Stay With Me (The Montgomery Brothers)

by Chase, Samantha

Mac scanned the crowd again in search of Gina Micelli. When his father had asked him if he would come and pick her up at the airport, Mac had been less than enthused at the idea but in doing so he got himself out of being part of the big taking-baby-Lily-home festivities.

  It was like trading one form of hell for another.

  It had been over ten years since he’d last seen Gina and he basically had no idea who he should be looking for. He remembered her as a kid; dark hair, glasses and the typical awkward, gangly teen. He may not know much about these things but he was sure that she didn’t stay that way. Looking at his watch he huffed with agitation. It was two-twenty. He knew for a fact that Gina’s plane had arrived on time so where was she?

  With another glance around the baggage claim area he caught a glimpse of a gypsy. That was the only way to describe the woman who seemingly floated toward the luggage belt. She was petite, maybe five foot four, tops, and she wore some sort of long, gauzy black skirt that flowed with her every step. Peeking out from behind the filmy fabric was a pair of bejeweled sandals and hot pink tipped toes. Mac swallowed roughly as his gaze lingered upwards.

  A tiny waist was where a sheer blouse was belted and underneath it was what promised to be a phenomenal body covered in some sort of clingy teal colored cami that matched the beaded necklace around her slender neck. Dark sunglasses covered her eyes but Mac mentally bet himself that they were either blue or green and knew that either would look phenomenal against her tanned skin and jet black hair.

  He shifted his stance and pulled at the collar of his shirt because it certainly felt like it was getting hot in the airport. Unable to tear his eyes away, he watched, fascinated by her every graceful move, as she reached over and pulled a large black suitcase from the belt and then did her own scan of the crowd. When her gaze landed on him, Mac felt frozen to the spot.

  Please don’t let this be Gina, he cursed to himself.

  “Excuse me,” the soft voice washed over him like silk. “Are you Mackenzie Montgomery?”

  Mac looked down and almost groaned when his gypsy took off her sunglasses and eyed him warily. “Indeed I am,” he said and hated how gruff his voice sounded. “It’s good to see you again, Gina. I wish it was under better circumstances.”

  She looked down at the ground before meeting his gaze again. “Thank you,” she replied softly. A glance over her shoulder had her hoping that he hadn’t come alone. “Is your father here with you? He said that he’d be the one meeting me.”

  Mac explained about Lucas and Emma and the baby and he wasn’t sure if he saw relief or annoyance on her face. Either way, a pair of big green eyes was staring up at him and he had to force himself to look away. “Here,” he said after a long moment, “let me take your suitcase and we’ll get going.” When she didn’t make a move right away he stopped and looked at her. “Is it just the one bag?”

  “What?” she asked, momentarily distracted by the enticing rear view of him. “Oh, yes, I tend to travel light.”

  “That’s a first,” he joked and started walking.

  Gina had to take two steps for his every one and when she caught up to him asked, “What is that supposed to mean?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing; it just always seems to me that women tend to pack more than they’ll ever need no matter how long or short the trip. If I had to use that theory on you I’d have to guess that you don’t plan on staying very long.”

  She didn’t want to really confirm or deny his theory so instead went with being vague. “I haven’t really decided yet. I’m supposed to meet with some of my father’s doctors tomorrow and discuss his prognosis but honestly, I don’t want to think about it. I’d rather focus on spending time with him now rather than watching a clock that tells me when it’s going to end.”

  Mac wasn’t sure what to say to her. From what his father had told him, Arthur’s prognosis was not good. He had stage four pancreatic cancer and his heart was failing. Not a good combination. She looked to be holding up okay but then again, he didn’t really know Gina that well. Mac thought about how he’d feel if the tables were turned and it was his own father who was dying. He wasn’t fool enough to believe that William was going to be around forever but the thought of knowing that his time was so quickly coming to an end was enough to cause a deep ache around his heart.

  Pushing those thoughts aside, he decided to change the subject slightly. “So, Dad tells me that you’ll be staying in the guest house.”

  Gina nodded. “I know that I could stay at my father’s house but I’ve never been there and I just thought it would be odd. Plus no one else is there and the thought of being alone in a strange house was just a little bit intimidating.”

  Mac nodded in understanding.

  “When your father offered me the use of your family’s guest house I was a bit surprised. I figured I’d just stay at a hotel and rent a car.”

  “My father would never have allowed that. He and Arthur have been friends since they were kids; you’re like family. And family takes care of one another.”

  Just what she wanted to hear; another reference to her being like family. While she didn’t mind it coming from William and Monica or even Lucas or Jason, the last thing she wanted was Mac to think of her like family.

  “Well, that’s sweet of you to say,” she said as they stepped out into the sunshine and placed her sunglasses back on. “I’m very grateful for their hospitality. Plus, I have some very fond memories of the times our families spent together. It will be nice to stay someplace familiar.”

  Soon they were at Mac’s car and Gina settled in as he put her suitcase in the trunk. When he climbed in beside her, it was as if the entire interior had shrunk. He was big; much bigger than she remembered. Mac stood easily a little over six feet tall and even in his monstrous SUV, he overpowered the space.

  He didn’t try to make small talk and for that Gina was thankful. As they made their way out of the airport parking lot, she took some time to secretly observe him. Considering his intimidating frame, he moved with grace. His hands were large and tanned and Gina secretly wished that he’d reach out with them to offer her some comfort.

  But he didn’t.

  His dark brown hair was cut short and there wasn’t a hair out of place. His suit was impeccable and she could tell that Mac Montgomery was a man who liked order and organization. His car was spotless, his appearance was spotless and she had a feeling that he did not do well with any form of disorganization or chaos.

  He’d think that she was a hot mess.

  She had no real plan for her time here: there was no schedule or itinerary. She had to simply go with the flow and take each day as it came until it was time for her to go. Gina knew it was just a gut feeling but just watching the rigid way Mac held himself reminded her of a person who did everything with a purpose and rarely relaxed.

  With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she thought that they’d probably make each other crazy if they spent too much time together.

  Although making each other crazy could be part of the fun.

  A small smile tugged at her lips. While she had no idea how her days were going to go while she was here in North Carolina, Gina knew that they were bound to run into one another; especially if she was going to be staying at his parent’s house.

  “I don’t know if my father mentioned it but he and my mother are going to be out of town for part of your visit.”

  Gina nodded. “He did. He said that he’d happily cancel their trip so that I wouldn’t be alone but I told him that it wasn’t the same thing as being alone at my father’s. There I have no connection; it’s a strange house that I’ve never been to. With the guest house, it’s part of my childhood. Plus, I didn’t want them canceling their vacation on my account.”

  “Well, to be honest, he’s really worried about Arthur.”

  She nodded again. “I know he is but right now there isn’t a whole lot that any of us can do. Dad wouldn’t want your father hovering over him at the hospital;
that would make him crazy.”

  “It would make anyone crazy,” Mac said a little too harshly and saw Gina’s head snap towards him. “I mean, your father has enough to deal with right now with medical staff hovering over him, he doesn’t need anymore spectators at this point.”

  “I hope that doesn’t include me,” she snapped.

  “Of course not, Gina; you’re his daughter.”

  “And your father is his best friend.”

  Mac sighed with frustration. Why were they even discussing this? “There’s a difference and I think you know that. Your father is going to be happy to have you there with him after all this time.” He realized immediately how that sounded. “What I mean is…”

  Gina held up a hand to silence him. “It’s okay, Mac; I know exactly how it is. My parents’ marriage was a mess even before it ended and by the time they decided to call it quits, it was unbearable to even be in the same room with them both. I had no choice but to go with my mother to California; Dad didn’t protest.”

  Mac was about to tell her that they didn’t have to talk about this but he sensed that maybe Gina did.

  “At first my mother used the excuse that we needed time to settle in before letting me come back to North Carolina to visit with my father; then it was my school schedule. Dad came as often as he could but his business kept him busy here on the east coast. He made excuses; I pretended to understand and in the long run, it meant that for the first time in a long time, no one was arguing. It was almost a relief.”

  “I’m sorry,” Mac said when Gina’s voice trailed off. “That couldn’t have been easy for you.”

  She shook her head. “It wasn’t. Even when he did come to visit, he never came to the house. I had to meet him places because if he and my mother got within ten feet of one another, they’d start fighting.” The passing scenery held her attention for a few moments. “He was there for all of the important events like my graduation from high school and college but other than that, our time together was spotty at best. I think he believed that staying away was for the best.”

  “It was a difficult situation. There was probably never going to be a ‘best’ for anyone.”

  Gina turned and looked at Mac. “I think you’re right,” she said and then paused. “It still would have been nice if he had just asked.”

  This was all getting a little too deep for Mac. He liked and respected Arthur Micelli and while he never gave much thought to his estranged relationship with his daughter, he knew that he didn’t want to know this much personal information. Truth be known, Mac didn’t like to get too deeply into anyone’s personal lives. It was easier that way. The less he knew the better. He had plenty of friends and business associates and he never invited them to delve too deeply into his personal life and was rewarded with the same respect.

  Before Gina launched into any more deep family secrets, Mac decided to change the subject. “My mother made sure that the house was cleaned and stocked for you; you shouldn’t need to do anything.”

  “That was nice of her,” she said, seemingly grateful for something lighter to talk about.

  “Dad mentioned that you were getting a rental car. Is that really necessary? He has two spares that I’m sure you could borrow plus, with him and my mother going out of town, there’d technically be four cars for you to choose from.”

  Gina shook her head. “He mentioned that but I really didn’t want to impose any more than I already am. They’re giving me a place to stay and you came and got me from the airport…there comes a point where it feels like I’m taking advantage.”

  Why did women think this way? Mac wondered to himself. “You’re not taking advantage, Gina. Trust me; no one will be using the cars and it’s ridiculous for you to waste money on a car rental when you don’t have to.” His tone was firm and authoritative and he was certain that she’d agree with him.

  “Well,” she snapped, “ridiculous or not, that’s how I feel. I didn’t ask to be here or for a place to stay; I know how to take care of myself and I don’t need anyone telling me what to do!”

  With a ragged sigh and mentally counting to ten, Mac softened his tone. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. Really. I’m just trying to help you have one less thing to think about. This all happened so quickly that I’m sure you’re still trying to absorb it all.”

  He had her there. It had all happened quickly. One minute she was at work, worrying about getting her financial statements filed for a rather difficult client and the next she was packing a suitcase while making travel arrangements to get across the country and to her father.

  “Fine,” she said begrudgingly. “I’ll use one of their cars. I suppose it does make more sense.”

  Mac wanted to high-five himself but figured Gina wouldn’t appreciate that. “Getting from my parents ’ place to the hospital is really easy. I don’t imagine that you’d remember your way around here that well.”

  She shrugged. “It’s been so long that I’m sure many things have changed.”

  “They have,” Mac confirmed. “But like I said, the route isn’t difficult and all of his cars have navigation systems and you won’t have any problems.” She didn’t respond and Mac was grateful for the silence. Within minutes they were pulling up to his childhood home. “Here we are,” he said as they pulled into the large circular driveway.

  A wide smile crossed Gina’s face and she turned to face Mac. “It looks exactly as I remembered it,” she said with a voice laced with excitement. “It’s weird, I don’t remember much about the home I grew up in but your house always stayed with me. Probably because to me, it was a refuge.” She climbed from the car and almost took off at a run to get to the backyard – much like she did when she was a young girl.

  Then she remembered that she wasn’t a young girl anymore and that there was a very serious looking man watching her every move. Halting in her steps, she turned and faced Mac. “It feels like it was only yesterday that we were pulling up here for a barbecue. I used to love being here and running around the back to the yard where we would all swim and play volleyball. It was better than summer camp!”

  Mac couldn’t help but return her smile. “My folks always loved having you around. I think my mom always felt a little jipped that she didn’t have a daughter and ended up with three rambunctious boys; while you were here, she got to pretend that she had a daughter.”

  Gina’s heart softened at the thought. If only Monica knew how many times she had wished that she was a Montgomery, too. “That’s sweet. Although it seems like now she has quite a few girls in the picture to level the playing field.” Mac looked at her quizzically so she explained herself. “Well, with your brothers’ wives she now has two daughters and now she has a granddaughter too. All in all, I’ll bet that after those years of being tortured by her three sons she is now feeling relief at finally having some women in the mix.”

  “You have no idea,” Mac said with a laugh and grabbed Gina’s luggage from the trunk. “C’mon, I’ll show you to the guest house so that you can get settled in.”

  “Thank you,” she said and fell in step behind him. Gina smiled as she walked along the stone path leading to the massive backyard and couldn’t keep the grin off of her face. The property had always been beautiful and all these years later, it still took her breath away. She paused to look at the small koi pond that was situated right as you walked through the six foot tall gate. Yes, it was all still a feast for the eyes.

  “Are you coming?” Mac asked, standing and watching her curiously.

  Gina realized that she had been standing still for a few minutes. “Oh, sorry, yes,” she replied and then watched as Mac walked away. He was all lean grace and solid muscle.

  And another feast for her eyes.

  Chapter Two

  Several hours later Gina was wiping tears from her eyes; not from sadness but from laughing at some wonderful memories she’d shared with the Montgomerys. Sitting across the dining room table from her in their beautifu
l home, William Montgomery shared stories of all the adventures he remembered Gina and his sons having so many years ago.

  “I’ll tell you, your father and I couldn’t believe it,” he was saying. “There you were, up in that tree, completely terrified and yet refusing to let anyone help you come down.”

  Gina laughed. “I always hated heights.”

  “But you didn’t want the boys to know that and I nearly skinned Lucas alive for daring you to climb up so high!”

  She took a sip of her wine and waved him off. “Dare or no dare, if they were climbing, I was climbing. I didn’t want them to think I was weak. Being so outnumbered around here I had to make sure that I did whatever they did otherwise I’d be relegated to sitting in the corner with a Barbie doll.”

  “You never played with dolls,” William said as it suddenly occurred to him that Gina had always been more of a tomboy.

  “Much to my mother’s dismay,” she said with a touch more resentment than she wanted anyone to know. “I preferred running around outside to sitting inside and reading or playing quietly. I think she was more upset about my being up in that tree than I was.”

  “She was near hysterical,” Monica interjected with a small laugh of her own. “I remember pulling her away and keeping her in the house until you came down.”

  “It only took three hours,” William said and they all started laughing again.

  “The key was to never let them see me sweat,” Gina said with a confident smile as she placed her glass back down on the table. She could feel Mac’s gaze on her but refused to meet his eyes. Earlier when he had walked her over to the guest cottage, he had nearly run screaming from the building when she’d removed the blouse she wore over her cami because she was warm.

  There was a confidence builder for you: take off your blouse and watch a man nearly dive through a window to escape.

  In all honesty, she wasn’t doing it to entice him; she’d simply been ready to change out of the clothes she’d traveled in. The clothes she had on beside the offensive blouse weren’t particularly revealing but the way Mac had looked at her, you’d have thought she was doing a damn striptease and swinging from a pole!