“Sure seems like it. From where I’m sitting, Kady, it’s all starting to make sense now.”
I meet his gaze before he turns back to the road. “It’s not that simple, Mason. There are things about me that I’ve never talked about and it would be unfair and unkind of me to move in with you before you know them.”
“So tell me,” he demands as we pull into the driveway of the cabin. I shake my head.
“I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“It’s like that, then?” He puts the car in park and turns to look at me.
“Like what?”
Sighing, he looks away for a second, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Our one year anniversary is in two weeks and I’ve done everything I can to show you what you mean to me but you still don’t feel secure enough in us to tell me about your past.”
“I told you it’s not that simple.”
“Then simplify it for me, Kady!” he yells and I suck in a breath as tears burn my eyes. He glances over at me and whispers a curse before opening his door and jogging around the front of the car. When he gets my door open, he pulls me out of the car and wraps his arms around me as he buries his head in my neck. “I’m sorry.”
I shake my head. “No. I’m sorry. You didn’t ask for this mess and maybe I never should have agreed to that first date. Mason, you’re one of the best men I’ve ever met and you deserve so much more than me.”
“Hey,” he whispers, pulling back and brushing the back of his fingers on my cheek. “Don’t talk about the woman I love like that.”
“You love me?”
He sighs. “I probably should have told you before now but I’ve been doing my best to show you how I feel and I didn’t want to scare you off, especially after how long it took to even convince you to one date. And I realize that now it probably looks like I’m only saying this because your ex showed up but I’m really hoping you can see past that.”
I nod. “I can. I just…”
“Please don’t say anything right now, babe. You need time to process, I get that. Just tell me again that I have nothing to worry about.”
I press my hand to his cheek and smile. “Ancient history, I promise.”
“Do you want to go to the police?”
Oh, that is a bad idea.
For so many reasons.
“No,” I answer, pursing my lips. “I don’t want to ruin the rest of his life. I just want him to move on.”
He studies me for a second before nodding. “And you think he’ll eventually give up?”
No.
I nod. “Yes.”
“Okay, then.” He pulls away and grabs my hand as we begin walking up the path to my front door. When we get to the porch, I notice the single red rose laying in front of the door and sigh.
“From our unexpected dinner guest?” Mason asks and I nod as I lean down and scoop it up.
“I would assume so.”
He holds his hand out. “Do you want me to take it and throw it out?”
“Yes, please,” I answer, recognizing this for the test that it is as I hand the rose over to him. “Thank you.”
“Of course, baby.” He smiles and I lean up on my tiptoes to kiss him. A hum vibrates through his body as he wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer, kissing me with all the love and devotion he confessed to moments ago. Running my hand through his brown hair, my eyes flutter closed and a feeling of familiar comfort blankets me as his other arm wraps around my waist. He holds me close to him, like somehow if he keeps me close enough, he won’t lose me and it breaks my heart. When he finally pulls away, he smiles but I can still see the hint of vulnerability in his gaze. Leaning in again, I press another quick kiss to his lips before he sets me back on my feet.
“Have a good night, babe.”
I nod. “Call me tomorrow?”
“Of course. I’ve got a bunch of showings so I won’t be able to see you tomorrow but I’ll find some time to sneak away and check in on you.”
“Okay.” I press another kiss to his lips before digging my keys out of my bag and turning toward the door. The rose is laying on the porch again and it’s been trampled, its petals scattered around it. I smirk as I unlock the door and step inside. When I turn around to say good-bye to Mason, he leans in and kisses me one last time.
“I love you,” he whispers, avoiding my gaze. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Text me when you make it home,” I tell him, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze before releasing it. I watch him climb back in his car and back out of my driveway before closing the door and letting out a sigh. Jack cocks his head to the side, studying me as I plop down on the couch and drop my head into my hands.
What the hell am I going to do about this mess?
* * * *
Yawning, I stumble into the kitchen with Jack on my heels and grab a donut from the box of pastries Mason dropped off yesterday when he was picking me up for our date before turning on the coffee pot. As I carry my treat back over to the table, I sigh. I haven’t been sleeping well since Noah’s reappearance in my life but last night was especially bad as I replayed the scene at dinner over and over again in my head. Sinking into the dining room chair, I scoop my phone up off the table and pull up the text from Mason last night, letting me know that he got home safe, and send him a new message.
Me:
Good Morning :)
Call me when you can.
I toss the phone back onto the table and grab my donut before taking a bite and letting out a hum. Sugar and caffeine - that’s what I need to make it through the day. The dark, ominous clouds greeting me out of my kitchen window seem fitting for my mood today. Jack whines and plops his head down on my leg as he looks up at me with concern.
“What is that look for, huh?” I ask, scratching behind his ears. The motion sensor goes off and Jack’s head whips to the door, his entire body rigid as I stand up and walk to the window.
Shit.
Noah’s truck stops in front of the house and he steps out before reaching back inside and pulling out two coffees. As he slams the truck door and turns toward the house, I whisper a curse.
“Jack, bed,” I call and hear him snort behind me before the sound of his nails clicking against the floor fill the room. Jack is an excellent guard dog and if I didn’t order him to his bed when new people showed up at the house, he’d likely take someone’s arm off. I glance over my shoulder as he throws his large body into his bed with a pout and shake my head. “So dramatic.”
Noah knocks on the door and I point to Jack. “Stay.”
When I’m confident he’ll listen, I turn back to the door and take a deep breath before pulling it open. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, good morning to you, too, sweetheart.” He laughs, his gaze slowly falling down my body and back up again. “Gotta say, I love the pjs but I think I prefer the way you used to sleep with me.”
An image of the two of us in bed together pops into my mind and I grit my teeth to fight off the shiver of desire.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”