CHAPTER 82

Her stomach pitched when she thought of Carter. She hadn’t seen him since the day he’d squared off with her father. Which was why laboring excessive hours at the diner hadn’t bothered her. She needed distance and time to think about what’d happened.

Contrary to what other people thought, she hadn’t been mad at Carter for what he’d done. She’d been upset by the fact he’d cared enough about her welfare to challenge her father. In front of everyone, his family, his friends. Carter had been worried about her getting hurt. Or dying.

Dying.

She’d never had a man worry about her for any reason, let alone for her personal safety. It was cool. It was weird.

It was confusing as hell.

So, Macie didn’t know if she was supposed to throw herself at Carter in gratitude for his protective instincts. Or take her father’s side for his.

Talk about riding the mental merry-go-round ’til it made her dizzy.

And that didn’t even take into consideration the L-word.

Macie was pretty sure she loved Carter. But