Jason followed her. “Why do you say that?”
Cassidy informed him as she returned to the front room, “In another year or so, the land his cabin is on will be underwater; it’s turning into a marsh. He may as well demolish and move farther uphill.”
“How do you know that?”
“Elijah and I were thinking about buying the land, to add on. We looked into rehabbing the cabin as a guest house.” She walked over to the kitchen and slid onto one of the barstools, facing him. “I can’t believe an inspector passed it for sale as a domicile.”
Jason made a contemplative sound. He asked, “You decided against it, then?”
“No, it just… Life just… stopped. Our plans… everything stopped.” Her heart, for a moment, stopped.
The irony hit that she now had the neighbor from hell because she and Elijah hadn’t followed through on their plans. Elijah’s death had ushered Mac in. And Mac had stolen Elijah’s dog.
Jason slipped onto the stool next to her. “You know, I know a little bit about that. Got time for a story?”
Chapter six
Mac
NO MORE BOOK CLUBS
Macwasupearlythe next morning, rocking back and forth in his hammock. He balanced a cup of coffee on his stomach. Jason hadn’t come home from the neighbor’s house last night, so Mac wanted to be awake to greet him when he did. Before long, Jason strolled home via the lakefront. His friend looked like a lovesick schoolboy, tapping a stick against one calf, a stack of books tucked under his arm.
If Mac’d had a rock nearby, he’d have thrown it at his head. He gripped the coffee mug tighter.
Jason paused at the water’s edge, watching the shoreline’s gentle lapping before turning and tracing the distance from the water to the cabin. He startled when he saw Mac in the hammock watching him. He called up, “You’re up early.”
“Couldn’t resist watching the walk of shame,” Mac responded.
Jason ducked his head, chuckling as he made his way to the cabin, tossing the stick aside. He held up the three books. “Signed and everything.”
“Worth anything signed?”
That earned him a reproachful look. “It meant something to her. It was like giving away a piece of her heart, so don’t be a jackass when you see her.”
Mac snorted, continuing to rock himself. He watched Jason settled himself with the books on the top step. “She a good lay?”
“Jesus, Mac.”
“Curious. I’m assuming it’d been a while for her. Could’ve gone either way.”
Jason tossed him an icy look. “Leave her alone. She’s been through enough.”
Mac contemplated his friend for a few minutes before he pointed out, “Protective.”
“I mean it, Mac. Take your bullshit out on someone else. If you want to be pissed off at me, I can take it, but leave her alone.”
Mac stopped rocking, an edge of wariness in his voice. “Why would I be pissed at you?”
Jason pointed to the cabin. “Because I know what this shit is about, and I know your spiritual journey crap is just that—crap. You aren’t out here communing with any gods. I told you we were going to have a conversation before I left.”
Mac glared at him for several heated minutes before he resumed his rocking.
“And give her fucking dog back.”
Mac waved a lazy hand, asking, “You see her dog here?”
“You know what I mean,” Jason said. “She had three men walk up on her yesterday; three of us, Mac. And her dogsat there. The woman has no defenses other than her dog, and you’re fucking with that. She’s alone.”