Now and Forever 5, Love's Journey (3 page)

“Right after we pick up a rental car for you
and…Sam.” Callie stacked a handful of books on the coffee
table.

“Call him Dad, or you’ll make him feel like
a stranger. Rental car? Crap. You drive on the right here.”

“Don’t you?” Callie raised her eyebrows.

“The left. Crap, means I’ve got to drive.
Dad’ll get us killed.”

Sam and Mac followed the children in the
house.

“I’m driving, Dad.”

“Good, ’cause I haven’t driven on the right
in years. Wouldn’t want to kill everyone on my first day,” he said
with a chuckle.

Peter shot Callie a knowing glance as they
herded the children back to the car.

After picking up the rental car, Peter and
Sam followed Callie, Mac and their kids to their house for dinner.
It was nine-thirty p.m. before Callie and Mac got the kids settled
in and gave directions to Sam and Peter as they ventured back to
their house on their own. Callie stood at the living room window,
holding the curtain open a little to watch them drive away.

“It’s wonderful to have Sam and Peter here.
I already feel like they’re my father and brother.”

“I’m glad.” He came up behind her and put
his arms around her.

“You must be happy.”

Mac kissed her neck, then brushed his lips
lightly up to her earlobe.

“I’m glad to see Dad and Pete. But now, I’m
happy to see you. In fact, I’d like to see more of you,” he said,
easing her shirt up.

Callie turned around and fell into his arms
for a passionate kiss.

“I’d like to show you what an absolute
pistol I am in the bedroom,” he whispered in her ear, cracking a
big smile.

“Mac Caldwell! A pistol? You were listening
in today?” Callie smacked his shoulder lightly.

“I came back for the car keys.” He shrugged
innocently.

“You heard our whole conversation?” Color
flooded her cheeks.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,
Callie.”

“But you overheard me talking about
you.”

“The things you were saying…” Mac said,
reaching under her shirt unfastening her bra, “…were soooo nice,”
he said, sliding his hands around to cradle her breasts.

“Mac…” she said, closing her eyes and
leaning her forehead against him, her breath coming faster.

“What, baby?” he said, his eyes closed.

“It’s true…you’re my lover.” She unbuckled
his belt.

They undressed and left their clothes in a
heap on the living room floor. Callie ran her hands up his hard
chest, through the soft black hair and around his neck. His hands
slipped down her back to rest on her firm behind and pull her
closer to him. She kissed him, opening her lips to his tongue. Mac
picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, closing the door
gently with his foot so as not to wake the children.

Chapter Two

Mac stuffed the family, including Sam and
Peter, into their SUV and drove to their small place on Lake
Onondaga in Pennsylvania for the weekend. The house had one wall of
glass overlooking the water and connected, through sliding glass
doors, to a deck which jutted out far enough to double as a dock.
With a big sectional sofa surrounding a large fireplace in the
living room, their home was comfortable for a crowd both in summer
and winter.

Sam had given the house to Callie and Mac
for a wedding present. He and his late wife, Ellen, spent several
happy summers there before she died. When they arrived, Sam was the
first one out of the car. He stood looking at the small building as
tears pricked his eyes.

“This was Ellen’s dream house,” he said to
Callie. “She’d be so happy to see us all here together…and with
grandchildren. A wish come true…”

She gave his hand a squeeze, then stuck the
key in the front door lock and turned it.

“It’s our dream house too…Dad,” she
said.

He smiled at her as he reached for his
handkerchief. After wiping his eyes, he took Callie’s hand and held
it as she opened the door and they walked in together.

“Dad’s become a bit mushy in his old age,
Pete,” Mac observed, hiding his mouth with his hand.

“He’s always been mushy, Mac.”

“God, I hope we don’t get mushy at his age,”
Mac whispered to Peter.

The kids ran into the house. Jason took
possession of Grandpa’s left arm while Kitty hung on his right.

“What about Uncle Peter? Who wants to show
him the lake?”

Kitty, who’d flirted with Peter most of the
way in the car as she’d claimed the seat next to him, piped up,
“Me!”

“It figures,” Mac muttered.

“Mac!” Callie said, punching him lightly in
the arm.

Jason took Sam’s hand and Kitty took Peter’s
hand when they all went down to the lake. Sam pointed out the
landmarks he remembered on the way, like the tree where he and
Ellen watched a hawk nesting and a field where deer grazed.

“We go fishing here all the time but never
catch anything. Do you know why, Grandpa?”

“No idea, Jason.”

“Uncle Peter, Uncle Peter,” Kitty called,
motioning with her hand for him to join her wading into the
lake.

Peter took off his socks and shoes and
rolled up his pants. Kitty kicked off her sandals and took his
hand.

After dinner, when both kids were tucked in
bed, the exhausted adults sat down on their deck and opened a
bottle of wine and lit candles.

“I’d like to make a toast,” Sam said. “To
Callie and the kids. Mac, your wife and children exceed my
expectations by a mile. Long life and love to all.”

They all raised their glasses. Callie teared
up and started to cry.

Sam, Mac and Peter all reached into their
pockets and pulled out handkerchiefs for her at the same time,
which made her laugh.

“It’s a Caldwell male tradition, Callie.
Ellen insisted we all carry handkerchiefs,” Sam said, smiling.

“Callie cries when she’s happy, so I’m
always ready,” Mac said.

“Especially in the bedroom, right, Mac?”
Peter teased.

“Don’t go there, Pete,” Mac warned.

“Boys!” Sam threw a stern look their way.
“They’re always teasing each other. I hoped they’d have outgrown it
by now,” Sam said to Callie, looking pointedly at Peter.

“What? I’ve got to show him I missed him,
don’t I?” Peter asked with an innocent shrug.

“I’m so happy you’re all here. Peter, what
was Mac like as a boy?”

“Well, Callie…”

“Don’t believe a word he says. He was
jealous of me,” Mac said.

“Jealous? Of what? A nerdy guy who couldn’t
talk to girls?”

“I didn’t waste my time
talking
to
girls.” Mac sat back, taking a sip of wine.

“Like you were some big make-out artist or
something?” Peter made a face at his brother.

“I did all right.”

“You did? At what age did you do all right
with girls?” Callie asked.

Mac blushed and clammed up. Peter
laughed.

“His first girlfriend was Jenny Simmons. He
was fifteen,” Peter volunteered.

“What happened between you and Jenny?”
Callie raised an eyebrow.

“Pete, keep quiet. You don’t know Callie,
she’s like a private detective and prosecuting attorney rolled into
one. You give her a little bit of information and she’ll dig out
your entire sexual history.”

“She can’t with me. It’d take a hundred
years,” Peter said, laughing.

Mac laughed too. “If Callie wants to know
something about you, she won’t stop until she has it…and then
some.”

“You make me sound like a bloodhound,”
Callie said.

“Well, babe, sometimes the resemblance is
uncanny,” Mac said, laughing.

“Looks like you’re not going to need any
handkerchiefs in the bedroom tonight, Mac,” Peter snickered.

Mac got up and punched Peter playfully in
the arm. Peter grabbed him in a headlock and the men started to
wrestle.

“Mac! Peter! Cut it out!” Sam yelled.

Callie got busy pulling lamps and tables out
of their way as the two tall men rolled around on the floor.

“Boys! Stop!” Sam yelled and got up. He
pulled at Mac, then Peter. Finally they separated, breathing
heavily and looking at each other. Mac was rubbing an elbow and
Peter was stroking his temple. In a minute they both burst out
laughing.

“After all these years, it’s still a draw,”
Sam said, shaking his head.

Peter went over to Mac and gave him a bear
hug.

Mac smiled at him and ruffled his hair.
“Welcome home, shrimp.”

“Shrimp? He’s taller than you are, Mac,”
Callie said.

“Now he is, but he wasn’t always. It took
him years to catch up,” Mac said.

“These two were a handful, Callie.” Sam
laughed. “I guess they still are.”

“I can handle them,” she said, smiling.

Saturday became a busy day at the lake with
fishing and not catching anything, looking for bear tracks,
coloring, reading and swimming with Jason and Kitty. Peter fit
right in, playing with the children and helping cart food in and
out of the kitchen. The children charmed him and kept him laughing,
much to Callie’s delight.

Callie worried the physical affection she
shared with Mac might make Peter feel left out or jealous, but he
smiled when he caught them exchanging a quick kiss or loving
embrace.

* * * *

“Can’t get enough, huh? Don’t you ever pass
her without touching her?” Peter asked his brother.

“If you had a woman like her, would you?”
Mac piled plates together.

“Guess not. You’re lucky.” Peter picked up
the salad bowl.

“Damn right.” Mac carted the plates into the
kitchen.

“Didn’t know you were such a touchy-feely
kind of guy, Mac. Always thought of you as…stoic, I guess,” Peter
said, popping open two beers in the kitchen and handing one to
Mac.

“It’s Callie. Just can’t keep my hands off
her.”

“I can see why,” Peter replied with a
chuckle.

“Watch it, Pete,” Mac warned, raising his
palm to his brother.

Peter put up both hands in a gesture of
surrender. “Joking here…your first marriage wasn’t like that?”

“Got that right. Callie is different. Never
met a woman like her.” Mac turned to look at his brother as he took
a healthy swig of his beer.

“Wish I could have her cloned,” Peter
joked.

“I hope you find someone like her, too,
shrimp…and settle down…it’d be good for you.” Mac put his hand on
Peter’s shoulder and looked him right in the eye.

“Maybe I will. I’d like to have what you
have here.” Peter nodded once at Mac then turned to leave the
kitchen.

* * * *

Mac took a bottle of wine and two glasses up
to bed, when he and Callie retired at nine thirty. Sam took a book
into the living room. Peter was restless. The darkness of the lake
was broken by the light of a full moon. A cool breeze with a hint
of fresh lilacs enticed him outside, so he went for a stroll. He
walked down the deck to the lake and thought how romantic to be on
the lake in the moonlight with a special woman.

He turned away and went to the left of the
house. Curiosity about what was behind the house sent him down a
narrow path leading from the house to the water meter on the side
and beyond. Past the house he stopped to look up at the moon and
spied the small deck attached to the master bedroom on the second
floor. He saw a tiny table, burning candles and a wine bottle. And
Mac and Callie.

They were drinking from wine glasses and
undressing each other. Although he knew he should leave, Peter was
transfixed. Mac pulled his T-shirt over his head. Then he took
Callie’s shirt over her head and off. He reached around and
unhooked her bra, freeing her breasts. Peter couldn’t see much of
Callie except for a little in silhouette because the moon was
behind her and Mac was in front of her. The shadows hiding her body
from his eyes relieved Peter of guilt from spying on them.

Callie unzipped Mac’s pants and pulled them
down. He slid her shorts off and then her panties. She pulled his
boxers down. They stood there facing each other naked in the
moonlight. Callie reached up to touch his face. Mac stepped back a
little to look at Callie, then he took her in his arms and kissed
her and kissed her. Peter could see Callie’s hands disappear in
Mac’s hair. Then Mac’s face moved down to Callie’s neck.

They broke to finish their wine. After the
wine was gone, Callie stepped toward Mac, running her hands up his
chest. He couldn’t see Mac’s hands, but suddenly Callie was pulled
in closer to Mac and they kissed again, Mac losing one hand in
Callie’s flowing hair. Then Mac dropped down to his knees and put
his arms around Callie, burying his face in the shadows where her
breasts were. Callie threw her head back, her hair blowing slightly
in the soft, warm breeze. She ran her hands over Mac’s shoulders
and bent her head down to kiss the top of his head.

Mac stood up, blew out the candles and
picked up Callie. He carried her through the narrow door into the
bedroom. Unease about spying on the lovers ate at Peter, but the
scene was so loving, gentle and sweet he had a hard time pulling
himself away. Their love touched his heart.

He returned to the house.

“Tea, Pete?” Sam asked, pouring from the
kettle.

“Sure.”

Father and son sat down outside on the
deck.

“Callie is perfect for Mac, don’t you
think?” Sam asked.

“He was lucky to find her,” Peter said.

“And those kids…they’re fantastic!” Sam
said. “Give you any ideas, Pete?”

“I’d like to have what Mac has,” Peter
confided.

“Sure you don’t want to continue tomcatting
around?”

“I’d settle down quickly if I found a girl
like Callie.”

“Not because you want to do what your older
brother’s doing, but because you want a family?”

“He has a good life. They’re not tired of
each other, they don’t fight or bicker…they love each other.”