WG2E All-For-Indies Anthologies: Viva La Valentine Edition (8 page)

Jan struggled to breathe normally feeling as
if she were in the middle of a rapturous dream. Her words came out
in a whisper. “Oh, Mac. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Mac breathed a contented sigh then swept her
into his arms and kissed her as if it were their last time
together.

“I think we need to tell Val and Bobbi before
we tell anyone else,” Jan said breathlessly when he raised his
mouth from hers.

“Sure,” he agreed. “We should do that right
away, like tomorrow night.”

“I’ll call them in the morning and see if
they can come by the house. Bobbi will be fine, but there’s no
telling how Val’s going to take it.”

“Let’s not talk about them.” Mac slipped the
thin straps of her dress over her shoulders, shimmied it to the
white flokati rug. “We have much better things to do.” He spent the
next hour showing Jan what she could look forward to in the years
to come.

• • •

The next morning Jan called her daughters and
asked them to dinner. Mac arrived an hour early and helped her fix
the meal then they waited in the living room for the girls to
arrive.

“Hi, guys,” Bobbi said as she came through
the front door with her sister. “What’s up? On the phone you
sounded like this was important.”

“Do you want something to drink before we get
started? There’s soda and apple juice in the refrigerator.” Jan
asked, trying to give everyone a chance to relax before Mac made
the announcement.

“I’ll get a soda. Do you want one, Bobbi?”
Val offered.

Once she returned from the kitchen, Mac took
charge. “Your mother and I asked you to come by tonight, because we
wanted to share something with you. Last night I asked her to marry
me, and she accepted. You’re the first to know.”

Bobbi’s face lit up. Val appeared to be
stunned.

“I know you had some reservations about us
being together,” Jan said to Val before either of them spoke. “We
want to talk about them.”

Temporarily speechless, Val finally found her
voice. “Isn’t this kind of sudden?”

Mac answered. “You’re right. It’s only been a
few months, but we don’t plan to get married next week or anything.
I’m sure your mother wants to be engaged for a reasonable amount of
time before we jump the broom.”

Jan kept her hands folded in her lap covering
the ring. “I dated your father for more than a year then we were
engaged for eight months, and look at how that turned out.”

“Your father holds a special place in your
hearts. I hope someday I will too.” Mac sounded so sincere even Val
smiled, but then she asked, “Are you going to tell Daddy?”

Before Jan answered, she glanced at Mac. “I
don’t have any reason to tell him. You can if you want to.”

“Don’t you think he has a right to know?”

“Honey, your father doesn’t have any rights
in my life anymore.” She extended her hand across the table and
wriggled her fingers. “So, what do you think?”

Bobbi shielded her eyes and faked a dramatic
swoon. “Oh, my gosh! I’ve been blinded by the bling!”

Val examined the ring closely. “This is
beautiful, Mac. You have very good taste.”

“Thanks. She deserves it.”

Val sent her mother an apologetic look that
spoke volumes. “You’re right. She does.”

• • •

Mac and Jan spent Sunday relaxing, reading
and watching television. After a hectic week dealing with his
testosterone-fueled clients, he looked forward to time alone with
her. When they stayed in, she always fixed a fantastic meal,
something he definitely wasn’t used to in his past relationships.
He imagined this was what their time together might be like once
they were married. Not exciting yet intimate, familiar and
comfortable.

“Baby, let’s talk about the wedding. Do you
want small and intimate or big and elaborate?”

“Small and intimate is nice. But if you want
to go big and elaborate, I could do that too. We could have some of
your enormous football buddies carry me in on their shoulders like
Celine Dion did at her wedding.” She giggled at the thought.

“Actually I’d be happy with just close
friends and immediate family. Why don’t we start making a list?”
She grabbed a notepad and pen from her purse.

Once they finished listing the tentative
guests, he said, “Now that we’ve broken the news to Bobbi and Val,
there’s one more major step. I want to take you to meet my mother
and father in a couple of weeks. If I can get a few days off, we
can fly to Dallas for a long weekend.”

“To be honest with you, I was hoping you
wouldn’t bring it up.” Jan twirled the pen between her fingers.
“The whole idea freaks me out. How do you think they’ll feel about
our age difference?”

He examined her worried expression and
chuckled. “They’ll just be thrilled I’m finally getting married. My
mother has been trying to get me to the altar for the past ten
years. Besides your age is none of their business. It’s not like
I’m their twenty-one-year old baby or anything.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Now, where
do you want me to take you for our honeymoon?”

“Anywhere we can make love on the beach. Why
don’t you surprise me?”

The sensuality of her words captivated him.
He smiled, already having the perfect place in mind.

• • •

Jan started out the next week with a job in
Alpharetta in a kitchen that was her idea of the perfect place to
prepare food. The house had been featured in a home show and each
room had been custom designed by a prominent Atlanta interior
design firm. Yet as she tried to enjoy her surroundings and
concentrate on what she was doing, her mind kept drifting to
thoughts of the upcoming trip to Dallas. She loved the fall, and
eagerly looked forward to the trip. Even though they were flying
into Dallas-Fort Worth, Mac said he was reserving a car at the
airport so they could do some sightseeing. What she wasn’t looking
forward to was the scrutiny of his parents. The thought actually
made her queasy.

Jan stuffed the Cornish hens with mushroom
dressing, imagining how she’d handle a negative reaction from them.
The more she dwelled on it, the worse her virtual scenario became.
When she realized she’d been standing at the counter staring into
space, Jan willed herself to snap back to reality, pulled out her
phone and called Verna.

“Principal Scott’s office please. This is Jan
Davis.”

A few seconds later, Verna picked up the
phone sounding flustered.

“This doesn’t sound like it’s a good time.
It’s not really important. I can call you at home tonight.”

“No. Talk to me, girl. I need to think about
something besides these crazy children anyway. What’s up?”

“Oh, I was just obsessing about this visit to
Dallas. All I can imagine is Mac’s parents looking at me and going
into shock because their son wants to marry a
middle-aged
woman. It’s starting to border on the neurotic. Please talk to me
for a minute. Convince me that I’m blowing this thing out of
proportion.”

“I always think it’s best to imagine the
worst-case scenario and then ask yourself what you’d do. What would
you say to his parents if they did make your age an issue? Verna’s
knack for helping others figure out how to solve problems was one
of the reasons she’d been an award-winning teacher before she
advanced into administration.

“Come up with a script to answer the
questions you dread them asking you. Whenever I do that, the actual
thing is nowhere near as bad as I’d imagined. I bet they’re
wonderful people. Look at their son. Come on girl, Mac’s mama may
become your new best girlfriend,” Verna said with a teasing
laugh.

“Oh, you’re funny. At times I think eloping
would solve the problem and avoid all of the fuss.”

“No you’re not!” Verna protested. “You aren’t
cheating us out of a wedding.”

“You’re right. They’re the ones who made him
what he is. They can’t be too terrible. I just need to be ready
with my answers,” Jan chuckled. “Thanks, girl.

Chapter Four

Mac’s parents lived twenty miles south of
theDallas-Fort Worth Airport, so they picked up a rental car to
drive out to their house. He called to let them know he and Jan
would be arriving in thirty minutes then covered her hand with his
and stroked it with his thumb. “You’re so quiet.”

“I just don’t have a good feeling about
this,” she said, admitting to her uneasiness.

“Why? They can’t wait to meet you, especially
my Dad. I have to warn you that he’s a real flirt, and he’ll try to
attempt to monopolize all your time.” A twinkle danced in his
eyes.

“When’s the last time you saw them?”

“Last Christmas. Grant, Pat and I made a
promise to my mother that no matter where we are, we would always
come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

“What did you tell them about me?” Jan asked
absentmindedly taking in the scenery now that they were out of the
airport

“I just told them you were divorced with two
daughters. And I mentioned that you run your own business.”

“That’s all?”

“Yeah. That’s all they needed to know. I
didn’t want them to have any preconceived ideas. When they meet you
they’ll love you. Just like I did.”

She paused and stared out the window. “This
is so awkward, Mac. I’m too old for this kind of stuff.”

He treated her to a sexy smile that put
butterflies in her stomach. “Cut it out, will you? We’re going to
have a great time. I want to give you a heads up though. They’re
planning a big ol’ Texas-style barbecue in our honor.”

“Oh, Lord,” was all she could mutter.

The towering skyscrapers and modern
architecture of the Dallas skyline temporarily took Jan’s mind off
her apprehension. She made him promise that they would spend some
time downtown before they returned to Atlanta.

John and Ruth Sinclair lived in Richardson,
the home of Mac’s alma mater, the University of Texas. He fondly
recalled his college days while they drove past the campus. Jan
finished touching up her makeup as he turned into the street where
his parents lived in a sprawling ranch house on an acre of
land.

In a matter of seconds after he pulled into
the driveway, his mother and father appeared at the front door and
rushed down the walk before Mac could even open Jan’s car door. Her
apprehension level dropped considerably when his mother greeted her
with a warm hug. “Jan, we’re so happy to meet you. This is my
husband, John.”

Tall and extremely fit for his age, Mac’s
father had with mixed gray hair and that distinct military posture,
Jan couldn’t get over how much Mac resembled his father. True to
Mac’s prediction, he stood back, looking Jan up and down in the
same way Mac had done the first night she cooked for him. “You’ve
got excellent taste, son.”

“Yeah. Just like my father.” Mac kissed his
mother’s cheek.

Ruth took Jan by the hand and told them all
to come inside. She opened the door to aromas that rivaled a
Thanksgiving morning. “What smells so good?” Jan asked as they made
their way into the family room at the back of the house.

“I fixed Mac’s favorite meal since he was a
child – homemade chili, coleslaw, cornbread, red Kool-Aid and
glazed lemon pound cake for dessert,” Ruth answered with a smile
that radiated love for her firstborn.

“Looks like somebody is going to get spoiled
this weekend.” Jan said, giving Mac a wink.

John slipped an arm around Jan’s shoulders
and steered her over to the sofa to sit with him. “He knows he’s
his mother’s favorite,” John chimed in. “She just pretends she
loves all of her children the same.”

“John Sinclair! I do love all of my children
the same,” Ruth protested unconvincingly. “It’s just that Mac has
always lived so far away. I don’t get to see him too often.”

“Whatever you say, darlin. So, how long are
you two going to be here?” he asked.

Mac answered. “Until Monday. I have to be
back at work and Jan has a client on Tuesday.”

“That’s right. He mentioned you’re a personal
chef. Tell me more about that, Jan. It sounds interesting,” Ruth
said, instantly making Jan feel more comfortable.

“I love it. Cooking has always been a source
of expression for me. Now I get paid for it. It’s great to be able
to make a living doing something you enjoy.”

“So tell me how you ended up with this
clown.”

Jan told them the story of the night Mac
hired her to cook for his dinner party and how persistent he’d been
in convincing her to come back the next night. Ruth and John seemed
to get a kick out of hearing about the romantic side of their
son.

• • •

They relocated to the dining room and enjoyed
a leisurely supper after which John pulled Mac aside and whispered,
“You two can take the blue room since it’s the biggest. I’ve
already talked to your mother, and she’s all right with it.”

Mac turned his back toward Jan and his
mother, so they wouldn’t hear what he was saying. “Jan can take the
blue room. I’ll take my old room.”

“Son, you don’t strike me as the kind of man
who’d marry a woman he’s never taken to bed.”

“I didn’t say I’ve
never
slept with
her, Dad,” Mac responded with a sly grin.

“Oh, I see. I think.” John’s eyes narrowed to
a confused squint.

They rejoined the women at the dining room
table, and John reminded him, “Everyone is coming for the barbecue
tomorrow at noon. Pat and Grant said they’d be here early to help
us set up the yard.”

Mac thought he saw Jan wince. “Who is
everyone? Or should I even ask?”

“Don’t ask, son. You know your mother. She’s
told the entire county you were bringing your fiancée home. So
we’re prepared to feed the entire county.” He patted Jan’s hand.
“Don’t concern yourself. You’re going to have a good time.”

The sun began its slow descent into the
western sky while they talked about life in Atlanta, Mac’s job,
Jan’s business and their plans for the next two days. Mac
eventually retrieved their luggage from the car and informed his
mother of the sleeping arrangements before he took the bags down
the hall to the bedrooms.