Mason sat stunned. He was at once sad for Jenna’s situation and proud of the way she stood up for herself. He knew nothing about what her issues were, but it didn’t seem her mother was a woman to be reasoned with.
“Don’t speak to your mother that way, young lady.” Those were Patrick’s first words since they’d entered the dining room.
Jenna rolled her eyes in his direction. “You too, Dad? Can’t anyone in this family be reasonable for once? I’m not interested in the family business. I have a degree. I have a job. I’m making it on my own. I’m not returning home for any reason.”
“Jenna.” Mason squeezed her thigh with one hand. He had no idea what to follow up with, but he was torn about the impending argument about to erupt.
Jenna swiveled on him and slapped his hand away. “Don’t Jenna me.” She stood, tossed her napkin on the table, and stepped back.
Mason sat shocked. Frozen.
Joann set her fork down with a clank. “Sit down. I’m not done talking to you.”
Jenna set her hands on her hips. “Don’t you mean talking at me, Mother? No, I’m not moving back here. No, I’m not marrying some creeper named Charles to make you happy. And no, I’m not going to spend my life crocheting doilies to make you look extra wealthy. You can either accept that or let me go.”
Patrick stood now. “Sit down. Let’s be reasonable.”
“Reasonable? Okay, let’s. I’m a grown woman. Reasonable would be if you treated me as such and stopped harassing me to fit your preconceived mold.” Jenna pointed at her sister, who hadn’t spoken a single word the entire time and in fact was quietly eating her salad as though nothing untoward was occurring around her. “Clearly if you’re looking for a puppet, Jean is perfectly happy to fit the bill. You don’t need me.”
“That’s not true, Jenna, and you know it.” Patrick leaned on the table as he spoke. “Your mother gave birth to you, and that makes you an heir to the family business you cannot deny.”
“Only because you’re embarrassed for your friends and family to find out your oldest isn’t interested in the family business.” Jenna’s face turned pink, and her words weren’t as steady as they’d been in the beginning.
“One month, Jenna.” Joann picked up her fork and stabbed into a hunk of lettuce. She didn’t lift her gaze to her wayward daughter. “You’ll be here by Christmas or suffer the consequences. I’m done tiptoeing around you.”
Jenna turned toward Mason. “I’m leaving. If you want to stay with these hoity people, be my guest.”
Mason stood, his chair scuffing the hardwood floor loudly as he jumped to his feet. “Let’s all be reasonable here. I don’t know what you all have fought about in the past, but you’re family. You need to reconcile and let bygones be bygones. If you don’t, you will regret it sooner or later.”
Jenna’s face flamed, and she pursed her lips before she spoke again. “You’re right. You have no idea what you’ve stepped into. I’m sorry you got dragged into this mess, but I won’t be treated like a child, and I won’t be told what to do with my life. Not by my parents and not by you, either. Stay. Enjoy dinner. My dad has always wished I were a boy. Maybe you could move in and fill the role as son extraordinaire.”
Jenna turned toward the door so fast her hair flared out around her. She stomped from the room with her head high, although he’d seen the glossy look of tears in her eyes at the last second.
Mason turned toward her parents. “Pardon me.” He stepped away from the table and headed to the doorway. As the front door slammed shut, he turned back to Jenna’s family. “She’s right. I have no idea what argument you four are in the middle of, but I do know how important family is, and I hope you can find it in your hearts to reach out to each other and work things out before you lose your daughter entirely. I hate to see you all fighting. She’s a fantastic woman, and she’s hurting. I’m sure you can see that.”
Joann gave a single chuckle. “Jenna is a spoiled brat.”
Mason was taken aback. The woman he’d grown to love was anything but spoiled.
“She needs to get her head out of her ass and move back home.”
Mason swallowed, hoping his voice would stay strong. “Is it so wrong of her to want to make it on her own?”
“Yes. It’s absurd. She’s a Mathews. She’s making a fool out of us.”
“By running a flower shop? You’ve been to her shop. It’s fantastic. She’s got a good business going.”
“She doesn’t need a business. She needs to give up that farce and get her ass back on Mathews’ territory. She’s played around long enough, and we’ve made all the excuses we can to everyone we know, including her fiancé.”
Her what? Mason’s eyes shot open wide. He squeezed the doorframe until his knuckles hurt. No way. He couldn’t believe it. He cleared his throat. “Excuse me?”
Joann smiled, a twinkle in her eye. “She’s engaged to a family friend. His name is Charles, and he’s perfect for her. It’s time for her to give up her little playtime and move home.”
Something seemed terribly off to Mason. Engaged? He’d heard mention of this Charles dude moments ago, but engaged? “Has this Charles asked her to marry him?”
Joann sat straighter, her mouth in a firm line. “That’s beside the point. It’s been planned for years. As a member of this family, she will follow our instructions to maintain her birthright.”
Planned? What century was this, anyway? Hell, what country? “So this engagement with Charles is arranged?”
“Or course.” Joann set both elbows on the table and pointed at him. “And if you care about her at all, you’ll warn her to get her ass in gear before Christmas. She’s making a fool out of both her and Charles. He will only wait so long. After Christmas, if she isn’t back on the right path, she will be cut off entirely. Disowned. Do you know what that means to Jenna financially? Total ruin.” She narrowed her gaze again. “Do the right thing, Martin, or whoever you are. Steer her back to the family and leave my daughter alone, or she will regret it for the rest of her life.”
Mason couldn’t believe his ears. He glanced at the stern face of Jenna’s father, who said not a word but stared at Mason as though he had the plague.
Seconds went by. Mason was so stunned he couldn’t move. It took several heartbeats for him to gather nouns and verbs. “I’ll talk to her. I can assure you of that.” He knew they would misinterpret his words, but he no longer cared. His head pounded, and his face burned with anger. How dare these people treat their daughter like some kind of commodity?
For the first time in his life, Mason realized family wasn’t everything. Not this kind of family. His chest hurt thinking of Jenna as a child in this home.
He loved that woman. He wanted to spend his life with her. Grow old with her. Have kids with her.
Never could he imagine bringing a child into this house, even to meet these grandparents. He shivered and stepped back.
“Good. Please try to talk some sense into her,” Patrick finally added. “I’m glad to see you’re smart enough to realize you aren’t the man for my daughter. She deserves more. Someone of a higher social standing.”
Mason nodded. “Yeah, she deserves better. I’ll see that she gets it.” His words were minced. He let go of the doorframe, turned, and walked out, not stopping until he’d exited the house.
He glanced down the long drive and spotted Jenna. It wasn’t as though she were going to escape quickly. He’d driven her there, and the keys were in his pocket.
Hell, the circular drive alone was so long she couldn’t get off the property for several minutes.
He didn’t have to chase her, though. She was leaning against the car door, her head tipped to the ground. At least she had faith he would follow her.
He approached on a sigh and pulled her against his chest. When she didn’t respond to him, not lifting her arms around him, he set her aside and opened the door.
She climbed into the car without a word. Unshed tears filled her eyes
, but she didn’t let them fall. She was strong. He’d give her that.
Considering everything he’d just learned, he thought she was amazing.
Chapter Eighteen
They drove back to his place in silence. She didn’t argue for him to take her home. They needed to talk. She recognized that. When they entered, she collapsed on the couch and leaned her head back, her eyes closed.
Mason reached for the phone and ordered a pizza.
She wasn’t hungry, but they’d run out without eating a bite. Mason had to be starving.
He unbuttoned the top few buttons on his shirt as he sat next to her. “I’m sorry, especially if I made things worse or made you uncomfortable. Can we talk about this?”
She rolled her eyes.
Mason chuckled. “Well, I only said that to be polite. You can’t actually expect me to let it go.” He took one of her limp hands in his own and rubbed her palm with his thumb. “Tell me the whole story from the beginning. I’ll listen. I should have listened to you the other day. Obviously you were right. There’s way more going on with your family than I understand.”
A few moments passed before she lifted her head and opened her eyes. “I’m sorry I brought you there. I knew that would happen, and I didn’t warn you properly. Although to be fair, you weren’t really interested in hearing what I had to say. You were only worried about your fantasy of what family should be like. Do you believe me now?”
She lifted a hand when Mason tried to interject. “Don’t. I understand what you’ve been through and I’m sorry, but that doesn’t make my situation any less important.”
Mason nodded.
“My parents have manipulated me my entire life to fit their mold.” She paused. “It’s so much more than that.” She swallowed. “Does the name Mathews mean anything to you?”
“Sure. It’s your last name. So?”
“Ever picked up medication from Mathews drug store?”
“Of course, but— Wait. Are you telling me your family owns Mathews?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“But…”
“Yeah, there isn’t much to add to that is there?” She gave him a half smile.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It isn’t something I go around bragging about. I’m not proud of it. The cost for owning that surname is high. My parents haven’t worked a day in their lives. They pay other people to do everything for them, and they expect me and my sister to do the same and follow in the family footsteps, carrying on their life of leisure.
“I hated it my entire life. I want to do something. They have no pride. When I wanted to go to college, they humored me and decided it would make me look polished. Ha.” She tugged her hand free. “From the moment I graduated, I knew I was going to get out. It took me a few years, and when I declared I was going to move out and open a flower shop, they went ballistic. No daughter of theirs was going to work for a living and demean the family name.”
“But you did.” He furrowed his brow.
“Yes, and they have lied about where I’ve been for two years. None of their friends has any idea I’ve been working and out on my own.”
“They aren’t proud of your accomplishments?”
Jenna laughed sardonically. “My accomplishments? They have no idea what I’ve done. They could care less as long as no one finds out their daughter has been working for a living.”
“God, baby. I’m so sorry. That’s a horrible way to live.”
“My parents want only one thing. Conformity. If they don’t get it, they won’t ever be happy. It’s not something you can fix. It’s not something anyone can fix. Not with words.”
“Okay.”
She paused and narrowed her gaze at him. “Okay?”
“Yes.” He grinned at her and tipped his head to one side. “You sure you want to give up this Charles guy, though? He sounds like a winner.”
She punched his side. “God almighty. What did they say to you after I left?” Oh God. She could only imagine.
“They told me to convince you to leave the no-good, lowlife scum you’re dating now and return to marry this Charles guy, whose family name and status in society will make all your dreams come true.” He kissed the top of her head.
She smiled and lifted her gaze, tipping her head back until she met his eyes. “What did you say?”
“I assured them I would indeed talk to you, that you did in fact deserve better, and I would see that you got it.” He grinned.
Her heart beat rapidly. “And you came to me then,” she whispered.
“I did.” He grasped her head with both hands. “I love you, Jenna.”
“I’m a disaster with enough baggage to fill a subway tunnel.” A tear trickled down her face. Had she heard him correctly? Could he overlook her family issues and still want her?
“I love you,” he repeated. “I know we have a lot of ground to cover, and I’m just learning how to be a regular boyfriend, but I don’t want to waste another minute of my life without you in it.”
She swallowed as tears continued to multiply on her face. “I love you too.”
“Good.” He exhaled as though he’d been uncertain what she might say in response.
“You’ll stop trying to get me to make peace with my parents?” She narrowed her gaze at him.
He nodded. “Some things are more important than family. You taught me that. Family is the people who love you, not blood relatives.”
She smiled. He was getting it.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go home and marry Charles instead?” He stiffened, and she realized he was wondering what sort of relationship she’d had with Charles.
“I’ve only met him a few times. He’s a pompous ass with a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. I wouldn’t want to be in the same room with him, let alone marry the guy.” She shivered and then settled into Mason’s arms.
He held her tight as she propped her chin on his chest. “Would you consider moving in with me? Your place makes me nervous.”
She smiled, warmth spreading to every limb. He wanted her. She kept repeating that to herself. “That seems kind of fast.” She lifted her face. “What’s wrong with my apartment?”
Mason shrugged. “I don’t want to make it seem like you’re turning from one domineering home to another. I would never treat you like they do or take your accomplishments for granted. But I would love to wake up to you pressed into my side every day of the week. Plus, your apartment isn’t very safe, baby. Just think about it. Okay?”
She nodded.
“And one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Your parents are cutting you off from the family on December twenty-fourth at the stroke of midnight, apparently.” He raised an eyebrow. “Think you can lower yourself to living with an accountant who dabbles in MMA and likes a bit of kink on the side?”
“Can’t think of anything I’d like more.”
“The whole thing sucks, and I feel horrible for you, but you know way more about the history of your life than I do. I’ll shut up now. You’re a grown woman. If you need to cut off contact with your family, you should do it.”
She nodded. “It’s never going to be that simple. I’ll warn you now. They will hound me. At least until Christmas day, and then we’ll see if they’re capable of letting me go for real.”
“I’ll be right next to you.”
She nodded, relief flooding her. She hadn’t realized how much she valued his support until she had it. Maybe that was half the reason she hadn’t told him about her family before today. In the back of her mind, she always feared people only saw dollar signs when they met her, not Jenna.
But Mason was different. First of all, he hadn’t known there was money behind her name. And second of all, he’d chosen to support her instead of nagging her to maintain her position as the family heir. Even when he’d fought her on the issue, his motivation had been strictly based on his concern for her to maintain blood relationship
s.
He pulled her closer. “Hey, relax. It’s all going to be fine.”
Jenna was exhausted. She needed time to process everything that had happened. “Will you please take me home?”
He stiffened. “Now?”
“Yes. I just want some time alone. I’m tired. I need some space.”
She watched his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. Then he nodded. “If it’s what you want, of course.”
She smiled wanly. “Just give me tonight, okay? Don’t read anything into it. I’m just done for the day. I want to be alone.”
He stood, lifting her off his lap and righting her on the floor. He cupped her face in both hands and kissed her lips. And then he led her to the door.
They didn’t say much during the drive. When Mason pulled up in front of her apartment, he circled the car and walked her to the door. At the last second, he grabbed her hand and held it up to his cheek. “Call me if you change your mind.”
She nodded, trying not to cry. She was wrung out from the stress.
“I mean it. I hate leaving you alone like this.”
“Mason—”
He held out a hand to stop her. “I get it. I’m not saying I don’t. But I hate it.” He glanced around. “It’s not the best neighborhood.”
“I’m a big girl.”
He rolled his eyes. “I never said you weren’t, but stuff happens. I meant it when I said you should move in with me. Think about it.”
“I will.” She lifted on tiptoes and kissed his lips. “Thank you.”
“Any time.”
•●•
Mason reluctantly left her at the ratty apartment. While her family lived like the king and queen of some foreign country, she lived in a run-down building, barely making ends meet. Intentionally.
Frustrated and needing release, he headed straight for the gym. He skidded into his usual spot, grateful not for the first time that he kept workout clothes on hand in his locker for an occasion such as this one. In minutes he was on the gym floor beating the hell out of a punching bag. He flexed his fingers a few times and set into a rhythm of pounding the bag until it would have been dead if it had been human.
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