Believe Me (Hearts for Ransom Book 3) (11 page)

Brody walked over to the door and hesitated. He turned back around. “There’s just one more thing I want to know as your attorney.”

“What do you want to know?” Mason had told Brody everything. He couldn’t imagine anything making it worse.

“Is Claire Hadley your baby’s mother?”

For the first time ever, Mason was able to speak the words aloud to a friend. “Yes. Zoey Hadley is my daughter.”

Brody shook his head. “That poor kid looks just like you.” He winked. “Only she’s a heck of a lot cuter.”

Mason was filled with mixed emotions as he watched Brody unlock the door. So his daughter favored him. Try as he might, he just couldn’t picture her. It broke his heart.

Brody returned to his chair and sat back down. “Okay. Your attorney has left the building. I’m your friend again—and I’m still here on company time.” He grinned. “And if you ever tell Jake, I’ll deny it.”

“So, we’re still friends?” Mason asked disbelievingly.

“Always,” Brody assured him. “Everybody is entitled to make a mistake. You’re already paying way more than enough for yours, as far as I’m concerned.”

Mason breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Brody.” He decided a change of subject would be nice. “How’s married life treating you?”

“It’s great,” was his response. “Especially since ball season’s over. Abby hasn’t been barging into the announcers’ booths and commandeering them so she can tell everybody I’m hers.” He shook his head and chuckled.

Mason had to laugh with him. Abby had done that so many times last season, she was on a first name basis with the announcers for every team they played. Some of them even invited her to join them.

“I have a confession, Brody,” he admitted. “I envy you guys. Almost every one of you has a woman to love, and who loves you back. I never thought I’d want that, but my way of thinking has changed. I want it all—a wife, kids, even a cheesy, white picket fence.”

“Do you have feelings for Claire?” Brody asked. “Or is there another woman in your life now?”

Mason had to give that idea some thought. “I’ve never even considered how I feel about Claire. I’ve been too caught up in feeling guilty about what happened.” He thought of Betsy. “I’ve met a sweet woman, but we’re just friends, and I’d like to keep it that way.” He couldn’t hold back his smile. “I’m not even really attracted to her, and she doesn’t feel that way about me, either. It feels good to have a female friend.”

Brody shook his head, amazement on his face. “You sound like a different man.”

Mason felt like a different man. A man who had been born fifteen months ago.

Claire had run out of excuses. Spencer had scholar bowl practice after school and was going out for pizza with his teammates afterward. Their school sponsor was footing the bill because Ransom High School’s team stomped the team from a very reputable private school a few weeks before Thanksgiving. She was supposed to pick her son up at eight o’clock.

She had made a decision and could no longer procrastinate. Claire was taking Zoey to the hospital. There was no logical reason for her change of heart, but she felt like it would be okay for Mason to meet Zoey.

Of course, there were going to be some ground rules. Mason was still not going to fill the role of Zoey’s father. He would have to accept that. Since he seemed so eager to please her, she felt confident that he wouldn’t balk at her condition. So, she would allow him to meet his daughter.

It wasn’t long enough before she carried a bundled up little girl into the lobby of the hospital. She stopped at the front desk to see which room he was in. The volunteer manning it told her he was now in 129, in the long-term-care wing. Claire couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Mason. He must not have had anybody to help him out at home, and had to stay at the hospital until he was able to take care of himself.

Zoey didn’t seem to sense her mother’s uneasiness. She clapped and gurgled during the entire walk down the long winding hall. Standing at the door to room 129, Claire unbundled her daughter and stuffed her coat and hat into the diaper bag, leaving Zoey in a bright pink top and pants outfit purchased at Seasons and Such. Zoey kicked her baby shoe clad feet, wanting down to play.

Claire took a deep breath and opened the door.

Mason was lying in bed, reading his book. Loretta had just been seduced by Chance and figured out she was really in love with his twin brother, Chase. What kind of person thought up this nonsense? A soft clapping and funny sound drew his attention to the door.

Claire stood just inside, holding a little girl. His eyes were immediately fixed on the baby. She had a head full of black curls and rosy red cheeks, but it was her eyes that captivated him. She had the biggest, brown eyes he’d ever seen, and they looked very familiar. He saw ones that looked just like them every time he looked in a mirror. The grin on her face was lighting up those eyes.

As she carried Zoey closer to Mason’s bed, Claire began shaking. What if she were doing the wrong thing? She realized it was too late as she stopped beside the bed. Mason looked at his daughter.

Suddenly, Zoey giggled and dove for Mason’s chest. She caught Claire unprepared, so she lost her grip on the baby. Zoey landed in the crook of Mason’s right arm, lying on her side facing him.

Mason was holding his daughter. The perfectly beautiful little person lying against him was his daughter. His eyes hungrily roamed her features and her tiny body. She managed to get her hands in front of her again and lay there happily clapping, a funny sound coming from her mouth. She had a determined look on her face—as if she were conducting a difficult task.

Claire was speechless. If anybody were to walk into the room at that moment, they would take one look at Mason and Zoey, and know, without a doubt, they were looking at a father and his daughter. She’d always known it, but seeing them together brought it home.

“Hi, Zoey.” Mason’s voice was softer than Claire had ever heard it.

Zoey giggled and blew raspberries.

Claire’s breath stalled. What would Mason’s response be to being spit at by a baby?

He laughed. “Yeah. That’s what I think about being stuck in this place, too.”

Mason was amazed by her tiny fingers. He worked his arm around so he could use the hand on his injured arm to touch them. Zoey promptly grabbed his hand and lunged upward, with her usual determination, to bite his finger.

“I’m sorry.” Claire finally managed to speak. “She’s getting a new tooth, so she bites anything she can get into her mouth. I should have warned you.”

A smile spread across Mason’s face and he was pretty sure it wasn’t going away any time soon.

“It’s okay,” he told Claire, still using that soft voice. “Those tiny teeth don’t hurt a bit.”

As if in response to Mason’s words, Zoey twisted around and nuzzled her head against his neck, snuggling against him. He automatically adjusted his good arm to hold her closer.

It was only as he felt one drop onto his shoulder that he realized tears were streaming down his face. He didn’t care. He was holding Zoey, and she didn’t seem to care what kind of person he used to be. She just accepted him. And he already loved her without reservation or conditions.

Claire saw his tears and had to turn away so he didn’t see the ones threatening her. Why had she fought this for so long? Why couldn’t her daughter know this man? Not as her father, but as a family friend or something. She finally regained control of herself and turned back to face him.

“Mason?”

He reluctantly looked away from Zoey toward Claire, his eyes still damp from tears.

“I’ve decided Zoey can get to know you.” She rushed to qualify her statement. “Not as her father, of course—at least not until she’s old enough to understand.”

Mason didn’t want to disturb his daughter. She felt perfect lying against him. “I don’t understand. How can I be in her life without her knowing who I am to her? What she means to me?”

Claire had her answer ready. “You’re Spencer’s big brother. You can see her when you pick Spence up or drop him off. I won’t hide her from you anymore. We’ll run into you in different places, too. Zoey will think you’re a friend.”

Mason felt Zoey burrow tighter against him. He was pretty sure she was falling asleep.

Still speaking in a calm voice so he wouldn’t startle the baby, he told Claire, “No. I can’t do that. That’s not good enough. I want to be her father. I messed up and hurt you, and I know there is nothing I can do to fix that, but Zoey has two parents. She
deserves
two parents.”

Zoey, now asleep, hiccupped. Mason tenderly rubbed her back.

Claire’s heart was going to pound right out of her chest. She just wanted to scoop up her daughter and run. She made a mistake, after all, in letting Mason see Zoey. Now he wanted more.

“I’m sorry, Claire.” He looked earnestly into her eyes, hoping she could see he meant what he was telling her. “I’ve hired an attorney. I don’t want to take you to court, but if that’s what it takes for Zoey to know who I am, I’m going to do it.”

Shaking like a leaf, and praying Mason couldn’t see it, Claire walked over and picked Zoey up.

“You can’t do that.”

“Believe me, I don’t want to. Please don’t make me,” Mason implored.

She turned and practically ran from the room, holding her baby tightly against her and feeling the diaper bag hit her hip with every step.

Mason watched her leave. He had so many feelings rushing through him, he couldn’t sort them out. He had never experienced the joy and contentment he felt with Zoey in his arms, but he was afraid he was going to have to hurt Claire to keep his daughter in his life. Because, now he knew that little girl had to be in his life.

“Mason…Mason?” The familiar, pleasant voice roused him. He opened his eyes to see Emily standing there, with Logan beside her. Mason realized he was going to have a crick in his neck to add to his sore body. How had he dozed off sitting in the wheelchair?

“Hi,” Emily greeted him. “We came to see what Dr. Lysart has to tell you when she makes her evening rounds. I hope that’s all right.”

“Sure.” Mason cleared his throat. Then he remembered, and he had to tell somebody. “Claire brought Zoey to see me yesterday afternoon. I held her. She laughed, and stuck out her tongue, and spit at me. She bit my finger, but it didn’t really hurt because her teeth are so little. I could only see three of them in her mouth anyway. She even snuggled up against me and fell asleep. You guys should see her. She’s perfect.” He saw his friends exchange smiles. “What?”

Logan answered him. “If you didn’t just sound like a proud father, I can’t imagine who would.”

“So, she’s come around?” Emily asked, hope alight on her face.

Mason frowned. “She wants me to be somebody they bump into. Somebody to say ‘hi’ to. Claire says she’ll let me be in Zoey’s life, but she can’t know I’m her father.”

Emily’s look of anticipation turned to one of displeasure. “Well, isn’t that generous of her? She's not fair at all.”

“You may as well know Brody is representing me,” he told them. “I gave her an ultimatum. I don’t really want to take her to court so I can be Zoey’s father, but I will if I have to.”

“I understand,” Logan said, his eyes clouded with concern, “but how’s that going to affect your relationship with—”

Dr. Lysart walked in, interrupting their conversation. She was smiling.

“Good evening, Mason.” She warmly greeted him. “Emily, Logan.” She nodded at them.

“I’m sorry to just show up,” Emily told her. “It’s just I’ve been so worried about Mason, and I know what time you usually make your rounds. I just couldn’t wait to hear what his latest X-rays showed.”

The doctor smiled again. “Of course you’re welcome here.” She looked at Mason. “As long as my patient doesn’t mind.”

Mason impatiently shook his head. “I don’t care. What did you find out?”

“Your arm and legs are healing nicely. I have to admit I was a little concerned about your left leg. It seems to have taken slightly more pressure than your right one. While it still doesn’t appear to be mending as quickly as your other leg, it won’t need to be re-broken and set.”

“Re-broken?” Mason was horrified. The doctor was talking about breaking his leg again? After it already started to heal?

Dr. Lysart shook her head. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. As I told you, it’s healing nicely.”

“What about my arm?” He lifted the cast as high as he could.

“If it keeps progressing at this rate, I fully expect to be cutting that cast off in about two weeks. How does that sound?”

He couldn’t help it. “About two weeks longer than I’d like.”

Emily reached over and gently patted his head. “When they handed out patience, you must have thought they meant sick people and said, ‘no, thanks.'”

“I’m sorry.” The rational part of Mason knew he should be thankful. It was just a lot easier said than sometimes done.

“It’s understandable for a busy man such as yourself to have trouble sitting and doing nothing,” Dr. Lysart said. “I’ll check back in on you in a few days. Just keep following instructions, so those bones heal as quickly as they can.”

“I will,” Mason assured her.

He waited until the door closed behind the doctor before he looked at Logan.

“I don’t like missing this much work.” He’d wanted to tell his boss this for days. “I don’t want to lose my foreman position. I worked too hard to get it.”

Logan burst into laughter. Mason didn’t see anything funny about his situation.

“I’m sorry,” Logan finally managed to say. “It’s just that Bo is acting as foreman while you’re gone, and I can tell you for a fact he’ll gladly give it up as soon as you’re back on the job.”

“How do you know?” Mason always assumed the job as foreman at Taylor’s Construction was a coveted position.

“Because Bo stomps around the site and does a fantastic job.”

And this was supposed to reassure Mason?

“But…” Logan’s grin widened. “If I had a dollar for every time the word ‘bites’ comes out of his mouth, I could just close up shop and live off the interest.”

Surely Logan knew how Bo talked. “He always does that—even at work.”

Logan’s brow went up. “He told the entire bedroom of the Jansen house it bit because he didn’t like the way the paneling was going up. And, then he told the world in general that whoever designed stupid, flower-covered paneling also bit—the big one, even. Hilda Jansen had just left, or she would’ve heard him.”

Mason couldn’t hold back his laughter as he pictured Bo holding up a sheet of paneling and growling at the room around him. It put his mind at ease as far as his job was concerned.

“How are you as far as money goes?” Logan was obviously uncomfortable with the subject. “I know insurance is taking care of most of your bill, but what with you missing work, you’re bound to get behind on things.”

He had dreaded this question coming from somebody ever since his admission to the long-term care ward. “I’m in the black.” How could he phrase this, so he wouldn’t lie to a man he greatly respected? “I’ve only had myself to take care of, so I’ve been able to build up a healthy savings account. Everything is taken care of.” He needed to remember to call Brody about some business he’d been putting off.

Logan looked doubtful. “Are you sure, Mason? Because Emily and I can help you out.”

Mason bit back the guilt he felt. “Thank you—both of you. But really, I’m covered. It doesn’t cost much to live in a one-bedroom apartment and only have yourself to be responsible for.”

Logan searched his face and must have finally found what he was looking for. “Okay. You’re still going to be in here a while, though. Promise you’ll let me know if your circumstances change.”

Mason nodded. “I will.”

Emily walked over to him. “It’s getting late. The nurses will be in here to put you to bed, so we’d better get going.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek.

“I’ll tell you goodbye,” Logan said straight-faced, “but there’s no way I’m kissing you. Even without your beard, you’re not pretty enough to suit me.”

Emily smacked his shoulder.

“What?” Logan asked her. “I’m just used to Grade A, blue ribbon, earth shaking kisses with you. Why would I want to kiss anybody else, when I can kiss the most beautiful woman in the world?”

She snuggled against his chest. “You are so having your way with me when we get home.”

He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the door. “I’m counting on it.” He waved at Mason with one hand as he pulled his wife into the hall with him.

Mason smiled. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have somebody in his life to love like that. An image of Claire popped into his head. That would never work out. Even if she hadn’t already despised him, she would never forgive him for that night. No matter how much sense Brody’s observations made, Mason still wasn’t sure if he’d ever really forgive himself.