Page 146 of What Started In Deception

He nodded. “Definitely.”

She smiled. “You still have shaving cream all over your face.”

He nodded as he pulled himself free of her. “I’m going to have to wash it off and try again later.”

She hopped down from her temporary seat on the countertop. “I’m sort of sorry.”

His grin was back as he turned on the water. “I’m not.”

She moved over to her sink, grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste, making fast work of brushing. “I imagine I should take a shower, but I’m going to head over to the house and listen to the details of Mac’s juicy date.”

He wiped his clean but slightly scruffy face on the towel. “I hope they had a good night.”

“Me, too.”

They both wandered back to the bedroom, getting dressed—her in denim short shorts and a simple white T-shirt and him in khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt.

They headed downstairs together, putting on their shoes.

He snagged her by the wrist, pulling her close. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “Text or call if you can. I want to know what’s going on.”

“That makes two of us.” He kissed her before he grabbed her keys and opened the door.

She walked out after him into the misty, overcast morning, waving to him as he got behind the wheel before she let herself inside the mansion.

She moved down the hall, frowning when the kitchen was empty and quiet, when typically, music was playing and breakfast was being made.

“Mac,” she called as she wandered toward the playroom, then the living room. “Mac,” she called again as she headed upstairs.

She passed Everly’s empty room, then Maverick’s nursery, stopping in the primary suite, frowning again as she stared at Everly watching a cartoon while she fed Maverick on the floor as the baby lay propped up against Mac’s breastfeeding pillow.

Everly looked over and beamed. “Look at me, Lydia. I’m Mommy’s big helper, so we can go see Nan-Nan and Pop-Pop.”

She forced a smile. “You are a big helper, Ev. Nice job. Where’s Mommy?”

Mac walked into the room with tired eyes and pale, tear-streaked cheeks, wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt as she carried Everly’s suitcase and several full bags on her arm.

Lydia’s frown was back as she hurried Mac’s way. “What’s going on?”

Mac dropped the items at her feet and headed for the closet for another suitcase. “I need to go. I can’t do this anymore.”

Her stomach sank as she heard the finality in Mac’s words. “What happened?”

Mac brought the suitcase to the big bed, yanking the zipper around the track. “Not dinner. He stood me up.”

Lydia’s eyes grew huge, as shocked as she’d ever been. “What?”

Mac nodded as a tear slid down her cheek. “I was waiting for him at the restaurant. He texted me fifteen minutes before our dinner reservation to tell me that he had to cancel. No explanation. No nothing.”

Lydia sighed, realizing that she hadn’t even noticed that Hazel’s car hadn’t been in the driveway when she and Ty came back from their dinner date. “Honey, why didn’t you text me or come get me?”

Mac moved to the drawers, scooping up her panties and bras. “Because you have your own life and your own relationship. I saw Ty walk you to the door and kiss you like a man who loves his partner should.”

Lydia adamantly shook her head. “Ty doesn’t love me.”

Mac dumped the items into the suitcase. “I think the truth is that Will doesn’t love me. This isn’t how you treat someone whom you claim to respect and adore.”