When A Man Loves A Woman(42)

“I’m out of here. You two deserve each other,” Tim said angrily, his cheeks red with emotion.

“Stay away from Delilah, Tim. That way you and I won’t have any problems,” Mac called out as Tim scampered away into the darkness of night.

She felt her limbs trembling. Mac wrapped his muscular arms around her and pulled her against his chest. He ran his large hands over her hair, smoothing it down and providing her with comfort and reassurance. She closed her eyes and melted against him. She felt so safe and cherished, miles away from the way she had felt during Tim’s outburst.

Mac’s lips brushed against her temple. She turned her face up to him, needing to feel the tenderness of Mac’s kiss. Kiss me, please. The words buzzed in her head. Although she never would have given voice to those words, it was how she felt. She needed Mac’s touch and his sweetness to erase Tim’s viciousness. Mac’s goodness would trump all of that.

Mac lowered his head and kissed her, his touch both tender and powerful at the same time. He tasted like chocolate chips and a hint of salt from the pretzels. She kissed him back, allowing herself to be swept away by emotions that were way too powerful to put into words. As the kiss intensified, Delilah reminded herself that falling too quickly for Mac would be repeating the mistakes of the past. Tonight, one of those mistakes had sought her out and degraded her. She pulled away from the kiss, and although she immediately felt the loss of him, she knew it was best not to let herself get carried away.

“Let’s go back and see what Othello is doing,” she said in a light voice that masked her worries. The encounter with Tim had shaken her up way more than she wanted to admit to Mac. It never failed to amaze her how people could choose anger over peace. Discord over harmony. Although Tim had treated her poorly, she would have forgiven his behavior and at least treated him with dignity after their break-up. His venomous behavior had made that impossible.

“Are you all right? You seem a little preoccupied?” Mac asked as they walked back to their spot. “Please don’t let that idiot upset you. He’s clearly bringing his own issues to the table.”

She held onto his hand tightly. Everything Mac was saying rang true. Tim did have issues. Major ones that had been huge fissures in their relationship. “I’m fine,” she fibbed. “Pay attention to the play. This is the best part.”

Mac grinned at her as they settled back on to the blanket and focused on the drama taking place on the stage. At the conclusion of Othello, Mac was one of the first people to jump to his feet and lead the crowd in a standing ovation. He offered his hand to Delilah to pull her up to a standing position so she could join in.

After leaving the park, Mac walked Delilah back to her car, and they shared a sweet kiss before parting ways. Even though the evening had been lovely with the exception of her encounter with Tim, Delilah fretted all the way home. Her ex-boyfriend’s words rang in her ears.

You’re never going to find what you’re looking for.

You’re the problem. You’re the poison.

There’s something in you that destroys relationships.

She winced at the thought of all the broken relationships with men in her past. There had been a myriad of reasons why those relationships had ended. She’d never really blamed herself. Tim’s words were causing a world of doubt to creep in. Had she been the common denominator? She bit her lip as crazy thoughts rolled around in her mind.

The truth was, she couldn’t help but wonder if everything that Tim had said about her was true.





“I try to wake up every morning and appreciate the life God has given me. Things aren’t always perfect, but I wouldn’t change places with any person in this entire world.”

Nick Donahue





Chapter Eight



“Don’t leave me hanging, Parker. I’ve been on pins and needles all morning.” Mac eyed his cousin from across the table. He was meeting him at a new coffee shop in town—Red Rooster—to discuss the image of Callie that Parker had age progressed. Parker had used the photo from the newspaper archives. His cousin had been under the belief that the image was solid enough to use.

Mac tapped his fingers on the table as his nerves hung by a thread.

“Hold on, Mac. I’ve got it right here in the envelope. Prepare to be amazed and astounded.” Parker pulled the photo from the envelope and handed it over to Mac.

Mac took the photo and inhaled a deep breath. The moment he laid eyes on the woman staring up at him from the photo, his hands began to tremble violently. Callie! Although she looked reminiscent of the sister he had known and loved, the photo brought home the point that she was now a grown woman. A beautiful one judging by the age progressed photo. Sadness rippled through him. So many lost years stretched between them. So many moments they hadn’t been able to share. Pain gripped him by the throat and he found himself unable to speak.