Page 95 of Rumor Has It

Chapter 20

Mackenzie

“Helloooo, Mackenzie!” Dad waves his hand in my face.

I rear back, blinking rapidly. “Huh? Stop that! What’s up?”

“You were day dreaming … again.” Dad slap-pokes my side as she scoots past me.

I twist my upper body, watching him as he puts parts away. “I was in deep thought, not day dreaming; there’s a difference.”

“Did this ‘deep thought’ star a handsome man who’s out running errands for you with Rumor?” He puts his hands on the counter like he knows it all. He does. He knows it all.

I drop my head onto the counter, bouncing it a couple of times. “I’m so confused.”

“Because you overthink everything! Why don’t you just try being happy for once?” Tilting his head, I know he’s not asking, he’s telling me.

I scratch my brow. “If it were only that simple.”

“Mackenzie, I can’t help if I don’t know what the problem is.” He sits on a stool across from me.

I pick at the sore forming near a nail on my thumb. I do it when my stomach is near revolting because it helps take my mind off of it. “You don’t understand, once I say it, it’s out here floating around.”

“I’m assuming it’s about Boone and Rumor.” He folds his arms after giving me a push.

I drag in a deep breath, praying my nerves calm. “The mail came today.”

“Alright, it’s what they’re paid to do.” He grins until I shoot daggers at him.

I reach under the counter and slam my hand down with the envelope. “I got this today; it’s ‘the package’.”

“I told you, they come here, and I would bring them to you.” He lays his hand on it, sliding it across the surface.

“The box came too; it’s in the back.” I run my hand through my hair. “I haven’t told him about them.”

He glances at me, reading the card and replacing the money that always accompanies them. “I would think the sooner you do it, the better.”

“I can’t.” Panic sets in, and I begin to tremble. “He’ll flip shit. He might even leave.”

He places the card down and squares off on me. “You have to tell him everything. If you let him get blindsided by this, it’ll rip you apart.”

“I know.” My body quakes even thinking about his reaction. “But that’s not all.” His eyes grow round as I pull another envelope out, inching it over to him. “This also come today.”

Taking it in his hands, he opens it. I watch his eyes flit across the paper, and I know when they land on the issue. “Wow. That’s gonna be problematic.”

“Yep!” I crumble into the chair behind me, pulling my knees up and folding in on myself. “We’ll never survive it, Dad. He’s only been in our lives a few weeks, and this will shatter everything we’ve built.”

He stands, kneeling in front of me. “Baby, you have to tell him and have faith your love can withstand the storm.”

“We won’t, not this one!” I cover my face, tears falling at will. “I don’t know of any love affair that has survived hit after hit. This is gonna break Rumor’s heart.”

He takes my hands, holding them. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, Mackenzie. Boone loves you, both of you. He’ll stay. You’ll work through it and become so much stronger.”

“You don’t know that.” I shudder with pain as the fracture I created by my own hand suffers another breach. “I thought we’d have a little more time.”

“For what, Mackenzie? To live longer as a family? To fall deeper in love? For Boone to have a deeper bond with Rumor? You already have so much history. The love is there. They’ve bonded, and it won’t break. After all this time and heartache, you both are still so in love.” Every word from his lips fall with a tear. He’s as worried as I am.

My hands tremble as I snatch the papers from the counter, hiding them again. “I’ll tell him. I just need a little more time.”