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MAC
Mac got back to his place after visiting with his family for a few hours. Talking about Europe and the races that he'd been in had lost its luster when he couldn’t shake the knowledge that his dad lay in a hospital bed.
Mom was in a state of shock. She didn't really look at the kids or even at Brian very much. She just kind of stared at his hands as she held them in her grip. The tan had seemed to fade in minutes and left her in a depressed pallor.
Getting out of there had become tantamount to Mac being able to breathe. If he could escape the reality of his dad’s illness, even for a little bit, he could find time to figure out how he was going to help.
The solemnity of the gathering stuck with Mac. He carried depression with him to his house. Sitting in his truck, he stared at the steering well. The lines and holes of the cover blurred together and Mac blinked back tears.
Glancing around the driveway, Mac blinked as if waking from some kind of nightmare that wouldn’t let him wake up. Evening had fallen at some point and the stars shone brightly, as if they didn’t care that Brian was sick.
The driveway was empty except for Mac’s truck. Even the dirt bikes hadn’t come out yet. Blake wasn’t home. He’d probably gone to grab Eva and give her a break. Eva had said she’d been with Dad all week.
Guilt crashed in to mix with Mac’s sadness. He’d been off in Europe, touring to get a feel for the FIM racers and he’d left Eva here to take care of Dad. True, he’d just thought his dad was sick with the flu again, so he couldn’t have known, but he didn’t have to abandon her like that.
One more thing to add to his list of things to fix.
He leaned his head back and tapped his finger on the wheel. Angie was inside. She was most likely asleep. The jet lag was enough to mix up days and nights. Mac was exhausted but not because he hadn’t slept in almost two days.
The emotional rollercoaster he’d been on since getting Eva’s phone call taxed him, deep in the gut. He hoped Angie was asleep. He just wanted to crash. He couldn’t entertain yet. Not yet. He didn’t have to go inside, just in case she was up.
Mac didn't have anywhere to go. His insides had been ripped out, stomped on, and shoved back in. At least that's what it felt like. He didn't even want to get on a bike. His drive to win would require him to come up with energy to practice for at least twelve more hours before the races. He needed jump time, landing time, start time, not to mention turning practice. Practice and Angie would take him away from his dad.
Fight then, in that moment, he was just a little boy who wanted his dad.
The nurse had said Dad's cancer was a fast-growing one. Mac didn't know all the details about it, he didn't even care. All he knew was that before he left dad had the flu when he came home he was dying.
Stomach aching, Mac didn't even want to deal with anything.
He forced himself to go inside quietly in case Angie was sleeping. Added to the stress of losing his dad and manager, the Des Nations coming up, he also had Angie and her presence and how he was going to be able to help her all combined to loom in front of him like the gaping maws of death.
All of the emotions he'd ridden with, his excitement on the plane, protected by the disbelief about his father, Mac just didn't know what he was feeling. If he wasn’t against drinking, he’d be half-wasted before he hit the stairs.
Mac wouldn’t give in. His answer for stress was to work harder. He wouldn’t lose it. He didn’t know how to.
Mom had offered to make a small dinner, but Brian had said that he was tired and maybe breakfast in a couple mornings with everyone there would be better.
Somehow Mac made his way into his home. Standing in the hallway of his condo, Mac listened for any movement. With all the lights off and sound pretty much absent, he could be assured Angie wasn't up. He couldn’t go any further. Dropping to all fours, he crawled to the couch and yanked his hat off. He pulled the lap blanket down from the side of the couch and threw it across himself.
He didn't even take the time to turn on the TV to help his mind veg. He passed out.
~~~
BLINKING, MAC TRIED to assimilate what he was hearing. Sounds combined with smells and he slowly pushed himself up from his sleeping position. He'd been so tired he hadn't moved much over the night.
Pans and the clinking of silverware on pots had woken him. Mac pushed up from the couch and stretched, ignoring the looming shadow of his dad's prognosis. He could deny its presence, at least for a little while.
He ambled into the kitchen to find Angie in a new outfit, with her hair done different and just a little make up on.
Stirring in his stomach reminded him of the time they'd spent together the day before on the plane and finally he felt something besides sadness and discouragement.
He smiled, in spite of what was going on with his dad. “Good morning. I didn't realize you knew how to cook.” Mac leaned over and braced his arms on the counter, watching as she bustled between the stove and fridge. “You’re so thin, I’m surprised you know how to eat.” He winked.
“Yeah, I’m thin.” She scoffed as she swung her head to the side, tossing her ponytail over one shoulder. “What did you think I did? Eat fast food?”
There was nothing unhealthy about her. He was honest when he'd said that yesterday on the plane. She didn't look like she had an extra gram of fat on her. Her athletic build was smaller in the chest and hips. She wasn’t extremely curvy, but her femininity hadn't been lost with the lean muscles in her arms and legs.
The tank top she wore set off her shoulders and arms without being immodest. Her capris cutoff just below her knees and were snug enough to show she had good definition in her muscles without showing those muscles clearly.
Angie scooped food onto plates. “I saw a gym downstairs, is that something we can use? At least until I get to the hotel?” She placed a plate of scrambled eggs and sautéed zucchini, onions, and mushrooms in front of him.
Mac had never seen vegetables look so delicious. He motioned over his shoulder and went back to watching her graceful form. “You're welcome to use anything in the house. I'll sleep on the couch as long as you're here. I'm not sure when we'll get a hold of Knox though. Do you have his number?” Of course, she had his number. The guy was a jerk though and probably wouldn't answer her text messages or her calls. Plus, with roaming fees, Mac wasn’t sure how expensive contacting Knox would be for Angie.
“I have his number. I’ll keep trying him.” Angie grabbed her plate and motioned toward the slider. “It's so pretty outside. I haven't seen this much sun in forever. Is it okay if we eat out there? I saw patio furniture...” She looked at him with large green eyes that he doubted he’d ever be able to say no to.
“Yeah, let's go out there. I’ll grab some orange juice and salsa.” Mac hooked some cups and the orange juice under one arm and the salsa under the other and then his plate. He could juggle, but that probably wouldn’t be the best idea with the items he’d chosen.
Following Angie outside, he claimed a seat at the table beside her and set his offerings down. “This looks amazing. I can’t believe you made all this.”
She blushed and picked up her fork, avoiding his gaze. “Thanks. I try to eat healthy. I can't lose weight, if I'm putting garbage in here.” She stabbed a chunk of zucchini and placed it in her mouth.
Mac chuckled. “Seriously, how can you even think of yourself as fat? I've never seen someone look as good as you.” He had probably said too much, but if she really did think of herself as fat, he hadn’t said enough.
Time to change the subject. “Have you ever been to California?” Mac speared some zucchini and a mushroom. The seasoning was fresh without being too salty. She had done a great job.
“I've never been here. I've read about the beach and the sun. It’s great. Washington is so much... cooler – not like, trendier.” She laughed. “I mean, it has a cooler temperature.” She shook her head, rolling her eyes as she took another bite. “Apparently the sea air doesn’t make me smarter.” She swallowed and then spoke again. “I've always wanted to see the ocean.” Her eyes widened with each word. She took another bite of her breakfast, as if she wasn't just sharing her own personal bucket list with Mac. “I saw the Grand Canyon once and Mount Rushmore.” She poked her fork into the air as she chewed, then swallowed to finish talking. “I tried telling my friend that I saw the only sea in America.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
Mac quirked his head to the side. “Sea? Do we have a sea on the main forty-eight?”
She nodded, arching her eyebrow. “You bet. The Great Salt Lake. That thing is so salty, it makes the Red Sea seem fresh.” She giggled, spearing another bite and sassily placing it on her tongue.
He guffawed, slapping his hand on his upper thigh. “That’s true! Oh, wow, you got me, too. I’m surprised I didn’t think of that.” He shook his head, unable to erase the smile she’d brought to his face. “Which friend was this?”
“My eight-year-old neighbor in England. She swore she saw an ocean that was more ocean than I’d seen. But I’d never even seen the one around the UK... so.” She shrugged, a half-smile playing about her lips.
He sighed in mock humiliation. “I fell for the same trick as a kid? Embarrassing.”
A dimple appeared in her cheek at her wide smile. “Well, she was a pretty smart kid.”
They took a few bites, engaged in the comfortable silence.
Mac downed a third of his orange juice. “I'm supposed to go practice sand turns today on my bike. Do you want to go and check out the beach? Sand riding is the best way to practice – or maybe the most fun. We could grab lunch?” Was she enough into biking, she’d want to go for a ride or was she standard groupie material that only liked the excitement around the arena?
She stopped eating, lowering her fork and studying him. “I don't want to take advantage of you anymore than I already am.” Her eyes lowered, embarrassed, then she raised her gaze again as she studied him.
Mac lowered his fork and met her gaze. “I don't feel like I'm being taken advantage of.”
She held her gaze on him for a long moment, as if some searching him for answers. “Okay. That sounds fun.”
“Do you ride?” Mac continued eating. He wanted to know more about her, had to know more. She seemed to close off the more he asked pointed questions. The more casual he kept it, the more laid back she was with the conversation.
“Yes. But I don't have my own bike. Knox... He didn't usually let me have stuff I wanted... or needed.” She shook her head, sadness blurring her excitement from before. “I don’t know why I can’t get away from him.”
“Well, you can borrow my sister’s bike, or one of the extras. We'll see what fits you.” The more he found out about Knox, the more Mac was determined to beat him. If he couldn’t beat him on the trail with a bike, he’d beat him on the sidelines with his fists.
~~~
AFTER UNLOADING THE dirt bikes from the bed of the truck, Mac motioned to Angie. “I'm going to warm these up, and then we can get going. Blake and JT won’t be here for another couple hours. Then we'll run over some turns and tricks. While we’re doing that, you can relax and play on the beach, if you want. I think JT is bringing his girlfriend. Sorry, that sounds sexist. I don’t mean for it to.” Before he made the day sound like a date or something, Mac hurriedly continued, “You wore a swimsuit, right?”
“Yeah, I wore a swimsuit. Just to make sure we're clear, we’re not dating, right?” She reached out and touched his arm, forcing him to look at her face.
Embarrassed, Mac shook his head, turning on the choke. His boot didn’t slip as he kicked the kickstarter, turning the engine over. “We're not dating. If we were dating, I wouldn’t put you on this bike.” He winked to add some levity to the tension of the moment. He continued teasing her, “Although, following him, I can’t imagine I would be a terrible choice.”
He wasn’t going to hide it anymore, that Knox was a jerk and Angie deserved better. She had to see that she deserved so much more than what that... Mac didn’t like to use cuss words, but Knox was pushing him...
Maybe in the next day or two Mac would have a chance to show her what she was missing with a guy like him.
He started the engines and let them idle while the motorbikes warmed up.
Angie had brought a pair of hiking boots with her luggage, so Mac suggested she wear those and wear jeans and a T-shirt over her swimsuit.
He had an extra helmet and fitting her had been a trial on his control. Touching her soft neck and brushing the hair back from her face while they put the helmet on had almost made him blurt out that she shouldn’t be with Knox – she should be with Mac.
Thankfully, he'd been able to bite his tongue and keep his mouth shut.
He watched her climb on the bike and settle into the seat. She shifted and glanced back at him with the helmet on her face. The only thing he could see was her eyes and they were alight with mischief, sparkling green. The woman was hypnotic.
Mac smiled. Dirt biking with an extremely good-looking girl with an English accent? Things couldn't get any better. The day’s plans would definitely help getting rid of the gloom over his dad's health. He wasn’t the type to sit by and watch.
As he raced along behind Angie, his optimism returned. He wouldn't accept that Dad's only option was to roll over and die. Dad wouldn't do that. Mac wouldn’t let him. If Mac wouldn't accept that kind of defeat, then neither would his dad. Mac had to figure out a way to convince Dad to keep fighting.
~~~
MAC HAD BEEN RIDING circles with Blake and JT for two hours. They kept getting caught up on the centerline. Mac and JT had started yelling at each other.
Nothing was helped by the fact that every time Mac looked over to see what Angie was doing, he’d catch her texting on her phone or talking to someone on her cell. At one point, she stood up and appeared to be yelling to the person on the phone.
That someone had to be Knox.
Mac didn’t like Angie doing anything with Knox. He was poisonous and Mac didn’t want that for Angie.
Kelsey joined the group shortly before the guys were set to finish and Angie put her phone away. A modicum of relief rushed through Mac and he relaxed onto his seat for the first time all day. Of course, Mac was jealous of the emotional impact Knox had on Angie. He wanted to influence her and he wanted her to not worry about Knox anymore. Mac wanted to get her stuff from Knox and free her from him. Would she be interested in pursuing something with Mac, if she was free from Knox? She’d wanted to make sure that Mac understood they weren’t dating, but what if he wanted to?
