He wasn’t entirely sure what conclusions Beth had reached about him or about their prospects for the future. Given his confusion on that point, dropping by Destiny’s office to solicit advice probably wasn’t really a wise thing to do, but he was feeling a bit reckless.
He was also feeling somewhat in Destiny’s debt for steering Beth into his life. Not that he intended to tell Destiny that—in fact, he’d probably claim just the opposite, if she pressed him—but he didn’t doubt for a second that she was smart enough to read between the lines of whatever he did say. He doubted his aunt would be the least bit surprised that he was finding himself more than a little conflicted where Beth Browning was concerned.
“I haven’t seen much of you lately, Mack,” Destiny scolded, after he’d dropped a kiss on her smooth cheek. “Where have you been spending your evenings?”
He poured himself a cup of her special-blend coffee, then lounged in a chair opposite her while he contemplated just how much to tell her. She was bound to take a certain amount of gloating satisfaction in whatever he revealed. He decided to take the cagey route and see what she already knew.
“As if you didn’t know,” he said finally, regarding her with amusement. She was damned good at the innocent act, but he wasn’t buying it. Getting her to confess her involvement in this matchmaking plot could be highly entertaining. Matching wits with Destiny and avoiding her romantic snares had been a lifelong challenge for him and his brothers. He was usually quite good at it. Maybe that was another reason he found Beth so fascinating. She was the first woman he’d met who challenged him mentally with the same deft skill as his aunt.
“Would I be asking if I did?” Destiny inquired tartly, sticking to the charade.
“Of course, you would. You want me to reveal all, so you’ll have a reason to gloat.”
Her innocent look was priceless. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mack.”
“Were you or were you not the one who insisted that I go over to the hospital a few weeks ago to see that sick kid?” he coached, watching her carefully for any hint of a reaction. She kept her expression perfectly bland.
“Tony Vitale?” she asked after a thoughtful pause.
He grinned at the well-honed act, knowing full well that the name had been on the tip of her tongue. She probably got daily updates from the hospital. Lord knew she had sources everywhere. “Precisely.”
“Then you have continued to visit him? That’s wonderful,” she said, regarding him with evident approval. “I’m sure that’s helped his morale considerably. Darling, I’m so proud of you for taking an interest in him.”
“He’s having a rough time,” Mack said, momentarily distracted from his mission to exasperate his aunt. “He’s such a tough kid. It breaks my heart to see him so sick.”
“When I first spoke to his doctor, she said things hadn’t been going well. Has there been any change at all?”
“Only for the worse,” Mack said.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Destiny said with genuine sympathy. “His mother must be completely distraught. Surely they’ll be able to turn things around.”
“I hope so.” He met her gaze with an innocent look of his own. “Since you’ve shown such an interest in his case, I imagine you’ll be willing to match the research donation I’m making in his name,” he said.
His aunt’s eyebrows rose, suggesting that he really had caught her by surprise this time.
“You’re funding a research project?” she asked. “Mack, that’s wonderful! What a generous thing for you to do. Of course, I’ll match it. Which doctor is in charge?”
Mack laughed. “I suspect you can pull that name out of thin air in another second or two.”
She looked momentarily perplexed. “I’m sure I have no idea,” she claimed. “There are many fine doctors there.”
“Try,” he pressed.
She appeared to give it some thought. “It wouldn’t be that lovely Beth Browning, would it?”
He lifted his coffee cup in a congratulatory toast. “Bingo.”
“I understand she’s very dedicated,” Destiny said smoothly, not giving away by so much as the blink of an eyelash that she’d all but hand picked the woman for Mack, most likely because of Beth’s dedication and brilliance.
“And very beautiful and very available, but then that never crossed your mind when you sent me scampering over there, did it?” he asked.
Destiny looked for a moment as if she might try to keep up the charade, but eventually she simply shrugged, conceding the game. “It might have crossed my mind,” she conceded.