“When you said you were taking me out for dinner, I was expecting something…”

“Fancier?” Mack suggested gruffly as he switched off the ignition to his truck and turned to look at Lucy.

She looked at the small bungalow in the somewhat ramshackle, rundown neighborhood. “No, Mack. Something more in line with a restaurant. I’m not disappointed if that’s what you’re thinking. Where are we?” she asked curiously.

“My dad’s place,” he grunted. “We do Sunday dinner here whenever I’m available.”

“We?”

“Yeah. Me, my sister, her husband if he’s around, their kids and my dad.”

“Oh my gosh,” Lucy exclaimed excitedly. “And you brought me?”

“Yeah,” he said in a voice that sounded as though he was starting to regret it. “Don’t shit a brick over it, okay?”

She shot him a disgusted look and reached for the door. “I would never shit a brick. Come on, let’s go! I can’t wait!”

“She’s fuckin’ excited,” he snarled under his breath, climbing out of the vehicle and slamming his door viciously. He reached for her arm and she skittered excitedly around the front. “This is a bad fucking idea.”

“Why?” she demanded, tipping her face up to his. “Because I’m a lovely person and they’re all going to love me? Or because you have grumpy face issues?”

His eyes narrowed, and his hand tightened on her arm as they walked. “I shouldn’t let you get away with talking shit. Where did you get such a big mouth from? Your parents not spank you enough as a kid?”

She laughed and jerked her arm from his grip. Skipping ahead she turned on her heel to face him and walked backwards. She shrugged, lifting her arms. “This is the way I am, big guy. You know you love it.”

He caught her against him and crushed her lips beneath his for a few seconds, breathing her in for a moment. “Stop saying the love word, you brat. You’re doing it on purpose.”

She widened her eyes and stared up at him guilelessly, standing on her tiptoes, her lips inches from his. “Does it make you uncomfortable when I talk about love, Mack?”

“Yes,” he growled down at her.

“But you want me, right?” she asked him innocently. “Real bad. Don’t you?”

His eyes narrowed again, and he frowned fiercely at her, apparently caught between amusement at her playful banter and annoyance at the direction she was forcing the conversation. He swatted her ass, hard, drawing a startled yelp from her. “No woman is going to force a commitment from me again. Hear me?” He gripped her rounded ass over her skirt. “Not even one I want as bad as you. If I want you, I’ll fucking take you. When and where I want.”

She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. A gauntlet of emotions rippled through her – hurt, sympathy, anger. Then, before she revealed more than she wanted him to see, she shuttered her eyes with long, slightly curved light brown lashes. “Sure, Mack. Whenever and wherever you want.” She flickered her eyelashes upward again and gave him a sunny smile. “But my heart will still be here when you’re ready for it. Let’s just hope you want it before I’m ready to go back to the farm.”

She whirled around him and headed toward the bungalow, an excited skip in her step as she anticipated meeting his family. She looked back over her shoulder where he stood motionless, stunned and seething in the middle of the street. She knew he wouldn’t like her talking about going back home, which is why she brought it up when he used his commitment issues as a shield. She might not be able to best him physically, but she was a master of words.

“Come on, Mack,” she urged. “I’m hungry!”

Mack’s family was the best. So different from her Amish family and community, different from Jane and the Russians and different from her waitress friends. They were warm and welcoming once they got over their shock at Mack bringing a woman over to meet them.

Mack’s sister, Tawny, a tall, statuesque woman with a wild kind of energy surrounding her, was especially vocal in her surprise at Lucy’s presence and did not hold back her extremely delighted opinion. “She’s beautiful and, wow, Mack! She’s so freaking young!” Tawny exclaimed, practically wrenching Lucy’s arm in a vigorous handshake. “Where the heck did you find her? Damn, is she beautiful. Look at all that glorious hair and those eyebrows! I had no idea you could attract someone like this anymore with that ugly face and the horrific scowl you’re always wearing. Women usually run screaming the moment you open your mouth and say something awful.” Then she burst into tears and started hugging Lucy dramatically. “I’m just so happy. After what that witch, Daniella, did to him, I didn’t think he’d ever bring a woman over again. You must be something else, honey.”

Lucy hugged her and patted her back awkwardly, blowing some of Tawny’s wild blond-streaked hair out of her face, while Mack tried to extract his sister so Lucy could breath and meet the rest of his family. Tawny’s kids were hilarious little distractions that reminded Lucy sharply of her community and, for almost the first time since moving to the city, she missed home. In her community, it was a shared duty for the women to mind the children and she’d hadn’t realized how much she missed it. At five, Tanis was high energy and demanded a lot of attention, while her adorable, chubby two-year old brother, Lucas, was a hellion clearly set on proving the two-year-old stereotype correct.

Apparently, Tawny’s husband, Donny, had to work late and couldn’t join them for dinner. The love shining clearly in Tawny’s eyes when she spoke of her Donny made it clear that she was head-over-heels for her husband. Mack reached for his sister and kissed her on the head, murmured something in her ear while Lucy sat on the floor cuddling baby Lucas and laughing at Tanis while the little girl showed her over and over how she’d learned to do cartwheels.

Though Lucy really liked Tawny and adored her children, she absolutely loved Mack’s father, Abel. And it wasn’t just because he was a domestic God in the kitchen, creating a meat and cheese lasagna with Caesar salad and garlic bread that was so mouth-wateringly fantastic that Lucy ate more than she’d eaten in one sitting in longer than she could remember. No, it was because of the love and acceptance he showed for Mack and Tawny, and the adoration he held for his grandchildren. Though she didn’t know him well yet, she thought Abel seemed like a good and honest man. He was a big, solid man in his 60’s with dark skin and a calm presence that seemed to permeate the household creating a happy, enjoyable atmosphere. Even Mack seemed more relaxed than she’d expected given the tension he felt over introducing her to his family. He checked to make sure Lucy was getting on with everyone and sent her the odd smile. He helped in the kitchen, he smiled, he played with the kids, he touched his sister and his father with ease.

“You’re wondering about us, aren’t you?” Tawny asked, settling next to Lucy on the couch, Lucas in her arms. Tanis was curled up in the shelter of Lucy’s arms reading a book and nodding off after eating herself into a food coma. Tawny set Lucas on her lap, tilted him against the crook of her arm and set a sippy cup to his lips. “Wondering how a man as black as my dad came to have two kids as blond and blue-eyed as me and Mack.” She laughed at the look on Lucy’s face. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s a normal question and you’re bein’ polite about it.”

Lucy smiled and gently brushed some hair off Tanis’ face. “I’m Amish and where I’m from, everyone is very similar looking. I loved moving here and seeing how many different people there are from different backgrounds. I’ve never known a mixed-race family before.” Lucy stopped talking as her brain caught up with her mouth. Heat suffused her face. “Forgive me, was that a rude question?”

Tawny smiled and shook her head. “No, honey, you didn’t ask it in a rude way. Some people would, and some people do. Those are the asses I’ll kick from here to next Sunday. Dad is a good man, the best! And he’s my daddy in every way that counts. But is he our birth father? No.”

Lucy nodded and sat quietly, watching Abel and Mack while they sat at the table in low-voiced conversation. Mack was frowning again, but it was more a frown of concern than his usual grouchy frown.

“Abel kept us after our mom took off,” Tawny continued. “She was drunk more often than not and a gambler. Beautiful though and charming as hell. That was how she kept convincing the guys to come around. She left both us and Abel at the same time. Cleaned out his savings and took off. She’d done it before, only the other guys… they didn’t want the burden so me and Mack would go into the system until she came back to collect us. Like garbage she didn’t want one minute and then when she blew back into town, she’d act like we were long lost treasure.”

Tears filled Lucy’s eyes as she thought of Tawny and Mack as children, caught up in an unfair cycle of neglect and abuse. Though her upbringing had often been tough, filled with never-ending chores, she’d always known she was loved and well-cared for.

Tawny kept talking. “Only she made a mistake in choosing Abel. He was an ex-soldier with a protective streak a mile wide. I was twelve and Mack ten when she left us with him. We were old enough to talk, to tell him our story. Not all the guys were as nice as him, so it wasn’t a pretty story to tell. He worked quick after she left; managed to adopt us right out from under her, so she didn’t have a legal leg to stand on when she blew back in.”

Lucy made a choking sound, but managed to whisper, “Good.”

“Very good. He met her on the doorstep with a shotgun and told her he was calling the police if she didn’t get the fuck off our property. She didn’t leave, so he had her arrested for trespassing.”

Lucy nodded. “Good.”

“Very good,” Tawny agreed. “He kept us and raised us right. He helped me get my head on straight and helped Mack channel his demons. Mack was always more screwed up than me, less willing to accept help. His ex-wife was so much like mama that it set him back miles. But I think… I think he’s finally coming around again.”

Lucy couldn’t tear her eyes away from Mack. He looked so strong and virile. So big. Like he could take on the world and survive anything. But he’d been a little boy once. And Tawny had been a little girl, only a few years older than Mack. They hadn’t been able to protect themselves from such upheaval, such heartbreak. God only knows what happened to them before Abel came along. Thank goodness for the kind-hearted man.

Finally, Lucy turned her gaze toward Tawny who was cradling her now sleeping baby against her chest, the ghost of the past still written across her lovely face. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked quietly, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes. “I’m a stranger.”

Tawny shrugged. “I’ve got good instincts for people. Knew Mack’s ex-wife Daniella was going to be a hell-raiser right from the start. You might be young, but I can tell you have life and love in you and that’s something my little brother needs.” Tawny reached over and patted Lucy’s knee. “No pressure, hon. I don’t expect you to propose to him or anything, just give him a chance. Don’t let him scare you away. Just give him a chance to show you the guy he can be.”

Lucy turned to look at the other woman. “I think I know what you mean and I’m so ready to let him be the man he wants to be with me. Like you have no idea! Farm life was very boring and staid. Even when I got Matthew, my sort of ex-fiancé to himself, he refused to mess around.”

Tawny pulled a face. “Ew, gross,” she laughed. “Oh girl, you and I are going to get along great. You should come into the salon. I’d love to give you a trim and some layers. Maybe put in some highlights and lighten that gorgeous mane up.”

“Sounds great to me!” Lucy exclaimed.

“Fuck no.” Lucy’s head jerked up. Mack was now towering over top of them. He looked annoyed and was glowering at his sister. “You don’t cut her hair, Tawn. It stays the way it is, got me?”

Tawny huffed in mock annoyance as Mack reached down to gently extract Lucy from his sleeping niece who had entwined her fingers in Lucy’s long hair.

“Spoken like a true caveman,” Tawny teased, standing with the two of them and placing Lucas next to Tanis on the couch. “I’m sure she’s ready for a change. She’s had all that hair for twenty-one years. Girl needs a haircut, Mack, and she needs to get it from the best damn hairdresser in town.”

“I said no, Tawny. You got a hearing problem?”

“Enough, you two,” Abel interrupted, making his way between the siblings and giving Lucy a pat on the shoulder. “You’ll give our guest a bad impression.”

Abel handed Lucy a package of food. “For you, my dear, to take home. Please enjoy.”

“Thank you so much, I will! Perfect timing since I don’t have work tomorrow and I need groceries.” Lucy hugged the older man. “It was very kind of you to have me over.”

Abel accepted Lucy’s spontaneous affection and murmured, “You’re welcome in my home any time, Lucy.”

Lucy stepped to the side so Mack could say goodbye to his family.

Mack asked his father in a gruff voice, “Who’s taking you to treatment tomorrow? Tawny?”

“I have to work,” Tawny said in a regretful whisper. “So does Donny.”

“Can drive my own damn self,” Abel insisted quietly. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“It’s not about needing a babysitter,” Mack snapped. “Treatment makes you nauseous as hell, you know that. You can’t drive after. I’ll see if I can move some appointments around and we’ll go together.”

“Absolutely not, son,” Abel said sharply. “Your work is too important for you to sit at the hospital doing nothing for hours on end keeping company with an old man.”

Lucy wondered what was wrong with Mack’s stepdad and what he was taking treatment for. Clearly, she wasn’t really meant to be part of this conversation, but since she was standing right in the middle of the small family she couldn’t help herself.

“I can go,” she interrupted quietly, not sure how they were going to take her offer. “I’m not working tomorrow, and I’d love to hang out with you Mr. Hudson.”

Everyone looked at her for the space of a few heartbeats. Lucy could feel her cheeks heating up. She chewed on her lips to stop herself from saying something else. She’d tossed the offer out there and that was the best she could do, she couldn’t force this small family to accept more from her, though she dearly wanted to.

Abel nodded his head, smiled and said, “Thank you, I’d appreciate that,” at the same time as Mack glared down at her, shook his head and snapped, “Absolutely not.”

Lucy glared back, set her hands on her hips and asked “Why?” at the exact same time as Tawny demanded a similar explanation.

Mack threw his hands up, rolled his eyes, thought about it for a moment and then said, “You don’t drive.”

She shrugged, raised an eyebrow in challenge and said, “I have a driver.”

“I said no,” Mack growled down at her, pushing her toward the door. “Drop it.”

“And I said yes, son, I’ll accept her driver and her company,” Abel interrupted firmly, making it clear that his word was law in his home. “Lucy, you can get directions to the house from Mackenzie. I’ll expect you and your driver at 1:00pm if that’s acceptable for you.”

Lucy beamed at the older man. “Absolutely! I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Hudson.”

After Mack had been unanimously outvoted, Abel and Tawny worked to lighten the atmosphere by chatting with Lucy for a few more minutes before Mack could rush her out the door. Despite his glower, Tawny gave her another hug and extracted a promise that Lucy come see her at the salon. Abel squeezed her arm affectionately and told her she was welcome back in his home any time she wanted.

“Bye, Lucy!” Tawny called as Mack shoved her out the door.

“Bye!” Lucy called back. “I loved meeting you!”

She purposely used the ‘L’ word to annoy Mack and stuck her tongue out at him too since his big body was blocking her view of his family. She jumped up and waved over his shoulder. He grabbed her arm, spun her around and dragged her down the walk toward the street.

“I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” she giggled as he wrenched the passenger door of the truck open.

“So much fucking trouble,” he growled under his breath, picking her up by the waist and tossing her in. He latched her belt for her while she gazed at his bent head.

“What you gonna do about it, Mack?” she asked in the sultriest voice she could manage. “Spank me?”

His head snapped up, eyes meeting hers with blue fire.