Page 109 of The Devil's Reward
Also, Rose dotes on Macy, and Macy adores her. In fact, when Rose needed to lie down to rest yesterday, Macy insisted on tucking her in and leaving her bear so that he could make her feel better faster. Rose’s eyes had been wet, and mine too, when Rose thanked her, and then Macy climbed up in the bed with her and the two of them settled in for a nap.
Which left Shadow and me some time to ourselves. Two guesses on what we got up to before we had a nap of our own.
Macy insisted on Rose coming today, which is exactly why I snuck Rose and Sage out of the clubhouse, while Izzy distracted everyone else so they wouldn’t notice. Shadow was busy, so I just sent him a message to say we were leaving to get my family and I’d see him later.
He’s been blowing up my phone ever since. Not that I answered, other than to tell him I’m fine and that Rose and Sage are both happily waiting with me. The horror face emoji he sent me back was hilarious. He still believes they’re going to drag me to jail with them, but I think he’s exaggerating. They’re a lot of fun, but neither of them is up to full speed, and we’re only picking up my parents and sister. He worries too much.
“Are they here yet?” Macy demands impatiently, looking up at me with a scowl on her face. “Why are they taking forever?”
“Their plane just landed, so now they have to get their things before they come out to meet us,” I explain patiently. Though I understand her impatience because I’m feeling it myself.
“Uggggghhhhh,” Macy groans dramatically. “Grandpasoowes me some presents for making me wait so long.”
“That’s right, honey,” Rose tells her with a wink. “Men should never keep a woman waiting.” Macy nods her agreement.
Sage snickers. “Tell that to King. He’s always late and it drives me nuts. I swear he does it on purpose.”
“He probably does,” I grin. “With the way you two argue and make-up, we both know where that leads.”
“You do fight a lot,” Macy agrees. “Grandma says men don’t have big brains, or they like to think with the wrong ones, and they say stupid stuff because they can’t think before they speak. I don’t know where the other brain is, but maybe they should squish them together.”
Rose and Sage roar with laughter, while I just shake my head. That definitely sounds like something my mother would say. “I think your Grandma and I are going to get along just fine,” Rose declares.
“Shadow says that Grandma and Aunt Peyton are going to join the coven and he won’t be able to afford to send me to college,” Macy announces, looking up at me in confusion.
“Shadow’s being silly,” I tell her, but my lips pull up into a grin.
Macy doesn’t look like she believes me. “Shadow better like Grandma and Auntie because if not, I’m walking away from this whole thing. You don’t get between a little girl and her Grandma and Auntie. There are rules about that, you know.”
“That’s exactly right,” Sage says proudly. “We girls stick together.”
“If Mom and Shadow get married does that mean you’ll be my aunt?” Macy asks Sage curiously.
I freeze, my eyes widening at her question. Uh oh. Sage grins at me. “In a way,” she tells Macy.
“And that would make you my other Grandma right?” Macy asks Rose.
Rose glances at me, but she must read the surprise on my face because she says, “Not exactly, honey, but if you want to think of me as one, I’ll be very happy.”
Macy nods her acceptance of that. “Okay.” She glances at me and I smile gently at her. She has accepted the club so easily, and she’s made a new friend with Archer, Viper’s son. Archer is very patient with her. He’s been at the clubhouse since yesterday, the two of them thick as thieves running around the clubhouse and playing on the play set the club has set up out back. The play set is a big factor in Macy not caring if we go home, I think.
“There they are!” Macy suddenly screeches. I look over and beam as I see my mother and sister riding down the escalator towards us, waving their arms frantically. Their faces are stretched wide with big smiles. A few steps behind them is my father, with both suitcases, looking both happy to be here and slightly haggard.
Macy runs forward and throws herself at my mom, who scoops her up and hugs her tight before kissing her all over her little face. Macy laughs happily, and I feel tears fill my eyes as Peyton takes her and does the same while Mom comes running over to me to hug me close.
“Hi, Mom,” I say into her neck.
“Oh my baby,” she coos, rocking me gently as she hugs me tight. “I missed you so much.” She pulls away and takes me in. Thankfully I’ve been able to hide the bruises and lingering swelling on my face under layers and layers of make-up so she doesn’t notice it. “You’re still as beautiful as ever.”
“Don’t mind me, I’m just the lackey,” my father says sarcastically as he finally reaches us and sets the bags down.
I laugh and hug him tight. “Hi, Dad,” I say when I pull back.
“Sis,” Peyton says with a grin when I go in to hug her. She’s still holding Macy, who giggles when I tickle her sides when I pull away.
“This is Aunt Sage and Nana Rose,” Macy declares proudly, pointing at Sage and Rose, who both jerk at her words, staring at her in surprise. My mouth drops open in shock, but no surprise, my sister and mother take it all in stride.
“Every little girl needs a couple of grandmothers,” Mom agrees easily, smiling warmly at Rose. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rose so speechless, or the way she looks at my daughter with such happiness in her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Nana Rose. I’m Grandma Audrey Holt.”
