Mack Daddy(60)

“Good luck today.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

I’m going to need it.





Mack was a rock star.

You would’ve thought that they were waiting to see someone famous. The line to his dunk tank was a mile long.

Victor and I were manning one of the pastry tables in the opposite corner of the large gymnasium. Mack had already been situated in the dunking area when we arrived, so he hadn’t seen us yet. Relief washed over me. I was under the radar for now.

The winter carnival at St. Matthew’s was the school’s biggest fundraiser, featuring craft tables, games, auctions, and homemade foods. Held in a massive gym, it was one the one time of year that parents, teachers, priests, nuns, and students all congregated under the same roof.

Lorelai stopped by the table and whispered in my ear, “Mack Daddy seems to be the main attraction. Even a couple of the nuns are getting in on it.”

I glared at her in an attempt to warn her to shut up before Victor overheard.

In the distance, I could see Mack’s wet, white T-shirt stuck to his abs as he ran his hands along his drenched hair. His muscular body looked obscenely hot through the wet clothing. I tried my best not to look too long in that direction.

Victor hadn’t mentioned anything but finally turned to me. “That’s him in the dunking tank, right?”

I nodded. “Yes.” Even though I was trying to sound calm and nonchalant, in reality my nerves were shot. I was sure my face was probably red.

Victor was onto me, and I truly didn’t know how to handle it.

“The line seems to be getting a little shorter. Mind if I have a try at it?” he asked.

“What?”

“I want to dunk him. When else will I get this opportunity?” He got up without waiting for my approval.

Oh, no.

My heart was beating out of control as I raced to follow Victor over there. Mack hadn’t spotted us yet as he continued to clap his hands and heckle the people in line—mostly women, of course—who were trying to hit the target.

When Mack noticed that Victor and I were among the crowd, the expression on his face changed dramatically. His eyes met Victor’s, and his body stilled.

When it was finally Victor’s turn, Mack was no longer joking around. Tension filled the air as his eyes seared into mine before moving over to meet Victor’s incendiary stare. A full thirty seconds must have passed, and it felt like forever. Mack’s body remained still as he just sat there waiting for what he knew good and well was coming.

Victor grabbed the ball and in a sudden and swift movement, whipped it toward the target, hitting it smack dab in the middle in one shot. It surprised me that the contraption didn’t break from the impact. Mack plunged into the water below.

When he came up, he looked even more pissed than before. All of the noise in the gymnasium seemed to fade away. At least, that was my perception as my ears throbbed louder with each second that I stood there gauging Mack’s reaction. He stared at Victor with daggers in his eyes.

Victor turned to me. “Are you going to be alright handling that table alone if I go home and catch some shut eye? The jet lag seems to be catching up to me all of a sudden.” He didn’t acknowledge what he’d just done; he didn’t have to.

I swallowed, barely able to speak. “Of course.”

He simply walked away without saying anything further. I opted to let him go because I knew there was nothing I could say that would make it better, especially given the realization I had this morning.

My heart felt like it was breaking as I looked over at Mack, who was still staring at me. The next woman in line was already trying her hand at dunking him, but he wasn’t paying attention. He just kept looking straight at me like he wanted to say something.

“I’m sorry,” I mouthed, not really even sure what I was apologizing for. Before he could respond, his body dropped down into the water; someone had managed to hit the target.

It was then that I spotted Jonah sitting alone on a corner bench nearby.

Mack had mentioned Torrie was supposed to be at the event; I wondered where she was. Most of the kids were just running around, playing with each other while the parents mingled at the various display tables. But as was typical, Jonah had separated himself from the crowd. I’d wanted to go talk to him but realized I needed to get back to the pastry table.

Some time later, I noticed a few boys surrounding Jonah. While I couldn’t hear what they were saying, it seemed like they were trying to stir up trouble. When I spotted one of them grabbing a fistful of Jonah’s curls and yanking his hair, I flew up out of my seat.

Before I could get to him, I noticed Mack charging toward his son. He was soaking wet, his hair dripping. He must have noticed what was going on from the dunk tank and jumped out. When the kids saw him coming, they scurried away like bats out of hell.