Don't Mess With Jess

by Megan McCoy

  Kelly raised her eyebrows at her but settled down on one of the island chairs. “So this is my cousin,” she said. “Mac, he’s adorable. Thank you so much for letting me come see him.”

  Jessie washed her hands and opened the beer Mac had handed her. Salad, she needed to finish the salad, and get it in the fridge. Focus on food.

  “Jess, you have been taking such good care of him,” Kelly said. “He looks amazing.”

  “He is amazing,” she said, begrudgingly. How long was this woman staying here?

  “Want to hold him?” Mac offered, and it took everything in her power not to swirl around and scream. See how in control she was. Not. Yes, she was. No worries.

  Finishing the salad, she put it in the fridge then took a long pull on her beer before she turned back around. Kelly was cradling Sam. She was fine, Jess assured herself. Just fine. If Mac wasn’t worried, neither was she.

  She took another drink from her bottle. She would allow herself this one, but that was all. Sam was more important than soothing herself with alcohol.

  “Let’s move the party to the patio,” Ryan said.

  “I can start the grill, but it will take a while for the charcoal to burn down,” Mac said.

  “You need yourself a fancy propane one like I have,” Ryan told him. “Just turn it on and it’s ready.”

  “I’m old school,” Mac said

  “In more ways than one,” Jess said. Well, that slipped out, now, didn’t it? She grabbed her bottle, not to rub her still aching bottom. When was he going back to work?

  Ryan laughed like he knew just what she was talking about and she glared at him, then Mac. Stupid males. “I’m grabbing his bouncer,” she said. Taking a deep breath as she walked by Kelly, it took everything in her power not to grab Sam away from Her. She’d take over once they got outside.

  It didn’t take long for them all to get settled outside, Mac and Ryan pulled out the chairs as Jessie put up Sam’s bouncer chair, then took him, thankfully, from Kelly and hugged him close. Pushing away the thought of washing all the other people’s germs off him later, she begrudgingly settled him into his bouncer chair. He was getting so strong. Almost able to support himself now.

  “So, tell me about yourself, Kelly.” Jess looked over, a little startled that Ryan had taken the lead interrogator role. “Did you grow up with Sam?”

  Kelly looked over at little Sam and then at Ryan. “Sam is my cousin, his dad and mom were drug addicts and dropped him off with my mom, who had me when she was sixteen. Both of them died of an overdose a couple years later within a couple months of each other. My mom raised Sam and me on a waitress’ salary until she got hit by a drunk driver coming home from work one night, right before I turned ten. My grandma took me, and I never found out why she couldn’t or wouldn’t take Sam but he went to foster care and I never saw him again after that.”

  Jessie’s mind reeled. She couldn’t imagine a life like that. Of course, as a teacher, she had known kids who had that kind of life, and worse, but still. It was horrific. “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “Well, I don’t usually tell people about that,” Kelly admitted, running her fingers through her short red hair. “I just wanted to let you know that I have no interest in taking Sam away from what seems to be a very good home. I don’t want kids. No way am I going to continue the cycle.”

  Jess felt a huge weight lift off her. But Kelly continued, “However, I’d really like to see him sometimes. Watch him grow up. He is the only living blood relative I have as far as I know.”

  “I hired a PI,” Mac said. “You are the only one we found, and I appreciate your honesty. We were really concerned that you would fight us in court over him.”

  “Set your hearts and minds at rest. I can be the Disney cousin who swoops in with presents once in a while,” she said. “If you approve of that, of course. If not, I’ll quietly go away, knowing he will be raised well. Safe and happy.”

  Jessie couldn’t help it, she got up and gave Kelly a hug. “I was so scared,” she whispered to her. “Thank you.”

  “Welcome to the family,” Mac said. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I work retail, I manage a large pet store,” she said. “When you’re ready to get Sam a puppy, let me know and I’ll hook you up with a discount on supplies.”

  Mac looked a bit taken aback, and Jess laughed at him. “A boy needs a puppy, I told you that.”

  “Well, let’s get him housebroken before we add in someone else who needs diapers, too.” Mac got up and poked around the charcoal.

  Jess and Kelly exchanged glances and Kelly giggled. “We will make sure yours doesn’t need diapers, okay?”

  Later on that evening, Kelly and Jessie sat in the living room while Mac and Ryan cleaned the kitchen. Kelly was rocking Sam and giving him the night bottle, when she asked Jessie, “So you and Mac? What’s the relationship there? I thought you were the nanny or something but I’m confused.”

  “Yeah, good question,” Jessie said, wondering if she could really trust Kelly. She didn’t know her at all, and though she seemed fun and intelligent and not out to steal Sam, who really knew? She didn’t yet, that was for sure. Partial truth, perhaps? “I have been Carly’s best friend since we were very little, and I was in the room when Sam was born. When Carly died so unexpectedly, Mac was having a hard time. I’m a teacher, so I had a couple months off to come help them get settled.”

  “So you aren’t in Sam’s life as a mother figure?” Kelly seemed a little shocked. “As protective as you were and yeah, I noticed, I just thought you were taking over the role.”

  Luckily before she could formulate an answer, Mac and Ryan came in. “Kelly, I’m going to run to the ice cream shop and bring some back. Would you ride with me?”

  “Sure.” Jess got up and took Sam from Kelly, and headed up to put him to bed. Mac followed her up, and once Sam was down, took her by the hand and led her to his bedroom.

  “Ryan is going to see what is really up with her,” Mac said. “Or try. I don’t believe she came all the way down here to be Disney cousin, do you?” He paused and she could feel him staring at her. “Jess?”

  Pushing her dark hair from her eyes, she rubbed her butt just a little, because it was still sore, and she’d probably get a lot more if… “Mac, marry me.”

  “You are so romantic,” he said, slowly. “Jess, what the hell?”

  “I can’t lose Sam. I want to be his forever mom.”

  “Marriage is a big step, Jess. And a marriage of convenience? I’m not sure I want one of those.”

  “Well, it wouldn’t have to be,” Jessie said. “We could be really married, I could adopt Sam, we could give him siblings, a family.” Her heart hammered and her palms sweated. Sleep with Mac? Could she? Sure. It wouldn’t be a hardship, would it? Maybe.

  “Are you just reacting because of Kelly? My lawyer says there is no way she could get custody of him. She moves every few years, and isn’t nearly as closely related as I am. Plus we are building Sam a life here.”

  She looked at him, and crossed her arms. Did any of that matter?

  “Do you love me, Jess?” he asked her and pulled her onto his lap. She liked it on his lap, and leaned her head against his chest. Why did she like it here? She felt safe here? Maybe? Who knew?

  “Of course, I’ve always known you, I’ve always loved you like I love Carly and your mom.” What was he asking her?

  “Jessie, not the family kind of love, the boyfriend girlfriend or husband wife kind of love.” Stroking her hair, he said, “Call me old-fashioned, but I think when you get married, you should go into it thinking it is forever and that you are madly in love. I understand you are scared of losing Sam. So am I, and I think we would make a great team, but I’m not sure marriage is what you really want right now.”

  Jessie couldn’t help it, she started crying. Was she embarrassed he turned her down? Probably. Overwhelmed at today? Again, probably. But really, being here in his arms, on his lap mad
e her feel safe and cared for. As if she had someone to share the burden of life with. Was that why she wanted to marry him? Was she tired of being a strong single woman? No, of course not. It had been nice playing housewife for a while, sure, but what she really wanted was to take Sam back to her house and live happily ever after there with him, working the job that she no longer had. This made her cry harder.

  “Jessie, come on, baby, it’s going to be okay. We will get through this together,” Mac rubbed her back and stroked her hair with the arm that wasn’t holding her snuggly against him.

  “How? I have no rights to Sam. If something happened to you like it did Carly, he’d probably go to her. I can’t stand this, I can’t. I love him.” She clenched her fists and pounded one on his leg.

  She felt his grip tighten and he went still. Had he not thought of that? She pushed it. “Even if you leave him to me in your will, the court could overturn that for a blood relative. You know that, right?”

  He shifted, and tipped her face up to look at him. “Jess, nothing is going to happen to me and you will always be in Sam’s life.”

  “You can’t promise me that.”

  Pulling away from him, she said, “I’m going to bed. You can have ice cream with her and play with your buddy tonight. I’m not in a party mood.”

  “Sleep well,” he said, and slapped her butt as she got off his lap. “And don’t worry so much. That’s an order.”

  She couldn’t help it, she glared and stuck out her tongue at him. Mac laughed. “Good way to earn yourself a mouth soaping, young lady.”

  She was not in the mood for his patriarchal bullshit tonight, and stomped off to her bedroom. How he could make her feel so safe and cared for one minute and then so furious the next second was baffling. She stopped to check on Sam and then went to her room to grab her robe. She wanted a shower before bed and would give Sam a bath early in the morning. Was Kelly staying long? How many days? Why hadn’t she asked Mac? Pulling her robe off the hook on the door, she went back to Mac’s room down the hall. Stopping at the door, she saw him still sitting on the bed, head in his hands, looking the very picture of dejection.

  A feeling overwhelmed her, not sure what it was, she followed her instincts and rushed over to him. “Mac, honey?” Pulling him into her arms, she tugged him closer. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be strong all the time. I’m here. We got this, together.”

  “Sorry, Jess.” His voice was muffled in her shirt.

  “For what? Being human? Stop it.”

  He hugged her, hard, then leaned back and toward her, and kissed her. Mac was kissing her, and it was, oh wow, it was… She felt her knees give way and began to melt against him. More kisses, more. As if he heard her, he tilted her head and kissed her again, softly but yet so erotically she thought she’d fall over when he pulled away.

  “Wow,” she said, dreamily, clinging to him. “That was…”

  “Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” he said, looking at her, then stroking her hair, down to her cheek. Then he touched the lips he’d just kissed and her breath caught.

  They pulled apart, almost guiltily, as they heard the front door open and Ryan and Kelly come back in. “You go play, I’m going to shower and go to bed,” she said, trying to gather the remnants of her brain cells.

  “I’m not really in a play mood,” he said, slowly.

  “You’re the host, bud, suck it up. I’ll see you in the morning.” Jess gathered her robe and went down the hall to the bathroom.

  Standing in the shower, she thought over the last hour or so. She’d proposed to Mac, and gotten turned down again. That was twice now. Would three times be the charm? Then what? Was she willing to give up the house she worked so hard for and she adored? All her friends and her support system in her town that she loved? The chance for a secure teaching job, sure not the one she wanted, but she could work her way back to that in a year or so. Did she want to be Mac’s full-time wife and Sam’s full-time mother and finish up her Master’s degree?

  Rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she thought, just a couple weeks ago, she’d moved here for just a couple weeks. She’d thought she’d spend some bonding time with her godson while she found a nanny for him. That was all. Instead, she’d fallen in love. With Sam, who, of course, she already loved, but now? It was different. Stronger. More... what was the word? Primitive? And with Mac. Which made no sense at all, but it was true, and it wasn’t just because he’d kissed her. It was all their middle of the night sleepy meets in the hall to take care of Sam, the runs to the big box store for diapers and wipes together and eating ‘lunch’ from the demo ladies’ tables together. Waiting up until he made it home, worn out from work and feeding him. Making his coffee and breakfast. Eyes meeting over something cute Sam did and sharing their frustration over their non-baby knowledge and the victory when they succeeded. There was something very bonding about shared parenting. She even loved to hear him complain about her spending. In fact, she really enjoyed that.

  Stepping out of the shower, she dried off and cleaned up her stuff, so that Ryan wouldn’t have to walk into a girl mess later. It was going to be a long couple days.

  Chapter 4

  Jess held her hand out. “Card, please.”

  “Geeze, Jess, what all do you need to get?”

  Kelly laughed. “Who knows, shopping is shopping. You never know what you are going to run into.”

  “Have you looked in the kid’s room?” Mac complained while pulling out his wallet to give Jessie the credit card she wanted. “He has enough stuff for three kids.”

  “He’s a growing boy,” Jess said, sweetly. “We can’t let our little man do without, can we?”

  Their fingers brushed as he handed her the card and he appreciated that she seemed to notice and even linger a second longer than she had to. That kiss had changed things between them. In a good way? He hoped so. He’d be repeating it again soon, and more.

  “Well, we can’t buy out the outlet mall,” Kelly said. “I have to leave by two to get home, but it will be fun to buy things for Sam before I go.”

  “See, Jess,” Mac teased. “Kelly is going to buy.”

  “He’s our kid,” Jess said, in that defensive, protective tone. “She can buy him presents, but he’s ours to provide for.”

  “Just give up and work overtime next week,” Ryan told him. “You ready to go?”

  While the girls took Sam shopping, they were going to play a game of golf and then go out to lunch before meeting back here to say goodbye to Kelly.

  “Keep it reasonable, Jess,” he warned her.

  “Whatever, Mac,” she said. “Bye, see you guys in a few hours.”

  Mac kissed the baby already in the car seat, and said, “Keep an eye on these two, little man. See you soon. Daddy loves you.” Sam reached up and grabbed his nose, and Mac took his hand and kissed it, too. Why not? “Ready now,” he told Ryan.

  Last night he would not have thought that Jess and Kelly would be spending the morning together. He thought Jess was too freaked out over Kelly’s very existence, so when she brought up the shopping expedition this morning, he’d looked at her as if she were nuts.

  “Keep your enemies closer,” she’d said.

  How could you disagree with that? Jess was smart and she could maybe find out something more about Kelly while doing girl things. What was an outlet mall? He’d never heard of such a thing. All he did know was that his credit card would get a workout. He needed to put that woman on a budget.

  He and Ryan walked out to the garage where he grabbed his clubs. “My car or yours?”

  “Mine, I have my clubs in the trunk already,” Ryan said.

  “It’s been months since I’ve played,” Mac said.

  “You need to take Sam out with you when he gets a little bigger,” Ryan said. “Start him young.”

  “I’ll do that. Hard to imagine him walking and talking and doing real people things. He gets cuter all the time and I’m looking forward to doing things like ball game
s and watching school plays and all the normal parent stuff. I never thought I’d be a parent,” he confessed. “Just never really had any interest.”

  “Then you got Sam,” Ryan said. “What’s the legal situation?”

  “Well, as far as we can tell Kelly is his only other blood relative, so if she doesn’t sue me for custody and I’m hoping she won’t, then they will file paperwork with the court, I’ll have social workers come to the house and check it out and things will grind through the system slowly, but hopefully by this time next year, he’ll be fully legally mine.”

  “She’s interesting,” Ryan said.

  “Who, Kelly?”

  “Yeah, I’m going to go see her next week.”

  “What?” Mac turned in his seat and looked at his friend. “When did this happen?”

  “She left last night, then texted me a while later after you went to bed, and we went out for drinks.”

  “Drinks?” Mac felt as if he were in an alternate universe.

  “People do that,” Ryan said.

  “How did she get your number?”

  “Obviously I gave it to her when we went out to get the ice cream,” Ryan said as if it were a perfectly normal thing.

  “Obviously. Ryan, you know she’s trying to take my kid from me, right?”

  “Nah, she’s not. Sure she wants to be in his life, but she doesn’t want him full time. She basically said she couldn’t afford full-time day care and she worked retail hours, it’s ten hours a day, nights, weekends and holidays. Daycares don’t do that.”

  He knew that fact well.

  “Besides, she says she doesn’t want kids and you know I’m fine with that. I already have a kid I don’t get to see enough.”

  Mac shook his head. “I was fine with that, too, until I had one.”

  “Like greatness, yours was thrust upon you.” Ryan pulled into the clubhouse parking lot. “Me, I’d be fine without another ankle biter. But it’s just a couple dates, spending some time together. You know I don’t want to get tied down again.”