Echo #2
Mac held a bottle of wine in his hand but completely forgot about it as he watched Yvette take the little boy from his dad’s arms and talk to him animatedly.
She strode further into the house, towards the kitchen, which was visible behind the living room area in the front of the townhouse.
In the kitchen was a woman he assumed to be Garcia’s wife.
She was behind the counter, which was lined with four stools.
She stepped into the living room area and greeted Yvette with a hug before stepping towards him and Garcia.
She was pretty, with a girl-next-door kind of appeal, not the type of woman Mac would have envisioned Garcia’s wife to be.
“Sienna, this is Mac,” Garcia introduced. “Mac, my wife, Sienna.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said as she reached her hand towards him.
He thrust his right hand towards her, which still gripped the wine bottle.
“Oh, sorry,” he said, shifting the bottle to his left hand as she reached for it.
“And yes, this is for you.” He handed the bottle of the red blend to her, deciding to forego the handshake greeting.
“Well, that was awkward,” he joked. “But it’s nice to meet you. ”
They all chuckled.
She glanced at the label on the bottle. “Thank you for bringing wine. This will go great with dinner. Anthony is grilling steaks.”
Garcia motioned to the couch. “Can I get you a drink? You still a bourbon man?”
“I am,” Mac said, wondering how Garcia was at grilling food. He knew he was awesome at grilling suspects. This domestic scene was way too surreal for Mac.
“We have Basil Hayden,” Garcia said. “We keep it in the house for Yvette.”
“And I’d love a glass too,” Yvette said.
Mac sat and glanced around the living room to further take in the domestic scene of family pictures on the walls as Garcia moved behind the counter and retrieved the bottle from the cabinet over the refrigerator.
Mac noticed seven or eight bottles were lined up neatly in the cabinet.
Soon after, Garcia placed a glass in his hand and then took a seat in the chair kitty-corner from him.
Yvette sat Little T down by his toys in the corner of the room, beside where the television was mounted above the fireplace, and then she sat beside Mac, next to where her glass of bourbon was placed on the end table.
Little T turned his attention to the activity table with gears and levers to pull or spin and a host of other things to touch.
“He’s gotten so big,” Yvette said. “I haven’t seen him in a few months. ”
Sienna had a wine glass in her hand when she joined them, sitting on the loveseat that was situated near the couch.
“He has grown so much just in the last month. He outgrew all his clothes. We’re so fortunate that Angel passed all of Sammy’s outgrown clothes to us, and I’m now passing them on to Brielle for Bastian. ”
Mac had no clue who Brielle or Bastian were, but he assumed they were the wife and kid of one of the operators.
He’d heard that many had married, and several had kids in the past few years.
“So, things are obviously much different for you now, Garcia. Yvette tells me that Shepherd has changed mission rotations so that those of you with families get more time at home. Is that working well for you and the team?”
Sienna laughed. “I think on the personal front you should be asking me that question, not Anthony.” Her statement hung in the air for a moment.
She noted that Mac looked unsure what to say.
“And yes, on the home front, it’s helpful that he’s home more, but I knew what I was signing up for when he and I got together. ”
“And as far as the team goes, yes. All with families appreciate Shepherd’s accommodations,” Garcia added. “And it works with the variety of cases the agency now handles.”
“And with less time in the field, you do not feel that you’ve lost your edge?” Mac asked cautiously.
Yvette laughed. “Trust me, neither he nor any of the other operators has lost anything. If I thought for a second the new rotation left our people vulnerable, or didn’t keep them and their skills as sharp, I would have spoken up. Don’t forget, I see every move they make from Ops.”
“Of course,” Mac agreed.
“I understand your concerns though,” Garcia said.
“When Jackson and Angel first got together, Cooper and Doc had many concerns. Shepherd almost pulled Jackson from duty, but Jackson proved himself, and their relationship never interfered with his performance. Nor has the birth of his children.” Garcia’s gaze went to his son, still playing in the corner.
He dropped his voice to a lower volume. “If anything, since he was born, I’m more focused when I’m in the field than I was.
There’s no operating on autopilot, no taking unnecessary risks. ”
Mac took a moment to process what he’d said. He picked up on the fact that Garcia didn’t count himself as one who doubted Jackson’s ability to perform after Angel was in his life or after he’d become a father. “I’m sure Shepherd would pull anyone who couldn’t maintain the correct mindset.”
“In a heartbeat,” Garcia agreed. “So, what’s next for you after this mission?”
Mac let out a long sigh. “It depends on how it goes. I have more offenders I’d like to get off the streets before I can say I am finished with my current engagement, but if I’m out of a job,” he began as he glanced at Yvette, who watched him intently. “I’ll find something, I’m sure.”
“If that happens, hit Shepherd up. I can’t speak for him, but there may be a place for you in our organization, and if not, he has more contacts than anyone,” Garcia said.
“I’ll remember that,” Mac said.
“That’s if you can settle into one place at least part of the time,” Yvette said, still watching him closely. “Not everyone can.”
Mac chuckled. “Well, you both have. It may take getting used to, but I’m sure I could manage.”
Just then, Little T let go of the activity table and landed sitting on his bottom. He let out a startled cry.
Garcia immediately got out of his seat and lifted the toddler into his arms. “You’re fine, buddy.” His voice was calm.
Mac watched him snuggle him close to his body and console him. Within a minute, the little boy stopped crying.
“Do you want me to take him so you can light the grill and get the steaks on?” Sienna asked. “I have everything else ready.”
“I’ll keep him awhile longer,” Garcia said. “You’ll have him the next week or however long this mission takes. Enjoy the break.”
Seeing the expression on Garcia’s face, he knew it wasn’t that he was trying to be fair to his wife.
He could see the love he had for his son.
He was soaking in the feeling of holding him in his arms. He would miss the little boy while he was away.
Mac watched him go through the kitchen and out the back sliding glass door with the child still in his arms.
“Anthony tells me you’ll be in the field on this mission, Yvette,” Sienna said. Even she knew how unusual that was.
“We’ll have an on-site Ops Center I’ll staff. It’s not like I’ll be confronting the bad guy,” she answered with a laugh. “But I am hoping to get some time to sit on the balcony and stare at the ocean.”
“Yes, there’s nothing like it,” Sienna agreed. “We’re planning our Christmas trip and are leaning towards South Beach. Little T will be a fun age for the beach.”
“He’ll love it, I’m sure,” Yvette said.
“I went to the hospital and saw Kaylee and the twins this morning,” Sienna said. “Her mom will be in to help for the next few weeks. I can’t even imagine having twins!”
Yvette laughed. She couldn’t imagine having even one child, let alone twins. “Kaylee and Sloan, the Undertaker, just had twins.”
“Twins? Holy shit,” Mac remarked.
“I think that’s what Sloan said when the doctor told them there were two babies in her,” Yvette said, still laughing. “I can’t even imagine having twins.”
“She’ll have a lot of help with them,” Sienna said.
“I’m sure she will. What did they name them?” Yvette asked. She’d been so busy she hadn’t checked in to see if they were all okay.
“Jade and Melody, after her biological mom and sister,” Sienna said.
“That’s a nice way to remember them,” Yvette said as Garcia came back into the house.
“Grill’s warming up. I’ll give it a few minutes before I put the steaks on,” he said.
Garcia retook his seat on the couch, keeping the baby on his lap. For some reason, the child’s presence unnerved Mac, or maybe it was seeing Garcia so comfortable in this role that unnerved him. It just didn’t feel natural or right to mix children into their world.
“All team members going tomorrow are back in town,” Garcia said. “I’ll contact you after we land and give you an ETA of our arrival at the resort.”
Mac’s gaze went to Sienna.
“I don’t know any particulars, neither the mission nor the exact location you’re going tomorrow, just that you’ll be in or near Cancun. Not that it matters as I’d never tell anyone,” Sienna said.
“All the wives have gone through background checks and have security clearances,” Yvette piped up.
“As well as having signed NDAs,” Garcia added.
“They know exactly what the team does,” Yvette said. “Most have seen them work firsthand.”
Mac snorted out a laugh. “From what I’ve gathered, it looks like they were all part of a case at one point or another.”
“How else would we have met them?” Garcia replied. “Don’t tell me you’ve never met a woman while working that you would have liked to get to know better.”
Mac’s gaze went to Yvette. Yeah, he absolutely had.
And he’d wished like hell over the years he hadn’t.
On the rare occasions he was with her, he was always reminded of how in sync they were, how perfect for him she was.
He always told himself, perhaps one day, but that day had never come.
With the uncertainty of his career before him, today wasn’t that day either.
“Ah, Razor, no one would have pegged you as a romantic,” Mac said with a chuckle before taking a drink of his bourbon. Garcia laughed with him.
Yvette noticed he hadn’t actually answered Garcia’s question. But he had gazed her way, which answered it well enough for her. “So what else are we having for dinner?” she asked Sienna, feeling the need to change the subject. All they had been asked to bring was a bottle of wine.
“I made my vegetable pasta salad you like, Yvette, and I’m trying a new potato recipe. Anthony, the tinfoil packet with the potatoes, is in the refrigerator. Don’t forget to put it on the grill about twenty minutes before the steaks.”
“I should probably put it on now then,” he said, handing the baby to Sienna after he stood. “Mac, step out with me.”
Yvette watched the two men step out onto the back patio, Garcia closing the door behind himself. “Can I help you with anything in the kitchen?”
“No, we have at least forty-five minutes until dinner will be ready,” Sienna said. “He seems nice, Mac.”
“He is. And a good operator too. He’s been in the game a long time.”
“Anthony said you two had a history?” Sienna said as a question.
“Ah, yes. A few at the agency refer to him as my ex.” She paused and chuckled.
Then she took a drink of her bourbon. “Calling him my ex suggests there was an end to our relationship. That’s kind of deceptive.
It never really ended. Of course, it really wasn’t a relationship that I could explain.
” She shook her head and took another drink.
“I can tell it wasn’t just sexual,” Sienna said.
“No, it wasn’t. Imagine meeting your soulmate during a time that neither of you could ever consider having a relationship.” Yvette’s face took on a wistful expression.
“Soulmate,” Sienna repeated. “I’d say it’s a different time and place now, and you both are in a different season of your lives. It might be time to consider it.”
“We’ll see,” Yvette said dismissively with a shrug. “So, tell me about this new potato recipe.”
It was clear to Sienna that Yvette was shutting down that conversation.
She wouldn’t press it. But she would talk with Anthony about it that evening after Yvette and Mac left.
“The potatoes are cut Hasselback style and placed in individual tinfoil packets. Over the top, olive oil that has been infused with garlic, onion, rosemary, and thyme, is drizzled liberally and of course the potatoes are dusted with salt and pepper before sealing the tin packets. It looks so good. We also seasoned the steaks with the same spices.”
“Okay, I’m really hungry now,” Yvette said. “That does sound really good.”
Sienna smiled and then took another drink of her wine. It wasn’t the red blend they’d brought. She had that bottle open and breathing. It would be served with dinner.