Stay With Me (The Montgomery Brothers) (14 page)

It took a few minutes for him to settle down and go in search of whoever was left in the house.  His father was no where to be seen but he found his mother and Gina sitting at the kitchen table talking quietly to one another.  “Oh, Mac,” his mother said, smiling with surprise.  “I thought you must have snuck out with the crowd.  We didn’t realize you were still here.”  She gestured to the chair beside her.  “Gina and I were just talking about which of her paintings I want to hang in the guest house.”

The smile that crept across his face couldn’t be helped.  He was proud of her.  Plain and simple he was proud of how Gina had transformed herself since she arrived.  If only he could be certain that she wouldn’t regress back to her former timid self once she was back in California and under her mother’s influence.  “They’re all amazing,” he said as he sat down.  “I’m sure that no matter which ones you choose, you’ll be pleased.”

Gina beamed under his praise.  “Thank you.”  They talked about her art work for a little longer before Monica looked at the time.  “As much as I enjoy sitting and talking with you both, I’m afraid that it’s getting a bit late for me.  William’s already gone up as you can tell.”

Mac wanted to point out that his father hadn’t gone up to bed because he was tired as much as he was pissed off but he decided to keep that bit of info to himself.  Rising to his feet, he leaned over and kissed his mother good night.  Gina did the same.  “Thank you for everything, Monica.  Dinner was delicious.”

They made their way across the yard in silence and Mac knew that the woman walking beside him was stronger today than she had ever been.  When they got to the front door of the guest house, he paused.  “You seemed to enjoy yourself tonight.”

“I did.  But then again I always have a good time with your family; they’re easy to get along with.”

“I was thinking that I should probably go back to my place tonight,” he said finally, hating the words even as he said them.

“Oh…okay.”

“I haven’t been to the office in almost a week and I’m sure that you have things to do as well.”

“Yeah, sure.”  She didn’t.  Unfortunately, all she had left to do was deciding on whether or not she was going to relocate here to North Carolina or go home to California and back to her old life.  It was on the tip of her tongue to share that with Mac; to ask him to help her decide but he was already pulling away from her again.  Physically and emotionally.

Gina couldn’t do it anymore.

“I was hoping that we would have the time to talk,” she blurted out.  “I mean, I can see that you’re anxious to leave and all but I have to know something before you go.”

“Anything,” he said but he was cautious.

“Do you want me to go back to California?”  Her eyes were wide and her back was stiff as she asked it.  No matter what his answer was, Gina would never have peace if she didn’t take the risk and find out.

Mac weighed his words carefully.  “I think that you need to do what you want to do.  I mean, if you think that you’ll be happy back in there and in your old job then you should do it.  Of course you could go back there and start fresh; get a new job, move out of your mother’s house and experience life being independent.”

Gina stared at him.  Just stared.  “I’m not asking you for the Miss America, politically correct answer, dammit!  I want to know what you, Mackenzie Montgomery, want me to do!”

“I want you to do what makes you happy, Gina,” he said stiffly.  “I think that you need to experience all of the things that you’ve denied yourself.  You deserve that.”

Well, she had her answer.  She didn’t like it but at least she had her answer.  With a regal nod of her head she turned and opened the front door.  “Thank you for seeing me home.  I’m sorry if I kept you from your job; I know how important it is to you.”

His patience snapped.  “Dammit, Gina, what is it that you want from me?”  Mac reached out and grabbed her upper arm and spun her around to look at him. 

She pulled out of his grasp.  “I wanted honesty; I wanted to know how you felt but all you could do is hand me this line of bull.  Well congratulations; you’re like Switzerland.  You managed to not get so involved with me that you can’t actually form a personal opinion.”

“You have no idea, do you?” he said roughly.  “I’ve sat here on multiple occasions listening to you go on and on about how you were tired of people making decisions for you.  You yelled, you screamed and you cried about it.  Now, when I’m standing here, giving you the opportunity to make your own decision, I end up being the bad guy!  I can’t win!”

“Don’t you dare put this on me!” she yelled.  “This isn’t about me making my own decisions.  This is about you using that as your excuse to not have to change your way of life.  Perfect Mackenzie who likes everything neat, tidy and orderly.  By letting someone else in, you’d have to give up some of your precious control and that just isn’t something that you’re willing to do; not for me and not for anyone.  Well you know what? That’s fine.  Because I deserve someone who doesn’t see having me in their life as a sacrifice but as a blessing.”

“Gina…”

“Don’t,” she spat at him.  “Just…don’t.  I can’t make you love me; I can’t make you change and you know what?  I never wanted you to.  I love you because of who you are.  You look at me and you see all of the ways that I’ll inconvenience you and you know what?  I’m tired of people treating me like that.  I am a good person, dammit.  And if you can’t see that?  If you can’t appreciate that then you don’t deserve me.”

She stepped inside and slammed the door and in that moment
, Mac realized just how much he had lost.

Chapter Twelve

All of her art supplies were pack
ed up.  The plan was to have UPS come and pick them up and ship them to her mother’s house.  Temporarily.  In the week since she’d last seen Mac, Gina had done some serious soul searching and started forging the path of her new life.

Gone was her life of an accountant. 
That was the first and easiest decision that she had to make.  As much as she’d hated doing it by phone, she had called her boss and tendered her resignation.  Surprisingly, the sky did not fall and the Earth kept spinning.  Once she had hung up, Gina had felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of her. 

The next thing she had done was call her mother.  Another thing that she contemplated doing in person but decided that the only way she could return to California was if the air was cleared between the two of them first.  Of course her mother had ranted on and on about what a mistake Gina was making in leaving her job and how it was irresponsible of her but when she realized that her daughter wasn’t going to sway from her decision, her attitude changed.

“I didn’t think I raised you to be so defiant, Gina.”

“No, you didn’t.  You raised me to simply fall in line with whatever it is that
you
wanted.  That’s why your marriage failed; Dad wouldn’t fall in line and become the man that you thought he should be.  You cannot control people like that; I am my own person and for the first time in my life I am discovering who I am.  You can support me or you can ignore me; the choice is yours.  Either way, I’m going to do things the way that I see fit from this point on.”

“It’s just so drastic…I don’t understand why you can’t just come home and we can talk about this!”

“Because we don’t talk; you talk.  So the ball is in your court, mom.  You can have a relationship with me or not.”  Gina had learned to be bold; to say exactly what was on her mind because she was done being anyone’s doormat.  “I would have thought that you, more than anyone, would have learned that when you push people too far, they eventually walk away.  You pushed dad until he was willing to let us leave.  He didn’t want to fight with you anymore.  Did that make you any happier than you were when you were with him?”

Barbara was silent for a long moment.  “No,” she said quietly.  “You may not believe me, Gina, but I missed your father every day.”

Tears streamed down her face.  “So because you wanted to punish him for not letting you tell him how to live his life, you destroyed our family.  Are you really surprised that I don’t want to follow that same path?”

“I never thought he’d let us go.  On some level I thought that he’d either stop me before we could leave or that he’d come to his senses and come for us in California.  And if I’m being totally honest, I truly believed right up until the end,” she said with a sob, “that maybe he’d even just sell the company and move across the country to be with us.”  She was crying so hard that she couldn’t speak but Gina waited her out, needing to finally hear the reasons why her mother acted the way she had.  “Oh, Gina, I made a mess of our lives!  I never stopped loving your father and when he didn’t come for me or fight for me, I became angry and bitter.  I wanted to punish him; I didn’t realize how much I hurt you.  I’m so sorry!”

She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but from this point on the two of them were going to have to work really hard at building a new relationship.  And while Gina was certain that her mother would insist that the way to do that was to spend a lot of time together, Gina had other ideas.

By the time that conversation ended,
she felt like she was floating on air, so light was she after removing what she considered dead weight.  A look around the guest house had Gina feeling nostalgic.  The Montgomery home had always been a haven to her as a child and it was even more so now.  Leaving here was going to be harder than she ever could have imagined.  She looked at the two pieces of art that Monica had chosen for the walls; the landscape of the garden and a sunset over the lake at her father’s house.  Both made Gina smile and she was honored that Monica had wanted them hung on the walls here.

Wrapped by the front door was the painting she had done for Emma for Lily’s nursery.  She was planning on bringing it over to her this afternoon and now that she was finished with the majority of her packing, she would shower and take the drive over.

As she got ready, Gina realized how happy she was for Lucas.  They had been friends since they were kids and it was so wonderful that he had married someone like Emma who seemed to truly understand him and was so obviously in love with him.  Plus, she was thankful that Emma was someone that she easily bonded with and now considered a friend.  It may have been ten years since she’d last seen Lucas but now that she was older, Gina knew that she wouldn’t let that much time pass ever again.

It was a beautiful crisp fall day; perfect for late October.  The leaves on the trees were so vibrant that Gina’s hands fairly twitched with the need to paint.  Inspiration struck and instead of loading the painting into the car, she grabbed her camera and a sweater and walked outside. 
There was a light breeze that was carrying a variety of leaves around her and Gina lifted the camera and just started shooting. 

The Montgomerys
’ property was several acres large and with no direction or plan in mind, Gina let the leaves and the wind guide her.  The gold’s and the red’s flew by and she almost couldn’t keep up with everything that she wanted to capture.  She cursed as her long hair kept blowing in her eyes and she wished she had thought to bring a clip with her.  A small leaf landed on the zoom lens of her camera and without even missing a beat, she continued to shoot through her partially obscured view and captured a magnificent sunset.

Sunset?

“Shoot,” she murmured and looked at her watch.  Unable to believe her eyes, the watch told her that she’d been walking the property for almost three hours.  “Too late to head over to Emma’s now, dang it.”  Feeling invigorated from the fresh air and excited to get back to her computer to see what she captured, Gina headed back to the guest house.  The thought of disappointing Emma made her frown, but William and Monica were throwing her a going-away barbecue on Sunday. She’d call Emma once she was back in the house and tell her how she’d give her the painting then.

Unable to contain her joy, Gina booted up the computer and kicked off her shoes as she clicked on some Motown to listen to while she created what she was sure would be a masterpiece.

****

The day was bittersweet.  Gina appreciated that William and Monica wanted to throw her a farewell dinner but the thought of leaving the people who she considered family was harder than she ever imagined it would be.

“I can’t believe you opted for a barbecue,” Maggie said, handing Gina a glass of iced tea.

Gina shrugged.  “To you a barbecue is no big deal but for me?  This is a treat.  We never barbecue back home; my mother thinks that it’s uncivilized to eat with your hands.”  She burst out laughing and Maggie joined her.

“It’s amazing that you are as normal as you are.  Every time you tell me another tale from your life in California, I cringe.”

“You get used to it.”  Looking up she saw Emma walking toward her with Lily in her arms.  Without hesitation, she scooped the infant up and cuddled her close.  “I think I’m going to miss you most of all,” she whispered to Lily and placed a kiss on her tiny head.  She missed the look exchanged between the two Montgomery women.

“I know I said it earlier but Lucas and I are just thrilled with the painting you did for Lily.  It’s just…spectacular.  I can’t even believe that I know someone this talented!” 

Gina had done a whimsical painting with teddy bears and butterflies.  It wasn’t that she was being
original; she was following the small theme she noticed that Emma had started in the nursery.  “I’m so glad that you like it; if you want me to change anything or if you’d rather have something else, please tell me.  I won’t be offended.”

Emma rolled her eyes.  “Please.  It’s perfect; absolutely perfect.  I know exactly where I want it hung and I already told Lucas that he was taking care of that as soon as we get home tonight.”  She reached out and gently stroked her daughter’s head.  “Promise me that you’re going to come back and visit.  I want you to see where your masterpiece is hanging.”

There was a moment of hesitation on Gina’s part.  She had barely come to grips with leaving; would she ever be able to come back?  Rather than commit to it outright, she did her best to sound encouraging yet vague.  “I would love that.”

“So you’re all packed?” Emma asked and Gina nodded.  “Is there anything that you need help with?  A ride to the airport?”

“William and Monica are driving me there and I’ll be flying out with Jason and Maggie on the company plane.”

“Well that’s new information,” Emma said with delight.  “When did this happen?”

“Maggie called me yesterday; she knew I was procrastinating on booking my flight home and with her and Jason flying out to California anyway, it just made sense.”  She smiled at her friends.  “It will be nice to travel with some familiar faces.”

“I’m sure.”  Emma looked at Maggie, her grin wide.  “That was a great idea.”

“Well,” Maggie began, “it was a little selfish on my part.  I’m hoping that we’ll have the chance to visit with each other a little more and that Gina can show us around while we’re there.  Jason will be in meetings a lot of the time and now I’ll have someone to sight-see with!”

Gina didn’t want to admit that it was a little selfish on her part, as well.  With the distraction of Jason and Maggie, she wouldn’t be spending so much time at home being spoon-fed a guilt trip at the hands of her mother. 

“It’s just hamburgers and hot dogs for crying out loud!” they heard Lucas yell from behind them.  “It doesn’t take three men to man a grill!”  The women laughed and watched as Lucas did his best to shoo his father and Jason aside.  “Amazingly enough, you don’t seem too anxious to help when I’m grilling steaks.”

“There’s an art to this,” Jason argued.  “That’s all I’m saying.”  The women turned back around and decided to let the men argue amongst themselves.  No one mentioned the fact that there was one Montgomery man missing.  Gina wasn’t sure if Mac’s absence was intentional or not or if he was even invited but she wasn’t going to let herself go there.  Today she was going to focus on the friends
who were here around her and enjoy the day.

“So what are your plans for when you get home?” Emma asked.  “Other than sight-seeing with Maggie
.”

They all laughed again and Gina knew she was going to miss this; it had been a long time since she just had girlfriends to hang out and have fun with.  “I think that I’m going to actually travel a little bit.  There are some places that I’ve always wanted to go and now, thanks to my father and his generosity, I’ll be able to take the time off and not have to worry.”  She smiled sadly at all she was gaining and at what cost.  “I think that I want to go someplace warm and tropical first.”

“Ooh, maybe a cruise?” Maggie suggested.

“No, cruises don’t do it for me; I want to be on the beach and sleep with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.”  She sighed. 
“I’m thinking Hawaii or Fiji.”

“You can’t go wrong with either of those places,” Emma sighed.  “I’ll have to live vicariously through you because I think it’s going to be a long time before Lucas and I can go on a vacation alone together.”

“Yes, but you have this beautiful baby girl to make up for it.  I’d trade that for a vacation any day of the week,” Gina replied.  “Plus you never know; you’re blessed with wonderful in-laws who, I am sure, would love an opportunity to babysit for you if you and Lucas wanted a little time away.”

“Not to mention a brother and sister
-in-law who would gladly help out, too,” Maggie added.

“See?” Gina said with a nod.  “Blessed.”

“Don’t I know it,” Emma said and stepped forward as Lily started to fuss.  “I think she’s hungry.”  She headed back toward the house and Maggie and Gina followed.  They all settled in the family room and Monica soon joined them.

“I cannot believe that they are still out there fighting about how to grill a hot dog; this isn’t brain surgery,” Monica said, laying her head back on the sofa.  “My children are grown men who still act like children.”  There was a comfortable silence as Emma settled in to nurse Lily.  “So Gina, are you all packed and ready to go home?”

“I’m packed; not sure that I’m ready,” she admitted.  “Actually, I have to meet with the realtor for dad’s house later this afternoon but that was the last bit of business that I have to deal with in person.  After that, it’s all stuff I can do over the phone or by mail.”

“What time do you have to meet them?” Emma asked.  “Do we need to rush the men along?”

“No; I’m not meeting Robin until around five.”  She looked over at Maggie.  “I was hoping that you’d take the ride with me.  I’d rather not do this alone; I’m afraid I’ll get overwhelmed.  I need someone with me to keep me on task.”

“I am just the girl to do it!”  Maggie assured her as she reached out and squeezed Gina’s hand.  “We’ll eat and help clean up and then head over to the house and by the time we get back it will be time for dessert.”  She turned to Emma.  “Please tell me that you brought something with chocolate with you?”