Marge harrumphed as she looked between Cassidy and the back of Mac’s head and then down at the chocolate. “Been a while since you’ve picked anything of that sort up.” There was a suspicious question in the comment.
Mac turned, moving his hand from Cassidy’s arm to slide it around her waist, pulling her to him in a clear show of possession, ignoring her stiffening form. He gave Marge a wink and a smile.
Glaring daggers at the man, Marge responded to his unspoken claim, “I’ll be certain to stock the dark chocolate peppermints for you; I know you and Elijah preferred those.”
Cassidy tried to pull against Mac’s hold, but he had no problem keeping her where she was. Giving Marge a beseeching look, she tried to ease the tension between the two. “That’d be great; I was craving those. But we’ll take these for now.”
Mac grinned. “I’m old school. And after what she did to me, she owes me.”
Marge’s eyes widened, her gaze swinging to Cassidy in barely concealed horror.
Understanding where the old woman’s imagination had taken her, especially with his arm around her, Cassidy shook her head while smacking Mac on the chest as he rumbled with a chuckle. “Damn it, Mac! Marge, no, that’s not…No!”
Not today, anyway, but how much could she honestly protest?
Giving Mac a vicious shove, she gained her freedom even as he reached to grab her back. She danced away from him and pointed a warning finger. “Back!” When he took an advancing step, she tossed the bag of candy to him. “Here, they’re yours.”
“Don’t want the candy,” he pointed out, suggestion dripping from his words.
But Cassidy was already halfway down the aisle toward Marge. “He’s right, I owe him, so put it on my account.”
“Day!” He called after her, equal parts anger and frustration as she slipped away from him, going to the back door, aware Marge wouldn’t let him stalk her out. “Fuck!”
“Young man, watch your language in my store!”
“Old woman—”
Cassidy didn’t hear the rest of his retort. She whistled shrilly as she hit the concrete jetty. By the time she reached her boat, Fred was running from the front of the store.
Silas had been chatting with another customer and watched her exit, watched her hurried preparations to leave, down to putting the life vest on Fred. As she was about to turn the key, he called out, “You running from that boy again?”
Cassidy paused and turned back to look at him. She asked, “Why do you seem to be such a fan of his? Marge would happily put him in cement boots.”
Silas chuckled and waved her off. “Go on, darlin’. Get while the gettin’s good.”
“I’m not running away from him,” she insisted on principle, turning the key to start the engine.
“Then you best figure out what it is you are running from before you get to where you’re going and find out it’s not where you want to be.”
Cassidy gawked. What the ever-loving hell?
The back door to the store opened, and her gaze swung from Silas to Mac. She registered his shock and relief to find she was still there. He was still holding the M&Ms, which made her heart flip.
“Cassidy—”
“You’re too much right now, Mac, but I’m notrunning,” she called out to him.
His eyes narrowed as he studied her face. Making a decision, he accepted her answer. “Be careful getting back.”
She was relieved that it hadn’t turned into a thing. “Always.”
After easing away from the dock, she chanced another glance back. Mac and Silas were shaking hands, a smile breaking out on Mac’s face as he talked to the old man, his eyes darting back out over the waters toward her. She looked away.
Chapter thirty-two
Mac
A WICKED CONUNDRUM