Mack Daddy(68)

For the first time, I doubted whether we would be able to recover.





As I waited in front of Mrs. Migillicutty’s, the sight of Mack’s empty house next door made me melancholy. The windows were dark, and the for sale sign still sat out front on the dried-up, ice-coated grass. It was a terrible time to have a house on the market in the middle of winter, so he hadn’t gotten any bites on the property.

I longed to be back inside the warmth of that house with him. More than that, I missed that time when things seemed complicated, but in retrospect weren’t complicated at all compared to the present.

She opened the door. “I got the water boiling for the hot chocolate, Frankie Jane. I’m gonna spike it real good.”

“Thank you. That sounds like exactly what I need.” Kicking the snow off my boots, I asked, “Have you heard from Mack?”

“No, honey. But I sure do miss him.”

“Me too.”

“Why do you ask? Is something wrong?”

“I’m getting concerned because he hasn’t called me in a couple of days. That’s really unlike him. His texts have been short and vague, too. I’m really scared I’m losing him.”

“What in the hell?” She poured the hot water into two mugs.

Mrs. Migillicutty didn’t know anything about the blackmail or my father. I felt like I needed to tell her everything. In fact, I was bursting at the seams to get her opinion because, not only was she straightforward, but she always seemed to make a lot of sense.

“Can you keep a secret? It’s kind of a long story, but I really need to get it off my chest.”

She pointed to her round stomach. “See this belly? I’m pretty sure it’s full of secrets. Well, maybe it’s full of Tim Tam cookies, but in any case, keeping secrets is what I’m best at.”

I trusted her. Since I hadn’t been to see a professional, she was probably the next best thing. I needed someone unbiased to talk to who was far removed from the equation. Over the next forty minutes, I recounted everything that had happened since Mack moved back to Virginia.

“Wow, what a guttersnipe,” she said, referring to Torrie. “I’d like to snap her neck.”

I sighed. “Yeah.”

“Don’t worry. Karma is a bigger bitch than that cunt ever could be.”

Her dirty mouth always made me laugh.

She noticed my amusement. “What?”

“Nothing. Your looks don’t always match your mouth. I just don’t expect you to say certain things, but I should know better by now.”

“Mack used to say the same thing. What’s up with you people?”

“Thank you for making me laugh.”

She sighed, and her expression turned serious. “Okay. Let’s try to work this out. What’s at the root of your fears now?”

I stopped to really think for a moment, swirling my hot chocolate around. “Honestly, I don’t even care about that bitch or anything she or his father have done to try to hurt me. I’m concerned about Mack and Jonah. I’m also worried that he’s decided that it’s safer for him to distance himself from me, even if that’s not what his heart wants. But more than anything, what’s bothering me is my own doubt, that inner voice that’s telling me that they would be better off without me.”

“Bullshit. Mack wasn’t living until you came back into his life. I refuse to accept the two of you letting fear rule your worlds.” She added a bit more peppermint Schnapps to my hot cocoa. “What was the last thing he said to you?”

“He said he needed some time to figure out a solution.”

She blew on her drink before taking a sip. “Okay. You have to trust that he knows what he’s doing. I don’t see how he could possibly be considering a life apart from you. He will figure it out.”

“Well, Jonah really has to be his top priority. What if he feels that being with me could potentially put his son in danger?”

“Do you really think that senator is going to do anything to endanger the life of his grandchild? He won’t go public with this, Frankie.”

“But like Torrie’s letter stated, what if someone else, like a political rival, uncovers my background?”

“People only go after people who give them a reason to. If you don’t want to have to worry about that, then you may have to keep things under the radar until this blows over.”

“You mean pretend not to be with Mack? Sneak around?”

“Whatever it takes. But I will say this. I do not believe that dirty politician or that nasty witch would ever do anything to put that little boy in harm’s way. If you and Mack are together, that means you’ll be around Jonah, and they know that. They are trying to scare you away from him.”

“I hope it’s just that. I really hope you’re right.”

“Like I used to say to Mack…I am always right.”





While my evening with Mrs. M. had served to reassure me a bit, doubt would always set in most when I was alone at night. The physical and now emotional distance from Mack was taking its toll. Something had changed since his return to Virginia, and I was afraid to push him for answers. I was afraid of the truth. More and more, it was feeling like he’d decided that our being together was just not worth the risk. It seemed like he was pushing me away with actions because he didn’t have the guts to say what he was thinking.