Mastering Macie [The Men of Treasure Cove 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rebecca Joyce

  “Damn, girl. You had better get your shit together. Those boys are gonna be runnin’ all over you if don’t,” she said, making her way down the hall slowly. Just as she turned the corner, she saw Matthew crouched against the wall, his head in his hands.

  Her heart went out to him. She had never seen him so dejected. She knew he worried too much about everything, and now with two babies, his mind had to be reeling.

  “Matty?” she whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and when she saw the tears in his eyes, her heart shattered into a million pieces.

  “I’m scared, Macie, really scared,” he admitted.

  Macie had seen Matthew Jenkins, happy, angry, aggressive, determined, and cunning, but never in the whole time she had known him had she ever seen him scared. She knew it took a lot for him to admit that to her, and she respected the fact that he trusted her with his innermost thoughts and feelings, but it wasn’t in her nature to coddle. Looking at the man, she sighed and handed him her hand. “Get up, Grandpa. I want to see my son. Walk with me.”

  “Grandpa?” he questioned, getting to his feet.

  “Yeah. Grandpa.” She smiled, putting her arm in his. “If you’re gonna be all mopey and sentimental, you’re a grandpa. That’s what they do. Now, a dad, well, he pulls his pants up and does what needs to be done.”

  “So what you’re saying is quit being such a baby?”

  “Exactly. I already have two babies. I don’t want another.”

  “Macie, are you going to be okay with all this? I mean, yesterday you were single and had only yourself to worry about. Now, you have two babies, me and Andy, because you know we’re not going anywhere, right?”

  “I’m taking it one minute at a time, and I know you’re not going anywhere. ’Cause if you did, I’d cut your balls off and serve them for Sunday brunch.”

  She appreciated the fact that Matthew didn’t laugh. She knew he knew she was serious. Just as it took a lot for him to open up to her, it took a lot for her to admit that she was going to need them. For a woman who never asked for anyone’s help in her life, leaning on her two men for support was going to be something new, but at least she was willing to give it a try.

  The moment they made it to the NICU, Andrew greeted her with a wheelchair. Smiling and grateful, she accepted it, allowing him to push her toward two incubators that stood side by side.

  Looking to her left, she smiled when she saw her big boy. Strong and healthy, Collin lay nice and snug, sucking on his thumb. Turning to her right, her smile faded as she looked at her tiny little peanut. Little Trace was half the size of his brother. There were so many tubes and wires attached to him, that she could barely see him. He lay motionless as the machine helped him breathe.

  A sob escaped, and before she could stop herself, tears fell in earnest down her face. Matthew and Andrew kneeled next to her, holding her hands and saying words she couldn’t understand. Her eyes focused solely on the tiny little boy, fighting for his life.

  “Ms. Owens. I know he looks small, but I want to reassure you he is strong. We have started him on a round of medication that should fix his heart. We are confident that he will be just fine. You just have to give the medicine time to work,” Dr. Rayburn said, standing next to the incubator.

  Macie was grateful for the man. She had made so many mistakes already where the babies were concerned. She feared making another. For some reason it was just easier for her to let Andrew and Matthew take the lead. Her mind was still in a state of shock, and she was trying to play catch up. All she wanted now was to hold her little peanut, but looking at him lying there so helpless, she was too afraid to ask. Figuring it was better for him that he stayed cocooned in his little bed, she didn’t say anything. She just prayed that the medicine would work, because she refused to think of the alternative.

  She stayed next to her little peanut for the next couple of hours. She never said anything, just looked at him as he held tightly to her finger. He had a strong grip, and she smiled at that. For someone so sick, he held on with all his little might. Little peanut was a fighter. After a while, Matthew offered to take her back to her room, but she refused. She couldn’t leave him. She knew he needed her, and she didn’t want to leave him in case something happened.

  She knew it was wrong to think of what if, but with her mind in a whirl of chaos, she couldn’t stop herself. She had already begun to steel herself for heartbreak. She heard her mother’s voice clearly in her head. “Expect and prepare for the worst. That way when it doesn’t happen, the shock isn’t so bad.”

  Always practical, her mother raised her to expect the worst but hope for the best. Nothing was ever set in stone until it is written on a tombstone. She always hated the way her mother thought of life as a cynical diatribe to a morbid outcome. But now, with her little peanut, hurt and fighting for his life, she started to think that her mother just might have had it right.

  Steeling herself for the outcome she truly desired, she refused to think about else. Just the thought of not bringing him home hurt her heart, but she had to be sensible about the situation. He was either going to live and be healthy, or not, and she willed herself to believe in the impossible.

  Little Peanut was going home with his big brother, even if she had to give up her own heart to make it happen.

  Time flew by, and by the third day in the hospital, Macie’s nerves were at their boiling point. When her doctor, Dr. Nicholas Whitmore told her he was discharging her, she flipped him the bird. She adamantly refused to leave the hospital without all of her sons. So Andrew pulled some strings, and considering she had no prenatal care and a home birth, Dr. Whitmore agreed to a couple more days, just in case.

  She hadn’t heard anything new about Trace. Every time she asked for an update, his doctor would say, “Let the medicine work. It’s going to take time.”

  She hated that phrase. Time? Fuck time, she wanted answers now!

  Sitting in her room, she rocked Collin back and forth as she fed him. It was an unbelievable feeling, feeding her son. One that she was sure would never forget. However, part of her didn’t feel complete. Where there was one child in her arms, she wished for two. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t let herself fully enjoy the experience until both of her sons were feeding from her breast.

  Lost in her own misery, she jumped when Andrew burst through the door. “Pack your bags, Macie. We are all out of here!”

  * * * *

  The drive from Silver Springs to the Jenkins ranch should have taken no longer than an hour. Nevertheless, with scaredy-cat daddy Andrew behind the wheel, the trip took close to two. By the time the car finally pulled into the drive, both babies were crying, Matthew wanted to kill Andrew, and Macie wanted to scream.

  “I swear to God Almighty, Andrew, Ms. Anne drives faster than you. What the hell was your problem?” she yelled at him as she jumped out of the backseat. Her nerves were treading on thin ice. She was about to snap, and she was looking at the perfect scapegoat. She had never wanted to pound his face into the ground before, but when he looked at her with that “what did I do” look, she was seriously considering it.

  “Seriously, Andy, you could have driven a little faster,” Matthew said, rolling his eyes.

  “I didn’t want to jostle them, and watch your mouth, Macie.”

  “Oh for fuck’s sake!” Macie shouted, slamming the door. “Those boys are already well aware of what kind of mother they are going to have. I have been yelling and screaming since their conception. If they haven’t figured it out by now that their mother is a damn hothead, they are in for a big surprise. You, on the other hand, need to stop treating me as if I am some fragile piece of glass. You’re driving me crazy!”

  “I don’t want you cursing in front of the boys. It isn’t right. Besides, it gets your blood pressure up,” Andrew said, reminding her for the umpteenth time about her language.

  “Well you should have thought of that sooner, Driving Miss Daisy, because I am so fuck
ing pissed at you right now. Do you see this?” she shouted, pointing to her shirt. When Andrew and Matthew looked at her chest, her face heated, inflaming her fury further. “Don’t look!” she yelled, quickly covering her wet shirt. For the last half hour, she had to endure the screams of her two sons while her breasts ached and leaked.

  “But you just said…” Andrew said, looking at his brother for help.

  “I know what I said!” She fumed, turning away from him, heading to the front porch, only to stop dead in her tracks.

  There, standing, smiling, and waiting, was half of the town of Treasure Cove.

  Fucking perfect!

  Most of her life, Macie never minded being the center of attention. However, when she had her mad on, she sure as shit hated it when people gawked and smiled at her as if waiting for Mount St. Helens to erupt. They were making her feel like a freaking sideshow at the fall carnival. Taking a deep breath, she watched as Emma, Janie, and Kelly walked over to her. Biting her tongue, she kept her mouth shut as Emma took her hand and quietly led her into the house, leaving Matthew and Andrew to tend the babies.

  The Jenkins farmhouse was beautiful. The home had been in the Jenkins family for over seven generations. Spacious with an open floor plan, the house had a soothing appeal that always called to Macie, but right now, she wanted to burn the place to the ground.

  With her mind in a whirl of chaos, she let Emma and Janie direct her into the home as they walked her toward the master bedroom. She watched as Janie, pulled back the bed sheets and motioned for her to lie down. Too afraid to open her mouth, she kicked off her shoes and did she as was told. Sitting beside her, Kelly whispered. “Relax, Macie. Take a deep breath.”

  “I couldn’t get them to stop crying. Matthew was getting angry with Andy for driving to slow, and they just kept crying. Nothing I did would quiet them down. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “It’s all right, Macie. What you are feeling is normal. You are just on overload right now. Let us help you,” Kelly said in her irritatingly soothing voice.

  “Kelly’s right, Macie. I know what you are feeling. Being a first-time momma isn’t easy. You are afraid of messing up all the time. Most women have nine months to prepare for a baby’s arrival. You didn’t. It’s all right if you lose your cool. We all will understand,” Emma offered.

  “I can’t do this.”

  “Yes you can. You just don’t know what to do. We can help you with that,” Kelly calmly said.

  “I’m so tired. How can I be tired from a car ride?”

  “That’s easy. Andy was driving.” Emma smiled. “The man doesn’t know how to drive faster than what the law allows. I refuse to go anywhere with him if he’s behind the wheel. If you want to get somewhere fast, have Matthew drive you.”

  “We are here to help. You just relax and try to get some rest. We can take care of those babies and their fathers,” Janie said, covering her up. Before Macie could think of an excuse, her eyes closed and soon she was asleep.

  * * * *

  Andrew and Matthew were pacing, each with a baby in their arms, feeding them as the women of Treasure Cove emerged from the bedroom. Neither of them said a single word as Emma and Janie walked over, relieving them of their tiny burdens.

  They watched as the womenfolk sat down, cooing and rocking their sons.

  At a loss for words, neither said anything, waiting for someone else to speak up.

  “Well, Dads, not only have you managed to snag the unattainable, but you leg shackled her and acquired two more children. You two have been very busy bees, haven’t you?” Emma said, smiling up at her fathers. It was known throughout the county that Emma Quinn was their biological daughter. “I’m not thrilled with how this all went down, but having two baby brothers I never thought I would have is a plus. So, what are you going to do about Macie? Because, right now, she is in way over her head, and neither of you are making it easier on her.”

  “We offered to help ease the burden. Hell, I even asked her to marry me,” Matthew blurted out, affronted.

  “Uh, that’s not entirely true, Matty. You ordered her to marry you, and she laughed in your face.”

  “Well, for fuck’s sake, Andy, the woman was going to give our sons the name Owens. What the hell was I supposed to do?”

  “How about ask her nicely?” Janie grinned, snuggling Trace closer to her. “Besides, Macie isn’t like most women. She is extremely smart and very capable of taking care of these babies by herself. Only she does not know it, yet. In the meantime, I suggest you two get your shit together, because God help you if she ever comes to that realization.”

  “Seriously, Dads. Buck up and fix this. It’s time to stop being part-time lovers and bachelors, and start being full-time daddies and possibly husbands. Though I don’t totally agree with Janie, I believe Macie wants the whole package, ring and all. Nevertheless, she will not admit crap to anyone, especially if you keep pampering her. What you are failing to understand is that some women, like Macie, don’t need the man or men in her life hovering over her. She is highly independent and capable by herself. Work with her, not for her, and for God’s sake, stop pampering her. If you want Macie, you are going to have to give her a reason to stay, because right now, she is about to bolt,” Emma advised.

  “And just how in the hell do we do that, daughter?” Matthew asked, annoyed, looking at the beautiful young woman before him.

  “Oh that’s easy!” Emma beamed her megawatt smile at him, and in that instant, everything in Matthew went on high alert.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Week one: Diapering 101.

  Macie couldn’t believe that something so damn small could smell so damn bad. At first, she thought the hospital gave her the wrong babies, because the ones she held in the hospital smelled sweet and new. But these things before her, they smelled worse than the boy’s locker room!

  Grabbing a clothespin, Macie clipped it to her nose and slowly pulled back the plastic tab. “Sweet mother of God! Dude, really!” she exclaimed loudly.

  “It’s normal, Macie.” Andrew smiled, standing next to her.

  “It’s black tar! Why is he pooping black tar, and what the hell did the hospital do to his belly button? If they broke him already, all hell is going to break loose.”

  “They didn’t break him. That’s what is left of his umbilical cord. It will eventually fall off, and he will have a normal belly button. As for the tar, it will pass. His little body is getting used to being outside the womb.”

  “Thank god, because that looks just nasty.” She grimaced. Handing Andrew the baby wipes and a new diaper, she stood back. There was no way in hell she was touching him until he was fresh and clean again.

  “Macie what are you doing?” Andrew asked.

  “Letting you clean him. You’re the expert, chop, chop. Oh lookie, he already knows how to make a water fountain.”

  “Shit!” Andrew cursed, and Macie laughed, giving Trace two thumbs up.

  Week two: Bathing.

  She had everything she needed. Little tub, little washcloth, baby shampoo, and two yellow rubber duckies. All she needed now was her sons. “I’m ready!” she shouted.

  Turning at the sounds of footsteps, she watched as Matthew and Andrew both carried a baby in their arms. When they entered the bathroom, they stopped and stared at her. “What?”

  “Woman, what in the hell are you wearing?” Matthew asked, while Andrew just grinned.

  “A wetsuit. Why?”

  “You’re giving them a bath, not going surfing.”

  Week three: Sleep deprivation.

  At the first whimper, Macie rolled over, snuggling closer to Matthew. When she heard the second whimper, she opened one eye. However, the third whimper was replaced by a high-pitched wail. Nudging Matthew in the back, she whispered. “Your turn, Matty.”

  Groaning, he mumbled. “I’ll give you the car if you go.”

  “I want the house.” She yawned.

  “It’s yours.”

&nb
sp; Week four: Nocturnal bliss.

  Stepping out onto the porch, she looked up at the night sky and smiled. The stars were shining brightly tonight. Without a cloud in the sky, she felt as if she could just reach out and grab one. The house was silent, and everyone was sleeping except for her little peanut. He was wide awake. She didn’t really mind, because she was, too. For the last four days, she and Trace had their schedules down pat. By the time Collin would fall asleep, Trace would begin to stir. She was learning to sleep as much as she could throughout the day, because come midnight, little peanut liked some one-on-one time with his momma.

  Sitting down in rocker, she held Trace close, his little eyes taking in the night sky.

  “Look, Trace, a falling star.”

  Week five: On the move.

  He had received the phone call from Emma yesterday that their presence was requested out at her place for a baby shower. Matthew was told to be on time, and to bring her brothers so she could see them. Looking around the room, he wondered how in the hell he was going to get everything into his SUV. There were strollers, car seats, diaper bags, clothing bags, playpens, bouncy seats, snugglies, and several blankets. Scratching his head, he looked at Macie, who was dressing Collin. “Macie, do we really need all this stuff?”

  “Yes and stop asking. I narrowed it down to what I knew the boys couldn’t be without.”

  “But, the bouncy seats?”

  “They love those seats. I won’t leave them behind.”

  “What about the snugglies? Won’t everyone just hold them?”

  “What if they need to eat? I won’t have the boys jostled around. Besides, Trace loves his snuggly. I wear it all the time.”

  Scratching his head, he asked. “Why three diaper bags?”

  “One is for diapers of course, one is for wipes, bottles, powder, ointment, et cetera, and the last one is for clothes,” she replied, sighing, as if he should have already known this.