Mack had watery eyes. “Thomas, that is so sweet. Thank you. You’ve brought tears to my eyes, again.” She tried to wipe them away before anyone else noticed.
“Auntie Mack.” Lucas threw himself into her open arms.
“Bye, Lucas. I’ll see you soon, okay? Will you say hello to Mickey Mouse for me?” Mack didn’t want to let him go.
“Will do,” he replied, and moved onto Thomas. Lucas wrapped his little arms around his waist as Thomas bent to hold him. He kissed him on the head. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, kid,” Thomas replied in a rough voice.
Dean walked over to Mack and wrapped her up tight in his embrace. “You okay?”
Mack just nodded her head. She moved out of Dean’s embrace but still felt him close, as she hugged her sister and brother-in-law. Then she watched them leave with Lucas.
Chapter 37
Mack and Dean called to check on Thomas first thing the following morning before heading out to Boston. Thomas hadn’t showed up for breakfast, but they discovered he was well, although a bit down, with Lucas having departed for Florida the night before.
Once again, Mack was left in her own thoughts, wondering how Jacob would react to what she had to say. It had been a long time since his love affair with Rose, but Mack would bet anything that he remembered Rose as though it was yesterday. You don’t forget a love like they obviously had, especially with it ending like it did, and no matter what Jacob believed, it was still tragic.
With everything going on, she’d forgotten to get another copy of the photograph of Rose and Jacob, which was unbelievable, considering how obsessed she was with them.
Mack was praying she didn’t meet Dean’s mother again. God, what a shark!
Dean brought the car to a stop in front of his family’s home and turned to look at Mack. “Are you ready to do this? I have to admit, I’m nervous.”
“I’m really nervous, and excited, to be finally meeting him. Not just because of Rose, but because he’s your grandfather.”
Dean climbed out of the car and walked around to help Mack out. He placed a kiss to her lips before he captured her hand and pulled her toward the house. “Thanks, come on.”
They entered the house and were met by Martha, his grandparents’ housekeeper, who looked down at their joined hands and back up at their faces. “Mr. Dean, I didn’t know you were home.”
“I’m not, Martha. This is Mack, and we’re here to visit my grandparents. Where are they?”
“Your grandfather is in the study, and your grandmother just went to the . . . powder room.”
“Okay, thanks.” He turned to Mack and pulled her toward his grandfather’s study. “I’ll go in with you and introduce you, and then I’ll go and distract my grandmother.”
“Okay.”
“It’ll be all right.” Dean gave her a quick kiss.
He knocked on the study door, and then walked in, dragging a partly-reluctant Mack behind him.
“Dean, my boy, where have you been?” his grandfather asked while he hugged Dean with obvious affection.
Mack got a better look at him. He was a distinguished older man with grey hair and, despite his age, was still well built with a very slight paunch. He looked like he was sixty, not ninety.
“Grandfather, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Mackenzie Harper, otherwi
se known as Mack.”
His grandfather moved slowly forward to meet Mack. “Well now, you are mighty pretty,” he said, taking Mack’s hand.
She had to swallow the lump in her throat to try and not burst into tears, Mack felt Dean’s hand on her back as she looked at his grandfather. “Thank you. Flattery will get you everywhere!”
“Oh, I like you. Can we keep her?”
“I’m working on that, grandfather.”