The Mighty Quinns: Mac

She was filling out the forms for Lily’s library card when a bouquet of flowers appeared in front of her computer screen. Emma turned to find Mac grinning at her. “Hello,” she said.

“Hi.”

Emma took the bouquet. “What are you doing here?”

“I just thought I’d stop in and firm up our plans for tomorrow night. Get some suggestions on where you might want to go for dinner. And see if you have any opinions on Oklahoma.”

“Oklahoma? I’ve never been there, but I suppose it’s a nice place to live if you like...farming?”

“No, Oklahoma the musical. The local community theater is doing the play and I thought I’d get us tickets.”

Emma giggled. “You enjoy musical theater?”

“Well, there’s no movie theater in town, so this would be the next best choice. It could be really good.”

“It could also be really bad,” Emma said.

“I bet it will be fun, you’ll see.”

She wasn’t sure “fun” was what she wanted for their date. She wanted something romantic, something that would put them both in the mood for seduction. She was hoping the night would end in a tangle of sheets and sweaty bodies and she wasn’t sure that an amateur production of Oklahoma would lead them there.

“Buddy’s mechanic, J.J., has got a pretty big role,” Mac added. “He’s got a decent singing voice.”

“He used to be in all the shows in high school,” Emma said.

“Right. I forgot you knew each other.”

“Everyone knows everyone else in this town. If you have any deep, dark secrets, you better spill them now because sooner or later, they’ll be found out.”

Mac braced his elbows on the counter and leaned closer. “There is one thing,” he murmured, his eyes dark, his voice mysterious. “But I can’t really tell you here. Is there somewhere we could go? Someplace more private?”

Emma held her breath. What kind of secret was he about to reveal? Was he running from the law? Was he married? Had he nefarious motives for asking her out? “My office,” she said breathlessly.

He followed behind her to the door near the end of the circulation desk. The moment the door closed behind them, Mac wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body against his. His lips came down on hers and, before she could protest, Emma was caught in a deep and passionate kiss.

His hands skimmed along her rib cage and then, just a moment later, were tangled in her hair. Emma’s knees went weak and she stumbled, bracing herself against a bookcase. When he finally drew back, she took a ragged breath and tried to regain her composure. “What was that?” she murmured.

“If you don’t know, then I wasn’t doing it right.”

She laughed softly. “Oh, no, you did it right.”

“Good. Because I’ve been thinking about kissing you since the last time we were together. And thinking isn’t as nice as actually doing it.”

A shiver skittered through her body and she nodded, knowing his words were truer that even he realized. “I—I should get back out there. If you leave the kids alone for too long they’ll find some way to get into trouble.”

“All right,” he said, twisting his fingers through hers. He pulled her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss below her wrist. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. Oh, and I’ll pick you up at your place. Buddy lets me use his truck and I got it all cleaned up.”

“Do you know where I live?”

“I’ll ask around,” Mac said. “I’m sure someone will be happy to tell me.”

They walked out of the office and he waved as he walked toward the front entrance. Emma took another shaky breath. Oh, they’d tell him. But what else would they say? she wondered. Would he find out she was a virgin? And if he did, was he hoping to change her sexual status in the near future?

Emma groaned inwardly. This was exactly what she’d been waiting for all these years. Now was not the time to chicken out. If she expected to lure him into bed, she’d need to be confident, or he’d never believe she was a willing partner.

She closed her eyes and cursed beneath her breath. This was like any fear of the unknown. When it was over, it would seem easy in retrospect. She’d laugh at her fears, just as the adventurers in her books did.

“Do you have my card?”

Emma dragged her eyes away from the computer screen and found Lily Harper waiting, her backpack strap slung over one shoulder. “Do you have any books you’d like to take home?”

The girl shook her head, then placed the young adult novel that Emma had given her onto the counter. “Thank you.”

“You don’t want to take this home?”

“I’ll read it here,” she said.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

She opened her mouth, then quickly snapped it shut. Emma held out the library card and Lily snatched it from her fingers and hurried out of the library. Emma drew a deep breath and sighed. Childhood was such a complicated time for some kids. She couldn’t help but empathize with Lily Harper, so scared and vulnerable. At times like this, Emma wished she had more than books to offer.

She picked up the bouquet that Mac had brought her and drew in the scent of the flowers. All the troubles of her own adolescence had made her into the woman she was today. But her lack of sexual experience kept her anchored to that vulnerable girl. She couldn’t truly feel like an adult until she’d left that part of her behind. And she was determined that Mac would be the one to help her do that.

* * *

MAC SORTED THROUGH the stack of scribbled notes, then stared at the computer screen. He was supposed to enter his crop-dusting jobs into the accounting program so invoices could be generated, but Buddy’s program was ancient and nothing seemed to work properly.

The screen door creaked and he looked up to see Charlie Clemmons standing in the late morning sun, a large plastic bag tucked under his arm. Mac straightened, shoving the bookkeeping aside. “Hi,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

Charlie approached the counter, reaching to pull his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. He cleared his throat nervously. “I want to hire you again to fly another banner for me.”

Mac shook his head, holding out his hands. “Listen, Charlie, I get how you feel—”

“This is different,” Charlie insisted. “I bought a new banner. I want you to take it up this morning. She and Trisha always meet for coffee on Saturdays so she’ll be sure to see it.”

“Emma Bryant came in here after the last banner,” Mac said. “She was pretty angry. I don’t think a new banner is going to make her happy.”

“This one will make her very happy,” Charlie said. “I’ve decided that I was moving too fast. I have to slow down and court her. A girl like Emma doesn’t want a pushy guy. A girl like Emma needs time to fall in love.”

“A girl like Emma?” Mac asked.

Charlie shifted uneasily. “Yeah...you know.”

“I do?”

“Yeah. ’Cause she’s a virgin.” He paused. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, to be honest, I’m lacking in that department, too. That’s why we’d be an excellent match. There wouldn’t be any...expectations.”

Mac groaned inwardly. This was too much information! Was this the gossip that Emma had referred to? Mac let the information sink in. Though it didn’t change his desire for her, it certainly changed his attitude about seducing her at the next available opportunity. One didn’t just ravish a virgin without a care for her limited experience. Being a woman’s first lover was a tremendous responsibility—the kind of responsibility he wasn’t sure he was ready to accept.

“So what will it take?” Charlie asked.

Mac blinked and met his gaze. “What?”

“What will it take to get you to fly my banner? I paid you two hundred dollars for the last flight. I assume this one will cost the same?”

“Are you sure you want to waste—I mean, spend—your money on this? I’ve talked to Emma and she really isn’t impressed. Maybe you ought to turn your attention to another woman. Someone more...obliging.”

“What does that mean?”

“A girl who might welcome your affections?”

“But the book said that I should be persistent and not give up. No matter what.” Charlie pulled a dog-earred paperback out of his jacket pocket and dropped it on the counter.

“How to Catch a Mate in Ten Easy Lessons,” Mac read out loud. “Which lesson are you on?”

“I can’t seem to get past number three,” Charlie said with a dejected sigh.

“Maybe you should start over...with a different woman. A guy has to know when to cut his losses and move on.” Mac couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for his suggestion. After all, he did have ulterior motives. But it wasn’t just because he’d been suddenly captivated by Emma Bryant and wanted her for himself. He also wanted to save her the irritation and embarrassment of dealing with another of Charlie’s banners.

Charlie set the banner on the counter. “You’re probably right. You might as well toss that,” he said.

Mac nodded. “Good call. You’ll see. You’ll find someone who’ll appreciate your romantic gestures. There are a lot of fish in the sea.”

“Where? What sea have you been looking in? There are only so many women in this town who’d consider dating a guy like me and I’ve run through them all.”

“Maybe you ought to aim higher,” Mac suggested. “Shoot for a girl who’s out of your league.”

“The book doesn’t help with that,” Charlie said. “I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Mac paused. If he really wanted a clear road ahead with Emma, then he had to be willing to help Charlie out. It wasn’t as if business was booming for Buddy’s Flying Services. And he did have knowledge he could impart. “How about if I help you out?” Mac offered.

“You’d do that?” Charlie asked. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to see you make a fool out of yourself. We’ll hang out. The 49ers are playing on Monday night. Is there a sports bar around here?”

“There’s Shooters just east of town.”

“All right. I’ll meet you there on Monday night. We’ll have a few beers, talk to a few women and see where it goes.”

“You’ll be my wingman,” Charlie said, grinning. “That’s been my problem all along. No wingman.”

Charlie left the banner sitting on the counter. It was still there when J.J. came in through the shop door. He stopped and stared at it, then winced, shaking his head. “Charlie again?”

“I talked him out of it,” Mac explained.

J.J. seemed surprised. “That guy is like a terrier with a bone. He once decided that he was going to get on that show Gladiator Games. He trained for three years. By the time he was ready, the show had been canceled. Charlie has the worst luck. That’s why people avoid him. They’re afraid it might rub off on them.”

“I’m just going to distract the guy for a while. Give him some good advice and maybe find him a different girl.”

J.J. gave Mac a dubious look. “You’re fixin’ to steal his girl away.”

“Emma is not his girl.”

“That’s not what most people in town believe. Most folks around here are all for the match.”

“You didn’t mention that she was a virgin,” Mac said.

J.J. shook his head. “Why should that make a difference to you?”

“It doesn’t,” Mac said. “It’s just something most guys would want to know.” He cursed beneath his breath. This was suddenly getting far too complicated. Too many people had a stake in his relationship with Emma. Mac had always preferred to keep his social and sexual life simple. It made for easier exits. And he’d be the first person to admit that he never wanted to stick around for long.

He was all too familiar with the consequences. There would be questions—about his parents, his family, his background. Where was he born? What were his parents’ names? What about grandparents? So many questions that he didn’t have answers for.

For any other man, that might have made a difference. But for Luke MacKenzie—or whatever his name really was—he’d put those questions aside. He’d determined at a young age to let the past go, to focus purely on the present.

Hell, it made for a much happier life. The past was all about mistakes and regrets, lost opportunities and broken promises. And the future? Well, that was about goals and dreams and aspirations. All those things just out of a guy’s reach.

It was, and always would be about the present for Mac. He knew all too well that life could change in a split second. Dreams could be shattered and the future turned upside down. His mind flashed an image of that night, of the empty motel room and the police cars outside. So many questions and never any answers.

So he lived for pleasure and adventure, excitement and spontaneity. He never knew what the new day would bring, but Mac was always determined to make the best of it.

“Any idea how to work this computer?” Mac asked, turning to J.J.

“Yeah,” the mechanic said. “What’s the problem?”

“I have to enter these time slips and fuel receipts to generate an invoice and I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.”

J.J. grabbed the stack of notes. “It would take me longer to explain than it would to do the invoices,” he said. “I can take care of it.”

“Are you sure?”

“No problem,” J.J. said.

“Can you keep an eye on the front desk? I have something I need to do.”

“I have to leave in an hour. We have some final work on the set before the show tonight. You still planning on coming?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Mac said. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” J.J. joked. “I’m not that good.”

Mac chuckled and clapped J.J. on the back. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

Mac walked out into the hangar and pulled open the passenger door of his plane. It was the closest thing he had to a home. Mac crawled through to the tail, rummaging around until he found what he was looking for. He took the small tin box out and sat down on a crate, pulling off the lid in the light of day.

The rusty tin held all that was left of his old life—his only clues to his past. He picked up the larger of the two wedding bands and stared down at it, then slipped it on his finger. Marriage had never been a part of his future. Until he had a past, he couldn’t have a future. But how did one go about finding ghosts? The police had tried and failed.

Did he even want to find them? Wouldn’t it simply be easier to know nothing? And why did it make a difference now?

Mac closed his eyes. Emma. For some reason, she made him think about the future, made him question his past.

But why? He’d met her only a few days ago. There had to be a reason for this unreasonable attraction. Some quality that had captured his attention. It wasn’t her virginity. Had he been aware of that, he would have run in the opposite direction. Charlie was right—there were too many expectations.

And yet, the news hadn’t changed his interest in her. Emma was smart and beautiful and vulnerable and strong. She was the kind of woman who needed a partner to help her navigate the world, yet would never admit she couldn’t do everything alone. But was he that man?

Mac slipped the wedding ring off his finger and held it up to the light. His gaze focused on the inside of the ring. “For Benjamin, with love,” he read.

Who the hell was Benjamin and what was Mac doing with his wedding ring?

Mac tossed the ring back into the box. Probing the past was too dangerous. He’d been right before. It was better to live in the present.

* * *

“I’M READY,” EMMA SAID, holding the phone to her ear. “I’ve been going over it in my head all day long and I’m ready.”

“This is a dinner date,” Trish said, her voice crackling over the connection. “Not the D-Day Invasion.”

“I realize that. But I have to have a plan, don’t you think? We’ll have dinner, we’ll discuss the book, have a little wine and then, sometime around dessert, I’ll make my proposition.”

“I thought you guys were going to see Oklahoma.”

“I hope that’s just his backup plan, in case the date is a real disaster.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t plan too much. Just let it happen,” Trish said. “You know, organically.”

“And here I was thinking I’d just force the issue up front and forget about the date entirely.” Emma stood in front of the mirror and studied her reflection critically. “Why is this so complicated?”

“It isn’t. Thousands of couples go out on first dates. And hundreds of them go home afterward and have wild monkey sex without suffering even the tiniest twinge of guilt. You bought condoms, didn’t you?”

“Four different kinds,” Emma said. “I had to drive all the way into Petaluma to get them. You should have seen the look I got from the clerk. I think she assumed I was going to an orgy.” Emma groaned. “I have to go. I hear his car. Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need luck,” Trish said. “Just be yourself and see where it goes. No pressure, no expectations.”

Emma switched off her phone, then checked her appearance once more. She looked nice. She’d taken extra time with her hair and put on a tiny bit of mascara and lipstick. The outfit she wore wasn’t blatantly sexy, but it hugged her body in all the right places.

A knock sounded from the front door and Emma jumped, pressing her hand to her heart. Her pulse began to race as she approached the door, and for a moment, she felt light-headed and dizzy. She drew a few deep breaths, then pasted a smile on her face. Emma reached for the door handle and swung it open. Mac stood outside, another bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand.

“Hi, there,” he said with a wide grin. “You look great.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. “So do you.”

Emma’s hand trembled as she reached for the flowers. His hand brushed against hers. The touch was enough to send a shock wave coursing through her body and when he grabbed hold of her fingers, her pulse leaped.

For a long moment they stood frozen, neither one of them ready to move. But then, Emma groaned softly and threw herself into his arms. They stumbled inside the house, her lips searching for his before settling in to a deeply passionate kiss.

This wasn’t the way things were supposed to begin. But as his tongue tasted the warm depths of her mouth, she forgot all about her plans and decided to surrender herself to fate.

His hands spanned her waist as Mac pressed her against the wall, his hips meeting hers. The control had suddenly shifted. Emma had never been kissed like this, with such single-minded desire and such overwhelming passion. It was as if he’d lost the capacity to think and was operating only on sexual instinct.

Her heart pounded out a quick rhythm. She tried to catch her breath and when she couldn’t, she stepped back, gasping, her face flushed with warmth. “Sorry,” she said in a shaky tone.

Mac pressed his forehead against hers. “Is everything all right?”

Emma shook her head. She felt as if she was about to pass out. “No, it’s not. I don’t think I can do this.”

“Kiss me?”

“All of it,” she said, throwing her arms into the air. She walked across the room, putting a safe distance between them. “I thought it would be easy. But it’s always just looming on the horizon, this huge, black cloud that at any moment is going to surround me and smother me with guilt and shame and—”

“What are you talking about?” Mac asked.

Emma began laughing and suddenly she couldn’t stop. Why was this so difficult? Women lost their virginities every day. And yet the longer she held on to hers, the more it seemed to define her.

“Are you all right?”

It was one of those laughing fits that left her gasping and crying at the same time. She grabbed a quick breath. “It’s just—you’re going to hear this anyway if you haven’t already and maybe it best that I just said it up front.”

“Say what? That you’re a virgin?”

“I’m a virgin,” Emma shouted, throwing her arms out. She snapped her mouth shut and stared at him. “You knew?” She pressed her fingertips to her lips and waited for the humiliation to pass. She hadn’t meant to just blurt it out, but it was like an embarrassing medical condition. There was just no way to work it into the conversation.

“Yeah, I heard something about it,” he said.

Emma took a ragged breath. “I wanted you to understand. I mean, it’s best to be honest and I—”

“And you assumed I’d expect the evening to end in bed?”

“I was hoping it would,” she said. “At least that’s how I wanted to feel. But then, that kiss just—wow! I mean, my life flashed before my eyes and I couldn’t think. Or maybe I couldn’t stop thinking. I don’t know. I’m so confused.”

He frowned, then shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

She turned away from him and began to pace, following a short track across the living room. “I want to be completely up front with you. I don’t really care about dinner or talking about the book or going to see the play. I was just really hoping that you’d find me attractive enough to seduce at the end of the evening.”

“I do find you very attractive,” he murmured, reaching out to grab her hand. He pulled her back toward him, then rested his hands on her hips. “And seducing you has been on my mind a lot.”

“Before or after you found out I was a virgin?” He paused before answering and she could see the truth in his eyes. “I get it. It’s a big deal. Huge.”

“It’s just that your first time is supposed to be special,” Mac explained. “Especially if you’ve waited this long for it to happen.”

“And you can’t make it special?”

“Sure I could. But you’ll want more than a quick fix.”

“No, no, no,” Emma said, shaking her head. “I don’t want a boyfriend or a fiancé. I just want sex.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Maybe we should call an end to this now, before I make a complete fool of myself.”

He took her hand and pulled her over to the sofa, tugging her down to sit beside him. “What do you want to do, Emma? Right now.”

“I want to crawl under a rock and stay there until you forget this whole conversation,” she said.

“That’s not necessary. Let’s put aside all the talk about the...the deflowering.”

Emma groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Oh, don’t call it that. I don’t have flowers down there that need to be picked.”

“What am I supposed to call it?”

“I don’t know. Call it...call it, the task at hand.”

“Are you interested in someone who will simply complete the task at hand, or do you want more?”

“Just the task,” she said. “Nothing more.”

“No romance, no dating, no dinner and a movie?”

Emma shook her head. “Just the task.”

“You’re sure?”

She nodded.

“You’ve given me a lot to consider. I guess I’ll let you know.”

“You have to consider it? I thought men were able to just do it.” She drew a ragged breath. “Is it because you don’t find me attractive?”

Didn’t all single men love sex? And she’d assumed they weren’t very discriminating about where they got it. Was her offer that repulsive to him?

He chuckled. “No. I find you incredibly attractive, as I mentioned at the beginning.”

“Then why don’t you want to—do the task?”

He paused, as if to collect his thoughts. “Emma, you’re the kind of woman who deserves the best in life. You deserve so much more than I can give you.”

“You can’t give me a single night of mind-blowing sex? Because that’s really all I want. Just one night.”

“One night,” Mac murmured. “All right, I’ll get back to you. I promise.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked to the front door. But Emma couldn’t leave it at that. She ran after him and grabbed his arm. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you? That’s it.”

He shook his head. “No, I think you’ve taken a very sensible approach to your problem.”

“Exactly. It’s sensible. I’m Emma, the virgin librarian. You’re Mac, the handsome, itinerant pilot. It makes perfect sense.”

“Does it? I mean, what are you going to do after it’s finished? It’s kind of a life-changing event.” He met her gaze.