Mac's Family

By Donna Steele

When Mac was wounded in Afghanistan, he visualized coming home to heal and help his grandfather with the family business. That was before he got word that his beloved grandfather had been killed in a senseless accident. Now he's come home to emptiness.

Nina has made her escape from her stepmother's iron thumb and landed in a new part of the country with no one but herself to rely on. Far from helpless, but still young and alone, Nina must navigate surrounded by strangers and decide over and over who she can trust.

One fateful night brings them together for support that leads far beyond anything either could imagine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna Steele
• Release date: May 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386843689

Donna Steele

Women strong enough for love. Donna writes science fiction, paranormal and small town romances about women coming into their strength and having the courage to find and accept love. Now that she has retired from going into an office every day, she created an office at home and writes full time. Talk about living the dream! She was the girl at the party who was yearning for the quiet corner and a book to read (go Rory Gilmore!), and has been writing in her head since she learned to read. Getting those stories down on paper (or in her laptop) has been more fun than she ever imagined it could be. The possibilities of science fiction have always drawn her and she's read them all, there just needed to be a little more romance in them. She finally got up the courage to write them herself and is delighted to be able to share these stories with you. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter of RWA and the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. She can be reached at www.steelestories.com, www.facebook.com/donnasteeleauthor, or https://twitter.com/steele_donna

Book preview

Chapter One

Mac headed down the concourse, his duffle hanging off his shoulder. They'd wing checked his bag, so he didn't have to bother with the luggage area. The weight didn't even register, though it held everything he'd brought back. He’d probably pay for the activity later, but it didn’t matter now. Nothing did.

People nodded to him, a kind of thank you no doubt due to the camo he wore, but no one approach him. He was obviously in a hurry. Truth was there was no hurry, not anymore; he just didn't want to talk to anyone. He needed to get somewhere before the pain overtook him again. Would anyone be here to pick him up? Had that been in the message? God, he couldn't hold a thought.

Scotty?

He barely heard the word, and didn't associate it with himself until a hand touched his sleeve.

Scotty?

B-Becky? Kevin? His two best friends. Kevin Johnson and he had been together, more brothers than friends, since they were little kids. Becky Jordan had joined them after girls quit being quite so icky. He and Becky had become a couple before he was deployed.

Scotty, I'm so sorry. Her arms were around him, so he gratefully let the duffle hit the floor and embraced her as well. He didn't really hear her next words. Thankfully the numbness was over him again.

—will be at the house. We didn't want to overwhelm you here.

What? I'm sorry.

It's okay. Come on. Let's get you out of here. Everyone is at the house.

Kevin hadn’t spoken after a brief bro hug, but he hefted the duffle. Mac nodded. Everyone? Who would that be? Instead of asking he followed them to the car.

Becky continued to talk, but he didn't have the energy to answer or really listen. After Kevin shoved the duffle in her trunk, he took the back seat, leaving the front passenger seat for Mac. Still no words, but his hand squeezed Mac’s shoulder. He was there for him.

Mac finally began to recognize the area, and interrupted Becky in mid-sentence. I need to go to the funeral home first.

Becky looked in the mirror, as though asking Kevin if that would be okay. Scott, are you sure? Kevin asked.

Please.

Becky nodded and took the exit that would take them there.

The owner of the funeral home, John Kerr greeted them with his deep soothing voice. Mr. McAvoy, if there is anything you need or any questions you have, I'm here to help you.

May I see him?

Of course.

Do you want me to come with you? Becky asked. He'd forgotten she was there.

No, I'd rather do this alone.

She nodded and glanced at Mr. Kerr. He invited Mac to accompany him with a slight wave of the hand and they moved down the wide corridor. Kerr pointed to the door with Andrew McAvoy in calligraphy on the card.

Would you like to be alone?

Yes, please. Mac pushed the door open and entered. It was a large room and flowers were abundant, if fading a little on some of the arrangements. He'd gotten here as quickly as humanly possible, even with all the red tape. He approached the coffin and looked in. Pops lay there, but it wasn't him, not really.  It could have been one of the wax dummies in Madam Tussauds' and a good likeness, but not really Pops.

The pain returned, not only the physical. The meds were wearing off, but this pain was deeper.

I'm sorry I wasn't here. He spoke softly. That was dumb, Pops hadn't been sick. There wasn't even anyone to blame. A single car accident after a tire blew. Pops would be glad no one else was injured. Mac shoved that aside.

He stood quietly in the room for several minutes then gathered himself and moved back out to where Becky and Kevin were waiting. I'm okay. He spoke before she could ask again. Hell no, he wasn't okay, but there was nothing anyone could do.

Ready to go to the house? Becky offered.

Yeah. He wanted and needed a shower. It was coming up on thirty-six hours since he'd boarded the first plane. Power naps were all he'd had, that and airplane snacks. He wasn't hungry, though he'd have to eat soon. And find that bottle of pain meds he’d tucked away.

****

People, maybe not as many as it looked like, but too many, were in Pops’ house. Becky and Millie must have let them in. These were people he’d known his whole life but he couldn’t seem to remember anyone’s name. No one appeared upset by the lapse, giving him a pass.

They were treating him as though he was recovering from a long illness. He hadn’t been sick. He’d been deployed and then wounded. Maybe it was the same thing. In any case, he couldn’t tell Pops goodbye. Someone had put a sandwich in his hand and he took a few bites before finding a place to hide it. He wasn’t hungry. He felt nothing.

Kevin was trying to act normal, but it wasn’t working. Mac hadn’t gone blind. The quick touches, the whispers, then the looks to see if he’d noticed. Mac had stayed alive watching for little signals like that over the past year.

Kevin and Becky formed a relationship while he was gone, apparently a close one. Okay, later that would hurt. Right now there was no room for more hurt. He’d take all the numb he could get.

Eventually people began to leave, everyone offering to do whatever they could. He thanked them, said he’d call. He might. Right now he only wanted to take one of those pills and hopefully sleep.

Chapter Two

Nina scrambled backward stumbling to regaining her feet, even as she hauled her jeans up. Cord hadn’t bothered to remove her top, mauling her breasts through it. Tom reached for her, trying to stop her and she remembered the already bloody brick in her hand. She threw it with all her might, and that close it hit him in the face full force. She took half a second to enjoy that.

Tom reared backward and then crumpled to the ground from the force of her throw. Blood flowed from the gash on his head. Three of them, she had no hope of winning any kind of altercation long term. She ran. They were all bigger than her, and furious that they’d failed to get the nightly deposit, despite what they had gotten.

From the corner of her eye she saw that Shorty had managed to haul Cord to his feet, but the taller man wasn’t steady yet. Maybe she’d done more damage than she’d thought. From the blood, it looked like she’d broken his nose with the brick that had been to hand. It had sounded like it, when she’d made impact.

She’d hurt two of them with the same brick. Too bad she couldn’t get to it again, the thing must be lucky for her. No one was racing after her yet, but she had little time to get away.

They’d kill her now.

Hopefully her head start would help, but no way could she outrun them. She raced in the direction of the construction site she passed every morning as she walked to work. Maybe a security guard would be on duty, if she could get there before they caught her.

She could hear their racing steps behind her.

Chapter Three

It was late, and Mac was exhausted, mentally and physically. No longer able to stand completely upright due to the pain, but he couldn't sleep. He hadn’t checked in with the VA, but with all the antibiotics they’d fed him, he wasn’t worried about infection. The problem was he had no business being out alone like this. Kevin would have stayed with him. Alone didn't feel right, but Kevin wasn't the right person. Becky certainly wasn't.

Was he upset that Becky and Kevin had hooked up while he was gone? They'd said nothing, but he knew. Maybe when he was no longer emotionally numb, he would be angry. She’d been with him when he left. She hadn’t mentioned the change in her letters. Right now he didn't care.

The sound of running feet caught his attention. He shouldn't be alone near the construction site this time of night. He could have waited for daylight to check it out. Hell, this place was probably more dangerous than Afghanistan anyway.

There were more people running than he could take on in his current state so he slid behind a dumpster to wait for them to pass him. He was barely settled when someone small slipped in with him.

She, yes definitely a she, bumped into him and he felt her ready herself to scream before his hand clamped over her mouth. He pulled her further into the shadows with him. Two, no three men ran by. Were they searching for this girl?

He needed to get both of them out of here quick before they realized they’d lost her and circled back.

Keep quiet or they'll find us, he breathed into her ear. She froze for an instant then nodded.

He removed his hand from her mouth and she didn't scream. One point for her. He took her hand and they cautiously moved out into the alley. She stayed close and kept quiet as he picked his way out of the debris around the dumpster and into the construction yard proper.

Together they hurried to the trailer at the back of the site. He was already fingering the keys as they moved. Being careful not to jingle anything, he unlocked the door and pulled it silently closed behind them. He relocked it and took a deep breath.

You okay?

He felt her nod more than saw it. It was dark in here and he didn't want to turn on a light yet.

The idiocy of the whole thing hit him then. He'd brought a stranger into the trailer. The people chasing her could have been cops. No, they would have announced themselves. But that didn't make her one of the good guys.

Had he learned nothing during his deployment?

She could knock him over the head, take his wallet and be gone before he . . . no, somehow that didn't feel right. Was she trembling?

He found the desk and pulled open the second drawer on the right. Yep, there was the flashlight. He covered it with one hand as he turned it on.

The trailer was set up as always, brown couch included.

Have a seat. I'll get us some water.

She still hadn't spoken, but she did as he said. He made his way to the small fridge on the far side of the desk and retrieved two bottles of water. Mac joined her on the couch, handing her one of the bottles.

She took it with trembling hands but didn't open it. She wasn't okay. He turned the flashlight to get a better look at her. His eyes widened as he took in the blackening eye, cut lip and torn t-shirt. Not to mention the blood. Shit, you need a doctor.

No! She whispered fiercely. That was the first thing she'd uttered, but she obviously meant it.

Okay, just calm down. Did those guys do this to you?

She looked down and didn't answer.

There's a first aid kit here in the office. Do you mind if I . . .

She glanced up, then away.

I'm Mac, well Scott McAvoy, but lately everyone calls me Mac.

Nina.

He had to lean in to hear her.

Okay, Nina. There's a little bathroom back there. It's tiny, but you can clean up, then I can patch you up and see if you need stitches. Do you need any help?

She shook her head and rose on unsteady looking legs.

He started to ask again, but she straightened up and walked to the