by Cara Scott
“I’ll always be grateful,” she whispers against me. She steps back and then asks, “You really think those adoption people will be able to trace some of my birth family?” She rushes on. “Don’t want to seem ungrateful to the Johnsons but…”
“Alice, there’s no shame in you wanting to know your roots. Cole and Steph are one hundred percent behind that.” I move a little closer and put my hand on her arm. “And yes. The agency are working on it. Don’t get your hopes up too much, but now they’ve entered your DNA in the system, they may get some hits. I’ll keep on top of it for you, I promise.”
I smile at Alice’s adoptive parents as they make their way over to us. Three year old Laura and five year old Simon rush ahead and hang off Alice, adoringly.
A warm glow flows through me watching them together. I look around at the happy scene in the courthouse.
I helped make this.
Tears of joy and gratitude catch at my throat all over again. I'm so happy to be doing this kind of work.
It didn’t take long for Mason to convince me to quit. After a couple of weeks, I was free of the county prosecutor’s office and Jim Stevens. I still have to work with him on county matters, but at least I’m on the right side of it now. And I have Mason’s support. I’m still so glad I don't have to worry about that corporate bullshit Gemcor case ever again.
The case is still dragging on. Stevens recruited a couple of law students to do the grunt work. But surprise, surprise, he also, just this month, hired Ava on a consultant basis. It means she’s up here a lot. I love that I get to see her. It’s great spending time with her. Not that I’m fool enough to think I’m the main attraction for my bestie.
After Cord spent some time up here investigating the suspected homicide, his family and friends worked on him about the benefits of small town living. They were successful enough that he put in for a transfer. There’s not enough work up here to keep him occupied at his investigative level, but Mason’s second cousin Kyle offered him security work at his hotel at the Diamond Springs Resort.
Cord’s close enough with Ava these days that he discussed the transfer with her and pushed Mason to put in a word with Stevens to hire her for the Gemcor case. Mason says Cord wouldn’t have taken the transfer if it meant not seeing her. Guess that bodes well for their future. Although, somehow I can’t see Ava living in a small town.
Corporate law is Ava’s specialty, so we’re not worried she’ll be worn out by the stress. It’s a different matter to be an experienced corporate consultant with two law students to do the grunt work, than be snowed under all alone.
Like I was.
I really was a mess. If anyone had told me back then that I'd soon be working in my practice, helping the people I want to, just like my granddad, have my bestie up here regularly, and, most of all, Mason and I would be together, I’d never have credited it. We're actually making it as a couple too. I'm even starting to get my little ranch house sorted out with his help.
Every time we work on it, he lays out all the reasons why I should move in with him. He tried to convince me to move in that first weekend, but I wanted some time to be sure. I’ve held off because I can hardly believe he’s really mine. These days, I’m feeling pretty secure in his love. Secure enough that I’ve decided to say yes the next time he asks.
To be honest, the idea of living with him is a dream come true. Yeah sure, there are some drawbacks. I do have some panicked moments when I wonder if I can actually hold on to Mason. I worry that the community still hasn't completely accepted us as a couple. That bothers me. But I'm starting not to care. Like he says, he gives me plenty of reasons every day, and especially every night, not to give a shit what anyone thinks.
The group start to move outside to the courthouse steps and I make my goodbyes. I’m on the second step down when Steph’s voice rings out. “We’ll see you at the celebration tonight. At the central ranch house. Don’t forget. The whole town will be there.” She reminds me from the top of the steps.
That makes a dent in my euphoria. I want to celebrate with every one of the new families. But the whole town is still a daunting prospect. Steph sees the look on my face before I can hide it. She steps down towards me and lowers her voice. “Don’t look so worried. I wish you could understand how much you’re valued here.”
I rustle up a smile at her kindness. I’m just about to assure her we’ll be there when I hear a sound I always love. The distinctive roar of the Harley.
My euphoria goes shooting off the charts. By the time I turn around, he’s cut the engine. He takes off his helmet and gives a long, low whistle.
“Hey there, gorgeous.”
Astride his bike at the bottom of the courthouse steps.
There he is. My man.
Mason
There she is. My woman.
Looking all fine and official on the steps of our town courthouse. I swell with pride at the sight of her. These last months, she’s shown the whole town, hell the whole county, her mettle. The work she did with those kids and helping me with the investigation of that home has cleared up a blight on our community I’ve long wanted to see gone.
I’m thrilled that Alice is part of our family now. Cole and Steph are delighted to have her. Maura’s worked tirelessly to find all the kids new homes. She even managed to track down some of their relatives and reunite them. She’s still working on that end of it even for the adopted kids.
She walks down the steps to greet me with a kiss. She’s only planning to make it a small one considering where we are and that we have an audience.
Like that’s happening.
I grab her, pull her onto my lap on the bike and make the kiss last. And last.
It’s long and full, deep and hard. Just like the kiss we shared a few streets away in the alley beside Ginny’s diner, three months ago today. The kiss that started and sealed it all.
“Mason.” She bangs at my chest half-heartedly. The townsfolk at the top of the steps cheer their appreciation. When I let her go, she’s suffused with color. Probably as much from the effects of the kiss as from her embarrassment.
She bangs on my chest again. “Brute.”
I grin at her, unrepentant. I know she loves it when I claim her.
She pushes her mussed hair off her face. “How come you’ve got the Harley out? I thought you were working this afternoon.”
“I was, but it’s quiet. Nothing much happening. It’s such a beautiful fall day. I thought maybe we could go up to the hot springs and have a picnic. You can take the time off now you’re your own boss. I’ve rearranged my shift.”
She looks across at her office. “I still have some paperwork to finish off.”
I reach out and tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “Can’t it wait? It's kind of a special day for us, sweetheart.”
She looks at me blankly. “It is?”
“Three month anniversary, counsellor.”
Her face falls. “Three months! Today? Shit, I missed it.” she looks guilty as hell and just a bit pissed at me. “Damn, Mason. How do you do that that? You always remembers special dates and occasions better than I do. I’m sorry. I knew it was getting to that, but I didn’t think it was right on three months, today.”
I grin at her. “No worries sweetheart. You’ve been preoccupied with the adoptions. But yeah, three months to the day. To the time, in fact. The Friday afternoon right after Founder’s Weekend. Cassie’s still pissed that we didn’t hook up on Founder’s. She lost the pot, remember?”
Her face lifts. She gets that dreamy look on her face. She looks at the time on her cell. “Yeah, you’re right. It is to the time. Three months since the afternoon you arrested me on the road.”
She blushes at the memory. I know she still feels a bit guilty about her speeding.
“Uh huh.” I pull her against me and kiss her some more, much to the delight of the crowd still on the courthouse steps. Afterwards, I growl against her hair. “I was mad as hell at you and sick with worry ove
r it, baby. But in hindsight, I can't help feeling grateful you did speed. That day when Wes stopped you and I took over, changed everything between us.”
She snuggles into me. “Yeah it did,” she agrees with a satisfied murmur. She looks up at me and grins. “Poor Cassie. Reckon she’ll ever forgive us?”
I smile at the thought of Cassie. She’s still pissed over missing out on the pot Garnet Junction and Jade Creek had on whether and when Maura and I would get together. She had her money on us. She was right about that. Only her timing was off. I get why she’s pissed. She only missed it by six days.
“In time, but never mind Cassie,” I growl at her, again. I slip her off my lap and point her towards her office. “Go get yourself out of those clothes and let's get going. The mountains are calling.”
She smiles at me with a glint in her eye. “Whatever you say, officer.” She winks and adds under her breath. “Sure you don’t need to frisk me first?”
I get off the bike and advance on her in a way that sets her running off with a squeal to her small law office by the side of the courthouse. She keeps a mix of casual clothes in there and pretty soon she emerges dressed in jeans and a hoodie. I hand her a helmet and the leather jacket I got for her a couple of months back for riding the Harley. The helmet and jacket are enough for the trips we take around here. I don’t take the bike out too far or gun it too much these days. When I do take her on a longer trip, I’ll kit her out in full leathers.
I just love taking the bike out now that the fall days are coming in. The roads are as clear as the mountain air. Not that I haven’t enjoyed this summer. Especially having Maura around at the creek. She likes to watch me work on my bike. I suspect she likes to see me in a muscle shirt. I get a kick out of the way her eyes, hell her whole body, lights up when I get too hot and strip it off.
She loves to see me shirtless. Especially now I’ve got a new tattoo over my heart. We both have a particular fondness for that tattoo. I recently had it inked on. Two intertwined hearts with each of our names. Yeah, I know it's a cliché, but I don't care.
I let the thrill of liberation from the throb of the powerful engine course through me. Today the thrill is heightened to almost bursting point. I’ve something pretty special stashed in the picnic basket. Something she’s gotta say yes to. I know it’s early on, but hell not really considering the years I stupidly wasted.
We reach the springs and strip off and dive in. It’s one of the smaller springs I’ve known since I was a kid. It’s deserted mostly, especially at this time of year at the end of the summer season and before winter sports and events set in. So we get to go in the way nature intended.
That leads to the inevitable and it’s quite some time before we get round to the picnic I packed. I pour us some wine and then take out my special item and place it where I planned.
Even though I angle her just right, she’s so intent on eating she doesn’t notice. And then she annoys the hell out of me by lying back and closing her eyes. So much for my romantic plan. Guess I’m just going to have to be direct.
“Maura.” I turn on my side and shake her a little.
“Mmm,” she responds sleepily.
“Maura, hon. I need to ask you something.”
She opens her eyes at that. She sits up and gives me a knowing look. “It’s alright, Mason. You don’t need to ask. I’ve decided I’ll move in with you as soon as you want.”
She looks so adorably smug, like she’s in control of it all, I can’t help playing with her some. I shake my head. “Sorry, Maura, love. Too late. I’ve decided I don't want you to move in.”
She stares at me, wide eyed. “You don't!”
She looks like she might cry but I don’t let it get anywhere near that. I turn her so she’s looking right at it sparkling against the chrome fender. It took me ages to work out how to nestle it in the dent.
She can’t miss it now. She doesn’t. She stares at it and then at me. Then she does a double take. “Holy, fuck, Mason. Are you serious? Is that what I think it is?”
“Damn right it is. I don’t want you to just move in, Maura love. I want you to marry me. When you come to live in our home, I want to be able to carry you over the threshold.”
I kneel down in front of her on one knee and take the ring from the dent in my fender and hold it out to her. “Marry me.”
Tears are in her eyes now, the right kind. They drip adorably down her nose. She smiles at me through them, nods and holds out her hand. I slip the ring on where it belongs and pull her in close to me where she belongs.
A few minutes later we’re sitting together by the bike. She holds out her hand and inspects the ring. She runs her other hand along the dent in the chrome.
“Cute place to put the ring. Sorry I was too thick to notice.”
“Too busy stuffing your face you mean,” I laugh dodging the punch she throws at me.
“So how come you’ve never got this fixed Mason? You’ve done loads of restoration on the bike. I bet you could find an original fender.”
I run my hand along the dent, echoing her earlier movements. “Yeah, I could but I don’t want to. You want to know why I have and never will get it fixed, babe?” I turn her face up to mine and kiss her. “Because it reminds me of you. Of when and how we met. I just never could bring myself to change that fender. I guess removing it would somehow be removing you. So yeah, that's it. This fender, dent and all, stays where it is.”
“For always?” she whispers.
“Oh, yeah.” I whisper right back. “For always.”
Thanks for reading Mason and Maura’s romance. Have you read Brett and Cora’s love story? It’s the first in the Gemstone FOR series. Get it HERE.
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About the Author
Cara Scott writes sweet and steamy, short romances. Her books feature an alpha, protective male who falls in insta love with a curvy woman. He knows how to love her real well, and they always find their HEA.
Discover Cara Scott’s Gemstone Series. Small town love set in the beautiful mountains of Wyoming. Follow the loves and lives of the men and women of Garnet Junction, Jade Creek and the glamorous Diamond Springs Resort.
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