Strictly for Now by Carrie Elks
CHAPTERTWENTY
MACKENZIE
Eli’s brother lives in a beautiful old house on the outskirts of Charleston. It has a touch of old-world glamor to it. If I wasn’t sitting in Eli’s Mercedes right now, the heat blasting because he noticed I was shivering and he’s actually quite the gentleman, I could pretend I was in a horse drawn carriage with my Victorian suitor, ready to meet his parents.
Although I don’t think that’s how it happened in those days. Didn’t men and women have chaperones whenever they were together? I try to imagine that now. Eli constantly cockblocked by a knowing older woman.
“What are you smiling at?” he asks me.
“Just admiring your brother’s house.”
“Yeah, it’s nice. Liam lived in the guest house for a while. We’d stay there whenever we visited. It was like Porky’s but so much worse.”
“Porkys?” I say. “What’s that?”
“You haven’t seen Porky’s?”
I shake my head.
“Probably for the best,” he says. “It’d put you off guys for good.”
He pulls in next to a huge black BMW and shuts off the engine. “We should agree on a signal,” he says.
“What for?”
“In case you want to leave. Like a codeword.”
“How about, Eli, I need to leave?”
He laughs. “That would work.”
“But I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m excited to meet your family.”
He looks at me with warm eyes. “You’ve been warned.”
As soon as we’re in sight of the front door, it flings open and two younger men come out.
“Thought you weren’t coming,” the first says.
“He brought a girl,” the second replies. “He’s been coming a lot.”
“Shut the hell up,” Eli says, shaking his head. “Mackenzie, these are my younger brothers, Brooks and Lincoln.” He looks at them with an eyebrow raised. “Boys, this is Mackenzie.”
They both wince at being called boys. I probably would, too. They must be in their late twenties or early thirties. They remind me of my brothers and from the way they tease Eli, I’m guessing their love language is the same as Johnny and Brad’s - shit talking. My chest twinges. I miss them.
A woman walks out and a smile splits her face. “You’re here,” she says. She’s wearing a dark blue wrap dress that emphasizes her curves. Her cheeks are plump with a smile, and she looks at Eli with warm eyes before she slides her gaze to me.
“Hey, Mom,” Eli says, taking my hand in his. “This is Mackenzie.”
Her eyes are the same color as his. They have the same color hair, too. But where he’s all masculine jaw, she has a heart-shaped face.
“Mackenzie, this is my mom,” Eli says.
“Linda,” she says, reaching forward to hug me. “It’s so lovely to meet you.”
Eli reluctantly lets go of my hand. Then a little girl toddles out of the door with her hands held up to him. “Lie,” she says, jumping up and down in the way kids do when they want to be picked up.
He swings her up into his arms, blowing a raspberry on her cheek. She giggles and my ovaries do a little dance.
“This is my sister,” he tells me, which seems so ludicrous because she can’t be much older than two or three and he’s forty. “Francie, say hi to Mackenzie.”
She waves and hides her head. Her shyness makes me smile.
“Don’t worry,” Linda says. “She won’t stop talking as soon as she gets to know you.” She holds her hands out to Francie – who I know isn’t her daughter, but her ex-husband’s child – and Francie happily slides into her arms, as Eli’s mom carries her inside.
We follow them in and another wave of Eli’s relatives welcome us. Eli tells me their names and I immediately forget them. I thought I had a big family, but it’s tiny compared to this.
And everybody seems so relaxed and happy to see him. His older brother – Myles – asks Eli about the game on Friday night, and the one who looks just like Myles – Liam – comes over and introduces himself and his wife, Sophie, to me.
Sophie hugs me. “They’re all a bit much,” she whispers. “But they’re lovely. Want to come meet Myles’ wife?”
“Sure.” I let her lead me down the hallway that’s adorned with what looks like expensive art. It doesn’t feel pretentious, though. It feels like a home full of love.
Myles’ wife is a lovely woman named Ava, and she’s in the kitchen with a little boy who looks like he’s having a tantrum. She looks up as we walk in and lets out a long sigh.
And then she sees me and smiles. “Oh, hi! You must be Eli’s friend.”
“Mackenzie.”
She hugs me, too. They’re a cuddly family, unlike mine, but I throw myself into it.
“Your house is beautiful,” I tell her. “And this must be the birthday boy.”
“Charlie,” she says. “And he’s a little overwhelmed.”
Myles walks in. “Problems?”
“You could say that. He wants everybody to go home.”
“Not Daddy. Daddy stay,” Charlie says, his voice vibrating with a suppressed sob.
“Well, at least I have permission to stay in my own house.” Myles scoops Charlie up in his arms. “What’s up, bud?”
“Francie opened one of his gifts,” Ava says. She looks at me. “Sorry, you’ve just walked into Toddlermageddon.”
“Not Fancy’s,” Charlie says, leaving out the ‘r’. “Mine.”
“That’s right, but we share, don’t we?” Myles asks. “Even on birthdays.”
“Mine,” Charlie says again. And I’m reminded of last night. Of Eli calling me his.
My heart does a little clenching thing.
I liked it. And it also scared the hell out of me. How can I go back to New York knowing what it’s like to be Eli Salinger’s girl?
I can’t do long-distance. He’ll break my heart.
“Are you okay?” Sophie asks.
“Oh, I’m fine.” I smile. “Actually, Eli brought Charlie a gift. Do you think it’ll help if he gives it to him?”
As though he hears me say his name, Eli walks into the kitchen. Ava hugs him tightly then whispers something in his ear. He looks over at me and smiles.
And my legs go a little weak.
Somebody tugs on my hand and I look down to see Eli’s little sister looking up at me. “Hi,” I say, scooting down.
She leans forward and whispers in my ear. “Charlie don’t like me.”
“Oh I’m sure he does, sweetie,” I tell her. “He’s just a little sad.”
“I stole his gifts.”
“I know.” I nod. “But you gave it back, right?”
She nods, looking so serious. “Not mine,” she whispers.
I look around for her mom, who I think I met in the hallway, but she isn’t here. Nor is Eli’s dad, who looks ridiculously young and handsome considering he has very grown children. Sophie is busy talking to Charlie and Ava is chatting with Eli.
So I lift Francie up and smile. She touches my face. “You pretty.”
“So are you.”
“Charlie says me naughty.”
My throat tightens. “He doesn’t mean it. He’s just unhappy.”
“He’s naughty too,” she says, her brows knitting.
I begin to laugh then try to hide it. This is way above my pay grade. Disputes between companies I can do, but between toddlers?
I’d need to call in the UN.
Luckily, Eli joins us and Francie immediately reaches for him. He hitches her onto his hip, looking so at home holding her tiny body it makes me want to do things to him.
What is it with men holding kids? I’m a feminist, I really am, yet I’m melting at the sight of him holding his sister. Like full blown ovary-exploding heat going on inside me.
“Here you go,” Sophie says, handing me a glass of wine. “Sometimes alcohol is necessary to put up with the Salingers.”
I take it gratefully.
“You’re a Salinger now,” Eli points out to her, looking amused.
“I’m a West-Salinger,” she says. “It’s different.”
“She and Liam hyphenated their names,” Eli says.
I nod approvingly. I’m liking this family more and more.
“Anyway, marrying into the family is very different than being a natural born Salinger,” Sophie continues.
“You make us sound like serial killers.” Eli frowns.
“Nope. Just overwhelming.” She takes my hand. “Eli tells me you’re from New York,” she says. Francie tugs on Eli’s face and says something to him. He nods and looks over at me. “Francie wants me to give Charlie his gift. I left it in the car. You okay here?”
“I’m good.” I smile at him. He walks out of the kitchen with Francie slung over his shoulder like he’s a firefighter. She giggles loudly.
“I’ve lived in New York for the last sixteen years,” I tell Sophie, returning to our conversation. “Before that I was all over the place but I managed all four years in LA for high school.
“Was your dad in the military?” she asks. And I realize Eli hasn’t told them who I really am.
It touches me.
“He’s a hockey player, too.” My heart is racing, but it feels good to tell the truth. To stop hiding.
“How long have you been seeing Eli?” Sophie asks.
“A little while.” I think back to that first time we touched. When they lost the game and he dropped to his knees in front of me. Breathed me in.
It feels like a lifetime ago.
“Will you go back to New York?” Sophie asks.
“That’s where my work is,” I tell her. “So yeah, when this project is over I guess I will.” And there’s that twinge again. I don’t like thinking about endings. Especially this one.
She looks over at Myles and Liam, who’ve walked into the kitchen to join us. “Liam and Myles both worked in New York until recently.”
“You’re from New York?” Liam asks. “Where about?”
We descend into a conversation about different companies in Manhattan. It turns out that Liam and I have some mutual acquaintances. He still travels to New York regularly, but his home is now in Charleston.
“I don’t miss it at all,” he says, when I ask about his move here. “Whenever I have to travel for work all I think about is coming home.” He looks over at his wife. Their gazes connect and she smiles softly.
“Sophie, on the other hand, can’t wait for him to leave,” Myles says dryly. “Because he’s a sap.”
“Only for her,” Liam says, good-naturedly. “And you’re the king of saps, man. So don’t start with me.”
They banter again. Myles goading Liam about chasing after Sophie at five in the morning when he thought he’d lost her.
Liam teases Myles about having to drive him from New York to Charleston because he needed to see Ava.
It’s sweet. But it also makes me feel wistful. They’re all so at ease with each other. When I’m with my family they find it hard to know how to talk to me. I’m just so different from them and they don’t understand what I do.
Maybe they don’t try to understand it.
Sophie rolls her eyes at her husband and brother-in-law trying to one-up each other, and tops up my wine glass. “Boys,” she mutters. “Don’t even get me started on the subject of the Salinger Olympics.”
“The Salinger Olympics?” I repeat. “What’s that?”
Ava groans. “You don’t want to know.”
“But I do. What is it?”
“It’s my brothers’ way of trying to prove who has the biggest dick,” Eli says, kissing my neck. He’s holding a gift in one hand and Francie’s tiny hand in the other. He passes the gift to Francie. “Give this to Charlie,” he says. “And ask him if you can be friends again.”
She nods, her face serious, then walks over to where her – I guess Charlie must be her nephew – is sitting. She passes him the gift and he leans forward to kiss her cheek.
“Oh. Those two.” Ava shakes her head. “They’re giving me whiplash.” She looks at me. “Myles made up the Salinger Olympics to keep his brothers out of mischief every summer. They’d compete against each other to see who’d win Gold.”
“What would they compete at?” I ask.
“Swimming. Tree climbing. Fighting.” Ava shrugs. “Seriously, they’re such boys.”
“I usually won,” Myles says pointedly.
Eli lifts a brow. “No you didn’t.”
“Exactly. I’m the overall winner. I have the most gold medals,” Liam says proudly.
They get into another spat, and Ava opens up the photo app on her phone, passing it to me. “This is from the year Myles and I got together,” she says. “I got to experience the Olympics first hand. Start at that one and scroll down.”
So I do. And with each passing picture I get more and more amused. Six grown men, looking stupidly handsome in their shorts and sports tops, battling for victory. In one of them Eli is raising his hands in victory, his top off, his skin glistening with perspiration. In another he’s standing by the side looking furious.
My man hates to lose. My face flushes at the memories of how single minded he can be.
“What are you showing her?” Eli asks, sounding suspicious.
“Just some photos,” Ava says.
“Not baby ones, right?” He glances awkwardly at the kitchen door, where his mom has just walked in. “Tell me they’re not the baby ones,” he begs.
“Eli was a beautiful baby,” Linda says, smiling at me. “But he wouldn’t wear clothes.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. “I need to see those photos, too.” His family is a hoot. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.
Linda’s face lights up. “I have some on my phone.”
“No.” Eli walks up to his mom, holding out his hand. “Those need to be deleted. And we need to talk about you carrying around naked photos of me.”
“You were a baby,” she says, rolling her eyes. “And you were adorable.”
“You’re not looking at them,” Eli tells me.
I shrug. I’ll let them battle it out. And then I’ll look because I’m way too nosy not to.
Linda grumbles and slides her thumb on her phone, taking forever before she holds it out to Eli, as though she’s admitting defeat.
But then Ava’s phone pings in my hand.
“Mom,” Eli says, his voice low. “Did you just send them to Mackenzie?”
“Technically, she sent them to Ava,” I say. “I’m holding her phone.”
Eli lunges for it. I raise my hand up, trying to get the phone out of his way because I need to see baby Eli in all his glory. He reaches again and I back away.
“Give it to me.” His voice is cajoling. “You don’t want to see them.”
“I really do,” I breathe. My heart is pounding as he takes another step toward me. He’s like a lion, eyes on his prey. I love the way he’s looking at me.
“Remember how big his little peter was?” Linda says.
“Mom!” Eli growls. “Stop it.”
I’m shaking with laughter. I look over his shoulder, assessing my chances of getting past him long enough to look at these pictures. They’re not good.
He’s big and he’s fast and I’m me. But I have one advantage. Determination. I’m going to see those photos, even if it kills me.
“Come on,” Eli murmurs, taking another step forward.
I take one more back. My ass hits a tabletop. Damn.
“There’s no escape,” Eli tells me. “Give me the phone, Mackenzie.”
“But you had a big peter,” I tell him. “Your mom says so.”
Myles coughs out a laugh and it distracts Eli long enough for me to duck around him, making a sprint for victory. But then his arm curls around my waist and I’m lifted through the air until my back thuds against his hard chest.
“Got you,” he whispers in my ear. He takes the phone and slides his finger over it. “If you want to see how big my peter is, you only have to ask nicely.”
I wrinkle my nose at him. “Spoilsport.”
“It’s okay,” Sophie shouts out. “Linda sent a whole bunch of their baby photos to our group chat. Just tell me your phone number, Mackenzie.”
Eli groans. And I smile because I like to win, too.
