CHAPTER 2

        Wyatt pulled his mind from Kimberly’s magnificent legs and delicious curves. He’d rather spend Friday night with her than with a ‘sweet, nice’ girl.

“Can’t you find someone else, bro?”

“There isn’t anyone else, Wyatt! I wouldn’t have asked you if someone else was available.”

          With a frown, Wyatt scooped the legal pad off the desk. He scanned the page-long list of scratched-off names.

“You asked Fred? The security guy? And you asked him before asking me?”

“I told you I was desperate.”

          Wyatt tapped the pad.

“Dude, my name isn’t even on here.”

          Benjamin glared at him.

“Okay, what will it take? How much?”

“What? You’re bribing me now?”

          A chuckle rose from Wyatt’s throat.

“Dude… you couldn’t pay me enough.”

“I’ve got it! Kimberly!”

          Benjamin’s eyes widened. He moved toward Wyatt.

“You take Mackenzie to dinner, then get her to the party and I’ll put in a good word for you with Kimberly. I’ll even invite her to the party.”

          Visions of Kimberly’s gorgeous breasts and rounded backside flashed through Wyatt’s mind. Anticipation raced through him.

          How bad could one dinner with Benjamin’s little sister be?

          Besides, he had lost most of his client base with the move, and Benjamin was giving him a chance to rebuild his career. He owed his old roommate. After another moment’s hesitation, Wyatt thrust out his hand.

“Okay, bro. You got yourself a deal.”

          Relief flowed over Benjamin’s face. Even his hair seemed to relax. He clasped Wyatt’s hand.

“Deal! You take Mackenzie to dinner, then bring her by the house. My flight gets in around ten, but Estelle wants you two there at nine sharp. I’ll tell Mackenzie that Estelle’s coming to Boca with me and we won’t be back until Sunday. You can say you’re feeding… the dog.”

“The dog? Seriously?”

          Wyatt narrowed his gaze.

“Dude, that German shepherd is a menace on four legs. The dog hates ALL men.”

          Benjamin blinked.

“Jewel is part shepherd, and she doesn’t hate ALL men. She’s gotten used to me. She’s just protective of Estelle. Anyway, you won’t have to deal with her.”

“Right…”

          With a nod, Wyatt moved toward the door.

          “Wait.”

          Wyatt stopped, then turned back toward his partner. Benjamin paused, staring hard at him.

“There’s something else you need to know about Mackenzie. She isn’t the kind of woman you’re used to.”

“I got it. You already told me. She’s the romantic type. Don’t worry, I’ll take her someplace nice.”

“Good.”

          Benjamin’s jaw bunched.

“But that isn’t what I’m getting at.”

          Wyatt drew an impatient breath.

“So… what are you saying?”

          A cool warning slipped into Benjamin’s gaze.

“I’m saying that… Wyatt, my little sister is still a virgin. And I want her to stay that way.”

                                                                  ******

          Mackenzie Swanson groaned. She yanked the wall calendar from its place beside an old fuse box and stared at the big squares representing the days of the week, zeroing in on the upcoming Friday… The thirteenth.

          This Friday was the thirteenth.

          What kind of day was that to have a birthday?

“This is a bad sign, Swanson,” she murmured to herself. “A very bad sign.”

          The depression that had hovered over her for months descended. Everyone she knew was engaged or married and working on a second or third child.

          Everyone… but her.

          She plopped into the rickety desk chair she’d picked up secondhand to go with the metal desk she’d inherited when she bought this bookstore four years ago.

          After a minute of searching through the pile of catalogs and order sheets on her desk, Mackenzie took the phone. She punched in a number, then waited through three rings.

“‘Hello?’” Helen Roberts, her best friend, answered.

“Life is passing me by, Helen.”

“‘Mackie?’”

“I know at sixteen I vowed to wait for the ‘One and Only’, but I thought I’d find love by now.”

          Mackenzie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Look at me! I’m sitting here and nothing is going on in my life. There’s no one to greet me at the end of the day.”

          She swallowed hard.

“No hope of having a child… a family of my own…”

“‘Aw, Mackie… you can borrow one of mine? Or all of them?!’”

          One of Helen’s daughters shrieked in the background.

“‘Excuse me a minute.’”

          The phone made a clunking sound, then Helen yelled for her offspring to be quiet.

“‘Sorry,’” she said as she came back on the line.

          Mackenzie shook her head.

“All I need is a jump start.”

“‘Tom has this new guy working for him…’”

“I’m seriously thinking of going for it… all the way…”

“‘What?’”

“Maybe it’s time I lost my virginity. Had a fling. Live a little.”

          Mackenzie squared her jaw. Saying the words out loud sent a wave of satisfaction coursing through her. She pulled her finger free, shaking the blood back into it.

“‘Sweetie… you’re not going to do anything hasty, are you?’”

          Mackenzie laughed.

“I’m twenty-five and I’m the oldest virgin I know… What’s hasty about that?”

“‘You know what I mean. Who is he? Do you love him? Why haven’t…’”

“I don’t know who he is… or will be, Helen. The way I feel, the next available male I come across might get lucky.”

“Mackie?”

          Jimmy Smith, a high school student she’d hired to work afternoons, poked his head around the office door.

“Could you cover the front? I need to take a break.”

“Sure, Jimmy. Just a minute.”

          He smiled his thanks, then withdrew. Grimacing, Mackenzie turned back to the phone.

“Okay… Well, maybe the next available male…”

“‘Look, Mackie…’”

“I’ve gotta go. Thanks for helping sort this out, Helen.”

“‘Wait, don’t…’”

          She hung up. Nothing Helen could say would change her mind. Besides, Helen was no paragon of knowledge. Look at the mess she’d made of her own life. Mackenzie sighed and shook her head.

          Poor Helen…

          At sixteen, they’d cried together when she discovered she’d gotten pregnant by Tom Roberts, her first ‘real’ boyfriend. To Mackenzie’s horror, Helen, with her runway model looks, tossed aside her future working in fashion to marry Tom and have his baby.

          Nine years and three children later, Helen was still stuck in Atlanta, still stuck with Tom. Mackenzie’s heart twisted. Sure, Helen loved being a mom, but what a life she could have had…

          How many nights had they stayed up planning her career as a top model, her New York apartment, and her picture on the cover of Vogue?

          Mackenzie stood. For herself, all she’d ever wanted was a career, a husband who loved and appreciated her, and children. Professionally, she was doing exactly what she wanted, but her personal life was lacking.

          Sure, she’d dated, always on the search for the ‘One and Only’.

          Helen’s tragedy had taught her not to settle for less. Unfortunately, it never took long to realize when a man wasn’t what she needed, so her relationships tended to fizzle before developing into anything serious.

          With one last glare at the calendar, Mackenzie pushed away from her desk.

“Friday the thirteenth!” she exclaimed. “Of all the days to have my birthday!”

          She paused at her office door. She needed to do something to get out of that state. Closing her eyes, Mackenzie imagined herself basking in the sun along crystal-white sand.

           That was it!

          She’d go to her favorite resort in Florida, and treat herself to her own birthday celebration.

          As Mackenzie pushed through into the shop, her mind raced with the list of things she had to do to prepare for the trip: make sure the store was covered, call the resort, and schedule her flight. With luck, she’d have everything set by the end of the day.

          The resolve firm in her mind, she went to relieve Jimmy. The front door of the shop stood open, catching the spring breeze. Sunlight flooded the row of floor-to-ceiling windows that graced the shop’s front.

          With a sound of relief, Jimmy raced for the back room, leaving the small bookstore empty, except for Mackenzie and Judi Voight, one of their regulars. A flowered scarf held Judi’s dyed red curls back from her face. She stretched to reach a high shelf in one of the many bookcases.

“May I help you?” Mackenzie asked.

          With a wave of her hand, the older woman dismissed her.

“Don’t mind me, honey. I’m fine. I know you’ve got work to do.”

          Mackenzie smiled a small smile. She was so distracted right now, she’d hate to inadvertently snap at the dear woman. Picking up a watering can from behind the counter, Mackenzie went to work on her plants. Caring for them usually calmed her. She left Judi who started browsing amongst new and old books.  

          Though Mackenzie had grown fond of the elderly woman, she sometimes wondered if Judi was becoming senile. She often talked non-stop with other customers, wavering in and out of a long-ago past.

          Done watering, Mackenzie pulled out her customer request notebook to check it against her recent book shipment. She still carried a generous assortment of a new product, though with all the mega-booksellers moving into the area, she’d expanded her used section. She needed an edge that allowed her to compete.

          Benjamin had been appalled when she’d told him she was veering in that direction, but otherwise, she wouldn’t last long against that kind of competition. So far, her strategy had paid off.

          Jimmy emerged from the back, heading for a carton of used books on the counter.

“Mackie, I’ve logged these already,” he said, scooping up an armload. “Some of this old stuff is pretty cool.”

          He hummed something Mackenzie didn’t recognize as he disappeared down a book-lined aisle. Judi made a sudden beeline for the counter. Mackenzie braced herself.

“Mackenzie, has Jackson called for me?”

          Sighing, Mackenzie mustered a smile.

“No, Judi. I’m sorry, but no one’s called for you.”

          The woman’s hopeful expression sagged.

“Well, he will. He promised,” she said in her usual raspy voice.

          Mackenzie squeezed the woman’s hand. Without fail, they played out this scenario whenever she came to the shop. Normally, Mackenzie controlled the inevitable tug on her emotions. Today, however, her heart lurched and her eyes stung.

          What had happened to Jackson, Judi’s man?

“Yes, Judi,” her voice caught. “He will, I’m sure.”

          She blinked back embarrassing tears. This ridiculous birthday disaster had her tied up in knots. Judi shook her gnarled finger.

“My Jackson… He’s incredible between the sheets, you know.”

          Mackenzie straightened. This wasn’t part of the routine.

“Really? Wow… Okay…”

“He has all the right moves.”

“How… how nice for you.”

“He plays his guitar,” Judi rasped, “and I do this dance. I’ll show you.”

“That’s not necessary.”

          Mackenzie glanced around. No other customers had come in and Jimmy was probably lost in the bowels of the sci-fi area.

“I wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble.”

“Oh, yes, honey. You must learn, so you can try it on your own young man.”

          She threw her hands in the air and swiveled in what she must have meant to be a seductive motion. The music curled around them.

“This dance gets men in the mood, you know…”

          Not sure how to handle her, Mackenzie cleared her throat, then came around the counter, and reached futilely toward the woman.

“I don’t… I don’t have a young man, Judi.”

“No? Maybe that’s because… you don’t do… the dance…”

          Judi’s rasp intensified and her breathing became labored.

“Judi… please, sit and rest a minute.”

“You must dance! Now!”