Reclaim Me (The Jaded Series Book 2) (23 page)

“I should go.”

His arm around my shoulder pulls me closer. “In a minute.”

I snuggle closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder. I could stay here forever, and I would be completely happy. Yes, in the back of my mind, there is still worry there, but I’m trying really hard to push it away and not let it scare me.

We sit for a few more minutes, just listening to the crickets chirp. Mac pulls away and stands, pulling me up beside him. He walks me to my car and then pulls me into his arms once we’re at my door. I wrap my arms around him. When we pull apart, he leans down for a kiss.

“T is leery of you because of what Tessa’s told him and the arguments he overheard us having when he was younger. I tried to shield him from it, but Tessa didn’t care. He now thinks you are the reason his mother and me are no longer together. Even though you are indirectly, you’re not the main reason. I want him to get to know you. Once he does, I know he’ll change his opinion.”

I figured as much. Tessa’s obsession with Mac is so strong that she’s willing to hurt her own son. What kind of mother does that? Damn sure not a good one.

“I’d love to get to know your son better, Sheriff. I just hope he gives me a chance.”

“He will, Pix. I’ve explained some things to him already. He’s agreed to keep an open mind.”

“Okay,” I tell him and reach up to give him one last kiss before getting in my car and starting it. I put down my window and Mac leans in to steal another. I laugh against his lips.

“See you tomorrow,” he murmurs and then steps back.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight. Be careful. Call me when you get home, okay?”

I raise my hand and salute him. “Yes sir, Sheriff.”

I see him laugh at my playfulness when I crank my car. Giving him a wave, I pull out of his yard. Right before I pull out his driveway, I look in my rearview mirror and see him from my break lights still standing there watching me drive away.

Chapter Twenty-one

Mac

Her intelligence…

I’m standing in front of the stove frying bacon and eggs when I hear shuffling behind me. I turn to see a sleepy-eyed T still wearing his sleep shorts and t-shirt, walk into the kitchen.

“Hey, kid, did you sleep well?” I ask and then turn back around to flip the bacon over. Out the corner of my eye, I see T take a seat at the bar.

“Yeah, Dad, I slept pretty good,” he replies in a sleepy voice. “But there was a creaking noise coming from the porch. Was it windy last night?”

I nearly choke on the sip of coffee I had just taken. Obviously, Mia and I weren’t as quiet as I thought. We’ll have to be more careful next time.

“Yes, the wind picked up about midnight. It was probably the swing.”

I turn back to him to see his face, sure that if he actually saw us he wouldn’t be able to hide it. He’s bent over the counter rubbing his eyes. When he’s finished, he looks up, and I see nothing in his eyes that would suggest he saw anything inappropriate.

Thank God for that.

“Mia’s coming over in a bit, and we’re taking a couple horses out. You want to come along?”

I turn the burner off, then reach into the fridge for some orange juice, and pour T a glass before setting it in front of him.

“Can I stay here? There’s a new game I want to check out.”

“Yeah, but remember what we talked about. I want you to get to know Mia. She’s going to be around more often.”

I scoop some bacon and eggs on a plate and place it in front of him. He immediately picks up his fork and brings some eggs to his mouth. He’s always been a big eater. I sit beside him with my own plate.

“Okay,” he’s says, back to muttering.

I glance sideways at him at his change of attitude. I get that he’s not completely comfortable with Mia yet because of what his mother said, but this seems like more. He always looks guilty when she’s brought up.

I set my fork down on the counter and turn in my seat to face him.

“Alright, T, you need to tell me what’s going on. I understand you don’t care for Mia, but is there more I should know about?”

He picks up a slice of bacon and shoves it into his mouth, avoiding my eyes. I get ready to snatch his plate away when he doesn’t say anything for a few minutes, but then he speaks.

“There’s nothing going on, Dad. You know why I don’t like her.”

“Yes, I do, but it seems like more than that. You normally don’t take an instant dislike to someone. You’re one of the easiest going kids I know. Your attitude lately has been shit. I need you to talk to me if you’re having problems.”

The aggravation and anger are plain to see on T’s face. I just don’t know what it’s for or why he’s closed himself off from me.

He jumps down from his stool and says loudly, “I’ve already told you, there’s nothing else going on, okay? Stop bugging me about it.” He stomps to the sink and dumps the dishes in before stomping back towards the door.

“Hey!” I say sternly to get his attention. “Get your butt back here, T, and sit down.”

He swivels around and walks back to his stool with his head bent and takes a seat. He knows when I use that tone of voice he’s pushed me too far, and he’d be wise not to push any further.

“Look at me.” When I have his eyes, I tell him, “First, lose the damn attitude. It’s getting old, and it’s pissing me off. Second, if there’s something you’re going though and you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. I’ve been your age before and know there are some things you’d rather keep to yourself. That’s okay, but when you start treating other people like crap because of it, it’s not fine. You either need to learn to deal with it or get over it.” I reach over and put my hand on his shoulder. “Just remember, T, I’m here for you. You can talk to me about anything, without fear of judgement, no matter what it is.”

He bites his lip and looks like he’s going to say something, but then changes his mind. He drops his eyes and nods his head. I sigh, resigned to the realization he’s not going to talk to me yet. I just hope he eventually comes to me. We used to have such a close relationship. It’s gone downhill lately, and I wish I knew why. I have a gut feeling it has something to do with Tessa.

I take my hand from his shoulder.

“Can I go to my room now?” He asks.

“Yes, just remember what I said. I’m going to pack a lunch for Mia and me to take with us. I’ll have my cell phone with me if you need to call me.”

He goes to open his mouth, and I know it’s going to be a smart-ass remark. I lift my brow at him, and he wises up and doesn’t let it come out. Instead, he mumbles, “See you later,” before walking off to his room.

I shake my head at his retreating back. I hate seeing him like this, but if he’s unwilling to talk to me, there’s nothing I can do to help him except be there when he needs me.

I finish my breakfast, and then get up and clean my mess. I still have a couple hours before Mia is supposed to be here. I walk down to the basement and put in a good workout before jumping in the shower. I go back to the kitchen and fix a quick lunch of sandwiches, fruit, and cheeses for Mia and me.

After the lunch is packed, I walk back to my bedroom and go to the closet. I grab the box off the top shelf and dig through it until I find what I’m looking for. It’s something I got for Mia years ago but never gave it to her. Of course, it wasn’t until recently that she would be willing to accept anything I would give her. What I hold in my hand is something that I know she’s always wanted but has never gotten before.

I grab a padded bag from the floor of my closet and put the large jar inside before taking the bag out to the kitchen to set it beside our lunch. I look at the clock above the stove right as the doorbell rings. I smile; she’s right on time.

I open the door and, as every time I see Mia, my breath catches. She’s always been the most beautiful woman to me, both the old Mia and the new one.

I grab her hand and give her my signature kiss to her wrist, before pulling her to me and planting one on her lips. We’re both breathless by the time we break apart.

“You ready to go for a ride?” I ask, as we walk toward the kitchen.

“Yes, I can’t wait. It’s been years since I’ve ridden a horse.”

“When was the last time?” I ask her, thinking I already know the answer.

“The last time was with you.”

I nod.

I grab the bag and our lunch off the counter. I walk by T’s room to let him know that we’re leaving and to call if he needs me and keep the door locked and stay inside. I let him know to warm up the leftovers from last night at the diner for lunch. The only reason I know he heard me is from the slight nod he gives me. Sighing, I close the door behind me.

I stop by the closet and pull out a blanket. I hand Mia the blanket to carry, and she looks at me with a question in her eyes when she sees the contents I’m carrying.

“We’re going to have a picnic while we’re out,” I explain to her.

She graces me with a smile, and I return it with my own. I feel like a little kid about to go on an exciting vacation. It’s pathetic, but I don’t give a shit. I’ve waited years for this, and I’m damn well going to enjoy it.

I hold the door open for her, and we walk across the yard to the barn. After saddling the horses, I put everything in the saddlebags.

Mia walks up to Pepper and pets both sides of her face. “Hey, girl, you ready for a ride?” Pepper answers her by butting her head against Mia’s, causing her to laugh. It’s a sound I’ll never get tired of.

I walk up behind Mia and kiss the back of her neck. She leans back against me and lets out a soft moan.

“You need help getting in the saddle?” I murmur against her neck.

Her head rolls to the side so she can look up at me. There’s pleasure in her expression, and it takes everything I have not to lay her down in a pile of hay and fuck her senseless.

She smiles at me when she says, “It may have been years since I’ve ridden, but I think I remember how to climb on a horse.”

“Damn,” I mutter, stepping away from her, not hiding the fact that I wanted to feel her up when I helped her onto Pepper.

She shakes her head and laughs. We walk both the horses out of the barn. Once outside, she grabs onto the horn of the saddle and places her foot on the stirrup and hoists herself up, as if it hasn’t been years since she’s done it. She was always a natural. I swing up on Drakar. We both click our tongues and tap our feet on Drakar and Pepper’s sides to get them moving. When I look over to Mia, she has a look of pure happiness on her face.

“God, I’ve missed this so much,” she says, leaning forward to rub Pepper’s neck.

I promise myself right then and there that we’ll take the horses out any time she wants. More and more of the old Mia is slipping through, and I’m determined to bring out the rest.

“Where are we going?” Mia asks after we travel for a few minutes.

“To our tree,” I tell her simply.

She smiles her beautiful smile at me again and says, “Race you,” then takes off into a fast gallop.

I spur Drakar to go faster, and it doesn’t take me long to catch up with her. There’s a reason why T loves Drakar; he’s really fast.

When we’re riding side by side, I look over at Mia and hear her laughing. She lets go of the reins, throws her arms out to the side, and tips her head back. The wind blows through her short hair, and she’s never looked more beautiful than she does in that moment.

We slow Drakar and Pepper when we come up on our spot. We both hop down and unload the stuff from the saddlebags. The horses are left to graze in the field. I lay the blanket down on the ground underneath our weeping willow tree that we claimed when we were younger. Mia turns in circles, looking around.

“It looks just the same,” she says, walking up and taking a seat on the blanket beside me.

Our spot is in a big field. The only tree close by is the weeping willow. The branches hang so low that it almost covers us, giving us a sense of privacy. The land is flat, and all you can see are lavender flowers that fill the field. Mia fell in love with the spot on sight and declared it ours.

“That’s because it is.”

I start pulling out our sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and water bottles. Mia gets on her knees and crawls to the base of the tree. I know what she’s looking for, and I know she found it when she reaches out to run her fingers across the inscription on the tree.

Mac + Mia = Per sempre e sempre
Forever and Always.

I watch as I see a whole slew of emotions cross Mia’s face. The one that gets to me the most is the one filled with pain.

“Do you ever come out here anymore?” she asks me quietly.

“Once a week for the past ten years.” I tell her, speaking the truth.

Her eyes jump to me in surprise at my confession. “Really? Why?”

I scoot over to her and lay my hand over hers that are still on the tree. “Because I never stopped thinking about you. You may not have wanted the forever anymore, but I did. You never stopped being my forever, Pix, even when you hated me. Even when I thought I never had a chance with you again.”

I see her eyes water over and she looks down, saying, “Sorry.”

I lift her face back to mine. “Why are you sorry? You have nothing to apologize for.”

“I’m sorry that I never let you talk and tell me what happened. You went through that by yourself when I should have been there. I should have given you the chance.”

I grab the sides of her face and rub her cheeks with my thumbs. “Oh, Mia, I don’t blame you for that. You were hurt. I knew that. Yes, I wish you would have let me explain, but I understand why you didn’t.”

“I wish I would have as well. We lost so much time.”

We’re both still on our knees, and I scoot over to her and pull her into my arms. She wraps her arms around me tightly. I rest my head on top of hers. We did lose time but not anymore. No way am I letting Mia get away from me now.

I kiss the top of her head before pulling away. “Let’s eat.”

She wipes a tear from her cheek and sits back on her legs. “Okay.”

We both get comfortable and start eating our food in silence, just watching the wind rustle the flowers. We’ve always been able to come out here and just sit. The peace and tranquility enough, no words necessary.