped her head into Mac’s office. “I’m going to check on the kitty.”
He jerked his head up from the paperwork he was studying, looked at her and then the clock on his desk and back to her. “It’s already noon!”
“I know. You don’t have to go. Want me to pick you up something?”
“I’m going.” He rose from his chair. “Someone has to confront this furry mass of germs before it’s too late.”
Jacqueline shook her head at him. “Famous last words.”
He helped her into her black trench coat and then slid on his own. Donning his hat, he turned the sign on the door from Open to Closed. Then he held the door for her and locked it behind them.
“I’ll drive,” Jacqueline offered.
Mac squeezed his tall frame into the Prius and she laughed. She had the feeling lack of legroom was far less disconcerting to him than not being in control, and she exulted in it. She revved the engine and Mac glanced at her sideways. What did it say about her that she enjoyed torturing him?
“I don’t have anything good for lunch at home.”
“That’s okay because I couldn’t eat with a cat, anyway.”
“Drive-through somewhere?”
“Let’s go to Suzie Q’s for burgers.”
“I didn’t know that place was still around.”
“Same location as always.”
“Sounds good.”
She pulled through the drive at the old-fashioned burger joint and ordered the brown-bag special: two burgers, two fries and two shakes. Mac tried to pay, but Jacqueline wouldn’t let him. She footed the twelve-dollar bill.
“I haven’t consumed this many calories in a day in I don’t know when. And here I am scarfing them all in one meal!” she said, eating a fry as they drove away.
“The shakes are probably over-the-top.” Mac stuck a straw in her banana shake and another in his peanut butter one. They both took a big sip. “But they’re so good, aren’t they?”
“Yes. I’d forgotten how good they are.” Jacqueline took another swig. “Joiner bought me a few of these in high school.”
“Did you guys ever—?”
“No, no, no.” Jacqueline half smiled. “I mean, I would have dated him. But he was way out of my league.”
Mac almost choked on his burger, but quickly recovered.
“I was the biggest nerd ever, Mac.”
“I remember you being pretty nerdy.”
“Thanks.” She threw a fry at him, which he caught and ate.
“Keep your eyes on the road.”
“Joiner was nice to me. I think he was a closet nerd. We had that creative writing class together. He wrote beautiful poetry.”
“I’ll have to ask him about that.”
“No, you don’t. How’s he doing, anyway?”
Mac finished his burger and folded the wrapper in his hands. “He’s good. Married a great girl, Stella, and they’re about to have their first baby.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m really happy for him.”
“Me, too.”
Jacqueline pulled into the driveway of her house. She took a couple of more bites of her burger and then wrapped it up. Mac got out of the Prius and appeared on her side, opening the driver’s door.
“You’re quite a gentleman,” she said with appreciation. “I’m not used to that since I left Texas.”
“That’s why you should stay in Texas.” Mac grinned. “One reason, anyway.”
He followed her to the side door again and inside the house. The minute they stepped inside, they heard meowing.
“She’s in the laundry room—just straight through here.”
They crossed the kitchen and opened the laundry room door. Mac smelled it before he saw it—a tiny rope of cat poop. He backed away.
“Oh my goodness! Yuck!” Cringing, Jacqueline looked into Mac’s green face as he scrambled for the door.
“Have to get air!” he squeaked, and burst back outside.
Jacqueline cleaned up the mess with bleach, erasing every trace of the smell. Scooping up the kitty, she found Mac sitting on the stoop just outside the door.
“She’s just a baby,” Jacqueline said, holding the kitty in her lap and petting her head. The kitty began to purr.
“She’s an assassin.” Mac scowled at the tiny animal. “I almost threw up.”
“I can get a litter box.”
“Disgusting.”
Jacqueline held up the kitty so he could see its pink nose and big gold eyes. “Say that to her face.”
“You’re nasty,” he said, looking in the other direction.
“Mac, look into her eyes.”
He glanced at the kitten and then down at his boots. “You’re disgusting.”
“Meow?”
Mac looked back at the kitten, whose ears were perked as if waiting for his reply. His clenched jaw seemed to soften a little. Jacqueline took his hand in hers, bringing it to the downy fur of the baby calico. He squeezed his eyes shut as if it hurt him to pet it.
“You can wash your hands later,” she reassured him. His fingertips were surprisingly rough. “Where’d you get these calluses?”
“I play guitar.”
“Really.” It was more of a statement than a question. “Cool.”
“Not well or anything.”
“I’d like to hear you.”
Mac caressed the kitten’s ears. “You probably wouldn’t like it.”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”
Jacqueline let her hand rest on top of Mac’s larger one while he continued to pet the kitten.
“What are you going to name it?”
“Her. She’s a she.”
“What are you going to name her?” He tousled the kitten’s fur and bent to touch his nose to her tiny pink one. Then he eased Jacqueline’s long fingers between his own, cupping his hand.
“I don’t know. Do you have any suggestions?” Jacqueline squeezed his hand back.
His mouth curved into a crooked grin. “How about Nemesis?”
CHAPTER EIGHT (#ulink_6f3d46da-2280-5c97-b3c6-0488f50b794d)
MAC AND JACQUELINE had been back in the office for only thirty minutes when Mac received a group text—along with his other brothers—from Joiner:
At hospital in Tyler with Stella. Pain came back along with dizziness about 10:00. Left Duane in charge at Stables. Buster here. Stella on pain meds, lots of testing. Think it may be gallbladder. Baby on monitor and good.
Mac replied, Do you need anything?
Prayers.
The brothers texted back.
Cullen: Praying now.
Hunt: Me, too.
Mac: Ditto.
He prayed while he packed up his desk quickly, putting anything urgent into his briefcase. Then, grabbing his MacBook Pro and his keys, he headed for the front desk.
“Is something wrong?” Jacqueline, startled, looked up from her computer. There was fear in her eyes.
“Stella is in the hospital. She had some weird pains over the weekend and they came back today, along with dizziness. The doctor had them go to Labor and Delivery.”
Jacqueline raised her hand to her mouth. “Oh, no! How far along is she?”
“Thirty-two weeks.”
“Oh, Mac, I hope everything will be okay. What can I do for you—and them?”
“Joiner asked us to pray so you can do that. I can’t stay here, though. I need to go and be with them.”
“Yes, go. I can take care of the office.”
“Thank you, Jacqueline.” He stared at her for a long moment, warmth washing over him. “I am so glad you are here.”
She smiled and then rose from her chair, coming around the counter to where he was putting on his coat. Taking him by complete and sweet surprise, she pulled him into her arms. She hugged him tightly around the waist. He smelled jasmine in her hair, which felt like satin against his cheek. For a moment, he closed his eyes and breathed in the comfort of her affection. Then he raised his hand to her face, touching it gently, and whispered, “Thanks,” before going out the door.
He reached Tyler Memorial in record time. Finding the Labor and Delivery area quickly, he parked his truck and ran up the stairs two at a time to the third floor. “Stella Temple?” he inquired at the front desk, and a nurse showed him to observation room number two.
Joiner sat beside Stella, who was lying on a gurney hooked up to several machines. She opened her eyes lazily and greeted Mac. “He needs some lunch.” She motioned at Joiner, her speech a drunken slur. “And Pops.” Then she dozed back off. Joiner, whose face was drawn with worry, broke into a smile at this and released her hand, rising out of his chair to embrace Mac.
“Hey, buddy.” Mac squeezed him hard.
