92 Pacific Boulevard - Debbie Macomber [97]
“I don’t know,” she said again.
“Did he say he was coming back?”
“He said he was and that, when he did, he was bringing the authorities.”
Mack nearly laughed out loud. “That’s a bold-faced lie.” He clenched his fists, wishing he’d been home when David had come to the house. Rhodes might be able to intimidate Mary Jo, but not Mack. He would gladly have taken him on.
“I don’t care if he comes back or not, I can’t risk losing Noelle.”
“What are you going to do?”
Mary Jo’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m moving back home. He’s never been there, and after everything I’ve said about my brothers, I doubt he’d show his face.”
Mack wanted to argue. He’d gotten accustomed to having Mary Jo and Noelle so close, accustomed to sharing special moments with them. Everything had been going so well. He’d thought Mary Jo had begun to return his love, but obviously she wasn’t ready…
“Is moving away what you really want?” he finally asked. If he voiced his objections too strenuously, she’d guess the strength of his feelings, and that might scare her off. He sensed she still wasn’t ready for a new relationship, other than being friends.
“No!” She buried her face in her hands. “It’s the last thing I want, but my daughter’s future is at stake. Her well-being takes precedence over my personal desires.”
“Can your brothers do anything I can’t do?” he asked, hoping she’d listen to reason.
“No…I don’t suppose they could. But there are three of them and only one of you.”
Mack couldn’t argue with her logic. As much as he would’ve liked to spend every minute of every day standing guard over her and Noelle, that would be impossible.
“I left a message with Linc and asked him to contact me as soon as he could.”
“I see.” Mack’s heart sank.
“Leaving Cedar Cove isn’t what I want,” Mary Jo insisted again. “But I’m afraid, Mack.”
The way her voice shook told him how upset she was. He offered reassurances but he wasn’t sure he’d convinced her. “David’s bluffing,” he said. “This is just another scheme of his.”
“I want to believe that.” She gazed up at him, tears glittering on her lashes. “But I can’t be a hundred percent certain and neither can you.”
“I could beat him up for you,” Mack said, half-humorously.
Mary Jo punched his arm playfully.
“Have you discussed any of this with Allan Harris?”
“My legal situation is complicated, he says, because I’ve acknowledged David as the father and the DNA test confirmed it. Plus, he has parental rights and he claims he wants to exercise them. So…” She took a deep breath. “Allan tells me we’d be in for a protracted court battle.”
Mack nodded grimly. This was what he’d feared.
“Noelle’s going to miss you so much,” Mary Jo said tearfully.
“And what about her mother?” Mack needed to know she’d miss him, too.
Looking away, Mary Jo gave a slight shrug. “I didn’t think I could…” Her voice trailed off.
“Didn’t think you could what?”
Avoiding his glance, she whispered, “I didn’t think I could ever trust a man again, but I trust you.”
Although Mack was grateful for that much, he wanted more. He wanted her love. Before he could formulate an appropriate response, the phone rang and a panicky feeling trapped the breath in his lungs.
Mary Jo stood up to answer, but Mack stopped her, catching her hand. “Let me get it.”
“Why?” she asked with a frown.
“It might be David.”
“Oh…” She seemed to collapse onto the sofa.
Mack marched across the room and grabbed the receiver. “Wyse residence,” he said in his most official voice.
“What are you doing at my sister’s place?” Linc demanded rudely. At least he wasn’t David.
Mack answered that question with one of his own. “How quickly can you get here?”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“We need to talk. The three of us.” Mack wasn’t interested in relaying the details over the phone.
“Give me two hours.”
“Okay.”
Noelle was wailing in the background; Mary Jo leaped to her feet and hurried into the baby’s room. Mack followed, standing in the doorway. He watched as she took the infant from her crib, then efficiently changed her diaper. Noelle turned