Status: Starts in 2010
Chance
07
“So do you think you'll join us in Colorado next week?” Billy asked Maisie. It was too nice of a day to spend it inside, so rather than working—like the should be—Aaron had suggested a cook out. Zak had steaks and burgers in the fridge and was working on grilling them up while Maisie, Aaron, and Billy sat at the patio table sipping their cold beers.
“Um, I don't know yet...It depends on if my brother needs me to take care of my nephew,” she replied. She had turned her chair to face the fenced in back yard and Gracie came running up carrying one of her many toys in her mouth. She shook it and placed the slobber filled thing in Maisie's lap. After her initial 'eww' she threw it across the yard and Gracie ran after it.
“Can't he just get a babysitter?” Aaron asked.
“Well, that's kind of my job, I'm more like the nanny and that's what he pays me to do...Plus, he doesn't really trust anyone but family to take care of his son, and I can't blame him. Not after everything that he's been through.”
“Hey Sweetie,” Zak called from the grill.
“Yes, Dear,” Zak did a double take when he heard the voice respond, he then glared at Aaron. He knew that the voice sounded too deep.
Maisie laughed a little. “What do you need?” she called to him.
“C'mere,” he called.
She sighed, picked up the toy Gracie had brought back and threw it again before walking over to him, she ended up leaving her beer at the table because she was distracted by Gracie. “This better be important,” she joked.
“Try this,” he cut a piece of the steak and held it out for her to taste on a fork. She wasn't a fan of being fed, but she took the steak from the fork and chewed it slowly.
“That is really good,” she commented. “Mm, I like that a lot actually.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm hmm. What did you do to it?”
“Can't tell you, it's my secret recipe.”
“Well it's really good,” she said again. She picked up Zak's beer and took a small drink of it. “Want another one?” she asked, noticing it was nearly empty.
“Please,” he replied, placing a quick kiss to her lips.
“I'll get the stuff to make the burgers too.”
“Thank you sweetie,” he pressed another kiss to her lips and playfully swatted her butt.
“I am appalled, Mr. Bagans,” she said playfully. She went into the kitchen and to the fridge. She started gathering the lettuce, the ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and anything else that would go on a burger. She sat all of these things on the counter before going back to the fridge to get the potato salad and Zak's beer out. She was about to stand back to her full height when she felt her but be swatted. “Zachary Bagans,” she said in a warning, but playful tone.
“Yes, Sweetie?” he was standing at the back door holding a plate full of cooked meat. She knitted her brow in confusion and looked behind her to see if maybe it had been Aaron or Billy—she didn't find it likely, she just wanted to cover anything that could be the cause. “What's wrong?”
“Did you just smack my ass?” she asked.
“You mean out at the grill?”
“No...I mean like literally five seconds ago—when I said your name...”
“I was getting everything off the grill, I couldn't reach you if I wanted to.”
“Then who did?” she frowned. “Are Aaron and Billy outside?”
“What's up?” Aaron's voice asked as he and Billy made their way back inside from the patio.
Neither Zak nor Maisie responded to him, they just shared a nervous look.
“G, what happened?” Aaron asked again, this time nudging Zak's shoulder.
“Something just smacked my ass,” Maisie told him. I was bending over at the fridge and I felt it...it actually stung too.”
“How hard was it? Do it to me,” Zak moved closer to her, wanted badly to get to the bottom of it.
“It was about as hard as you did to me on the patio,” she swatted his arm with as much force that went into the one that she had received.
“You think it's the ghosts?” Billy asked. They all knew that Zak's house was haunted.
“Y'know what? It doesn't matter. Let's just eat our food,” Maisie decided.
“It does matter,” Zak corrected her. “There shouldn't be anybody bothering my girlfriend!” he shouted that to the house itself.
“Don't piss them off,” she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him an imploringly look.
“They're in my house.”
“And they're going to stay here, I'm not bothered by it so you can save going all macho man on the invisible until later.”
“But—”
“Zak...Let's just go eat outside.” She really didn't want to cause any problems and if the ghosts weren't actually hurting her, then it didn't bother her.
“Okay,” he agreed with a sigh, only for her would he let this go for now.
XxX
After their grill out, Maisie knew it was time to go home. She had to get back to take care of Conner really soon because Marco had to leave.
“Baby, I need to get back,” she told Zak as she walked back out from the house. She took a seat on his lap and he wrapped his arms around her. “Marco has to be at work...”
Zak frowned a little. “Didn't you mention something about Marco wanting to meet me.”
“Yeah, but if you don't feel like it we can do that another time...” she offered.
“Today's fine. I don't think that a little bit more procrastinating is going to hurt us much...” Aaron and Billy were across the yard playing with Gracie.
“Well, if you go today, you won't have to worry about having to be there long,” she added.
“I'm happy to meet your brother,” he kissed her cheek and then her collar bone.
“What would you do if I messed up your hair right now? If I just took my hand and ruffled your hair completely?”
“I think I would throw you over my shoulder and get the hose out and spray you.”
“How would you get the hose on and spray me—while I'm over your shoulder—and not get yourself wet?” she pointed out.
“You wanna test this?” he offered.
“Um no. My phone would be ruined and then I couldn't text you,” she giggled.
“Now I couldn't have that,” he tightened his arms around her and kissed her deeply. “C'mon, let's go meet Marco.” With Maisie still on his lap, he stood and let her feet fall back to the ground. “Hey guys, I'll be back,” he called to Aaron and Billy, who looked at him and raised their eyebrows. Maisie rolled their eyes and the two made their way to her house.
She pulled in right before he did and she led the way up the walkway to the house. He slipped his hand into hers and she opened the wooden door.
“Hey Maisie, thank God you're—Is this him?”
“Marco, Zak. Zak, Marco,” she introduced them and Zak released her hand to shake Marco's. Zak was considerable taller than Marco, who only reached the height of 5'10” while Zak was about 6'0”. Zak also noticed the similarities between Marco and Maisie, they both had the same dark green eyes.
“Zak, could I talk to you alone for a minute?”
“Don't do that, Marco,” Maisie begged.
“It's okay, Maisie,” Zak assured her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Yeah, we can talk.”
Marco led Zak out to the backyard and Maisie groaned. She loved her older brother, but she felt that she was too old for this whole 'tough guy' routine from him. She just hoped that Zak didn't treat her any differently afterward.
“Um, I don't know yet...It depends on if my brother needs me to take care of my nephew,” she replied. She had turned her chair to face the fenced in back yard and Gracie came running up carrying one of her many toys in her mouth. She shook it and placed the slobber filled thing in Maisie's lap. After her initial 'eww' she threw it across the yard and Gracie ran after it.
“Can't he just get a babysitter?” Aaron asked.
“Well, that's kind of my job, I'm more like the nanny and that's what he pays me to do...Plus, he doesn't really trust anyone but family to take care of his son, and I can't blame him. Not after everything that he's been through.”
“Hey Sweetie,” Zak called from the grill.
“Yes, Dear,” Zak did a double take when he heard the voice respond, he then glared at Aaron. He knew that the voice sounded too deep.
Maisie laughed a little. “What do you need?” she called to him.
“C'mere,” he called.
She sighed, picked up the toy Gracie had brought back and threw it again before walking over to him, she ended up leaving her beer at the table because she was distracted by Gracie. “This better be important,” she joked.
“Try this,” he cut a piece of the steak and held it out for her to taste on a fork. She wasn't a fan of being fed, but she took the steak from the fork and chewed it slowly.
“That is really good,” she commented. “Mm, I like that a lot actually.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm hmm. What did you do to it?”
“Can't tell you, it's my secret recipe.”
“Well it's really good,” she said again. She picked up Zak's beer and took a small drink of it. “Want another one?” she asked, noticing it was nearly empty.
“Please,” he replied, placing a quick kiss to her lips.
“I'll get the stuff to make the burgers too.”
“Thank you sweetie,” he pressed another kiss to her lips and playfully swatted her butt.
“I am appalled, Mr. Bagans,” she said playfully. She went into the kitchen and to the fridge. She started gathering the lettuce, the ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and anything else that would go on a burger. She sat all of these things on the counter before going back to the fridge to get the potato salad and Zak's beer out. She was about to stand back to her full height when she felt her but be swatted. “Zachary Bagans,” she said in a warning, but playful tone.
“Yes, Sweetie?” he was standing at the back door holding a plate full of cooked meat. She knitted her brow in confusion and looked behind her to see if maybe it had been Aaron or Billy—she didn't find it likely, she just wanted to cover anything that could be the cause. “What's wrong?”
“Did you just smack my ass?” she asked.
“You mean out at the grill?”
“No...I mean like literally five seconds ago—when I said your name...”
“I was getting everything off the grill, I couldn't reach you if I wanted to.”
“Then who did?” she frowned. “Are Aaron and Billy outside?”
“What's up?” Aaron's voice asked as he and Billy made their way back inside from the patio.
Neither Zak nor Maisie responded to him, they just shared a nervous look.
“G, what happened?” Aaron asked again, this time nudging Zak's shoulder.
“Something just smacked my ass,” Maisie told him. I was bending over at the fridge and I felt it...it actually stung too.”
“How hard was it? Do it to me,” Zak moved closer to her, wanted badly to get to the bottom of it.
“It was about as hard as you did to me on the patio,” she swatted his arm with as much force that went into the one that she had received.
“You think it's the ghosts?” Billy asked. They all knew that Zak's house was haunted.
“Y'know what? It doesn't matter. Let's just eat our food,” Maisie decided.
“It does matter,” Zak corrected her. “There shouldn't be anybody bothering my girlfriend!” he shouted that to the house itself.
“Don't piss them off,” she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him an imploringly look.
“They're in my house.”
“And they're going to stay here, I'm not bothered by it so you can save going all macho man on the invisible until later.”
“But—”
“Zak...Let's just go eat outside.” She really didn't want to cause any problems and if the ghosts weren't actually hurting her, then it didn't bother her.
“Okay,” he agreed with a sigh, only for her would he let this go for now.
XxX
After their grill out, Maisie knew it was time to go home. She had to get back to take care of Conner really soon because Marco had to leave.
“Baby, I need to get back,” she told Zak as she walked back out from the house. She took a seat on his lap and he wrapped his arms around her. “Marco has to be at work...”
Zak frowned a little. “Didn't you mention something about Marco wanting to meet me.”
“Yeah, but if you don't feel like it we can do that another time...” she offered.
“Today's fine. I don't think that a little bit more procrastinating is going to hurt us much...” Aaron and Billy were across the yard playing with Gracie.
“Well, if you go today, you won't have to worry about having to be there long,” she added.
“I'm happy to meet your brother,” he kissed her cheek and then her collar bone.
“What would you do if I messed up your hair right now? If I just took my hand and ruffled your hair completely?”
“I think I would throw you over my shoulder and get the hose out and spray you.”
“How would you get the hose on and spray me—while I'm over your shoulder—and not get yourself wet?” she pointed out.
“You wanna test this?” he offered.
“Um no. My phone would be ruined and then I couldn't text you,” she giggled.
“Now I couldn't have that,” he tightened his arms around her and kissed her deeply. “C'mon, let's go meet Marco.” With Maisie still on his lap, he stood and let her feet fall back to the ground. “Hey guys, I'll be back,” he called to Aaron and Billy, who looked at him and raised their eyebrows. Maisie rolled their eyes and the two made their way to her house.
She pulled in right before he did and she led the way up the walkway to the house. He slipped his hand into hers and she opened the wooden door.
“Hey Maisie, thank God you're—Is this him?”
“Marco, Zak. Zak, Marco,” she introduced them and Zak released her hand to shake Marco's. Zak was considerable taller than Marco, who only reached the height of 5'10” while Zak was about 6'0”. Zak also noticed the similarities between Marco and Maisie, they both had the same dark green eyes.
“Zak, could I talk to you alone for a minute?”
“Don't do that, Marco,” Maisie begged.
“It's okay, Maisie,” Zak assured her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Yeah, we can talk.”
Marco led Zak out to the backyard and Maisie groaned. She loved her older brother, but she felt that she was too old for this whole 'tough guy' routine from him. She just hoped that Zak didn't treat her any differently afterward.