Hometown Love (14 page)

As he drove, the memory of Jessie and Grace painting the previous Friday night popped up. Many women he’d considered dating hadn’t been interested once they learned he had a child. Jessie hadn’t blinked an eye at the fact. Rather, she treated his daughter much the same way a mother or aunt would. While she’d never said it, he knew she cared about Grace, and there was no question that Grace adored Jessie.

Mack passed by the river and the new Stonefield Dam before turning onto Church Street. The apartments that had once lined the street were all gone. Hurricane Andrea had destroyed them a few years earlier. Now, single-family homes and young trees lined the street, another reminder of all the changes around him. When he reached the stop sign, he turned right and pulled into his sister’s driveway.

Yeah, a lot of things were changing, but while that might bother some people, he embraced it. He didn’t know what more would change between him and Jessie, but he was eager to find out.

The door flew open before he pressed the doorbell. “Hi, Uncle Mack,” Brianna said.

Prepared to scold her for opening the door, Mack opened his mouth, but his sister beat him to it.

“Brianna Stone, what I have I told you about opening that door?” Erin stood in the hallway, her arms crossed.

Brianna’s grin disappeared. “Not to unless you or daddy tells me it’s okay.” His niece glanced at him as if she hoped he’d save her.

When he remained silent, she looked back at her mom. “But I saw it was Uncle Mack through the window.”

Erin shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Now go upstairs and tell Grace her dad’s here.”

His niece darted up the stairs, the fairy wings on her back bouncing.

“Last I checked, they were playing dress-up. This might take awhile.” Erin headed back down the hall and indicated Mack should follow. “Help yourself to anything.” Erin stopped at the crockpot and stirred its contents, the scent of the meal inside making his stomach rumble.

Passing his sister, he opened the refrigerator and grabbed a can of soda. “Thanks for all your help.”

“Anytime. Those two play well together.” Replacing the cover, Erin turned from the counter. “Grace filled me in on how Jessie spent much of the weekend with the two of you. Care to share or should I wait and hear it all from Mom who will no doubt hear about it from one of her friends?”

He heard a loud shriek upstairs, followed by running feet. For a moment, he considered checking it out, but when Erin remained unconcerned, he pulled out a kitchen chair. “Since you got everything from Grace, what do you need me to tell you?” His sister had always been a bit of a busybody.

Erin’s eyes narrowed. “I assumed there was more to tell, smart ass. I didn’t even know you two were seeing each other.”

What he and Jessie did wasn’t anyone’s business, but than again, this was North Salem and people noticed everything. “I’m just seeing where things go, sis. Okay?”

“Fine by me. It just surprised me when Grace told me. I like Jessie, but she doesn’t seem like your type. I thought you liked women more like Bethany.” Erin’s voice took on a sour note when she mentioned his ex-wife. From the day he’d first introduced Erin to his ex-wife, they had disliked each other.

While he had no desire to have a relationship with a woman like Bethany, his sister was correct. Jessie wasn’t his usual type. Since his days in college, he’d gone for the more worldly women, for lack of a better word, rather than those who preferred small town life. His ex-wife had grown up in Philadelphia and done some modeling in high school and college before moving to Massachusetts. Jessie, on the other hand, was the living, breathing definition of small town. Unlike in the past, though, he no longer found that a turn-off. He found it the exact opposite.

“People’s preferences change, and the last thing I want is another Bethany.”

“You and me both. You know how I feel about her.” Erin grabbed his soda and took a sip. “I’ve been craving cola all day. I have to get some caffeine-free soda next time I’m out.” She passed the can back to him then her face turned serious. “I don’t think Jessie has dated much. I can’t recall ever seeing her with anyone.”

Jessie’s relationship history didn’t matter to him, although he found his sister’s revelation odd. “So?”

“So I think you should take things extra slow with her. I don’t want you to hurt her feelings. We’re not best friends, but I like Jessie a lot.”

Big surprise there; everyone in town liked her.

“Daddy!” Grace flew into the room and hugged him before he said anything else. “Look at the dress Brianna said I could have.” She pulled back and did a little twirl for him. “She already has one just like it.”

Mack looked at his sister for confirmation.

“Brianna does have two. I bought one and then my mother-in-law gave her one. If Grace wants it, that’s fine.”

“In that case, why don’t you get your regular clothes on and put that one in your bag? Then we’ll head home.”

“Can she stay for dinner?” Brianna asked, popping into the room. She’d ditched the fairy outfit and now wore the same princess gown as Grace.

“You’re more than welcome to stay.” Erin passed a hand over her stomach and he realized he’d never asked how her ultrasound went the week before.

Grace and Brianna stared up at him as if they could control his mind. “I guess so.” Grace loved being with her cousin and liked visiting with her aunt and uncle, not to mention he was exhausted and not up for cooking tonight himself.

“Come on. Let’s get the stuff for the tea party.” Brianna grabbed Grace’s hand and yanked her from the room.

“Those two are like sisters.”

Erin’s words echoed his thoughts. While not having another baby with Bethany had been the right decision, he regretted that Grace was an only child. While he realized he could rectify that situation since his divorce, he’d never pictured it happening.

“I’m glad they’re so close,” he said before he drained his soda, reconsidering his thoughts from a moment ago. He’d never pictured it happening with the women he’d dated since his ex-wife, however, he had no trouble picturing it when he thought of Jessie. He didn’t doubt for a moment she’d make an excellent mother.

With that thought, Mack headed to get another soda. It was too soon to be thinking of Jessie in those terms. Even still, now that the thought had materialized, he couldn’t shake it. In fact, the thought stayed with him all through dinner and all the way home.

Although he would’ve preferred that his ex-wife pick Grace up on Saturday morning rather than Friday night, Mack had agreed Grace would be ready for five o’clock. In order to make sure that happened, he’d helped Grace pack her overnight bag the night before and arranged to leave work early that night.

Now, as they waited for Bethany, he wished he’d pushed for Grace to leave in the morning instead. He’d seen his daughter before the bus came, and so far, about fifteen minutes tonight. Then he wouldn’t see her again until late Sunday afternoon. While it wasn’t that much time calendar-wise, it always felt like a lifetime when Grace spent weekends with her mom. Oddly, it didn’t feel as long when she spent weekends with his parents. He was no shrink, but he suspected his feelings toward Bethany these days influenced his emotions in that regard. Despite how he felt about his ex now, she was Grace’s mother and she had the right to see her. Thankfully, she didn’t do that on a regular basis.

“Can I take Mr. Whiskers and Brown Bear?” Grace asked while they waited for Bethany.

As long as she had Mr. Whiskers, she’d be fine. The stuffed dog had been her favorite toy since her first birthday, but he saw no harm in letting her take a long more than one friend.

“Fine with me. You better hurry upstairs and get him. Your mom will be here any minute.” He may have issues with many of Bethany’s traits, but she was punctual. And if she was running late, she called.

Grace jumped up. “Be right back.” Like a bullet train, she flew up the stairs. Before she made it back down, the doorbell rang.

Right on time.

Bethany never wanted anyone to see her as anything less than perfect. Today wasn’t any different. Her blonde hair hung loose, each curl arranged just so. Her make up appeared perfect, not too much but just enough. Although she wore jeans today, they looked brand new and he’d bet a whole paycheck they had a designer label on them.

“Bethany, come in.” He stepped back. Yeah, his ex-wife looked just as beautiful today as the day he’d met her eight years ago, but unlike that day, not an ounce of attraction filled him. “Grace ran upstairs for Brown Bear.” While he didn’t intend to be rude, he didn’t ask her to sit either. He’d told Jessie to stop by whenever tonight and he wanted Bethany gone before that so they could enjoy their time together.

“I’m not in a rush. We’re only staying in Boston this weekend, so it won’t take long to get there.”

Since she’d accepted her new position with a major television network, she’d moved to New York City. To help cut out the long commute when she visited Grace, she sometimes got a room in Boston and they stayed there all weekend.

“Grace will love that. She thinks sleeping in a hotel is cool.” Perhaps he had at her age, too. He couldn’t remember. Now, though, he found it more of an annoyance.

Bethany moved toward the stairs. “Tomorrow, I’m going to take her to the children’s museum. It has a special exhibit I think she’ll like.” She started up the stairs as if she lived there. “I’ll check and see if she needs any help.”

More than likely, either Grace couldn’t find Brown Bear or she’d gotten distracted with something else. Either way, he didn’t stop Bethany. Grace would want her mom to see her new room before they left.

As his ex disappeared from view, the doorbell rang again. 
Damn.
He’d hoped to avoid Jessie meeting his ex-wife tonight. Why, he didn’t know, but the idea of Bethany and Jessie in the same room made him uncomfortable. Even with the unease, Mack opened the door and placed a quick kiss on Jessie’s lips when she walked in. He’d seen her on Wednesday and they’d talked for a few minutes the night before, but he’d missed her. For a good portion of the day, he’d tossed around ideas for the weekend. So far, nothing had jumped out at him.

“I would’ve been here sooner, but I left work late and had to stop home.” She gave him another kiss, this one on his cheek.

“Jessie!” Grace called out from the stairs. “I’m going to Boston and staying in a hotel. Mommy said we can get room service.” She headed in their direction, Brown Bear in one hand and Bethany right behind her.

Next to him, Jessie stiffened, but her mouth curved up in a smile. “That sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve never had room service.”

While Grace added Brown Bear to her overnight bag, Bethany joined them. “I don’t think we’ve met.” Bethany gave Jessie a quick but definite once-over before she shot him a look that he couldn’t decipher.

Uncertain on how to label Jessie, he decided to make introductions as short and sweet as possible. While he might think of Jessie as his girlfriend, they hadn’t discussed their relationship in those terms.

“Bethany, this is Jessie Quinn. She’s a good friend of mine.” He nodded toward Jessie. “Jessie, this is Grace’s mom.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Grace is a great little girl.” Jessie smiled.

“She is.” Bethany looked over at Grace as the little girl rushed over to them. “Did you go to high school with Mack?”

Mack had an answer prepared, but Grace didn’t give him a chance to share it.

“Jessie is Daddy’s girlfriend,” she informed them, sounding rather pleased with the situation.

Bethany glanced at Jessie again and then sent him a strange look while Jessie turned as red as a tomato.

“I saw him kiss her on Wednesday.”

He’d never thought it possible, but Jessie’s face grew a darker shade of red.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Bethany broke the uncomfortable silence. “Come on, Grace. Let’s go.” She grabbed the overnight bag from the floor. “I’ll bring her back around three on Sunday.”

She’d never wanted magical powers more than when Grace had announced she was Mack’s girlfriend. If she could have snapped her fingers and disappeared, she would have. While she assumed their relationship was headed that way, to have Grace blurt it out like that had been too much. If she’d said it in front of just Mack, it would’ve been one thing, but with his gorgeous ex-wife standing there, she’d thought she’d die. To make matters even more uncomfortable, something she’d believed impossible, Grace had said she’d seen them kissing. Even now, with Mack outside saying goodbye, her face burned with mortification.

Please don’t mention it.
Perhaps if she launched a conversation the moment he walked in, Grace’s comments would slip from his mind.

“I think Grace is more excited about room service than the exhibit Bethany told her about,” Mack said when he came back inside.

“Room service does sound rather nice.” Jessie forced herself to look at him, and once again, she was struck by just how out of her league he was. A guy as handsome as Mack belonged alongside an equally beautiful woman… one that looked like his ex-wife.

Whether he sensed her discomfort or not, he didn’t say. Instead, he came over and put his arms around her waist. “You’ve never had room service?”

His show of affection and physical proximity made her senses spin, and any embarrassment from before disappeared. “I’ve only stayed in hotels a few times and I’ve never splurged on room service.”

He pulled her closer. “We’ll have to remedy that someday.”

Heat once again surged through her, although this time, it wasn’t caused by embarrassment. Clearing her throat, she searched for a safe topic. Right away, her thoughts turned to Grace. “Grace looks just like her mom. No wonder she’s such a beautiful little girl.” Standing in the same room with Bethany, she’d felt a little like one of the ugly stepsisters.

“Grace does have her mom’s physical characteristics. Thankfully, that’s all she got.” He gave her a short quick kiss than pulled away. “Let’s go figure out what we want to do tonight.”

In the end, they decided on dinner from the grill, followed by relaxing around the fire pit outside. Unfortunately, the rain forecasted for much later in the evening arrived early, extinguishing the fire before they could enjoy it. Rather than complain about their ruined plans, they moved inside where Mack built a fire in the fireplace.

Despite the change of plans, Jessie remained on cloud nine. Part of it came from the atmosphere. She’d always loved a fire, whether it was outside or in a fireplace. When she’d been growing up, her grandfather would often build a big fire in the fireplace and she and Charlie would cook hot dogs and tell ghost stories. On weekends, if her dad was home, he’d build a fire out back, and the two of them would roast marshmallows before camping out in the backyard. Some of her best memories with her dad involved those camp-outs.

Her companion for the night, though, contributed even more to her current state. All evening Mack had been an attentive listener and a perfect gentleman. Although neither had touched on Grace’s statement, they had discussed everything from his job to the workout regime her trainer had her on. And while Grace’s new label for her never came up, she couldn’t shake it as Mack went in search of a DVD.

“I couldn’t find the one I wanted, but I found these. Take your pick.” He handed her a heavy DVD case.

Inside, she found everything from classic black-and-white movies to recent action films. “It’s weird to see a DVD with Mia’s picture on it.” She paused when she found her new friend’s face staring back up at her.

Mack flipped the page. “Still can’t get my head around Sean being with a movie star. Every time I think about it, I’m afraid I’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone.”

Jessie attempted to hold back her laugh but failed. “She’s nothing like you’d think. You’ll meet her at Mrs. O’Brien’s wedding. Sean told me she’ll be back for that.” Jessie grabbed the first movie that appealed to her before Mack turned the page again. “I still need to send in my RSVP card for the wedding. I just need to find it first.”

Mack accepted the DVD Jessie held out and stood. “We can use mine. Like Grace announced tonight, you are my girlfriend. No reason for us both to send in a reply card.”

His words lacked any romantic finesse yet they answered the questions she’d agonized over all week. In fact, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted clarification on their relationship until Grace’s announcement that night. “Works for me. Do you want me to pick up a gift?”

Returning to the couch, he sat and then repositioned her so her legs draped over his thighs. “Sounds good.” He leaned over and kissed her as the movie’s soundtrack started.

After a minute or so, the music was replaced by a male voice indicating the movie had started. Even with the movie underway, neither of them made an effort to move. Instead, Jessie let herself get carried away by the maelstrom of desire building inside. Bolstered by his view that this thing between them was a real relationship with potential and not just a few make-out sessions, she changed her position, straddling his lap with a leg on either side of his.

Jessie’s new position increased their intimate contact. Now, not only could she feel the hard muscles in his thighs, but she also felt his heartbeat quicken as their kiss continued, and his arousal grew against her.

Acting on pure emotion, she rubbed up against him, eliciting a groan from him. Empowered by his reaction, she did it again. This time, pleasure radiated through her. Still basking in the bliss her movements caused, she didn’t realize until he’d undone her bra that his hands had disappeared under her shirt. Once he freed her from the bra, he captured her breasts, massaging them and learning all he could about them through touch alone.

Ruled by instinct, she let her hands slip under his shirt and roam up his abdomen to his chest. For a moment, he pulled away from her mouth and she feared she’d done something wrong. Before she could ask, he pulled her shirt and then his off, and then kissed her again with a hunger she felt to her toes.

Tearing his mouth away again, he seared a path of heat down her neck with his lips. Then, without any warning, he changed their position, and she found herself stretched out beneath him. He took his time letting his gaze roam across her face and down to her breasts. Under his intense gaze, her nipples hardened and she wanted nothing more than for him to touch them.

Once he finished his visual inspection, he once again met her eyes and gave her a smile that sent excitement pulsing through her. “I think this is a perfect way to spend a Friday night.” He whispered the last of his sentence inches from her lips then kissed her again.

She couldn’t agree more. Soon, her brain shut off as her senses took over. As he kissed her mouth, then her neck, and finally her breasts, she returned each of his caresses, loving the feel of his skin against hers. In the background, the movie played, but neither halted their current activity to watch it or turn it off. By that point, heat and desire consumed Jessie’s whole body, and she barely registered the noise or anything else for that matter. Instead, only Mack existed.

The second he started with the zipper, though, her emotion-induced haze disappeared and a flashing warning sign took its place. For a moment, fear paralyzed her, but then she pushed his shoulders until he released her nipple and looked up at her.

“What’s the matter?” His voice came out ragged, but she heard the concern and confusion.

Jessie sat up and used her arms to cover her breasts. Part of her knew the action was ridiculous. He’d just been sucking on her nipples. Still, the need to cover up demanded she do something.

“Jessie?” he asked again with more concern.