Had she bought his story?
Her laughing blue eyes twinkled at him. “Did it look safe enough? Or shall we circle the block a few times? Maybe send in a bomb squad first?”
“Who would trust a restaurant with a planet-sized sombrero on the roof? You never know who’s hiding under the brim.”
“Not a lot of choices in Hoppers, Kansas,” she said. “It was The Mexican Hat or The Cow Patty.”
He parked the car and hurried around to open her door, extending his hand toward her. Delicate, slender fingers landed in his, and he marveled at the softness of her skin. His focus was drawn to her perfect fingernails, until the appearance of a long, silky leg, and then another. He gulped a lump of air, forcing his eyes away. He ought to be watching out for anyone suspicious. It would’ve been highly unprofessional to take advantage of that moment to savor the look of her mile-long legs as she exited the car.
There were times when acting professional was a distinct disadvantage.
Chapter 6
Mariah’s jaw hurt. With Mack on one side and Cora on the other, she’d laughed so much she’d barely been able to eat her food. Once Allie’s father had welcomed the wedding party to the event and prayed a blessing, everyone else had dived in, proclaiming how awesome the fajitas were. But in the end, Mariah’s plate was still almost untouched. Her nerves were fried, responding to every accidental brush of Mack’s fingers on her arm. She wasn’t entirely convinced those touches were an accident. But the man’s shoulders were about twice as wide as his chair, so it was probably hard to keep his hands close to his body.
But her frazzled nerves hadn’t prevented her from eating dessert. After all, chocolate was her go-to when she was stressed. Yet even after two huge monster cookies her hands were still shaking.
Mack, however, seemed completely at ease, which probably made her friends doubt her story about his social anxiety. Mariah learned a lot about him once Cora got him talking. He kept them in stitches with stories about growing up with three brothers in a small Texas town. From the way he described himself as a teen, he was lucky to have graduated from high school. But all he’d ever wanted to do in life was to become a Ranger like his father.
“Why did you decide to be an investment banker?” Cora asked. “It seems like that would be kind of boring after being a Ranger.”
“I agree. It’s totally boring,” Mack said, with a boyish grin. “What I’d really like to do is start a private security agency. Be my own boss. Six years in the military was enough of having someone else run my life.”
“You’d be great at it,” Cora said. “Why not do it?”
“I will. Some day. Just not now,” Mack said, avoiding Mariah’s gaze.
Was he considering leaving his job with Cole to go out on his own?
“Mack, will you pass me the rolls?” Mariah asked, trying to catch his eye.
He lifted the bread basket toward her without glancing her way.
“Mack? I thought your name was Pewter.” Cora squinted at him like she could read the truth on his skin.
He froze, holding the basket in mid-air. “The truth is… I don’t really like the name Pewter. I like to go by Mack.”
Cora chuckled. “I would too, if my name was Pewter.”
“My brothers have ordinary names,” Mack said, skillfully turning the conversation as he set the rolls down.
“Are any of them single?” Cora asked, drumming nervous fingers on the table.
Mack’s dimples winked into place. “As a matter of fact, none of my brothers are attached. You should come to Texas sometime.”
Cora’s face reddened, and she jumped to her feet, shrugging her coat over her shoulders. “I’ve got to take a break.”
Mariah couldn’t judge her for needing a cigarette when she got stressed. Mariah was the same way with chocolate.
“Don’t forget to leave your coat inside,” Mariah said.
“Right.” Cora dropped the coat over the chair back and fled the room.
“That was close,” Mack whispered in her ear, making fresh goosebumps on her arms.
“Sorry about that. I almost blew your cover.” Mariah bent her head toward his and spoke in a low tone. “And it would spread like wildfire if Cora found out. I love her, but nothing makes her happier than to spread drama. You’re seeing her when she’s kicked it down a few notches.”
“I like her.” Mack smiled, his eyes on the doorway that led back to the main dining room. Mariah felt a weird knot in her stomach. Was it indigestion? She couldn’t be jealous of Mack and Cora, could she? It’s not like she and Mack had a real relationship. He was free to date Cora, if he wanted to, once the weekend was over and she found out the truth.
“Were you serious about asking Cora to come visit in Texas, or was that a polite invitation? I ask, because Cora’s likely to take you up on it.”
“No, I’d love to have her come. She’d fit in well with my family.”
“That’s great. Cora’s awesome.” She swallowed something the size of her dinner plate. Her emotions were obviously a mess right now, probably because Pewter desertion had made her feel so worthless. She knew it wasn’t true, but sometimes it was hard to ignore that message if it’s the loudest one in your head. She needed a distraction. “Tell me about being a Ranger. I didn’t even know you were in the service.”
The sparkle left his eyes. “Not much to tell. I served my country. So did my brothers. We all made it home… well, mostly.”
“Mostly?”
His eyes focused some place on the other side of the wall. “Coming back was hard for all of us. Hardest on Jake, the youngest. I knew it would be. I tried to convince him it wasn’t a good idea.”
“PTSD?” She regretted bringing up a subject that was obviously so painful.
Mack nodded, still staring straight ahead, as if he could see his brother in Texas. “That’s one of the reasons I’d like to start my own security company. It would be good for Jake.”
“Couldn’t you hire him to work under you, now?”
“This job doesn’t have enough adrenaline on a daily basis. Jake needs it.” Mack took a long swallow of water and set the glass down with a thunk. “That’s enough talk about my family. Let’s talk about yours.”
“Mine? What’s there to talk about? You already know everyone in my family.”
“You don’t have to answer if this is prying, but are you adopted, like your brother?”
“Actually, I am. My birth mom lost custody when I was two. She had a drug addiction. Mom and Dad adopted me before my third birthday. I don’t have any other siblings, besides Cole.”
“Do you want to adopt someday, like your parents?”
She glanced around their table to be sure no one was listening.
“That’s the plan. I wouldn’t mind having a baby or two of my own, but I definitely want to adopt. Maybe out of the foster system.” She gave a bitter chuckle. “That is, if I ever get married. Seems less likely all the time.”
“Because you broke it off with Pewter? Were you planning to get married?”