“Macy?” Jake looked at the couple who were walking toward them. “That Macy?”
“I overhead Mr. Pike saying she had a sore stomach, but to me it seemed to be much more than that, and that’s silly, right? I mean, how could I know that with one look?”
“It’s called instinct, Rosebud.”
“It made my eyes itch to see her, Jake, which has to tell you how bad it was, because she’s not one of my favorite people, as you know.”
“No secret there.”
“But now, I feel sorry for her, which is a real piss off, because I hate when that happens, as I’ll have to be nice to her.”
“You? The girl who doesn’t collect people? The emotional void, the—”
“I get the idea, McBride. You don’t need to belabor the point.”
He cupped the back of her neck and gave a gentle squeeze before he took her hand again, and they walked to where Brian Delray was talking loudly to a group of people.
“Hey, Macy.”
“Jake, Branna.” Her words were cold.
The woman was dressed as if she’d just walked down Hollywood Boulevard. Hair perfect, face coated in a fine layer of makeup, clothes fitted to show off her body, and tottering on six-inch heels.
Macy’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, but her husband’s did. He pumped Jake’s hand and grinned at her.
“I-I’m sorry to hear about your house.” Macy said the words slowly, almost as if she was thinking about each one as she said it.
“Thanks. You still need help with the reunion?”
Surprise made those long fake lashes rise.
“Yes.”
“Well, here’s my card. You just e-mail me with what you need done, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Fingers tipped with long pink nails took the rectangle of white.
“There you go, honey. Told you it would all work out fine.” Brian Delray wrapped a hand around his wife’s waist and pulled her close. To Branna’s eye, Macy looked as stiff as a board and not too happy about the embrace. “She’s working so hard on the reunion that she’s not sleeping. Last night, I found her pacing the hallway muttering about banners.”
Macy didn’t laugh with her husband; instead, she had a blank expression on her face.
“You need me for anything, Macy, you just let me know.” As someone who’d been desperately unhappy in her life, she recognized it in another person, and Macy Reynolds-Delray was unhappy.
“Thank you, Branna. I’ll let you know.”
“Same goes for me, Macy, minus the emcee duties.”
“Thank you, Jake.”
“Well, hell, if they’re volunteering, I guess I should, Macy. You got any jobs you want me to do for the reunion?” Buster came to stand on Branna’s left, his mouth full of the same fudge that Jake was just about to put in his.
“Th-thanks, Buster. I’ll let you know.”
Jake studied Mrs. Reynolds-Delray as she spoke to Buster. Branna was right, something was off with her. He’d never looked at her long enough to see the emptiness in her eyes or the blank expression on her face. She was just always smiling her silly smile and covered in makeup. Always perfect, her hair styled, clothes designer.
“I told you they’d rally, Macy. And thanks so much, everyone, for offering to help. I’m doing the best I can, but business is busy right now, so I can’t do much.”
Brian Delray was relaxed, unlike his wife. He smiled his nice guy smile, the same one he’d always used since the day he moved into Howling and wooed Macy. He’d then stepped into her father’s shoes and into the people’s hearts and taken over the Reynolds Real Estate business. Jake hadn’t had a lot to do with the man, just in passing, but he’d always figured he and Macy were happy, not that Jake had given the matter much thought. They’d not had a family yet, but there was still plenty of time for that. Although, now that he thought about it, that was strange too. Macy had told anyone who’d listen when she’d first married Brian that they were going to settle down and raise kids. Maybe they couldn’t have them?
