by Lola Kidd
“Thank you. How long are you in town?”
“I’m on my way to visit my cousins now, but I can come back later. Maybe around nine o’clock?”
Macy nodded. “That sounds good to…”
“Daddy!” Jill came running out and jumped into Don’s arms.
“Get back here!” Macy’s mother rushed out and tried to stop Jill from getting to Don, but she was too late. She glanced between Macy and Don angrily, glaring at her son-in-law. “What is he doing here?”
“I came by to say hi to my girls,” Don told her. “And how are you this evening?”
Shirley crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. Thank you.” Then she gave her daughter a pointed look.
Macy knew the look well. She tried to say with her eyes, “I know, I know. Let me handle this.”
Jill looked so happy with her father. Maybe she had made a rash decision getting the divorce. It seemed like it had finally woken Don up and made him see what he had lost. They could always get remarried.
Chapter Five
“It’s almost Easter! Did you know that, Daddy?” Jill asked her father happily.
Don hitched her higher on his hip. “I did know that. Are you excited about seeing the Easter Bunny?”
Jill nodded enthusiastically. “I’m gonna search for his eggs. Wanna come with me?”
“I would love to, baby girl. And I’ll even bring you a basket from the Easter Bunny. He asked me where you were staying, and I told him I’d bring you the basket for him. So, we’ll go hunt for eggs and you’ll get a basket of treats.”
Jill’s mouth dropped open. “Really? Mom, is that okay?”
Macy nodded. “That’ll be fine with me.”
“Did they start the Maple Creek Easter celebration back up?” Don asked her.
“No. We have to go two towns over, but that’s okay. They have some great prizes. Plus, we might be able to hit up two if we’re quick and have a plan.”
Don laughed. “Always trying to be efficient.”
“One needs to be if they’re an adult,” Macy’s mother said.
“Is Grandma coming too?” Jill asked.
“I think I’ll hold down the fort,” Shirley said. “Don’t worry. You’ll have a lot of fun.”
“Come on, Mrs. Peach. We’d love to have you along,” Don said. “In fact, we should make it a whole family affair. My cousins can come too. It’ll be a real fun time for us all.”
“Why haven’t I seen you in so long?” Jill asked. “Were you on an adventure?”
“Hasn’t your mother talked to you about this?” Don looked uncomfortable. He looked at Macy and shrugged.
She could see that he had no idea what to say. She had talked to Jill about the divorce, but it was hard for a three-year-old to understand something like that. It was hard for her to understand it herself, and she was a grown woman.
She didn’t want her daughter to get hurt if things went south again. Just because he’d brought flowers and said he was sorry, that didn’t mean everything was back to normal again. It was going to be a long, hard road before they would ever be able to be a couple again.
She was divorcing Don for a reason. He was unreliable, irresponsible, and just all wrong as a family man. He was selfish and immature. It would be hard for her to forgive some of the things he’d done, but she would try for her little girl.
If Don was being a new man, she’d be a new woman too. Everyone had to try their best. She was feeling hopeful again, but she had to be careful. They’d been down this road before, and she was so close to the divorce. She was already going by her old surname. If she let Don reel her in again and then he didn’t change, it would be disastrous.
“That sounds nice,” Macy said. “How’s your cousin doing?”
“She’s doing great. I may meet her at a bar for lunch. I think it’s called the Brazen Bull. It must have opened since I left town, ’cause I don’t remember that one. Have you heard of it?”
Macy’s mother looked at her out of the corner of her eye and smirked. What were the odds that Don was just coincidentally bringing up the place she had just met a wonderful new man?
Heat rose to Macy’s cheeks as she nodded. “I think I’ve been to that place. They have good drinks and a nice atmosphere.”
Don was surprised. “You like how it looks inside? I didn’t know you were going to bars.”
She blushed even harder. “Only to ask for some directions. Since I was already inside, I decided to have a drink.”
Don looked skeptical. “It’s pretty hard to get lost here. This place is so small, you can drive through town and if you blink you’re going to miss it.”
“I think it’s time for you to go. We need to get about our day,” Shirley said. She wasn’t even trying to be polite anymore.
Don nodded. “It was nice seeing you all again. I’ll talk to you guys later.”
“Want to come by tomorrow for lunch?” Macy asked before he could walk away. “I mean, if you can’t get back later tonight. We can always meet up for lunch.”
Don smiled from ear to ear. “That sounds great.”
“Great. It’s a date.”
Shirley scowled as Don walked away whistling. “What did you have to go and do that for?” she asked angrily.
“Having dinner with the father of my child?” Macy asked stubbornly. She knew exactly what her mother was talking about, but she didn’t want to admit it.
“You should make a date with Jack Keller, not this old song and dance. He’ll hurt you again.”
“Maybe,” Macy said quietly, and smoothed Jill’s hair. “But I have to try.”
Her mother said, “He always shows up when you’re happy again. You don’t have to do this, Macy.”
“I’ll be careful. Don’t worry.” Macy took her daughter and went inside.
This was a new beginning for her and Don. She owed it to her family to try her best. It didn’t matter that she had feelings for the sexy bartender, or if she had an ominous feeling about Don’s sudden appearance. What mattered was keeping her family together and giving her daughter the happiest childhood possible. If that meant she had to give her ex a chance again, she would.
Chapter Six
“Great seeing you today,” Jack said, putting a beer down in front of his regular, Tanner.
Tanner looked just as frustrated as Jack was feeling. It had been two days since he had seen Macy, and he’d done nothing about it. He hadn’t seen her at the bar, and he hadn’t had the courage to email her back yet.
He still had a few days before an LK customer relations person would email and ask if something was wrong. You only had so much time before you could either turn down a match or contact the person. But you had to pick. You couldn’t just let the match sit and wait to be matched again. But Jack still wasn’t sure what to say to Macy when he saw her, so he was stalling for time.
“What’s going on with you, Tanner? You look a little blue,” he said.
Tanner shook his head. “This Easter egg hunt. Nothing is going right.”
“Are they talking about doing a hunt again?” Jack asked, surprised. “I thought that was just a rumor, and at best maybe they’d start it up a couple of years from now.”
“It was, and that was what it looked like. But I was in talks with some of the local churches to maybe get something together. We’ve got four in town, and many of them do their own thing each year. I thought it would be nice to get together something for all the kids in town, not just the ones who attend the churches. We could have combined forces and made it a lot more fun for all the kids.”
“That sounds really nice. I can’t believe you’ve been able to keep it a secret this long. What’s going wrong? Don’t tell me that the churches have backed out, or they’re arguing.”
“Not just the churches. It’s having to get everyone to agree to everything. I can get three of the churches to okay something, but one will fall through. If I can get all of the churches to okay something, the city will fa
ll through. I can never get everything to line up at once. There’s no way this is going to happen this year. It’s been over ten years without an Easter event for the whole community.”
“I hear you, man. The funny thing is, I was talking about this with a customer recently. We have a lot of stuff going on for the other holidays, but nothing for Easter. We had one of the best Easter events out of all the towns in this part of the state. People would come from far away. Now, we’ve got nothing.”
“That’s exactly what I was talking about. This should be something huge for me to put on and to bring in some tourists. But I can’t get all these people to agree to everything.”
Jack really liked the buck shifter. He was new in town, but it was like he’d grown up in Maple Creek. He’d come to town to work at the park district, and they were lucky to have him. Tanner worked harder than anyone Jack knew, and with his help the town was going to great new places.
He continued to try to bring in new things, but the town wasn’t really working with him. It didn’t make any sense to Jack. Maple Creek needed the infusion of tourist dollars badly. The nursing home was the most successful business in town, and that spoke volumes. They did have many activities for younger families, but the town needed balance, and people like Tanner were trying to do that. It was a shame that he was being blocked at every turn.
“I wish I could do something to help you,” Jack said.
Tanner sighed. “Well, unless you know some people who want to help me put on an Easter egg hunt, I don’t think there’s much you can do.”
“I don’t know about that, but how far have you gotten on it?”
“I’ve got about thirty percent of the funds raised. I think I can maybe get to the fifty or sixty percent mark on my own. I know I can get some local businesses to donate stuff. Without the churches’ help, I’d still be forty percent short. If it weren’t such short notice, I know I could get the funds on my own. Time is just running out, and I can’t secure vendors without funds.”
Jack thought for a minute. “I can do the last twenty percent.”
Tanner laughed. “Thanks, Jack, but I really don’t think we can have a bar sponsoring a family event.”
“Then just say ‘businessman Jack Keller’. And I’ll have you know that this is a very family-friendly bar. I have families in here all the time in the afternoon and in the early evenings.”
Tanner got serious. “Really? You know, I do remember seeing families here. And you’re well-respected in town. This might actually work.”
“I think we could do it downtown at the park. I can help you get the local vendors to donate. I have more than a few friends who’d be willing to do this to have something fun for their kids.”
“I know the senior center’s interested. The residents were begging me to take their money from a fundraiser the last time I was there. They would love to have another town event for their grandchildren,” Tanner said excitedly. He finished his beer in three big gulps. “I’ll go down there and talk with them right now. You sure about this, Jack? It could cost two or three thousand dollars.”
Jack smiled and put out his hand. He’d been expecting to spend six or seven grand. He would be able to bring in three grand from the extra business this would create for him. “I’m positive.”
“Thanks, Jack. You’re not going to regret this.”
Chapter Seven
Jack was feeling great about this new endeavor. He was finally doing something to help out his town, and he was walking on cloud nine when all of his troubles walked in. It was as if the universe knew he was having a good day and wanted to shake him up.
Macy Peach sheepishly sat down at the bar.
“Long time, no see,” Jack said carefully.
She nodded. “I’ve been busy. Well, not so much busy as failing miserably at everything in my life.”
Jack chuckled. “Sounds like you’re having a great week. What can I get you? I’m sure with our luck, I’ll spill it on you while I’m trying to serve you.”
He wanted to be mad at her, but all he could be was attracted and charmed. His bull definitely still had a thing for the petite brunette. She was just so interesting. It didn’t hurt that she was also really easy on the eyes.
His bull was still lusting after her sweet curves. He wondered how long it would take before he would get over this fascinating beauty.
“Can I get a Shirley Temple?” she asked. “I have to be home again in a little while, and I don’t want my mom to think I’ve taken up day-drinking. She would get the wrong idea, and I’d never hear the end of it.”
“Glad you picked something easy,” Jack said as he made her drink. “What are you failing at, exactly?”
“Life? Is that too vague? ’Cause I’m pretty sure it’s life.” She sighed and put her hands under her chin. “I’ve been searching for a job since I got here, and I’m still empty-handed.”
Jack nodded sympathetically. “It’s tough. Maple Creek is a small town, and you’ve been gone for more than a few years. If I hear about anything opening up, I’ll let you know. Are you hoping for anything in particular?”
“I think I’d take anything at this point. I’d really love to be able to work with people, but if you have a factory job or a dog walker spot—or even a sidewalk mime gig, I’ll take whatever you can find.”
Jack laughed. “A mime? We might have to get creative to find you something, so I’m glad you’re willing to take on anything. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
“Thank you. I always forget how nice people are in small towns. Why did I ever leave here?”
It was on the tip of Jack’s tongue to say you left for your husband. But he couldn’t bring himself to ruin the moment. He was feeling so good that he wanted it to last.
“You look pretty happy,” Macy said, sipping her drink. “Have you got some good news to share?”
“None at all. Just having a happy day,” Jack lied. He didn’t want to talk about it before it was a sure thing.
“Come on. I could use some good news.”
“Well, if you promise not to tell,” Jack said reluctantly. He was itching to tell someone about the Easter egg hunt. Even if it fell through, it wasn’t like Macy could spread the news far and wide before Easter. She barely knew anyone in town. “I’m in talks with one of the people down at the park district to fund the Easter egg hunt here in town.”
Macy’s eyes lit up. “Are you kidding? Jack, that’s great!”
She reached across the bar and threw her arms around his neck. Jack was surprised, but he hugged her back. Her soft curves pressed up against his chest and he inhaled the smell of her shampoo and perfume. She smelled as beautiful as she looked.
She pulled back and sat in her seat again, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling. “I can’t believe you did this! This is so great. My daughter is going to be so excited. We won’t have to go to a different town. I’m sure whatever you come up with will be great.”
Jack was still pumped from the contact, and his bull was going wild. He stood up straighter. “If makes you smile when you’re having a bad week, I’m glad I did it.”
Macy blushed. “Oh, Jack. You know how to make a girl smile.”
“You know, since we’re having such a great time, I think it’s time we talk about this whole LK Bride thing.”
Macy’s face fell a little, but she nodded resolutely. It was far past time for him to get to the bottom of things.
Chapter Eight
Macy wanted to hide her face. She was so embarrassed. She couldn’t believe he was bringing it up, but she knew he was right. Better to get it over with than have this cloud hanging over them forever.
“Okay, shoot,” she said.
“Why did you sign up for LK Brides when you’re still with someone?”
“It’s kind of complicated. My husband and I were getting a divorce, so I signed up for a bunch of dating sites. I changed my mind almost right away and deleted all my profiles. But I complete
ly forgot to cancel my profile on LK.”
“What’s the complicated part?”
“Well, we actually did start the process of getting a divorce. We were waiting for it to be finalized, but now we’re kind of back together again. Maybe.”
Macy felt ashamed and sick to her stomach as she told Jack the truth. She and Don were in the process of getting back together… sort of. She’d actually come in to Jack’s bar because Don had stood her up again. He hadn’t shown up at the house for their rescheduled dinner date.
She’d tried to call, but her call kept going straight to voicemail. It had taken over an hour even to get him to text her back. Macy was about to say she was seriously done, but then he’d texted and told her that his phone had died while he was driving out of town on his way to a work emergency.
They’d rescheduled for a date that night, but he’d texted her that morning and said he wasn’t going to make it back to Maple Creek in time. It had been more than a little frustrating, and Macy’s mom wouldn’t shut up about it. This was typical Don. He’d made a promise and he couldn’t keep it. This wasn’t even something difficult to do, but Don couldn’t seem to find the time to come and see her.
Macy knew it was a bad sign, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She was trapped in a weird in-between with Don until he at least called her. She didn’t want to have a fight with him via text. It was too impersonal.
After a grueling day of job hunting, she had decided to treat herself with a sweet drink at Jack’s before she went home.
“Why aren’t you wearing a ring if you’re kind of together again?” Jack asked, crossing his arms over his very broad chest.
“I don’t have the ring because I haven’t decided to wear it again. We’re still trying to figure things out.”
“I understand.” Jack uncrossed his arms and put his hand over hers. “It was just a little strange seeing your picture come up as my match.”
Macy could feel the tension between them. She found Jack very attractive, and now she knew that he felt the same way.