Free True Bliss by BJ Harvey Page B

speed things up so that her youngest son is not living in sin and having a child out of wedlock. It's her deal, not mine. I don't have an issue with it, never will.”
    Good god, that man is a miracle worker.
    “Okay,” Mac says, burrowing herself deeper into his side just as Daniel's mom turns and looks down at us.
    “Come now, we don't bite!”
    “Much,” Daniel says under his breath, breaking the mood as he leads us up the stairs behind his dad.
    “He's right, you know. She's all bark and no bite, and I should know,” Daniel's dad says with a wink. “Although, when she does bite, I don't complain either.”
    Wow, Daniel and his dad are two peas in a pod. Handsome, funny, and dirty minded. Mac's giggle lets me know that she is thinking the same thing.
    “After you, ladies,” Daniel says with a grin, smacking Mac's ass when we reach the door.
    “Watch it Danny Boy, or all promises of previously aforementioned sexual relations will be retracted.” Mac turns to face Daniel, putting both hands on her hips.
    “Low blow, Mac,” he whispers in her ear, wrapping one arm around her waist and resting his other hand on top of her baby bump. “You should be nice to the mini superhero's daddy. The baby's listening you know.”
    “And our mini super heroine's daddy also knows that I never make a promise I won't keep. So daddy better help me get through today if he wants to get his daddy reward later on.”
    “And that, my friends, is my cue to leave,” I say loudly, walking ahead into a large living room where Daniel's parents are waiting for us.
    “You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Winters,” I remark, walking toward a wall of windows overlooking a private lake. “You have a lake?”
    Mr. Winters chuckles. “We have access to the lake, but there are about six other properties that back onto it as well. And please, call us Will and Jenny. Mr. and Mrs. Winters makes us sound old.”
    “Oh, okay, Will.” I feel myself blush. “But thank God it's not yours. I was starting to think I was in the presence of royalty or something. I mean who owns their own lake,” I explain, flailing my hand toward the lake as I turn back around. “Next you'll be telling me you own a country club or something too.”
    Suddenly Daniel clears his throat, and I snap my head towards him. The smirk on his face tells me that I've just put my foot in my mouth again. “Oh no, don't tell me you do own the local country club as well?”
    This time it's Jenny that corrects me. “Well, no dear. But we are members, and Will is on the board.”
    “Wow, that's awesome. So are the other Winters children coming today?” I look over at the wall of the living room and see photo upon photo of Daniel and his brother and two sisters. Photos from high school, college graduation, family holidays...you name it, there was a photograph taken and displayed.
    “No, not today. I didn't want to scare Mac with the whole family just yet. Daniel has just found her, I don't want her running off again.”
    Sheesh, is there anything this woman doesn't know?
    “Aww, look Superman, you were so cute!” Mac says excitedly, walking over to the photo wall to take a closer look. Surprisingly, she doesn't freak out over Jenny's comment.
    “Superman?” Jenny asks inquisitively.
    “Ah, yeah mom, Superman. It's Mac's nickname for me,” he replies sheepishly.
    “I don't think I want to know why. I think we should move out onto the patio and start lunch. What do you think, Mac? Is my grandchild hungry?”
    “Always, Jenny. I'm surprised I'm not the size of a house yet. Maybe even as big as this house,” she adds, fidgeting with her hands in a totally non Mac way. She's so nervous; it's almost cute.
    I scoff at her, earning a scowl in my direction. I poke my tongue out at her, succeeding in making her grin.
    “Oh rubbish. You're glowing. I swear, I didn't put on more than ten pounds when I was carrying Daniel, and I ate everything in sight. William can tell you all about