HELLO EVERYONE! Been a while. I'm going to use the same old excuse I use a lot and say it's work, again. It's true. Won't go into details, but I've had to pick up a lot of hours and it's also been a tad crazy lately with there and in live. Find myself wish I was a kid again, young and naive to the world. But oh well, c'est la vie.
Ok. Heads up: This chapter has some Mack and Brady, but more Mack and Lela again. Just some stuff I had to get out of the way. I'll try to move on to more Mack and Brady later. I did get an anonymous review about wondering what exactly happened to Mack. Well, I though an accident was self explanatory, so I apologize if it wasn't. Anyway, *SPOILER* this gets explained a little here.
Over the next few days, Mack really improved with her surfing. By the end of the week, she tackled her first big wave without a wipeout. At night, she at dinner with Brady and the gang, though mostly Brady. His optimistic and child like personality attracted her to him, causing her to wonder if this was what had attracted her to him the first time. Every once in a while, she thought about the life she still sort of had in the city. But when she thought of the city, life there did not seem as right as life here with her new found old friends and her grandfather. Thinking about the choices she'd have to make distracted her from Lela speaking.
"Mack, are you there?" Lela asked, concerned that her friend had spaced out. They were trying on the 4th bridesmaid dress. Lela had an idea of the fabric she wanted to use, light chiffon, but she was having trouble with a style and color that would fit the, now two, bridesmaids.
"Yeah, I'm here." She replied, snapping back to reality.
"Everything ok?"
"Everything's fine." Mack lied.
"No it ain't. Girl thinking about something. Let me guess, is it Mr. Blond Bombshell?" A voice said in the distance. Mack looked up and saw a woman wearing tall heels and a very chic outfit, reminiscent of outfits she'd seen at a Fashion show her two ex friends had dragged her to. Her hair was styled high, causing Mack to remember some things, but nothing concrete.
"Struts! You made it!" Lela exclaimed, running over to hug the woman
"What and have you choose something that don't look good on me? I think I'd take my chances with whatever I'm missing at the conference. Besides, from what I hear, Brady is out of his funk and no business thing in the world will keep me away from seeing that." Looking ahead, she saw Mack in the dress. The top of the dress was reminiscent of a baby doll dress.
"Girl, that style is going to make us look knocked up. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather have something that doesn't make me look bigger than I am. I know Mack likes things loose, but that's a bit extreme."
"This coming from the girl who wore similar styles to bed back in the 60's?" Mack asked.
"Bed time and what I wore out in public were 2 different things, if you don't remember. I'm a biker chick; I do the tight look, though beach weddings are one of many exceptions."
After another couple hours of later and the finally decided on a dress, but with two different colors. Struts was going to wear a light red and Mack would wear a light yellow; both dresses were an asymmetrical top that with the chiffon on the rest of the dress flowing as they stepped. Silver beach sandals were to be worn on their feet.
Afterward, they didn't head to the beach like they normally would have; instead they went back to Lela's house to plan her bachelorette party and to have a girls' night. Struts insisted that the things Lela has put off because of Mack, now be taken care of.
Hours and a few glasses of wine later, you could hear the laughter of three women inside the house.
"So, Mack. What exactly happened to you?" Struts asked, catching Mack off guard a little. "I mean we all know you had this 'accident' and you lost your memory, by the way props for beginning to remember again; but what exactly happened?"
"I'm not sure exactly. Aunt Antoinette says we were leaving the airport in a taxi, when another car ran a red light and hit my side of the taxi. Apparently I was out for 3 days and she was lucky she could keep my position in the school."
"Do you remember anything about the accident at all?" Lela asked, finding the courage to ask her.
"Nothing."
"Were you scared of taxis afterward?" Struts asked, grabbing another slice of the pizza they had ordered. "I've heard the subconscious can be tricky like that."
Mack thought about it for a moment. "Now that you mention it, getting in cars did freak me out for a good many years. But I never really thought of it. "
"But you've been fine with me and Brady." Lela pointed out. "Maybe it's a backseat thing? We ought to try it sometime to test the theory."
"Or I could just go with deep down I knew I could trust you two?" Mack replied.
"So how is dear, Mr. "I won't date anyone except for Mack"?"
"Oh he's so different since Mack returned. Happier, I'd say; though he's still a little down Mack has yet to remember him. But after their date a few days ago, he seems to have a whole new attitude to it."
"About time he gets happy again. Ten years of moping and brushing off girls got really annoying."
"Come now, Struts. It's true love, like me and Tanner. They're meant to be, like we're meant to be."
"Please let's not break out in song." Mack pleaded, causing an uproar of laughter from the three women.
"And since we're on the topic of Brady, how long til you tell him you're headed back to the big city?" Struts asked, changing the subject.
"What do you mean?" Mack asked, having been caught off guard by the question.
"This has got to be a vacation for you, right? How long til it's over?"
Mack shifted uncomfortably. "Mack, what is it?" Lela asked, concerned.
"I'm not on vacation. I actually came here on a whim from some post card that was sent to me. Figured what could it hurt? I'd just lost my job and found out what a bunch of fakes my friends I'd had the past 10 years had been."
"Oh wow. I'm so sorry about that. You should've said something." Lela told her, gently.
"Just not something I've been keen to mention."
"Damn. Sorry to bring you back to reality." Struts apologized, feeling bad that her mouth had gotten her into trouble.
"Better now than when something major hits." Mack mumbled.
Suddenly, Lela's eyes lit up. "Wait, I just had an idea! And there's still plenty of time to do it before the wedding."
"There's time to do a lot of stuff before the wedding. You've got 3 months, girl." Struts reminded her. "Now what is go'n on in your head?"
"Move Mack back home! She can stay here as long as she needs to and I'm sure there's some place that she can get a job."
"You mean like teaching surfing?" Struts suggested.
"I'm still learning how again." Mack mentioned, earning a shocked look from Struts.
"But you're improving every single day. I mean you did just tackle your first big wave without a single wipeout. Ohh this is perfect! But, we keep it from the guys."
"Why?" Mack asked.
"I want it to be a surprise for Brady and your grandfather; but mostly Brady. And given those 3 hang out as much as they do, I don't trust them to keep a secret."
"I'm in, just to see his face." Struts said.
"What do you say Mack?" Lela asked, still excited about her idea.
Mack was silent for a moment, before looking up at them mischievously with a smile. "I'd say I'd be happy to move back here, if it isn't an inconvenience to you and Tanner with me living here."
"Oh no! We won't be living here together til after the honeymoon anyway."
"Way to give her a time frame, Lela."
"But even after that, it still won't be. You move out when you're ready."
"Or when Brady asks her to marry him." Struts smirked.
Well, here it is. Nice and long. Hopefully my muse doesn't take this long to finish another chapter, but as I've said, no promises.
Thanks to all of you who are still with this story and still favoriting it!
WildGypsyWoman12
