“Fair enough.” He put one hand at the back of her neck and tilted her head back to look at him. “But have you considered making us more permanent and making this your home?”
The wobbly smile and nervous laugh gave him hope. “Mason, I would never presume to think that’s what you want.”
“That’s exactly what I want.” He squeezed her hips. “Have you thought about us long term?”
It took her a second to work up the courage to say, “Yes.” The shy smile bloomed into a pretty blush on her cheeks. “We’ve always been friends. At one time, I thought maybe we could be more. But that was a long time ago. Now that we are together, it’s . . .”
“What?”
“So much better than I imagined. We have this easy way about us. It’s like everything is as it should be. I find myself leaving here and wishing I was still with you. I can’t wait to see you every day. I think about you constantly.” She brushed her hands up his arms. “When I watch you with the boys . . .” Her eyes turned dreamy and so sincere. “You’re wonderful with them. They really love you. The longing and missing their father I always saw in their eyes has dissipated. Don’t get me wrong, they still miss him and wish he was here, but now they have you to do things with them and show them how to be good men when they grow up. You filled a void in their lives. And in mine, too.”
“I love you. I love them.”
She sucked in a surprised gasp and leaned back in his arms, her eyes wide. “Is this happening right now?”
This time, he let loose a nervous laugh. “Yes. I want you to know how I feel about you. I want you to know I’m all in with you, the boys, and our life together.”
“Mom! Are you coming, or what?” Danny called from the kitchen.
Mason deflated, knowing the rest of this conversation would have to wait. He let loose his hold on Sierra and gave her some space.
She fisted her hand in his tee and held him still, then called out to the boys. “We’ll be right there.” She locked eyes with him and said the words he needed to hear. “I love you, too. I think I have since the beginning.”
He didn’t know if she meant since they got together or from back in the day when their friendship had been just as easy and essential in his life as it was now.
“As much as I want to leap into this with you, I have to think about the boys. Their whole lives have been uprooted. They’re adjusting to a new place, a new school, and making new friends. I’m not sure they’re ready for more.”
He opened his mouth to make his case, but she touched her fingers to his lips to stop him.
“I love that you want us to be part of your life right now. My heart says yes to all of it.”
“But you want to talk to the boys, see where they’re at with you and me and moving in here.”
“Yes. They didn’t get a say in their father leaving, or their house burning down, or us moving back here. Everything has just happened to them. If you and I are going to build a life together, I want them to have their say.”
“I’m pretty sure they’ll be happy here.”
She smiled. “So am I. You’re here.”
“So are the horses and Tom.” The boys loved the animals. Maybe he’d finally get a dog. The boys would love that.
“I think they like you more.”
He caressed her face and kissed her softly. “I like you more than anything.”
Her eyes softened as she took that in.
He kissed her again, knowing she understood how he felt and what he wanted. He could even appreciate that she wanted to do right by her boys and put them first. Too many of his clients never gave a thought to what their kids wanted.
“Mom! Seriously. You’re taking forrrr-everrr.”
Mason chuckled. “I think they’re getting restless.”
“When aren’t they?” She stepped back. “I forgot to tell you. I got the insurance settlement for the contents of the house in the mail this morning. I planned to use it to get me and the kids a new place, but I guess I’ll have to rethink that idea.” She gave him a knowing smile, brightening his day even more.
“Put it away for the boys’ college.”
She nodded and tipped her head. “If your investigator would hurry up and tell me what happened to the fifty grand, I could make better decisions. I’ve still got the loan, plus the mortgage on the house to pay. Do I rebuild, then sell, or simply sell the property and get out from under it?” She held her hands up, then let them drop, unsure what she should do.
She tapped him in the gut. “I hope you have news for me soon.”
He let her walk out of the office without him saying anything about the file in his briefcase and what he knew.
He should tell her. Now.
But he didn’t want to ruin the day or have her think back to the first time he told her he loved her and then crushed her with bad news.
He’d waited this long to speak up. It could wait a little while longer. He didn’t relish confirming what deep down she suspected about the father of her children. Guessing was one thing: knowing was another matter entirely.
Damn David for being a son of a bitch, for lying to his wife and going behind her back the way he did. He was just as bad as some of Mason’s worst clients.
Mason vowed he’d never treat Sierra like that.
It suddenly struck him that if he didn’t tell her the truth now, he was lying to her. And he’d never lie to her. He’d love her and the boys and give them the life David promised them but destroyed.
David had been a coward. Mason refused to be the same.
I need to tell her the truth. Now.
“Sierra,” he called, walking out of the office before he stopped short and found Amy with her two kids in his living room.
“Look who stopped by.” Sierra smiled at him but her eyes held a question.
“I’m so sorry to just show up. I just need to know . . . I have to figure this out,” she rambled, then pushed her two kids toward Sierra. “Go with your aunt. I need to talk to Mason alone for a minute.” The frantic energy coming off Amy made him wonder what happened to make her rush here to talk to him.
This time, he sent a questioning look to Sierra. She shrugged and gathered her niece and nephew into her sides. “Let’s go see what kind of snack Mason has in the kitchen.”
Mason called after her. “I need to tell you something.”
Amy cut him off from going after Sierra. “Please. This can’t wait.”
“Later.” Sierra gave him an apologetic smile and disappeared into the kitchen.
Mason huffed out a sigh and focused on Amy. “What can I do for you?”
“Did my husband speak to you about divorcing me?”
Taken aback, he shook his head. “No.” He didn’t want the kids to overhear, so he held his hand out toward his office. “Let’s step in here and talk about this.”
Amy walked in ahead of him, paced back and forth in front of his desk, then turned to him. “He’s planning to leave me. I know he is.”
“Did he say so?”
“No. But since the weekend you took the kids to breakfast, we’ve barely spoken. He spends even more time at the office. He walks in the house, looks around, then just . . . I don’t know, goes quiet.”