Mackenzie found it enthralling. The conversation was kept light and impersonal, until Lincoln blurted out, “Do you love him?”
His tone was serious and his dark eyes turned cold. The question caught Mackenzie off-guard. She suddenly felt defensive when he stared her down. It reminded her of the detached Sir, the Nate she’d first met. There was no way she was going to allow another Pierce man to stand over her. She stood taller and kept her eyes focused on his.
“Do you wish to know if my intentions are honorable, Lincoln?” she asked seriously. “I can assure you that I love your son and I will do everything within my power to never hurt him.”
“Very well.” Lincoln nodded and gave her a smirk, and then continued walking toward the house like it hadn’t even happened.
“That’s it?” she asked, rushing to catch up to him. “Interrogation over, just like that?”
“You passed with flying colors, Mackenzie.” He winked at her. “Carol already gave me the results.” Then he started laughing at, what she guessed was, a shocked and confused look on her face. Mackenzie couldn’t help but shake her head in disbelief and let out a giggle of her own. He offered his arm for her to take and they walked back to the house in comfortable silence.
“Where have you two been?” Carol asked when they went back inside. “We were beginning to think you were lost.” She turned her attention to Mackenzie. “He didn’t bore you to death with history did he?”
“No, not at all.” Mackenzie laughed. She unlinked her arm from Lincoln’s and took her seat next to Nate, whose hand automatically went to rest on her thigh. “I found it all fascinating actually. Thank you, Lincoln.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” Lincoln gave her a charming smile from across the table. Then he turned to Nate. “I’ve been thinking about that matter we were discussing earlier. Get the deal done, son. The sooner the better.”
“Thanks Dad,” Nate replied with a nod. His smile turned breathtaking and the two men exchanged curious glances, but rather than trying to decipher what it meant, Mackenzie turned her attention to Carol.
“It’s beautiful here, Carol. I can understand why you live here. Do you think you’ll stay here long term or do you see yourselves moving back to the States?” Mackenzie asked, taking a sandwich from the platter and placing it on the plate in front of her. Nate’s fingers started tracing infinity symbols on her thigh and she smiled.
“I can’t see us moving back in the near future. My boys don’t need me cramping their style, and now that Linc has removed himself from the business …” She rolled her eyes dramatically and Nate and Lincoln both laughed.
“Hey! I built that business from the ground up. So what if I have a hard time letting go?” He shrugged.
Carol continued, “As I was saying, now that Lincoln has retired there’s not much holding us to the US right now. But I’ll never say never. If I were to get grandkids for instance, there’d be no holding me back.”
Nate felt Mackenzie tense under his hand. “Ah Mom…” he spoke hesitantly, “Mackenzie doesn’t want kids.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I don’t mean to put the pressure on. There’s plenty of time for that.”
“No Mom, I mean she-”
“Nate.” Mackenzie cut him off, giving his hand a squeeze under the table. She could see the disappointment in Carol’s eyes and she didn’t want to upset her further. Turning to Nate she could see the longing in his expression, too. She started to wonder if she could ever truly be what he wanted.
“Stop Nate, you’re making Mackenzie uncomfortable,” Carol said, giving Mackenzie a wink. “These things have a way of working out in their own time and like I said, never say never.” That last part was meant solely for Mackenzie, she knew by the way Carol focused on her.
His tone was serious and his dark eyes turned cold. The question caught Mackenzie off-guard. She suddenly felt defensive when he stared her down. It reminded her of the detached Sir, the Nate she’d first met. There was no way she was going to allow another Pierce man to stand over her. She stood taller and kept her eyes focused on his.
“Do you wish to know if my intentions are honorable, Lincoln?” she asked seriously. “I can assure you that I love your son and I will do everything within my power to never hurt him.”
“Very well.” Lincoln nodded and gave her a smirk, and then continued walking toward the house like it hadn’t even happened.
“That’s it?” she asked, rushing to catch up to him. “Interrogation over, just like that?”
“You passed with flying colors, Mackenzie.” He winked at her. “Carol already gave me the results.” Then he started laughing at, what she guessed was, a shocked and confused look on her face. Mackenzie couldn’t help but shake her head in disbelief and let out a giggle of her own. He offered his arm for her to take and they walked back to the house in comfortable silence.
“Where have you two been?” Carol asked when they went back inside. “We were beginning to think you were lost.” She turned her attention to Mackenzie. “He didn’t bore you to death with history did he?”
“No, not at all.” Mackenzie laughed. She unlinked her arm from Lincoln’s and took her seat next to Nate, whose hand automatically went to rest on her thigh. “I found it all fascinating actually. Thank you, Lincoln.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” Lincoln gave her a charming smile from across the table. Then he turned to Nate. “I’ve been thinking about that matter we were discussing earlier. Get the deal done, son. The sooner the better.”
“Thanks Dad,” Nate replied with a nod. His smile turned breathtaking and the two men exchanged curious glances, but rather than trying to decipher what it meant, Mackenzie turned her attention to Carol.
“It’s beautiful here, Carol. I can understand why you live here. Do you think you’ll stay here long term or do you see yourselves moving back to the States?” Mackenzie asked, taking a sandwich from the platter and placing it on the plate in front of her. Nate’s fingers started tracing infinity symbols on her thigh and she smiled.
“I can’t see us moving back in the near future. My boys don’t need me cramping their style, and now that Linc has removed himself from the business …” She rolled her eyes dramatically and Nate and Lincoln both laughed.
“Hey! I built that business from the ground up. So what if I have a hard time letting go?” He shrugged.
Carol continued, “As I was saying, now that Lincoln has retired there’s not much holding us to the US right now. But I’ll never say never. If I were to get grandkids for instance, there’d be no holding me back.”
Nate felt Mackenzie tense under his hand. “Ah Mom…” he spoke hesitantly, “Mackenzie doesn’t want kids.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I don’t mean to put the pressure on. There’s plenty of time for that.”
“No Mom, I mean she-”
“Nate.” Mackenzie cut him off, giving his hand a squeeze under the table. She could see the disappointment in Carol’s eyes and she didn’t want to upset her further. Turning to Nate she could see the longing in his expression, too. She started to wonder if she could ever truly be what he wanted.
“Stop Nate, you’re making Mackenzie uncomfortable,” Carol said, giving Mackenzie a wink. “These things have a way of working out in their own time and like I said, never say never.” That last part was meant solely for Mackenzie, she knew by the way Carol focused on her.
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