Chapter Ten

“What the hell is that?”

Macayla watched Martin’s eyes narrow accusingly and frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“That,” he growled, pointing at her neck, just above the collar of her shirt.

She rolled her eyes and pushed past him to the bedroom. “It’s not what you think. And since you’re so quick to accuse me, you can get your ass out of here.”

“It looks like a fucking hickey, Mac. How can it not be what I think it is?”

She whirled around to face him with her eyes flashing. “Because it wasn’t given to me by Dale which I sure as hell know is what you’re thinking. What’s your problem Martin? Why are you getting so jealous all of sudden?”

Martin rubbed his hands over his eyes and leaned back against the wall. “I can’t help it alright. I know Dale when he gets his sights on something, he gets it. Nothing gets in the way of that.”

“Dale doesn’t want me. His wife just died. And did you ever think that I don’t want Dale? Just because he was walking around his underwear earlier doesn’t mean I want to jump him now okay. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him that way and it won’t be the last I assure you. I live with him. I live with you. Things like that are going to happen.”

He sighed in surrender. “Well how am I suppose…”

“You should trust me…” she said slowly through clenched teeth, stepping up to him so that very little space separated them. “I’m not going to be with you if you can’t trust me, Martin. I’m going to be around Dale a lot. I have to be, he’s Kellen’s father but that doesn’t mean anything. As for the hickey, Kellen fell asleep while I was holding him and apparently he was sucking my neck while he did it. I didn’t even realize it until Dale pointed it out to me later and high-fived Kellen for starting at such an early age. Now are you going to go kick Kellen’s ass?”

Martin bit his bottom lip and looked down at their feet. “You got a hickey from a one year old?”

“Shut up, smart ass… God help when he gets older if he’s started this young.”

Before she had a chance to stop him, his arms slipped around her waist and he lightly nibbled on the side of her neck.

“I’m not forgiving you that easily Martin…” she said as she leaned her head to the side, giving him better access.

He grinned against her hot skin. “Okay baby… whatever you say…”

They backed towards the bed, falling back when Macayla’s legs hit the mattress in a tumble of limbs. Martin rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him as he managed to unlatch one side of her overalls.

“I mean it…” she repeated, pulling his bottom lip into her mouth as she straddled him and took his hands in hers, pinning them over his head. A smirk pulled at her lips and she leaned back to look down at him. “Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Cause I said so…” she warned, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited.

He slowly closed his eyes and relaxed into the down comforter. “Now what?”

“Just be still…” She scooted back off of the bed and stepped into the bathroom, quickly grabbing her robe. “Keep your eyes closed.”

Macayla watched him carefully as she walked around the side of the bed and pulled the belt out of the robe before dropping it in a nearby chair. Smiling to herself she looped the terrycloth belt through the rung at the top of the head board and with her other hand grabbed Martin’s hands and wrapped the thick fabric around his wrists.

“Mac…What are you doing?” He asked quickly, panic evident in his voice.

“Don’t talk Martin…”

She secured the fabric tightly and stepped back, watching as he struggled against it.

“Mac. Seriously, baby. What are you doing?”

“Teaching you to trust me…” she replied matter-of-factly, then without another word turned and walked through the coach. She grabbed her credentials, her sunglasses and slipped on her flip-flops then stepped off, slamming the door loudly behind her.

“Mac? Macayla? MACAYLA!?!??!?!?” Martin called after her to no avail as he opened his eyes and looked down the length of the empty coach. “Mother fucker! MACAYLA!?!?!”

---

Dale woke with Kellen curled at his side and the late afternoon sun streaming lazily through the room.

He put pillows on either side of Kellen to keep him from rolling off of the bed then quietly made his way to the kitchen to get something to drink. What he wasn’t expecting to find when he got there was Macayla sound asleep on the couch in the living room.

He frowned, then hurried back to the bedroom to put Kellen in his crib before he stepped outside, closing the door quietly behind him and started for Martin’s coach, only to be stopped when he heard a noise coming from Macayla’s coach.

Surprised to find the door unlocked, he stepped inside and followed the noise back towards the bedroom. He flipped on the light and did his best to contain his laughter at what he saw. “What the hell did you do to piss her off?”

“Go fuck yourself Dale…” Martin bit back. “Untie me.”

Dale started towards him but quickly stopped. “Wait a minute. Why are you tied up in the first place? I don’t want her mad at me if this is what she does to people.”

“I got jea…”

“Oh geez, Hoss. Please tell me you didn’t get jealous over the hickey Kellen gave her…”

“I didn’t know he did it!”

Dale shook his head and untied him. “I don’t believe you, man. Jealousy is one way to push a woman away. It’s not attractive.”

“I can’t help it Dale.”

Dale sighed and sat on the foot of the bed, watching Martin closely. “You in love her?”

“I think so. Hell I don’t know. I’m not sure I even know what love is but just the thought of her with someone else makes me crazy.”

“Someone else or me?”

Martin watched Dale through narrowed eyes. “Dale, you’re my best friend man…”

“But you don’t trust me around Macayla.”

“No.”

Dale nodded and stood up, turning away from Martin. “She’s asleep on the sofa in my coach. I’m going for a walk.”

---

Dale sat in Tony’s coach watching the weather channel. “You know, if Jim Cantorie’s in your neighborhood, ya need to leave…”

Tony shook his head, chuckling. “No shit… That’s gotta be hell on the ego though.”

“You’d think.”

“Dale? Why are we watching the Weather Channel?” he asked curiously. From the moment Dale had shown up he’d been sitting in the recliner in a slight stupor and his mood mirrored that of the grumpiest of men.

Dale shrugged and tossed the remote to Tony. “Nothing else on.”

Tony rolled his eyes and flipped through the channels stopping on one of the movie channels. “Here. Proof of Life. This is a great movie.”

Dale yawned. “Who’s in it?”

“Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan…”

“Shit…”

“What’s wrong Dale?”

He shook his head dismissively. “Martin doesn’t trust me with my own nanny.”

“Is that his new girlfriend he was looking for earlier?”

Dale nodded. “Yup. He jumped all over my ass this morning for wearing boxers in my own coach and then Kellen gave her a hickey earlier and he thought I did it.”

“Kellen gave her a hickey? Damn you Earnhardts start young.”

“Yeah well… Anyway… he pissed me off so I’m here.”

Tony just shook his head. “Why aren’t you at your coach?”

“Because Macayla was asleep on my couch and Martin was in her coach and I have absolutely no desire to be anywhere around either of them right now.”

“Is she hot? What does she look like?”

“That…” Dale said matter-of-factly as Meg Ryan’s face filled the screen.

“No shit…Man, you people suck,” Tony muttered under his breath and rose to get a beer, surprised when the door flew open and Ashley bounced inside.

“Sup cuz?”

He rolled his eyes and nodded his head in Dale’s direction. “Want a beer?”

“Sure…”

“Not you Ash. Dale? You want a beer?”

“I suppose.”

Tony grabbed two beers and root beer out of the refrigerator, handing the root beer to Ashley before sitting on the sofa and tossing one beer to Dale. “Dale, this is my cousin, Ashley. Ashley, Dale.”

Ashley smiled and waved but frowned when Dale just nodded his head, not taking his eyes off of the tv. “Nice manners…”

“Ashley?” Dale said suddenly. “Martin has a new she-friend named Ashley. He met her at some bar the other night…”

Ashley’s eyes widened and she did her best to melt into the sofa and away from Tony’s threatening glare.

“What the hell were you doing in a bar?”

Ashley shrugged not sure what to say at the scolding that felt more parental than it should have. “I was just hanging out and dancing. I wasn’t drinking or anything.”

“But you were in a bar!”

“I’m eighteen Tony! It’s allowed.”

Dale chuckled. “Man, Martin was right, you are barely legal.”

“Dale… You’re not helping,” Tony pleaded.

“I was just hanging out with Ryan’s sister and some of her friends. Then I saw Martin being all mopey so I sat down and talked to him then we left.”

“You left the bar with a man you don’t even know!?”

“It’s Martin!”

“You don’t know him from ass cream Ashley!”

Unable to stop herself, she burst into laughter at Tony’s comparison. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“Stop laughing it’s not funny…” he replied defensively but was soon overruled by Dale’s obnoxious cackles.

“Ass cream!? Oh my God, that’s great…”

“You can both kiss my ass…”

Tony turned and stormed out of the coach, slamming the door, behind him before returning seconds later. “I forgot my beer…”

He left again, slamming the door harder this time.

“Oh my God that was great…” Ashley giggled.

Dale quieted, still laughing a little at the situation then a serious look fell over his face as he looked at Ashley. “Hey…”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want me or am I too old?”

Tony chose that moment to storm back inside. “This is my coach! I don’t have to leave and I am NOT leaving you alone with my cousin. Bye Dale.”

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