Everyone helped with the clean-up and a short time later, after Annie was fed and passed around for all the women to love on, Hannah said, “I hate to leave, but I promised Brad that Annie and I will be home before dark.”
“Understandable. I’m so glad you came and that Annie and you and Brad are settled back down to happiness.” Rachel said.
Hannah hugged everyone before she left and as she got to her car, she too felt the pangs of pending disaster. Not for herself, but something dark was going to evade her new friends. She had to make sure she shared her feelings of disaster with Brad and Glen. Rachel and Mack were going to need help and soon.
Back inside Rachel’s place, the remaining women discussed the upcoming dinner at Hannah’s and Brad’s home this weekend. And the dishes they wanted to prepare and share along with some funny events that happened the past week. Before they knew it, Mack had arrived and Lynn and Sher decided it was time to get on their way.
“You ladies don’t have to leave on my account.” Mack said.
“We aren’t. We do need to get home on the off chance our hubbies will be coming home expecting dinner cooked and the house cleaned.” Sher said with a laugh.
“So true, and we are looking forward to seeing you both at Hannah’s Saturday. Rachel, thank you for letting us barge in on you today. I’ve enjoyed it and I hope you’ll let us barge in on you more often.” Lynn said, with a giggle.
“You all are welcome anytime, and I mean that. Thanks for barging in, as you put it, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with all of you. Drive safely and see you soon.” Rachel said after hugging both women.
“Did you have a nice day?”
“It was just what I needed, so you can get that guarded look off your face. I’m not mad. I do wish you could’ve seen baby Annie, though. She is such a beautiful baby and so good and happy.”
Mack circled his arms around Rachel’s waist as he said, “I’m looking forward to Saturday and seeing Annie, and all of our friends. It will be so nice getting back to normal after Thomas’s memorial service tomorrow.
“You made arrangements?’
“Yes, just graveside service and just me and you, if you want to.”
“Of course I’ll be there. We are a team and we’ll get through this and I’m sure many more unpleasant things in our future.”
“I knew I had a smart woman.”
“Yes, you do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to change for the dinner you promised me. I see you’ve been by your place and changed already. Give me half an hour and I’ll be ready, and I warn you, I’m a little hungry, but it would be nice to share a bottle of white wine before dinner.”
Mack decided earlier to take Rachel to the steak house in town, knowing it was one of her favorite places. And as if on cue, when Mack opened the car door for her, she found the rose on the car seat and smiled.
Arriving at the restaurant, Mack was taken by surprise by the crowd as it wasn’t quite dinner time according to most people. The host added their name to the waiting list and led them to a small table in the bar where they shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio from Columbia Valley, Washington. Since the host mentioned the wait could be close to an hour, they savored the wine as Mack explained the arrangements he made for Thomas. The funeral would be the next day at two in the afternoon. He got the local and Denver newspaper to post the obituary on the off chance that Thomas did have a friend or two in the Denver area.
Rachel told Mack all about her day and how much she enjoyed visiting with Sher, Hannah, and Lynn. Mack new her background and about the orphanage and foster homes she continually moved from. He also knew she never let anyone get close to her or her to them. She had suffered so much hurt and abandonment in her twenty-nine years, she wasn’t about to willing bring herself more pain.
Mack recalled how long and how hard he worked to convince Rachel to share a table in the hospital cafeteria, and later to go out to dinner. It was a long involved champagne and well worth every agonizing step. Now she left her uncertainties and dropped the guard around herself and was willing to let others into her life.
“Excuse me, your table is ready. If you’ll please follow me.” The hostess interrupted.
Since the bottle of wine was empty, Rachel and Mack left it behind and carried their half full glasses with them. They both knew exactly what they wanted to order, and wasted no time giving their choices to the waiter when he arrived.
“Yummm, that was so delicious. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I treasure every moment we spend together.” Rachel said as she reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
“If you’re sure you don’t want dessert, let’s get out of here,”
Mack pulled Rachel’s chair away from the table after their bill was paid, and they walked out into a slight breezy evening.
Rachel, about to ask if they could walk down the sidewalk and window shop, was interrupted by a man who roughly pushed her back before he grabbed Mack and tried to get him inside the car waiting at the curb. Mack put up a fight, while Rachel tried to beat the man with her fists, while screaming loudly.
“Help! Someone Help!!”
It looked as though Mack and Rachel were losing the fight, as the man was dragging Mack closer to the car, when three men in business suits joined in and tackled the man who still had his arm around Mack’s neck. Mack finally disengaged the man’s arm from around him and between him and the other three, got the man to the ground and held him there.
A second later, the car waiting by the curb peeled rubber and took off fast down the road. Rachel tried to get the license plate numbers but saw there weren’t any plates on the car.
“The cops are on their way. I saw what was going down and called 911.” An elderly Lady spoke from the restaurants doorway.
“Thank you.” Rachel said, as she heard the wail of the sirens almost on top of the restaurant. It was at that moment, Rachel looked closely at the man on the ground still fighting to get away, and realized he was the other man from her doorstep and from the garage.
Rick barely waited for the patrol car to stop before he jumped out and ran towards Rachel.
“Rachel, are you alright? Where’s Mack?”
Rachel pointed to the pile on the ground and rick turned and looked, just as Mack punched the guy in the jaw, who had shoved one of the suited men off and was wriggling free.
Glen pulled Mack up and handcuffed the attacker and handed him off to another officer.
“Mack, are you okay? I see you got a good punch in , but what happened. And who are all these guys?”
Rick already had the guys in the suits up against the bricks of the steak house. Not knowing who was involved in what, they weren’t taking any chances.
“Glen, when Rachel and I came out the door, that man who is now in the patrol car jumped me, trying to drag me towards his car. Rachel and I fought but I knew we weren’t enough, he’s so damn strong. That’s when those three gentlemen joined in and help subdue the guy. Don’t ask me why they did, but I’m sure glad they did.”
“Are you and your lady okay, Doc?” One of the men in a suit yelled.
Glen led Mack over to where Rick stood with the other three, and directed his question to the man in the black suit, “Do you know the doctor here?”
“Sure, he patched up my kid brother here when he totaled his car.” The man answered.
“And he saved my mother when she arrived in the ER with a massive heart attack. When we saw he needed help, we were glad to jump in,” the man in the grey suit said.
“Thank you, all three of you. I’m not sure what would’ve happened if you three didn’t help. I was losing the fight.” Mack said.
“Aww doc, you got some good punches in, but boy that guy was strong. Who is he anyway? And why was he trying to take you?” The third man asked.
Glen answered, “we’ll have to wait until we question him. If you three wouldn’t mind finishing giving Officer David your contact information, then you’re free to go.” Glen wondered how all this was going to end. He let Rachel and Mack leave, and he would meet them at Rachel’s as soon as he finished here. But he still felt a black cloud hung over the couple.