Chapter 7
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“I can’t believe you met Karina Black and I wasn’t there,” Theo lamented for at least the tenth time today.
He hadn’t dropped the subject since she told him. The only reprieve she’d had was when they were filming. Thankfully, they’d gotten some great footage today. They’d shot Gabe arriving at the gym, his first training with Lucky, and a few one-on-ones with Lucky and some of the other fighters. She’d thought she wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on work today after seeing Eli and Karina Black, but it had been surprisingly easy and a very nice distraction.
“I can’t believe I missed you freaking out.” He was like a broken record.
“It wasn’t that bad,” she assured him as they drove down Main Street, which was somehow cuter and more charming at night. Stringed lights lined the street, and twinkle lights were hung in the trees, giving the downtown area a magical feeling.
Theo tapped his thumb on the steering wheel. “And Eli just knew what to do, huh?”
“Mmmhmm.” Her body tensed the way it did every time Theo tried to pry open the closet that she kept her one and only skeleton in. His interest in Eli was understandable considering she’d never talked about him, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.
“And you’ve known him since you were a kid.”
“Mmmhmm.”
“What’s the deal with you two?”
“There’s no deal.”
“Then why did you look like you were going to throw up when you saw him?”
“I was tired. It was a long trip.”
“Okay, then why did he look like he wanted to rip my head off when I put my arm around you?”
“He didn’t.” She defended, although she honestly had no idea if he had.
“Okay. You said Eli pinched your elbow. How did Eli know what to do when you started hiccupping?”
It was times like these that she was glad that nothing had happened between her and Theo. He liked to talk things to death. He liked to look at every angle, to dig beneath every layer. It made him great in the work that they did but exhausting as heck on a personal level.
“He just did.”
“How?”
Mackenzie knew it was a trick his dad had taught him, but she kept that to herself. “Maybe he Googled it.”
“Why have I never heard of him before?”
“You have. I told you about the Bishops and Deanna.”
“When you found out that I was a Long Beach Waves fan you said that Deanna’s dad was Doug Bishop and that you lived next door to her cousins and she would visit for the summer. When I asked you if you knew Evan Bishop because he was Doug’s nephew and also played for the Waves, you said that was your neighbor and he had three little brothers—”
“See,” she interrupted. “I told you.”
“You never told me that one of those little brothers was the namesake for your rat.” He pointed out as he turned the wheel onto a gravel road that led them behind JT’s Roadhouse to the B&B they were staying in.
“It’s not a big deal.” Rocks crunched beneath the tires as they drove up to a two- story cabin with smoke billowing from the fireplace. Even though it was summer, the nights got cold in the mountains, and Mackenzie couldn’t wait to get inside, take a long shower, and snuggle up under the covers. All she wanted right now was to be alone and decompress and process the events of today.
For years she’d wondered why she’d never been able to get over Eli. She’d tortured herself with failed attempts to believe that she’d built up what they’d shared into something that didn’t exist. She’d tried to brainwash herself into believing that she’d romanticized the way she felt about him. She’d done her best to convince herself that what they’d shared couldn’t have been real. But no matter how hard she tried, she’d never quite believed her own propaganda.
And now she knew why. Being around Eli again gave her clarity about the past that she’d tried to erase. Now she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what she’d felt was real. There’d been no romanticizing on her part, if anything she’d downplayed the attraction and connection that they shared. She hadn’t built him into something that he wasn’t. He was everything that she’d believed and remembered.
Even after she’d been less than friendly during their chat, he’d saved her from humiliation with Karina Black. Then, he’d walked her outside and made sure she was breathing, even using his old technique of distraction to stave off her hyperventilation. Her preferred method had always been him kissing her on her forehead, and against every ounce of self-preservation she had, she’d been disappointed that he hadn’t.
The truth about Eli Bishop was simple. He’d caused her more pain than any other person ever had or ever could. Her brain knew that. Her body was more focused on the flip side of that coin. He’d also given her more pleasure than any person ever had, or she feared ever could.
That was the Yin and Yang reality she’d have to come to terms and make peace with.
Before they’d even come to a full stop, the front door of the B&B opened. Deanna had said that Lucky’s brother Levi owned and operated the bar and the B&B with his wife Shelby who they were meeting here. A woman with chestnut brown hair stepped out onto the large, wraparound porch. She wore a long sleeved shirt and jeans and despite her casual attire, looked as gorgeous and glamorous as a movie star.
“Damn.” Theo whistled under his breath.
“She’s married.” Mackenzie reminded him.
“I know I was just…Is it me or is everyone here ridiculously hot?”
“I was thinking the same thing.” She agreed with relief that the subject had moved off of her and Eli as she stepped out of the car.
From what she’d seen so far, the ratio of good-looking people in Hope Falls skewed very high. It was almost as if this town was a real-life soap opera where only beautiful people lived.
“Hey, you must be Theo and Mackenzie, I’m Shelby.”
“Hi!” Mackenzie lifted her hand in a wave.
“Soooo, I have good news and bad news.” Shelby walked down the steps from the porch and looked back and forth between Mackenzie and Theo. “Which do you want first?”
“Bad news,” Mackenzie replied.
“Good news,” Theo said at the same time.
They both grinned at each other.
“Bad news,” Theo conceded.
Shelby nodded. “When Deanna contacted me last night about the rooms, I didn’t have access to my booking system, but I was sure that we had rooms.”
Hope Falls was a small town, and she wasn’t sure how many lodgings there were. She’d seen a sign for Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures on the way into town, but it had read No Vacancy. Other than that, she hadn’t seen any hotels or motels. If that were the case, she would have to start looking for rooms outside of Hope Falls and since the closest town was twenty miles away, that would make early call times and late-night shoots very inconvenient.
A gust of wind picked up and Mackenzie ran her hands up and down her flannel- covered arms as a chill ran through her. “You don’t have rooms?”
“We have a room,” Shelby held up her pointer finger. “As in one.”
Theo slung his arm around Mackenzie’s shoulder the way he had a habit of doing. “We don’t mind sharing.”
Speak for yourself.
She did mind sharing, but she forced herself to be positive. As much as she’d wanted some time alone, she and Theo had had to share rooms the first few years out of school when their budget couldn’t handle separate accommodations. And at least they’d be able to stay in town.
“Is that the good news?” Mackenzie asked, figuring she already knew the answer.
“No. The good news is I have a line on a cottage. It’s secluded, but it’s close to Lucky’s gym. And I just spoke to the owner Crazy Jay, and he says it’s available for the entire month.”
“I’ll take it!” Mackenzie’s hand flew up.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” Theo asked, his brow furrowing. “I don’t like the idea of you being somewhere remote.”
I do.
Remote sounded like just what the doctor ordered. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“It’s secluded, but there are two other cottages and the main house on the property which are all occupied,” Shelby assured him, and Mackenzie wanted to kiss her.
“Great!” Mackenzie clapped her hands together. “Where am I headed?”
Shelby pulled out her phone. “I got your info from Deanna and am texting you the address now.” Shelby finished typing, and she put her phone back in her pocket as her lips curved in a devilish smirk. “Check in at the main house. The owner will take good care of you.”
Mackenzie’s eyes narrowed and she wondered what this Crazy Jay character must be like to cause such a mysterious smile to spread on Shelby’s face, but before she could get a read on that Theo interjected, “I’ll drive you over.”
“No,” Mackenzie snapped. The last thing she wanted was to be grilled anymore about Eli. She tried to temper her stern tone as she smiled. “I’ll be okay. I’ll call you when I get settled in.”
He stared at her for a long minute before handing her the keys and taking his bags out of the back of the car. As he shut the trunk, he asked, “Are you sure about this? I can go stay in the cottage.”
“No, it’s fine. Really.” She insisted as she went around to the driver’s side. “I’m sure you’re going to get much more traction out of staying next to a bar than I would.”
He nodded as a wolfish grin tugged on his mouth.
She opened the door and Theo put his hand to his ear mimicking a phone. “Call me. Don’t forget.”
“Okay, Dad.” She teased as she got in and started the engine.
As she drove away, she glanced in the rearview and saw Theo following Shelby up the steps. The B&B was beautiful and the king bed and fireplace would’ve been heavenly, she was sure, but she had a feeling that she’d like her new accommodations even more. She couldn’t put her finger on why she felt that way, but she did.
*
“Son of a bit—” Another loud knock sounded as a sharp pain seared up Eli’s leg. He’d jammed his toe into the bed frame.
After he scrubbed his hand over his face, he squinted in the darkness and shot a quick glance toward his nightstand. It was ten o’clock. He’d been asleep less than an hour.
“I’m coming!” he shouted as he hobbled out of the room.
He started to mumble that whoever was at his door better have a damn good reason for being there when he remembered that earlier this afternoon he’d seen Mr. and Mrs. Pell from Cottage B packing up their SUV. That meant that Cottage B was vacant and the person or persons knocking were more than likely the new tenants.
For months he’d planned on putting a sign up that stated clearly that this was private property and in no way affiliated with rentals in the back. That sign was going up first thing tomorrow.
He was cranky, exhausted, and not in the mood to deal with anyone. He’d spent the past twelve hours playing his and McKenzie’s conversation over and over in his mind. There were so many things that he could’ve…that he should’ve said.
He might not be able to tell her how beautiful she was or how much he’d missed her out of respect for her marriage, but other things could’ve been said. She hadn’t wanted to talk about the past, but at the very least he should’ve told her that he was happy to see her and that he was proud that she was following her dreams and doing what she’d set out to do. He should’ve asked how she was and if she was happy.
He hadn’t said any of that, and it was driving him crazy.
The hardwood floor squeaked beneath his bare feet as he stalked toward the front door. When he snatched it open, he planned on giving whoever it was Jay’s phone number and sending them on their way. That plan flew out the window when he saw Kenzie standing in front of him.
He stared at her and wondered if he was dreaming and if he was still lying in his bed. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head just like it had been earlier today and she wore the same jeans but had added a flannel shirt. The tiny strands framing her face blew across her cheek from the wind that tended to pick up at night. She had dark circles beneath her eyes, and her perfect, pink lips were parted.
It took him a moment to register that she looked as shocked to see him as he was to see her. She was staring at his chest, not making eye contact, her mouth open.
Stepping to the side so that she could come in he said, “Hi, is everything okay?”
“Um…” Her eyes shot up to his before she wiped the back of her hand across her lips. Then she glanced down at the phone she was holding in her other hand and over to the address numbers beside his door. “Is this…I’m um…looking for Jay, er um, Crazy Jay.”
Crazy Jay?
Was she the new renter?
Eli’s heart rate sped at the thought of her staying here, on his property, for the duration of her time in Hope Falls. “He doesn’t live here. He rents bungalows in the back, though.”
“Oh, okay.” Her brow was still furrowed as her head shook back and forth in confusion. “I was supposed to be staying at Mountain View B&B, but there was a mix-up, and Shelby sent me here. She said to check in at the main house.” She turned to leave. “I thought it was the owner…I’m sorry there must be some mistak—”
“No! It’s fine. I can show you to the cabin. It’s no problem,” he tried to temper the panic that raced through him at the thought of her leaving.
He stepped onto the porch.
She retreated as her eyes widened. “Don’t you want to put on a shirt? Shoes?”
Eli looked down and saw that he was only wearing sweats. He chuckled, “Yeah that would probably be a good idea.”
He went back inside thinking she would follow, but when he turned to shut the door, he saw that she was still standing stock still on the porch. “You can come in and wait.”
She reacted the same way he would imagine if he’d asked her to walk barefoot on broken glass. Her expression was part nervous, part terrified. Not exactly the response Eli was expecting. Was she afraid to be alone with him?
Her jaw quivered slightly. “I’m good.”
“You’re shivering, Kenz.” Eli tried not to let the fact that she was treating him like a stranger affect his tone or demeanor. “Come inside. I’ll only be a minute.”
He waited, knowing that if she still insisted on staying outside, there’d be nothing he could do to sway her. When she set her mind to something, there was no changing it. You had to catch her when she was on the fence if you had any chance of influencing which yard she’d end up in.
Several beats passed before she begrudgingly said, “Fine.”
There was still a hint of hesitation as she crossed the threshold and stepped to the right, putting distance between the two of them. Her eyes darted around the room, not once meeting Eli’s.
He shut the door, and the second the latch caught the energy in the space shifted, becoming supercharged. At least on his end, it did. The air was thick with electricity and all the things that hadn’t been said, that couldn’t be said, hung heavily between them.
Kenzie was in his home. Seeing her there brought up feelings that he hadn’t expected. It felt intimate. Eli wondered if she felt it. And if she did, what was going on in her head. He couldn’t be the only one that felt the change in the atmosphere.
Today when they’d talked, he hadn’t been himself. He’d held back. But now she was here, and he had a second chance. He wasn’t about to waste it. “This is weird, huh?”
“What?” She looked up at him like she had no idea what he was talking about. “What’s weird?”
“You. Being here. In my house. Seeing each other after all this time—”
“It’s not weird. It’s a small town,” she cut him off and crossed her arms in a defensive stance.
“I know, I was just saying—”
She started to reach for the doorknob. “I’m tired, and I can wait outside if you—”
“No. Sorry.” Eli turned and started walking back to his bedroom. “I’ll be right out.”
A sick feeling settled deeper in his stomach with each step he took as a realization settled into his bones. In all the years they’d been apart, he’d known that she was most likely hurt. That she might still be angry with him, but he’d never believed that she hated him. But now he knew the truth. She did.
She hated him.