Highland Passage Read Online Free PDF Page B

watched her. As Mac sank back down into her chair, he said, “I may just be a science nerd, but I see what you’re doing.”
    “Avoiding your questions?” She looked at him frankly. It took effort to seem this nonchalant.
    David nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”
    Mac flashed a smile that did not reach her eyes. “Well, good. So that’s settled.”
    “Not quite. About the stone chamber…”
    “What about it? It’s stone. It’s a chamber.” Her glib attitude only made her appear less at ease.
    “But you went inside it.”
    “I did.”
    “Why?”
    “Because it was there and I felt like it.”
    Unconvinced, David stared at her and folded his arms. A long and uncomfortable silence followed.
    Mac heaved a sigh. “Look, David, there was a reason, but I’m not going to discuss it. Okay?”
    He searched her eyes. To her credit, she met his gaze directly.
    “Okay. Fair enough. But I’m worried about you.” He grew quiet as he watched her slowly circle a spoon through her coffee. “Your hands are trembling.”
    She let go of the spoon so that it clinked against the cup and reflexively clutched her hands in her lap.
    David continued, “Mac, something’s wrong. I don’t want to pry. I just want to be a friend and help you if I can.”
    She could not let him see how his concern not only moved her but also made her want to confide in him. She was bursting to talk to someone about her bizarre experiences, which was exactly what she could not do. It would just make things worse. Not only would he not believe her, but he would think that she’d lost it. No, she could not tell him, now or ever.
    “David, you are my friend. And you’re right. There is something, but it’s nothing to worry about. Really.” She leaned forward, elbows on the table, looking at him conspiratorially. “I’ve met someone.” She shrugged and offered a guilty smile.
    “So you’ve met someone. Good. And because of this someone, you had to rush over to the stone chamber to…what?”
    Her eyes widened. To avoid his uncomfortable gaze, Mac went for the coffee pot and refilled his cup, giving her time to think.
    “Meditate.”
    David grimaced. “I’m sorry. Let me get this straight. You’ve met someone, so while we were talking, you had to make a quick dash down the road to meditate.”
    Mac tried to act as though this made perfect sense. “Yes. He—my man—suggested I meditate. I told him how stressful it is working with children, so he told me to try it.” She exhaled, feeling pleased with herself.
    “In the stone chamber?”
    Mac nodded, now committed to her story, no matter how lame it might sound. And it did. But she soldiered on. “Sensory deprivation.” She lifted her brows and gave a knowing nod. “Makes it easier to focus.”
    Now slack-jawed, David stared in disbelief for a moment and then relaxed. “I get it. You know, you could have just told me you don’t want to talk.”
    “No, that’s not what I meant.” She wanted to reassure him, but how? Nothing about it made sense. “Look, I’m fine. And I think it’s very sweet of you to worry about me.”
    “Yeah, sweet. I get that a lot.”
    His smirk made Mac smile. “Aw, David. You’re such a good friend.”
    He nodded. “Just don’t punch my shoulder and tell me what a great pal I am. Oh, wait, you practically did that already.”
    Mac grinned. “I promise not to punch you.” She gave him a pat on the arm and then stood up.
    Seeing his cue, David rose and moved toward the door. “If you need anything—”
    “I’ll text you. But I won’t need to, because I’m fine.” Her warm smile was almost convincing.
    David paused in the doorway for one last probing gaze before he gave up with a sigh and turned toward the door. “You know how to reach me if you need to.”
    “I do. Thank you, David,” she called out as he got on his bike.
    After he had gone from sight, Mac let out the breath she had been holding. Once inside, she flopped onto the sofa and gave