Chapter 20
CHAPTER
TWENTY
MACKENZIE
Eli’s brother lives in a beautiful old house on the outskirts of Charleston.
It has a touch of old-world glamor to it.
If I wasn’t sitting in Eli’s Mercedes right now, the heat blasting because he noticed I was shivering and he’s actually quite the gentleman, I could pretend I was in a horse drawn carriage with my Victorian suitor, ready to meet his parents.
Although I don’t think that’s how it happened in those days. Didn’t men and women have chaperones whenever they were together? I try to imagine that now. Eli constantly cockblocked by a knowing older woman.
“What are you smiling at?” he asks me.
“Just admiring your brother’s house.”
“Yeah, it’s nice. Liam lived in the guest house for a while. We’d stay there whenever we visited. It was like Porky’s but so much worse.”
“Porkys?” I say. “What’s that?”
“You haven’t seen Porky’s?”
I shake my head.
“Probably for the best,” he says. “It’d put you off guys for good.”
He pulls in next to a huge black BMW and shuts off the engine. “We should agree on a signal,” he says.
“What for?”
“In case you want to leave. Like a codeword.”
“How about, Eli, I need to leave?”
He laughs. “That would work.”
“But I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m excited to meet your family.”
He looks at me with warm eyes. “You’ve been warned.”
As soon as we’re in sight of the front door, it flings open and two younger men come out.
“Thought you weren’t coming,” the first says.
“He brought a girl,” the second replies. “He’s been coming a lot.”
“Shut the hell up,” Eli says, shaking his head. “Mackenzie, these are my younger brothers, Brooks and Lincoln.” He looks at them with an eyebrow raised. “Boys, this is Mackenzie.”
They both wince at being called boys. I probably would, too. They must be in their late twenties or early thirties. They remind me of my brothers and from the way they tease Eli, I’m guessing their love language is the same as Johnny and Brad’s - shit talking. My chest twinges. I miss them.
A woman walks out and a smile splits her face. “You’re here,” she says. She’s wearing a dark blue wrap dress that emphasizes her curves. Her cheeks are plump with a smile, and she looks at Eli with warm eyes before she slides her gaze to me.
“Hey, Mom,” Eli says, taking my hand in his. “This is Mackenzie.”
Her eyes are the same color as his. They have the same color hair, too. But where he’s all masculine jaw, she has a heart-shaped face.
“Mackenzie, this is my mom,” Eli says.
“Linda,” she says, reaching forward to hug me. “It’s so lovely to meet you.”
Eli reluctantly lets go of my hand. Then a little girl toddles out of the door with her hands held up to him. “Lie,” she says, jumping up and down in the way kids do when they want to be picked up.
He swings her up into his arms, blowing a raspberry on her cheek. She giggles and my ovaries do a little dance.
“This is my sister,” he tells me, which seems so ludicrous because she can’t be much older than two or three and he’s forty. “Francie, say hi to Mackenzie.”
She waves and hides her head. Her shyness makes me smile.
“Don’t worry,” Linda says. “She won’t stop talking as soon as she gets to know you.” She holds her hands out to Francie – who I know isn’t her daughter, but her ex-husband’s child – and Francie happily slides into her arms, as Eli’s mom carries her inside.
We follow them in and another wave of Eli’s relatives welcome us. Eli tells me their names and I immediately forget them. I thought I had a big family, but it’s tiny compared to this.
And everybody seems so relaxed and happy to see him. His older brother – Myles – asks Eli about the game on Friday night, and the one who looks just like Myles – Liam – comes over and introduces himself and his wife, Sophie, to me.
Sophie hugs me. “They’re all a bit much,” she whispers. “But they’re lovely. Want to come meet Myles’ wife?”
“Sure.” I let her lead me down the hallway that’s adorned with what looks like expensive art. It doesn’t feel pretentious, though. It feels like a home full of love.
Myles’ wife is a lovely woman named Ava, and she’s in the kitchen with a little boy who looks like he’s having a tantrum. She looks up as we walk in and lets out a long sigh.
And then she sees me and smiles. “Oh, hi! You must be Eli’s friend.”
“Mackenzie.”
She hugs me, too. They’re a cuddly family, unlike mine, but I throw myself into it.
“Your house is beautiful,” I tell her. “And this must be the birthday boy.”
“Charlie,” she says. “And he’s a little overwhelmed.”
Myles walks in. “Problems?”
“You could say that. He wants everybody to go home.”
“Not Daddy. Daddy stay,” Charlie says, his voice vibrating with a suppressed sob.
“Well, at least I have permission to stay in my own house.” Myles scoops Charlie up in his arms. “What’s up, bud?”
“Francie opened one of his gifts,” Ava says. She looks at me. “Sorry, you’ve just walked into Toddlermageddon.”
“Not Fancy’s,” Charlie says, leaving out the ‘r’. “Mine.”
“That’s right, but we share, don’t we?” Myles asks. “Even on birthdays.”
“Mine,” Charlie says again. And I’m reminded of last night. Of Eli calling me his.
My heart does a little clenching thing.
I liked it. And it also scared the hell out of me. How can I go back to New York knowing what it’s like to be Eli Salinger’s girl?
I can’t do long-distance. He’ll break my heart.
“Are you okay?” Sophie asks.
“Oh, I’m fine.” I smile. “Actually, Eli brought Charlie a gift. Do you think it’ll help if he gives it to him?”
As though he hears me say his name, Eli walks into the kitchen. Ava hugs him tightly then whispers something in his ear. He looks over at me and smiles.
And my legs go a little weak.
Somebody tugs on my hand and I look down to see Eli’s little sister looking up at me. “Hi,” I say, scooting down.
She leans forward and whispers in my ear. “Charlie don’t like me.”
“Oh I’m sure he does, sweetie,” I tell her. “He’s just a little sad.”
“I stole his gifts.”
“I know.” I nod. “But you gave it back, right?”
She nods, looking so serious. “Not mine,” she whispers.
I look around for her mom, who I think I met in the hallway, but she isn’t here. Nor is Eli’s dad, who looks ridiculously young and handsome considering he has very grown children. Sophie is busy talking to Charlie and Ava is chatting with Eli.
So I lift Francie up and smile. She touches my face. “You pretty.”
“So are you.”
“Charlie says me naughty.”
My throat tightens. “He doesn’t mean it. He’s just unhappy.”
“He’s naughty too,” she says, her brows knitting.
I begin to laugh then try to hide it. This is way above my pay grade. Disputes between companies I can do, but between toddlers?
I’d need to call in the UN.
Luckily, Eli joins us and Francie immediately reaches for him. He hitches her onto his hip, looking so at home holding her tiny body it makes me want to do things to him.
What is it with men holding kids? I’m a feminist, I really am, yet I’m melting at the sight of him holding his sister. Like full blown ovary-exploding heat going on inside me.
“Here you go,” Sophie says, handing me a glass of wine. “Sometimes alcohol is necessary to put up with the Salingers.”
I take it gratefully.
“You’re a Salinger now,” Eli points out to her, looking amused.
“I’m a West-Salinger,” she says. “It’s different.”
“She and Liam hyphenated their names,” Eli says.
I nod approvingly. I’m liking this family more and more.
“Anyway, marrying into the family is very different than being a natural born Salinger,” Sophie continues.
“You make us sound like serial killers.” Eli frowns.
“Nope. Just overwhelming.” She takes my hand. “Eli tells me you’re from New York,” she says. Francie tugs on Eli’s face and says something to him. He nods and looks over at me. “Francie wants me to give Charlie his gift. I left it in the car. You okay here?”
“I’m good.” I smile at him. He walks out of the kitchen with Francie slung over his shoulder like he’s a firefighter. She giggles loudly.
“I’ve lived in New York for the last sixteen years,” I tell Sophie, returning to our conversation. “Before that I was all over the place but I managed all four years in LA for high school.
“Was your dad in the military?” she asks. And I realize Eli hasn’t told them who I really am.
It touches me.
“He’s a hockey player, too.” My heart is racing, but it feels good to tell the truth. To stop hiding.
“How long have you been seeing Eli?” Sophie asks.
“A little while.” I think back to that first time we touched. When they lost the game and he dropped to his knees in front of me. Breathed me in.
It feels like a lifetime ago.
“Will you go back to New York?” Sophie asks.
“That’s where my work is,” I tell her. “So yeah, when this project is over I guess I will.” And there’s that twinge again. I don’t like thinking about endings. Especially this one.
She looks over at Myles and Liam, who’ve walked into the kitchen to join us. “Liam and Myles both worked in New York until recently.”
“You’re from New York?” Liam asks. “Where about?”
We descend into a conversation about different companies in Manhattan. It turns out that Liam and I have some mutual acquaintances. He still travels to New York regularly, but his home is now in Charleston.
“I don’t miss it at all,” he says, when I ask about his move here. “Whenever I have to travel for work all I think about is coming home.” He looks over at his wife. Their gazes connect and she smiles softly.
“Sophie, on the other hand, can’t wait for him to leave,” Myles says dryly. “Because he’s a sap.”
“Only for her,” Liam says, good-naturedly. “And you’re the king of saps, man. So don’t start with me.”
They banter again. Myles goading Liam about chasing after Sophie at five in the morning when he thought he’d lost her.
Liam teases Myles about having to drive him from New York to Charleston because he needed to see Ava.