MacKenzie woke to a banging on the door. A glance at the clock showed 6:23 a.m. Her limbs were heavy and her head felt like it’d been smacked with a club repeatedly. Three hours of sleep was not enough. She slipped out of bed and forced one foot in front of the other to the front door. Then the realization of who it must be brought her more awake and a smile to her face.

“Isaac,” she said, swinging the door wide. Her smile dropped. “Agent Klein?”

He chuckled. “Happy to see me?”

MacKenzie glanced around in confusion. There was an agency car waiting, but she didn’t see Isaac, Trevor, or any of her friends’ husbands. “What’s going on?”

“I told you we could get you back to Chicago, but the plane leaves from Gunnison in an hour.”

“It’s 6:23 in the morning.”

“Yep.”

“No wonder I feel like somebody beat me with a baseball bat.”

He smiled. “I should’ve called, but I didn’t have a number for you. You want to go home?”

MacKenzie debated for half a second. Home. The very word sounded wonderful. Her parents. Her sisters. Her training partners. Her friends. Her students. But this little town in Colorado and a large, dark-haired man had her heart. She wanted to stay, but then her parent’s faces flashed into her mind. They needed to hug her, talk to her, see for themselves she was okay. She should go home and figure some things out.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Give me a minute.” She raced into the bedroom, but there was nothing of hers. She’d been borrowing Haley’s clothes and everything else. After making the bed and quickly wiping down the bathroom, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and hurried back to the living area. Klein still waited outside the open front door.

She wanted to wake Isaac up and explain why she had to go and that she’d be back soon, but he’d done so much for her and the poor man needed to sleep. She settled for a note.

Isaac,

Thank you for everything. You saved my life and gave me some wonderful memories. I’m going to Chicago to see my parents and figure out some things with school and my training partners. I’ll be back for Haley’s wedding. Can’t wait to be with you again.

Thanks,

MacKenzie

She debated over scratching out the thanks and putting, love, but that seemed a little forward. They’d shared a lot and she wasn’t sure where they stood. She hated to leave without saying goodbye, but she’d be back in a few days.

Running past Klein, she put the note on Isaac’s windshield. Hopefully he wouldn’t think she’d ditched him and hate her.

* * *

Isaac woke late. His body hurt from all the hiking, fighting, and not sleeping well. MacKenzie. The thought of the raven-haired beauty set his pulse skittering. He jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, not bothering to shave, brushed his teeth, and was out the door. They were going to talk today. Did he dare tell her he loved her again? The words spoken last night as he scurried away to try and save her didn’t seem to be validated as she hadn’t responded like she’d even heard him. Yet he still felt those words inside. It was real and he wanted to tell her. He wanted to go to Chicago with her and meet her family, then pack up her stuff and bring her back here. Home. With him.

He knocked on Haley’s front door, but there was no response. Waiting for what he hoped was an appropriate lapse, he knocked twice more before twisting the doorknob and pushing it open. “Mac?” he called out, his voice echoing strangely in the small house.

He walked through the rooms, but he already knew she wasn’t there. Maybe she’d gone for a run or … what? Striding out of the house, he paced the yard then went to his truck, ready to go search for her. A white piece of paper fluttered underneath his wipers. As if in a trance, he pulled it out, read it, then crumpled it up. Back to Chicago? Without saying goodbye? It was a punch in the gut.

He paced around the yard, the note clutched in his hand. His dad walked out of the barn and eyed him strangely. “What’s in your craw?”

Swallowing hard, Isaac formed the words. “MacKenzie,” he cleared his throat, “went back to Chicago.”

His dad stared at him for several seconds then shrugged. “So go after her. You don’t win the girl by being a wuss.” Then he walked back into the barn.

Isaac sat there, a plan forming in his head. She said she was coming back for the wedding, but he wanted to be with her now. Was it too bold? Him going to Chicago? Maybe, but in his dad’s words, You don’t win the girl by being a wuss.

No one would call Isaac a wuss. He hurried toward to his trailer to pack a bag. This was going to cut into his savings for his business, but if it showed MacKenzie how much she meant to him, it would be worth it.

“Isaac,” Cal’s voice rang through the yard.

Isaac turned and waited for his brother-in-law, though he didn’t want the delay. Who knew what kind of flight he could get out of Gunnison or Montrose, both smaller airports. It was a five hour drive to Denver. “Are Haley and Taz coming in today?” he asked.

“Yeah. They’re flying into Gunnison on Tuck’s plane.”

Isaac smiled. “All the ladies coming with them to get ready for the big day?”

“Yep. More of their friends will be rolling in Wednesday.”

“Haley’s so weird wanting to get married on a Thursday.”

Cal smirked. “She wants to marry me. We can get married anywhere, anytime she wants.”

Isaac shook his head, still a little shocked that his sister was getting married, but his brother-in-law was a great guy and treated Haley and Taz fabulous.

“Hey, Tuck and I browsed through your shop last night.” Cal folded his arms across his chest.

“Okay.” His stomach rolled a bit. He didn’t need anyone’s approval, but he looked up to Cal and Tucker.

“He loves your work. Like, wants you to sign autographs kind of loves.”

Tuck was a really laidback, non-excitable guy. His wife on the other hand, Haley’s friend, Maryn, was bouncing-off-the-walls-hilarious, and talked enough to make up for the two of them. Tuck’s admiration meant a lot. “Um, thanks.”

“We want to invest in you.”

Isaac straightened, blinking. “Come again?”

“We both think you should be doing metal work full time.” He paused, waiting, gauging Isaac’s expression.

Isaac swallowed and admitted, “That’s the dream.”

“I thought so. Why didn’t you just ask me?”

“That’s not the way I work.” Isaac shrugged, not liking the perceptive way Cal was studying him.

“I get ya.” Cal nodded. “Write me up a business plan. I’m thinking your own land and shop, hire someone to clean, ship, do the paperwork. We’ll find the right people for marketing and accounting. Oh, and Tuck also liked the idea of finding some high school or college kids to apprentice with you so we can grow it beyond what you can produce.”

Isaac knew his mouth was hanging open. Every dream he’d had, and more, right in front of him. “You … Tuck …” He shook his head, hoping to clear it. “I’m not a charity case, Cal.”

“Didn’t say you were. We’ll make back what we’ve invested in you and more.” Cal slapped him on the shoulder. “Get the business plan to me and we’ll crunch some numbers. I’m excited about this, so don’t even think about talking me out of it.”

Isaac barely resisted grabbing Cal in a bear hug, afraid a tear might spill if he didn’t close his eyes tight. After a couple of slow breaths, he focused in on his future brother-in-law. “Thanks, man. This means a lot.”

“It’s going to be great.” Cal cleared his throat. “I’m going to meet Haley at the airport. You want to come?”

“I’ll drive with you. I’m hoping Gunnison will have a flight to Chicago so I don’t have to drive to Montrose or Denver.”

“Chicago?” Cal’s brow wrinkled and his blue eyes were much too penetrating. “MacKenzie?”

“Left this morning,” Isaac grunted out. The joy over this new business prospect dimmed as MacKenzie being gone washed over him again.

“She’s coming back.”

“She said she’d be back for the wedding, but, I need to, well, you know.”

Cal nodded. “I do. Been there, buddy. Hurry and pack. You can take Tuck’s plane to Chicago and it’ll wait there for you and MacKenzie to come back.”

“I can’t.” He shook his head and a strangled laugh escaped. “Just take Tucker’s plane. You’re joking, right?”

“We’re partners now, bro. Tuck would agree with me.”

“Agree with what?” A low, almost grumbly voice came from behind Isaac.

“Isaac needs your pilot to fly him to Chicago and pick up MacKenzie.”

Tucker considered Isaac for a few seconds and must’ve seen the desperation written on his face. “Sounds great. Let’s go.”

Beck pulled up in a Lexus sport utility.

“Go, pack. We’ll wait for you,” Cal said.

“Not waiting too long,” Beck called out of the open window. “I’m missing my girl.”

Isaac jogged for his trailer. These men were handing out incredible opportunities like Tic Tacs and in a few hours he’d see MacKenzie. No one was going to be waiting on him.