His Hotcakes Baby (6 page)

“Look at me, hotcakes.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Ah … but you just proved how much
that name suits you.”

“Argh!  Get off me.”

She pushed desperately at his chest. 
Chase did not even move.  He rested on his elbows next to her shoulders.

“Mackenzie, look at me.”

She sighed and opened her eyes.  They
were as clear as green crystals and resignation flashed within their depths.

“Why?”       

“Why?  You really have to ask me
that?”

“Yes!  I want to know why you lied to
me!”

“Why would you even want to claim my
child, Chase?  You have your pick of women and we both know you pick them, the
one after the other. You did not plan to have a child now.”

“I honestly did not think you, being
an intelligent woman, would be as fickle to believe that drivel they write in
the tabloids.  I might have my pick, but I am also very selective and have not
had as many as the tabloids claim.”

“Will you please get off me?”

“No.”

“What do you want from me, Chase?  You
now know it is your baby.  I won’t deny you access if that is what you’re
after.”

“Yeah … it is quite clear you don’t
know what I want.  I don’t want access to my child, Mackenzie.  I want my
child.  I want to be a father to my child.  To be there for him or her from the
day he or she is born.  To watch them grow from a baby to a toddler to a
teenager … every step of the way.  I will not be a weekend father … ever!”

“Chase … please let me up!”

She struggled and tried to throw him off. 
She could not breathe.  He was threatening to take her baby away.  The one
thing she has desired for years and started to believe she’d never have.

“Do you understand what I am saying,
Mackenzie?”

Her eyes met his.  He read the fear
and pain in hers, but he refused to budge. They filled with tears and he
clenched his teeth.

“You … you can’t do that.  You can’t
take my baby away!”

“But that is just it, Mackenzie.  It
is not just yours.  It is mine too.  I will not give this baby up Madison.”

He withdrew from her and disappeared
into the bathroom.  She jumped up and ran to one of the other bathrooms and
sank down against the closed door.

“Mackenzie!  Where the hell are you?”

She swallowed the tears back.

“I’ll be … right out.”

He probably could not hear unless he
stood in front of the door, but she could not raise the volume of her voice if
she tried.  She cleaned and dried herself and wrapped a towel around her body. 
She walked into the passage just as he came charging around the corner slamming
doors open as he went.  He stopped in his tracks when he saw her. She drew a
deep, slow breath.  He was still gloriously naked.

She kept walking and went back to her
room to find fresh clothes to wear.  Chase followed and got dressed with quick
economic movements.  He followed her into the bathroom and watched her getting
dressed.  She pressed her lips together but refused to say anything. 

He turned away and pulled her suitcase
and duffel bags from the cupboard and was already packing her clothes when she
walked in.

“What are you doing?”

“We are leaving.”

“You can’t just come in here and start
making decisions about my life!”

“Can’t I?”

“Chase …”

“This is not up for debate,
Mackenzie.  You are carrying my child and you are coming home with me.  Phone
whoever you need to, but we are leaving in thirty minutes.”

“I can’t leave now, Chase!  I am
heading up a project here at Lake Michigan.”

“One of those phone calls better be to
the Director of the FIO handing in your resignation.”

“You are crazy!  I can’t resign!  I
have a brother to support and bills to pay!”

“You are not going to dive and run
around a boat on the sea all day.  Not until our child is born.  Then and only
then will we decide if you go back to work.”

“Chase be reasonable!  I can’t just …”

“You are my responsibility for now,
Mackenzie.”

“No!  I will not be depende …”

“Fifteen minutes, Mackenzie.  Make
those calls.”

She made the calls.

Chase
stood back to observe the greeting between Mackenzie and her brother.  He was
abrupt and rude.  He did not return the hug and plonked back into the chair
ignoring her.

Mackenzie’s shoulder slumped, but she
had an irritated look on her face.  She greeted Billy with a smile and Chase became
irritated.  She had a smile for everyone except him!

He walked closer and placed his arm
around her waist and pulled her against him.  She stiffened and he scowled at
her.

“You might as well get used to me,
hotcakes.  I don’t want to have to fight every time I touch you,” he whispered
in her ear.

“Just because I carry your baby does
not mean I am your property!”  Mackenzie snapped back.

“We still have a lot to discuss,
honey.  For now, introduce me to your brother.”

“Aiden, this is Ch  … Ha …”

Aiden jumped up and stormed closer,
his face alive with awe.

“Hawk Carter!  Sis!  This is Hawk
Carter!”

She nodded and Chase shook his hand,
his eyes shuttered.  Mackenzie clearly did not trust her brother to want to keep
his real identity a secret, so she was clearly wary to give Aiden his real
name.  She bit her lip, watching her brother’s wide smile.

“I can’t believe this!  How … where?” 
His confused gaze swung to her.

“Remember the signed copy of his
latest book you asked me to get?”

“Oh, yes!  I still don’t understand
what you are doing here with him though?”

“Your sister and I have become very
close, Aiden.”

“Close … you’ve become his groupie? 
Wow, Sis!”

“Be careful young man.  I do not appreciate
you belittling my future wife.”

Mackenzie stiffened and swung her head
at him furiously. He ignored her and kept his eyes on Aiden whose eyes widened
and his smile even more.

“Jeez, Macks … you really worked fast!
 Who would have guessed you had it in you!”

Chase growled and Aiden’s smile
slipped when he realized that the large man next to his sister was angry.

“I think it is time you and I had a
little chat, Aiden.  We’ll be right back, hotcakes,” Chase said with a hiss and
kissed her on her temple.

He nodded his head in the direction of
the house and Aiden followed him reluctantly, looking back over his shoulder at
Mackenzie.  She watched them disappear through the wide arch and turned to
Billy with a sigh.

“Has he been giving you a hard time?”

Billy shrugged and looked at her with
a frown.

“Why do you allow him to aggravate and
disrespect you, Mack?”

“Some days it is just easier to ignore
him, but the older he gets the more difficult it’s been. I … know I tend to be
overprotective and that means he gets away with murder. It’s just … he was so
little when our parents died …”

“He is not little anymore, Mack.  It
is time he takes responsibility for his actions.”

“I know, it is just easier said than
done.”

She glanced back to where the two
disappeared earlier and worried her lip with her teeth. 

“You look ready to charge through that
door.  Sit down and tell me where you’ve been.”

“Ehm … what do you think Chase is
talking to him about?”

“Probably giving him the third
degree.  Don’t worry, Mack.  It is high time that your brother realizes you
have your own life and he has to start earning his keep."

Mackenzie knew Billy was right, but
she also knew Aiden.  On the other hand with his hero worship of Hawk Carter,
Chase might just achieve what she has been unable to do. She frowned, realizing
suddenly that her brother’s actions over the past two years proved how much of
a failure she was as a parent!  She startled when Billy called her name.

“So are you going to tell me where you
were?”

“At my aunt’s place.  She was not
there however.  She went to Hawaii with my little cousin for a short break.”

Mackenzie sighed.  Gaby was going to
give her the fifth degree when she got back.  She was highly upset when she
phoned her to tell her she was leaving.  Chase gave her a nod at the time and
she told her where she was going.  Knowing her fiery aunt, she would not let up
and Mackenzie would not be surprised if she arrived on the island to check up
on her.

Essie came rushing out informing them
that dinner was ready.  Billy rose to go and call Chase, but Mackenzie jumped
up and offered to go instead.  Billy told her where the study was and she
walked there quickly, eager, yet full of trepidation on finding out what Chase
discussed with Aiden.

The door was closed. She knocked
briefly and opened the door to step inside.  They were sitting on the
comfortable lounge chairs facing the sea.  Aiden’s face was stiff and slightly
flushed.  Chase appeared relaxed.

“Dinner is ready.”

“We’ll meet up then in the morning,
Aiden?”

“Yes, Chase.”

“Why don’t you go and tell Essie we’ll
be right there.  I have something to discuss with Mackenzie.”

He nodded and without looking at her,
he went downstairs.  Chase sat looking at her broodingly and she crossed her
arms over her chest.

“Why is it that you give me such a
hard time, but you allow your little snip of a brother to walk all over you?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“I think I have a fairly good idea,
honey.  Somewhere, somehow you have to realize you are doing more damage to
that young man than good.”

Mackenzie clamped her lips together. 
Hearing the same tune Gaby has sung many a time.  Neither one of them had to
live with the eight year old boy who was devastated when he lost both his
parents.  Neither had to rock him to sleep for years after the nightmares of
the accident, where both of their parents were killed.  He was in the vehicle
with them and even though he was unhurt, he had to watch their parents die
before the emergency services arrived.

She also could not deny that they were
right.  Mackenzie realized it herself two years ago, but by then his rebellion
had already started. She turned to the door.

“Dinner is getting cold.”

Chase frowned.  He noticed before that
she has a tendency to change the subject if she did not want to discuss an
issue.  It was a habit of hers he intended to break.

“Mackenzie, come here.”

She turned around and walked a few
steps closer.  His eyebrows rose, but she refused to budge.  He needed to be
more specific if he wanted more from her!

“Here, honey.  On my lap.”

“They are waiting for us.”

“Then stop wasting more time.”

“I don’t want to sit on your lap.  We
do not have a lap-sit-type of relationship!”

“Not with that attitude we won’t.  I
have something to say to you.”

“As I am sure you are very well aware,
Chase Paxton that I am not deaf.   I can hear pretty well from here.”

Chase sighed heavily and rose. He
pushed his hands in his pockets and strolled closer.

“Very well.”

Mackenzie turned and aimed for the
door.

“We’ll discuss it in our room later.”

She spun around and nearly slammed
into him.  Her green eyes spat fire at him.

“What did you just say?”

“I thought you said you are not deaf?”

“I am not … I repeat NOT staying in
your room!”

“Quite correct.  You will be staying
in our room.”

She turned and walked out the door. 
He followed and smiled at her one sided conversation which he refused to
respond to.

“I am not even going to accommodate
you on this!  People come to a decision like that together.  Just because I
carry your baby in my belly does not mean you have the right to make decisions
on my behalf!”

She stomped down the stairs with Chase
following, his hands still in his pockets with a wide smile on his face.  She
jerked to a stop at the bottom stair and he had to grab her as he nearly walked
into her.

“Bloody hell, Mackenzie!  Be careful!”

“Did you tell him?”

“Tell who what?”

“Did you tell Aiden about the baby?”

He stared at her with a frown.

“Are you ashamed of being pregnant
with my child, Mackenzie?”

“Where … what makes you think that?” 
She literally gaped at him.

He relaxed at her openly shocked
reaction.

“You clearly do not want him to know.”

She threw her hands in the air and
rolled her eyes and then looked at him directly.

“I asked a straightforward question.
It required a simple yes or no answer.”

“No, and if you ask me why not, I am
going to spank you!”

She turned around with a huff and set
off to the patio by the pool where they were having dinner.

Aiden sat with a long lip throughout
dinner.  Billy kept ribbing him about falling into the sea when they arrived
and he would not listen about sitting on the side of the speed boat. 
Eventually he could not keep a small grin from forming around his mouth.

By the end of dinner he had joined the
conversation and Mackenzie relaxed slowly.  She still had no idea what Chase
spoke to him about.

“Billy said you were at Aunt Gaby’s. 
How are they?”

“From what she says, fine.  They left
on a vacation in Hawaii by the time I got there.”

“I miss them.  It would be nice to see
them again.  Cuzzie Z must be … how old is he now?”

“He just turned twelve.  That is the
reason for the trip.  It was his birthday present.  I have a sneaky feeling
they might arrive here one of these days.  Gabs was annoyed when I phoned her
to tell her I was coming back here.”

Billy and Chase went to discuss a
problem on one of the other Islands with the supervisors.  Aiden shuffled
around in his chair and glanced at Mackenzie through his lashes.

“I’m sorry sis.  I was really
irresponsible.”

“What happened, Aiden?”

“It was a friend’s nineteenth birthday
and we went to a club.  We partied … too much …even the designated driver.  He
was even drunker than me.  I … drove the car and … and … I lost control around
… a corner!  I’m sorry, sis!”

He jumped up and wrapped his arms
around her standing on his knees beside her chair.  Her eyes were haunted and
tears ran down her cheeks.

“How could you?  You of all people! 
Do you have any idea what it would have done to me if you had to die the same
way!  Only this time because YOU were drunk!”

She sobbed angrily and he hugged her
tight, whispering his regret over and over.

“I really am sorry, sis.  Believe me,
after the rebuttal from Chase … I realized how irresponsible I was.  I promise
it will never happen again!”

“What is going on here?”

Chase thundered behind them and pulled
Mackenzie in his arms to wrap her tight into his arms.  He glared at Aiden.

“Why is she crying?”

“Hm … bmmhmm!”

Chase drew back and scowled at
Mackenzie.

“What are you mumbling, hotcakes?”

“I said I can’t breathe!  You nearly
suffocated me!”

He grimaced and tenderly wiped the
tears from her cheeks.

“Sorry, honey.  It upsets me to see
you cry.”

He scowled at Aiden.  “I’m sorry.  I
had to tell her what happened and I was saying sorry.  I swear, Chase!  It will
never happen again!”

“It better not.  It is not good for
her to be so upset in her condition.”

Aiden frowned and looked from the one
to the other and then at a grinning Billy.

“Condition?  What condi … NO!  Really
sis?  You are going to have a baby?  Seriously?  I am going to be an uncle! Wow
… WOW!  That’s big!  So big!  Now I will have to be more responsible.  I have
to set an example for the little buddy!”

He nearly jumped on them and hugged
them together.  His smile as wide as his face.  He ruffled Mackenzie’s hair. 

“A little Mackenzie!  I hope it is a
little girl. Then I can be her protector!”

He went to stand next to Billy who
leaned against the outside bar.  He punched him on his shoulder. Mackenzie was
amazed at his reaction.

“I am really happy for you sis.  You
are a natural mother.  You should have seen her when Aunt Gaby’s baby was
born.  She was only seventeen and even Aunt Gaby had to fight to get him away
from her.  Mom always said you would probably … probably get married young and
have a bunch of them yourself.  And then … you … you had me to care for and …”

Mackenzie walked to him and took his
face in her hands and looked earnestly into his eyes.

“Aiden, you are my brother and I love
you.  Nothing will ever change that.  And yes, I have always said I want lots
of kids, but so too did I want to be a Marine Biologist.  Things don’t always
work out the way we wish when we’re young.  It is a lesson you will still
learn.”