Flight to Paradise Ch. 15

By the time they're ready to leave, Charlie, Kate, and Todd are nearly dry and no longer freezing. Mac pulls the last three bottles of water out of the lake and stuffs them in the backpack, along with their trash, before shrugging the pack on.

"Anybody want to make a last stop at the falls before we leave?" he asks before laughing again at the memory of the antics of his friends.

"Not just no, but hell no! One case of hypothermia a day is plenty for me, thanks," Todd says, shivering dramatically in memory.

Mac leads them out, the generally downward sloping path allowing them to make better time than on the climb up. On the way home they stop at a local market in Oroville where he picks up some fresh fish. Back at his house, the three that went for a swim take showers and change while Mac pulls the grille out from a storage area on the deck and starts the charcoal heating.

While Mac filet's the fish, Charlie and Kate clean and prepare vegetables. "When did you start cooking?" Charlie asks in surprise as Kate carefully cubes potatoes for the grille.

"Just a couple of months ago," she says with a smile, paying attention to what she's doing so she doesn't lose a finger. "I've found out that cooking can be fun. I still have a long way to go though."

"It just takes practice," Charlie says, taking the potatoes and adding oil and seasoning, along with sliced peppers, and folding the mixture up in foil. She notices Kate's careful attention to what she's doing so she hands the two foil packets to Kate. "Near the sides, so they don't burn," she says.

Mac watches Kate leave and stops working on the fish. "Charlie, thank you so much for introducing me to Kate. I owe you one, big time."

Charlie smiles. "It is my pleasure, Mac. You've made a new woman of her. Todd and I were talking about it last night before we went to sleep. Kate seems so relaxed and at peace with herself. I hope it works out for you two. I really do."

"Me too," he says as he hears the door to the deck shut. "But if not, thank you all the same."

Charlie smiles and picks up the fish filets as Kate steps back into the kitchen. "What are you doing to these?"

"Nothing fancy. Olive oil and sea salt. This is Bass, caught just this morning right out that window," Mac says point toward the lake with the knife. "They don't need a lot help."

"There's a lot of it," Kate observes.

"Tell me that after you try it," he says with a grin. "It's a very light fish. I hope there's enough."

After Mac finishes carving the fish, he shows Charlie and Kate how he prepares the filets, helping Kate along by standing behind her and showing her how to coat the fish in oil and to rub in the salt without tearing the flesh.

Charlie watches out of the corner of her eye as Mac instructs Kate, his gentle touch on Kate's hands giving Charlie a warm feeling. There is something slightly erotic about their oily hands gliding together over the fish, Mac pressing in close behind Kate. She'd never thought of cooking as sexy, until now, but she may have to get Todd to help her in the kitchen when they get home.

"Just keep doing that," Mac says, backing away from Kate and turning to wash his hands. Pressing his crotch into Kate's ass as he guided her hands is starting to give him an erection and he doesn't want to embarrass himself in front of Charlie. "I'm going to go flip the potatoes," he says as he dries his hands.

Once he's out of the room Charlie begins to giggle.

"What?" Kate asks.

"Nothing. Just watching you two rub the salt into the fish was turning me on," Charlie says, her hands still busy working on the fish, refusing to meet Kate's eyes. "I never knew cooking could be so damn sexy."

Kate begins to giggle as well. "You should try it from over here. No, on second thought, I think I'll keep it all to myself."

Charlie barks out a short laugh. "I don't blame you one bit." She's going to say more but Mac comes in from the deck. "We'll talk later," she whispers.

"Done yet?" Mac asks stepping back into the kitchen.

"Almost," Kate says. "Now what?"

"Now he says dramatically, "I'm going to heat some of them up with a bit of cayenne. Charlie, do you and Todd like spicy food? What about you Kate? You seem to, but I don't know how hot you like stuff."

"Todd likes stuff spicier than I do," Charlie says, "but if you don't get crazy with it, I'd like to try it."

"Sure," Kate says, "I like spicy food, so long as it doesn't burn my face off."

Mac drums his fingers quickly on his chest as the thinks. "Okay, half spicy and half not," he says, "and half of the spicy I'll go a little lighter than normal. But none of it is going to be very hot. Just enough to liven up the flavor."

Charlie finishes the last piece of fish and steps back. "Have at it then," she says, but watches what Mac does in case she wants to do it again in the future.

Mac spreads cayenne pepper lightly on half the fish, then adds about a third more to some of the pieces, gently rubbing the pepper in as he does each piece. Finished reaches into a cabinet and pulls out a grille with very tight strakes and oversize handles.

"So the fish doesn't fall apart," he explains as he carefully places the fish on the grille. It is a tight squeeze, but Mac gets all the fish on there, then covers them with another piece of grille that slips over the handles.

"So when the fish is done on one side, you just flip the whole thing over?" Charlie asks. "That's just about the most handy thing ever. Where did you get that? I want one."

"I think you can find them at most cooking stores. I don't remember where I got this one, to tell you the truth, but if you can't find it in LA, you can't find it," he says picking up the fish. "Someone want to get the door?"

"Oh, wow," Charlie says taking a bite of the fish, "This is really good."

"I thought you'd like it," Mac says.

"You know," Todd says to Mac after swallowing, "You make it hard on the rest of us guys."

"How's that?" Mac asks, looking at Todd.

"Rich, tall, apparently good looking according to our two female companions, and can cook like this? Have you no mercy for us average guys?"

"Well, I don't know about all that," Mac says, looking at his plate and poking at his fish in embarrassment. "It seems to me you didn't do too badly," he says with a meaningful look at Charlie.

"No, no I didn't," Todd admits. "And that's despite the fact I'm not tall, rich, or good looking, and I can't cook." He pauses then looks at Charlie. "Why did you marry me again?" he asks with a grin.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Charlie deadpans, then looks at Todd and giggles before taking another bite of fish. "Mac, the cayenne really brings out the flavor. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"The army," he replies, just catching sight of Kate as she rolls her eyes.

Charlie misses Kate's reaction and tries to judge if Mac is kidding her or not. "Bullshit," she finally says. "Did you have some formal training somewhere?"

"No. Just trial and error, and learning from others."

"Well, this is some of the best fish I've ever had," Charlie says, cutting into another delicate piece. "The olive oil and salt complement it perfectly. I'm going to try this when I get home. And Kate, you've got a good teacher here," she says gesturing to Mac with her fork.

"Thank you, Charlie," Mac says with nod of his head.

"I know," Kate replies with a smile.

Kate and Mac refuse to allow Todd or Charlie to help clean up after the table is cleared. "Why don't you two walk down to the lake?" Mac suggests.

"Yes," Kate agrees, wanting to have a few minutes alone with Mac. "The sunset over the lake is just beautiful."

"If you're sure you don't want some help," Charlie says. "I feel guilty making you do all the work."

"Nope," Kate says brightly. "Mac and I, we've got it. Go enjoy the sunset."

Charlie watches Kate, trying to read if she really means it, and then shrugs. "Have it your way."

"Charlie, if you push me in again," Todd says dangerously, "I'm going to have Mac make you walk home."

"Yeah, yeah," Charlie says as she shuts the door behind them.

The minute the door closes Kate oozes into Mac's arms. "I thought they'd never leave," she says with a smile.

"You're not sorry they came, are you?"

"No. But that doesn't mean I can't want a little alone time, now does it?"

"No, I suppose not," he says as she pulls his head down for a kiss.

He exhales slowly as he withdraws back from the kiss. "I'm not sure that was a good idea," he says as he watches her eyes.

"Why? Did it make you as horny as it did me?" she asks with a grin.

"Yes, ma'am, I think it did," he says turning her loose. "Come on, we have work to do."

As they move about the kitchen, he takes every opportunity to touch her, stroking her on the arm, on the ass, or down her side, sometimes kissing her quickly on the back of the neck, delighting in the teasing as she tries to ignore him.

"You can be a real horse's ass, you know that?" she asks after one particularly slow slide down her arm as she reaches into a cabinet. Mac chuckles as he turns away.

After the kitchen is finished, they check on Charlie and Todd. They can see them on the smaller deck by the water's edge, locked in an embrace. They're too far away to tell if they're kissing or standing front to back, but there is no denying the love exhibited in their position. Mac takes Kate into his arms, holding her back to his chest as they watch Charlie and Todd through the window. "You know," he begins, "When I first spoke with Todd after all these years, I told him I knew only one man that seemed to be truly happily married. You know what he said to me?"

"What?"

"Be prepared to meet another."

"And?"

"And, I believe him. I don't think they could be happier, do you?"

"No," Kate says quietly, "I don't. Rick and Giselle either. I wonder what it's like to be that much in love."

"I don't know. Have you ever been in love? Really in love?"

"I thought I was once, when I was married, but not like those two. Not like Rick and Giselle. You?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Once, a long time ago. We were talking about getting married... then..."

"Then, what?" she asks, curious.

"Then I lost my leg and I turned into a complete dick."

"And that mattered to her?"

"No, not losing the leg. At least I don't think so. What did matter was me. I drove her away by being an insufferable asshole."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well, it's true," he says bitterly. "That wasn't my finest hour. By the time I got my head right she was gone."

"I'm sorry," she says, and she means it.

"Don't be. I don't even know why I told you. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Had I married her, I wouldn't have met you."

She's quiet for a moment, waiting to see if he has more to say. "You said you knew of one other man that was happily married. I assume you don't mean Rick and Giselle. Your dad?"

"No, not Dad. I think Mom and Dad are happy enough, but not like Charlie and Todd. No, it was a friend of mine."

"Was?" she asks, picking up on the tense.

"Yes. He's dead. Killed in action."

"I'm sorry. Was he a good friend?"

"My best. He made me who I am in a lot of ways."

"I'm really sorry. It must have been hard for you."

"It was, but... that's... how military service is. Sometimes you lose friends and loved ones."

"It doesn't make it any easier though, does it?" she asks, sensing there is something important here, even if she doesn't know what it is.

"No, no it doesn't, but that's the past," he says, stuffing the memories away once again.

"Yes. But the past is what makes us who we are today."

"I know," he says, pulling Kate in tight to draw on her strength. "Sometimes I don't know who I am."

"I know. You're Bertrand McMillan, the nicest, most understanding, and forgiving man I know. The man I want to share my bed with for as long as he'll have me. The man I want to spend time with."

He turns her and looks into her eyes. He'd planned to tell her he was falling for her when they go to Kansas, but now is the time. "Kate, would you go running in terror if I were to tell you that I am falling in love with you?"

Kate's blood turns to ice and then burn scalding hot as his words sink in. "No," she whispers, "Would you?"

The sun is almost down, and Charlie and Todd will be coming back soon. Mac takes Kate by the shoulders and holds her, holding her gaze so she can see he means what he was about to say. "Kate, come with me to Kansas. I want you to meet my family. I want them to see the woman I am falling in love with."

Her vision blurs as she tears up. She's had a few men tell her they loved her, but Mac is the first one she believes it to be true. Her face scrunches up as she struggles not to cry, her hand going to his cheek.

"I will, Mac, I will. I love you too. Ever since you took me back, I've felt like this. You are such a dear and special man," she says with a sniff, "I just hope I can become the woman you think I am."

"You already are," he whispers as his lips touch hers.