Lily swung her feet around so that she was stretched out with her back against the arm of the sofa. When Mack returned, he brought a tray with two glasses of tea and a plate with an apple and four cookies on it. He sat back down on the recliner and picked up the apple first.

“What do you know about Faith Torres?” Lily asked.

“She’s a straight-A student, but like her brother, she’s not popular. She’s tall, has dark hair, and wears glasses. She drives a flatbed pickup truck and brings her brother to school every day. She may be the brightest kid to ever come through Comfort High and will probably be the valedictorian of her senior class,” he said. “Why are you asking?”

“Rose and Ivy thought Holly’s braids were ugly today and made her look like a little girl. It must’ve offended Holly. She told me that Faith is her new friend.”

“Kids go from one group to another all the time.” Mack took a drink of his tea. “Faith is a really good kid. I guess she’s what you and I would have called a nerd in our day.”

“Nerd is better than pot smoker.” Lily reached for her tea at the same time Mack was setting his glass back down. Their hands touched again. Her breath caught in her chest, and her pulse jacked up several notches.

“I’m going to ask you a dumb question,” he drawled. “Do you feel chemistry between us?”

Her chest tightened. Of course she felt something between them, but she damn sure didn’t want to talk about it like they were discussing the price of goat feed. And yet . . . they were adults, not hormonal teenagers who jumped into the fire with both feet when they felt something for another person. How many times had she told her clients in therapy sessions to talk things out?

“Why is that dumb?” she asked.

“It kind of sounded dumb in my head, and even more so when I said it,” he said.

“Yes, I do feel something between us.” She nodded. “I’ve wondered if it’s because I haven’t dated all that much. How about you?”

“No dates in three years. Nothing serious since Natalie,” he admitted.

“Do you think it’s because we hav-haven’t,” she stammered.

“No, I think there’s definitely an attraction between us, and I’ll tell you right now, up front, you deserve better than me,” he said.

Lily frowned so hard that her eyes became mere slits. “Why would you say a stupid thing like that?”

“I’m a high school vo-ag teacher, and I’ll never be rich. Hell, I’m forty-one, and I don’t even own a house. I’ve just got a pickup that’s paid for and a herd of goats,” he said.

“Why, Mack Cooper, are you thinkin’ marriage?” she joked. “You haven’t even kissed me yet.”