by Ann, Natalie
She looked horrified, which only caused him to laugh even more.
“Just kidding. But seriously, it was a very sterile environment. The doctor was stiff, not addressing me, not even looking at me, sort of manhandled Brooke and me before our shots. It made me not want to go back. I used to pitch a fit when we were told we had to go.”
“Somehow I don’t see that, you pitching a fit.”
“It’s true. Anyway, it was always expected I would go into medicine, and when it came time to narrow my field down, it seemed like a logical choice. I guess I didn’t want other kids to feel the way I did. Your health is important, if your first memories of the doctor scare you, you are more likely to always be afraid to go, right? I hoped I could I change those feelings in others.”
He watched her absorb what he said, then nod her head. “I can see that. You were so good with Zoe, trying so hard to make her feel comfortable before you even started the exam. If your other patients felt even half of what Zoe did, then I bet you have already made a huge difference in their opinion about going to the doctors.” She smirked lightly at him. “I bet you get your fair share of crushes from your patients, too?”
He rolled his eyes and didn’t answer, no use confirming or denying. Instead he asked her a question. “What about you? Did you always want to be a hairdresser? Or is it a stylist? I’m not sure anymore.”
“Either, same thing really. And no, it’s not what I had planned.”
Now he was even more curious. “So what were your plans?” He was hoping she would elaborate. He enjoyed sitting here talking to her, getting to know her. He was so relaxed that he didn’t even realize his thumb was rubbing the top of her hand, soothing her.
She sighed contently. “I always liked the business courses in school. I went to community college and graduated with my two-year degree in Business Management.”
She paused for a minute, looked out over the water, almost distracted. “I transferred to a four-year state school for my Bachelor’s. But like so many other things in my life, it didn’t work out the way I planned. Classic situation. I met a man my first year there, made a mistake, and realized I was pregnant by the end of the first semester. I thought I could continue taking classes through it, and I did for that year. But Zoe was due a week after the start of my senior year, and I couldn’t manage it,” she said with a grimace. “I had lost my scholarship and it was too hard to work full-time, go to school and raise a child by myself. Let alone find the money for tuition.”
He could see she was fighting hard to remain cheerful, but it obviously wasn’t a happy time at all in her life. He hated to ask but had to know, and it seemed like the right time. “What about Zoe’s father?”
She looked at him briefly, then back out at the water. “He’s never been in the picture, being a father wasn’t in the plans for him.”
“He hasn’t helped you at all?” Mac asked, horrified, trying to contain his anger at how a man could abandon his child, even if he didn’t have feelings for the mother anymore.
“Well, I get his court-ordered support each month, but that’s about it. He’s never even met Zoe.”
That was sad...and disgusting. How could any man be that cold? He knew what it was like to not have his parents express any interest in him, but at least they were in his life. They never abandoned him and always supported him. He may not have always felt he came first in their lives, or even second or third, but he was never left to fend for himself either.
At twenty-one years old he’d been living the carefree life of a college student. The thought of raising a child then, even though he loved kids, made him shudder.
He stood up, pulling her up by the hand he was still holding, and hugged her tight. He had to. He felt such despair for the young girl who was left on her own to raise a child by herself, even though she moved back home. A girl who gave up her dreams but seemed so focused on Zoe now. Giving Zoe everything he never had as a child—all the things money couldn’t buy.
***
Beth heaved a sigh at the reminder of those early times after Zoe was born. It was not a time she cared to remember. She hadn’t seen Zoe’s father since their one court date when she had found out the reason he’d left her high and dry. Seemed he didn’t want his fiancée of two years to know he had an affair that had resulted in a child. He would pay his support, but never wanted to see either of them again. He even gave her a small settlement to agree never to contact him other than through his lawyer. She had kept her word, and that small settlement that she’d hidden away had come in handy with her recent move.
Too bad she never knew he was engaged, nor even that he’d had a girlfriend during the time he was sleeping with her. She was too naive to see the signs back then, too enamored with the attention he was paying to her.
He was ten years older than her, a head chef at the restaurant she was working at while trying to earn money in college. He’d paid all sorts of attention to her, taught her how to cook, flirted with her shamelessly, and made her feel special. No one had ever made her feel special in her life. She was ripe for the picking, she thought back now with distain.
She laid her head on Mac’s shoulder feeling oddly comforted regardless of the disturbing thoughts running through her brain. She wasn’t sad, not really. It was life. Reality really, and she was used to it by now. But the next words out of his mouth bought tears to her eyes.
“His loss, my gain, because you’re pretty special. And you’re doing one hell of job raising Zoe.
Up
“Mommy, can I get up please?” Zoe yelled from Mac’s couch.
They both turned to look at her through the sliding glass door that was still open a crack. She was currently kneeling, peeking over the back of the couch, trying to find them.
Mac looked at Beth when she started to stand. “She asks to get up too?” he said mildly amused.
“Yeah. I don’t want her to wander around the house without my knowledge, so she knows she has to ask to get up first.”
Mac shook his head, stood up and followed Beth through the door to see a now excited Zoe bouncing on her knees with her arms lifted at the sight of her mother. “Potty, potty. I need to go potty.”
“You got it, baby girl,” Beth said, swinging her in her arms and making a quick dash for the bathroom to avoid any sudden accidents.
Standing in the kitchen, Mac gathered a few bottles of water, along with a few juice boxes he had purchased for Zoe as a surprise, hoping she was allowed to have them. Then he added some snacks in a small cooler along with the drinks when Zoe came running down the hall shouting for him.
“In the kitchen,” he replied back happily.
Turning toward the sound of his voice, she made her way to him and held her hands up. “Up.” Watching him with interest, she noticed the juice boxes inside the cooler that he was putting the top on. “Can I have juice, Mommy?”
Beth made her way over, giving Mac a look that bordered on a frown that only a mother could pull off, indicating she wasn’t happy with him. “What do you have there?”
He shrugged. “Some snacks for the boat ride,” he answered quickly, picking up the cooler with the hand not holding Zoe.
She rolled her eyes, but he saw the smile she was fighting off, just a glimmer of it reflected in her gaze. “One, Zoe,” she said to her daughter’s pleading smile. “What do you say to Mac for buying you juice?”
“Yay, juice.” Zoe bounced on his hip. Then awkwardly put her little casted fingers on one side of his face, her other hand on the other side, squeezed his cheeks together and innocently placed her lips on his, making a smacking sound. “Thank you.”
Rendered speechless, his heart melted on the spot.
***
It was a beautiful day for a slow boat ride around the lake. It wouldn’t take long to get all the way around by the looks of it, Beth guessed.
“There’s my sister, Brooke’s, house.” He pointed as they slowly moved away from his dock and in the direction of
his sister’s house about a half mile down the road from his. “We will pass her in-laws in a few minutes, same side of the lake as us. Ryan, Brooke’s brother-in-law, is on the other side. I’ll point his out when we get there.”
Quickly closing her mouth, she hoped Mac didn’t notice it hanging open at the sight of his sister’s house. From the lake all she saw was a massive three-story structure, the first two floors consisting mainly of glass that faced the lake. The third floor had one huge window overlooking the lake, plus several smaller ones spread out, but not a whole wall of windows like the floors below. “Wow, that’s stunning.”
“Yes, Lucas’s house is pretty nice. Brooke has been putting her touch on it lately though, so I guess I can call it Brooke’s house now, too.”
Zoe was currently walking back and forth from one side of the pontoon boat to the other carefully holding the railings tight as instructed. She was even sporting a cute pink-and-white-flowered life jacket that fit her perfectly. When asked how he happened to have one in Zoe’s size, Mac simply said, “Magic.” Of course that only caused Zoe to giggle and start chattering about the magic box and her ruby ring again.
At least Zoe was happy now, because she wasn’t thrilled a short time ago when she was being slathered in sunscreen.
But Mac—who seemed to have the patience of a saint—had laughed at Zoe’s squirming form trying to evade her mother’s attempt to cover her. In the end he had pulled out a can of spray lotion, held it a few inches away from Zoe and asked if she could twirl like a ballerina for him. Delighted to comply, Zoe seemed oblivious to the sunscreen covering her.
On their way back around the lake for a third time, Mac spotted whom Beth assumed was Lucas on the beach in front of the house and sent a wave that was returned with a signal to come on in. Much to Beth’s dismay, Mac steered the boat toward the dock.
Unsure if she wanted to meet Mac’s sister right at the moment, she looked down at her plain brown shorts and summer top, barefoot to boot, and cringed. Although Mac wasn’t dressed much differently in shorts, a T-shirt and barefoot also, but Beth felt out of place in so many ways. Zoe, of course was excited to see the beach as she pointed and shouted, “Sand castles” several times.
A tall blonde male helped secure the boat and then jumped quickly aboard. He raised his eyebrows, grinned and addressed Mac. “Out for a stroll?”
As Mac answered, a female-looking version of Mac made her way to the dock and on the boat. Mac gave her a big hug, lifting her off the ground.
Zoe, seeing Mac’s arms around someone else immediately ran over and tugged on his shorts with a determined frown. “Up,” she said, lifting her hands in the air. Of course he only laughed and obeyed, tossing her in the air before settling her on his hip.
Mortification crept up Beth’s neck. “I’m sorry,” she apologized and walked over to take Zoe from Mac’s arms, which only caused Zoe to turn her head and bury her face in Mac’s neck, resulting in even more embarrassment on Beth’s part.
“She’s fine, Beth.” He reached out for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, and made the introductions.
Beth caught Brooke’s eyes landing on Zoe’s pink cast, speculation clearly showing on her face. “What a pretty ring you’ve got,” Brooke said instead, tapping her finger to Zoe’s.
Zoe turned her head away from Mac’s neck, shyly held her ring out and said, “Dr. Mac gave it to me.”
Lucas’s eyebrows rose higher. “Buying little girls rings now?”
Rather than address Lucas, Mac asked Zoe, “Tell Brooke where you got your ring, Zoe.”
“Magic box,” she said happily.
Beth watched Brooke and Mac’s exchange. She had a feeling Brooke was fully aware of Mac’s magic boxes, especially when she hummed in her throat. Then Brooke elbowed Lucas in the side to stop him from making another wisecrack that was sure to come, if the look in his eyes was any indication.
Brooke turned to address Beth. “I love your braid.” Then she walked around to see the back of it. “Where did you get that done?”
“Oh,” Beth said, running her hand down the fishtail braid that was currently draped over one shoulder. “I did it.”
“You did? Where did you learn to do that? Can you teach me?”
“Sure, it’s actually pretty easy. It just looks more complex than it is, or more than some of the other braids I’ve done,” Beth answered feeling a bit more comfortable talking about something she was familiar with and took pride in.
“Did you teach yourself?”
“No, I’m at stylist at Mitchell’s. We cater to the younger generations, and braids are the rage right now. It helps to showcase our work, too. Most of the stylists there take a lot of care with their own hair out in public. It’s part of the job. I mean who wants to get their hair done by someone whose own hair doesn’t look stylish?”
“I’ve never thought of it that way, but you’ve got a good point. I might have to check Mitchell’s out. It’s a spa too, right?”
“Yes, full service.”
“Mac, you’ve got a new cut there, don’t you?” Lucas jumped in, zoning in on Mac’s new look with a smirk.
Brooke elbowed him once more before Mac could answer.
“Well, that is my cue to leave,” Mac told his sister. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said pointedly, urging them to get off the boat.
“Sorry about that,” he told Beth a few minutes later when they pulled up against the dock at his house.
He didn’t need to explain to her, she understood. “No problem. I liked your sister. She seems nice. Lucas seems pretty funny.”
“Yeah, he is funny all right,” Mac replied with a roll of his eyes.
***
Having failed to convince Beth to stay for dinner, Mac helped them load up her car for the short drive home. “You sure you don’t want to stay? I can easily throw something on the grill,” he asked, trying once more. At least he made progress today, so that was something.
“We should really get home. We had fun, didn’t we, Zoe?” she asked from the backseat where she was buckling Zoe in.
Mac heard a loud shout from the back seat, “I had fun on the boat,” causing him to smile affectionately.
Once Zoe was fully buckled and the door was shut, Mac addressed Beth, who was standing awkwardly in front of him, looking anywhere but his face. He found it humorous but kept that thought to himself. “Let me know how Zoe makes out with her X-rays tomorrow. Send me a text, if you don’t mind.”
“OK,” she replied shyly, nervousness clearly showing on her face now, if not by the way she was running her hands up and down her thighs.
Taking matters into his own hands, he pulled her close, resting his hands on her hips and placed his mouth over hers, coaxing her to respond. It didn't take long for her to open her mouth under his. Soon they found themselves carried away in the heat of the moment until Mac heard Zoe yelling out the open window of the back seat, “Kiss me, kiss me.”
Beth jumped back, embarrassed, a lovely blush on her cheeks.
Going with the flow, Mac opened the back door, leaned in and gave Zoe a quick kiss on her little puckered lips. “Is it OK if I kiss Mommy again?”
Zoe wrinkled her nose as if in thought. “OK, kiss Mommy, too,” she said, resulting in an exhale of breath Mac wasn’t even aware he was holding. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if Zoe had told him no, that he couldn’t kiss her mother.
He stepped back, shut the door, turned to face Beth again, laughing in relief and whispered, “You heard her.”
Falling
Mac was walking out of a hospital room when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He read Beth’s text quickly and called her while he made his way to the doctor’s lounge.
She picked up on the first ring with a cheery hello.
“Good news,” he said to her.
“Yes, very good. I’m thrilled the cast is off. The doctor said because it was only a hairline fracture and children's bones grow fast, they heal f
ast as well. Seems they were unsure of even putting the cast on it in the first place, but opted for caution. And now it’s almost one hundred percent healed, so she only has to wear a removable splint for the next two weeks, then another X-ray and we should be done,” she said joyously.
“Sounds like a celebration is in order.”
“I already have it planned as a reward for her being so good. You aren’t the only one with magic-box-type tricks up your sleeve.”
“Is this a girl’s-only celebration?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I guess it would be up to Zoe. Hang on.” He heard a rustling sound and assumed she lowered the phone, but he still heard her voice quietly when she asked, “Zoe, can Mac come to your celebration dinner?”
The loud squeal that sounded like “Dr. Mac” had him holding the phone away from his own ear and laughing. “Guess that’s a yes,” he said a second later when the squealing stopped and he knew Beth had returned the phone to her ear.
“Guess so,” she said. “Are you at work?”
“Working, yes. Office, no. I’m on my way in a bit. I’m on-call this week so I’m doing rounds at the hospital first. I should be in the office by ten.”
“Oh, is that how it works? You have to go to the hospital every day first when you’re on-call?”
“Pretty much. I’m on-call every third week. It’s a few hours each morning at the hospital doing rounds, depending on births and admissions, plus, a few more hours during the weekend and on-call for emergencies after hours. What about you—off today?”
“No, I’m scheduled to go in at ten on Mondays, out at seven. It’s one of my two late nights each week. It’s hard, as I don’t get to see Zoe that much. I just walk in the door and put her to bed. But I get Wednesday off this week since I have to work this Saturday, too.”
“So when’s the celebration dinner if you are working late tonight?”
“Wednesday if you can make it. I can hold dinner for you if need be.”