“I know all of this, but it didn’t seem to stop you from kissing him.” I train my eyes on her.
She takes a deep breath. “Okay, look. Levi and I aren’t dating, but we do hang out sometimes.”
“And by hang out you mean…”
She shrugs. “We hang out. We watch movies and go places together.”
“And where does the kissing come in?”
She rubs her temples. “Do we seriously have to talk about this? Can’t you just take my word that nothing is going on?”
“No, I can’t because this whole time I thought nothing was going on. But finding out you two are kissing, that’s not nothing. That’s something.”
“He took me out to dinner and we went bowling. It was a nice night. I was dropping him off at home, and before he got out of the car he leaned over and kissed me. It was nothing.”
“Was this supposed to be a date?”
“I didn’t think it was. I just thought we were hanging out. I thought that Preston, Macy, and Jax would be there. I think maybe it was a date, but he made it seem casual. I know he likes me, and I like him, but he’s too young for me. I’m leaving soon. I don’t want to hurt him.”
I let out a breath of relief. “Okay, you just need to sit him down and tell him nothing can happen. Just ignoring this whole thing will lead him on, and you’ll end up hurting him.”
She nods. “I know. You’re right. I was just trying to hold off for as long as possible.”
“Well, they’ll be at your party this evening, so I think your time’s up.”
“Alright. I’ll figure it out. I’ll be back at closing time.” She stands and moves toward the door.
I don’t stop her from leaving, but I stare after her. When did my baby girl get so big?
I miss her playing Barbies and telling me make-believe stories, not going on dates and kissing boys.
I know I’m being stupid by refusing to believe she’s an adult now. But she’ll always be my little girl, and I’ll always protect her, whether she wants me to or not.
“You ready?” Trent asks, sticking his head inside my office.
I haven’t gotten to reply to the emails yet, but after that conversation, I need a break. I push away from the desk. “Yes. Let’s go drown our problems in the ocean.”
He grins. “And beer.”
Chapter Two
Lennox
When Mason and Emma leave, I get to work cleaning up the kitchen. There’s little time to waste before my doctor’s appointment. Then I have to get things ready for the party this evening. I still can’t believe my baby girl is eighteen. It seems like it was just yesterday I found out I was pregnant with her.
Once the kitchen is clean, I head upstairs to get ready for the day. Sitting at my vanity, I look at myself in the mirror. Where has the time has gone? My daughter is the same age I was when I met and fell in love with Mason. My son is sixteen and about to get his driver’s license. A look in the mirror, reminds me how old I’m getting.
The crow’s feet at the corners of my eyes are the most annoying feature. No amount of wrinkle cream seems to fix them either. I place my fingertips at my hair line and try to smooth the small wrinkles back. I suck my cheeks in and purse my lips together. There I am! When I move my hands and stop making the awkward face, my forty-year-old face returns, and I let out a sigh.
I apply some tinted moisturizer and put on a little makeup. Then I brush my dark hair that thankfully hasn’t turned gray yet and move to the closet to find some clothes. Quickly, I pick out a pair of jeans and a white flowing shirt that hugs my breasts but is lose around the arms and waist. I move to the bathroom to get dressed.
When I remove my pajama top, my eyes automatically fall to the reflection of my chest in the mirror. Using my hands, I push them up where they used to be. The lift gives them a youthful appearance and creates cleavage. The second I remove my hands, they sag back down. I grit my teeth together and roll my eyes before I cover them with a bra and shirt.
I know I’m getting older, and my body is going to show it, but I still feel like I’m in my twenties. I don’t like the way time is affecting my body. Every time I look at Mason, I see the same handsome guy I’ve always seen. He hasn’t gained a pound over the years. He hasn’t lost a bit of muscle either. If it’s even possible, he’s only gotten more defined. Why do men get better looking, and women have to try anything and everything to stop the aging?
Having enough of my pity party, I finish getting dressed and grab my things to head out the door.
“Where are you going?” Preston asks me.
I turn to see him sitting on the couch, watching TV. He reminds me so much of Mason. He’s tall and lean but defined for his age. His green eyes shine like my own while his shaggy, auburn hair hangs over his forehead.
“I have a doctor’s appointment, and then I have a few errands to run for the party this evening. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I’ll be fine, Mom. I might see if Jax will come pick me up later.”
“Okay. Have fun and stay out of trouble.”
“I will,” he calls back as I’m walking out the door.
It takes me almost an hour and a half to make it to my doctor’s appointment in the city. I park the car and walk inside, signing my name to the check-in sheet on the front counter. As I take a seat, I pick up a magazine.
I start flipping through and see an article about an up-and-coming music artist, and I’m hit with flashbacks of my youth. I remember these same articles being written about me. It’s been so long ago now it feels like it was all a bad dream.
I don’t miss the touring. I do miss preforming though. I miss the heat of the spotlight as it shone down on me. I miss the crowd chanting my name, and the way they screamed when I walked out on stage. Closing my eyes, I can see the crowd before me. I can hear their screams, drowning out everything else.
“Mrs. Reynolds?”
I jump when I feel someone touch my shoulder. “Oh, I’m sorry.” I laugh.
The blonde woman in blue scrubs laughs with me. “It’s quite alright. We’re ready for you.”
I nod and set down the magazine before following her back.
“Please stand on the scale for me.”
I place my purse on the table beside the scale and take my place on top of it. She moves the weights along the top and takes a quick note. “It looks like you’ve lost a few pounds.” She smiles.
“Really? I wonder where I lost them from because my clothes aren’t fitting any better,” I joke.
Her sweet giggle fills the air around us as she leads me back to a room.
“So, how have you been?” she asks as she wheels herself up to the computer while I take a seat on the table.
“Everything’s great. Today is my daughter’s eighteenth birthday. My baby is going to be leaving for college soon,” I gush.
“Oh, congratulations.” She smiles as she comes closer to check my blood pressure.
I get quiet as she places the cuff on my arm and begins to pump it up.
After a few minutes she removes the cuff and goes to record her findings. “Your blood pressure is great,” she tells me. Opening a drawer, she pulls out a gown. “Time for your least favorite part.” She places the paper gown on top of the table beside me. “Remember, remove all clothing. The doctor will be in with you soon.”
I nod as she leaves me alone to get undressed. I replace my clothes with the gross, paper gown and take my place on the table. Within minutes, she and the doctor are back.
“How are you today, Mrs. Reynolds?” Dr. Matthews asks as he walks over to the sink to wash his hands.
“I’m great, and yourself?”
He shrugs. “I can’t complain.” He turns off the water and dries his hands. “Have you been experiencing any issues?” he asks while pulling on his gloves.
I shake my head. “No, nothing I can think of.”
“Good. I’m sure everything’s just fi
ne. This will just be a routine check-up. Please lie back for me.”
I do as instructed.
“We’ll start with a breast exam. Please lift your right arm above your head and rest it on the table.”
I follow his orders, and he slides his hands up the giant sleeves of the gown.
I look at him while he’s doing his examination, but his eyes are on the wall ahead. He removes his hands and moves to my other side. “Now, the same thing with this side please.”
I do as I’m asked, and he repeats the process. “Have you been experiencing any tenderness?”
I shake my head then realize he isn’t looking at me, so I say, “No.”
He takes a step back and asks me to sit up. This is different. Usually, he jumps right into the next part of the exam.
He takes a seat and wheels up to me, eyes trained on mine. “Do you perform routine breast exams on yourself?”
I shake my head. “No, I know I should, but it always slips my mind. I trust my husband to notice any changes.” I laugh, trying to ease the awkwardness of the conversation.
He nods with a small smile. “I’m asking because I noticed a rather large mass in your left breast. Now, I don’t want to alarm you. This mass could simply be a cyst, but it is something we shouldn’t ignore. I suggest we have some imaging done just to be safe.”
I feel like the air has been sucked out of my lungs, but I nod.
“Does breast cancer run in your family?”
My eyes grow wider. We went from “don’t be alarmed” to questions about breast cancer? “Um…my grandmother passed away from breast cancer, but my mom is just fine.” I shake my head, trying to clear it of the thoughts and nerves that are now running wild through my head.
He nods, understanding. “Okay, well chances are, it’s nothing. But better safe now than to be surprised later. If you don’t mind, I’ll make an appointment for you to have some tests done soon?”
I nod while still barely hearing or understanding what’s going on.
“Okay, let’s finish up the rest of this exam, and I’ll make that appointment before you leave. Please lie back again.”
After I dress, I sit on the table waiting for my appointment card. My heart slams against my chest, and my breathing picks up. What if I have breast cancer?
The nurse walks back into the room, interrupting my thoughts. She must read the look on my face because she places her hand on my shoulder and says, “Don’t worry. This happens a lot, and most of the time it’s nothing. Just calm down and try to forget about it until the time comes.” Her blue eyes are bright and hold a genuineness in them.
I exhale deeply and nod. “Okay. You’re probably right. No sense in getting worked up over nothing.”
She smiles widely. “Right.” She hands me the appointment card. “Here’s your appointment for the scan. Please call if you have any questions.”
I take the card and tuck it away in the front pocket of my purse. “Okay, thank you.”
Numbly, I walk out to the car and climb behind the wheel. I have an overwhelming feeling to call Mason and tell him about my appointment, but I don’t want to worry him for nothing.
I start the car and drive back to town. I have to stop by the shop, so he can take me to the car lot to pick up Emma’s birthday present. Making my mind up, I decide I’ll tell him when the time’s right. I don’t want to ruin this day for him.
I park the car and step out. As I’m walking to the door, I hear Mason and Trent. Turning to look at the dock, I stop on the front step. Sure enough, Mason and Trent are tying up a boat. I shake my head and laugh before walking over to the dock.
“You went fishing, didn’t you?”
He grins, causing his ice-blue eyes to light up. “Maybe.”
I chuckle. “Why do you even claim you’re coming to work? Just say you’re going to go fuck around for the day,” I joke.
“Hey, Lennox,” Trent says as he passes by me.
“Hi, Trent,” I reply but keep my eyes on Mason.
His smile grows even bigger as he wraps his arms around me. Suddenly, the anxiousness from my appointment hits me full force. I hate keeping things from him, and even though I plan on telling him eventually, just keeping it from him today is hard enough.
When I’m pressed against his chest with his smell engulfing me, the anxiety begins to ease away. I cling to him for dear life. I inhale deeply and close my eyes.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks me without pulling away.
I nod against his chest.
He pulls back slightly, keeping his arms around me. “Are you okay? How’d your doctor’s appointment go?”
I pull away and reach for his hand, leading him toward the truck. “Everything’s fine.” Great, now I’m lying. But is it really a lie? Everything is fine… right now. Just because the doctor thinks he felt something doesn’t necessarily make it true. I don’t want to make Mason worry any more than he already does. And the fact that his mom died from breast cancer will only make him worry more.
No, I’m doing the right thing. No sense in causing him stress if it’s nothing.
We climb into his truck, and he pulls out of the parking lot.
“I got the cake. I’m glad you ordered my favorite.” He smiles and reaches for my hand that’s sitting on the middle console.
I laugh. “Yeah, just remember it’s Emma’s cake, so you can’t eat it all.”
He snorts. “She’s going to eat like one piece of it. In a few days, you’ll be begging me to eat that cake, so you don’t,” he teases.
“You’re probably right there.”
A few moments pass before he speaks up again, “You’ll never guess what Trent told me today.”
“What?”
“He told me that he caught Emma and Levi kissing.”
The breath whooshes out of me noisily. “What? When did this happen? Are they dating? They can’t be dating. Can they?”
He laughs. “Glad I’m not the only one in shock. I talked to Emma about it.”
“And what did she say?”
He tells me the story, which leaves me even more confused.
Emma and Levi? Is it even possible?
I have noticed the way they look at each other when they think nobody’s looking, but I didn’t think it would ever happen. She’s two years older than him.
“So, Emma is going to tell him that she isn’t interested?”
“Yes, thank God. Can you imagine?”
“Imagine what? Levi is a good kid. If she wasn’t leaving, I wouldn’t exactly have a problem with it.”
He looks at me with a wrinkle between his brows, questions written all over his face. “She’s two years older than him, so it’s not exactly legal for one.”
I wave him off. “That’s only if the parents have a problem with it, and you know Trent and Sarah would be just as happy about it as I am.”
“I have a problem with it. Don’t you remember Trent before he got with Sarah? He was like a dog in heat. I don’t want my daughter hooking up with his offspring.”
Laughter escapes me. “Mason…” I reach over and place my hand at the base of his neck. “Your daughter is eighteen-years-old and about to leave for college. I know you never went, but college is full of dogs in heat. She’s going to find it regardless.”
He frowns at me but doesn’t reply.
I pick up Emma’s new car, and Mason follows me home to put it in the garage. Then I jump back in his truck, and we ride back to town together.
It’s nearly closing time by the time we get back, and I still need to stop by the store to stock up on drinks and snacks for the party.
“You make sure Emma gets home, OK? I need to pick up a few things for the party.”
“Yeah, we’ll be there as soon as I track her ass down.”
I laugh as I move around the truck. “Okay. I’ll see you at home. I love you.” I lean forward and give him a quick kiss.
“I love you,” he says as I pull away, but he wraps
his hands around my hips and spins me, pressing me against the side of the truck. His hands travel my body as his lips find mine again. His tongue dives inside while he feels his way around my curves. When he gets a handful of my breast, I gently push him away because it reminds me of what I’m keeping from him.
He looks at me confused. “I’m sorry. I just have too much on mind with the party.” I grab him by his shirt and pull him in for one last kiss. “I’ll see you at home.”
He steps back and lets me pass.
Chapter Three
Emma
After I drop off the cake, I head back up to The Pizza Joint and take a seat at the biggest table they have. The volleyball team hasn’t made it yet, but one by one they start walking in.
“Can you believe that this time next year, we’ll be all done with our first year of college?” Lidia asks as she takes a seat next to me.
“I know. I’m so excited. I can taste the freedom. Only one more summer to get through, and we’ll be on our own.” She raises her hand, and I give her a high five.
“What are you ladies talking about?” Jax, my cousin, asks as he takes the empty seat on my other side.
“Going off to college. Aren’t you excited?” I ask him. Jax has always been the trouble maker of the group. My dad tells me he takes after his dad, my Uncle Dane.
“Hell yeah. I can’t wait.” His dark eyes light up with excitement, even though I can tell he’s trying to downplay how excited he really is. He thinks he’s too cool to be excited like the rest of us.
“Are you going to live at home or move to the dorms?” I pick up my soda and take a sip.
He scoffs before running his tattooed hand through his mess of short, dark hair. “I’m getting the hell out of my parents’ house.”
“Is your mom sad? My mom is freaking out. I think that’s why she’s putting on this giant birthday party tonight.”
One More Chance at Forever (The Chance Series Book 5) Page 2
