Things would return to normal soon, and Gavin would be the last thing on her mind.
After tucking her makeup into a cosmetics bag and checking to be sure she wasn’t leaving anything behind, she returned to her room, anxious to finish packing, find a flight, and get out of town. Gavin’s bedroom door was closed, and she tried hard not to think about what it would feel like to spend the night inside. His note suggested he needed very little encouragement to invite her to his bed, and she knew that she wouldn’t resist if given the chance. Best to get out of town before things got more complicated, because if she saw him again, things would definitely become complicated. Gavin Cooper didn’t mess around, and he didn’t play games like other guys. He was direct about what he wanted, and it would be nearly impossible to resist much longer.
With that decided, she knew the only way she’d make a clean break without second-guessing herself would be to leave a note and lock the front door without looking back.
She found a pad of paper and wrote:
Gavin,
I’m sorry to leave without saying good-bye, but I think it’s best this way. I know that I’ll never forget last night, and I hope you’ll remember it happily, too. It felt great to get those things off my chest, and I’ll always remember how kind you were to me. You deserve much better than me, and I hope you find someone wonderful someday. You’re going to make someone very happy, and whoever she is, she’d better appreciate what she has! Please stay in the house. It really is yours, and I don’t want to take that from you. I will sign it over to you as soon as I can. Take care, and thank you for everything.
Macy
It was much less personal than she was feeling, but making a clean break meant keeping her feelings out of it. Encouraging him, letting him know that she’d be thinking of him, writing the things she really wanted to say would only prolong the inevitable. She left the note on his nightstand, propped between his clock and a book, and went back to her room without a backward glance.
The phone rang, and expecting her agent, she quickly swiped the screen to answer.
“Hi, Macy, it’s Kelly. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure. I meant to give you a call. It turns out I’m going back home today.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize it would be so soon.”
“I didn’t know until this morning.” Should she build some time into her schedule to say good-bye to Betty Lou and Mr. Procter before heading to the airport? She hadn’t promised them anything, but they’d been so great to her during her visit.
“I see. Do you need me to let you go?”
“No, it’s fine. Something came up last minute for work, and I’m just now getting ready. I haven’t even booked a flight yet, so really there’s no rush. What’s up?” Macy took a seat on the bed, crossed her ankles, and settled in for a brief chat.
“Okay, good. The thing is, Mr. Procter had a heart attack in the middle of the night. He’s in ICU, and they don’t know if he’s going to make it.”
Her heart sank. “Oh no, that’s awful.”
“His daughter called me because they didn’t know how to get in touch with you.”
“With me? Why?” She couldn’t remember ever having met his daughter or think of any reason she’d want to get in touch.
“I guess he was asking her to see if you’d meet his teen group today. She said he was really confused this morning, and she told him they could cancel it, but he was insistent that you’d be there. I don’t really know if she found a way to get the word to them or not.” Kelly paused. “I hate to ask since you’re trying to get ready to leave, but it seems pretty important to him. I’d hate for the kids to show up at school and not have anyone there to meet them.”
Macy was many things, but the one to call in a crisis was not one of them. Her instinct was to refuse and get the hell out of town, but the kids’ enthusiasm and openness had touched her the other day. It wouldn’t delay her too much to stop in, spend an hour with them, and make sure they weren’t left thinking that Mr. Procter was a no-show for no reason.
“All right. Tell her I’ll be there.”
• • •
Gavin handed Grayson the plastic take-out container of Betty Lou’s famous chicken salad and took a seat in his brother’s office upstairs at Guac Olé. He unwrapped his club sandwich slowly, stretching out the small task while he decided how much to share with his little brother about his evening with Macy. He’d already played his hand with her, leaving that note. She’d run upstairs so fast after the kiss, it was obvious that she wasn’t ready for their relationship to take a turn, and he knew one wrong move could ruin any chance he’d have with her. That little voice in his head urged him to run home and get rid of it, but there was no doubt that she’d already read the note, so the only thing to do now was to wait until after work to see her.
Grayson was preoccupied with his own troubles, apparently. “You know, I’ve been watching Becca at work, and for the life of me, I can’t see why Dad gave her my shares.” He slammed the strawberry charm on his desk, obviously in a black mood. “And this. What the hell does this stupid strawberry mean?”
“I have no idea. It makes as much sense as the glasses he left me.” Though with his rekindled feelings for Macy returning so fiercely to the forefront, perhaps their dad’s comment about looking to the past made more sense. “Unless…”
“Unless what?” Grayson took a bite of the chicken salad and glared at Gavin while he chewed.
He twisted his paper straw wrapper until it was in a tiny ball. “I almost made a huge mistake and slept with Macy.”
His brother swallowed his bite quickly, his eyes wide. “What? That’s not what I meant when I suggested that you be a little nicer to her.”
“It started off that way. We had dinner and some wine, then we got to talking about Tori, and Macy explained how everything went down the night she died. It changed the way I saw things, the way I saw her. I don’t know, man. Something happened, and the old feelings started coming back.”
“How did you get her to let you kiss her after being so openly hostile to her since she stepped foot in town?” Grayson ignored his lunch for a moment.
Gavin’s heart beat a little faster at the memory. “Believe me, she was an enthusiastic participant. It was more than just a kiss, though. I think something might be going on between us. It all happened very fast, but it felt right.”
“You are unbelievable.” Grayson pressed the speakerphone button and punched in a number. He sipped iced tea through a straw while he waited for an answer.
“Who are you calling?”
“Hey, Gray,” Gage’s voice greeted them.
“Hey. Gavin’s here with me, and you’re on speakerphone. He has something he needs to tell you.” Gray was grinning, clearly enjoying the moment.
Gage was on the road, probably making do with a borrowed office somewhere. Gavin could picture his brother sitting in one of those rent-a-cubicles, clicking one of the generic ballpoint pens that came with the desk, and, knowing Gage, doodling on a notepad he’d swiped from the Holiday Inn. “Hi, Gage. It’s nothing. I don’t know why Grayson thinks this news merits a conference call.”
“Well, now I’m intrigued. What’s the news?” A door opened in the background, and they could hear murmuring and shuffled papers.
“Gavin made out with Macy last night.” Grayson blurted out the news, obviously unable to help himself.
“Really?” Gavin heard Gage’s chair squeak, probably as he pulled his feet off his desk and sat up straighter. “You and Macy?”
“Yeah, and now I regret telling Gray, since apparently he gossips like a schoolgirl. She obviously thought it was a bad idea, and besides, she’ll be going back to Nashville soon. So it’s not like anything can really happen between us. It’s nothing, really.”
“Dude, this isn’t nothing. You had a major crush on her, she owns our dad’s house, and now you’re saying it doesn’t mean anything?” Gage’s voice was clearer, as though he’d
shifted from casual conversation to full-on situation mode. He wasn’t a big believer in love or relationships, but he was surprisingly sensitive when it came to other people’s romantic feelings.
“I really don’t know what good it does to talk about it. We kissed, and then she got scared and ran upstairs to hide in her room all night. I don’t think she’s into it.” If he was being honest with himself, Gavin was very interested in seeing where a relationship with Macy could go. It stung that she was so quick to dismiss the idea.
“So she freaked out a little. That doesn’t necessarily mean jack.” Gage usually busted his balls, but there was no hint of sarcasm or teasing in his voice.
“There’s more.” With Macy returning home soon, he didn’t have time to wait until he figured out what to do on his own. He needed to lay all his cards on the table and let his brothers help. “I left her a note before I went to work, and she hasn’t called me to respond. I left it in the kitchen by the coffeepot, so there’s no way she hasn’t seen it. I’m so screwed.”
“Not necessarily.” Grayson sat back in his chair, leaving a plastic fork stuck in the scoop of chicken salad. “Just because she ran out doesn’t mean she isn’t feeling the same way you are, and just because she hasn’t called you yet doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want to respond. Maybe she’s just trying to figure out what she wants and doesn’t want to rush. She might be gun-shy, but that doesn’t mean this can’t work out.”
“He’s right. This can be salvaged.” Gage sounded more confident than Gavin felt.
“Guys, I don’t know what I want, or if there’s anything to be salvaged. Just forget I said anything, okay?”
“Too late.” Grayson wouldn’t let it go that easily. “You know, you two would make a good couple. Let’s make this happen.”
“Agreed.” Gavin could practically hear Gage nodding. “Actually, this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you to get the house. Make nice with Macy and see if she’ll sell. Anything else is gravy.”
“Wait, what? No. She doesn’t want anything from me, she doesn’t live here, and I don’t even know if I want to take it any further. Maybe kissing was a mistake and we should move on.” Had telling his brothers been a mistake? It was one thing to let his feelings get away from him, quite another to involve them in a plan to make Macy his. “We should just drop it.”
“If it was anyone but you, I’d agree.” Grayson was confident and decisive. “You’re like Mr. Relationship.”
“Absolutely.” Gage agreed. “You’re the one who had the problem with her, not the other way around. You can’t let this opportunity get past you.”
“She made it very clear that she’s not interested.”
“She didn’t, though. That’s the thing. All she made clear was that she wasn’t ready to deal with you last night.” Grayson took a small bite of his lunch.
“Look, get her some flowers, make her a nice dinner or take her out, and talk to her. The worst that can happen is you find out that she isn’t into you and you still don’t get the house.” Gage sounded reasonable, like it would be easy to get Macy to fall for his charm and sign over the house.
Framing it in terms of getting the house was easier than finding out if there was something more between them. Gavin didn’t know if he was ready to admit that he had deep feelings for Macy, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted a relationship with her. The kiss proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had chemistry together, but she’d made it clear that she didn’t want to be with him. Maybe they weren’t the perfect match and maybe they wanted different things in life, but he should find out before dismissing the idea out of hand. He’d kissed plenty of women without feeling like his life had been forever changed, and somehow this time was different. If he let Macy leave without at least trying, he’d always regret it.
“You’re right. I need to talk to her.” He wrapped up the containers from his lunch, warming to the idea. “We owe it to ourselves to at least have a conversation.”
“Absolutely, and let me know how it goes. I don’t want to be the last to find out we’re getting a sister-in-law.” Grayson laughed.
“Just worry about getting the house. Seduce your lady love later.” Gage’s sarcasm came through loud and clear.
• • •
Macy hurried through the high school’s empty halls, determined to be the first one in the room. The kids would be confused when they saw her instead of Mr. Procter, but at least she could greet them as they arrived and try to break the news of his heart attack to them gently. She hadn’t heard how he was doing and was hoping for a miracle. It would be tragic for them to be left without this program. She sat at the piano, picking out a tune and humming to herself while she waited. If she had any hope of getting back to Nashville by the evening, she should be booking her flight, but if she ended up staying one more night in Sweet Ridge, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. It would mean that she’d be forced to face her feelings about Gavin and possibly share them with him, though, and it was so much easier to ignore them until they went away. Avoiding emotions hadn’t exactly worked for her very well so far in life, but she was no good at relationships and doubted that she’d be any more ready by dinnertime.
“Hey, Ms. Young,” a girl’s voice greeted her.
Kids filtered in quickly after the first girl, laughing and joking with one another, chattering as they took their seats. Macy shuddered with the deep breath she took as she stood to greet the group.
“Ms. Young, my mom told me that you were valedictorian when you went here. Is that true?” a redheaded girl wearing skinny jeans and a T-shirt with a logo Macy didn’t recognize asked. Nobody called her Ms. Young, and she enjoyed the feeling of competence and authority it gave her.
“That’s right.” Macy smiled at the group, weakly but hopefully convincingly.
“So, where did you go to college? Like, Harvard or something?” another kid piped up, a boy with a hint of moustache this time.
“Um, actually, I didn’t end up going to college.” She laughed, relaxing a little when the kids gasped. “I was going to, and believe me, having good grades in high school helped. I could have gone on scholarship, but I got a record deal instead. My friend and I couldn’t pass it up and we were afraid if we put it off to go to college, we’d miss our chance. For the record, I don’t recommend that you wait to see if you get a recording contract. Y’all should all go to college.”
There was plenty of time to talk about school and future plans. Right now, though, Mr. Procter’s situation was on the agenda.
“Listen, guys, I’m here today with some bad news.” She took a deep breath. Dragging it out could panic the kids. “Last night, Mr. Procter had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital now, and the doctors are doing everything they can to help him.”
The group murmured, upset with the news. “Is he going to be okay?” a worried-looking boy asked.
And these were supposedly the troublemakers, the kids who needed special handling, the ones who were too cool to care about anything. Mr. Procter and music had touched them in a way nothing else would.
“I won’t lie to you. He’s in ICU, and I don’t know how he’s doing yet. The good news is that he made it through the night, and he’s getting the best care possible. I know he was thinking about you guys, because he made his daughter find me to meet you. That’s got to be a good sign, right?”
They seemed heartened by that information, nodding and talking quietly among themselves. Macy didn’t know how the current teachers at Sweet Ridge High treated these students, but she knew that Mr. Procter had a way of making each individual feel like someone special. He took the time to get to know the students, to find a way to motivate them, and to encourage their unique talents.
She took a deep breath and addressed the group. “Y’all, there’s really nothing that will make this any easier, but how about you sing a song? It’ll help get your minds off your worry, and it’s the best way to honor Mr. Procter.” She shuffled the sheet m
usic on the piano until she found a piece she knew. “How about ‘Texas Beauty’?”
The song about Sweet Ridge had been written decades before Macy was born, and every person in town knew it. With Founders’ Day coming up, the kids had probably been practicing it recently. The group stood on the risers, and she played the opening bars. At her nod, they came in, hitting the mark beautifully. Every kid in Sweet Ridge grew up singing the song, and the way the little choir effortlessly managed the arrangement made Macy think Mr. Procter was preparing them to perform it at the Founders’ Day festivities. But after a few moments, she noticed that the kids had stopped singing.
“Why don’t you sing with us, Ms. Young?” one of the students asked, and the rest of the group chimed in with their agreement.
How could she explain to them that she didn’t sing anymore? What kind of example was she, someone who had what so many others wanted but who’d squandered it? Mr. Procter’s belief in her had been a huge factor in her success, and she owed it to him, maybe more than anyone else in the world besides Tori, to give it a try. Not certain she could do it, but determined to try, she agreed.
She gently played the first couple of notes on the piano and sang softly to herself, so that only she could hear. The first few words stuck in her throat, but she gathered strength and started over, playing with confidence.
The group stood in their places and sang the familiar song, oblivious to her struggle. These kids didn’t realize that she hadn’t sung a note in years, and the freedom was electrifying. The possibilities opened up before her, a future that she hadn’t allowed herself to dream about. Maybe singing was part of it. The familiar words of the chorus rose out from within her, clear and infused with the hope she’d thought long dead. She sang with the kids, thrilled with the sensations of opening up to her first love again after so much time. As the music flowed, quelling the anxiety in the room and in her heart, Macy gave herself over to the moment. Energy flowed between her and the kids, her heart full to bursting. Gavin’s kiss had loosened something within her, and the music pushed its way through the rest of her resistance.
Sweet Texas Kiss (Sweet Texas Secrets) Page 12
