Page 9 of Axel

“Good for you, Dad. I won’t allow her to talk to Mom the way she used to, either. Mom won’t say anything, but as you pointed out, I don’t have that issue.” He kissed her on the cheek, and he stared at her for a moment too long for her comfort. “What? Do I have food on my face?”

“No, nothing like that, but you do smell of Axel. He wears that old cologne that I think my dad used. Old Spice, I think. Can I assume that the date went well? Will you be seeing more of him?” She nodded and couldn’t help the smile that she could feel all over her face. “Good for the two of you. I’m so happy for you both. You both need each other. And I think that he’d make a good man for you to depend on as well.”

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell you how I feel about him. I was afraid that you’d make fun of me or something. But I’ve fallen in love with him. I think. I’ve never felt this way before.” He told her that love and being in love looked good on her. “Thanks, Dad. But the real test will be tomorrow when he meets Grandmother. I just noticed that I have called her that all my life. Grandpa was Grandpa. But she was nothing more than Grandmother my whole life. That’s very telling if you were to ask me.”

She called Axel on her way up to her room. Warning him first that she was coming to town but also what sort of grandmother she was as well as asking him if he thought his entire family would come over for dinner tomorrow evening.

“I’ll ask. I don’t see any reason that my parents won’t come, but I’ll have to see if my brothers are busy. They haven’t found anyone to love like I have.” She giggled and felt embarrassed by it. “You’re so lovely. I can’t wait to see you again tomorrow. But if I’m going to make court at seven in the morning, I need to get my sleep. I love you, Mac. Very much.”

“And I love you.” When she put her phone on the charger, she laughed when she saw what came up. It was a cartoon bear blowing kisses at her. Getting into bed after changing, she figured that she was about as ready as she’d ever be for her grandmother, the old bitch.

~*~

It wasn’t like he was meeting the family for the first time. The only person that Axel didn’t know was Charles, but they immediately bonded when he was handed his little boy. Little Chuck, as he was called, didn’t scream and yell at him like most kids did that he’d been around. He thought that it was because he was so big. But so was Charles. Plus, he could see some of Mac in his face, too. When hetouched his hand to his cheek, he laughed like he’d found something funny about him.

“Have you met Dragon Lady?” He laughed, asking him if he meant his grandmother. “I do. She’s forever picking fights with everyone so that she can be the poor victim. Milly can’t stand her, and since we first met, she has kept her mouth shut when it comes to her. I tell her all the time to tell her off, but she is afraid that Mom and Dad will hold something against her. I think most of the time, they love her more than me.”

“My grandma was wonderful. She passed away right after Stamos was born, and he didn’t get to see her as we all did. But she would come by the house and pick out a couple of us to have an adventure with her. We never were jealous of the others that got to go. She made those kind of dates with us all the time. I learned how to order from her and also how to be a romantic. Believe it or not, she had me reading romance books when I was in second grade, and Mary, I don’t remember her last name, punched me in the face when I laughed at her. I can’t even remember—she caught a softball bare-handed. That’s what it was. She was crying because it hurt so much.”

“My grandma on my mom’s side was wonderful, too. She lived on a farm that had all sorts of animals that city children never get to be around. I know how to milk a cow and feed the hogs, as she said it. Plus, I can drive a tractor.” He laughed and said that it’s not at all like driving a mower like people think. “She’s been gone for a while now. And I find I’m sad that my children won’t get to be around her and the farm.”

“That’s something that I’ve never thought about.” He glanced over at Mac before looking at her brother. “I’m in love with your sister. I want you to know that.”

“It’s as apparent as the nose on your face. So if you’re thinking of keeping it a secret, the cat is out of the bag.” Again, they both laughed, and that was when the front doorbell rang. Ms. Booth wasn’t going to arrive for another hour or so, but Mac told him not to be too surprised if she showed up earlier.

“She might well be holed up in a hotel close by so that she can gather the most dirt—or what she thinks of as dirt on us to be prepared to do battle.” After seeing it was his brothers, all of them coming at the same time, he told Charles what Mac had told him.

“Battle? Yeah, I can see that. My wife will be close to me when she gets here and won’t leave my side unless she has to. Mom will go to the kitchen to get away from her first thing. Dad will greet her but he’ll not extend her any wishes. Not even if it’s Christmas, a holiday that she hates, by the way. Let me see…the staff will wander in but won’t serve her if she spouts off to them. After bringing it up to my parents a few times, she leaves them alone because Mom and Dad won’t do anything to their staff for having the same opinion of her that they do. I think Mom would feel better if she were to just let all her hatred go about her, but she’s a good person no matter what Grandmother does to her.” He asked if he knew why she was coming. “Dad thinks money. So does Mom. Mac thinks it’s because she’s looking for us to invite her to stay with us. Last I heard, Grandmother was on an allowance, and it doesn’t go all that far for the life that she leads. A very out-of-touch life with the way her money is gone in no time.”

“That’s very sad on her part, don’t you think?” Charles said it wasn’t to him as he was finished with her. “I’m glad to hear that. My parents have been warned not to take any shit from her either.”

The doorbell rang again and that was when he noticed that there was a butler. Usually, when he’d come by, the Booths, one or both of them, would answer it. Today, he noticed that things were a little more formal, and he decided that he wasn’t going to hold back if the woman gave him any shit.

Almost as if he’d orchestrated it, Milly came to stand between him and Charles. And Dani went to the kitchen. Or he supposed someplace in the back of the house. Something else occurred to him, too. They were having a cookout. Steaks, chicken, burgers and hot dogs. The table was set with festive paper plates with large bowls of potato salad and other sides. He was happy to see that there were steak knives as well. He thought this was part of the plan as well.

“What are all these people doing here, Charles? You know how I hate to come and visit you, and you have strangers all around.” He told his mother that they weren’t strangers to him, and she glared at him. “You know what I’m talking about. Tell them that we have important matters to attend to, and I won’t have things said in front of them.”

“Grandmother. Not that I care, really, but who let you out from under your rock? And no, we’re not uninviting our friends over. Get over it.” Mac, true to her word about her grandmother, looked at him with a wink. “Also, I want you to meet the man that I plan on marrying someday. He’s an attorney. I know how much you detest that occupation.”

“I’ve never known one of them to be honest. And you can bet that by the time I’m ready to leave, I’ll have all the dirt on him, too. Even his family.” Mac told her that they were all there if she wanted to tangle with them. “I don’t like how you’re speaking to me. Are you showing off to that supposed man of yours? It would be just like you to be a smart aleck when there are new people around.”

“Really? You two are going to get married?” His brothers all wanted to give Mac a welcoming kiss. “This is awesome. I can’t wait. Are you going to have kids right away? I want to be the best uncle if you do.”

“There will be no children of that union, or I’ll have something to say about that.” Mac told her that she didn’t care what she had to say. It was her body and her life. “We’ll see about that. You there, you’re his parents, I’m assuming? Why would you allow this to happen? She’s already been jilted once at the altar. Do you have one bit of sense when it comes to what that will entail if they do ever marry? Damn it all, I’ll have no trouble knocking some sense into you two as well.”

“Did you have anything to do with that? I don’t know why I think that but it only just occurred to me.” She told him that, sadly, she’d not, but he’d done it all by himself. “But I’ve no doubt that you would have.” He stood up, making sure that he towered over the elderly woman. “My name is Axel Hathaway. Yes, those are my parents and I would suggest that you take care when addressing them. Anyone of us will take you to task if you don’t respect them when speaking to them.”

“Who do you think you are talking to me that way?” He reminded her that he’d only just told her his name, then asked if she was having memory issues. “I do not. I remember everything. You’d do well to remember that in the future, young man. If there is one for you here. How did you meet her anyway? Why wasn’t I informed about this supposed wedding?”

“Because you’re not going to be invited for one thing. Secondly, I’m sure you understand that since no one here likes you that we don’t care all that much for your opinion. Even if it was going to be nice.” Axel eyed her shrewdly. “You talk to my parents like that again, and there will be no hole deep enough for you to hide in. You’ll pay them the respect that they deserve, or you’ll not speak to them at all. Do I make myself clear?”

His brothers all stood up and circled the old bitty. When she screamed that they were hurting her, he noticed that not one person stood up to defend her. If there had been a reason. She was a bully, and he didn’t tolerate them any more than he would her. She wasn’t worth it.

Dinner was called, and he was happy when Mac came to stand in line with him. They’d been asked their preference for dinner meat, and was happy that his steak was perfectly cooked. Mac had a chicken breast that was covered in sauce, and he decided that he would get himself a couple of bites to see if it tasted as good as it looked.

Hanna Booth didn’t join them but sat in the living room by herself. From the living room, Charlie asked if she wanted her plate brought to her. He had a hot dog with her name on it, and she didn’t bother answering her. When Dani looked at him, Axel could tell that she’d been crying.

“I’m sorry, Dani. I am.” She said she wasn’t upset but still laughing about what he’d said to her about his parents. “You need to say a few things like that as well. It might make you feel better about her coming to visit. As in, she won’t come here to visit if she knows that she doesn’t bother you anymore.”

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