Andrew leaned against the wall next to him just grinned. “Until she wakes?”
“Think again, little brother. We are not leaving her there.”
“She is at peace, Matty. For the first time in years, she is finally at peace. Do you want to wake her and bring her back to reality?”
“Well, we are not leaving her hanging there. So forget it.”
“Fine, but if she wakes, you deal with the fallout.”
PART II
Chapter Nine
May, Present day, Treasure Cove, Montana
Winter came and went with a vengeance. Macie’s mind still whirled at times, thinking about everything that had happened over the long cold days. However, as much as she liked to remember the wedding of Charlotte and Antoinette, and sweet Kelly Conner finding the men of her dreams, nothing could erase the hurt she felt when she buried her aunt Margaret.
It came as a shock to her when Jeff called and told her the news. She was alone at the time. Thank god for that, because she lost it. She was sobbing uncontrollably when her men showed up. They, too, had looked as if they were crying. That night, they just held each other, neither one saying anything. There really wasn’t anything to say. There were no words to ease the pain.
Every wonderful memory she had at the Hicks Ranch had her Aunt Margaret in it. She loved that woman as much as she loved her mother. Since her return to Treasure Cove, they had gotten close again, and just when things started to feel right in her world, some asshole pulled the rug out from under her.
They buried her on a wet Wednesday afternoon. Family and friends gathered to say their last good-byes to one of the best women to ever grace the community. She stood next to Jeff and Caleb as they consoled Janie. Antoinette was there with Gabriel and Alexander, and her men never left her sight. It was a solemn occasion, and yet when Reverend Bram Prescott stood on the pulpit, ready to give his sermon, he smiled. “I wish I could give Margaret the sendoff befitting a woman of her stature, but as usual she insisted on having the last word. She wrote out her own eulogy.” The congregation watched as the new Reverend opened a letter, took a deep breath, and read. “Well shit a monkey. I guess the bastard finally killed me. Sorry, Reverend, about the language. I want all of you to know that I did my best to protect all of you. But time caught up with me, and I wasn’t as fast as I once was. It’s all right, though. I get to spend the hereafter with my men and sister. I have missed them so much. Jeffery baby, you turned out to be a strong, good man just like your daddies, and I couldn’t have asked for a better son. You take care of Janie and that baby. Didn’t know I knew, did ya, son? Momma always knows. I sure wish I could be there to hold my first grandbaby, but I figure Caleb would chew my arm off if I ever touched him. Oh well, at least I can sweep down from heaven every now and then and give him angel kisses. Antoinette, my darling girl, be sweet. Your brothers did right by you, more than I ever could have. I am just sorry I missed so much. Forgive me, sweet girl. I always loved you. Macie my love, stay strong. Don’t ever change, and let go of that hurt, honey. You can’t change that past. Your future awaits. All you have to do is reach out and grab it. Don’t make the mistake I did. Reach for the stars, sweetheart. And finally to my ungrateful, obstinate son, Caleb. Boy, so help me if you curse at my funeral, I will haunt your ass until the day you die. Thank you, Caleb, for that day I got shot. It meant a lot more to me than I let on. You are perfect, son. Don’t ever change. I love you.”
By the time the reverend was done reading the letter, the whole congregation was bawling openly, even Caleb.
Life moved on, slowly, but spring had sprung and the flowers were growing once again. Macie thought often of those special words from her aunt Margaret, if only she could gather the courage and take what she wanted. She was still holding back.
The last customer had finally gone home. Quickly locking the front door, she officially closed for the night. Looking at the clock, she sighed. Her feet were swollen and her back ached something fierce, but nothing was going to stop her from whipping up a special meal for her men. Tonight was going to be something memorable. At least that was what they told her. Therefore, instead of going out to dinner, she opted to cook them something, knowing they both preferred her home cooking to anything from any restaurant.
Glancing at the clock once more, she knew she had about an hour before they would arrive. After placing the casserole dish in the oven, she rushed upstairs to shower and change. Quickly laying out what she had planned to wear, she took her dirty, soiled clothes off and walked naked into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she stood in front of a full-length mirror she had installed behind the bathroom door.
So much time had passed, and now at thirty-seven, she no longer had a firm flat stomach. Her hips were rounded, and her full breasts sagged just a little. She never was tall or graceful with a tiny waist. Her mother never passed those genes onto her. Instead, she stood roughly at five foot seven, weighing about one hundred and sixty-five pounds. Her hourglass figure seemed plumper than normal, but she blamed that on the cold winter and good food. With summer right around the corner, she knew she was going to be on a diet again. Thus was her life, and she dealt with what Mother Nature handed her.
She didn’t waste any time showering, and moments later, she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her. Feeling a little refreshed, she still rubbed her aching back as another wave of pain shot down her legs. She didn’t know what she had done to her back this time, thinking that maybe she lifted something too heavy and tweaked it again. Breathing deep, she tried to focus on anything but the pain, but since last night, the pain had gradually gotten worse. As the pain eased, her body once again relaxed. Flinging the towel in the hamper, she quickly pulled her hair up in a French twist and hurried to her room to get dressed.
She smiled at the yellow dress she bought online a month ago. She remembered when it came in the mail. Eager to try it on, she hurried upstairs with the box in her hands. She emerged twenty minutes later with the dress back in the box. The dress was too small. Hoping she could have it altered, she walked across the street to Treasures-A-Plenty and begged Vanessa Sanchez to alter the dress. After taking her measurements, Vanessa told her the dress would be ready in time for dinner.
Grabbing the dress, she unzipped the back and sighed as she stepped into silky material. Putting her arms in the sleeves, she reached behind her, took a hold of the zipper, and pulled up, only to have it stop midway.
“What the hell?” she cursed. Sucking in her breath, she tried again.
The zipper would not move. “Fuck a duck!”
Picking up her cell phone, she called Vanessa.
“Howdy, Macie,” she heard her perky voice say after the first ring.
“Vanessa, help! I can’t zip up the dress.”
“Hold onto your oven mitts, woman. I’ll be there in two shakes of a tally-whacker.” And with that, the line went dead. Slipping her feet into a pair of black strappy Milano Blaniks, she walked to the front door of her apartment and opened the door just before Vanessa could knock.
“Hey, purdy lady. Wow, that dress looks fabulous on you.” Vanessa smiled, walking in.
Turning around, Macie grinned. “I knew this was the dress when I saw it. I still can’t believe I gained all that weight during the winter. I just hope that I can lose it as quick as I put it on.”
“Oh, Macie, you look great. I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides, I told you that you could never trust those online stores. Next time, come see me before you buy something, okay,” she said. Macie could feel Vanessa’s hands on her back, trying to work the zipper.
“Take a deep breath, Macie. It won’t budge.”
“I am. If suck in my breath any more, my stomach is gonna fly out of my ass!”
“Well, sugar, I hate to say it, but the dress is too small.”
“What! You let it out two inches.”
“Maybe I should have added another inch.”
“Fuck a duck, what am I gon
na do now? Nothing I own fits anymore, and I refused to wear jeans.”
“Wait right here. I think I have something in the store that might work. Be right back.” Vanessa smiled and hurried out of her apartment.
Closing the door, Macie took the yellow dress off and felt like crying. She wanted to look beautiful for Matthew and Andrew, but now she just felt like a big fat blimp. Dejected and depressed, she sat on her sofa, wondering why she even bothered.
At the end of her rope, she closed her eyes and just prayed that she could get through the night without losing her cool. Everything seemed to be happening too fast for her, and with her history, she wondered why Matthew and Andrew even bothered. She wasn’t anything special, just a middle-aged woman who owned her own business and tried to live a comfortable life. She knew where she stood romantically.
Plain and settled, she never expected the Jenkins brothers to give her a second glance. When they did, they turned her world upside down. For so long, she had lived her life resigned to being a single woman who would eventually grow old and possibly snag a cat or two.
However, when Matthew Jenkins showed up in Treasure Cove a little over a year ago, it didn’t take him or Andrew long to stake their claim.
At first, it infuriated her that after all these years that Matthew could just waltz back into her life as if nothing was wrong. Of course, he didn’t know why she was so angry with him, and even she was woman enough to admit that harboring a childhood tantrum was a bit much, but damn it, he broke her heart. How was she to know that he wouldn’t do it again?
Therefore, she played hard to get, and look where it got her, sitting alone, bloated and fat, unable to get into a dress that should fit her. Quickly shaking off her little pity party, she stood as another sharp pain laced its way across her lower back. The pain was so fierce it knocked the breath from her body. Bending over, she grabbed the arm of the chair and tried her hardest not to scream out.
The pain was excruciating. The pain had just begun to subsided, when Vanessa walked back into her apartment shouting. “I got it!” Instantly, Vanessa dropped the dress and rushed to her side, worried. “Macie what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, sweetie. It’s just my back. I think I pulled it the other day restocking the shelves. Just a spasm,” she explained, trying desperately to ignore the ache. Standing and putting on a brave smile, she asked. “So where is this dress you think will fit?”
“Macie, I think you need to call Andy. Did you tell him you hurt your back?”
“Ha! I mention that and that man will never give me a moment’s peace. Do you remember how he acted when I got the flu last fall? I ain’t going through that again. He is already trying to dictate what I should and should not do. I do not need a parole officer watching my every move.”
“Are you sure? How about I get you some Motrin?”
“It’s in my medicine cabinet. Can you grab me three please?”
“Sure, I’ll be right back,” Vanessa said, as Macie watched her walk away. She needed those few seconds to gather her wits. Something in her told her this wasn’t just a simple back sprain. The pain she was feeling wasn’t spasms. The pain was much more, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what she had done to hurt her back or why the pain was intensifying. Within a minute, Vanessa walked back into the living room handing her a glass of water and the medicine. Swallowing the pills, she downed the small glass of water. “Thanks, Van.”
“No problem. So, let’s get you dressed for your hot date, shall we?”
“Sure, why not?”
* * * *
Andrew Jenkins walked into his brother’s law office to find Matthew sitting at his desk still working. He had to give credit where it was due. Matthew was a hardworking lawyer who took his job seriously. However, lately, Matthew was taking his pride in his work to the extreme.
Andrew knew that Matthew had changed over the last couple of months, but the biggest change in his older brother was when Glenn McKenzie murdered Margaret and shot Kelly last month. Andrew knew that Matthew blamed himself for both incidents, citing that if he had done his job better, then Margaret would still be alive and Kelly would have never been hurt.
Of course, Andrew knew it was all bullshit. How in the hell was Matthew to know that it was Glenn McKenzie who harbored hatred and revenge against the Romanov women. There was nothing Andrew could say to ease the burden of guilt from his brothers’ shoulders.
Since the shootings, Matthew had been working himself into the ground trying to piece all the information together, to find the person Glenn worked for. Though Braxton Connelly and Richard Masterson were helping, nothing had come to light. It seemed once again the trail had turned cold. Now, he just sat behind his desk, scouring all the evidence, hoping to find something he missed.
In addition, just to add more to his plate, Matthew was working with the city council members to sell off a portion of their families’ land. Though Andrew wasn’t too keen on the idea, the money they would make would be a pleasant start for their granddaughters. Andrew knew that Matthew hated working with Aria Van Ottoman, but the old bitch was the leader on expanding the town of Treasure Cove, and to do so, she had been cozying up to Matthew. She needed the land to bring in the developers. It was a total clusterfuck and it drove Matthew nuts, so whenever he could, Andrew tried to take his mind off the deal, and tonight, Macie was just the distraction he was looking for.
“Matty, it’s time to wrap it up. Macie said eight o’clock,” Andrew said, leaning against the door to his brother’s private office.
“I remember, Andy. I’m not senile yet.”
“Glad to hear it. Then let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.”
“And your point?”
“I don’t have one.”
“That’s what I thought. Oh, before I forget, did you manage to make it into Silver Springs the other day?” The day before Margaret was killed, they had made an impromptu run to a jeweler in Silver Springs for something special, for Macie. They both had thought long and hard on what to get her and scoured the Internet for ideas. And when they both had a few hours of free time, they hauled ass to Silver Springs to pick out the perfect engagement ring for their perfect woman.
“Yes. I have it in my breast pocket.”
“And the engraving?”
“It’s there,” he said, getting to his feet. Matthew stretched and grabbed for his jacket. “Did she say if we needed to bring anything?”
“Nope, just that she was cooking a home-cooked meal and not to be late.”
“Well, we best not keep her waiting. She has been moody lately.”
“Not just that. Have you noticed her acting funny?”
“You mean besides being cranky, tired, and downright infuriating?”
“I’m serious, Matty. I think something’s wrong with her. She works six days out of the week. She’s on her feet all the time, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her customers. She does most of the stocking by herself. She hasn’t been sleeping well lately. She looks tired and worn out. She needs a break.”
“Well that’s why we got this,” he said, patting his coat. “Let’s just hope she doesn’t throw a frying pan at our heads when we give it to her.”
Together they walked out of Matthew’s office and headed toward Macie’s Diner.
At the sound of a familiar loud scream, the brothers set off in a dead run. Not bothering about their clothes, they took the stairs to Macie’s apartment two at a time. By the time they burst into her apartment, what they witnessed scared them. Macie stood hunched over her loveseat, breathing hard as if in tremendous pain. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her flushed face gave them an indication of how severe it was for her.
“Macie maybe you need to go to the hospital. This doesn’t seem like a backache,” Vanessa said, rubbing her back as Andrew and Matthew walked in.
Andrew, taking the lead, rushed to her side and immediately assessed the situation. “Where’s i
t hurt, sweetheart?”
“Andy, something’s wrong. It’s getting worse. I think I need to go to the hospital,” she said between the pains, gasping for air.
“Where does it hurt, Macie?” he asked again, taking her pulse, noting her blood pressure was through the roof.
“My back!” she screamed as Andrew watched her body freeze up as if all the muscles in her body were contracting, and it was at that precise moment water fell at Andrew’s feet.
Stunned, he looked at Matthew in shock. “You’re not going to believe this, but I think I know what’s going on.”
“That’s great, Houdini. Glad your medical degree is coming in handy. What the fuck is wrong with her, dickhead!” Matthew shouted back at him.
“I think Macie is about to give birth.”
“What!” Andrew heard three different yells as all eyes turned to him, even Macie, who was in the midst of another contraction. He couldn’t believe it himself, but all the signs were pointing in that direction.
“I can’t be pregnant! I’m thirty-seven years old. I’ve had my period every month. You’re wrong, Andy,” Macie argued as another contraction rushed her, only this time, the contraction was a full-on frontal seize. Her scream vibrated throughout her apartment. Andrew gently laid his hand across her belly and felt what she was going through. He could feel the tightening of her stomach and pelvic muscles and when she hit the peak of her contraction, Andrew actually felt a small foot beneath her skin. Whether Macie wanted to believe it or not, she was about to give birth for the very first time.
Andrew handed Vanessa Sanchez the keys to his office. Talking very calmly, he said, “Van, I need you to run and get my black medical bag. While at the office, speed dial two is Kelly. Tell her I need her immediately. Then hurry back, ’cause until she arrives, I’m gonna need your help.”
Mastering Macie [The Men of Treasure Cove 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14