The Homespun Holiday (10 page)

“In other words, we’re beginning to
attract attention and you wanna move us on out of the airport before Mack has
to come down here and bail us out of jail,” Aubrey suggested with a wicked grin
as her mother’s fingers released their hold on her skin.

Millie only blinked in response. 
Bree’s precocious grin was so much like Millie’s daughter, Paisley’s, that it
caused her to do a double take.  “Uhhhh…. Well….” Millie faltered, not wanting
to offend either of Mack’s family within the first five minutes of meeting
them. 

“It’s okay, Millie,” Bree stated
with an easy laugh.  “Mom and I are well aware that we can be a handful.”

“We’re an acquired taste, dear. 
The good news is that once you manage to acquire us, we never go away, I
promise,” Mack’s mother added.

“Mom, I’ m afraid that sounded like
more of a threat than a promise,” Bree muttered on a sigh.

“It’s fine.  I already think y’all
are wonderful,” Millie declared with a wide smile, reaching out to squeeze
Mack’s mother’s hand.

“Oh, I feel like such a fool.  I
haven’t even introduced myself.  I’m Joy Haven Daniels, Mack’s mother, but you
just call me Mom.  The way my son sounded on the phone, it won’t be long before
you’re my daughter anyway,” the older woman directed draping an affectionate
arm around Millie’s shoulders and giving her a squeeze.  “And this is my
daughter Aubrey.” Joy nodded toward an amused Bree.

“We’ve spoken before, Mother.  Just
call me Bree, Mills,” Bree said quickly, reaching out to shake Millie’s hand. 
Meeting Millie’s startled eyes, Mack’s sister grinned and shrugged her shoulder. 
“Welcome to the Daniels’ family, Millicent.  You can try to run from us, but
we’ll always catch you.”

Millie swallowed nervously because
those words….those words
definitely
sounded like a threat.

“Oh, I see our bags,” Millie heard
Mack’s mom announce.  “Bree, be a dear and go grab them,” she ordered her
daughter as she linked her arm through Millicent.  “Now dear, tell me,” she
began as they followed Bree through the crowd of travelers toward their luggage
carrousel, “Is there a prominent lesbian population in Paradise?  I don’t know
if Mack’s mentioned it yet, but well, I’m gay, dear.”

“Yeah, she’s a late-in-life
lesbian,” Bree called over her shoulder.  “Surprise!”

As Millie continued to listen to
Mack’s mother babble, Millie wondered just what she’d gotten herself into with
Mackenzie Daniels.

Later that night as the curtain
closed on this year’s Nativity scene, Mack stood beside Millie and applauded
Paisley’s performance.  She’d been the best sheep in Paradise, and he couldn’t
have been prouder if the kid had been his own blood.  Offering Millie a sidelong
look, he could still see the lines of strain around her mouth and felt a pang
of guilt.

He’d thrown her to the wolves
today, and he felt like shit about it.  Turning his head to see his sister and
mom standing to his right, both applauding loudly, he knew that both women
already loved Millie.  Millie, however, was a little frightened of them.

Not that he blamed her.  When you
put his sister and mom in the same room, it was like intentionally putting a
match to a stick of dynamite – an explosion was bound to happen.

He really should have warned
Millicent about that before he’d sent her into the metaphorical wolves’ den
today.

Wrapping one arm around her waist,
he leaned toward her.  “You still mad at me?” he asked against her ear, nipping
her earlobe before pulling back enough to stare down at her with eyes that
shined with apology.  “I know my mom and sis can be a lot to take in, but
they’re both basically good people.”

“Oh, I know they are,” Millie
replied with a nod.  “You, however, could have warned me that they were a
little enthusiastic about showing their affection.”  Lifting onto her tiptoes,
Millie pressed her lips to
his
ear this time and continued. “And it
might have been nice to know that your mom was a….what did she call it? Oh,
yeah.  A reformed heterosexual and a late-in-life lesbian.  Not that I care,
but still….hearing it from you in private would have been a lot better than
hearing it announced in the middle of Knoxville’s airport with half the lower
level looking at us,” she whispered violently into his ear.

Mack couldn’t help his chuckle. 
When he imagined the scene Millie painted with her words… it was just too
fucking funny
not
to laugh.  “I’m sorry, babe.”

“Uh huh,” Millie grunted.  “You
will be,” she warned, pinching his side as the children from the play began to
flood into the main portion of the church.   Spotting her daughter running
toward them with her sheep’s head tucked up underneath her arm, Millie smiled.

“Momma!  Dr. Mack!  Didya see? 
Didya see me?  I ‘membered my line!” Paisley squealed as she reached them and
threw herself against Mack’s legs.  “I did real good, didn’t I?”

A grin split Mack’s face as he bent
and lifted Paisley into his arms and held her against his hip.  “You were
without a doubt the most convincing sheep I have
ever
seen.  For a
second, it was like we were really in the barn with Mary and Joseph.”

“Silly, Mackie!” Paisley giggled,
clasping Mack’s cheeks and shaking his head from side to side.  “It was
pwetend!  Tell ‘im, Momma,” she ordered with a look at her proud mother.

“I can’t,” Millie denied
dramatically.  “He’s right.  You were the very best sheep this town has ever
seen, Miss P.  I think maybe I should get your autograph,” she said, reaching
out and tickling her baby girl’s tummy.

“You’re a silly willy, too, Momma,”
Paisley laughed, shaking her head as she finally spotted the two women standing
off to the side watching them with smiles on their faces.  “Who dey, Dr. Mack?”
Paisley whispered loudly, pointing at the women while automatically curling closer
to Mack.

Glancing over his shoulder to see
who Paisley was indicating, Mack grinned.   Things had been so rushed this
afternoon that Paisley hadn’t gotten to meet his mom and sister yet.  They’d
met Millie here at the church and Paisley had already gone downstairs to
practice for the play. “This is my family, Squirt.”

“You gots a family, Dr. Mack? 
‘Sides us?” Paisley asked, looking bewildered as her little eyes darted between
Mack and the two women watching them.

“Did you think I was found under a
rock, Princess?” Mack teased, bouncing her up and down on his hip as Millie
chuckled.

“Nah, I just thought me and Mommy
was your family.  I never saw you with anybody else,” the five-year-old
reasoned out loud.

Mack’s heart melted at Paisley’s
innocent remark, and he knew the three women surrounding him felt the same way
as he heard a collective, ‘Awwwwwwww!’ released among them.  “You’re absolutely
right, sweetheart.  You and your momma are a huge part of my family, too,
Paisley.  But this is my mom and sister, and you know what?  By making me part
of
your
family, that means you get part of mine in return,” he
explained, gesturing toward the waiting women.    

“And we really needed a cute little
girl in our family,” Mack’s mother remarked.  “We’ve had no one to give dollies
or have pajama parties with in the
longest
time, have we, Aubrey?”

“Nope,” Aubrey agreed.  “It’s been
really lonely, Paisley.  Is it okay if my mom and me join your family?”

“Do you like manicures?” Paisley
asked, eyeing Aubrey’s bright pink nails.

“Heck, yeah!  We like manicures
and
pedicures,” Aubrey replied with a wink.  “Maybe later this week, I can
steal you away and we can have a day of beauty.”

“Ooooohhh, that sounds fun,”
Paisley breathed before shifting her attention to Mack’s mom.  “Do you like to
bake cookies?”

“Oh, yes,” Joy declared with an
exaggerated nod.  “Chocolate chip and oatmeal are my specialty, and sometimes
I’ll whip up a batch of peanut butter cookies just to keep things interesting.”

“Don’t forget the Snickerdoodles,”
Mack interjected, smiling when he felt Millie drop her chin against his
shoulder as she watched the interaction between his family and her daughter
play out.  “My mom makes some
amazing
Snickerdoodles, Paisley.  They’re
my favorite.”

“I like Snickerdoodles,
too
,
Dr. Mack!  They’re my favoritest e-ver!” she announced excitedly.

Joy dropped her hands to her hips,
“Well!  Imagine that.  My little boy and you have a whole lot in common, don’t
you?  Maybe we should go home and get started on that favoritest cookie of
yours, huh?”

Paisley nodded eagerly, looking at
her mother.  “Can we, Momma?  Can we go to Dr. Mack’s house?  Please?” she
begged.

“I think that can be arranged,”
Millie replied with a slow nod.  “If it’s okay with Mack,” she amended, looking
up at him.

“Sounds like a great plan to me.  I
get Snickerdoodles and my two favorite girls with me for the evening,” he
responded with a contented grin of his own.  He was never going to miss an
opportunity to have Millie and Paisley with him under his roof if he could help
it.    

Paisley turned back to Mack’s
mother.  “Momma and Dr. Mack said yes!” she yelled, squirming out of Mack’s
arms and quickly reaching for his mom.  “What do I call y’all?” she asked
curiously, looking between Mack’s mom and sister.

“Why don’t you call me Breebee,”
Aubrey suggested with a quick look at her brother.  “It’s what Mack calls me.”

“Well, I’d love it if you’d call me…
Gram?” Joy asked, looking at Millie for permission. 

“I think Gram is fine,” Millie
validated with a soft look at Mack’s mother. 

Joy’s eyes filled with tears and
the older woman swallowed hard.  “Yes, good.  Gram, then,” she told Paisley. 
“And I think I’m gonna call you my Sweet P, if that’s okay with you, Precious?”
Joy asked as she held out her hand toward the little girl.

“Okay!” Paisley returned happily,
bouncing toward her new Gram and taking her hand.  “I got a Gram now, Momma. 
Not even Heaven has a Gram,” Paisley beamed, mentioning her best friend. 

“No, she doesn’t, does she?  I
guess that makes you a pretty special girl today,” Millie acknowledged with a
gentle smile at her daughter.

Mack watched with Millie in the
curve of his arm as Paisley led Aubrey and his mom out the back door of the
church.  “I think it’s meant-to-be, babe.  My mom has finally found a kid to
spoil and Paisley gets another grandparent in her corner.  You okay with that?”
he asked, nodding toward his family while carefully watching Millie’s face for
any sign of hesitance. 

“They’re a part of you, Mack.  Of
course I’m fine with it,” Mille returned with a shrug.  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Mack relaxed and released the
breath he’d been holding.  “No reason, babe.  I just didn’t want you to feel
like we were bulldozing our way into your life.  If you wanted me to tell them
to move slower, I would, but my mom loves kids.  She’s been looking for one to
spoil for what seems like forever.  And Bree adores kids.  The fact that she’s
not already married with a couple of her own kinda amazes me.”

“Your family is unique, Mack, but
they’re wonderful.  Paisley and I are lucky to have them in our lives,” Millie
returned as he began to guide her toward the double doors leading outside.  “I
just don’t want to push myself on them, though.  I know they came to see you. 
Not me and Paisley.  We don’t need to monopolize your time while they’re here.”

Mack froze where he stood, his hand
tightening on Millicent’s elbow as he turned her to face him.  “Hey.  Millie,
you can’t monopolize what I want to share with you.  I
want
you and
Paisley with me all the time, whether my family is here or not.  We’re together
now.  A couple.  Well, a trio when we add in Paisley.  That’s not going to
change no matter who is visiting us.  Got it?  I want to be with you both – no
matter what,” he emphasized truthfully, lifting a hand to tuck a strand of her reddish-brown
hair behind her tiny ear.  “Now, give me a kiss and let’s go make cookies with
my mother.”

Millie laughed, but shook her head
in denial.  “Are you crazy?  We’re in church.  There are people watching us,
Mack.”

“I know,” Mack said with a
satisfied nod.  “What better place is there for a guy to stake his claim in the
South than standing in the middle of his woman’s church?” he remarked, drawing
her against him and capturing her unsuspecting lips in a sweet, albeit chaste
kiss.  “I’ve heard kissing you in your place of worship is tantamount to a
proposal.  Is that true?” he whispered against her damp lips.

Millie nodded wordlessly as she
looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes.

“Good.”  Mack declared, feeling a
sense of gratification the likes of which he’d never experienced in his life
even when he’d been married to his first wife.  “Then every man in here knows
where I stand now,” he continued, brushing his lips against hers again. 

“And where is that?” Millie asked,
blushing with embarrassment as she felt the prying eyes of the congregation
leveled on them.

“You’re mine, Millie.  And now,
these good people will share that news with the whole town.”

Biting her lip, Millie tilted her
head back and stared at the man towering over her.  “Are you sure that’s what
you want?”

“I’m sure you’re what I want, and
the more people that know it, the better,” Mack replied, soundly laying another
kiss on her forehead before turning her toward the door.  “Now, let’s go find
our girl and go make some cookies.”