Page 34 of Mistletoe and Mischief

“Thanks. Same to you and Dad.”

“How’s everything?”

His mother was at loose ends. Not having any of her children with her during the holidays was hard for her. “It’s been pretty quiet here this afternoon,” he said.

Corrie allowed an audible sigh to escape. “I wish you hadn’t volunteered to work on Christmas.”

This wasn’t the first time his mother had brought it up. But as the firefighter most recently hired, he would’ve been assigned this shift anyway.

“It’ll be lonely with just your father and me.” Her voice fell and Mack sighed, wishing he could tell her what she wanted to hear.

“It’ll be a wonderful Christmas,” he said, sounding as positive as he could.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she agreed in a listless voice. “I decided to cook a ham this year instead of turkey. It’s far less work and we had a turkey at Thanksgiving. Of course, I’m going to bake your father’s favorite potato casserole and that green bean dish everyone likes.”

Mack didn’t understand why his mother felt she had to review her dinner menu with him, but he let her chatter on, knowing it made her feel better.

“I was thinking,” she said, abruptly changing the subject.

“Yes, Mom?”

“You should get married.”

If Mack had been swallowing a drink at the time he would’ve choked. “I beg your pardon?”

“You’re settling down here in Cedar Cove?”

He noticed that she’d made it a question. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far.”

“I would,” she said. “You have a steady job.” She didn’t add that this was perhaps his tenth career change in the last six years. Mack was easily bored and tended to jump from job to job. He’d worked part-time for the post office, done construction, delivered for UPS and held half a dozen other short-term jobs since dropping out of college. He’d also renovated a run-down house and sold it for a tidy profit.

Mack’s restlessness had contributed to the often acrimonious relationship he’d had with his father. Roy McAfee hadn’t approved of Mack’s need for change. He felt Mack was irresponsible and hadn’t taken his life seriously enough. In some ways Mack supposed his father was right. Still, his new job with the fire department seemed to suit him perfectly, giving him the variety, the excitement and the camaraderie he craved. It also gave him a greater sense of purpose than anything else he’d done.

He and his dad got along better these days. Roy had actually apologized for his attitude toward Mack, which had come as a real shock. It had made a big difference in their relationship, though, and for that Mack was grateful.

“You think I should bemarried,” he repeated, as though it was a foreign word whose meaning eluded him.

“You’re twenty-eight.”

“I know how old I am, Mom.”

“It’s time,” she said simply.

“Really?” He found his mother’s decree almost humorous.

“Have you met anyone special?” she asked.

“Mom!” he protested. Yet the picture of Mary Jo Wyse shot instantly into his mind. He knew from the conversation he’d overheard at the library that she was pregnant and single and that David Rhodes was her baby’s father. He’d also heard a reference to Charlotte and Ben Rhodes. He was familiar with them, but completely in the dark about David.

“I’m not trying to pressure you,” his mother continued. “It’s just that it would be nice to have grandchildren one day.”

Mack chuckled. “If you want, I’ll get to work on that first thing.”

“Mack,” she chastised, “you know what I mean.”

He did but still enjoyed teasing her. While she was on the phone, he decided to take the opportunity to find out what he could about the father of Mary Jo’s baby. “Can you tell me anything about David Rhodes?” he asked.

“David Rhodes,” his mother said slowly. “Is he related to Ben Rhodes?”

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