by Amy Reece
“But Sophie will miss me! Please, Momma?”
Izzy steeled herself to resist the huge green eyes. “Janelle MacKenzie! I said no.”
Janey’s chin trembled with imminent tears, but Mac stepped in, scooping her into his strong arms. “Come on, Princess. Sophie will sleep the whole time. Don’t worry about her. Cats know how to take care of themselves. I need you to introduce me to all your aunts and uncles. I’ll never remember all their names without you. Do you think you can do that for me?”
She nodded and kissed his cheek for the first time.
Izzy smiled as she remembered the stunned expression on his face. “You ready for this?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He pulled her against him and kissed her fully. “That will get me through the upcoming inquisition.”
“Hey, you two!” Cara stood on the porch, an insufferable smirk on her face. “Are you gonna make out all night? It’s freezing out here! Come on!”
Izzy smiled up at him and took his hand to lead him inside.
“Hey, Mac.” Cara greeted him with a hug. “It’s good to see you again.”
The family, except for Izzy’s mother, Moira, were gathered in the family room. Janey was in Hugh’s arms, telling him all about her kitten, Sophie. When she saw Izzy and Mac enter the room, she squirmed to be let down. She ran to Mac, grabbed his hand, and towed him to stand in front of Hugh. “Uncle Hugh, this is Mac. He’s my daddy and he bought me a kitten.” She stared up at the two men, seemingly oblivious to the tension between them, yet frustrated by their lack of interaction. Each seemed to be waiting for the other to speak first. “Well?” Janey demanded, hands on her little hips.
Hugh looked down at his niece and sighed. “Good to see you again, Mac.” He held his hand out.
Mac took it and the two shook briefly. “You too, Hugh.”
Izzy still felt the animosity from her brother and the wariness from Mac, but at least they were civil. It was probably the most she could hope for at this point.
“Come on.” Janey grabbed Mac’s hand again and dragged him around to the rest of the family. Predictably, her brothers were hesitant, but at least Tony didn’t try to hit him again. Mel was sweet and hugged him—something Izzy didn’t think she would have done before becoming part of their exuberant family—then nudged Finn until he shook hands with him. Moira came through from the kitchen as Janey finished her circuit and greeted him with a hug. Thank God for the women in her family. This seemed to loosen the rest of them up enough for Seamus to offer Mac a beer and Finn to start talking about football teams.
Her mother had prepared one of her signature feasts, an interesting mix of northern Italian and Irish cuisine. The wine flowed freely and everyone’s temper improved as the dinner progressed. Mac was the perfect guest, lavishly complimenting Moira’s cooking and especially seeming to enjoy her Colcannon, a mashed potato dish with cabbage, bacon, and onions, which she always made for Janey, who tended to be a picky eater.
“So, Mac,” her father began, “Izzy tells us you work for Homeland Security.” It was clearly a prompt to continue.
Mac squeezed her hand under the table and winked at her. And thus begins the inquisitorial segment of the evening. “Yes, sir. I work with the Fusion Program here in Albuquerque. My team is responsible for threat assessments around the state. We also do quite a bit of training for various companies.”
“What kind of training?” Seamus asked.
“Active shooter, bomb threats, that sort of thing. I can put an audience to sleep in under five minutes. I’ve mastered the art of a boring PowerPoint presentation.” Everyone laughed with him.
“I could give you a few hints,” Cara offered. “You can liven up a lecture and get your audience more engaged pretty easily. If you’re interested.”
“Absolutely. That would be great. Thanks.” He scooted his chair back from the table as Janey climbed from her booster seat and asked to sit on his lap. Izzy knew she was getting sleepy and would most likely fall asleep during dessert. “Come here, Princess.” He murmured the words and smoothed her hair away from her face as she snuggled into his arms. Izzy watched her brothers observe the closeness between the little girl and Mac and saw their frowns. Janey usually chose to sit with Hugh at the end of a family meal and Izzy wondered if he was feeling a bit bereft. His face gave nothing away, however, so she raised her eyebrows at him and nodded slightly toward Mac and Janey. He grimaced and rolled his eyes, but nodded a reluctant approval.
“Well, I have something to say and I guess I better do it before Miss Janey falls asleep, because I think she’s going to want to know,” Finn announced. “Mel and I are going to have a baby.”
The stunned expressions around the table lasted only seconds before there was a general outcry of excitement and congratulations. Moira vaulted from her seat and nearly yanked Melanie from her chair to hug her, tears streaming down her face.
“Oh, my goodness! This is wonderful news! When?”
“Sometime in late September.” Mel wiped her own eyes and laughed. “Sorry. I seem to cry at the drop of a hat these days.”
“When she’s not throwing up, that is,” Finn added as he put his arm around his wife.
Izzy remembered those days. She’d been sick for three solid months with Janey, then it disappeared and she’d felt great for the rest of her pregnancy. But it had been lonely, and she was glad Mel had the love and support of a husband to help her through the next eight months. She felt an ache in her chest and sternly tamped down the jealous feelings trying to bubble up. But I’ll be thirty-three in a few months. I’m not getting any younger, and if I want more children it wouldn’t be wise to wait too long. She glanced at Mac cuddling their daughter in his lap and wondered if he would ever want more kids. Whoa! Slow down, girl! Besides, that would require sex, which seems to have been taken off the table for now. He looked up at that moment and smiled at her, causing an ache of an entirely different sort. She forced her attention back to the family and the good news. She couldn’t help smiling at the expression on Finn’s face as he accepted the hearty congratulations from his brothers. He’s been through so much in the last year: nearly getting killed twice, first by a hit-and-run that left him in a coma for two weeks and a wheelchair for several months, then by a crazy stalker woman who had formed an obsession for him. He deserved every bit of the happiness he’d found with Mel.
The news seemed to set an easier tone for the rest of the evening, and Izzy had some hope her family would learn to accept and love Mac sooner, rather than later.
***
Mac
Janey was sound asleep when he took her from her car seat, so he carried her inside and told Izzy he’d put her to bed. Putting pajamas on her was like trying to dress a rag doll, but he managed, and tucked her under the covers with her kitten, who’d followed them down the hall to Janey’s bedroom, seeming to accept her role as nighttime snuggler. He waited a few minutes to make sure she would stay asleep, then dimmed her light the rest of the way and returned to the living room.
“She’s out. Thanks.” He accepted the mug from Izzy.
“I figured we should stick to herbal tea tonight since there was so much wine at dinner. You don’t have to rush off, do you?” She looked unexpectedly vulnerable as she sipped her tea.
“No, of course not. Come here.” He took her tea, set it on the coffee table in front of them with his, and pulled her close. “I haven’t kissed you in almost three hours.”
She giggled softly, something he wasn’t used to from the usually serious Izzy, and complied, lifting her face to his. “I think this evening went pretty well.”
“Yeah, it was great,” he murmured against her lips, not particularly caring to discuss it at the moment. Right now all he could think about were her lips and his need to taste them again. He sank into the kiss, pushing her down into the cushions and covering her body with his. God, she felt so good beneath him, and it was all he could do not to take this amazing kiss to its natural c
onclusion. But at the top of the list of Reasons Why He Shouldn’t Make Love to Izzy Right Now was the fact that their five-year-old daughter was asleep down the hall. Shit, how do married couples with kids manage sex? If he could corral a few brain cells at the moment, he’d make a mental note to ask someone at work. There had to be way, though, right? Otherwise nobody would have brothers or sisters, would they? I guess I could ask Izzy’s parents. They certainly seemed to have figured it out. He smiled against her mouth at the thought of asking her father about the finer points of sex after the first child, but then Izzy slid her hand down to rest on his rear end and all rational thought fled.
He was reaching for her bra clasp when a soft cough from the back of the house broke through his mental fog. “Sorry. I got a bit carried away.” He sat up and pulled her shirt down. “Sit on that end of the couch, woman.” He reached for his rapidly cooling tea and took a large gulp. “God, Izzy. What you do to me.” He shook his head.
She ran her hand through her hair and reached for own tea, an adorably flustered look on her face. “Right back at you, Mac.”
“Why don’t you tell me about your day at work? That seems like a safe topic.”
“Um, okay.” She shook her head, as if to clear it. “Sure. I’ve been looking through some boxes of financial records for a millwork company to see if we want to extend a contract to them. Boring enough for you?”
“Not at all. What are you looking for?” He didn’t think he could ever be bored listening to her.
“Nothing specific, but we wanted to make sure the company is as strong as they claim before we put our name alongside theirs. We asked for a few recent bank and payroll statements, but they had a temp that day and she sent over at least a dozen boxes. I found all sorts of interesting stuff.”
“Such as?” He listened as she told him about the extravagant donations and the low wages they paid their employees. Her face lit up as she talked about it and he realized she loved her job. “So, you majored in accounting in college?”
“Forensic accounting. I got a master’s degree in it. I planned to work for the government, but then Dad retired and asked Hugh and I to take over. It’s not exactly what I was planning, but I like it.”
“I’m sure it pays better than government work too. I don’t think many government accountants could afford a house like this.” He gestured around the room. Not to mention that luxury car she drives.
“This is a DeLuca Home, you know. I got a very good price.”
“An employee discount, huh?”
“Something like that. My daddy didn’t give it to me.” She bristled and crossed her arms.
“Hey.” He grabbed her feet and put them in his lap. He stripped off her socks and began massaging her feet. “I wasn’t implying anything. Don’t be cranky, sweetheart.” He rubbed for a moment, concentrating on her arches. Even her feet were sexy. “The Southwest Anti-Poverty League? Let me take a look tomorrow. It’s ringing a bell, and that’s not a good thing, given what I do for a living.”
***
“Hey, Dar.” Mac looked up from his screen as his partner entered their cubicle. “Does the Southwest Anti-Poverty League sound familiar? I swear I remember running across the name, but now I can’t find it.”
Darius removed his jacket and set it on the back of his chair. “Yeah, it does. Give me a few minutes. I’m sure I can find it.”
It took quite a bit longer, but by lunchtime Darius had found it. “Got it! They’re on a watch list that was sent out last week. They’re low priority, but…ugh. They’re pretty icky.”
“Icky? Let me see.” Mac stood and peered over his shoulder. “Hmm, I see what you mean. Icky is right. Can you print that out for me?”
“Sure.” He clicked the print command, then handed him the sheet of paper. “Where are you off to?”
Mac finished putting on his jacket. “I think I’ll see if Izzy can do lunch. Shut up,” he muttered as Darius gave him a knowing look and laughed, saying he wouldn’t expect him back anytime soon.
He’d never been to her office before, but it wasn’t hard to find, especially given he had the resources of the U.S. Government at his disposal. He parked his SUV and admired the modern edifice with DeLuca Construction in large silver letters across the front.
“May I help you?” The receptionist was middle-aged and short, with dark, graying hair.
“Yeah, hi. I’d like to see Izzy if she’s here.”
“Hmm.” She frowned at him over her reading glasses. “Have a seat. I’ll see if Ms. DeLuca is available.”
He sighed and resigned himself to waiting while the receptionist/watchdog picked up her phone and spoke quietly into it. A moment later, he heard a door open down the hall beyond the reception desk and then Izzy was rushing into the outer office and into his arms. He enjoyed the surprised look on the receptionist’s face over Izzy’s shoulder as he hugged her. He decided to have some fun by pulling back and then laying a searing kiss on Izzy’s lips. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hey.” She looked dazed for a moment, then, prompted by the ‘ahem’ behind them, she turned in his arms. “Malva, this is Mac MacNeil. He’s, well, he’s…”
“I’m a friend of Izzy’s,” he said, stepping forward to shake the woman’s hand.
“A very good friend, apparently.” Malva shook his hand briefly and sniffed.
Izzy laughed delightedly. “Oh, Malva, don’t be like that! Mac is Janey’s father. And my boyfriend.” She raised her eyebrows, daring him to contradict her.
She was crazy if she thought he’d do that. He wrapped an arm around her waist and greeted the receptionist. “Hi. Malva. It’s really nice to meet you.”
Malva relented and shook his hand before Izzy pulled him back to her office. She shut the door and pushed him onto her couch, following him down, then proceeded to kiss him thoroughly. Long moments later, he reluctantly set her away.
“I hope you don’t greet all your visitors this way.” He cleared his throat and chuckled.
She laughed and stood, straightening her blouse. “Only the cute ones. I see you found my office. Any particular reason?”
“Beyond the obvious?” He stood and kissed her on the nose. “Actually, I do have a reason. I found some information on the Southwest Anti-Poverty League.”
“Really? Let me get Hugh.”
Within a few minutes, Hugh and Izzy were seated together on the sofa while Mac disclosed the background information he’d discovered. They watched him, disgust dawning on their faces, as he explained.
“Eugenics? The poverty gene? What the literal fuck?” Izzy exclaimed.
“The league vows to support the eradication of poverty through the destruction of communities with a high concentration of people they feel possess this ‘poverty gene.’ In Albuquerque, that means poor Hispanic families,” Mac explained. “They’re on a domestic terror watch list.”
“That’s the kind of charity Lyon Millwork is supporting?” asked Hugh. “Do you know how many people that could include in this city? We’re majority-minority here, you know.”
“More than supporting. From what we’ve seen, Lyon Millwork is an integral part of the organization. They’re laundering money through the carpentry business. And yes, we have exact figures on how many people that may include in Albuquerque.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Have you sent the boxes of financial documents back yet, Izzy?”
“No. They’re packed and ready to go, but I’m still waiting on the courier service.”
“Call and cancel them. I need a couple hours with those boxes.” He pointed to his cell phone. “I’ll call a federal judge and get a subpoena. It shouldn’t take too long. Maybe we could go to lunch and pick it up on the way back?”
Izzy nodded and grabbed her jacket.
“Don’t you need a warrant?” asked Hugh.
Mac shook his head and smiled. “The police would, but Homeland Security operates under the USA Freedom Act, and this is an issue of national security. A subpoe
na will do, and will be easy to get for something like this.”
He was right. The subpoena was waiting at the federal courthouse by the time they were finished with lunch, so he was able to get started as soon as they returned to Izzy’s office. He spent the next few hours photographing the relevant documents from Lyon Millwork. He would have had little idea what was relevant and what was not, but Izzy worked alongside him, keeping notes on a legal pad of what he’d photographed and why it was important. Hugh brought them coffee a couple hours in, then left them alone for the rest of the afternoon.
“Oh, shoot!” Izzy glanced up at the clock and grimaced.
“What?”
“I’m supposed to meet Cara for drinks in a little while.” She stood and dusted off her slacks.
“So go. I can finish up here.” He barely looked up from the documents.
“I have to pick up Janey from daycare and take her to my mom. Maybe I can call Cara and reschedule.” She started toward her desk.
He stood and grabbed her hand. “Hey. Don’t reschedule. I’ll pick up Janey and take her to your place. Go have fun with Cara.”
