“You talk to Jason?”
“No.” Probably best if they didn’t tap that powder keg right now.
“He’s pissed on several levels, but especially about you sneaking around with her.”
“We never sneaked around,” Mac said. Of course, he hadn’t mentioned it, either, because he knew Jason would lose his shit over it.
The guys delivering the boat finished tying it to the dock. One of the guys walked over and handed Mac the keys and a clipboard to sign.
Mac held out his hand for the clipboard, awkwardly signing with his right hand, and handed the papers and clipboard back. The man thanked him and walked down the dock. Mac watched him go, lifting his gaze again to the lake house, his heart seizing at the realization thatneitherFred nor Cassidy would be coming out of those doors anytime soon.
He let out an audible grunt of pain.
Grady clapped a hand on his shoulder, the gesture offering sympathy; he asked, “We going to take it out?”
Mac answered, still looking up at the house. “Don’t know how to drive it.”
“What?”
“Day was supposed to teach me.”
Grady assured him gently, “All’s not lost, Mac. Everyone’s in a world of hurt right now, even you. Take heart in the fact that she hasn’t pressed charges.”
“She has time for that; you know that. And what’s not lost, Grady?” Mac challenged. “Whatever I did to her, she fucking hates me. Whatever I did to her,Ifucking hate me, too. One of my best friends, my brother in arms, who forgave me a fuck-ton over what I did to his own cousin, wants me dead. What’s not lost, Grady?”
“You’re alive, man.”
“That’s not a plus right now.”
“You’re hurt. She’s hurt. Everyone’s hurt. Get your shit together. Tell her how you feel.”
He let out a caustic laugh. “How’s that going to go, man? Sorry I destroyed everything you care about. How about a date? Fuck that. She’s better off with any other man.”
“You don’t believe that for a second.”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe,” Mac pointed out. “Matters what I did. Do you have a carving to fix that?”
Grady made a face.
He didn’t expect an answer; there wasn’t one. Only Cassidy knew what he had done, but she wasn’t talking.
Chapter fifty-four
Cassidy
FULL CIRCLE
CassidyexitedMarge’scar;her gaze went to the lake. She blinked. It was shocking not seeingThe Caseli, but it was even more jarring to see the speedboat secured to the other side of the dock.
So, he’d gotten his boat.
She hoped he sank in it.
Glancing around, she looked for Fred.
No Fred.
Her face crumbled; she missed his face waiting for her, grinning at her.