Page 63 of Just for Tonight

“You can’t blame me for trying to help. You could take some vacation and come out here. If you came now, they’re still in town. They’re thinking of moving here and passing the business over to their son sooner rather than later. You could meet them all. I’ve already been invited to visit them in Okanagan. I’m sure you would be welcome as well.”

“Have you picked the wedding date?”

“Mackenzie!”

“What time is my flight?”

“You know I’d never push you into anything.”

“Well, Mom, it does sound like you have it all worked out.”

She takes a breath. “It’s July and the lull before the storm. Come out for a week before the harvest starts. I’ll buy your ticket and you can stay with me.”

“You just want to monitor the progress of your plan,” I tease.

“I just want you to have no excuses to decline.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“There’s a seat sale on flights leaving on Sundays, provided you stay more than seven days.”

I’m not surprised she’s looked it up. “That sounds like more than a week.”

“Eight days is not the end of the world. Even you aren’t that indispensable. And if your Opa says you are, let me talk to him.”

And rope him into the Mackenzie-making-babies plan. I know he’ll be on board in a heartbeat. He’ll be driving me to the airport for the first available flight.

“I’ll think about it,” I repeat and she sighs.

“Don’t think too long, Mackenzie,” she advises, then changes the subject.

My phone rings that evening. It’s too late to be about work. I’m watching a movie without much interest, debating my mother’s suggestion.

Unknown caller.

Hmm.

I should let it go to voice mail, but I don’t feel like doing what I should. Not right now. I answer.

“How does a person learn to be kind?” Jake asks, his voice a soft murmur that makes my toes curl. He could be whispering right in my ear.

My anger melts. Just like that. I’m officially a pushover.

“You must know,” I say, trying to sound fierce.

“I have so little experience of kindness that I’m not sure I’d recognize it if I saw it. I certainly don’t know how to go about being kind.” He pauses. “As you’ve obviously heard.”

“And why did you call me?”

“Because you suggested kindness.” He coughs a little. “And because I wanted to apologize.”

“Seems like you should apologize to someone else.”

“Maybe. Maybe I need some help figuring out how to do that.” He pauses again. “Maybe there were extenuating circumstances.”

“Like what?”

“They keyed my car,” he says wearily and I catch my breath. “And not just a little scratch. The entire left side of the car is so damaged that it needs extensive body work, before the paint repair.”