have done, but for every crappy word that came out of Hayley’s mouth, Rocky made her choke on it.”
Mac clapped his hands together. “You never told me that. I wish I had seen it.”
“It was pretty epic.”
“Sounds like it.” He seemed lost in his head for a moment, imagining the scene he’d missed out on.
“You’re tough too, you know.” I wanted to remind him that he had also done things that required strength, albeit in a different way. It wasn’t easy, going against your parents’ wishes and carving out a life they never approved of or supported. “You defy your dad every day you stay out here and step on that field.”
He huffed out a small breath. “It’s not the same.”
I knew that he didn’t see his actions the way I did.
“It still takes strength. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do it. And I respect you for it,” I added that last part at the end because I knew Mac hadn’t felt respected for most of his life.
“If you don’t fight for yourself, who else will, right?” He gave me a small smile and a kiss before lying down, his eyes closing the second they hit the pillow.
*
I woke up the next morning to the sound of dishes crashing in the other room and Mac not lying next to me. After getting dressed, I pulled open the door and peeked around the corner. Matt was standing in the kitchen.
“I heard a rumor that you do all the cooking in the house,” I said, and he jumped about twenty feet in the air.
“Sunny. Hey! I didn’t realize you were here.” He walked over to me and gave me a quick hug.
“Hands off my girl, Transfer,” Mac’s voice boomed, and Matt immediately raised his hands in the air.
“Where were you?” I asked Mac as he wrapped me in his arms and nuzzled into my neck.
“Shower. I came out, and you were gone,” he said.
I hadn’t even heard the water running.
“Where’s everyone else?” I asked, meaning Colin and Dayton.
“I’m sure they’ll be out any second,” Matt said as the toaster dinged. “They smell the food and come running.”
“I don’t run,” Colin appeared, wiping his eyes with his hands. “Sunny.” He smiled so big.
Out of all the guys in the house, Colin was definitely my favorite. Maybe it was because when it came to Mac, he had been on my side from the beginning, and he seemed to want us together. I always appreciated the support.
“How was your Thanksgiving?” he asked me.
“It was the best. How was yours?”
Colin shrugged. “Decent. Whatever. It wasn’t New York—that’s for sure.”
“Yeah, thanks for the invite,” Dayton added as he entered the room and pulled his baseball hat low. “I’m jealous you hung out with Carter. How is he?”
I stayed quiet, knowing that last question wasn’t meant for me.
As the guys caught up and talked about Chance, Matt slid a plate of food in my direction. “I kinda wish I’d been here last year, so I could have met the guy.”
“Oh, you mean, Chance?” I asked.
“Yeah. They all worship him, and I feel left out.”
That made me giggle. “He’s not that great,” I said playfully.
His brows shot up. “Really? He’s not?”
“No. He is. I just wanted to make you feel better.”
He snapped his fingers. “I knew it. You know what would make me feel better?” he asked.
I got a little uncomfortable, not knowing what might come out of his mouth next even though Mac was only a few feet away. He wasn’t paying attention.
“Whaaaat?” I asked, drawing out the word.
“These cookies I keep hearing about. That’s the other thing they won’t shut up about. But I’ve never seen them. Are they real?”
“They’re real. I’ll bring you some later this week.”
“Really? That’d be great, Sunny. Thanks.” He forked food into his mouth and chewed with a smile.
We all sat there, eating and talking, while Dayton and Mac seemed caught up in something private between them. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.
Colin moved his plate next to mine and leaned on the counter, staring at me. “I’m so glad that Operation SunnyMac worked,” he whispered like he didn’t want anyone to overhear, but I assumed that everyone had already known about it.
“What was that all about anyway?” I asked, intrigued.
“Just about you two getting together.”
“That’s it?”
“It needed to happen.”
“So, what was the big plan then?” I asked because the last time I’d checked, no one had helped us work through our issues and