“That’s not a room I’ve heard you brag about before,” Blake countered.
The two brothers laughed, and Jewell looked at McKenzie and rolled her eyes. “Men. They are just not trainable,” she said with a shrug.
“Or they’re just crude,” McKenzie added. Blake wasn’t even shamed in the slightest about his past sexual exploits. That should be more than enough warning for her to stay away from him. But it seemed that if there was a chance of danger, she was the first one rushing forward.
“That too,” Jewell said.
“Thank you both for doing this,” Blake piped up. “Jewell felt much better after lying down for just a few minutes. Sometimes, it just helps her to get the weight off her back for a while.”
“Of course. It was no problem,” McKenzie told them. No problem if you like torture…
“How far along are you, Jewell?” McKenzie was surprised by this question. How could she know this and Blake not know?
“Six months already. I can’t believe this child will be here in three months. I’m nowhere near ready,” she said as she leaned back with a slight cringe. McKenzie felt bad because it was obvious that her back really was bothering her.
“I can’t believe you have a son, and are going to be a dad again,” Byron said. McKenzie couldn’t figure out how he felt about that from his tone.
“It was something I vowed to never want. What a fool I was to ever think being alone was better than having a loving family,” Blake said, looking pointedly at his brother.
Byron shifted in his seat, refusing to meet McKenzie’s eyes. She really wanted to run more than ever before. This conversation was going in a direction she wanted to be as far away from as humanly possible.
Thankfully the topic changed from family and then the conversation flowed smoothly as the four adults had a nice meal. The brothers kept ribbing each other, and McKenzie was surprised when she found herself laughing at several things Byron said.
She was seeing a side of him she’d never gotten to see before — not that she’d had all that much contact with him, even in the past week or so, but still, she was shocked when two hours passed and it felt like fifteen minutes.
Justin flitted in for a few minutes, threw burritos in the microwave, then rushed back out again, saying they were still working on their homework. What in the world kind of homework would a nine year old have that required hours? Dang, school was getting harder.
“We don’t let him do this every night. Normally we eat as a family,” Jewell said.
“I’m not judging you in the least,” McKenzie assured her.
“I’m judging me still. I hate that he was away from me for any time in the foster care system. When I finally got him back, at first I was overcompensating, barely letting him out of my sight. I was smothering him. But I was just so dang worried. But he’s doing wonderfully now. He loves his school, and he’s made such good friends. It kind of makes me sad how little he needs me now,” she said with a sigh.
“You’ve done a great job with him. That shows you’re an amazing sister, and I guess mom now, which is strange,” McKenzie said.
“I’m just his sister, but I agree. It is certainly strange,” Jewell said with a laugh.
“I think it’s amazing,” Blake said.
“I can’t get used to this roses and butterflies attitude you now have,” Byron said, but he laughed after.
“Don’t worry, my brother, it won’t be long until you have this same attitude,” Blake assured him.
“Don’t place any bets,” Byron said, but then he sent McKenzie a look so intense she felt scorched in her seat.
Who was the real Byron? Was he the hard-ass she’d first met? Or was he the kind brother-in-law and uncle? She really didn’t know which man was an act and which one was genuine. The question was, though, did she want to know? The answer should be an emphatic no. But she wasn’t so sure about that.
Once they finished dinner, Blake offered desert and coffee, but McKenzie knew she really should get home and get back to work. Why was she having such a tough time excusing herself?
“I have a ton of work to get done tonight, since I wasn’t in the offices all day, so I’m going to have to pass,” Byron said before McKenzie was able to make her own excuses. “Do you need a ride home, McKenzie?”
She felt caught. She couldn’t exactly refuse him in front of Blake and Jewell, but the thought of being alone with him in his car sent tingles all through her body. That was trouble waiting to happen. Instead of saying thanks but no thanks, she found herself accepting, and before she knew it, the two of them had said their goodbyes and they were heading down the road.
McKenzie lived only about fifteen minutes from Jewell’s place, and they made the drive in a silence she found excruciating. But for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out a single thing to say to break the tension. Her vaunted social skills, honed at Relinquish Control, had completely deserted her.
When Byron pulled up in front of her house her stomach clenched. He got out while she was fumbling with her seatbelt and opened her door, then held out a hand to help her from the car.
Pretending not to see the hand, she climbed out, then went stiffly to her front door, inserted the key and twisted the knob. She turned around, waiting to see what Byron was going to do next.
“I had a wonderful time with you tonight. Thanks for sharing a dinner with me,” Byron said, and then to her utter amazement, he walked back down her steps.
McKenzie stared after him, wondering what in the world was going on. There was no kiss, no prompting for her to invite him inside — nothing.
Now he was climbing into his car and starting the engine. She stepped inside, and looked out the window as he pulled out of her driveway. She stepped inside and shut her door, then looked out the window and watched his taillights fade away.
What had just happened?
Nothing. That’s what had happened. Was Byron done with her? Was his game over? Had he lost his desire for her? Had her last refusal turned him away for good?
And, if it was all over, was that disappointment she was feeling?
Jewell didn’t have a single answer to any of those questions.
Chapter Sixteen
A bead of sweat dripped down McKenzie’s temple as she walked alongside Byron. They’d just left the offices in Boise. Clouds covered the sky and rain threatened, but it was unusually warm, and she’d dressed for colder weather. It would have been much nicer to shrug off her jacket, but she felt more protected in her wool suit.