by Jill Sanders
He figured out immediately that she’d lied to them about how they knew one another. He caught on quickly enough that they believed they’d met at school. They also were under the assumption that he and Joleen were more than just friends. While he tried to avoid spilling the truth, he answered as many of their questions as he could.
The longer her parents stuck around, the more frustrated Joleen grew. Finally, he stood up and reminded her that they were due to head into town for a meeting with Charles so he could run some tests at the store.
It wasn’t exactly true, since they had never set a time, but he did want to get the tests run before they headed out for dinner that evening.
Joleen looked relieved and quickly showed her parents out.
“That was torture,” she said when they were alone.
“I didn’t think it was that bad. Parents can act certain ways when they’re concerned.”
Joleen chuckled. “Concerned?” She shook her head. “More like disappointed.” She plopped back down on the sofa. Immediately, he noticed the change in her; she was more relaxed. She toed off her shoes and crossed her ankles as she rested her feet up on the coffee table. “I have never been able to live up to my mother’s standards.” She rested her head back and closed her eyes.
“Why don’t you rest for a while?” he said, watching her. “I’ll head into town, take my readings at the store, and be back in time to head out for dinner.”
She peeked at him out of one of her eyes. “Are you sure?”
He walked over and glanced out the back door. “Will Stinky be okay here?”
“Sure.” She shrugged. “If he complains, I’ll just bring him in with me.”
“Thanks again,” he said as he walked towards the door. “Just don’t let him eat Fred.”
She chuckled. “It will be more like the other way around.”
As he drove the few blocks back into town to the grocery store, he thought about his relationship with his own father. How long had it been since he’d talked to the man who had ensured Mason had never wanted for anything? Sure, after his mother’s death, their relationship had been strained. His father had retreated into work while Mason had buried himself in his studies.
His dad, Thomas Barrett, still lived in Santa Monica and worked in investing. When he’d talked to him the last time, his father had been dating on and off, but nothing serious. Mason had grown up knowing that his mother had been his father’s one and only love thus far.
It wasn’t as if he’d been raised in a cold home. There had been a friendship between him and his father. Still, he’d missed the love of his mother, the warmth that she’d brought to the home. Nothing had ever been the same after her death. It was no wonder he’d easily picked up a few years later and moved across the country to attend school.
Then he thought of the small home Joleen had made for herself. She hadn’t had to move across the States to separate from her family.
Her home was cozy and all hers. He’d known it the moment he’d stepped inside the doors when he’d carried her inside last night.
She used bright cheerful reds and blues in her decorating. Simple, yet sophisticated. He’d wager most of her income went to making the small place warm and comfortable.
He thought back to the small condo he kept and the serious lack of personal items that filled the space. It was disordered, cluttered, and extremely uncomfortable. Maybe that was why he spent most of his free time in his lab on campus. He’d never really given any time to making it anything but a place to rest his head.
Parking at the grocery store, he took his time setting up his equipment and took as many readings as he could.
The only thing out of the ordinary came when he was using his spectrum analyzer. At first, he thought the spikes in readings were due to low batteries in the device, but after replacing them, he followed the spikes around the building. It was as if the entire place had a bubble of ultraviolet surrounding it, which might account for the bird’s behavior. It was known that some insects and bumblebees could see ultraviolet waves.
He inspected the property until he was satisfied there wasn’t anything that could cause the ultraviolet waves. Nothing he could see at least. When he glanced at his watch, he figured he’d better head back to Joleen’s and check up on Stinky before they headed out to dinner.
When he pulled in, he heard Joleen laughing and followed the sexy sound to the backyard. He watched her toss the stick to Stinky and couldn’t help but smile as she struggled to take the stick from his dog’s mouth.
“If you don’t let go, how am I going to throw it to you again?” She knelt down and spoke to the dog as if he understood her.
“He likes to play tug of war more than fetch,” he said as he moved further into the backyard.
She jumped slightly, then relaxed when she spotted him.
Stinky, seeing him, dropped the stick and rushed to jump up on him. “I was only gone for an hour,” he told his dog.
“To him it’s like a full day.” Joleen laughed as the dog raced around him and then rushed back over to grab up the discarded stick and start a new game with him. “How did it go?” she asked as he stopped beside her after throwing the stick for the dog.
“There’s an exorbitant amount of ultraviolet radiation around the building. Has there been an excess amount of animal activity around the store before?” he asked her.
She thought about it. “Not that I know of. Then again, everyone in town does call it Smelly Kelly’s for a reason.”
He frowned. “I thought that was just because the name of the store was Kelly’s and it rhymes.”
She chuckled. “Before Charles purchased the store, several racoons had accidently been locked in the store overnight. They made a mess and almost all of the produce and meat had to be tossed out. It caused quite a bit of stink around town. Plus, they used to use a stinky solution to clean the floors at night. It was one of the first things that Charles changed when he took over.”
He was struggling to get the stick from Stinky again. “I guess I can’t complain since I named my dog what I did.” He shrugged. “Still, I’d like to do readings every day to see if the levels spike or are going down.”
“What could cause that?” she asked him as they moved over to sit on the small back patio.
“Well, lots of things can make electromagnetic radiation. A light bulb, a fire, but the main one is the sun.” He motioned towards the sinking sun. “But the levels I registered around the store were significantly higher than anywhere else in town as I drove through.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“No more than using a tanning bed. Still, it’s been known to have strange effects on animals.” He shifted and ran his eyes over her. “You look rested. Feel any better?”
She smiled. “Yes, thank you. I suppose the incident at the café really took a lot out of me.”
“Speaking of that.” He leaned his elbows on his knees. “I’d like to talk to you about what happened.”
She was frowning at him. “I passed out. There’s nothing more to talk about.”
His eyes narrowed. “I think you and I both know there was more to it. Your eyes were strange.” He shook his head. “What happened? One moment you were paying and the next you were out. Your eyes turned completely white, like they do in the movies when the actors wear white contacts.”
“What?” She almost jumped up. “That seriously happened? I thought you were just making that up or joking.”
He nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
They were silent for a few moments. “I’m going to go get ready. Jessica called me. We’re going to meet out at Xtina’s place for dinner. We can talk about this later. Why don’t I show you to the guest room? You can get settled and clean up if you want.”
He followed her inside, and she showed him to the spare bedroom, which had been decorated in deep greens. He ran out to the car and gathered his things and cleaned up and dressed for the night.
When he stepped out into the living room, his chin about dropped to the floor when he saw Joleen in a soft cream blouse and a pair of army-green jeans. She wore boots and her long hair was pulled back, highlighting her eyes.
He’d never wanted to kiss someone as badly as he did now, which made him realize that he’d been working too much lately. He was going to slowly become his father if he didn’t take time out to date. He tried to schedule going out at least once every few months, but he had to admit, it had been almost triple since the last time he’d taken a night off.
Then again, this wasn’t really a date. Was it?
His eyes ran over her outfit, and he figured that the way she was dressed could be considered a date-like outfit. He glanced down at his own turtleneck and dress pants and determined he was dressed appropriately as well.
“It’s been years since I was invited out to Xtina’s place. The last time… well, let’s just say it didn’t go well. Of course, that’s back when her parents were alive. I thought I had it bad.” She shook her head. “The Warrens were horrible people.”
“Oh?” he asked, helping her slip on her jacket. He could hear the light rain outside as he pulled on his own coat.
“Rumor was that they used to beat Xtina when she was young.” She tossed her purse over her shoulder. “Will Stinky be okay in here by himself?”
“I gave him dinner and let him out. He should be okay. Is Fred tucked safely in your room?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “He’s mad at me, but he’ll be okay.”
“Shall we?” he asked as she pulled out a large umbrella.
“Let’s make a dash for it. I’ll drive,” she said as they stepped out onto the porch.
Standing under the cover of the porch, with the rain surrounding them, he could almost imagine they were heading out on a real date.
She was struggling to open the umbrella, so he reached over to help her. The moment their skin touched, he felt a spark zip up his arms. When their eyes locked, she smiled slightly.
“Sorry,” she said, sounding a little nervous. Her eyes ran over his face. His thumb brushed up against her wrist, and he felt her pulse jump.
It was as if his entire body moved on its own. One minute he was looking down at her, and the next she was in his arms and he was kissing her.
Chapter Nine
The amount of passion radiating from Mason’s lips had her own body vibrating. How had they gotten here? Sure, she’d been thinking of kissing him from the moment she’d spotted him in the middle of the street yesterday evening.
She’d dreamed about him last night and had hoped all day long that he would make a move on her. Had she planned this? No. Had she even expected it? The answer was still no.
But as she felt her body melt against his, she knew that it felt more right than anything else had in her entire life.
When he finally pulled back from her, breaking their connection, it felt like her entire body had melted. No man had ever made her feel so… wonderful, before.
“That was… unexpected,” he said with a slight chuckle. “Honest, I didn’t plan on doing that.”
She smiled up at him. “I’m glad you did.”
“You are?” he asked, a little shocked. God, he was even more handsome when he looked a little shaken.
“Yes,” she admitted with a smile. “I’m glad it’s out of the way. I think we can both admit that it was building up to it.”
His eyes ran over her for a moment before he nodded. “We’d better go.” He finished opening the umbrella and they made a run for her car.
“Does it always rain this much?” he asked as she started driving towards Xtina’s place.
“Sometimes.” She shrugged. “Usually I enjoy it, but lately it’s been kind of annoying.”
“It’s already snowed this fall in Boston. It made me realize how much I miss the warmth of California.”
“Where were you at in Cali?” she asked.
“Santa Monica.”
She glanced over at him as he watched the darkness out the side window.
“Does your dad still live there?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied quickly.
“Don’t like to talk about him?” She slowed the car to turn off the main road. Passing the long row of moss-covered trees, she avoided as many holes as she could in the long dirt driveway.
“No, he’s fine. He’s in investing, and he’s dating again. Nothing serious, but…” He leaned forward and gaped at the massive house. “Wow, this is where Xtina and Michael live?”
The massive mansion was one of the oldest buildings around Hidden Creek. Built back in the early 1800s, it had always been owned by Xtina’s family. It was now a historical site, and Joleen knew that Michael was busy fixing the old home up.
“Yeah, I’ve never been in the place, but I’ve been here lots of times,” she said as she parked. “Her parents used to host church events on the grounds.”
“So, you and Xtina weren’t friends in school?”
“She was two years ahead of me.” She leaned forward and looked out the windshield at the brightly lit home. “Besides, she was very quiet and shy. Her only friend was Jessica.”
Mason glanced over at her. “What about you? Did you have a lot of friends?”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t an outcast, but I didn’t have too many.” She smiled over at him. “It must have been hard for you, being so young at college.”
He chuckled. “You’ve no idea. Come on, the rain has let up a little. I think we can make a run for it.”
They rushed through the light rain onto the wide front porch just as the front door opened, and Xtina stood smiling at them.
“You made it.” She waved them inside, stepping aside, making sure to move her large belly out of their way.
Everyone in town knew better than to get too close to Xtina. Joleen had heard that most people feared she would see into their minds and others didn’t want their secrets to get out. Joleen had steered clear of her for her own reasons all these years.
Stepping into the house, she glanced around quickly at the historic room and noticed all the other people sitting around the cozy living room waiting for them.
The place looked warmer and more welcoming than what Joleen had pictured. She supposed she’d imagined more Tara from Gone With the Wind and, instead, the place was more like the home in Designing Women.
“Finally, everyone’s here.” Jessica stood up and handed her son over to Jacob, who had changed out of his uniform into jeans and a black button-up shirt. Dressed like this, the three brothers looked even more alike.
She’d heard how Jacob had found out last year that he’d been adopted, after Michael had moved into town and started seeing Xtina. Then, shortly after that, Ethan had moved to Hidden Creek as well, about the same time that Breanna had moved there.
All in all, it seemed like the six people were closer than just friends. Technically, they were all family now.
“I’m sorry. Are we late?” Mason asked, glancing around.
“No.” Jessica motioned for them to sit.
“Mason, Jacob has told us that you came here from Boston?” Xtina asked.
While Mason explained where he came from and why he was there, she glanced around the room. She could see some of the recent work that Michael had done on the home. There were new railings on the staircase that had yet to be painted. The floors looked new and a slight smell of fresh paint drifted throughout the house.
Joleen loved fixing up her place after she’d moved in a few years back. She’d been thinking of purchasing a home of her own. Something bigger, something she could remodel and turn into her forever home.
“Well, we are all certainly glad you two could make it out here tonight. We’re all eager to get on with things,” Jess said with a strange smile.
Mason glanced over at Joleen, who immediately shrugged. “Not sure what she means,” she mumbled.
“Jess sometimes gets ahead of herself. Ever since
she was… um, liberated, so to speak, last year,” Xtina said with a chuckle. “We’ll explain this all, but first…” Xtina nodded to the dining area. “Let’s eat.”
The eight of them crowded around the large dining table. Jessica and Breanna shuffled in a large platter of fried chicken, bowls of mashed potatoes, and homemade biscuits from the kitchen.
“We all pitched in and cooked tonight,” Jessica said.
“Everyone except me.” Xtina sighed. “They wouldn’t let me lift a finger.”
Jessica chuckled. “Payback from when I was pregnant, and she wouldn’t let me lift a finger.”
During dinner, the conversation turned to polite topics such as work. At one point, Jessica disappeared upstairs with the baby. When she came back, she carried a baby monitor with her.
Joleen felt a twist in her gut. How many times had she dreamed of having a family of her own? She knew it wasn’t in the cards for her. After all, with what she had to deal with, she wouldn’t wish that burden on any man, let alone chance passing it on to any children.
No, she was better off staying single and dreaming.
“Let’s move into the living room for dessert,” Xtina suggested.
The table was cleared off by Michael and Ethan, and the entire group moved back into the living room. She glanced over at Mason and remembered how wonderful it felt to be kissed by him.
He was as close to her ideal man as she’d ever seen. Tall, dark-haired, handsome as sin, and kind. Not to mention smart and witty. He’d easily joked with the others over dinner and seemed to fit in easily enough, even though he’d just met them all.
Xtina sat down carefully in the big chair in the corner. “Jessica and Breanna will get the dessert for us.”
Breanna jumped back up. “Right,” she said and tugged Jessica’s arm. As the two of them disappeared down the hallway, Xtina turned to her.
“How are your parents?” Xtina asked.
“Fine.” Joleen knew that Xtina’s parents and her own had attended the same church. They hadn’t been friends, but they were at least acquaintances.
When Breanna and Jessica came back into the room with a tray of plates filled with warm blackberry pie and scoops of ice cream, the subject turned towards the event the other night at the store. Several people voiced their speculations about the reason, but Mason easily explained away each theory.
