by Ann, Natalie
Paula huffed out. “I’m not surprised you would think so, Mackenzie. You’ve never been as disciplined as the rest of us.”
“Thank you,” he replied happily, taking the comment as a compliment rather than the insult it was obviously intended as. Beth was trying to hide her shock over the comment to begin with and couldn’t believe Mac replied with a smile. But maybe that was a game they played. Who was she to say differently?
Lucas, who was sitting on the other side of Beth, was trying hard to not laugh by covering his mouth. He turned to play peek-a-boo with Zoe, attempting to get a smile out of her. Zoe seemed shy and unsure of herself around the group of adults, so Beth was thankful Lucas was attempting to ease Zoe’s fears. She wished someone would try to ease hers.
The waiter returned, saw everyone was seated and took the drink orders. When the waiter turned toward Zoe, he asked if she would like a glass of juice.
But Beth said, “No, Zoe. You had your juice for today. How about a glass of water instead?” She turned to the waiter. “Do you have any small glasses for her? Plastic would be best, if possible.”
Zoe frowned and pursued her lips, then turned to Mac. “Can I have juice, please?”
He had the gall to grin, then looked over her tiny head at Beth, and knew better not override her on this. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Mommy said you had your juice today, but I’ll get a glass of ice water too, like you. How is that?”
“OK,” Zoe replied merrily, crisis averted.
“Aren’t you such a doll,” the waiter told her. “We will get you your own special cup, too. Maybe I can find one to match that pretty dress.”
“Yellow,” Zoe informed him, as if he couldn’t see.
“Mackenzie, she should know better than to try to play you two against each other,” Paula said, referring to Zoe’s attempt for juice.
Beth opened her mouth to respond, but Lucas beat her to it. “Oh, I don’t know, Paula,” he said. “I think Zoe is smarter than the rest of us. She knows what she wants and has figured out how to get it, but she can take no for an answer better than most. Right, sweetie?” he asked Zoe with a wink.
Zoe, obviously confused over what Lucas had said, only grinned at him, her blue eyes a bit wide. Beth knew her daughter had a soft spot for Lucas.
Paula turned her nose at Lucas, but before she could make another comment the waiter was returning with their drinks, placing a flowered cup in front of Zoe. “Oh, pretty flowers.” Zoe looked up at the waiter with bright eyes and smiled widely. “Thank you,” she exclaimed.
“Paula, she seems to have some pretty good manners to me,” Richard said. “I don’t know too many young kids who say please and thank you all the time at that age. At least not without prompting.”
Beth was thankful that Mac’s father had defended Zoe also, and sent him a shy smile, causing him to wink back at her. She was beginning to see where Mac got his charm.
Then she turned her attention to the menu, not only shocked at the prices, but also alarmed to see there were no children’s dishes on the menu. When it came time to place her order, she asked, “Is it possible for Zoe to share my meal? She could never eat a full one.”
“No worries, we do half portions for children. I keep telling the owners they should list that on the menu,” the waiter added helpfully.
“Oh, OK. Then can I get a half portion of the grilled chicken and vegetables for Zoe? And I’ll have the grilled salmon.” Mac ordered a steak, making it three choices for Zoe. With any luck they wouldn’t have a food disaster on their hands. The waiter finished up everyone’s order and quietly left the room.
“Now that everyone is set, Lucas and I have an announcement to make.” Brooke picked up Lucas’s hand in hers and looked at her parents sitting across from her. “I’m pregnant.”
Beth saw Paula’s face light up, proving maybe Mac’s mother wasn’t as cold as she originally thought. Richard stood up and walked around to pull Brooke out of her chair and give her another hug and then shook Lucas’s hand.
“Oh, I’m so thrilled to be a grandmother,” Paula exclaimed. Then ruined it. “I look too young to be called Grandma though. I’ll think of another name to be called.”
“I’m sure you will, Mother,” Brooke said with a sigh.
Mac rolled his eyes, causing Zoe to giggle at the funny face he made.
“How are you feeling, Brooke? Any issues with your back?” her father asked, concerned.
“I’m feeling great. Between Mac and Lucas watching my every move, and Cori and Jack, I don’t think anyone is going to let me get away with trying to hide anything,” she replied.
“Jack?” Paula asked. “Cori was the loud little redhead at your wedding, but who is Jack? And shouldn’t you be talking with your orthopedist and getting opinions there, too?”
“Jack is my orthopedist. Dr. Reynolds,” she clarified for her mother.
“That’s a little unprofessional, calling your doctor by his first name, don’t you agree?” Paula asked, appalled.
“I would agree,” Lucas interrupted. “Except Jack is engaged to Brooke’s best friend. I’m pretty sure formality is ruled out then.”
“Mommy, can I have my mini? Please?” Zoe asked her mother.
Beth was taken back for a minute as she was watching the mixed reactions around the table. She may have never had a family life, but the tension in the room every time Paula spoke to Brooke or Mac was hard to miss. “Sure, sweetie.” She reached over and pulled the tablet from her purse and handed it to Zoe, knowing it would entertain her before the food arrived.
“Don’t you think she is a bit young to be playing with electronics, Mackenzie?” Paula asked her son, continuing to ignore Beth.
Just as Beth opened her mouth to respond, Mac addressed his mother. “Actually, you and Beth both feel the same way,” he said, causing his mother to frown critically. “But I disagree with both of you. If used in moderation, and properly, they are great learning tools. Zoe is easily further ahead than most children her age in terms of letters and numbers right now.”
They were saved once again by the waiter, who seemed to have perfect timing today with the arrival of their meals. Thankfully the rest of the meal was done in relative quiet, just a few comments regarding work thrown about. There was only one more tense moment when Paula asked, “Brooke, when are you going to quit your job and stay home to raise the baby?”
Luckily Lucas came to Brooke’s defense and spoke first, because at that moment Beth was sure Brooke was going to explode, her knuckles had even turned white while she gripped her fork. “Brooke definitely has the option to quit her job and stay home full time, but she also has my support to continue working. It will be her decision for what’s best for her. Both my parents worked and I turned out fine,” he added with a boyishly charming grin.
Within an hour, the last of the plates were being cleared away, everyone’s patience at its end. Thankfully the dinner was officially over.
“Mommy, I need to go potty,” Zoe said, starting to squirm in the chair. Beth hurriedly stood up and unhooked Zoe from the booster seat and excused the two of them. When she returned a few minutes later it was to find Mac’s parents had left without saying goodbye. She thought it was odd, but then again, she didn’t really care at this point, she was just relieved it was almost over.
But she felt bad for Mac. She could see he was putting up a valiant effort to be cheerful and unaffected by his mother’s comments, unfortunately she knew better. She noticed his hand fisted in his lap every time Paula made a negative comment regarding Zoe or Brooke. For her part, she didn’t care what they thought of her, but she did care how they treated Mac. And was especially bothered by the attacks on Zoe, or rather Beth’s parenting of Zoe.
“Well, another lovely dinner party,” Lucas said, trying to break the tension in the room.
Everyone laughed, though no one really thought the comment was funny.
***
As the five of them left the restaurant togeth
er, Brooke reached over and gave Mac a hug and kiss goodbye. “I’m sorry that you got the brunt of it again.”
“Don’t be. I expected it. I’m upset that she had to find a way to turn your happy news into something frustrating.”
Brooke shrugged. Her mother was who she was, and there was nothing Brooke could do about it anymore. “Well, I’ll talk to you later.” She turned and gave Beth a hug goodbye, clearly surprising her. Then gave Zoe a hug and kiss, too.
“I don’t know how Mac does it,” Brooke told Lucas on the drive home. “How does he keep his patience like that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think Mac is as patient as you think. Nor do I think this is going to go on much longer.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. It’s a hunch,” Lucas replied. “I didn’t miss Mac’s reaction every time Paula took a shot at Zoe, or at Beth’s parenting. I would bet anything Mac is going to be having a talk with his mother soon, if not avoiding her altogether in the future.”
“I hope she isn’t like that when our baby is born,” Brooke said solemnly.
“She won’t be. You have my word.”
Comfort
“I’m sorry,” Mac said once they were seated in the car and on the road back home.
“No worries,” she replied, nonchalantly. Reaching over, she placed her hand on his near the shifter. “Your family get-togethers are still nicer than mine,” she said with a half smile.
He didn’t find that funny. He knew today was going to be uncomfortable, had expected it, only he didn’t expect how much he was going to be bothered by it.
Laughing off his mother’s rudeness was a lot harder than it had seemed before. At least Zoe seemed unfazed by everything today. Thank goodness for small favors. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw her eyes starting to droop. “Do you want her to fall asleep again?”
Beth turned with a start. “Oh, no. Zoe, honey.” Mac saw Zoe’s eyes pop back open in the mirror. “As much as this pains me to do,” she mumbled. “Do you want to play with your mini?”
“Yay,” Zoe cried out. “Play with the numbers and colors.”
“You got it.” Beth reached into her purse on the floor by her feet and handed the tablet over to Zoe, and then she looked back at Mac. “Are you OK?”
“What?” He glanced over at her, saw her eyes moving over his face in concern, seeing more than he wanted her to see. He put a smile on his face, for her. “Yeah, I’m fine. Long day.”
She settled back, tilted the seat a bit more and yawned.
“You look tired. Why don’t you close your eyes, Zoe will be fine.”
“If you don’t mind, because I suddenly feel exhausted. Guess it’s been a long weekend,” Beth said.
Twenty minutes later Mac looked over and saw Beth had indeed fallen right to sleep. She looked so peaceful, like a modern day sleeping beauty. She was gorgeous, so relaxed, so trusting. Unfortunately he knew she was still holding back, and he wished she wouldn’t, but he didn’t know how to change it. He didn’t know what else he could do right now for her to actually believe he would be there for her.
But she was his. The fierceness of that moment twisted his heart. He would do anything to keep her safe, anything to keep her happy.
Hearing Zoe happily calling out colors and counting in the backseat made him look back. A mini version of her mom. And another feeling of fierceness, because she was his, too.
***
Mac rolled over and listened again. He didn’t hear anything, thought he must have been dreaming, so he rolled back over and closed his eyes.
There it was again. Faint, not crying, but more like talking or maybe mumbling. Beth was still sleeping soundly, so he grabbed his shorts from the floor. He walked through the living room and into Zoe’s room where he heard her talking.
Moving closer, he realized she was talking in her sleep. “Mean witch,” she mumbled.
He grinned, and figured it had to be another princess dream. “Leave my daddy alone,” he heard next and stopped short, not thinking he heard her right. He moved closer to the bed, and she mumbled again. “Don’t make my daddy mad.”
Now he frowned. He knew she had never met her father and didn’t even know what a father was. That upset him; however, he was trying to change that, and hoped that he was. She must be fighting some mean witch in her dream.
Grinning some more, he rested his hand on her head, brushed her hair out of her face and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Night, sweetie. Have happy dreams,” he whispered. He could swear she smiled, or maybe it was his imagination.
Since he was up, he went to the kitchen for a glass of water. It had been a long day indeed. He was actually grateful for the quiet ride home. He wasn’t in any mood to talk about what happened today. Shaking his head and pushing those thoughts from his mind, he realized he would have to figure something out.
It shouldn’t be too hard. His visits with his parents were few and far in between, but he couldn’t avoid them completely. He would talk to Brooke and figure something out there, too, see where her head was at. His father was at least trying to make peace, and for that he was even more grateful.
Earlier this evening, after they’d put Zoe to bed, Beth must have sensed his mood, and pulled him into her room. “I may not have a license for this, but I think I can give a pretty decent back rub. You look like you could use a bit of relaxation tonight. Why don’t you get undressed?” she had suggested.
He didn’t need to be asked twice. Lying on his stomach in the middle of her bed, she straddled his hips and went to work. She had started at his lower back and worked her way up. Pressing the heels of her hands into his back, then moving them up to his shoulders, and continued until he was completely relaxed. She had gripped his thick shoulders in her hands, squeezing them until he felt the tension being eliminated. Then she moved down his biceps, over his forearms and back to his shoulders again.
He had been taking comfort in her touch, until all of a sudden she turned it into something else. When he felt her kiss his shoulder, he thought she was done with the massage, and was looking forward to returning the favor. Only she continued to kiss him down his spine, over his back, over his arms—teasing him. Suddenly he decided to let her control the show.
“Roll over,” she ordered him, and he gladly complied.
She had changed into a tank top and shorts earlier when they’d gotten home. Except she was only wearing her tank top and panties when the massage started, which she made fast work of discarding, then straddled his waist. Leaning forward she had started to tease him, placing kisses on his cheek, his mouth, his neck, never staying in one place for long. Changing her direction at random, she threw him off guard as to where she would go next.
When she started to move down his chest, he held his breath and waited while she trailed her fingers over his chest, down his waist and below. She grasped him in her hand, and ran her fingers up and down the length of him, all the while kissing his chest and abdomen. Before he knew it, her mouth replaced her hand.
Tentatively at first, she tasted him. It didn’t take long before she found her rhythm, wringing moans from his throat. Moans, that turned to shouts minutes later.
She had given him everything and more—the best he’d ever had. And she wasn’t done yet, he discovered. She moved back up his body, with her lips of course. He loved her mouth on him, everywhere it had been and everywhere it was going again.
She whispered in his ear, “What’s your recovery time?” Reaching over, she pulled a packet from the box he had stored in her bedside table months ago.
He knew she was smiling, and was trying to smile himself, except he couldn’t quite manage it, he felt completely drained. “Pretty good.” Then groaned when she moved her mouth back to his chest, torturing him again.
Watching her roll the condom on, he griped her hips, then lifted her up and slid her slowly on top of him. She let out a raspy moan when his hands found her breasts, and u
rged her to lean forward so he could return the torture she had bestowed on him.
Her hips started to rise and fall of their own accord. He felt her inner muscles squeezing him—a precise move. She rose up squeezing him tight, and then released him as she slid down. She had complete control over her body and was making his body sing in a way he hadn’t experienced before.
He thought he’d died and gone to heaven as she continued like that for minutes, squeezing and releasing, sliding up and down. Her breath was coming in gasps, just as fast as his. Until at last, he yanked her head down and smothered his mouth with hers, shouting out his release.
He couldn’t help but think how amazing she had been tonight. Now with his glass of water empty, he placed it in the sink and made his way back to her room.
Detouring for a quick check on Zoe, he found her fast asleep, all the talking done. Back in Beth’s room, he climbed in next to her and pulled her close, taking comfort in her body as he drifted off to sleep.
***
The alarm on his phone went off much earlier than he would have liked. Rolling out of bed, he grabbed his shorts and made his way to her tiny bathroom in the hopes of taking a quick shower. He hated staying in there longer than necessary because the shower head barely hit his chest, causing him to bend over to get his hair wet.
When he exited the steamy room he saw Beth in the kitchen making breakfast. “You didn’t need to get up. I know it’s early for you.” He walked over and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.
“I wanted to. I like cooking for you.”
Warmed, feeling much better than he had yesterday, he asked, “What are you making?”
“Pancakes, Zoe’s favorite. She’ll be happy, too.” She reached for the milk, started to pour it in the batter and had to place it back down quick.
“What? What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Does this smell bad? I just bought it, but the scent hit me hard.” She held it out to him.
