Rose

by Alison Chaffin Higson

  With breakfast now finished, she stood and walked to the backdoor to find Thomas and Dean sitting on the steps. “Thanks for your help, guys.”

  Dean grinned. “Is it safe?”

  “It is. For abandoning me, you get to wash the dishes!”

  He stood up and kissed her, then walked back inside to finish his breakfast along with Thomas.

  <><><>

  “Lucas, what would you say if we go fishing this morning and read some comics this afternoon?”

  “Sounds cool.”

  Thomas was holding Lucas’ hand as they walked to his cottage to get the rods from the front porch where he’d left them before going for breakfast.

  He chuckled to himself about Dean and Mack. He’d noticed them both glancing at each other all through breakfast. Things looked to be heating up there. They’d only met yesterday, but they seemed so in tune with each other. Sometimes a man and woman could spend a lifetime together and never be truly ‘together’. His mother and father came to mind. He really hoped everything worked out for Mack and Dean. They made such a promising couple.

  “Thomas, do you know how to make a cake?”

  Lucas broke his train of thought and he looked down to see him waiting for a response. “What do you want to make a cake for?”

  “For Auntie Mack.”

  Thomas raised his eyebrows. “Why? Is it her birthday?” She hadn’t mentioned anything.

  “No, but she always makes them for me, so I thought I could make her one this time, with your help.”

  “Hmm. Well. I think it would be safer if we buy one. It might be more like the blind leading the blind, trying to make a cake.” Thomas grinned at Lucas, who looked ready to carry on discussing a cake, then obviously thought better of it.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  They reached his cottage. “Let’s try and catch some fish for dinner instead.” He collected the rods and his fishing basket, took hold of Lucas’ hand again, for the walk to the stream. It was his favorite fishing spot that he’d been coming to for more years than he cared to remember.

  Chapter 18

  Mack was now alone with Dean, and all she wanted was to feel his lips on hers or even better, his hands on her body. Smiling to herself, she perched on top of the kitchen table, fluffed her hair, stuck her chest out, then smiled in Dean’s direction.

  “Dean.”

  He turned to look at her and nearly dropped the plate in his hand. “Mack,” he croaked. “What…” He coughed, gulped, put the plate to one side and very slowly walked over to her. “You are playing hell with my intentions, Mack. You know that?” Dean leaned in and placed his hands on Mack’s hips. He was a breath away from her lips.

  Mack reached up and ran her hands through his hair, then smiled when she felt a shudder work its way through him.

  “Mack.” He breathed heavily as his lips met hers in a slow seductive kiss. Their tongues met and mated as Dean took hold of Mack’s head to hold her in place while he deepened the kiss.

  Mack wrapped her legs around Dean, and pulled him closer.

  “I’m not doing this.” Dean broke from the kiss.

  “Doing what?” Mack replied, innocently.

  Dean groaned. “You know what. I want you, Mack, but I want to take things slow, spend time with you.”

  “This is spending time with me,” Mack interrupted.

  Dean untangled himself and stepped away, resting his back against the kitchen sink then just stared at her.

  “You. Are. Lethal. I have no intention of going anywhere, so we are going to spend time together, without sex getting in the way.” Dean laughed at the look on Mack’s face. “For now, that is.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Yep.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited her out.

  “Oh, all right then. What do you want to do?” His eyes flared at her question, which Mack caught and snickered. “Just remember whose idea this was.”

  “I won’t forget. Lets grab our jackets and climb on the Harley.”

  <><><>

  They’d spent the morning driving along the coastal roads, with Dean pulling over now and again for Mack to take some photographs. Although he’d been convinced that she’d only wanted to stop to grope his butt.

  Back at the cottage, Dean parked the bike up and waited for Mack to climb off, before joining her. With their helmets removed and placed on the bike he took hold of Mack’s hand, pulling her down the path to the beach.

  Mack slid her hand out from Dean’s and moved in closer, wrapping her arm around his waist, as Dean put his arm around her shoulders.

  “You feel good against me, Mack.”

  “I know,” she smirked.

  She really was driving him crazy. In fact he considered himself an idiot for refusing her in the kitchen, earlier. What the hell had he been thinking? He’d actually been thinking, that he wanted it to last, to hopefully build what had started with Mack, into something more, and he didn’t want to screw it all up with sex getting involved, at least until they’d gotten to know each other better.

  “Dean!” Lucas shouted, just before the Frisbee clonked him on the back of the head.

  Mack burst out laughing as Dean took off running after a Lucas, who ended up falling over, giggling so much.

  “Stop. Stop. Stop.”

  “Are you sorry?” Dean asked him, while they both wrestled in the sand.

  “It wasn’t me,” Lucas just about managed to get out.

  Dean froze. “Are you telling me you didn’t just throw the Frisbee at my head?”

  Lucas just nodded and pointed towards, Thomas.

  Dean glanced at Mack who was openly laughing, stood up brushing the sand from his jeans, then started walking towards Thomas with Lucas running behind him screaming for Thomas to run.

  Before Dean could get to Thomas, Lucas tackled him from behind which sent them both tumbling back down.

  Dean couldn’t hold his laughter in anymore and grabbed Lucas, gave him a quick tickle, then got them both upright again.

  “Lucas, I wasn’t about to tackle Thomas to the sand.”

  Lucas looked from Dean to Thomas. “You weren’t?”

  “No, but I did think we could have some fun and maybe get Thomas to sit over there, while you bury his feet in the sand for letting me think it was you with the Frisbee.”

  “Hmm, I think I like that idea. I need some ants.”

  Both Mack and Dean started to chuckle at the look that crossed Thomas’ face. “The sand will be enough… this time!” Dean told him.

  “Oh, all right.”

  Dean stayed back, pulling Mack into his arms again as they stood and watched Lucas take hold of Thomas’ hand, leading him to the place Dean had suggested he get his feet buried.

  “They’re really going to miss each other when we go back to Boston.”

  “We’re not too far away in Boston. It’s only a couple of hours, we can bring him back to visit,” Dean replied, grinning when Mack realized he’d said ‘we’.

  Mack grinned back, buried her head in Dean’s chest and kissed him, while holding on tight around his waist.

  Chapter 19

  The past week had flown by, with Mack and Dean, spending most of their time together, and occasionally taking Thomas and Lucas with them, in Mack’s car. Lucas though, preferred to spend his time with Thomas, who sometimes would take him to meet up with Walt and Levi. This had left Mack and Dean alone more often than not, so they would spend their time sitting, cuddled together on the beach, or in the evenings, on the sofa. Dean had spoken about his love of drawing and art, while Mack had spoken about the joys of being a teacher to a mischievous class of seven-year-olds.

  She would really miss Thomas when the summer was over, and leaving Thomas, would probably break Lucas’ heart. At least with him constantly being entertained he hadn’t missed his parents as much as she thought he would. He would talk to them on the phone most nights, and go over his antics of the day.

&n
bsp; He’d gone fishing again with Thomas, and they planned on reading some more comics, while Mack hadn’t even picked up Rose’s diary in a week. She’d been too exhausted and giddy after spending her days with Dean, who had yet to get her naked!

  “Spend the day with me?” Dean asked, making her jump, as she’d been lost in thought.

  He walked over to her as she glanced up at him. “I’d like that. Do you want to go to the beach and take a picnic? I want to tell you about something.”

  “That would be great.” He really hoped she was going to tell him about the diary. It had nearly killed him, this past week, not saying anything with how close they’d become. He’d tried to tell her on numerous occasions, but he’d always chickened out. Hopefully, the perfect opportunity would arise at the beach. He just hoped she wouldn’t be too pissed with him.

  She’d put a small picnic together. Dean walked over, took the blanket from the drawer, tucked it under his arm, picked up the picnic basket and finally took hold of Mack’s hand as they headed down to the beach. During the walk, Mack couldn’t help but wonder whether she was making the wrong decision, trusting a guy she’d only known a short time. He was certainly the first guy to get her libido to sit up and take notice from the get go. That had never happened to her before, perhaps it was an omen.

  She led Dean over to the sheltered section of beach she’d come to favor over the past few weeks. He unfolded the blanket as Mack set the beach mats on top with the back supports built in, these were the best purchase she had made in a long time. She loved sitting on the beach, reading. With this support she was rather comfortable and could sit for hours.

  Dean sat down and reclined against one of the mats. He held his hand out for her. She reached into her purse for the diary, then snuggled into a comfortable position between his legs, resting against his chest.

  He put his arms around her and they just enjoyed the peace and quiet for a few minutes. Dean felt good with her wrapped in his arms. A soft, warm woman with curves. Not only was she hot, she had the biggest heart going. Not many young women would befriend an eighty-year-old man like Thomas.

  Mack broke the silence. “The day after we moved into Rose Cottage, I was putting some boxes on top of the cabinets in the kitchen, and found this.” She showed him the diary. “When I opened it, the first page says, ‘This is the diary of a Rose, March 4, 1947’.”

  “Wow, that’s sometime ago.” This could be his moment. The time to admit whom he was related to.

  “I know. I’ve been reading it, and it’s a love story between Rose and a young man by the name of Jacob Evans.”

  He went still and Mack gave him an odd look. “Carry on, it’s interesting,” he told her.

  “Okay. It’s so sad, Dean. They didn’t even know each other more than two months, when she died trying to run away with him to Boston.”

  He didn’t know what to say, so stayed silent, lost in his own thoughts. He knew his grandfather had married in 1947. It was also the year his father had been born.

  It seemed impossible that his grandfather, who had always seemed so in love with his grandmother, Eliza, could have wanted someone else. Whenever they passed each other, they always touched or shared a loving embrace.

  For as long as he could remember, his grandparents always looked to be in love, always touching and kissing, whenever they passed each other. Whenever his grandfather had gone away on business, his grandmother had always accompanied him. They had five children, his father, James, his uncles Luke, Peter, and Derek, and his Aunt Rosalind. Could Aunt Rosalind have been named after his grandfather’s first love ‘Rose’, without his grandmother’s knowledge? It seemed so farfetched.

  “Dean?”

  “Yeah.” He leaned down and placed a kiss to her forehead.

  “The part that upsets me the most is that the night Rose died, Jacob had no idea she passed away. All these years, her family has led him to believe she married someone else.”

  “Seriously?”

  “She was on her way to meet him when she died. A month later, apparently Jacob rang to ask about Rose, and her father told Jacob that she had stayed and married this other man, who was interested in her, named Richard, and that she didn’t want anything to do with Jacob. So all these years, he’s believed she chose someone else.”

  “That’s so sad, Mack.”

  “Exactly. I found him. Jacob Evans. He’s eighty-eight and lives in Brookline, Boston. I left a message with his housekeeper, but he hasn’t gotten back to me yet. I know he’s married, but I need to tell him, Rose really did love him, but died before meeting him that night.”

  She lifted her head from Dean’s chest. “Thomas is Rose’s brother, she referred to him in her diary as JT. He told me what his father said to Jacob on the phone. Do you think that I’m right in wanting to tell Jacob about Rose? It really does break my heart.”

  He looked down into Mack’s eyes, which were full of tears. “Come here.” He pulled her even closer and used his thumbs to wipe her tears away.

  “Yes I do.” He took a deep breath for courage. “I’ll help you see Jacob Evans, because I’m…”

  “Auntie Mack, look at the size of this fish,” Lucas shouted, running towards them on the beach.

  Damn, just when he’d worked himself up to tell her the truth, they were interrupted.

  Mack stood and started heading towards Lucas. She turned back to Dean. “Thanks, for listening.”

  She ran over to Lucas. “Wow! That is huge!” Then stopped short. “Is it dead?”

  “Don’t be silly. Of course it’s dead!” Lucas replied, in disgust.

  “Do you both want a sandwich?” she asked.

  She sat back down on the blanket, as Dean started to wrestle around the sand with Lucas. Mack wished this was her family. She was really falling for Dean.

  That was something she had never wished for before, with anyone else, until now. Reading Rose’s diary had made her long for that kind of love and commitment.

  There was something real happening with Dean, although they didn’t know a great deal, if anything, about each other. Over the past week she’d mentioned family, but for some reason he always changed the subject, although, on one or two occasions, Lucas had interrupted.

  “No thanks, Mack. We’ll leave you two alone. We’re going to put the fish in the fridge, have lunch, then more comic reading!” Taking hold of Lucas, Thomas pulled him along to leave the lovers alone.

  “Bye, Auntie Mack. Bye, Dean.”

  “See you later, rugrat.”

  “We’ll see you both later then,” Mack said.

  As he watched them walk away, Dean knew he now had the perfect opportunity to come clean and break it to her gently. He was praying he didn’t upset her too much.

  “Tell me about Mackenzie?” he asked. He took Mack by the hand, and pulled her back down to lie cuddled into his side, with her head resting on his shoulder, and his arm around her.

  She smiled and inhaled deeply. “Okay. You already know some of this, but let me refresh your memory. Mackenzie Louise Harper, is twenty-seven years old and a teacher from Roslindale, Boston. Her parents are Louise and Alex Harper, who are fifty-nine and sixty-five years old, respectively. They live in a retirement village on the North Shore, after spending more than thirty-five years teaching high school. My sister, Melinda is four years older than me, and married to a doctor, Daniel. They only have the one son, Lucas. I’m not divorced, married, or in a relationship. I think that about covers it. What about you?”

  Now or never. He inhaled. “Mack, my name is Dean James… Evans.” He felt her go still next to him. “My mother’s maiden name is Simone. I’m a graphic novelist, my sister, Alice is five years older than me, and married to Simon, who’s in financing.”

  He took another deep breath for courage while he glanced at Mack. “I’m thirty-two, not divorced, married, or in a relationship. My parents are Anne and James, who are sixty-two and sixty-five years old, respectively. They live with my grandpa
rents in Brookline… They are Jacob and Eliza Evans.”

  She was so still and silent. He felt sick and really hoped he hadn’t lost her because he hadn’t been totally upfront. “Mack, did you hear me?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “I wanted to tell you the minute the name Simone left my mouth, and I don’t know why I didn’t, or rather I didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of a woman I couldn’t take my eyes off. I’m really truly sorry, Mack.”

  “Why?” She sat up and rested her arms on her raised knees and just gazed out to sea.

  “My grandfather made rather a lot of money, so did my father. People get ideas about it, contact us for various reasons, sometimes shady reasons. When I heard Martha on the phone with you, I told her I would check you out first. I knew the minute I saw you that you weren’t in that category, but I’m so worked up over you and want you like crazy, that I can’t kiss you again, until you know the truth.”

  Mack was so quiet as Dean continued. “After listening to you earlier, I think my grandfather really is your Jacob Evans. I have an Aunt Rosalind. Could he have named her after Rose?”

  “Seriously?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  After what felt like an hour of silence, but was probably only five minutes, she took hold of his hand and laced her fingers with his. “Thank you for telling me. I’m glad you told me now, rather than later,” she said blushing.

  Dean moved in close to her. “Am I forgiven?”

  “Is that the only untruth you’ve told me?”

  He looked slightly sheepish. “I really am single, unless you’re still willing to be my girl, in which case I’m spoken for.” He grinned. “But my mother is trying to marry me off to her friend’s daughter, Cynthia. That’s one of the reasons why I decided to check you out. I needed to get away. I’m sure glad I did.”

  “So am I. Cynthia?”

  He sighed. “Yeah.” Not really knowing where to start, he just hoped he didn’t blow it. “My mother decided she wanted grandchildren, and my sister refused to cooperate, so she focused on me. Cynthia’s mother has been friends with mine since school, and as we’re of similar age, backgrounds, they decided to get us together.”