Mack Daddy(53)

“I couldn’t stay away any longer, caught an earlier flight home.” He embraced me.

“How was Oxford?” I asked, my heart still pounding from the shock of his arrival.

“It was really great. They want me to go back again in the next few months.” He paused and examined my face. Feigning a smile, he said, “You look shocked to see me.”

“I am a little. I wasn’t expecting you today. I have the winter carnival at school. I’m supposed to be volunteering all day. We won’t get to spend time together.”

“Well, I’ll go with you. I’ll be happy to help out.” Placing his hand on my back, he drew me in close and gently kissed my forehead. When he pulled back to look me in the eyes, the worry was written all over his face.

I answered the question he seemed to silently be asking me.

“Nothing happened, Victor.”

He gritted his teeth. “You didn’t need to explain.”

“But you were looking at me like you needed to know.”

“Well, you can see through me, then. I have been worried.” He let out a deep breath. “We don’t need to talk about it now. I don’t want to make you late.”

Something felt vastly different between us. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but suddenly it felt foreign to be standing in my own kitchen. As much as I’d told myself I was confused over the past week, it seemed something had shifted. My time with Mack had more of an effect on my feelings than I’d originally thought.

Victor rubbed my arm gently. “Do I have time to take a quick shower, or shall I meet you there?”

His accompanying me made me nervous, but I couldn’t tell him not to go.

I looked at the clock. “You have about fifteen minutes. I’ll wait for you, so we can drive together.”

He gave me a peck on the cheek. “I’ll be quick.”

Panic started to build. Victor would come face to face with Mack today. And I still couldn’t figure out why things suddenly felt really different. There was also a tremendous ache in my chest.

Taking advantage of the time that Victor was in the shower, I picked up the phone and called my mother. She was the only person I’d opened up to about my dilemma. We last spoke during my lunch break Friday, the same day Mack dropped me off after we’d left things on a sour note. So, she was up to speed.

Mom answered, “It’s early. Something wrong?”

“I don’t have a lot of time. I need your advice like I’ve never needed it before.”

“What happened?”

“The shit’s about to hit the fan. Victor came back early from his trip. He’s coming with me to the winter carnival today. Mack will be there volunteering. I’m freaking out.”

“You claim to be confused, Francesca, but you’re freaking out because you know Victor has a reason to be uncomfortable. This situation is so obvious to me, sweetheart, and I just can’t figure out why you can’t see it. From the moment that man came back into your life, you’ve thought of nothing else. I know you value the time you’ve had with Victor, but it’s clear to me that your heart is not in it anymore. It’s with Mack.”

“Why does it hurt so badly, then? Whenever I’m with Mack, it’s like my heart physically hurts.”

“You assume that pain is a bad sign. Sometimes, love expresses itself as pain. You’re scared. That’s all. You don’t want to get hurt again. But your feelings are stronger for Mack. There’s no disputing that. That’s why it hurts.”

I definitely hadn’t looked at it that way, but I knew she was right. What my heart wanted—what it craved—wasn’t the safest choice, but it was undeniable.

“I don’t want to devastate Victor.”

“Honey, you’ve already been doing that. The man came home early because he knows he’s losing you. Don’t you see that?”

She was right.

The pipes upstairs made a clanking sound, indicating that Victor had turned off the water. “Shit. I have to go. He’ll be coming down any minute.”

“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.