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Authors: Syd Parker

Made to Love (9 page)

BOOK: Made to Love
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“No, Lacey.” Mason pulled Nikki’s hand back and glared at Lacey. “We do not bite.” Mason pulled Nikki’s hand toward her and turned it over, checking for injuries. “You okay? She’s never done that before. Usually, she likes everyone.”

Nikki shrugged and chuckled nervously. “I guess she can tell I’m the bad seed of the family.”

“Nah, that’s crazy. She’s probably just ticked at me still.” Mason put her palm on Nikki’s elbow and led her away from the fence. She shook her head in disbelief. She was fairly certain that Lacey really didn’t like Nikki. “At least you’re okay.”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Nikki pulled away from Mason as they rounded the barn. “I should be going. I just wanted to tell you I was sorry for earlier.”

“Like I said, it’s totally fine.” Mason rubbed her hand over the back of her neck uncomfortably. She wanted to ask Nikki out again. After their conversation this afternoon, she felt a renewed hope that Nikki might be interested. Mason hoped she hadn’t read her wrong. “Listen, there is a place down in South Burlington that has
a gay and lesbian night the first Friday of every month. They have a live band and a DJ. I thought we could go hang out, listen to some music, maybe dance some.”

Nikki arched an eyebrow and regarded Mason with a comical expression.

“What?” Mason felt her stomach drop. The tiny bit of confidence she did have was quickly stripped away.

“Don’t forget, I just saw how you dance. I’m not sure I’m ready to lose my toes.”

Mason almost withdrew her invitation, but then she saw the twinkle in Nikki’s eyes. “Oh? You were kidding.”

Nikki’s smile widened. “Yes, I was teasing you. I would love to go. I could stand to have a little culture way out in the country.”

“I didn’t say anything about culture. Just something to do. I promise I won’t break too many toes.”

“It’s a date.”

Mason beamed. “So, I’ll see you next Friday.”

“Unless you’re lucky and we run into each other before that.”

“Yes, if I’m lucky.”

Nikki leaned over and kissed Mason’s cheek. “Till then.” She waggled her fingers in Marly’s direction and nodded toward her wet jeans. “Sorry for getting you all wet.”

Marly shook her head and both women watched Nikki walk away-Marly, who wore a slight look of disgust, and Mason, who couldn’t slap the grin off her face. “Let’s hope you dance better than that on your date.”

Mason pulled her eyes away from Nikki’s retreating figure and shot Marly a desperate grin. “Tell me you know how to dance.”

Marly’s eyes widened. “Tell me you’re joking. You’re joking, aren’t you?” She saw the look in Mason’s eyes and groaned. “You’re not joking. Oh God. Why would you ask her out dancing?”

“I don’t know.” Mason looked chagrined. “That’s what people do. They listen
to music, and they dance.”

“Um, people who dance do that, not people who maul someone else’s feet.” Marly dusted off her hands and shook her head. “Couldn’t you just ask her to dinner?”

“Oh God.” Mason scrubbed her palms over her face. “I’m screwed.”

“No.” Marly rubbed Mason’s arm reassuringly. “We have
some time. I’m sure between the two of us we can come up with two solid dance moves that you can fake it with…fast and slow.”

Mason smiled hopefully. “You think so?”

Marly stepped backward and let her eyes drop to Mason’s feet and back to her face. “I’ve done more with less.”

“Well, that’s encouraging.” Mason clipped sarcastically.

“Hey, I’m not the one who just asked my uber crush to go dancing.”

“Touche.” Mason flicked her head toward the barn. “Did you save any water for the girls or did you use it all?”

Marly swatted Mason’s arm and growled. “Ooh, keep it up, you. You will be watching Nikki shake her ass from the comfort of a barstool.”

Mason plastered an innocent smile on her face. “Yes, Ms. Cabot.” She snickered behind her hand at the evil look that Marly shot her. She started walking toward their cars, letting Marly fall instep beside her. “When shall we start?”

“Tomorrow night.” Marly paused, not sure how to say the next part. “I’m taking Mom’s ashes to the Islands; we can work on you after.”

“Isle La Motte?” Mason knew of the five island towns in Lake Champlain, Isle La Motte, was Anne’s favorite. The furthest and most remote, they visited that island most of all during their years together. Anne loved to visit Saint Anne’s Shrine. She said it made her feel closer to God. “Your mom loved the Shrine. She went to Mass there a few times.”

“Mass?” Marly sounded surprised and perhaps a little confused. “Mom wasn’t Catholic.”

“No, but she was very spiritual. It was very calming for her. I know that she prayed quite a bit. I think I have an idea now what she might have been praying about.”

“Me?”

Mason nodded and leaned against her car. “I think she must have hoped that you would come home one day. Or maybe she was praying you were safe.”

“I never knew that side of Mom.” Marly folded her arms and looked out over the ranch to the foothills of the Green Mountains behind. “She loved this place, though. That much I know. She called it God’s country all the time. That’s why I know she wants to be a part of the nature that she loved.”

“And y
ou’re sure it’s okay that I come with you to the island?” Mason ached just asking the question knowing the answer could be no. She wanted to be there to say her final good-byes to the woman she had known as a mom for so long.

“Yes…I mean if you want to go. I don’t want to force…”

Mason turned and put her finger to Marly’s lips, silencing her. “I want to be there.”

Marly ignored the shiver that went through her body at Mason’s touch. She chalked it up to too many months without female company. Pulling away, she smiled gratefully. “I would like that.”

Mason pushed herself off her car and smiled. “See you tomorrow then.”

“Yes. I’ll pack a lunch, if that’s okay.”

“That would be perfect.” Mason opened her door to get in. “Anne loved picnics.”

“Till tomorrow, Coyote.” Marly waved and got into her car. She touched her hand to her lips and smiled involuntarily. She hadn’t come home expecting to find a friend and even when the truce had been
made, she didn’t expect much. She wasn’t sure that their tender friendship would last beyond this shared experience, but for the time being, it felt nice to be close to someone again.

Chapter 9

 

Mason stepped onto the porch and shaded her eyes from the early morning sun. She inhaled the scent of the blossoms around her. For a moment, she felt like Anne was standing beside
her, and it made her smile. Over the years, they sat on her porch many a late spring day. It was hard to believe that Anne was gone. It seemed like just yesterday they shared a spot on the swing, discussing Mason’s plans for new pieces. Now, Mason was making a piece in Anne’s honor.

The sadness came in waves that crashed over Mason when she least expected -
a song that reminded her of Anne, passing by her church, sitting on the porch. Mason never knew when the tears would come. They came and went quickly. More lately, Mason tried to convince herself that the sun would keep rising even through the pain.

“Hey, got any extra coffee?” Marly clambered up the steps and plastered a tired, but hopeful, grin on her face. She waved an empty coffee mug in Mason’s direction. “Mom’s coffee maker is on the fritz.”

Mason crinkled up her nose and toyed with saying no, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her face at Marly’s hopefulness. She reached around and pulled the screen door open, gesturing for Marly to follow her in. “I have plenty. I woke up exhausted this morning, but the sun and fresh air seem to have woken me up some.”

“They haven’t done the trick for me yet. I’m afraid it’s going to be a caffeine day today.” Marly held her cup out as Mason filled it with coffee and gestured to a container of creamer on the counter. “No thanks, just the coffee.” Marly inhaled the aroma and blew on the hot liquid before she took a tentative sip. “Mm, you make a mean pot of coffee.”

“That’s your mom’s fault. She taught me all about brewing the perfect cup of coffee. I have a hard time getting coffee anywhere else.” Mason topped off her own mug and put the pot back on the heater. “There is just enough for you to have a second cup, but I can make another pot if you want.”

Marly shook her head no. “
Two is plenty. I’ll grab a coke for the drive. How far is it?”

“An hour, give or take. We can drive up US 2 and hit all the islands or hop on 89 and cross over just north of Isle La Motte
, your choice.”

“What would my mom do?” Marly looked expectantly at Mason.

“Take the scenic route.” Mason answered the question quickly, knowing that Anne was a nature lover. It was one of the reasons they got along so well-their shared love of all things outdoors. “Besides, it’s a beautiful day. We might as well take advantage of it.”

“Sounds good.” Marly’s coffee was starting to kick
in, and she was feeling human. “I just need to grab a jacket and Mom’s urn.” She flicked her eyes up and down Mason’s body, frowning at her worn-out pajama bottoms. “You wearing that?”

Mason looked askance at Marly. “I had thought about it. I like to be comfortable.”

“Seriously?” Marly caught Mason’s smirk and rolled her eyes. “About the time I figure out when you are teasing and when you are serious, I’ll be leaving. Maybe you could make up a placard that says
just kidding
anytime you are being sarcastic. It would make our daily interaction quite a bit easier.”

“Aw, now where is the fun in that?” Mason pinched Marly’s cheek playfully. “Besides, you’re kind of cute when you can’t quite figure things out.”

“Oh, God,” Marly said with a groan. “You really are like my mother.” Marly sipped her coffee then held up her mug. “Thanks again. I’m gonna go grab Mom. Honk when you’re ready.”

Mason walked her to the front door. “I’ll get cleaned up.”

Marly headed out the door then stopped on the steps. “Hey, your friends…they have the baby?”

Mason remembered the impromptu visit to the
hospital, and she smiled. “Sure did, late last night. They had a boy; named him Alexander Neal Tataris. Pretty sure they are gonna call him Alex.”

Marly let the name roll off of her lips. “That’s probably a good idea. You wanna run by the hospital on the way out of town?”

“You’re sure you don’t mind? I just want to drop off a gift.”

Marly waved her hand dismissively. “You’re driving. We have time for whatever you want.” With that, she descended the steps and walked back to her house.

Fifteen minutes later, Mason pulled into Marly’s driveway and honked. She watched Marly descend the steps, her arms enveloping a thick blanket. “You need help?”

“Nah, I’ve got it.” Marly opened the back door and sat the bundle in the back seat carefully. She pulled the seatbelt around it and went to click it shut.

“Um, whatcha doing?” Mason twisted around and watched Marly in fascination.

“I figured it would be protected better.”

“What would be protected better?”

Marly eyed Mason with disbelief. “The urn. Mom. You know I thought she would be safer if I buckled her in.”

“Huh.” Mason nodded and turned around again. Now, she
had
seen it all.

“I just gotta grab my jacket and the picnic
basket, and I’m ready.”

Ten minutes later, Mason pulled into a parking spot at the hospital and shut the engine off. “You can stay in the car
, in case you want to keep your mom company. I’ll leave the keys so you can listen to the radio.”

Marly paused with her hand on the door and hid her disappointment. She didn’t know Aspen or Lex at all, but there was something that made her want to join Mason. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she felt a need to be a part of her new friend’s life. Maybe she felt like she owed Mason, which went against everything Marly believed her whole adult life. More than likely, she was feeling empty for the first time in a long
time, and she longed to fill the space.

Mason watched the emotions play on Marly’s face. “I get it; you love babies, despite your cold, hard exterior. You’re just a softie. Come on.”

The corners of Marly’s mouth curved up.  “You figured out my secret.”

“Yeah, I’m good like that.” Mason grabbed a small gift bag out of the back seat then checked the display on her phone. “Lex sent me a text with the
ir new room number. Where is that darn thing?” Carefully, she walked and scrolled through her texts.

“Isn’t it illegal to walk and text in Vermont?”

“Funny.” Mason growled quietly. “Don’t make me tie you to the top of the car for being obstina…” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Mason hit the curb with her foot and tripped forward, launching her phone and the gift bag into the air. “Oomph.” Mason barely touched the ground before she jumped back up and looked around quickly.

“Told ya.” Marly dusted off Mason’s phone and handed it back to her. “I think it survived.”

“Thanks.” Mason hid her face in her phone so the embarrassment didn’t show. A natural klutz anyway, her proclivity for clumsiness was showing itself in spades lately. “I found it. They’re on the 5
th
floor.”

Marly fell in step beside Mason and watched her out of the corner of her eye. “So, you obviously haven’t been walking long.”

“Zip it.” Mason glared at Marly, but couldn’t help herself from smiling. “My mom used to say I could walk down the hall and trip over air. That takes mad skills.”

“Mmhmm. So, your friends
…have they been together long?”

“Mm, collectively, about six years.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is their second time around. They were separated for about five years before they got back together last year.” Mason slid through the automatic doors of the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. “They were actually back in Vermont to get
divorced, and I guess they realized they still loved each other. It’s kind of sweet.”

“This is their first baby?”

“Second, actually. They lost the first one midway through the pregnancy. It’s kind of what pushed them apart. Seeing them, you just know they should be together, but sometimes people are stubborn and ignore the obvious.”

Marly didn’t answer right away. It was true. She ignored the obvious, but it was because she chose to, not because she was stubborn. There were some truths that she didn’t want to accept. It meant admitting that she had made mistakes, big ones, and the one thing Marly was good at was running. Running didn’t
force her to face her demons. She knew it was the scared thing to do. There were times she wondered what it would be like to stop running. Even so, she hadn’t let herself try. So many years had passed, and so much distance had been created that even if she stopped running, she knew she wouldn’t recognize herself. The fear of finally realizing she was alone, and by her own doing, kept her moving, and moving kept her from having to see who she’d become. Because the truth was, she didn’t think she would like herself.

Mason didn’t press for an answer. She had already realized that Marly was fighting her own demons; ones that Mason could only imagine had to do with her mother. She stopped in front of a door and knocked softly.

Seconds later, Lex opened the door and popped her head out. Her face broke into a smile when she saw Mason. “Hey!” Lex opened the door and let them in. “I didn’t think you were coming up here.”

“Well, someone talked me into it. You remember Marly Cabot.”

“Hi, again.” Lex welcomed her with another smile. “You got here just in time. Aspen just finished nursing Alex. Come on.”

“You sure?” Mason hesitated.

“Yes, come on.” Lex grabbed her elbow and pulled her around the curtain. “Look who made it.”

Aspen looked
up, and her face broke into a huge smile. “Hey, you. Come look at the most perfect thing I’ve ever made.”

Mason pulled Marly over to the bed and introduced her quickly. “This is Anne’s daughter, Marly. And this is Lex’s better half, Aspen.”

Marly returned Aspen’s smile timidly. Now that she was in the room, she felt out of place. She tried to back up, but Mason held her arm firmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope you don’t mind a stranger busting in on your privacy.”

“Not at all.” Aspen pulled the blanket away from Alex’s face to offer them a better view. “Isn’t he perfect?”

Mason answered first. “Absolutely. Thank God he doesn’t look a thing like Lex.”

“Hey.” Lex looked up from her phone and stuck her tongue out at Mason. “You wish you were as good-looking as me.”

Mason nodded. “True story. A., he’s beautiful.”

“He’s absolutely perfect.” Marly ran her finger along his cheek and laughed when his mouth twitched at her touch.

“Do you want to hold him?”

“Oh no, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Mason stumbled backwards and caught herself on the empty bed behind her.

“Marly?”

Marly nodded her head up and down. “Can I?”

Aspen loosened her grip and let Marly slip her arms under Alex’s body. “Thank you. My arm was starting to go to sleep.”

Marly cradled Alex in the nook of her arm and slipped her finger through his. “When I was younger, Mom would babysit for the lady next door. I was a shit, so I pretended like I didn’t want to help, but I loved holding
her. She was such a sweet baby. I would rock her to sleep and then just sit and watch her. Holding Alex brings all that back. I never told my mom how much I liked helping. Now it’s too late.”

Mason rubbed Marly’s shoulder reassuringly. “Tell her now. She’s probably listening.”

“I agree. I talk to my dad and Uncle Neal all the time. It helps me feel close to them.”

Marly looked down awkwardly. “What do you think, Alex? You think my mom knew all along I loved babies?” She smiled when he squeezed her finger reflexively. “I’ll think about it, Mason. You sure you don’t want to hold him?”

“Positive.” Mason waved her palms toward Marly. “There’s plenty of time for that when he’s a little bigger, and I can’t break him.”

Aspen rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to break him. He’s not made of glass.”

“Let’s not take our chances.” Mason grabbed the gift bag from Lex and handed it to Aspen. “It’s nothing big. I wasn’t sure if you were having a boy or a girl, so I got something that would work for both.”

Aspen pulled the tissue paper out and bunched it up on the bed next to her. She pulled out an ornate metal baby rattle. It reminded her of an antique from Victorian times. She ran her fingers over the smooth metal of the narrow handle and up the etched ball, shaking it lightly. It rattled with the movement. “Oh my God, honey, it’s beautiful. You made this.”

Mason looked at the floor, slightly uncomfortable with the attention being focused on her. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it.” Aspen shook the rattle
once more. She watched Marly with Alex for several seconds before she spoke again. “You can babysit anytime, Marly. I’m completely besotted with him right now, but in a few weeks, I might be ready for a break.”

“Speaking of that…” Lex smiled wryly. “…Ma wants to come up to meet Alex. I told her I’d let her know when it was a good time.”

Aspen groaned loudly. “Maybe she should come next week when my mom and Aunt Ginny are here. When I get tired of everyone, they can all entertain each other.”

BOOK: Made to Love
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