Page 8 of Axel

“I don’t know. But I was stupid for not asking sooner.” She laughed, and he did as well. “You know, you could have asked me out. That would have been fine with me, too. Then you could have picked where we go.”

“Next time. Where are we going, anyway?” He told her. “That’s one of my favorite places to go. Mom said that you called her and I’m really glad that you did. Thank you for wanting this to be special tonight. I’m looking forward to having a great time.”

And just like that, he was in love. It took his befuddled mind to catch up with his heart, but there it was for him to see. He was in love with Mac.

Chapter 4

The date was going better than she could have hoped for. He was charming but not overly so. He was great at conversations and didn’t push her to answer anything that she didn’t want to, like talking about Richardson. He’d not brought him up; she had, and when she’d told him that the man was still in jail, he seemed disappointed about that. Mac had an idea that Richardson wouldn’t have been long out before someone took him to task. But being in jail? It was a place that he deserved to be more than anyone else that she could think of.

The thing about the date that had her really liking Axel was when she got dessert, he didn’t. Nor did he take any of hers. Not until she offered anyway. That showed that she could control what happened between them. Why that was even a thought, she didn’t know but she didn’t want to give up her control of situations when all around her was out of control.

“Your dad was telling me that two of the bedrooms upstairs are finished up. The wiring I guess you’d done.” She told him how she had done it during the night. She didn’t sleep all that much. “I don’t either, as a matter of fact. I never have my mom told me once.”

“I can work better in a room without having several thousand interruptions going on all the time. When there is a crew around, they’ll make it their mission to find me and ask me all the questions they had in an hour that they’d been saving up all week or something.” He asked about the cable issue. “Thanks to your dad, several people at the cable company have been fired. Which is good as he’d found out that—wouldn’t he have told you this?”

“I, for the most part, stay out of the way of my parents’ businesses. I’ll help them out if they need a heavy but for the most part, they run the cable company as well as several other places on their own. It works out well for us all.” She asked him if he had all that many businesses. “Yes. I have a partnership in the grocery store. Not that I have a lot to do with that other than to fix the occasional issue they might have. Several years ago, it burnt to the ground, and I did take out a loan to have it rebuilt. It’s a nice little country store, and I love going there when I need groceries. Not that I have all that many needs for foodstuffs. I usually eat fast food or dine with my parents. I think that all of us eat with them several times a week.”

When they were finished up, and the bill was brought to them, Mac wanted to snatch it from Axel and pay it for herself. She didn’t want any entanglements that happened with a man paying the check. When they were leaving the table after it was paid, she was glad now that she’d allowed him to pay for her dinner. Axel told her that when he or she asked the other out, it was the person who also paid the bill. She liked that.

The evening was still warm out, so they decided to take a walk around the town. There really wasn’t that much to see, but it felt good when Axel reached for her hand. She told herself not to get used to this sort of treatment and that it was only the first date. But almost as soon as she thought that, she let it go. He would be a romantic no matter how long they’d be married.

That thought had her stopping so abruptly that she nearly tripped over the chair that was directly in front of her. She looked at Axel when he said her name.

“Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Is everything all right?” She shook her head, meaning that she didn’t want to talk about it, but he asked her again, coming to her to wrap his arms around her while holding her. “Tell me what’s the matter and I’ll try my best to fix it for you.”

“I thought about us marrying.” He paused for just a second before asking her if she was proposing to him. “And what if I am? Would you say to me?” Axel tucked her head under his chin and held her until he spoke.

“I’d say yes, of course. But you’d have to help with the house by picking out colors. I’m notgoing to have carpets put in, but there are about a million billion questions that need answers to that I’m not sure how to answer.” She looked up at him to see if he was teasing her. “I’m not. Teasing you, I mean. I’ve been thinking about you a great deal for the past several days. And I’ve fallen in love with you too. You do love me, don’t you?”

“I’m not sure. I mean, if what I’m feeling right now—it’s nothing I’ve ever felt before, but if this is love, I can get on board with it.” He didn’t let her go but continued to hold her until people were coming out of one of the little diners that were sprinkled all over town. It didn’t bother her that they’d been caught in an embrace, just the opposite. She felt like she could shout from the rooftops how lucky she was feeling. “What do you think about us heading back to wherever you live and having some sexy time?”

He picked her up in his arms and swung her around. They were both laughing when he sat her down on her feet, and she wanted so much to rush home and have all-night sex with Axel before he changed his mind about…about whatever they were feeling for each other. It was much too soon, she thought that they should be making marriage plans, but she found she didn’t care. It was perfect for the two of them.

They walked around the area for another hour. It wasn’t that there was anyone out that would talk to them but they did enjoy the privacy of it all, her especially. There were times when she thought that too many people were up in the business of people that they had no right to. She wanted her life to be hers and not plastered all over the place on social media, not that she had any accounts, but it was their business what they did, and she wished more people would realize that.

On the way back to the car, he said that he was going to take her straight home. She was sorely disappointed but didn’t say anything. She had a feeling that he’d been thinking about what she’d said to him, and he was beginning to have second thoughts.

“I don’t know what’s going on in your head right now, but it’s not terrible. Or as terrible as you seem to be making it out to be. I’m taking you home because I’ve only just realized that I only have a twin bed at the condo as my mattress is being cleaned.” She asked him if he was serious. “I am. Had you asked me a month ago if it was possible, I would have said no. But now that I know, even my brothers are having their mattresses cleaned up. It’s supposed to lengthen the life of the mattress and to help with allergens.”

“I need a new mattress. I’ve been saying that for five years, but I just haven’t done it. I’m worried that once I get it home, then it’s going to be my bed for the next five years or so. Even if it’s lumpy.” He told her that he had the same problem, and that was why he had his cleaned. “I’ll keep that in mind when I finally have time to look for one. I’d like to say that I do buy pillows but I don’t do well with that either. Right now, I have about a half dozen pillows on my bed because whenever I buy one, it’s not right. Even if I buy the same brand that I love sleeping on, it’s not right.”

“Next time I’m in town, we’ll have to go to the store to look for one for us both. I’m in the same boat as you. The issue that I have is my cleaning lady. When she changes the sheets, she doesn’t know which one I sleep on, and it’ll take me to get her to return sometimes to find the one I love. I think that I’d be better off just having some random person picking out those things for me and tell me I have to live with it. It might save me a bundle.”

They talked about anything and everything while they were driving back to her house. Once there, she couldn’t believe how late it was and used her key to get in so as not to wake her parents. As soon as he kissed her goodnight, a long and drawn-out wonderful kiss, she slipped inside so they’d not be tempted to have sex on the front lawn.

Once she was inside, she leaned back against the door and smiled. It was perfect this night. And she couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see if it was just a fluke or did they really love each other. Resolved to not bring it up first, she was nearly to the stairs when her dad said her name from the living room.

“You didn’t have to wait up for me, Dad? I had my key.” He said that he’d had to take a call and decided that he couldn’t go to sleep right away. “Something wrong? I know that usually the service only puts through important calls when you guys go to bed.”

“Your grandma Booth is coming to town. She should be here in a few days.” All she could think about was if she had enough time to move out and into her own place. “I’m hoping that with you here, she’ll keep herself out of my business and into yours. You have no trouble telling her to mind her own business.”

“I don’t. And I’d be glad to. Why is she coming here? I’m assuming that she wants to stay here when she arrives.” He said that she was going to stay with them. She’d made that perfectly clear. “I can’t believe that you’re related to her dad. The two of you are so different. You must take after Grandpa Booth more than her.”

“I did, as a matter of fact. My dad used to tell me that it was easier to give in to her demands rather than fight with her. But he wished that he’d been less of a beaten man as he got older and realized what sort of person she was. Your mom seems to think that she nagged your grandpa to death, and that was why he died young. That’s why I taught you to be as outspoken as you need to be around her.” She told him that she didn’t want her in her business either but wouldn’t allow her to take over. “Good. If you’d not mind telling the Hathaway’s that as well, I’d appreciate it. I don’t want them changing themselves just because Hanna happens to be my mother. I don’t much care for her myself.”

“What time is she supposed to arrive? I was thinking that we should have Charles over with his family. I know how much she just loves children.” They both laughed, and Dad told her that she was to arrive around five tomorrow evening. “Good. We’ll have the Hathaways over and Charles and Milly and have a grand old time. Did she say why she was coming around now?”

“No, she didn’t. But I have a feeling that it has to do with money. The very fact that my dad put her on a budget makes me think she wants to up her allowance.” She asked him if he would. “No. I will follow my dad’s instructions no matter how much she bitches about it.”

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