“My pleasure, Lauren,” he said, softly. Then came that smile again, and I felt the breath in my throat come to a complete halt. He stood there, eyes locked on mine, and for a split second I felt as though he was going to lean down kiss me. “I’ll watch you in.” He turned his head away slightly.
With a nod I walked past him. “Night.” I looked back.
He smiled and nodded. “Night.”
Once in the house I locked the door, peeking out the window to see if he had gone. He stood there a moment. Then when I turned off the patio light, he started to walk away. My heart was racing and I hadn’t noticed until I was alone.
CHAPTER FOUR
The next morning I woke up feeling horrible, although thankful that there were no visits to the porcelain god in the middle of the night. Rolling over to the edge of my bed, I dragged my legs over the side and sat a moment. With my head in my hands I breathed slowly before standing. I dragged the brush through the tangled mess on my head and then tied my hair up in a bun. I stood in front of my closet and chose some clothes to throw on. I was expecting Cassie to show up at some point today.
My mom was happy that I joined her for breakfast. It had been a few days, with Cassie dropping by and all, since Mom and I had had more than a moment to talk.
“Morning ,” she said with a big smile. “I made some bacon. Did you want some fresh eggs as well?”
“Sure,” I replied, taking a seat after pouring a mug of coffee.
“How was your night? I heard you come in late last night,” she asked.
“It—was fun,” I said with a shrug. “Forgot what the night life was like out here.”
“Who was the boy who walked you home?” she asked, smirking. Of course that was what my mother noticed.
“Were you spying?” I scoffed, turning to look at her. She stood at the stove, scrambling the eggs.
“No, I heard voices outside my window and got up to check,” she said nonchalantly.
“Oh.” I sat back in the chair. “It was Mason Foster,” I said, letting out a long sigh.
“Mason Foster, really?” she replied, a bit of surprise in her tone. “Yeah, turns out he is Cassie’s cousin.”
“Oh, right. I always forget that.” She chuckled.
“So you know Mason, then?” I asked, resting my elbows on the table.
“Well, I don’t know him well, just know of him,” she replied. “I knew his mother.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
She walked over to me, with the pan in her hand, scooping the eggs onto my plate. Then she turned on the water to scrub the pan.
“Well—I’ve heard that he has a way with the ladies.” She chuckled. “He has a bit of a reputation, you know.”
“I sort of got that vibe from him,” I replied.
“His mother isn’t too pleased with his playboy attitude, though. I always told her it will take the right woman to change him.” She giggled again.
“What’s so funny?”
“Just something I remembered.” She sighed.
“You can’t say that and not elaborate, Mom. Come on. Tell me,” I demanded.
She sat across from me, pouring a mug of coffee. I waited in anticipation. “One of the ladies at the country club found him indisposed with the coat check girl. His mother practically pulled him out of the building by his ear.” She shook her head, laughing. “I’m sure he got a good tongue lashing from her that night because he never stepped out of line again.”
“When was this?”
“I think it was that summer you came home.” She spooned eggs into her mouth.
“The time that I brought Matt,” I asked.
“Yes, that was the year,” she said. I stared off, dazed. “Eat, dear, before it gets cold.” I nodded and ate a spoonful of eggs. “What are you up to today?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard from Cassie yet. I figure I would just go into town, see if I run into anyone.”
“I haven’t seen many of your friends since you moved,” she replied, sipping her coffee.
“Really?”
“Last I heard, Devon moved to Washington.” She tapped her lip. “Eva went to school in New York, and Tori married some rich guy and then divorced him and married someone else.”
“Oh well, window shopping is fun.” I shrugged.
“I need to get a few things. Do you mind if I join you?” she asked.
“No, not at all.” I smiled, happy to spend time with my mom.
In town Mom parked the car at the end of the strip mall, and we walked together to her first stop, the pharmacy. I leaned up against the window outside, waiting, smiling back at anyone who smiled as they passed me.
“Lauren?” a woman called out. I turned to my right and saw an old friend from high school walking towards me. She was with a small child and pregnant with another.
“Sara?” I said squinting, hoping I was right. “Yeah,” she said, hugging me. “Wow, you look great. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Thanks.” I did the friendly thing and hugged her back. “You look great too. A mom, huh. Wow that’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I love it.” She rubbed her belly then motioned to her son. “This is Trevor. His daddy is Michael Armstrong. Do you remember him?”
“Yeah,” I lied.
“Anyway, I should be going. I have an appointment with my baby doctor.” She grinned, pointing to her protruding belly.
“Okay.” I continued to smile. That’s when my mother walked out.
“Hello, Sara,” she said as she joined me. Sara waved and smiled, walking away. “Her husband is sleeping with the nanny,” my mom whispered, taking my arm in hers.
“Mom!” I gasped. “Really?”
“Oh yeah—she knows it too, pretends she has no idea. I’m pretty sure that baby isn’t his anyway,” she replied.
“Have you become the town gossip in my absence?” I laughed, resting my head on her shoulder.
“Speaking of gossip,” she said as she slowed the pace of her walk. I straightened, noticing Mason walking towards us.
My heart started to race and I was feeling light headed. “Morning, Mrs. Miller, Lauren.” He smiled and nodded.
“Mason,” my mother replied. “I—just need to slip in here,” she said and walked away.
“Sleep well?” he asked, stepping closer.
“Fine, thanks. You?” I gulped.
“Like a baby.” He smirked.
I sucked in a breath and looked down at the ground. I had never felt this awkward around a guy before. Mason had a way of doing that to me. “You look great,” he added.
My eyes danced. I didn’t know what to say. “Thanks.” I blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Damn that smile of his.
“That’s a different look for you,” he said.
“What?” I asked, crossing my arms, waiting for his smart-ass remark.
He leaned in close to my ear. “Bashful,” he whispered. “It’s endearing.” I couldn’t help the flare of red that brightened my cheeks as he stepped back.
“Oh.” With a gulp I stepped back. My knees felt weak and I needed to sit down.
“Are you all right?” he asked, grabbing my arm.
“Yeah. I—I’m just a little lightheaded.” I turned around looking for a place to sit. Mason followed, looking down, his eyes focused on me.
“You are going pale. Are you sure you’re okay?” He knelt in front of me, his hand on my knee. His touch sent shivers up my leg.
“Yep.” I said, patting his hand and removing it from my knee. He smiled and laced his fingers together at his legs.
“Mason?” A blond woman came walking towards us. I watched as he winced and left out a long heavy sigh as he stood.
“Gabriella,” he said, forcing a smile before turning to face her. She walked up to him and kissed both his cheeks.
“What are you doing? Are you rescuing another damsel in distress?” She bellowed linking her arm with his. She ba
rely even glanced at me.
“No, just talking to a friend.” His eyes found mine and he winked. My heart pattered. “This is Lauren Miller.”
“I remember,” she said with a frown. “We should get going. Mom is waiting.” She turned to walk away. I bit down on the insides of my lips and looked down at the ground. My mother was right about Mason. He was still a playboy. His body turned to face me, but I didn’t look up at him.
“Sorry about that.” He said.
“Oh, don’t apologize. I should have known.” I said and got to my feet.
His lips slowly parted. “What does that mean?” he scoffed. As I made an attempt to walk past him, he blocked my path.
“Please, Mason, don’t act as if you don’t know what I mean.” I shook my head and walked into the pharmacy, tracking my mother down. When I found her, she was standing by the window, watching us. She gave me a sympathetic smile.
“Don’t do that again,” I grumbled and turned to find Mason staring at me through the glass, his eyes wide and his jaw clenched tight. To avoid his stare, I quickly turned away and pulled my mother towards the door. I knew what she had been up to when she dashed into the pharmacy, leaving Mason and I alone, because she had already been there.
“Was that his girlfriend?” she asked, nodding in their direction. I looked up, watching him get in a red 2013 Ferrari. Definitely not the car he drove the other day. He stopped, turned and stared in my direction over the hood of his car.
“Where else do you have to go?” I asked, avoiding her question. In reality it stung a little but I also didn’t want to know who that was because I was not going to get tangled in the mess that was Mason.
Later that afternoon, Cassie called and asked me to join her for a late dinner with Charlie and his friends. With a slight hesitation, I agreed to join them. To be fair my hesitation was more based on the fact that I really didn’t want to run into Mason again. After all they were family and it was inevitable that if I was with Cassie Mason was close by.
I quickly changed into something a little more suitable, putting half my hair up in a clip to keep it from my face.
“How do I look, Mom?” I asked, walking down the stairs to the main floor.
“Terrific, honey,” she said with a smile. “Where are you headed?”
“Cassie is taking me to dinner at the country club.”
“Oh, back into the old habits, huh?” she grinned.
“I guess,” I said, leaning on the door frame. “It’s where Cassie goes.”
“I know. I remember,” she said and turned to leave. I stood there with my hands on my hips, confused by her tone.
“You used to be a member, Mom. I don’t understand why you turn your nose down at it now. Being part of the club isn’t a bad thing.”
“You’ve been there lately. You tell me.” She shrugged and disappeared around the corner.
Then the doorbell rang.
When I answered the door, Cassie stepped through, hugging me right away. Then she looked me over and nodded.
“Very cute. Love today’s outfit,” she said.
“Thanks,” I replied, grabbing my purse off the counter.
This time I had thrown on a pair of sleek black cigarette pants on; a cream sleeveless blouse, tucked in; and these cute red patentleather pumps. When we got outside, I spotted Charlie leaning on the hood of his black Porsche Panamera GTS. As we approached him, I noticed two others sitting in the back seat. I held in a sigh, hating that I was the fifth wheel, but climbed in next to the couple and smiled anyway. When she said friends, I didn’t think couples.
“Lauren,” I introduced myself.
“Carson, and this is Olivia,” Carson said as he shook my hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Olivia said, following suit. The fake smile on my face stretched wide.
The country club was busy. We stopped behind a line of cars, and everyone piled out. Charlie handed his keys to the valet who approached him. Then his hand instantly took Cassie’s. Carson and Olivia followed. I, however, startled by a voice from behind me, turned before taking a step forward.
“Bunch of stuffed -up snobs, huh?” the handsome blond joked. I looked at him queerly, then turned, looked at the other valets, noticing that this guy wasn’t wearing a uniform. I turned back to face him, a little wary.
“I’m sorry ?” I said, my eyes automatically narrowing. His cheek flushed and then he chuckled. “Sorry, I thought—” I interjected, saving him from embarrassment. “It’s okay.” “Daniel.” He held out his hand.
“Lauren.” I accepted. We managed to get through the front
doors uninterrupted. “Are you new here?” I asked.
“Sort of,” he replied, looking around the large dining room. “You?”
“Not really.” I shrugged.
Then Cassie called out to me. As I turned, she was waving me
down. “Lauren, come on.”
I turned back to Daniel. “I should—”
“Of course. Sorry to bother you,” he said and turned to walk
away.
“You didn’t bother me,” I said, touching his arm before he got
away.
His lips curved slightly. “Good to know. Enjoy your meal.”
Then he reached down, took my hand and kissed it. I smiled. Whoever said chivalry was dead?
“You too,” I said, then slowly started walking towards Cassie. I
noticed, out of the corner of my eye, Mason leaning against the
pillar by the window, his eyes on me, arms folded across his chest.
When Cassie spoke, my attention diverted from Mason to her. “Who was that?” Cassie asked, looking over my shoulder. “Uh—Daniel?” I replied.
Her brow arched. “He was handsome.”
“Yeah, he was, wasn’t he?” I said.
Briefly, I glanced in Mason’s direction. He was still watching
me. I should have stuck to my senses and said no to Cassie about
joining them for dinner at the country club. I knew Mason was
going to be here. After I took a seat, Mason started to walk in my
direction. My heart pounded harder and harder against my chest.
Then I was thoroughly disappointed when he kept walking. “You always seem to meet the cute ones,” Cassie teased. “Yeah,” I muttered, still watching Mason. “What’s wrong with
Mason today?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, looking at me, then over at
Mason. “Why? Do you have a thing for him?” she asked, grasping
my forearm. “I don’t care if you do, but I must warn you first.” “No. God, no.” Who was I kidding I couldn’t stop thinking
about him since that first day in the forest. “I’ve heard all about
Mason,” I said. My neck craned to follow where he was headed.
He exited the dining area and I let out a sigh. “What’s on the
agenda for tonight?” My attention was on Cassie again. “The club again,” Cassie replied. “There’s nothing else going
on right now.”
“I’m game for that. This time I’ll even dress up,” I said. Cassie
grinned. Then the waiter walked up, taking our drink order. “So, Lauren. Tell us a little something about you.” Charlie
asked, sitting back in his chair, wrapping an arm around Cassie.
“Why has it taken this long for Cassie to introduce us?” “Oh, uh, well—I have been living in L.A. for the past few
years,” I replied.
“Living the high life. How exciting. What was it like?” Carson
asked.
“It was fun.” I shrugged, wanting to change the subject. This
was a conversation I didn’t want to have.
“What brought you back to Portland?” he asked.
“Her mom was in need of some help,” Cassie interrupted,
saving me. Charlie glared as if to scold her for interrupting. “Yeah—uh, my dad pass
ed away, so Mom’s been alone all this
time. I figured it was time for a change of scenery.” A little white
lie didn’t hurt. I gave Cassie a nod, thanking her for saving me.
She smiled back. I preferred to be the silent one on these outings.
The waiter approached the table again, this time with our drinks
and took our food order. Nobody had even glanced at their menu
yet but they all ordered anyway. When my turn came around, I
just ordered the usual: lamb, wild rice and veggies.
“So, Lauren, are you single?” Charlie asked.
“Uh—yes.” I choked on my wine.
Cassie turned, scolding him, “Charlie, stop bugging her.” “What? She seems his type.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not looking for anything,” I sputtered
nervously, dabbing my lips with a napkin.
“Why? Are you gay?” He asked with a hushed voice, leaning in. “No,” I scoffed. I didn’t get the impression that Charlie was at
all abrupt as he was. I eyed Cassie who just screwed her lips down
then mouthed she was sorry.
“Then what’s the problem?” he asked. “He’ll be at the club
tonight. Check him out. If you fancy him, I’ll introduce you,” he
said nonchalantly. My mouth dropped in disbelief. What was with
everyone trying to stick me with their friend or brother or
whomever? I glared at Cassie, who mouthed another apology. I
shrugged, then nodded, and then avoided looking at Charlie after
that. Eventually, I excused myself to go for a walk in the garden
and get away from them for a bit. Cassie looked up at me
sympathetically. I was thankful that she got me.
When I was alone in the garden, I exhaled and leaned against the railing of the veranda, staring down at the man-made pond below. I was not alone for long.
“Hello , darling.” Matt appeared. I gasped, surprised. Then someone else spoke.
“Little stuffy in there, huh?” Daniel said, sneaking up behind me.
I glanced around. Matt was gone. “Yeah.”
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