No. Not sure at all. “Look, this is something I have to do. You need to eat too. In the meantime, I’m processing what you told me, thinking through possible questions.” He stepped closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. “And I’m protecting you. You asked me to help, remember?”

And he’d told her he would make a few calls. He’d been instructed to get some rest and relaxation, and also stay out of trouble. His SSA knew him too well, he guessed. While he was supposedly “resting,” the last thing he needed was to make another colossal mistake and totally destroy his career in the process.

He had a feeling he’d already stepped into this too deep.

She subtly nodded, still looking out of place.

“In the meantime, you need to relax. You look entirely too edgy.”

“That bad, huh?”

“That bad.”

Scared but determined, she was a woman on a mission. Making nice at a dinner with strangers obviously hadn’t been on her to-do list. His fault. He gently lifted her chin, and she rewarded him with a smile.

A nice smile that he couldn’t tear his eyes from.

“Better?”

“Yes, but don’t overdo it.” He winked.

She scrunched her face at him, then they headed for the house again. Alex glanced around at the farmland where corn, wheat, and alfalfa were grown. To the south behind the house, dense woods backed up to the national forest. He hoped he wouldn’t see a drone hovering in the trees. He suddenly realized that he’d stopped in his tracks and Mackenzie had continued on and now stood at the door, watching him.

“Are you coming or what?” Her wry grin said the rest . . . After all, this was your idea.

He jogged forward until he stood next to her, then rang the doorbell. While they waited for someone to answer, he smiled at Mackenzie. Did she sense that he was the one who was nervous now? Bringing her to meet this crowd would raise a lot of eyebrows. He had moved away long ago but tried to keep up with the people who mattered most—his mom, Erin, and Terra. But he hadn’t spent a lot of time with them in the last few years. While he was out of their daily lives, Terra and Erin had found love. Terra and Jack would soon marry, and he suspected it wouldn’t be long before Nathan proposed to Erin.

They were couples who were meant to be together. He was glad they had found their way back into each other’s lives. And in their happiness, they would look at Alex and Mackenzie and gauge their relationship. He knew without a doubt that Erin and Terra were going to ask him questions about Mackenzie he couldn’t answer.