“You and me both,” he said, smiling at her as if he was really glad to see her. “But I had the opportunity to give a few interviews and lectures on my book tour not far from here, and well, when I read about the hospital fund-raiser and your part in it, I thought I’d come by and see for myself.”
“You’ve written a book?” After college, Brad had gone on to med school and had become a pediatrician. She knew this only because he’d texted her occasionally after the breakup, updating her, though she’d never replied. She’d just wanted that part of her life to be over. After a time, he’d stopped texting her.
“Yes, on the trials of raising a toddler.”
“Do you...” She swallowed hard. “Do you have children?”
His blue eyes softened immediately and he nodded. “Two. Meggie is three, Charlie is five. Living with their mother now, but we have joint custody.”
“Must be hard,” Drea said.
“The kids are well-adjusted. My ex and I try our best to make sure of that. That’s one reason I wrote the book. It’s called The See-Saw Effect of Parenting.”
She nodded. Brad had been destined to be a leader in his field. He was superintelligent, determined and, well, very handsome. Not that it had anything to do with anything, but she couldn’t help noticing that about the man she’d singled out and seduced her first week of college, just to get back at Mason, just to prove that she was desirable. Mason’s rejection that summer had her running into a stranger’s arms, and lucky for her, Brad had turned out to be a decent guy. A guy who’d fallen for her, a guy who’d planned on marrying her to give their child security.
God, she’d been so confused, so scared and so damn naive.
The door chimed again and a few customers walked in and. Drea and Brad had to move over to continue the conversation. “Guess we’re in the way,” he said. “Do you have a few minutes...for an old friend? Just to catch up?”
She glanced at her watch. “I have a few minutes before my meeting.” With Mason.
“Here?”
No, not here. Not where people might overhear their conversation. “There’s a park just a few streets down. We could walk there. Did you want coffee? Or a cupcake?” she asked, figuring it was the reason he’d come.
“No, I’m good. How about you?”
She shook her head. “Katie’s a friend and I’ve been tasting cupcakes all morning, so no. I’m definitely good.”
“Well, then. Let’s go.” He opened the door for her and she walked out onto the busy sunny street. Donning her sunglasses, she waited for Brad. Once he caught up, after holding the door for a few more customers walking in, they headed south toward the park.
The tree-lined street looked so smalltown compared to New York, with its skyscrapers blocking the sun so that some streets were in shadow most of the time.
“How have you been?” he asked, keeping stride with her.
“I’ve been really good. This project is very special to me, since it’ll fund a cardiac wing at the hospital in my hometown. I’m here for a few more weeks.”
“Are you okay with me looking you up?”
“Sure. It’s...good to see you, Brad.”
“Same here. I, uh, think about you and what you’ve taken on here. Because of your mom?”
She stopped and stared into his blue eyes. “You remember?”
“Of course I remember, Drea. When we met, your mother’s death and your helplessness over it were a big part of who you were. And now you’re doing something to make a difference. I remember you’d always wanted that.”
She looked away for a second, tears misting her eyes. She was touched that he remembered what made her tick, how vulnerable she’d been when they’d met. “You’re right. It was.”
When he smiled at her, her spirits lifted a bit. She hadn’t been thrilled to bump into him, but now, after talking with him a few minutes, she began to relax.
When they reached the park, they took a seat on a bench facing the playground. A few toddlers were giving their moms a merry chase around the slide.
“How about you?” he asked. “Did you ever marry? Do you have a family?”
“No and no. I’m married to my job right now.”
“I hear that.” He didn’t criticize her for not settling down, like so many others had. If a woman closing in on thirty wasn’t married, well then, either there was something wrong with her or she was too ambitious for her own good.
They spent the next hour catching up on news, keeping the conversation light without mentioning the heartache they’d both endured. Brad seemed to hold no grudge toward her. Even though he’d been in love with her and would’ve married her, baby or not, she’d broken up with him after she’d miscarried. She’d made one mistake after another, but marrying Brad when she didn’t love him would’ve been cruel.
Drea had learned a valuable lesson. Love is only right when it’s two-sided and equal. There could be no imbalance.
Brad told her about himself, his years in med school and how he’d opened a pediatric practice in Manhattan and gotten married shortly after that. When she asked about his children, his face lit up and he spent a good deal of time on his little Meg and Charlie.
“I’ll be in town until your fund-raiser,” he said. “I plan on making a donation.”
She smiled. “That’s wonderful. We have lofty goals, so it will really be appreciated.”
“Drea, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
Her heart stopped. Oh no. Here it comes. She braced herself. “What would you like to know?”
“Are you seeing anyone right now?”
That was totally unexpected. She fidgeted with her blouse, her head down. So he wasn’t going to dredge up the past, or excoriate her for breaking his heart. “No, not really.” It wasn’t as if she was dating Mason or anything. Just sleeping with him.
Brad’s face broke out in a big smile. It was almost laughable how obvious he was. “Well then, I’d like to ask you to dinner one night.”
Why? She wanted to know, but she held her tongue.
“As a friend,” he added. “I’m staying close by and have the book signing in a few days, but I’d love to catch up more over a nice relaxing dinner.”
She hadn’t expected a dinner invitation. Sure, she could tell him she was too busy, but he was looking at her earnestly and what would it hurt? Maybe it would actually be therapeutic to spend time with him. How odd, but just being with him this past hour had helped relieve some of the remorse she felt over the whole situation.
“I think, maybe...” She tilted her head. “Yes.”
“Great, I’ll give you a call. Are you at the same number?”
“Let me give you my new one.”
After they traded phone numbers, she stood up and he rose, too, though a bit reluctantly. “I really should get on with my errands,” she said, excusing herself.
“Okay. Thanks for today,” he replied, taking her hand in what was definitely not a shake but a touch of reconnection. “I should be going, too.”
And that’s when she realized...
Holy crap! She was late for her meeting with Mason.
* * *
Mason glanced at his watch for the third time as he paced up and down along the wraparound veranda at his house. He got out his phone, debating whether to text Drea. She was late, but only by fifteen minutes, and though he was anxious to see her again, to spend time with her, he didn’t want to come off as...what? Pushy? Needy? Worried?
Because he was worried about her. She wasn’t one to be late. She was usually professional and prompt. He didn’t know where it was coming from, but it gave him hives thinking something might’ve happened to her.
Risk stepped onto the porch, a beer in his hand. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a swig before turning to Mason. “You’re pacing? Bro, that’s not
like you. You must be waiting on someone.” His brother had a penchant for stating the obvious.
Mason gave him a look.
Risk grinned. “You’re waiting on Drea. Well, isn’t that something.”
“We have an appointment, about work.”
“Right...” Risk smirked before taking another swig. “I wouldn’t worry overly much, Mase. She’s fine. When I was in town, I drove right past her. She was sitting on a park bench with some guy. The two looked pretty cozy, if you ask me. She probably lost track of time is all.”
Mason eyed him. “Some guy? Who was he?”
“I have no idea. Never saw the man before. But he was all buttoned up in a suit and tie, and looked like he wasn’t from around here. Just my observation.”
Mason cleared his throat. “Okay, thanks.”
Just then Mason’s phone buzzed. It was an incoming text from Drea.
Sorry, my errands ran long. I’ll be there soon.
Mason stared at the message a few seconds, relieved and curious.
“That her?” Risk asked.
“Yeah, she’s running late.”
Risk put a hand on his shoulder. “You care about her? And give me the truth, because lying to your brother is punishable by a swift kick in the ass.”
“Like to see you try.” It was an old joke between them. Risk had always stood his ground, no matter that Mason was older and stronger. But that was Risk, always snarky, always trying to defy the odds. He was the last one to give relationship advice. He went through women like a cat licking up bowls of sweet milk: quick and none too pretty.
“I’m serious,” he said.
“Of course I care about Drea. She’s Drew’s daughter and I’ve known her most of my life. That’s all there is to it.”
“Okay, bro. Just thinking it would be pretty cool if you did. You’ve sorta been not living these past two years, you know what I mean?”
He knew. He just didn’t like the idea that his whole family was worried about him. They didn’t understand how grief had to work its way out of you, and there was no speeding the process. “Yeah, I do know.”
And now, just the thought of Drea on her way to meet him sent a jolt of adrenaline speeding through his system. She’d been the only woman to break through the wall of his grief, and he would welcome that relief for the time she had left in Texas.
Thirty minutes later, Drea pulled up to the house and dashed up the steps. He was waiting on the porch for her, reading local news on his phone. It had been hard to focus, and as soon as he laid eyes on her, his body jerked to attention as if Drea had defibrillated him with paddles to his chest.
“So sorry I’m late,” she said, her face flushed.
“It’s okay. What happened?”
“I lost track of time running errands. I have a lot on my mind these days. I hope I didn’t mess up your schedule for the day.”
So she wasn’t going to tell him about the guy. It was probably nothing, maybe a meeting with someone related to the project. And little did she know he’d cleared his schedule this afternoon to be with her. “Not at all. But I am hungry. How about you?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, let’s get going.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
Mason led her to his truck, opened the door for her and watched as she slid onto the seat. Her dress hiked up her thighs, giving him a clear view of her long tanned legs. Legs that had driven him insane wrapped around him last night.
When he was with Drea the world seemed right, but he was taking this one day at a time and living in the moment. Because it would end. It had to end. He was counting on it ending. That was the only way he could justify this brief interlude with her. He wasn’t ready for anything permanent, anything that could go awry and scar him deeply. He hadn’t healed from his first heartache. He didn’t need another. Drea was leaving soon, and they would part ways. But for now, he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.
A few minutes later, he parked the truck and helped Drea climb out. Holding her in his arms, he bent his head and kissed her lightly.
Her eyelids fluttered and he wanted more, but he held back, straining his willpower. “Close your eyes and come with me.”
“What?”
He put his fingertip to her nose. “Just do it.”
She closed her eyes, a big smile on her face. “I don’t like surprises, just so you know.”
“Trust me, you’ll like this one.”
He took her hand and guided her down a grassy pathway that led to the spot he’d picked out just for her. “Okay, open your eyes.”
* * *
The sound of ducks quacking reached Drea’s ears first, and then came a noisy flutter of wings. But when she popped her eyes open, the first thing she spotted was a café table dressed with a white tablecloth and two chairs set up on the bank of a small, secluded lake she’d never been to. A cut-crystal vase filled with pearl-white roses served as the centerpiece and wine was chilling in a bucket. The whole scene looked too good to be true.
A family of ducks glided across the water just at the right moment, as if it their swim was choreographed. She smiled at the sight they made. “Wow. What’s going on?” She hadn’t expected anything like this.
“Lunch.”
“I know, silly.” She turned to Mason, noting a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. “But why?”
He shrugged, a myriad of emotions flowing through his expression. She didn’t know if she’d get the truth out of him by the look on his face.
“You’ve been working hard. I thought you’d like a quiet lunch out here where it’s open and peaceful.”
“You went to a lot of trouble,” she said, truly touched. Her heart warmed every time Mason did something nice for her like this. And to think she’d nearly canceled lunch with him today. But she knew she was treading dangerous ground. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“Are we still on Boone land?” she asked, although she was pretty sure of the answer.
“Yep. This is Hidden Lake. I named it myself.”
“You did? When?”
“Just now.” He laughed and so did she. “Seems appropriate, doesn’t it?”
“You have a knack,” she said. “But I never knew this lake existed.”
“It’s been here the entire time, but through years of drought it had nearly dried up, the water level too low for it to be considered anything but a big puddle. We’ve had some good rainfall the past few years. And now Hidden Lake is once more.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, it’s a nice spot.” He held out a chair for her. “Ready?”
“I am.” She took a seat and Mason served her one dish after another. The food was catered by Bountiful, the best restaurant in town.
She feasted on lemon chicken, shrimp risotto and roasted vegetables. There were three kinds of bread and a nice bottle of white wine. She nibbled on her meal, enjoying the ambience, but the best thing of all about the scenery was the tall, handsome man in front of her.
Mason’s gaze never strayed from hers. He chewed his food and looked at her. He sipped his wine and watched her sip hers. The conversation was light and fun, and he smiled a lot, which made her smile a lot, too.
Peace surrounded her and she squeezed her eyes closed, soaking it all in. It was truly what she’d needed today. “Thank you,” she said. “I almost don’t want to spoil this by talking about work.”
“Work?” he asked.
“You said you needed advice. What was that all about?”
“I do need advice, but it’s not about work.”
She chewed on her lower lip a moment. “Then what is it about?”
“The beach house in Los Angeles. Missy has a potential buyer for it, but she wanted to give m
e the first option to purchase. I really don’t know what I want to do.”
“And you think I can help with your decision?”
He nodded. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to be included in such a major decision in his life.
“You’ve seen it. What do you think?” he asked.
“I love it. I mean, what’s not to love? But it’s not up to me. Would you actually use it as a second home? It’s definitely a big change from Boone Springs. Do you think you’d be comfortable there?”
Mason shrugged. “I was, when I was with you.”
Oh... Her heart did a little flip at his unguarded reply. She’d had a great time while she’d been there, too, but she couldn’t make a big deal about it. Mason was talking past history. He had to think about the future, and that didn’t include her. “That was a one-time thing,” she said softly.
Mason stared at her for several seconds and nodded slowly, conceding the point. “Yeah.”
Then he rose from his seat. “Take a walk with me along the lake.”
“That sounds nice,” she said, rising in turn.
He took her hand and led her down to the lake’s grassy edge. He pointed at the cute duck family still swimming nearby, and they laughed together as Mason took her into his arms. Her heart nearly stopped when he kissed her fully, thoroughly, as only he could do. “Meet me tonight, Drea. Be with me.”
Drea murmured her agreement.
Because she just couldn’t help herself.
Eight
Drea didn’t know where the time had gone. There were only six days left before the big event. In the days since their lunch by Hidden Lake, she’d mostly been holed up with Mason, working. But when they weren’t working, they were playing. Mason had retaught her the art of horseback riding and they’d gone riding several times on Rising Springs land. It was just like riding a bike. She’d never really forgotten. Once the reins were in her hands, it had all clicked again. She was thankful to him for making her take that first ride, and for the long walks, the meals they shared and especially for their secret nights at The Baron.
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