Flight to Paradise Ch. 19

She watches him brush Banjo for a moment then moves to her own horse and begins to brush Popcorn. She's not nearly as efficient as he is, and isn't even half done when he joins her, helping her to finish brushing, the horse seeming to revel in all the attention as it nickers and sighs happily.

Brushing finished she hugs Popcorn, holding her cheek to the animal's neck, enjoying the warmth and smell of the animal. "Thank you Popcorn," she says quietly to the horse. "I had a great day." Popcorn doesn't answer, but watches Kate intently, her ears up, as Kate backs away.

"That was so much fun," she says, hugging Mac just outside Popcorn's stall.

"Still think we should trade the horses for a dog?" he asks, holding her to him.

"Mmmm... no. I'm starting to see the appeal of horses," she allows before kissing him lightly on the lips. "But damn, I'm going to be sore tomorrow. My ass hurts, my legs hurt, and now my arms are tired too."

"Yeah, I'm probably going to be a little sore tomorrow too. I don't ride nearly as much as I use to."

"Oh god," she moans.

"What?"

"If you're going to be sore, I may be bedridden."

"Mmmm... not a bad idea," he teases as they walk out of the stables. "Help work the soreness out."

She giggles and slaps him playfully on the shoulder. "That's not what I meant, and you know it, but I like the sound of that, if I'm not hurting too much."

Inside she changes out of her riding outfit back into her regular clothes, her dirty clothes freshly washed and hanging in their closet. She purses her lips in annoyance that Cynthia is washing her clothes while she's out gallivanting through the country with Mac.

"Cynthia," she says rejoining the family, "you didn't have to wash my clothes. I could have done it."

"I had to wash anyway," Cynthia says. "I just threw yours and Tony's in with the rest of the stuff."

"Well, thank you," Kate says feeling slightly guilty, looking at Mac who just smiles and shrugs.

"It was no trouble at all," Cynthia says patting Kate's hand.

As the evening progresses Mac notices that Kate is moving slower and slower. "Sore?" he asks with a grin.

"I'm dying," she answers softly with a wan smile.

"So no bed riding tonight?" he whispers into her ear, so his parents won't overhear.

"I don't think so," she whispers. "I want to, oh god how I want to, but my ass and legs hurts so much..."

"It's okay, I understand," he says before kissing her under her ear. "But when I get you home..."

"You'd better watch out," she finishes for him.

"Take some aspirin tonight before you go to bed," Mac says in his normal voice. "It'll help."

"Okay."

"And a long soak in a hot bath," Cynthia adds with a grin. "That helps too."

She blushes, wondering how much his parents overheard. "At this point, I'll try anything," she says. "Riding horses looks so easy in vids."

"It is easy. You just used muscles today you're not used to using. After a few weeks you can ride all day and not get sore. But everyone gets sore the first time. I get sore the first few times I ride in the spring because I don't get in as much riding in the winter. I don't like the cold," Cynthia explains.

"She did great today. She learned to post without too much trouble."

"Post?" Kate asks, not knowing what he's talking about.

"That's what you were doing in the trot, so you don't hurt your back."

"That's great," Cynthia says. "Once you can post you can ride all day."

"I don't know," she says rubbing the inside of her thighs. "I feel like someone has been beating on me."

Cynthia smiles in sympathy. "Just wait until tomorrow."

Despite taking aspirin and a hot bath, the next morning Kate awakens with every muscle in her body hurting. "Fuck!" she mutters as she slowly sits up, wincing in pain.

"I'm sorry," Mac says from behind her.

Goddammit. The first morning Mac and I can at least snuggle, and I'm hurting so bad I can hardly move. She falls, gingerly, back on the bed. "Hold me, but gently!" she says then laughs at her predicament. "I've decided I hate horses."

He chuckles, snuggling in. "I thought you liked horses. That's what you said yesterday."

"That was before I felt like I've been run over by one. Are you sore?"

"A little, but not too bad. I take it you're hurting?"

"Fuck yes," she grouses. "I may never walk again."

"You're not going to like this, but the best thing you can do is get up, get a hot shower, and move around to work the kinks out."

"Won't your family get tired of me screaming in agony?" she asks with a giggle.

He chuckles again. "Probably. But you're tough. You can do it. Come on, I'll help," he says, but makes no move.

"Some help you are."

"I've decided I'm comfortable right here," he says squeezing her slightly.

"Fuck," she mutters again after several minutes of quiet snuggling.

"What?"

"I have to pee," she groans, which is the reason she was getting up in the first place.

Mac snickers, releasing her and getting out of the bed. "I'll start your water," he says, holding a hand down to help her up.

Hissing and muttering in pain she struggles to her feet and hobbles into the bathroom, while he adjusts the shower.

"Hot!" she squawks as she steps under the water.

"Hot as you can stand," he says as he applies his depilation cream to his face. "It helps."

A few minutes later she emerges from the shower, her skin a bright pink, moving a bit easier than she was when she first got out of bed.

Throughout the day the aches and pains get better through a combination of moving about and aspirin, until by the end of the day she's feeling, mostly, normal. She and Mac will be flying home early the next morning, Wednesday, and she finds she's not looking forward to leaving. She likes it here, feeling safe and loved like no place she's been, even in Mac's house.

"Cynthia?" Kate begins while Mac and Bert tend the horses for the evening. "I want to thank you for inviting me to your house. And... to apologize again for my actions at Mac's house. I was completely out of line and I'm so sorry."

"Water under the bridge," Cynthia says. "Don't worry about it anymore. Everything is fine." She watches Kate a moment, reading the uncertainty in her eyes. "Come here," she finally says, pulling Kate in a hug.

Kate allows Cynthia to take her into her embrace, closing her eyes and hugging the older woman, wishing she could feel this closeness with her own mother and father. Kate sniffs, holding back her tears, sighing in contentment at finally finding a family that accepts, and likes her, for who she is.

Cynthia feels Kate relax slightly in her embrace, hugging her, almost clinging to her. She doesn't know what happened to Kate and her family, she may never know, but she can't understand any mother that would cast out a daughter such as this. She holds Kate, trying to lend her strength, until she feels Kate loosen her grip.

"Kate, you are welcome to come back anytime," she says as they separate.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me," Kate says as she sniffs, reeling in her emotions. "It really does."

Cynthia smiles, thinking it's the least she can do for her potential daughter-in-law. "You're a delight to have around, and Andi just adores you. And you make Tony happy. That's the most important thing of all. It's been a long time since I have seen him so happy."

"He makes me happy as well," Kate says with a smile. "Happier than I've ever been."

"Good. I'm glad I didn't mess that up then."

"It wasn't your fault. It was entirely mine and—"

"Let's just say we both made a mistake and leave it there, shall we?" Cynthia says with a small smile, cutting Kate off.

Kate smiles, accepting the truce. "I think that's a wise thing to do."

"I haven't lived sixty-six years without learning something," Cynthia says with a smile.

"Mac," Kate asks later. "Can we go out and look at the stars one more time before we leave?"

"Sure. I'll start a fire in the fireplace, and we can sit outside and look at them as long as you like."

"If we can see them from here, why did you drag me out into the middle of nowhere?"

"Well, maybe I wanted to be out in the middle of nowhere with you," he says with a soft chuckle. "To be honest, you won't see as many here as you did out in the boonies. But compared to LA..."

After dinner, as Mac builds a roaring fire in the outdoor fireplace, and Kate moves chairs close enough to feel the flame's warmth, Bert and Cynthia stand in the darkened kitchen watching them. "What do you think?" Bert asks, holding his wife of over forty years in his arms.

"I think I've never seen Tony so happy. Certainly not in the last five or six years."

"I agree. The right woman can make all the difference," he says, kissing Cynthia on the back of her head.

"Or the right man. Tony needs someone, and I think he may have found her."

"Despite the rough start, I like her. I like her a lot."

"So do I. She's very warm and kind, nothing like I thought she'd be."

Bert smiles. "I know. I can't understand how she can be so estranged from her family. If what she says is true, her mother must be a real shrew."

"I can't imagine. I would be happy to have her in my family, though."

Bert chuckles. "Not up to you, now is it?"

"No," she says softly.

"But if it makes you feel any better, so would I."

Kate cozies up to the fire with Mac, neither aware that Mac's parents are watching. "I don't think it's as cold as the other night either," Kate says as the fire warms her.

"It's a lot earlier. Just wait until later. It'll be cold enough." Their chairs are side by side, so he takes her hand, holding it contentedly.

"Mac, can I tell you something? I don't want you to take it the wrong way."

"Sure, go ahead," he says, wondering what surprise she's going to spring on him now. One thing about life with Kate, it's never dull.

"Uh... I don't know how to say this delicately, but... well, I like it here much more than I thought I would."

He begins to chuckle. "You mean we are not the backwoods, hayseed, hillbillies you thought we'd be?"

"I didn't say that!"

"But it's what you were thinking, isn't it? It's okay. Everyone on the coasts thinks the center of country is full of nothing but bumpkins."

She blushes in embarrassment, hoping he can't see. She wouldn't have put it quite that harshly, but she thought of Mac as the exception, not the rule. What she's found, however, is everyone isn't as backwards as she thought they would be, and are unfailingly polite, welcoming, and helpful.

"No, I wouldn't put it quite like that," she finally says.

"Uh-huh," he grunts out, squeezing her hand gently.

"Okay, maybe a little," she finally admits. "Everyone is so friendly. That's what surprises me. When we went into town, Cynthia seems to know everyone, and when she would talk to people, they seemed very, I don't know, welcoming to me. It's weird, having a perfect stranger just include me in a conversation, telling me places to try before I leave. It's like they went out of their way to talk to me."

"And...?"

"And what?"

"And how does that make you feel? What did you think?"

"And... I wish LA was more like this, I guess," she finally says.

"So, think maybe you could stand to live in Paradise?" he asks, seizing the opportunity. "It's a lot like Hays. It's why I like living there. People know, and care, about what happens to each other."

She thinks about it for a moment. "You know, I think I can," she finally says. "Maybe I'm just a small-town girl at heart."

He smiles, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. "When we get back, let's talk about what it'll take to make it happen. How's that sound?"

She smiles broadly, suddenly excited about her future, the new challenges and new opportunities. "Yes, lets."

For the life of him, he can't stop his smile, thinking about having her close. Even if she gets a place of her own, she'll be near enough so they can see each other when they want, not only when their schedules allow. Unable to hold his elation, he leans toward Kate, gently pulling her head to his for a kiss, a real kiss, a loving kiss.

As they separate, she looks into his eyes for many long seconds, their lips only millimeters apart. "I wish we were home."

He touches her lips briefly with his own, understanding her meaning. "We don't have to wait," he whispers.

She thinks about it, wanting him desperately. "Not tonight. Not yet. I... don't want to offend your parents."

He kisses her briefly again. "They won't be offended."

"Maybe," she breathes, "but I made such a poor first impression, I don't want to fuck this up."

He smiles before kissing her lightly again, pulling back farther as he softly strokes her cheek, watching her eyes. "You worry too much, but we can wait if it makes you uncomfortable."

She smiles softly. "Thank you. If you'd insisted, I would have, but thank you for being so understanding." She pauses, watching the firelight dance on his face, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world. How is it I found a man like this, a man that's so kind, gentle, and understanding, and actually wants me? What did I ever do in my life to deserve this? She shoves those thoughts aside, not wanting to get sucked into the rabbit hole of depression and guilt. It doesn't matter how it happened, the fact is it's happened, and I will work my ass off to earn his love every day, to live up to the high standards he lives by, and to become a better person in the process, because he deserves the very best I can give him.

"I love you, Tony," she says, deliberately using his local nickname, "I love you so very much."

Mac watches as some dark emotion plays briefly across Kate's face, but she recovers quickly, voicing her love for him. He smiles, thankful that she's getting control over her demons, glad she's putting her past behind her. Her family is here now. There's no reason to endure a family that won't love and cherish her as he will, as his family will.

"I love you too," he says softly before leaning in for another kiss. His life is about to change in a significant way, a change that he's looking forward to as he proves to her each day that she can depend on him, on his love and support, and she'll never have to worry about being cast out of her family again. As he looks into her eyes, he realizes that maybe it's time he put his past behind him as well, to start living for the future. He smiles as he contemplates, his future so bright he can feel his eyes tear as he looks to what lies ahead.

Mac groans as those damnable singing birds of his alarm drag him out of his slumber. He and Kate had set up far too late last night considering the early hour they planned to leave, neither willing to leave the warmth of the fireplace, or their closeness. She's still in his arms, the same basic position they had fallen asleep last night. "Kate," he yawns. "It's time to get up."

"Just a few more minutes," she mumbles, keeping her eyes shut, not wanting to lose the warmth of his embrace.

"Get up," he scolds gently. "If I lie here a few more minutes I might go back to sleep."

"Good."

He chuckles softly as he disentangles himself from her. "I'll go feed the horses, then get my shower. You sleep until then. We'll grab breakfast on the way to the airport."

"No," she mumbles, dragging herself upright. "Fuck..." she slurs as she rubs her face. "Go do the horses and I'll shower. Then I'll try my hand at sausage gravy while you shower."

"You don't have to do that," he says as he kisses her on neck.

"I know, but I want to."

When she wanders into the Kitchen at five-thirty, Cynthia is already there, dressed for the day, preparing breakfast. "Do you ever sleep?" Kate asks.

Cynthia laughs. "I knew you and Tony were getting an early start and I wanted to make sure you had something to eat before you left."

"I told Mac, Tony, that I was going to make him sausage gravy," Kate says as she looks at what's cooking. "Looks like you had the same idea."

"It's his favorite after all," Cynthia says with a smile, secretly glad that Kate had gotten up to do the same. "Why don't you pack while I finish breakfast? You can leave your riding gear here, if you want, unless you think you'll need it when you get home."

Kate yawns before answering. "I can't do that to Popcorn."

Cynthia giggles briefly. "I'm sure she'd understand, but that fine. Just leave them in the closet."

By the time Mac and Bert come in from feeding the horses, Kate has them packed and the linens stripped from their bed for washing. After breakfast, while Mac showers, Kate stuffs their few dirty clothes into a bag and remakes their bed with fresh linens.

"Kate, I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed your stay," Cynthia says as Mac and Kate make their goodbyes.

"Thank you for inviting me. I've enjoyed myself immensely. You have such a wonderful family. You should be proud."

"I am, Kate, very proud," Cynthia says before hugging her. "Goodbye, Tony. Take care of Kate and bring her back again. And don't wait so long this time."

"I will, Mom, don't worry," he says, hugging her. "Love you."

"Love you too. Be safe," Cynthia says releasing him and stepping back, her eyes shiny with tears.

As they step out into the garage Mac slings the bags into the back of the truck. "Your mom isn't going to the airport with us?" Kate asks.

"She's probably crying already," Bert says as walks around the truck. "She doesn't like, Tony, or you, to see her cry."

"That's terrible," she says, feeling her own eyes tear in sympathy.

"She'll be okay in an hour or so. She just misses her baby," Bert says with a grin at Mac.

"She does it every time," Mac adds. "You'd think I was never coming back."

"I think it's sweet that she cries when you leave," she says, wondering again what it would be like to have a mother that cares that much.

"It used to bother me," Mac replies from the backseat as Bert backs the truck out. "Not so much anymore."

"You should count yourself lucky, Mac, that your mom cares that much," she says with just enough chill in her voice to let Mac know she's serious.

"Next time you come, she'll probably be bawling that you're leaving too," Bert says.

"I think you're both awful," she says in a bit of huff. How can they not be touched by Cynthia's reaction?

"Kate, it's okay," Mac says, trying to smooth her ruffled temper. "We're not making fun of Mom. Even Mom laughs about crying over stuff like this. But you're right, I'm lucky to have a mom like Mom."

"So long as you know how lucky you are," she says seriously, feeling her annoyance fading.

"I do."

When they arrive at the airport Mac grabs and stows the luggage in the plane. "I'm glad you could come," Bert says as Mac handles the luggage. "Do come back again, and bring him too if you want," he says with a jerk of his thumb to Mac.

She giggles, giving him a hug. "I will. Thank you for inviting me. I had such a good time," she says before lowering her voice so Mac won't here. "You have a wonderful son, Mr. McMillan. I hope you know that."

Bert feels his face split into a smile as she pulls back. "I know, but don't tell him I said so," he says with a wink.

"Dad," Mac says walking up, first shaking his dad's hand and then pulling him into a hug, both men slapping each other on the back that, to Kate, appears to be painfully hard. "Good to see you again."

"Same here son," Bert says as they separate. "Do your mom a favor and don't wait two years before you come back again, okay?"

"I know, Dad, and I'm sorry. Time just gets away from me sometimes."

"Kate, I'm depending on you," Bert says looking at her. "Chuck his ass in that plane and bring him out here again, okay?"