by Amy Reece
“I guess so. I’m okay now. I promise. My back gives me some problems from time to time, but I’m fine.”
“I’m really glad. And I’m really glad you’re here, back in my life, Mac.”
“Oh, Izzy, you have no idea. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Sorry to be such an emotional wreck.”
“Not a problem. I really want to kiss you right now, so unless you don’t want—” He was silenced as she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his. He seemed shocked, but only for a moment; then he groaned, pulling her closer as he took over, sliding his warm tongue into her welcoming mouth, kissing her with a passion she hadn’t felt since the last time he’d kissed her like this, nearly six years ago.
When he dropped her off several hours later, he walked her to the door and pulled her into his arms once again. And she went willingly, forgetting all about the awkward conversation she’d promised to have with him.
***
Mac
He was extremely pleased with the progress of their relationship, especially after last night. He’d worried when she ran off to the bathroom crying, but the way she kissed him afterward more than made up for it. Good God, the woman could kiss! And the way she felt in his arms was…perfect. He realized he was grinning like an idiot as he waited for his breakfast burrito and attempted to school his features into something a bit less giddy. He hadn’t been able to resist pulling her into his arms again when he walked her to her door, this time allowing his hands to slide inside her coat and wander a bit over the soft velvet of her dress and her even softer skin. He had wanted nothing more than to suggest they continue inside her house and see where it led, but it was too soon. She was still a bit hesitant, as if she was holding back somehow. So he had reluctantly pulled away and waited until he heard her lock up. Then he’d returned to his own home for a nice cold shower. He was going to be certifiably crazy if he couldn’t figure out a way to get her to open up soon. He was ready to go all in on a full-fledged relationship, but he knew she wasn’t there yet. It might be premature, but he knew—deep in his soul—that Izzy was the one. He’d felt it all those years ago when they’d had one magical night together, and now that he’d found her again, he had no intention of ever letting go. He thought again about how she’d cried over him being shot and his heart ached inside his chest. God, that was sweet. He typically tried not to dwell on the shooting and, being a naturally upbeat kind of guy, was mostly successful. Yeah, it had been bad at the time—the bullet had nearly severed his spinal cord, after all. Four surgeries later and six months of rehab and learning to walk again had taken a toll. He’d had months of intensive therapy too, to help him deal with the damned PTSD, and still went occasionally when he felt it creeping back. But he was a hell of a lot luckier than many. He still had all his limbs and brain function. He knew of far too many soldiers who didn’t.
The woman at the counter called his name and he went to pay for his breakfast burrito. He was planning to take it home and eat while he unpacked the rest of his boxes—finally. He’d quickly fallen in love with New Mexican food and ordered red and/or green chile whenever he could. He usually went out to breakfast on Saturday with Darius or other friends from work, but had decided today would be devoted to making his townhouse more like a home than simply the place he slept. He might even do a little furniture shopping later. He was hoping to invite Izzy over soon and wanted the place to look good. It wouldn’t begin to hold a candle to her house, however. He’d been shocked at the size, especially for one woman. The inside, what he’d seen of it, looked like something he’d expect to see in a magazine or something. It made him realize they were from two different worlds. He was depressed about it for a moment, then his internal optimism fought its way back to the surface, gasping a bit for breath, and told him not to sweat it. She wasn’t the type to look down on him simply because he made less money than her. A lot less. Oh, well. At least his military pension was decent.
As he walked down the sidewalk outside the restaurant toward the parking lot, he was preoccupied checking his bag to make sure they’d included salsa packets. He nearly ran straight into someone who was also not watching where they were going, stopping only at the very last second. “Izzy?” He reached to grab her arm so she wouldn’t fall. “Hey.”
“Mac!” She looked beyond surprised. “What are you—”
“Momma, wait for me!” Mac glanced up to see a small girl break away from the older couple a few yards behind them and run to Izzy, throwing her arms around her waist. “Who’s that?” The little girl pointed to Mac.
Izzy’s face lost all color; she closed her eyes as she hugged the child.
“Momma? Izzy, do you have a…” His words faded into silence as the little girl tilted her chin up and looked at him, her vivid green eyes bright with curiosity. He stared at the small child, searching the little face, noting the shape of the nose, the chin, and the soft brown hair curling over her shoulders. His heart pounded as a gray haze descended in front of his eyes. Holy shit. “Izzy? What the hell? Is she—”
Izzy cut him off before he could finish the question. “Mom!” She called to the older woman behind her. “Take Janey, please. I need a few minutes. She looked back at Mac and whispered, “I’m so sorry.” She handed the little girl off to her mother, waving away the questions she was clearly about to ask. “I’ll meet you inside.”
The older couple ushered the child inside the restaurant, all three of them glancing back curiously as they walked. He heard the little girl ask “Who’s he?” repeatedly.
She waited until they were gone to address him, her face deathly pale. “Oh, God, Mac. I didn’t want you to find out like this. I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t—I mean, I can’t…what the fuck, Izzy?” He simply couldn’t process what he’d seen and what she seemed to be telling him. “I need to sit.” He stumbled as he turned, looking for a seat before he collapsed.
She took his arm and guided him to a nearby bench. “Here, sit.” She took the crumpled paper bag from his clenched fingers and set it beside him. “Put your head down.” She gently pushed it toward his lap. “It’s a lot to take in, I know.”
“Oh, my God.” His words were muffled as he spoke into his lap. “How did this happen?”
“In the usual way. We were pretty drunk that night and I don’t think we used a condom every time.”
“She’s mine? That little girl,” he waved vaguely toward the restaurant, “is my daughter?”
“Yes. We can do a paternity test if you don’t believe me.”
He sat up and grabbed her upper arms, shaking her slightly. “Why the fuck am I just finding out?” He did believe her; he knew she wasn’t a liar, and the green eyes he’d just seen were the same ones he saw in his mirror every morning.
Tears streaked down her cheeks. “I didn’t even know your last name, Mac. I had no idea how to get in touch with you, or if I even should. It was a one-night stand! Why should you have to bear the responsibility for my carelessness?”
“Because it’s my responsibility too! I should have known!” He stopped shaking her and apologized. “How old is she? What’s her name? You called her Janey?”
“It’s short for Janelle. Janelle MacKenzie. She’ll be five next Sunday.”
“MacKenzie?” He looked up, surprised.
Izzy nodded as she wiped away her tears. “Yeah. It was the best I could do only knowing ‘Mac,’ but I wanted her to have something from you. Besides your eyes, of course.”
“And my nose and my hair color. God, Izzy. I don’t know what to say or do right now. She’s healthy?”
“As a horse.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? It’s been a week since I found you again and you’ve had time.” He tried to tamp down the anger he was beginning to feel.
“I should have told you, I know. It was wrong. I just didn’t know how. I was going to tell you last night; I’d promised myself I would, but—”
“
But we got started kissing, and telling me I have a kid probably would have ruined the mood.” He didn’t know how he managed to drum up the humor, but it seemed to help both of them. He realized the impossibility of her situation and knew he couldn’t blame her. She’d obviously done the best she could. But, Jesus Christ! He had a five year-old daughter he never knew about. Part of him wanted to run inside the restaurant and grab her, but the part that had almost passed out a few minutes before wanted to run far away. He settled for a middle ground. “I, uh, I need to go home and think about this for a while, okay? Can we talk later? I’ll come by your place, if that’s okay. I want to meet her.”
“Sure, of course. I need to tell my family today.”
“They don’t know? You never told them who the father of your child was?” He was incredulous. How could she possibly keep a secret like that for so long?
“I thought you should be the first to know. Now that you do…well, anyway. I’ll see if I can get everyone together at my parents’ house so I can tell them all at once. Why don’t I call you when I’m finished and Janey and I are home?”
“We’ll tell them together.”
“What? No…no, you don’t have to do that. You don’t know my brothers—”
He crossed his arms and frowned. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now and we do this together. Why don’t you make whatever calls you need to make? I’ll wait.”
“I thought you wanted to be by yourself for a while.”
“This is more important. Make the calls, Izzy. I’m anxious to meet my daughter. I’d prefer to tell her afterward when we can spend some time together. You were planning to tell her, weren’t you?”
“Of course. There’s no reason not to. I’m not ashamed of it, Mac. I don’t plan to use the phrase ‘one-night stand’ with my daughter, however. The rest of my family can think what they want. I don’t need their approval.” She lifted her chin, daring him to contradict her.
“Our daughter.” He reached for her hand. “I won’t lie, Izzy: this is a shock and I’m going to need some time to come to grips with it. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you. There aren’t any other deep dark secrets you’re keeping from me, are there?”
She smiled slightly and shook her head. “I think this is enough. Mac.” She reached her hand to cup his cheek. “I would have told you if I’d known how. After that night, I snuck away without even waiting for you to wake up. I’ll always be sorry for that. It was a wonderful night, but it wasn’t me. I was trying to be somebody I’m not and it backfired.”
He leaned to kiss her quickly. “That’s for sure. Come on.” He stood and pulled her to her feet.
She left him in front of the restaurant while she went inside to speak to her parents. She returned a few minutes later and began making phone calls. Within short order, she had arranged for Chris to watch Janey while the rest of the family met at her parents’ house. In the meantime, he drove them to her house and split his burrito with her. She didn’t eat much. He knew she was nervous about the upcoming confrontation with her family. He didn’t know them, but he certainly didn’t plan to put up with any crap. He and Izzy were consenting adults, both now and at the time they’d conceived a child, and he was willing to take full responsibility.
“Izzy, why are you so worried? I thought you were tight with your family.”
“I am, it’s just…my brothers are really protective. I don’t know how they’re going to react.”
“Yeah, well, so am I. Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”
He insisted on driving them to her parents’ house, and she spent the short trip gazing silently out the window. Multiple cars were parked in the driveway and at the curb. He parked behind a large truck and went around to open her door. He grabbed her hand as they walked up the path, determined to send a message—both to her and her family—that they were in this together.
She paused on the front step and took a deep breath. “Here goes.” She opened the door and led him inside.
The large living room was filled with people. He recognized her parents from earlier that morning, but the rest were strangers. A beautiful woman, who strongly resembled Izzy, sat by herself in an armchair. A couple sat together on the love seat, holding hands, and looking at him curiously. Three other tall, muscular men stood together in front of the window, arms crossed, stern looks on their faces.
“What’s this about, Izzy? Who is this?” the oldest-looking of the three by the window—Mac guessed it was Hugh—asked as he gestured at Mac.
“Holy shit!” the good-looking one on the couch exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at Mac.
“Finn!” It was the mother, admonishing her son.
“What? Look at him! Look at his eyes!”
“Oh, my God!” The one who looked most like his father said as he vaulted across the room, fists raised.
Mac didn’t think; he simply reacted, pinning the young man’s arms behind his back and taking him down to the floor. “You don’t want to do that, kid.”
“Let me up, goddammit! I’m gonna kick your ass, you bastard!”
“Tony! Stop it! Mac! Let him up! Everybody just calm the hell down!” Izzy yelled.
“What the fuck is going on? Who is this guy?” The remaining man—Mac figured it had to be Seamus—came forward to help his brother off the floor.
“I’m Mac MacNeil and I’m Janey’s father.” It was time to get it out in the open. Dead silence followed his pronouncement for several long moments.
“Hot damn, Izzy!” The woman sitting by herself stood and hugged her sister. “He’s gorgeous.” She turned to him. “I’m Cara.”
“Where the hell has he been all this time?” It was the oldest one again.
“You’re Hugh, right?” Mac turned to face the angry man. “I’ve been in Iraq. I didn’t know Izzy was pregnant.”
“Someone better start talking right now,” Izzy’s father said, his voice gruff as he narrowed his eyes at Mac.
“If everyone will sit down, I’ll explain.” Izzy took Mac’s hand and pulled him to sit with her on one of the sofas. The room was large enough to hold several sofas, a couple love seats, and multiple armchairs. The rest of her family, except Hugh, took their seats. He chose to remain standing, arms crossed, a furious expression on his face. Izzy proceeded to tell them how she had come home to find her fiancé—some loser named Brent—in bed with another woman. Mac made a silent vow to shove the man’s teeth down his throat if they ever met. She told them how she had cried for a few days, then decided to get over him by getting out and meeting someone new. He noticed she glossed over the whole bar-hopping-by-herself aspect of the story and moved straight into the part where she and Mac met and hit it off right away, and ended up spending the night together. Her mother closed her eyes and shook her head. “Anyway, he had to ship out the next day, and we never actually exchanged last names. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later. I ran into Mac last Saturday at the mall. He just moved here to Albuquerque. And like an idiot, I didn’t tell him about Janey because I was scared. And he wasn’t just in Iraq; he got shot and is a Wounded Warrior, and he’s a Green Beret, so I wouldn’t fucking mess with him!”
Mac’s eyes widened as she continued to babble, clearly a bit hysterical. He couldn’t blame her; she’d had a hell of a week. He put his arm around her as she let out a small sob.
“You’re Special Forces?” The one who had helped the younger brother up—Seamus?—asked. “Shit, no wonder you were able to take Tony down so fast.”
“I’m retired, but yes, I was Special Forces. Listen, everyone. I know this all sounds pretty sketchy, but I’m here now, and I will take responsibility for Janey—not that Izzy hasn’t done a great job, but I will be helping out from now on.” He’d felt her bristle when he talked about taking responsibility for Janey. She’d done a great job up to this point, of course, but she better get used to the idea of him being around, both for their daughter and for her.
“So let me see if I have thi
s straight.” Hugh sounded dangerously calm. “You and my little sister had a one-night stand and she got knocked up. But you didn’t bother to tell her your full name and took off to the Middle East and nearly got yourself killed. Did I miss any of the details? Does Chrissy know about this? Is that why she’s not here?”
Izzy stood and walked to her brother, staring up into his face. “Yes, that’s right, Hugh. You will never say the words ‘one-night stand’ in front of my daughter, though. You can judge me all you want, but Mac didn’t know. And Chris has been nagging me all week to tell him because she didn’t like keeping it from you, so don’t blame her!”
They stared at each other, and Mac could see Hugh’s jaw flexing. “Fine,” he finally said and pulled his sister into his arms. “I’ve been so worried about you, Iz. Is this guy okay? I’ll get rid of him if you want.”
Mac rolled his eyes as he waited for her answer. These guys were unbelievable.
“Yeah, he’s okay. He’s a whole lot more than okay. I’m the one who screwed up.”
That was enough. “Hey.” Mac stood and crossed the room to gently pull her from Hugh’s grasp. He turned her to face him, taking both her hands. “You did not screw up. We’re in this together, Izzy.” He addressed the rest of the family. “I look forward to getting to know you all, but right now I really want to meet my daughter.”
Chapter Four
Izzy
She watched him carefully as he drove them back to her house. She knew he had to be stressed beyond belief by the events and the emotional rollercoaster of the day—and it wasn’t even noon! Poor guy! She marveled at the way he’d handled himself so far, especially when he took Tony down to the ground, neutralizing him rather than engaging in the fist fight her brother clearly desired. She doubted she would have handled it so well. It did give a chilling glimpse into his past, however, and she realized the gentle man sitting next to her had most likely killed people during his career in the army. Maybe a lot of people.
