Not surprising considering Ezra’s demanding career, the very type Drake had always managed to avoid. As a consultant in technology, Ez often had to put the job first, drop everything, and jet to some other part of the world with little or no notice. His friend was still beating himself up because he’d promised Mackenzie he’d meet her in Nashville to help her settle in and then his schedule had changed last minute, taking him from Europe to Australia instead of back to the States.

“I’ve got you covered, bro. I’ll get her to her apartment, make sure it looks okay, see that she has what she needs until her stuff shows up. I’ll take care of her for you. You go back to doing your technology-whisperer thing.”

It really was no big deal, just a couple of hours of Drake’s time before he met some friends out at a bar later, and he’d do anything for his best friend. Ez had been there for him at some of the toughest times of his life.

“Gotta go,” Drake said as passengers started appearing from the direction of Mackenzie’s gate. “They’re deplaning. I assume I’ll recognize her.”

“I emailed you a photo from the last time I visited her,” Ez said.

“I must’ve missed it.”

“Check your email. Dinner’s on me next time I’m in town.”

“Get your ass here soon. It’s been a while.”

They said goodbye as Drake scanned the people exiting the secured part of the airport. Not seeing her, he went to his inbox on his phone and scanned the senders until he found Ezra’s name. He opened it to see Ezra and Mackenzie in a selfie on the beach. As he zoomed in on her face, it struck him as it hadn’t before that she was all grown up. She looked happy and confident and attractive. As a kid, she’d always had indistinctive medium-brown hair, but there were a few copper highlights now. Her brown eyes sparkled with an indescribable something, and he could see how a guy could be drawn in by them.

Confident he could recognize her, he shoved his phone into his pocket and skimmed his gaze over the cluster of people who approached. Then he spotted a head of tousled hair the right color a few steps behind the pack, pointed downward so he couldn’t see the face. As they got closer, the group in front of her dispersed, allowing him to see that, yes, this was Mackenzie. He was fairly sure of it even with her head down, as she focused on stuffing something in an oversized bag on her shoulder and rolled a carry-on behind her, and then her step stuttered as the bag rolled into her ankle, and that sealed it. Mackenzie had always been the clumsiest human he knew.