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His lungs stung. His throat was hot. His calves were cramping. The hat that was on his head had flown off two seconds ago, and he kept nearly tripping over his own feet, dust kicking up with every desperate step he ran to make it to safety.
He could hear Jack shouting at him, but the blood pounding in his ears made it impossible to hear what was being said. He just needed to make it a few more yards to the fence then he would be alright. Each step was like torture, but they would be the least of his problems if he got caught.
Jack wouldn’t allow it though, even though he was smiling and laughing and gesturing to the thing behind Mac. He was standing on the fence, rope in hand and ready to jump over if the situation called for it.
Mac was almost there. Just a few more steps. The chuffing and hoof beats behind him only pushed him to go faster. He was tired. He underestimated how big the paddock was, and the head start he got didn’t seem to be doing any good. But the thought of what would happen if he didn’t make it, and by some chance if Jack couldn’t get a handle on things— he didn’t want to think about it.
So he ran, and ran, and ran, until he was finally at the fence and jumped over it, collapsing on the ground, listening as Jack laughed at him.
“Well done, kid. Bit of a close call, but at least old Rufus didn’t get ya. Think the last one he caught was Nick; didn’t get him bad, but he had a limp for a while.”
Mac raised his hand with barely a wave before it dropped again. His energy was spent, and the only thing he could do was lay in the dirt and catch his breath. He tilted his head to the side, eying the bull that had been after him, watching as he snorted and stomped his hooves.
“Been a while since he’s has some fun like that. Think you might be his new favorite, Mac.”
“No— thanks.”
Jack merely laughed at him. He whistled and Rufus went up to the fence so Jack was able to pat him. “He’s a good boy. You’d know if he was serious bout tryin to get ya. He knows not to fully charge when doin this, seeing as it’s a tradition. Granddaddy started the whole thing on a bet; hundred bucks to say he could outrun him through the whole paddock. Everyone was pissed when he collected bout six hundred dollars. Now it’s just kinda a thing that happens sometimes.”
“I— feel so— included.”
“Ah you’ll be fine.” Jack stretched out his hand so Mac could take it. “We’ll time it the next time, see if yer able to beat the record and lay claim to the stash. Joey’s the one that holds it right now, but we’re fixin to make him redo it cuz he was on the track team while in school.”
Mac grabbed Jack’s hand and let himself be pulled up, still trying to catch his breath. “What— what makes you think— there’s a next time?”
“It’s tradition. You remember the family reunion that’s goin on next week right? Can’t have that without havin everyone run from Rufus.”
Mac let out a short laugh. “If it’s such a tradition, why did you never tell me about it when we were deployed? It seems like something you’d like to talk about.”
“Believe me when I tell ya, I haven’t even scratched the surface of shenanigans that we got up to on this ranch. Runnin from Rufus is one of the tame things we get up to. I don’t think I told ya bout the one year we completely wrecked the field while muddin.”
“Was that when you and all your friend’s cars got stuck?”
“Nope. Different time, and we actually meant to do it. Rain had been so bad that it flooded, so we got one of the ATVs, hooked up a rope and spent a few hours doin donuts while havin someone attached to the back. Couldn’t tell kid from mud after we were done.”
Mac merely smiled and shook his head. The longer he was with Jack on the family ranch, the more he felt like his life was given meaning. It had been six months he’d been there with Jack and Julia, and it felt— right. He was still getting used to everything; still tinkering with things in the old barn, never letting his chores get out of hand, getting comfortable with the animals there, and just about at the point where he didn’t need directions to get into town and the surrounding area anymore. He finally had the freedom he didn’t know he needed.
He talked to Bozer at least once a week, video called whenever Bozer had time. Jack always conveniently disturbed him at the exact time they were chatting, nosing his way into the conversation. One time it was Julia, and she and Bozer hit it off immediately; Bozer sharing stories of when he and Mac were kids, and Julia always finding an embarrassing story to tell about Jack. Once, Mac had been chatting in the kitchen while doing the dishes, and Julia more or less hijacked the conversation, subconsciously stealing Mac’s laptop away into the den where she and Bozer exchanged dozens of recipes with each other. Mac found it completely amusing and merely joined back in the conversation when he was finished.
They’d discussed Bozer coming for a visit whenever he had enough free time; a week or two so they could hang out and catch up, talk about things that really needed to be talked about in person. Things that Mac didn’t want to burden Jack with since Bozer already knew.
He still hadn’t told anyone that James had somehow found him while deployed; still didn’t know how it happened. He was extremely careful when he enacted his plan, and yet somehow, someway, he must have missed something. It wasn’t the Bozers, and it couldn’t have been Harry, and he highly doubted MIT did anything. He didn’t think he was ever going to find out how, and hoped to whatever greater power was out there that James would never find out where he currently was.
“Hey, he make it okay? I didn’t hear any screams of bloody murder and yer not freaking out so I’m guessing he made it okay.”
Mac snorted as a voice called through the radio. Jack’s sister Alice had arrived a few days ago to help with prep for the family reunion, and to make up for all the time she and Jack had missed— mainly telling Mac more embarrassing stories and things they swore never to tell their mother.
Mac thought it was kind of amazing how she treated him like they were old friends that have known each other forever. Their first meeting didn’t have that awkward feel they normally did. Instead, Alice greeted him with a hug and asked what he and Jack had been up to, then more or less stole Mac away so he could help with things she didn’t really need help with. The whole situation made him feel at home.
“He’s alright.” Jack answered back. “Rufus gave him a run, and I think he might be close to actually settin a new record. Dunno if Tommy and Nick will be too happy bout that.”
“They didn’t even make it last time. Shouldn’t worry about anything besides that.”
“Don’t let them hear you say that. Nobody will hear the end of it the whole time they’re here.” Jack snorted. “We’re gonna head on back to the house; let Mac catch his breath a bit. Give me a holler if ya need anythin.”
He felt jealous honestly, at Jack’s relationship with his sister. Being an only child, he knew that had a bit of an influence on how he acted, mainly how he didn’t really have anyone he could rely on. Having Harry and the Bozers wasn’t the same, even though Bozer had said they were brothers multiple times. There was something he missed— didn’t know he wanted, until he saw how Jack and Alice interacted.
Jack and Alice made fun of each other, pushed each other around, brought up embarrassing memories, complained to Julia about one another. Those were all things Mac and Bozer did while growing up. Mac and Bozer were siblings in every way Jack and Alice were.
Except blood.
That was what Mac was subconsciously hung up on. Both Bozer and Jack had said he was family, and he loved how they felt that way, but it felt— wrong. Despite everything the two of them told him, he still felt like he was intruding on something that he couldn’t have, and he knew he’d never be able to truly get over it.
“What’re you thinkin about that’s got yer face all twisted?” Jack asked as they walked. “You ain’t hidin a secret injury are ya? Twisted ankle? Shoulder pop out?”
Mac let out a short snort. “No, I’m okay. Probably going to be sore from the landing but nothing else… I’m not going to get that hat back, am I?”
“Eventually; probably dented with a big hoof mark, maybe even a bite, but it’ll make its way back to ya at some point.”
“You know, Bozer would love this concept. If you tell him it’s alright, he’ll probably try to work it into one of his movies.”
“Might as well let him experience it himself. You told him to make time to come see us right? Would be nice to meet him in person, and just thinkin of what him and mama would make is makin my mouth water already.”
“Yeah. He said he’ll tell me when he’s got time.”
“Bet he can’t wait. What else is on yer mind?”
“Uh, nothing really. Except for the regular thoughts or whatever.”
“Come on, I know that ain’t true.” Jack nudged his shoulder. “Got that look on yer face that says somethin’s startin to consume yer every thought. It’s kinda like when ya met a complicated bomb, but, different— not too much urgency in it.”
Mac glanced at him before smiling slightly. “I guess I’m nervous, about next week. Won’t it be weird that some random guy you were partnered with in the army is at a family event? Everyone’s going to see me and I’m going to answer the question of who are you with every introduction.”
“Is that all? Y’know, I woulda thought that with everything we’ve been through and done together that yer not just some random guy. We’ve known each other for, what, a year and some change? Handful of months you’ve been here helpin out and doin odd jobs. Gotta say I’m kinda curious bout what yer true opinion of me is if you think I’d invite a random guy from my time deployed to come live with me, let alone live with mama for two months by himself. Think I should get you somethin that when you press it, my voice pops out and says yer family, with how much I’ve been tryin to drill it into yer head.
“But if yer worried what everyone will think about ya, don’t. There’s alotta troublemakers that’ll take all the attention off you within the first ten minutes. Besides, it’s not like they don’t know ya, don’t know yer name at least. Mama’s been tellin everyone that’ll listen bout you; has been since we were still deployed. Ever since I stepped on that IED and I told her you saved my life. She sent messages and called everyone, givin them news bout what was goin on and who you were. Most everyone probably just needs to put a face to the name. Yer gonna be fine, and if anyone gives you a hard time bout anythin, better just hope I find out before mama does.”
“I mean— there’s just so many people. It’s always just been basically me and Harry, then the Bozers. The thought of how large your family is and that a good chunk of them are going to be here is a bit overwhelming. And I haven’t exactly had a lot of practice in family dynamics.”
“That’s no problem. If you feel like it gets to be too much, or if the sight of everyone comin on is overwhelmin, you ain’t gotta stay and socialize. Yer free to hold up on yer room, or go into town if ya want. Lord knows I needed to hide for a while when I came home the first time. No one will think any less or find it strange that you need some time to yerself, specially round this family. You ain’t gonna be forced to do anythin you don’t wanna, but I will spent all our free time tellin you bout all the past reunions and the shenanigans we got up to. I will try to convince you to at least meet my cousin Nick; he works in Vegas at a crime lab. Bit of a nerd himself so I think you’d both get right along.”
***
Jack had done exactly what he said; spent the next few days telling Mac everything he could about past reunions and what the thing as a whole entailed. First two days would be people arriving, then they’d set up the tables outside for a big potluck, and then the next two days would be full of mainly catching up on life, and having games outside.
Mac would’ve been lying if he said the thought of a near week long family get together wasn’t unnerving. He had been convincing himself that he could make it through one day of meeting everyone, but a week of having to remember names and make small talk and talk about what he was doing there and his own family life—
It probably wouldn’t come to that, especially if Jack had anything to say about it. But he also knew Jack wasn’t going to be with him every second, and it was more than likely he would diverge some information about his own personal life. He’d rehearsed a whole fake conversation to figure out what he was going to say when people asked how he and Jack met.
“We were partnered together in the army. He was my overwatch for my last year.”
“And now you’re here. What made you want to come here?”
Every instance came to that question and he still didn’t know how to answer it without spilling his life story.
“Just about done? You’ve been peelin and choppin things for me all morning. Why don’t you go ahead and take a break?” Julia cut through his thoughts. “I’ll make us some lunch, then maybe you can help Jack outside with— whatever he said he was gonna do.”
Mac looked at his hands, then the assortment of bowls that littered the table and counters. He had been in there all morning; cutting and pealing an array of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in preparation of the various things that needed to be cooked for upward of forty people, of not more. It didn’t even seem to matter if everyone else was bringing food; whoever was hosting apparently was in charge of the bulk of it.
Jack had given him a brief rundown of everyone; basically cousins and extended family, but when he said that Nick himself had six siblings, whom all were married and had kids, he tuned the rest out, knowing he’d definitely need to ask for names more than once.
“Is this your way of kicking me out so I don’t try and help you cook because of what Bozer’s told you?” He asked with a smirk. “I’m not as hopeless as me makes me out to be.”
“Haven’t the slightest what you’re on about.” She winked. “I got Alice to help me when she gets here. Jack’s got the hard job of settin everything up outside by himself. Figured he probably enjoy your help.”
Mac did end up going out to find Jack, which didn’t take five minutes to do since Jack had rolled up on an ATV as Mac was making ready to check around for him.
“Mama finally kick you out? Don’t be offended; she doesn’t like anyone Alice to help with things.”
“And to think I would’ve been a perfect helper with my amazing cooking skills.” He rolled his eyes with a smirk. “I don’t suppose you need help with anything?”
“I think I can find a few things for you to do.”
***
One after the other, Mac watched trucks pull up the long dirt and gravel driveway. The most recent one that parked had six people get out of it and joined the ever growing group. He watched as Jack made his way through, carrying things to be loaded onto the ATV, no doubt greeting every single person he passed.
He could hear the laughter and chatter of everyone who was in the house, and it made him feel out of place. Again. He didn’t want to move for fear of the floor creaking and alerting someone he was up there. Jack said he could sit it out if he wanted, but somehow that felt just as bad as going to meet everyone. It seemed like a lose-lose situation for him.
A knock on his door startled him slightly. “Yes?”
Alice’s head popped in before she entered fully. “Got a sec to come help with a few things?”
He tried to keep his face neutral but assumed Alice saw something shift. “Yeah. Of course.”
She walked towards the window, looking at all her family members. “It was only a matter of time before Jack got himself caught by someone. Shoulda made him carry the heavy things.” She nudged him. “Overwhelming, huh?”
“Can’t really wrap my head around it.” A short laugh. “I don’t think I’ve know anyone to have such a large family.”
“These are all the ones we get along with. There’s a good handful of cousins that we just don’t really mesh with; don’t really know why either. Think daddy had a falling out with them at some point. We don’t really ever talk about them.”
“I understand that feeling.”
“Anywho, mama just needs some help with movin stuff from one place to the other; rearrange the furniture so there’s more room for people to take up floor space to mingle and watch tv. Pretty much gonna be shows for the kids, or football highlights.”
“Yeah, yeah of course.”
The two of them made their way to the main floor, Mac trailing after Alice, keeping his head down as they made their way through the living room and into the kitchen, trying to make himself small as to not attract attention. He knew it was for naught though. His hair made him standout like a spotlight. Of all the people he’d seen, nearly all of them had dark hair, and a few with dirty blonde. Mac’s own had been lighter than anyone else’s, and a good bit longer than any other guy that was there.
None of the immediate people that saw him seemed to pay him any mind, all focusing on each other in greetings, barely giving him a second glance. The ones that were focusing on him were some of the you get kids that were around, and in all fairness he didn’t know if being ignored by the adults there made him feel better or worse.
“Got your free laborer here, mama.” Alice called through the commotion, earning several sets of eyes go to them.
Being ignored definitely made him feel better.
“Don’t call him that. That’s what Jack’s for.” Julia pushed her way through the people, ushering and telling them to head outside with how cramped it was getting. “Go see who caught him and tell them both to go finish things up. Mac, honey, can you help with the furniture? I’m runnin behind.”
“Yeah, of course. Uh, any particular way you want it done?”
“There’s a few chairs in the basement if you could bring through up and just set them around. They’re gonna be moved all day. As long as they’re up here it’s perfect.”
Mac got to work moving the furniture and bringing the chairs up. He wasn’t really paying attention to the people around him but could feel their eyes on him in passing. He was trying to hard to make it seem like the whole situation wasn’t bugging him and when that didn’t work, he tries to go back into the mindset he first had when he enlisted; lots of new people he didn’t know but would get to.
That was fine. That was like any other situation. Getting to know new people was a regular thing that happened. It didn’t matter who they actually were, or if they all already knew each other, or that they were all one family, or—
“I can help you.”
The voice snapped Mac out of his thoughts. He looked to see a boy, maybe eleven with dark brown hair, at the opposite end of the couch.
“Uh…”
“Y’do need help right? Otherwise y’wouldn’t just be standin there.”
Mac hadn’t even realized; he’d been standing with his arms braced against the arm of the couch, looking like he was failing in trying to move it.
“Uh, yeah. That’d be great. Just— back a few feet.”
“Okay.”
In truth, Mac didn’t help. It wasn’t like he couldn’t move a couch by himself; it was definitely lighter than some of the gear he had to carry while deployed. But having the help was— nice? He didn’t see any adult tell the boy to offer assistance. Apparently he just took it upon himself to do it. A small gesture like that gave some more insight in to what he could expect from the next week.
“You’re Uncle Jack’s friend, right? From the army?”
Uncle Jack. “Yeah. We served together for just under a year. My name’s Mac by the way.”
“I’m Carter. Uncle Jack’s outside tellin everyone about his last year and how you saved his life.”
Mac snorted. Of course Jack would be talking about the single time Mac saved him. “It’s nothing in comparison to all the times he saved my life.”
“I think maybe he didn’t expect it. In the other times we all got together and he talked about what he did, he said it’s very brains and brawn.” Carter did his best Jack imitation, making Mac chuckle. “Never really said what he meant by it but my daddy said with how he was talkin earlier that he was surprised and still hasn’t gotten off that high, whatever that means.”
Mac stared at him for a moment as they finished moving the couch before another voice called through the house.
“Carter— leave Cousin Mac be! Lord knows it takes a special kind of person to deal with a Dalton, let alone a couple dozen of them. Come on now, we still got things in the truck to being out.”
Carter looked at Mac and shrugged before walking over to his assumed mother. “I’ll see you around.”
Mac just stood in the room then, watching as everyone that filed in had filed out, leaving only him and Julia remaining.
“Carter’s Ted and Wendy’s boy; typical twelve year old. They’re getting him into cattle roping. Oh, don’t worry about learning everyone’s name, or have the need to know who they’re talking about. There’s a few repeats and stories have gotten mixed up over the years so they’re probably not about who they were originally about, or they might not even be true anymore.” She smiled slightly, placing her hand on Mac’s arm. “You doing okay?”
Mac smiled and gestured to the furniture. “Was this a ploy to get me to come down?”
“Well, I thought it was a good way to ease you into it.” Julia said, filling his arms with foil pans full of ready-to-cook food. “Small handful of people just so you get an understanding about what to expect, though I’m certain that was probably the worst of the interrogations. I can tell you that Jack being held up outside is from everyone asking about his latest tour, and he’s jabbering on about you; singing your praises about how you saved his life.”
“He really seems hung up on that.” He snorted. “It wasn’t like it was a this great big decision. Jack needed help, so I helped.”
“You helped in a situation others would’ve thought it hopeless and left him to die. From what he told me, it was quite literally a life and death situation and you didn’t hesitate to help. That’s worth way more bragging than Jack’s done.”
Mac rubbed the back of his neck, still not used to any compliments he was given. “Well, I guess it makes sense— him talking about all the things that went on while we were deployed, because he did nothing but talk about his life here when we were out there.”
“That sounds like him alright.” Julia loaded her arms with a few things. “You ready to go out there? You get overwhelmed or anyone gives you any gruff, you just come on back in here. I’ll throw whoever out by their scruff if I have to. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Yeah, I think I’ll be okay with everything.”
“Alright then, let’s go.”
Mac followed Julia out of the house and through the crowd, nodding politely and greeting everyone who looked at him. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit intimidated, but the only reason was because it as Jack’s family. That was far from the first time he’d been in a group of people that large, but a group of Daltons was, in fact, on a whole other level. He could spot others that looked equally as overwhelmed and out of place as he did, and could only assume they were partners of family members.
“Right over here, sweetheart.” There had been several folding tables set up with various foods across them, and little hands grabbing at whatever they could. “I think that’s pretty much all for now. I do pretty much have to turn you loose; I need to finish my rounds of saying hi to everyone. Again, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. You’re more than welcome to go back into the house.”
The idea was tempting. “I think I’ll be okay. I was in the military. A family reunion shouldn’t be too much worse.”
Julia nudged him and winked. She made her way back through the crowd, getting lost in the sea of people almost immediately.
Mac stood there for a second. It was in that moment he didn’t even know what to do. He never had family reunions. He didn’t know what they normally entailed. When he was staying with the Bozers, they’d have family members over, hosted dinners and whatnot, but there was never more than ten people in the house at a time, not to mention they weren’t actually reunions.
The situation sent Mac back to when he was in school, specifically when he got moved up a grade. School had already been in for just about a two months, and Mac got thrown into a class where friendships had already been made and people already knew each other. He’d tried to make friends with other kids, but given how skinny he was, he looked so much younger than everyone else and no one really associated with him because of it.
“Yer far away right now.” A hand on his shoulder and a very recognizable voice startled him slightly. “You okay? You don’t gotta stay out here if you don’t want.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “You know you sound exactly like your mom? I think she’s told me that at least four times just since everyone started showing up.”
“Well she’s got good insight on you needin things to be drilled into yer head before you’ll actually believe them.” Jack nudged him. “Really though, you good? You got a look.”
“It’s called thinking, something I know you need to try more often.” Mac wasn’t going to let himself ruin that day for Jack. He knew that if he did go back inside and wait the whole thing out, Jack wouldn’t be able to enjoy himself to the fullest and more than likely visit him several times during the day.
“Nah, I’m good. That’s what I got you here for.” Jack clapped Mac’s shoulder, seemingly accepting the playful insult. “Come on then, I got a few people who’d love to geek out with you.”
Mac would enjoy himself, whether he wanted to or not.
“Hey bug man! I found someone who’ll give you a run for yer money!”
Jack had told Mac he was family.
“Pretty sure he beat yer record with Rufus too!”
And Mac was going to do everything in his power to make himself believe it.