Now he just had to figure out how to approach his own issues the same way.
The last place Mac wanted to be right now was The Sweet Spot, but her sisters hadn’t given her much choice. Hudson wasn’t the only one leaving today—Nat had a plane to catch, too. And since the four of them hadn’t been able to spend much time together since she’d gotten home, they were taking advantage of a post-school drop-off breakfast date.
Nat felt okay leaving town since Daddy had been released from the hospital and was on the mend with strict orders from Dr. Harris to lie low, start a modest exercise program, and cut out unhealthy eating and stresses. All of which he absolutely hated.
He also hated the fact that the doctor suggested he take at least six weeks off. But Momma wasn’t even satisfied with that number and was pushing for more. A lot more. Like…retirement-more. Nothing like near-death to scare one into action—or inaction, as the case may be.
Mac didn’t know what that meant for Havenbrook or her place as acting mayor, but she’d fill in for as long as they needed her to. And they did. It was something she kept repeating to herself, shoving down her negative self-talk. Trying not to let herself dwell on her deepest insecurities.
“You’re mopey as all get-out today,” Rory said, practically shoving her through the door. “I know Hud’s leavin’, but surely y’all’ve already planned the next time you’ll see each other.”
No, they hadn’t. They hadn’t so much as spoken since last night before she’d been pulled away. Which meant she’d never gotten a chance to talk to him about his proposal. Which was probably a good thing, because shestilldidn’t know what she’d say.
Last night, she’d had to practically drag Edna out by the hair with Gran assisting. And after she’d gotten Gran to promise to keep tabs on Edna and not let her out of her sight, Mac had had to go back in and smooth things over with Earl as well as Henry, the manager at the VFW where they’d had the party. Luckily, the place had been mostly empty when the yelling match had started. Although, to be fair, even if it hadn’t, it wouldn’t have scared away the patrons. If anything, word of the fight had brought them in.
By the time she’d gotten it all settled, Hudson had been gone. And he hadn’t reached out since.
She loved him with a ferocity she barely knew what to do with, but she didn’t know how to make it work. She didn’t know how to be in love with someone, how to give them all of herself, while still giving more than she had to the town and her family. Trying to prove herself once and for all.
Mac turned around and glared at her bossy, overbearing older sister. “Quit pushin’ me around like I’m one of your minions.”
Rory just rolled her eyes and swept a flyaway strand of hair back from her face. “Not sure how else to get you movin’. You’re draggin’ your feet more than Ella did this mornin’ before school.”
“Speakin’ of Ella,” Will cut in. “Has she had any more trouble with that boy she punched?”
Nat hooted and clapped her hands together, as if this were the first time she’d heard the story and it hadn’t been recounted a dozen times since she’d been home. “God bless that girl.”
Rory heaved a sigh. “Not as far as I know. That girl’s lips are sealed tighter than a tick on a dog’s ear. I have to resort to gettin’ most of my info from her best friend’s momma.”
Since the remodel, The Sweet Spot had been hopping, especially with the addition of the tables they’d put in to encourage customers to sit and stay awhile. With the line to order nearly at the door, the four of them grabbed a table and decided to wait until it died down a bit.
Mac sat and went through the motions, pretending to listen to her sisters chatter on, while in actuality she couldn’t concentrate on anything but Hudson. On him leaving. On him asking her to leave with him.
On him telling her she wasn’t needed in Havenbrook.
Those words had cut deep. Sliced her heart right in two. It was one thing to have your insecurities staring you in the face, whispering in your ear every chance they got. But it was something else entirely to have the person you loved more than anything confirm them aloud.
She knew he hadn’t done it maliciously. He probably had no idea that what he said had hurt her as badly as it had. Hudson didn’t do cruelty, and certainly not to her. Hell, for years, he’d been attempting to atone for a stupid accident when they were just kids. The night she’d told him it was over, she’d found yet another marble on her kitchen counter after he’d left. No note. No fanfare. Just him, thinking about her. Loving her.
“Okay, seriously,” Nat said, poking her in the side. “What the hell is wrong with you? We’ve been talkin’ about my alien abduction for five minutes, and you haven’t so much as blinked.”
Mac looked up, finding all three of her sisters staring at her. Concern blanketed Will’s face—which meant Avery hadn’t spilled to her best friend, thank God—Rory was irritated, and Nat just looked amused. As much as Mac would love her sisters’ perspectives, she still wasn’t so sure she could give voice to her deepest insecurity. Not when each of them had an active role in its inception in one way or another.
“Mac?” Will asked, placing a hand over hers and squeezing. “Is it about Hud? Are y’all okay? I noticed y’all didn’t talk much last night.”
“Yeah, what the hell was that about?” Nat sat forward, resting her folded arms on the round table. “I figured y’all would’ve been fucking like crazy since it was his last night. Or was it some role-play thing? Y’all pretend to be strangers andthenfuck like crazy?”
“Natalie,” Rory hissed, shooting surreptitious glances over her shoulder to make sure no one overheard. From the looks their table was getting, everyone in the shop definitely had.
Nat just rolled her eyes and waved a hand. “We’re all adults here, Rory. I thought Nash extricated that stick from your ass? I’m gonna have to tell him his technique needs a little work if you’re still this uptight.”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort! He…techniques me just fine.”
Nat and Will burst out laughing, and even Mac couldn’t stop a soft chuckle from spilling out. Rory just shifted in her seat, her face turning a lovely shade of red as she attempted to glare at them.
“Y’all are the worst,” she said.
“Thebest,” Nat corrected, then turned to Mac and poked her in the side. “Now, unless you wanna hear more about how well Nashtechniquesour sister, you’d better start talkin’.”
