When Mac and Jo got back to the house, Jo had to check on her mother before they started getting ready for that night. Mac went into the kitchen and got a bottle of water. He finally felt rested although he thought he could take a nap before they went anywhere tonight. After he finished the bottle of water, he headed upstairs. As he was going down the hall, Jason came from his room. "Where you been all day?" Jason asked.

"Jo and I have been to town and fishing," Mac replied.

"Oh. Well, I'm going out tonight."

"We are too."

"How about we go fishing Monday?"

"Sounds good. We'll do that."

"Great." Jason was quiet a moment. "Where you going tonight?"

"Well, we're going out to eat and then we're going to a loud concert."

"A concert?"

"Yes."

"What kind of concert?"

"Some country singer that Jo likes."

"Oh."

Mac folded his arms. "So, are you having a good time with Marci?" he asked.

"Yeah, we had a real good time today."

Mac stared at him a moment. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. "Did you go and talk to that sheriff?"

"No. I decided not to and besides, I was out with Marci."

"Good. We're on vacation and we don't have to get involved in any crime cases."

"I agree. We might get into more trouble. I'm sorry I got you into all that."

"Don't worry about that."

Mac did not think Jason looked very happy. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," Jason replied. He looked at Mac.

Mac thought he looked incredibly young even though he was 25 years old. "You can talk to me about anything," he said.

"I don't want to talk about anything."

"You sure? You don't look very happy."

Jason looked down at the floor. "I'm not very happy. I should be, but I'm not."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I feel out of place."

Mac scowled. "You're not out of place," he said. "Jo has no problem with you being here. She knew you were coming."

"But this is not Jo's house. You came down here to see her not spend time with me. I should have stayed in New York. I feel like a dummy following my dad around."

Mac stared at him a moment. "Are you kidding?" he asked. "I wanted you to come with me. I've just wanted to get reacquainted with Jo. If I hadn't come down here, we would have gone up in the mountains in New York I guess. Would that have made you feel better?"

"Probably."

"So you feel like a tag-along."

Jason nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, stop feeling that way. Just because you're grown up doesn't mean you can't go somewhere with me, does it?"

"I don't know. Most people don't tag along with their parents."

"Why does it matter what most people do? How do you know most people are right about what they're doing? Besides, you just found me and I didn't want to leave you in New York."

Jason looked at Mac. "You didn't?"

"No. I didn't want to be down here for three weeks and you up there."

"Why? Did you think I would destroy your apartment?"

"No. I didn't want to be away from you that long and I wanted to come down here to see Jo and the only alternative was to bring you with me. I don't know where you got the idea that you're out of place or a tag-along but you didn't get it from me and I know you didn't get it from Jo either. You're my son and I love you so just cheer up and enjoy yourself."

Jason smiled. "Okay, Dad."

Mac looked at his watch. "I have to get busy getting ready. Go out and have fun."

Mac started to walk away but Jason stopped him. "I love you too, Dad," he said.

Mac smiled. "I'll see you later."

Mac went on to his room and looked at his clothes in the closet. He was not sure what he wanted to wear tonight but he figured it would be hot at that concert. It was very hot outside and the concert was going to be outside too. He thought of what Jason said. He supposed most people Jason's age did not tag along with their parents but then again, they were not all separated from them and then found out 25 years later that they were with the wrong parents. Mac had a feeling that that was not the only thing Jason was brooding about. He thought there was more to it than that and Jason was still not telling him everything. He could not imagine what could be bothering him. He remembered all those questions Jason had asked him. Why would he want to know whether he slept with Claire before they married or not? Mac thought that was just a little too personal. But was it too personal to share with his son? He did not know. He had never had a son until he was grown…or he did not know he had one. He remembered when he and Claire had started dating. He had thought she was the most beautiful thing walking on the earth. Those thoughts made his heart ache. Sometimes he wondered how he could love anyone else like that…or maybe it would not be like that. After all, Jo was not the same woman. She was different and he could not expect to feel the same about her as he did about Claire but that did not mean he loved her any less. It was just different because their relationship was different. He could not imagine his life without Jo anymore.

Mac picked out an orange t-shirt and blue jeans. Jo had told him that they were not dressing up for this. She wanted to be free to jump up and down and act crazy and not be worrying about heels or skirts. He liked the way she was conservative with the way she dressed. She never wore anything too revealing. Mac smiled as he thought of all that jewelry she wore. He supposed everyone had something they liked. He and Jason were going fishing Monday. He thought he would take a little detour somewhere and see what kind of jewelry they had around these parts. However, he supposed he would wait until he got back to New York to buy her ring and give it to her when she got back up there…if she ever came back. He was beginning to think that she did not want to come back up there. And why did she have to? She had this house here and her daughter was happy in school. She would have plenty of money and everything she needed.

Mac thought about that as he got into the shower. He let the water run over his face. He wondered if he would want to move here. Did he want to leave New York? Could he settle down in a smaller town like this? He was used to all that fast pace in New York and he was not sure he could just give all that up.

Just then, Mac felt a hand on his back as Jo stepped into the shower. "Mmmm, I just had to see that fine body," she said as she slid her arms around him.

Mac smiled. Yes, he could give it up for her. He would move here if that is what she wanted. He could always get a job in Montgomery. He was sure they had crime there too. "I thought you'd never join me," he said.

"So you were waiting for me?" Jo asked and kissed his back.

"I was just hoping."

"We're going to have so much fun tonight."

Mac turned around toward her and pulled her close to him. "I think we can have some fun now too," he said.

"That might be too much fun for one day."

"Not for me."

They shared a long, passionate kiss as the water ran down over them. "I don't ever want to lose you," Mac whispered.

"You won't," Jo replied and kissed him again. She closed her eyes as Mac kissed her neck and tightened his embrace around her. "I could never do without this again."

Jason knocked on Mac's room door but of course, he got no answer. He turned the knob but it was locked. He figured he must be in the shower. He went on downstairs and strolled outside. Ellie was out there sitting on the patio with Mrs. Danville. "Hi, Jason," Ellie said.

"Hi," Jason replied.

"So you're dating Marci?"

Jason could see the amusement on Ellie's face. He felt like she was his little sister, although he had never had one. "Yeah," he replied. "Why?"

Ellie giggled. "I think you're cute together."

Jason sat down in a chair. "Well, I'm glad you approve."

"Oh yeah? What if I didn't?"

"You would just have to get over it."

Ellie smiled. "You think you're going to marry her?" she asked.

"I don't know," Jason replied. "It takes time to decide something like that."

"My dad always said he knew he was going to marry my mom the first time he saw her."

Jason nodded. "Mine always said that too but I guess it doesn't work that way with everyone."

"I guess not."

"You seen any guys you want to marry?"

Ellie's mouth dropped open. "No! I'm only thirteen."

"Hey, people used to get married at thirteen."

"My mother would die."

Jason laughed. "Well, I guess we all have to take our time now."

"I guess. What would it be like to be married at thirteen?"

Jason considered that. "I don't know but I don't think it would be much fun since you couldn't get a job and have your own house."

"Yeah, and your parents would have to sign everything for you. Wouldn't that be crazy?"

"Sure would. You would be married but have no rights."

"I got married when I was sixteen," Mrs. Danville said. "We had a long, happy marriage."

Jason and Ellie looked at Mrs. Danville. "My parents have been married thirty years," Jason said.

"Some people are meant to be together but you have to work at it. You have to make sure that you have time for each other. You can't conduct a marriage over a phone or apart. You have to be together."

"I guess people don't have enough time together," Jason said.

"I remember our first argument. You know what it was about?"

"What?" Jason asked.

"I didn't like the way he folded the towels and he didn't like the way I fixed my hair."

Mrs. Danville laughed and so did Jason and Ellie. "I see how silly it was now," Mrs. Danville said. "We laughed about it years later. We even joked about how silly it would have been if we had broke up because I didn't curl my hair right or because he folded the towels funny." Mrs. Danville leaned toward them slightly. "Just between you and me…I think Jo divorced her husband for a silly reason too."

Jason did not know how to reply to that. He looked at Ellie who leaned back in her chair. Mrs. Danville looked at them. "Oh come now," she said. "It was silly." She looked at Ellie. "Don't get divorced for such a silly reason."

"I hope I won't," Ellie replied.

"Last names are not that important and besides that, I did not care for her father saying that I was his. I wanted to be his."

Jason considered that. He remembered how proud his dad was of his mother. "I guess it is just whatever a person feels like or what they think," he said.

"I suppose."

They looked out across the pasture and the meadow for a moment. "Oh, how I used to love running across a meadow like that when I was a young girl," Mrs. Danville said. "We hardly ever went into the house during the day when I was a kid. No wonder our parents thought we were such good kids. They didn't have to put up with us all the time."

Jason smiled. "I guess I stayed out a lot when I was a kid too," he said.

"You can't stay outside all the time when you live in a big city," Ellie said. "You don't have anywhere to go…and you might get into trouble."

"Not many places to go as an adult either."

Mrs. Danville put her hand on her forehead. "Oh, I think I need to go and lie down," she said.

Jason looked at her noticing that she looked even more pale than normal. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I just have to lie down."

Jason and Ellie pushed her wheelchair back into the house. "Where is Mom?" Ellie asked.

Jason thought he might know where she was. "We can take her upstairs," he said.

"We should get the nurse. She is probably in her office."

"Good."

Ellie went to get the nurse and she was soon there. They got Mrs. Danville upstairs and to her room where the nurse checked her blood pressure and other vitals. "I guess it was just a little too hot out there," Mrs. Danville said. "I enjoyed it though."

Jason went down the hall toward Mac's room. He knew Jo was in there. He knocked on the door but still did not get an answer. He knew that door was locked too. He hated to make a scene and embarrass them but he thought Jo should be in there with her mother. He got his phone and called Mac but he did not get an answer either.

Just then, Ellie came from Mrs. Danville's room. Jason hurried down that way. "I don't know where your mother is," he said. He knew that was a half truth. He assumed she was in Mac's room.

"She should be here somewhere," Ellie replied. She went down to Jo's room and went in but of course she did not find her there. She came out and looked at Jason. "You think she's in there with Mac?"

"I don't know. They were planning to go out tonight."

"They're not gone yet."

They both looked at Mac's room door. "Well, he didn't come to the door," Jason said.

Ellie went to Mac's door and banged on it. "Mom!" she yelled.

Soon, they heard someone unlocking the door. Jo opened the door. She was dressed but her hair was wet. "What on earth is going on?" she asked.

"It's Grandma," Ellie said.

Jo came out of the room and went to her mother's room. Mac was wondering what was going on but he was not quite dressed yet. He heard the urgency in Ellie's voice though. He hoped it was not something bad.

When Mac was dressed, he went down to Mrs. Danville's room. Jo was sitting on the bed holding her mother's hand. Mac stopped at the door wondering what was going on as he saw the nurse listening to Mrs. Danville's heart. Jo looked at him and reached for his hand. Mac went on into the room. He knew Mrs. Danville had a weak heart. That was why Jo had come down here to take care of her. Jo squeezed his hand and held it to her. Mac frowned as he felt her hand trembling. At least he would be here with her…