Marriage On The Cards: Marry Me, Mackenzie! / A Proposal Worth Millions / Heart Surgeon, Hero...Husband?

Mackenzie left the bathroom while Dylan straightened his clothes.

“You’re welcome,” Mackenzie said when he joined her.

“You should be apologizing to me for barging into the bathroom like that,” Dylan countered with feigned indignation.

“You should be apologizing for having a manicurist!” Mackenzie retorted.

Dylan stuck out his hand. “Call it even?”

“Fine. Even.” Mackenzie shook Dylan’s hand. “Come on...let’s go watch Hope ride.”

They walked out to the riding arena and both of them leaned up against the fence. Dylan watched Hope canter Gypsy. “She’s got a great seat for riding.”

“She definitely doesn’t get that from me. I’ve always been a little afraid of horses.”

“No. That she gets from me.”

Mackenzie glanced at Dylan. They had known each other in another lifetime, when they were just kids. But there was something comfortable in their silences when it was just the two of them. That something was familiar, unrehearsed, effortless and impossible to fake. There was a shared history; they came from the same neighborhood. There was a common thread of values that transcended the years they had spent apart.

When Dylan spoke, it was in a lowered voice and for her ears only. “I know you told me that Hope has leukemia. But it doesn’t seem possible. Just look at her. She’s...perfect. She acts like a typical kid.”

“She’s been in remission for two years, so she’s gained weight. And even though it’s different and that bothers her, her hair finally grew back. But we aren’t out of the woods yet. When she was diagnosed, she was put in the high-risk category, which means she has a greater risk of the cancer coming back.”

“You know, when you told me about Hope, about her diagnosis, I’ve really tried to educate myself about her type of leukemia.”

“ALL...”

“Right...” Dylan nodded. “But I still don’t know what any of it means for Hope.”

“What do you mean?”

Dylan turned his body toward her. “Is she going to be okay or not?”

Mackenzie looked at her daughter, so happy to be riding Gypsy again. “I don’t know, Dylan. There’s no guarantee. Her prognosis is good, but until we hit the three-year mark without a relapse, I’m not going to feel like we’re out of the woods yet. She takes daily doses of medication, she goes in for regular testing and she still takes chemo. And let me tell you, when she does have chemo, she’s not the same kid. She can’t get out bed, she’s sick to her stomach, I can hardly get her to eat.” Mackenzie watched her daughter. “That’s why she pushes herself so hard in between...”

“Because she knows what she’s in for...”

“Exactly.” Mackenzie smiled and waved at Hope, who cantered in a circle directly in front of them.

“She never mentioned it to me.” Dylan rested his foot on the bottom of the fence. “I sort of thought she would.”

“She doesn’t like to talk about it much anymore, and I try to respect that. All she wants is to be a normal kid. Who can blame her? No kid should have to go through this...”

Dylan wasn’t certain what had changed inside him. But something had. A switch had been flipped, an indelible mark had been made, and there wasn’t any going back. When he had awakened this morning, he hadn’t been a father...and perhaps he really wasn’t still. But he wanted to be. He saw it now just as plainly as if it had been written across the cloudless blue sky...he had a chance to do better for Hope. He had a choice...he could reject the legacy left to him by his biological father and embrace the lessons he had learned from Uncle Bill. And it took Hope, sweet, honest, tenderhearted Hope, to make him see the light. Hope slowed Gypsy to a jog and then an animated walk. Gypsy’s neck was drenched with sweat, her mouth dripping foam from engaging with the bit.

Cheeks flushed red, eyes bright with joy, Hope patted Gypsy enthusiastically on the neck. “Good girl, Gypsy! I’m going to take her for a walk to cool her down before I rinse her off.” Hope dropped her feet out of the stirrups and let them dangle loose.

“I’ll grab the gate for you,” Mackenzie said.

Hope guided Gypsy through the arena gate and headed to an open field; Mackenzie and Dylan walked slowly back toward the barn.

“Have you told Jordan yet that I’m Hope’s father?” Dylan asked in a low, private voice.

“No.” She had led her family to believe that her college boyfriend was Hope’s father. Only her father and brother knew the truth. It was hard to come clean on a lie, especially one as big as this one.

“I haven’t told Ian yet, either.” Dylan slipped his sunglasses back on. “I’ll call him and see if we can get together with them tonight. We may as well tell them together.”

Chapter Seven

Mackenzie and Dylan took the elevator up to Ian Sterling’s penthouse. Dylan, Mackenzie noted, was impeccably dressed in pressed khaki slacks, a custom-tailored navy blazer and spotless shoes that had to have cost more than one month’s rent. She, on the other hand, still had on her baking clothes: an oversize Nothin’ But Cupcakes polo, new black Converse and an old pair of baggy chinos that were permanently stained with food dye.

Mackenzie took a small step away from Dylan. Whenever she was near him, she felt like a dumpy bag lady. She caught her reflection in the highly polished brass elevator fittings. Had she been having an odd Alfalfa moment this whole entire time? She quickly tried to smooth the out-of-control curls.

Mackenzie glanced over at Dylan, who was standing stiffly next to her. He looked as nervous as she felt. “So...how’s your backside?”

Her attempt to get him to loosen up a little worked. He cracked a smile. “Sore. Thank you for asking.”

“Well...you’re not the first victim.”

“And I won’t be the last...” The elevator came to a slow stop, the light dinged. “This is us.”

In front of the condo’s ornate door, Mackenzie started to feel queasy from nerves. Telling your family that you’ve been lying to them for ten years didn’t exactly seem like a fun time. When Dylan opened the unlocked door, she wished she were anyplace other than where she was.

“Anybody home?” Dylan announced their arrival.

“Dylan! Mackenzie!” Barefoot, dressed in faded low-slung boy jeans and a simple white tee, Jordan appeared at the top of the stairwell leading up to the main floor.

“Come on up! I apologize in advance for the renovation mess...”

At the top of the stairs, Jordan hugged Mackenzie first, and then Dylan.

“Jordan...this view...”

“I know, right? Crazy good. Once it’s remodeled, it’s going to be heaven on earth...”

“She’s taking advantage of the fact that I can’t see the invoices,” Jordan’s fiancé, Ian, commented as he walked into the room.

Mackenzie had seen pictures of Ian Sterling, world-renowned photographer and ex-model, but to see him in person was an entirely different experience. He was tall and built, high cheekbones, strong jawline. Sculpted lips. He was a perfect physical match for tall, athletic, naturally beautiful Jordan.

Jordan went immediately to Ian’s side and linked arms with him. “Knock that off, GQ... Mackenzie doesn’t know you’re kidding. I’m just warning you guys. He’s been cracking a lot of blind jokes lately...” Jordan confided to Mackenzie as she nonchalantly guided Ian over to where Dylan and Mackenzie were standing.

“And Jordan is determined to suck all the fun out of this little adventure...” Ian said about his blindness.

Even though it was dusk, Ian wore dark sunglasses. Diagnosed with a rare form of macular degeneration called Stargardt disease, Ian was legally blind.

Jordan had a glow about her that Mackenzie envied. No man had ever made her all girlie and dewy and flushed.

Jordan introduced Mackenzie and Ian. They shook hands, and then Ian and Dylan gave each other a hug.

“Let’s talk in the study...it’s the only room Jordan hasn’t torn apart...”

“Yet...” Jordan wrapped her arms around Ian’s body and squeezed him tightly. “You know you love me.”

Ian dropped a kiss on the top of Jordan’s head. “Yes, I do...”

They all grabbed drinks and then headed to the study. There were two love seats on either side of the coffee table. Jordan curled up next to Ian on one love seat, which left the other one for Mackenzie and Dylan. Dylan waited for her to be seated before he joined her. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t avoid touching Dylan’s body. They were shoulder to shoulder and leg to leg on the tiny love seat.

“Okay...” Jordan got the conversation started. “I’m about to keel over with curiosity. What are the two of you doing here...together?”

Mackenzie and Dylan exchanged looks.

“Do you want to tell them?” Dylan asked her. “Or should I?”

“I’ll do it. I’m the one who got us into this mess...”

“Well...I hardly think that’s the case. It took both of us to—”

Exasperated, Jordan interrupted. “For the love of God and all that is holy in the world...will you please tell us what’s going on?”

Ian touched Jordan’s leg to get her attention. “What?”

“Let them talk,” Ian said gently.

Jordan frowned at Ian but gave Mackenzie and Dylan the floor.

“I have to set the record straight about something.” Mackenzie wiped more sweat from her palms onto her pant legs. “Dylan is Hope’s father.”

Mackenzie’s abrupt confession was followed by silence. Like a pretty kaleidoscope, Jordan’s facial expression changed from confusion to shock to disbelief.

“I’m sorry...what did you just say?” Jordan leaned forward a bit.

“Hope is Dylan’s child,” Mackenzie repeated. It actually felt good to get this out in the open. She had never liked lying to her family. She had wanted to keep it from her father and Jett so they wouldn’t tell Dylan, but the lie had metastasized to the rest of the family.

Jordan stared at the two of them, speechless in her contemplation, and Ian hadn’t said a word. He was just listening, taking it all in.

“I’m Hope’s father.” That was the first time he had uttered those words aloud to anyone other than himself. “Hope is my daughter.”

Jordan sat back. “Wait a minute...you mean...Hope Hope? As in, your daughter, Hope?”

Mackenzie nodded silently.

“But...I thought Hope’s father was your boyfriend from college...the one with all the Star Wars toys...”

“Star Trek,” Mackenzie corrected. “He was a Trekkie...”

Jordan rolled her eyes. “Whatever...same difference.”

“Not to a Trekkie,” Ian said. “They’re completely different.”

Jordan twisted around to look at Ian. “Really? Now you decide to chime in?”

“He’s right,” Dylan agreed. “Two completely different things.”

“Can we get back to the important part of this conversation, please?” Jordan looked at everyone questioningly. “I mean...how do the two of you even know each other?”

The conversation that followed took longer than Mackenzie had originally anticipated. She was hoping for a more “drive-by” kind of deal that didn’t require much emotional energy. That didn’t happen. While Ian remained quiet for the entire conversation, he appeared to be listening intently to every word. Jordan, on the other hand, decided to earn her junior Perry Mason badge.

“Look...” Mackenzie finally said, exasperated. “I wasn’t signing up for the Spanish Inquisition here, okay? I was young and I thought I was doing the right thing for all of us. Would I do it this way again?” Mackenzie caught Dylan’s eye and held it. “No. I wouldn’t.” Mackenzie broke the gaze. To her cousin, she said, “But I can’t go back. All I can do is say that I’m sorry for lying to you. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. I was just trying to do the best I could for Hope. That’s what I’m still trying to do...”

“Oh...hey...” Jordan crossed the short distance to Mackenzie’s seat and wrapped her arms around her cousin’s shoulders. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I love you, Mackenzie. And I love Hope...no matter what. Okay?”

Jordan knelt down beside Mackenzie. “Hey...let me give you the five-cent tour of this place. I want to show you all the finishes I’ve picked...hand-scraped wide-plank hardwood...new custom cabinets throughout...”

“Hey—I heard that,” Ian told his fiancée. “I still have excellent hearing.”

Jordan laughed and returned to Ian’s side. She leaned down, took his gorgeous face into her hands and kissed him on the lips. “I love you, my handsome man...”

“I love you more.” Ian squeezed her hand, kissed it affectionately before letting it go.

Dylan watched Mackenzie and Jordan leave the room. He waited several seconds to make certain they were out of earshot before he said to Ian, “You haven’t had much to say.”

“Not much to say, I don’t think.” Ian pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He pulled a card out of the wallet, brought the card close to the side of his face so he could use his still-intact peripheral vision to read the name, then he held it out to Dylan. “Here. You might need this.”

Ben Levine, Attorney-at-Law.

After looking at it, Dylan slipped the card into his wallet.

“You have a child.” Ian twisted the cap off his bottle of water. “How do you feel about that?”

“Terrified.” Dylan could be honest with Ian.

“You need to know your rights. We have the photography business to think of...we’re launching the modeling agency in a couple of months...”

“I know. Mackenzie doesn’t want child support, but...”

“People change their minds all the time. Call Ben.”

“I will.” Dylan nodded pensively. “You know...I spent the whole morning with her today. Hope. She’s a great kid. Looks just like Aunt Gerri.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah...” Dylan smiled when an image of Hope’s sweet, expectant face popped into his head. “Do you want to meet her?”

“Of course I do. She’s your daughter.” Ian finished off his water. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t get involved...I’m just saying that you should cover your bases. That’s all.”

“Expect the best...” Dylan said.

Ian finished their motto. “But prepare for the worst.”

* * *

After their visit with Jordan and Ian, Mackenzie and Dylan rode the elevator down to the ground floor together. Through the lobby of the building and out onto the city sidewalk, they paused for a moment just outside the front door. Noticing a large group of tourists heading their way, Dylan put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the left. Then he put his body between hers and the group so she wouldn’t get bumped.

Once the boisterous group passed them by, Mackenzie said, “You didn’t have to leave when I did. You could have stayed.”

Dylan had his hands in his front pockets, his blazer thrown over his arm. “It was time for me to head out, too. Did you walk here from the bakery?”

Mackenzie nodded.

“I’ll walk you back,” he said. Even though downtown San Diego was a pretty safe place, even at dusk, he didn’t like the idea of her walking back to the bakery alone.

“It’s not that far...” She looked over her shoulder toward the direction of her business.

But once she saw that Dylan was going to insist on seeing her safely back to Nothin’ But Cupcakes, Mackenzie stopped protesting and started walking. At a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn, she asked, “What does your girlfriend think of all this?”

The light turned and Dylan stepped into the crosswalk at her side. “Actually, Jenna and I had an amicable parting of the ways...”

“Not because of Hope?” She stepped up onto the curb.

“No. Not because of Hope.” He reassured her. “She decided to finally make the move to LA, and I support her decision. It’s what’s best for her career. The breakup was inevitable.”

“Well...I’m still sorry. She seemed really—” she searched her brain for a positive comment that she could say truthfully “—energetic.”

Dylan shot her a quizzical look before he laughed. “Yes...you’re right. She is very energetic.”

They reached her storefront and Mackenzie pulled the keys out of her tote bag. “Well...this is me. Thanks for walking me back.”

“Are you heading home or sticking around here?”

She slipped the key into the lock. “I have some work to do before I head home.”

Mackenzie opened the door and walked quickly to the alarm keypad. She punched in the code and the beeping sound stopped. The only light in the front of the bakery was from the cases that had been emptied the night before by Molly.

“Thank you again for making sure I got here safely,” she said to Dylan, who had followed her in and locked the door behind them. “But I’m sure you’ve got things to do. I’ll be fine here by myself.”

Sometimes she liked to come to the bakery after hours just to have some time alone—Ray and Charlie were always happy to watch Hope for her. She liked the bakery when it was quiet and dark the way it was now. She could be by herself with her thoughts while she baked. It was therapeutic, especially when she had something worrisome on her mind.

He knew she was politely trying to send him on his way, but he wasn’t ready to leave just yet. He was enjoying her company. He felt relaxed around her; she made him laugh in a way that most women didn’t.

“My schedule’s pretty clear, actually. How about a quick tour?”

He heard her let out her breath and knew she was about to cave. “There’s not much to see...and I really do have work that I’ve got to get done.”

“I promise I’ll stay out of your way...” He held up one hand as if he was taking an oath.

For the second time that night, Mackenzie gave in to Dylan’s persistence. She was wasting time talking to him when she really needed to be working on the cupcakes. Molly had called to tell her that they were about to run out of one of their bestsellers, red velvet with cream cheese frosting. It was her mother’s recipe, so she guarded it. She was the only one who made them; she needed to make several large batches and freeze some of them for later.

“I could help you,” Dylan offered.

Mackenzie slipped into her white baking coat. “You can help me by sitting over there and not moving.”

He smiled at her no-nonsense way of bossing him around her kitchen and obediently sat down on a stool out of the way. It was interesting to see Mackenzie in her element. Here, in the kitchen, she was absolutely sure of herself. She gathered the ingredients for the cupcakes first, and then measured each ingredient carefully before adding them, one by one, to an industrial mixer. While the batter mixed, she prepared the baking pans, deftly dropping specially designed Nothin’ But Cupcakes cupcake cups into the pans. In the zone now, she didn’t even seem to notice that he was sitting nearby.

Dylan had never really cared about watching someone cook before, but watching Mackenzie was different. He was fascinated by how easily she moved from one area of the kitchen to the next; it was like watching a well-choreographed dance.

“What kind of frosting are you going to make?” he asked.

Mackenzie glanced up at him, with a somewhat surprised expression in her pretty eyes. He had been so quiet, and she had been so focused, that she forgot for a moment that she wasn’t alone.

“Cream cheese.” She switched off the mixer and then set to the task of filling the cupcake pans.

Once the cupcakes were baking in the ovens, she made the frosting, which she could store in the refrigerator until morning. Now all she had to do was wait for the cupcakes to cook and cool. With a satisfied sigh, hands on hips, Mackenzie nodded to herself. Then she looked over at Dylan, who hadn’t really bothered her at all.

“Do you like cream cheese frosting?”

Dylan had been leaning on one elbow. He sat upright. “Yes. I do.”

Mackenzie took a large spoon out of a drawer, scooped up a large helping of freshly made frosting and handed it to him. Dylan ate all the frosting at one time; he closed his eyes happily and then licked the spoon before he handed it back to her.

“Good?” she asked, but she could tell by his smiling lips that he approved.

“Mackenzie...” he said seriously. “You are an artist.”

His sincere praise for her baking made her entire body smile. When someone truly enjoyed her baking, it made the struggle to keep her business afloat worth it. Mackenzie felt herself relaxing with Dylan; after all, this wasn’t the first time he had loitered in her kitchen. He was always hanging around with Jett when she had baked with her mother.

“Do you want to wait for the cupcakes to finish baking? I’ll frost one just for you.”

He looked more like the young boy she remembered when he asked, “Just one?”

* * *

The month after he first met his daughter sped by for Dylan. And even though he hadn’t intended to become a regular fixture at Pegasus, that’s exactly what had happened. It started out innocently. It was an opportunity for him to spend time with Hope on the weekends. Then something unexpected happened: the place got to him. The kids, the horses, the other volunteers...the parents...all of them had an impact. He discovered that he was surfing less and mucking out stalls more. He was handy with a hammer and Aggie had him on her radar. On the weekends, he traded his Testoni lace-ups for rubber muckers and his polo button-ups for Pegasus T-shirts. Instead of going out with his friends, he went to bed early on Friday night so he could be up early and fresh for the riders on Saturday morning.

And always, always, there was Hope. She was the main event. He found himself missing her during the week and regretting having to say goodbye on Sundays. He didn’t mind the status quo for now, but this arrangement wouldn’t work in the long term. He wanted to have a say in Hope’s future; he wanted to be her dad.

“Hey...” Mackenzie appeared at the entrance of the feed room. As usual, she was dressed in oversize clothing, long sleeves, and her hair was haphazardly pulled up into a ponytail. Dylan wished she would fix herself up every once in a while.

“Hey...” Dylan pulled a bale of hay off the tall stack in the corner and dropped it on the ground.

“Where’s Hope?”

Dylan used the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe the sweat that was dripping off his face, exposing his stomach. She was human. She looked. And her eyes latched on to the barely visible trail of hair leading from Dylan’s belly button directly to his...

Dylan dropped his shirt; when she looked up at him, he was smiling at her. His expression told the story; he’d caught her red-handed.

“She’s helping Aggie with Hank—he’s got a pretty nasty gash on his fetlock and you know how he feels about anyone messing with his hooves.” Dylan hoisted the bale of hay onto his shoulder. “Excuse me.”

Mackenzie stepped to the side so Dylan could move through the door. She had watched Dylan closely over the past couple of weekends. She couldn’t deny that he had a special way with all the kids, especially Hope. They all loved him. When they could, they trailed after him, and he was happy to let them. He had become the Pegasus Pied Piper. It was...endearing. And Aggie, who was pretty tough to impress, had come to rely on Dylan as part of her small circle of trusted volunteers.

“Do you feel like lending a hand?” Dylan cut the twine holding the bale of hay together.

“Sure.”

Loaded down with armfuls of hay, Dylan tackled one side of the barn and Mackenzie tackled the other. When Mackenzie reached Hank’s stall, she tossed the hay over the stall fence for the old gelding.

“Hey, Aggie. Time to wrap up, kiddo,” Mackenzie said to Hope, who was watching Aggie treat Hank’s wound. “You have school tomorrow.”

“Okay, Mom...I’ll be right there.”

Mackenzie waited for Hope at the barn entrance and watched the sun set on the horizon. All day, every day, it seemed as if she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off—monitoring Hope’s health, helping Hope with homework, working in the bakery, paying the bills, shopping for groceries, doing the laundry...one chore led into the next, one day bled into the other. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually allowed herself to just stop and enjoy a sunset.