“You’re not her favorite person.”
Mack closed his eyes. It was hard for him to ever admit he was wrong, but he felt he had to make Natalie understand. “I thought I was protecting Cole. Protecting the club. I was wrong.” He shook his head. “And now Cole’s kids are seven hundred miles away from him, and it’s my fault.” He looked down at her. “All I can say is, I’m sorry.”
“And now? What if they get back together? How would you feel about that?” Natalie asked him, narrowing her stern eyes.
“I’d be fine with it. I hope it works out. They belong together. He needs his kids, too.”
Natalie smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because I intend to do everything in my power to make that happen.”
Mack smiled back at her. “I bet you do.” And then he pulled her close, bent his head, and kissed her.
Cole glanced back at them to see if Natalie had seen the girl come on to him. He didn’t want her thinking he was interested in anyone but Angel, because he wasn’t. Oh, he still could appreciate a beautiful woman, and he definitely wasn’t above looking. But looking was all he allowed himself these days. He hadn’t been with another women since he’d returned from Arizona. And that wasn’t easy. He struggled with it. He was a very sexual guy, and going without for this long was taking its toll on him, both physically and emotionally. He wasn’t always in the best of moods. Sexual frustration. Fuck. Who would have ever thought that would be his problem? And now, here he was playing chaperone of all things. He shook his head at the irony of life.
Cole looked back at Mack and Natalie. He saw them kiss and knew this was their first. He felt a little funny knowing he was witnessing it. He smiled and turned back to his beer. Who would have ever thought in a million years? Mack and Natalie. Things sure did have a funny way of turning out.
***
Later that night, they headed back to Cole’s house. Cole went to bed, leaving the two lovebirds alone. He lay there, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about Angel.
He never did hear Mack’s bike pull out.
The next morning, Cole got up and wandered into the kitchen. He looked out the kitchen window, which overlooked the driveway. Mack’s bike was still parked in the drive. Smiling, he turned and looked at the closed bedroom door. You old dog, he thought, and he started a pot of coffee.
Cole was sitting at the dining room table, drinking his third cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette when he heard Natalie’s door open. A moment later, he could hear the sound of someone pouring coffee, and then Mack walked through the archway from the kitchen into the dining room.
“Mornin’,” Mack said, pulling out a chair.
Cole smiled. “Mornin’. You sleep okay?”
Mack looked across the table at him and smiled.
Cole looked from Mack past him to the doorway. “She still asleep?”
Mack shook his head. “She’s awake. I told her to stay in bed, though. She didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Cole smiled. “I see.”
Mack grinned back.
“Maybe you should bring the lady coffee in bed,” Cole suggested.
Mack lit a cigarette and smiled as he blew smoke at the ceiling. “If I do, I’ll never get out of here.”
Cole nodded. “Oh, really?”
Mack looked back over his shoulder, and then leaned toward Cole. “That is one fine piece of ass.”
Cole shook his head. “Don’t need the details, bro.”
Mack smiled and drank his coffee.
***
Cole was out in the garage working on a bike, when Natalie wandered out. The overhead doors were open, letting in the sun and the breeze. He had heard Mack’s bike pull out a few minutes ago.
Cole looked up from the engine. “Hey.”
Natalie was standing with her arms folded. She took a few steps closer. “I’ll need to leave for the airport in a couple of hours.”
“Okay.” He tightened a bolt.
“I wondered if we could talk.”
Cole stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “Yeah. Sure.” He put the socket wrench down and stood up, wiping his hands on a rag. He followed her to the porch, and they sat down.
Natalie folded her hands on the table and looked at him. “Are you going to come to Arizona to see her?”
He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Will she talk to me?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I’m going to try to talk some sense into her.”
“Do you believe she wants a life here…with me?” He looked over at her.
She held his gaze. “Yes, Cole.”
“You think she’ll be happy here with me?”
“Yes. I do.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
Natalie smiled. “Okay.”
“I have some things I have to take care of next week, but I’ll try to get out there the following week. All right?”
“Yes. That’ll be fine.”
He studied her. “You’re part of this, too. Will you be happy here?”
She looked off in the distance. “Yes. I think I could be.”
“And if things don’t work out with Mack? Will you still be happy here?”
Her gaze came back to him. “As long as I’m near the ones I love, yes.”
He nodded. “Good. You’re part of this family.”
“We’re a package deal.”
Cole returned her smile. “I’m good with that.”