Mason Wolfe (Wolfe Brothers Series, Book Three)

by Sandi Lynn

  “Hey, you have a second?” she asked as she emerged from her room.

  “Sure. I was just going to ask you the same thing.”

  “I just wanted to let you know that I’m moving out, but you don’t have to worry about the rent because I will give you my half up front.”

  I swallowed hard as I stood there and listened to her.

  “Sara, you don’t have to move out. Where would you go?”

  “California. I’m moving to California,” she nervously spoke.

  “What? Why?” My brows furrowed and my heart began to race.

  “I’m pursuing my dream of becoming a surgeon, and I got offered a trauma fellowship at Cedars Sinai working under Dr. Grace Harper-Finn.”

  “What about your mother?” I asked as I stood there in disbelief.

  “This is what my mother would have wanted me to do. A couple weeks ago, I visited her, and she told me how proud she was of me for becoming a trauma surgeon. That really hit me hard and I knew I wasn’t living my life to my full potential and she wouldn’t be proud of me for that. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know.”

  “When are you moving?”

  “I’m leaving tomorrow. I’ll send for my things once I get settled and find a place.”

  “Tomorrow? How long have you known about this?”

  “A couple days. It all happened so fast.”

  “You quit your job?”

  “I had no choice. My boss understood. He said it happens, and he wished me luck. Did you need to talk to me about something?”

  “Um, actually I forgot what I wanted to ask you.”

  “Oh. Okay. If you remember, I’ll be in my room finishing up packing.” She began to walk away.

  “Sara?”

  “Yeah?” She turned around.

  “I’m really happy for you. I know you’ll be a great surgeon.”

  “Thanks, Mason.” She gave me a small smile and went to her room.

  I felt like I had been ripped apart inside. But most of all, for the first time in my life, I felt my heart break.

  Three days later

  I had been working the past couple of days and I’d made sure I wasn’t home when she left. Probably a dick move on my part, but I already felt the pain of her leaving, and I couldn’t bear to watch her walk out of the apartment with her luggage. I hadn’t talked to my brothers at all about her moving to California. In fact, I hadn’t talked to anyone in a couple of days except my friends at the station.

  “Hello, darling.” My mother smiled when I walked into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Mom.” I kissed her cheek.

  After I said hi to the entire family, I went into the living room and poured myself a double scotch. This was the last place I wanted to be.

  “Hey, bro,” Nathan spoke as he hooked his arm around me. “I have great news.”

  “What is it?”

  “The townhouse next to me just went up for sale and it’s listed at a bargain price. It’s perfect for you and you can afford it.”

  “Why is it listed at a bargain price?”

  “Mr. Bentley passed away, god rest his alcoholic soul, and Mrs. Bentley decided the place was too big for just her and her six cats. So, she’s looking to get rid of it quickly and priced it way below market value to get rid of it faster. Now, it needs some work, but what place doesn’t. Anyway, I knew you’d love the idea, so my realtor is calling you tomorrow to set up a tour of the place.”

  “Nathan, come on.”

  “Come on, what?” Elijah asked as he walked into the room.

  “I was just telling Mason here about the townhouse next to me.”

  “Great bargain, bro.” He pointed at me. “You’d be stupid not to take it.”

  “You two do realize that I am in the middle of a lease, right?”

  “No big deal. Sara is still living there. Just give her your half of the rent for the remainder of the lease,” Nathan said.

  “She moved out.”

  “What?” Elijah asked.

  “She got a trauma fellowship at Cedars Sinai in California.”

  “Shit. I didn’t see that one coming,” Nathan said.

  “When is she leaving for California?” Elijah asked.

  “She left a couple days ago. Once she gets settled and finds a place, she’ll send for the rest of her things.” I threw back my drink and slammed my glass down on the bar.

  “Bro, I’m sorry,” Nathan said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “But you have no one to blame but yourself. You fucked up in a big way and you did nothing to make it right.”

  “Do you love her?” Elijah asked.

  I stared at him for a moment because I had never admitted to him or Nathan about how I felt.

  “Yes. I’m madly in love with her, she’s gone and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

  “Boys, dinner is ready. Everyone in the dining room.”

  “Don’t say a word about this. Do you understand me?” I pointed to both of them.

  We took our seats in the dining room and as we were passing around the mashed potatoes, Nathan opened his big fucking mouth.

  “Sara moved to California to do a trauma fellowship at Cedars Sinai. Our little brother over here won’t tell her that he loves her and is feeling sorry for himself. Sorry bro, consider this an intervention.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Is this true, darling?” my mother asked.

  “Yes!” I shouted.

  “We will discuss this in private after we eat.”

  “There’s nothing to discuss, Mother. This is her dream, and I’m not going to confess my feelings to her and try to hold her back. She’s made her decision.”

  The rest of dinner was quiet, and I was going to kill Nathan the first chance I got. After we finished eating, I stood up, walked over to my mother and kissed her cheek.

  “I need to get going. Thanks for dinner, Mom.”

  “You’re not going anywhere. You are to go sit down in the living room and wait for me.”

  “Mom—”

  She held up her finger.

  “I said go sit down in the living room.” Her voice was stern.

  I sighed as I rolled my eyes, went into the living room and poured myself a drink.

  “Did Dr. Sara really move to California?” Ruby asked as she sat down next to me.

  “Yeah, Ruby. She did.”

  “I don’t want her to move away. I like her.” She pouted.

  “I don’t want her to move away either, kid.”

  “Ruby, darling. Can you go play with Mila for a while?”

  “Sure, Grandma.”

  I sat there with a drink in my hand while Elijah and Nathan stood directly in front of me with their arms crossed and my mother sitting next to me.

  “We’re doing this because we love you, darling. You know this family sticks together.”

  “Mom’s right, bro. We’re doing this because we want you to be happy and if you don’t try to get her back, you’ll be one miserable prick,” Nathan said.

  “There is nothing I can do. Why can’t you understand that? This is her life. It’s always been a dream of hers to become a trauma surgeon.”

  “She can become a trauma surgeon here in New York,” my mother spoke. “There’s no reason for her to have to move to California to become one.”

  “If you would have told her from the beginning how you felt, she most likely wouldn’t have moved across the damn country. She did it to get away from you,” Elijah spoke. “You don’t think it hurts her to the core that she told you she loved you and you flat our rejected her? And to make matters worse, you two live together and she has to see you all the damn time. You are nothing but a constant reminder of pain to her. I don’t blame her one bit for moving away.”

  “Yeah, bro. Give her a reason to come back home,” Nathan said. “You have to tell her how you feel about her.”

  “It’s too late.” I shook my head.

  “It’s never too late, darling. Our last name is Wolf
e, and we don’t stop until we get what we want. If you truly love that girl and you want her in your life, then you need to make it happen. You get your ass on a plane and go to California and bring her home. You tell her that she belongs here in New York with you and you don’t hold anything back. I know it’s scary, trust me. If I can do it, so can you. You are my son and I believe in you. The sooner the better.”

  I sat there and rubbed the back of my neck as I thought about her.

  “Can you get me a private jet for tomorrow?”

  “I’ll make the call now.” My mother grinned as she walked out of the room.

  “I’m proud of you, bro,” Elijah spoke.

  “What if she says no?”

  “She won’t,” Nathan said. “When two people are meant to be together, things have a way of working themselves out. And you and Sara are meant to be together.”

  “He’s right, Mason,” Elijah spoke. “Look at our family and how things worked out for me and Nathan. Aspen and Allison were put in our path for us to love them for life, and Sara is no different, and you damn well knew it when you let her move in with you.”

  “Damn, bro. That was deep,” Nathan said as he placed his hand on Elijah’s shoulder.

  “The jet will be waiting for you at the airport tomorrow morning at eight a.m.” my mother spoke as she walked into the room.

  “Then I better go because I have some calls to make and I have to pack a bag.”

  “Good luck, little brother,” Elijah said as he gave me a hug.

  “Yeah. Good luck, bro. I know you’ll do good.” Nathan gave me a wink.

  I stopped at the station on my way home to talk to my chief and rearrange my schedule.

  “How long do you need?” he asked.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I’d say a week to be safe.”

  He sat there and slowly nodded his head.

  “Okay, Captain. I have approved your time off. I’ll cover the next couple shifts for you and I’ll get the rest covered. Go get Sara and bring her home.” He smiled.

  “Thanks, Chief. I owe you big time.”

  “You’re right. You do, and I will be calling on that favor one of these days.” He winked.

  “Anytime, Chief. Anytime.” The corners of my mouth curved upward.

  Chapter 39

  Sara

  California would be the start of a new life for me. After meeting with Dr. Grace Harper-Finn, I knew I’d made the right decision to accept the fellowship. Even though I didn’t want to leave New York, I knew I didn’t have a choice. I needed to make a fresh start, somewhere out of New York, out of that apartment and away from Mason. This was the perfect opportunity for me, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

  The next morning, I got up early and started apartment hunting before I had to be at the hospital. I found two places I liked, and both had immediate occupancy. Now, I just had to decide on which one I liked best.

  I was standing in the E.R. talking to Grace and her husband, Jamieson, when I heard someone call my name. Turning around, I stood there in shock and disbelief when I saw Mason standing there. Instantly, my heart rate picked up its pace, and a sick feeling took over me.

  “Mason, what are you doing here?”

  “Sara, you don’t belong here. You belong back in New York with me. I love you and I want you to come home.”

  It mortified me that he did that in the middle of the ER. I looked over at Grace and Jamieson as they stood there with smiles on their faces.

  “That man has balls. I like him,” Jamieson spoke.

  “Go on, Sara. Talk to him. It’s okay.”

  “I’m so sorry. Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I think it’s sweet.” Grace gave me a wink.

  I walked over to him, grabbed his arm and dragged him out the doors of the ER.

  “Mason, for the love of God, what do you think you’re doing?”

  “We need to talk, Sara. Somewhere private.”

  “You could have just called me!” I spoke through gritted teeth.

  “No. I didn’t want to talk over the phone.”

  “So you flew all the way out here?”

  “Yes, I did. I flew out here for you. Please hear me out.”

  “I’m in the middle of work. Come to my hotel room around eight o’clock. I’m staying at the Sofitel Hotel, Room 240.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” He placed his hand on my cheek.

  I walked away as my heart pounded. I was shaking, and I needed to sit down, so I went into the doctor’s lounge and took a seat.

  “I saw you walk in here, are you okay?” Grace asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Who is he?” She smiled as she sat down next to me.

  I told her all about him and our friendship we had back in New York. After my shift was over, I headed to the hotel and changed my clothes before Mason arrived. My nerves were getting the best of me and I couldn’t seem to calm down, so I did a shot of whiskey before there was a knock at the door.

  “Hey.” I opened the door as the sick feeling in the pit of my belly erupted.

  “Hi.” The corners of his mouth slightly curved upward as he stood there with his hands tucked into his pants pockets.

  “Come in,” I gestured.

  “Thanks. How is the fellowship going so far?”

  “It’s great. I’m loving it.” I sat down on the edge of the bed while he paced back and forth.

  “Sara, listen, I’m sorry about us. I’m sorry for the things I said and didn’t say to you.”

  “Mason—”

  “Let me finish.” He knelt down in front of me and grabbed both my hands with his. “I should have told you how I felt instead of pushing you away, but I was terrified.”

  “So was I. Do you know how hard it was for me to open my heart to you? I told you about my father. I have never told anyone that before.”

  “I know, sweetheart, and I love you. I should have told you that day instead of cutting off our relationship. I’ve been in love with you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I just wouldn’t admit it because I couldn’t. I miss you so much, and I miss what we had. Even though we said it was a friends with benefits relationship, we both knew it was more than that. You knew it, I knew it, hell, my family even knew it. I used to pride myself on being this awesome bachelor and not getting involved with anyone like Elijah and Nathan. But all that went out the window the day you moved in with me. It felt right being with you and when you’re not around, I feel it deep in my soul. I feel empty inside. I never allowed myself to get involved with someone, and now I know why. I would love to blame it all on my daddy and mommy issues, but the truth is, I was waiting for you the entire time. No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”

  Tears filled my eyes as I listened to every word he spoke.

  “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I would give up everything to be with you. I want your problems to be my problems. I want to hold you in my arms at night before we fall asleep, and I want to wake up to you every morning, to your smile and to your lips. You told me that your father left a scar on your heart. I want to be the one to take that scar away and make your heart whole again. I want you to be able to trust, and I want you to trust me because I promise that I will never hurt you again. I love you, Sara, and I want you to come back home with me for good.”

  Uncontrollable tears streamed down my face as he brought his hand up and gently wiped them away.

  “I can’t, Mason. I’m sorry. This is where I need to be and I’m staying. I’m sorry you came all this way. I just can’t. My mind is already made up.”

  He slowly nodded his head as he brought my hands up to his lips and tears streamed down his face.

  “I understand. You have to do what’s best for you.” He let go of my hands and stood up.

  “Good luck to you, Sara. I wish you the best, and I will never forget what we had.” He turned and headed for the door.

  “I’m so sorry,
Mason.”

  The moment he walked out the door, I jumped up from the bed and ran to it as I pressed my hand against the door.

  “Mason,” I whispered, and I lost it.

  I didn’t think I had ever cried so hard in my life. I crawled into bed, curled into a fetal position and sobbed until I could barely breathe. The stabbing pain in my heart was unbearable, but I had no choice. I’d made a decision, and I needed to follow through. This was my future, and I knew this wouldn’t let me down.

  Chapter 40

  Mason

  I left California that same night a broken man. When I got home, I locked myself in my apartment and drank. I called Elijah and Nathan and told them I was on my way home alone and I didn’t want to be bothered. They extended their sympathies and respected my wishes until the fourth day when there was an obnoxious pounding on my door.

  “Open up, bro. Enough is enough,” Nathan said.

  “Yeah. Open up, little brother.” I heard Elijah’s voice.

  Stumbling out of bed, I opened the door and turned away.

  “Damn, you look like shit,” Nathan said.

  “When was the last time you showered?” Elijah asked.

  “What do you guys want? I told you I didn’t want to be bothered.”

  “Well, you can thank us because Mom was on her way over here and we stopped her, so you’re welcome,” Nathan said.

  Elijah walked over to the Keurig and made me a cup of coffee while Nathan grabbed a garbage bag and threw all the empty scotch bottles and pizza boxes away.

  “Drink up.” He handed me my coffee. “We’re not here to lecture you or anything. We’re here to check up on you and make sure you’re okay.”

  “Which we can clearly see you’re not,” Nathan said.

  “I poured my heart and soul to her and she didn’t care.”

  “It’s not that she didn’t care,” Elijah said.

  “Did she cry?” Nathan asked.