Careless Mistake
by Kelli
Part 26
Early September 2004...
"Mama?" Britney yelled as she entered the large foyer of the Kentwood mansion. "Now, where could grandma be?" Britney asked Mackenzie, who was resting on her hip. "She knew we'd be coming here."
Britney made her was to the back patio where she heard music. She smiled when she saw her mother kneeling by her garden, pulling weeds.
"Mama," she repeated.
Lynne looked up and smiled. "Well precious......just precious," she said as she took her gloves off and stood up.
She walked over to her daughter and granddaughter and held her hands out for Mackenzie to come into. She did readily.
"How's THE most beautiful little girl in the world?" Lynne asked before planting many kisses all over Mackenzie's face.
"I'm fine mama, how are you?" Britney teased.
Lynne laughed and leaned over to kiss Britney on the cheek. "How's one of the other most beautiful girl in the world?"
"I'm good," she smiled. "How are you doing?"
"I've been busy driving your sister around all over God's green earth."
"I bet you can't wait until she's old enough to drive."
"Yes and no.....I like having the control over her life right now."
Britney laughed. "I see. The garden's looking good," she said nodding towards it.
"It's getting there," she smiled at Mackenzie again. Then she looked back up at Britney. "Look at your hair," she said reaching out to touch it.
Britney turned her head around so her mom could see the back. It was a little shorter and layered and a little darker with distinct highlights in it.
"It was Justin's idea," she giggled.
"Well he's got good taste."
A little later on when Mackenzie was down for her nap Lynne came into the living room with a glass of tea for Britney and sat down next to her.
"So tell me about you and Justin.....not you and Justin the parents," Lynne said.
"We're good," Britney nodded.
"Just good? I want details.....is this going to be permanent?" Lynne asked before taking a sip of her tea.
Britney looked down at her cup. "I don't know," she sighed.
Lynne touched Britney's knee. She could tell her daughter had conflicting feelings inside.
"I mean when I was pregnant he laid it right out what he wanted." She looked up at her mom. "He wanted to marry me and he swore it wasn't because of the baby...."
"But you weren't sure....."
"Right. I wanted to be sure that it was because that's where we needed was to be together. Not because of the baby but because of us."
Lynne nodded. "And now?"
"He hasn't even mentioned marriage....or living together," she said with her eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, Brit....you two pretty much already live together...."
"Yeah but we still have two houses in LA and that's what bothers me the most for some reason," she says shrugging.
"Have you told Justin that?" Lynne asked. She rubs Britney's leg a little.
"No," she shakes her head. "We haven't talked about the future much....not that distant future at least. We pretty much just concentrate on where we're going to be tomorrow or next week."
Lynne gives her daughter a knowing look.
"I know, I know....I need to talk to him about what I'm feeling. I guess I'm just afraid," Britney said softly.
"About what?"
"That he changed his mind?" she chuckled through her new formed tears.
Lynne wrapped an arm around her daughter and pulled her close. "You know that boy loves you," she said, her cheek against Britney's.
"I know he does, mama."
"So what are you afraid of?"
"That when I pushed him away last December that it changed his feelings about our future together. Or maybe now that Mackenzie's here he really doesn't feel that same way toward me now. He realized it would have been a bad idea for us to get married," she said, wiping away a tear that was falling down her cheek.
"So what do you want? Do you want to marry him now?"
Britney stared straight ahead and jumped a little when her cell phone rang. She smiled at her mother before answering it.
"Hey," she said.
"Hi there. You at your mom's?" Justin asked.
"Yeah. We got here a couple of hours ago. Mackenzie's down for her nap right now."
"Oh good. I'm sure Lynne got lots of grandma time," he chuckled.
"Of course she did," Britney said, smiling at her mom.
"Good. I think it's just what Mackenzie needed. Living on a bus can't be that easy for an infant...."
"And she's been doing it a lot lately," Britney said softly.
"Yeah. But she's a good baby, I don't think we're ruining her for life or anything."
Britney smiled. "No, I don't think so either. So....what are you doing?" she asked, twirling a piece of hair around her finger.
"We're at the venue so I'm just hanging around."
"Good. Have you decided if you're staying here when you guys play New Orleans or if you're just going to stay in the hotel?"
"Brit.....I told you, don't get your hopes up," he pleaded.
"I'm not. I just wondered if you had heard anything," she said almost sadly.
"No, not yet. If we didn't have that interview on Friday I could stay there...."
"I know," she sighed. "It's just that we miss you already."
He smiled. "I miss you guys too and it's only been less than twenty-four hours," he chuckled.
"Is that all? It feels like forever."
His smile continued at her reply. "Well, I'll let you go. You getting caught up with your mom?"
"Yeah. We're just sitting here talking."
"Good. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Are you okay? You sound a little stuffy."
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Sinuses I guess."
"Okay. Give our angel a huge kiss for me, okay?"
"I will. I'll talk to you later, okay? Call me after your show when you're trying to wind down on the bus..."
"Oh, Joey and I were going to go to this club here. He's heard good things about it...."
A twinge of jealousy hits her.
"Oh....okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Have fun."
"I will. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye."
"Bye," she said, hanging up.
She set it down and stared at it.
"Something wrong?" Lynne asked her.
Britney didn't look at her mother but shook her head. "No, it's okay."
"Would you stop doing that?" her mom asked.
Britney chuckled. "He's going out with Joey tonight. It just made me....." She shrugged.
"Jealous?"
Britney looked over at her mom. "I wouldn't say jealous...."
"I would," Lynne laughed. "He won't be picking up any girls, don't worry. That boy's mind is on two females and that's it."
Britney smiled and leaned back.
"So he doesn't think he can stay here before their show?" Lynne asked.
Britney's eyes get sad and she shakes her head. "No, they've got an interview to do that Friday and something else to do I guess....."
"Why don't you leave Mackenzie here with me and you stay at the hotel with Justin before you have to leave for the next city?"
A slow smile spread across Britney's face. "I guess I could do that. He'll want to see Mackenzie for a little bit, though."
"We'll go surprise him and then after he spends some time with her I'll bring her back here. Your daddy will be back in town this weekend anyway so he can spend time with her so it will be good for all of us."
"Okay. But wait....I came here to spend time with you too," she started to protest.
Lynne placed her hand over Britney's. "Don't worry. We'll get quality time until you go see Justin. I think the two of you need this," she winked at her.
"I think you're right."
A couple of evenings later a car pulled into the Spears' driveway. Justin jumped out of the rental car and ran up to the front door. He knocked and stuck his hands in his pockets. When no one answered after a couple of minutes he rang the doorbell. Still no answer.
They must have went shopping or out to dinner. He took the key out of his pocket and let himself in.
"I thought they should have been here by now," Britney said as she looked out the window of Justin's hotel room.
"Do you see their bus?" Lynne asked as she bounced Mackenzie on her knee.
"No, but it might be around back. I'll call one of the other guys....who won't ruin the surprise?" she asked as she picked up her cell phone.
Jamie Lynn comes bounding into the room. "I just saw Lance. He said they've been checked in for about an hour now."
"Well where's Justin?"
Jamie Lynn giggled. "Our house."
Britney rolled her eyes and dialed Justin's cell phone.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hi.....guess where I'm at right now?"
"Ummmm shopping?"
She laughed. "No."
"Dinner?"
"No....I'm where I thought you were going to be and you're were you thought I was going to be."
He threw his head back against the back of the couch.
"Great surprises, huh?" he moaned.
"Yeah. Hurry up, get in your car and get your cute little ass over here. Mama is going to do us a favor," she whispered the last part.
"Oh really?" he asked, sounding intrigued.
"Yes. So drive carefully but hurry."
"I will," he said, already in his car. "I love you....bye."
"I love you too," she giggled before hanging up. "We need to plan our surprises more carefully and coordinate them with each other."
"Then it wouldn't be a surprise," Jamie Lynn said.
"I know that goober, I was just kidding," she said ruffling her sister's hair.
Finally Justin arrived at the hotel. He was greeted with hugs from all the ladies in the room and one joyous scream/giggle from Mackenzie.
"So, what's the favor your mom's going to do?" he asked Britney as he unpacked a couple of things from his suitcase.
"She's taking Mackenzie back to the house tonight....and tomorrow.....and Saturday...." she smiled.
His eyes lit up. "Wowwww. That's more than just a favor," he said standing up straight and then pulling her into his arms.
He leaned down and kissed her. "I think we'll owe her big time for that, huh?"
Britney nodded and pulled him down for another kiss.
There's a knock on the slightly opened door. "We're really hungry," Jamie Lynn said.
"Okay. Let's go out to eat," Britney said.
Justin gave Mackenzie one last kiss before handing her over to Lynne.
"I love you," he said as he stroked her cheek. "Be good for grandma."
"She's always good, aren't you sweetie?" Lynne asked the baby as she bounced her a little.
Justin leaned down and hugged Lynne. "Thanks for doing this. I think Britney and I really need it."
Lynne gave him a knowing nod and squeezed his arm as she winked at him.
Britney came back into the room with Mackenzie's diaper bag and she put it over Jamie Lynn's shoulder and then kissed her cheek. Then she hugged her mom and kissed Mackenzie's cheek.
"Bye angel. Mommy loves you."
Mackenzie started to babble.
Justin put his arm around Britney and she leaned into his side as they watched the three ladies leave. With one last wave they shut the door.
Britney sighed and then walked over to the couch.
"You okay?" Justin asked.
"Yeah. I'm getting better at this," she smiled.
He sat down next to her and laid his head on her left shoulder. She reached up with left hand and gently massaged his head, right above his ear. He closed his eyes.
"If you keep that up I won't last long," he sighed.
She softly giggled and turned her head to kiss his.
"I love you....I know we say it all the time but I'm really in love with you."
He lifted his head up and stared into her eyes.
"I'm in love with you too."
She cupped his face in her hands and pulled him toward her. Their lips met and instantly she wanted him. It felt like it had been so long since they had had this kind of quality time together.
Their tongues teased each other's and by the time they made it to the bedroom neither of them had a stitch of clothing on.
A little later Britney laid on her back and Justin rolled over and wrapped an arm around her waist as he rested his head on her upper chest. He sighed while she started to run her fingers through his hair.
"Remember what I said earlier?" she asked.
"What part?" he mumbled against her skin.
"The part about being in love with you?"
"Uh huh."
"I don't think that way because of Mackenzie..."
He scooted his head so he could look at her.
"I know," he said.
"You do?" she asked, smiling.
He nodded.
"How do you know?" She was curious.
"I can tell by the way you look at me."
"And how's that?" she whispered.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Like that. I don't feel like Mackenzie's daddy right now," he said inching his way up so he could get closer to her face.
She giggled against his lips. "Good because that's not the way I'm thinking about you right now."
