Distracted, he climbed into the limousine behind her and declined the offer of champagne. Deena rambled on about drama on the set, oblivious to his lack of response. Her self-absorbed chatter suited him fine, but he wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
He’d denied it, made excuses, and even justified her behavior, but he couldn’t continue this charade of a relationship. This time, it wasn’t his mom getting into his head or the power of suggestion from Phoebe.
With his eyes wide open, Mac saw Deena for who she was—a woman with many good qualities, but one who had a lot of maturing to do. Their lives were vastly different, and they simply weren’t compatible.
More so, dating Deena hadn’t distracted him one bit from his feelings for Phoebe. If anything, they’d grown stronger because Deena’s personality highlighted all the reasons he was attracted to Phoebe. He’d avoided Phoebe, not because he was mad, but because he knew he couldn’t hide his feelings much longer.
The limo pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and stopped in front of the entrance. The chauffeur opened the door, but Mac instructed him to close it.
Deena’s arched eyebrows indicated her bewilderment mixed with disapproval. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t do this, Deena. This isn’t working.”
“What isn’t working?”
“Us.”
Her face transformed into taut jaws, thin lips, and angry eyes. “You came to this conclusion between the cabin and here?”
“I think it’s been coming for a few weeks, but I ignored it.”
Irritation darkened her eyes. “We’ve only been seeing each other a few weeks.”
He bit the inside of his cheek before responding. “I’m sorry. We agreed to see where it would lead, but I can’t see this going further.”
“We’re done here.” She jutted her chin, and her neck muscles tightened until a vein popped out. “Get out.”
“I think it’s best if we return to your cabin, and I go home.”
She spoke through clenched teeth. “Get out. You can find your own way home.”
He nodded once, very slowly, then exited the limo. Her behavior, though it confirmed his decision, caught him off guard. Breakups could be ugly, but he’d never dreamt this one would be. They’d never been that serious.
The chauffeur and valet stared at him, waiting for direction.
“Take her home. I’ll enjoy a meal and go home later.”After paying a fortune for a taxi to come this way.
He watched the limousine drive away. Standing in the cold, he wondered why he didn’t feel any sadness or guilt about ending the relationship. One answer surfaced repeatedly—he’d done the right thing.
Cold air began to seep into his bones. He went inside and asked the hostess to show him to his table. Why not eat since he was already here? Jasper Inn had the best prime rib east of the Mississippi, and he planned to enjoy it, even if it meant eating alone.
Unfortunately, he’d requested a romantic table when he’d made the reservation. The hostess sat him to the left of the fireplace, with a view out the window of mountain magic—what he called the twilight hours when stars first appeared in a sky striped with deep hues of terracotta and indigo, and the moon peeked out to tease its reflection against the lake.
The longer he sat, the more the awkwardness of eating alone faded away. The crackling of the fire calmed him, and the view put him at peace as he watched the final remnants of sunlight fade. He ate his salad and changed his mind about the crab-stuffed pretzel he’d ordered as an appetizer. When his waiter came to check on him, he asked the young man to box the pretzel and keep it warm until he left.
He needed to save room in his stomach for his prime rib because he planned to eat every bite. When it arrived, he wasn’t disappointed. The large portion required his baked potato to be served on a separate dish. Perfectly crusted edges surrounded the aged meat, promising tenderness with every bite.
Halfway through his meal, he had to stop. His stomach couldn’t hold anymore. He reached for his phone but laid it aside when he saw five from Deena. He’d read them later—why ruin his dinner with what would probably be more rants and ugly words.
“Mac?”
His head jerked up, surprised at the sound of Trixie Brewer’s voice. “Hey, how are you?”
“Fabulous.” Her smile stretched from ear to ear. “Have you heard I’m going to be an aunt?”
“No, I haven’t. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. We’ve all suspected for weeks that Jessa’s pregnant, but she made it official today.” She nodded her head in the direction of a second dining room. “The whole family is here celebrating.”
