Meant for Me (A Second Chance standalone) (5 page)

I had to choose.

When I woke up in the morning, or better yet when I stopped
staring holes in the ceiling, I took a quick run through the vineyards to
Claire’s house. It was still dark outside with the sign of the sunrise peeking
up behind the mountains in the distance. I had hoped there’d be a chance I
could catch Claire awake and talk to her, except when I got there all of the
lights were off, and of course Cooper’s truck was right there in the driveway.
That goddamn bastard was there sharing a bed with her when it should’ve been
me. However, being that I was a glutton for punishment, I knew I deserved it.
It was just another reminder of how stupid I was to let her go.

Melissa’s husband, Brett, dropped me off at the airport
because my hormonal cousin couldn’t stop crying to be able to see clearly or
function for that matter. She was more like a sister to me than anything, but
both Brett and I couldn’t wait for her to have the twins so she would get back
to normal. When I got to the airport, I didn’t have long to wait before they
let the passengers onto the plane. My early morning run made me a little bit
late, and I was surprised I even made it on time.

Before boarding the plane and leaving my life and everyone
behind, my phone rang with an incoming call from Melissa. There was no surprise
there. Stepping out of line, I accidentally bumped into a little old lady
standing behind me and apologized before hastily answering the phone.

“Mel, what’s up?” I asked, hoping she was calling to give me
news on how Claire took the letter.

Sniffling, she answered, “I wanted to call and tell you to
be safe, but I think I’ve already told you that a million times now, haven’t
I?”

I chuckled. “Yes, you have, but it’s okay. I’m used to your
nagging.”

“That’s true, but somebody has to do it. Oh, by the way,
what airline are you flying with?” she asked. “If you don’t get the chance to
call I want to make sure I can look up your flight to confirm that you made it
there safely.”

“Uh … let’s see,” I said, looking down at the ticket in my
hand. I knew I was flying Delta, but I didn’t know the flight number. “Okay,
it’s Flight 1063 and I’m with Delta. Is that the only reason why you called?
Have you talked to Claire?”

Sighing, her voice sounded a little hesitant when she
responded, “Yes, I talked to her and gave her the letter. She’s confused right
now, so I don’t really know what to say other than give her time. I know she
cares for you, but it did take you four months to come back. That’s messed up,
Mase. I would be pretty pissed if Brett did that to me. You’re just going to
have to accept the consequences with what she decides to do.”

Leaning against the wall, I tilted my head back and closed
my eyes, hoping that one day the regret would lessen. “I understand,” I said.
“Thank you for talking to her and giving her the letter. No matter what
happens, I needed her to know how I felt.”

When I opened my eyes and noticed all the passengers had
boarded the plane already, I said a quick good-bye to Melissa and rushed
through the terminal. It was going to be a long four hour trip with only one
thing on my mind … Claire.

The old lady I bumped into in the line before taking
Melissa’s call ended up being the one who sat beside me on the plane. One of
her grandsons offered to take her seat beside me, but she shooed him away and
said she was perfectly fine since I was so handsome. The grandson chuckled and
said he was trying to save
me
during the flight and not the other way
around. Apparently, his grandmother liked to talk and talk she did.

Her name was Evelyn, and she was on her way to Vegas for her
birthday. She wouldn’t tell me how old she was, saying that a true lady never
revealed that, but with her short, snow white hair, the posture of her body,
and the age of her grandchildren she had to be in her early eighties. I spent
the whole flight listening to stories of her and her late husband, and I even
caught myself talking about Claire and how I wanted her back. Talking to her
made the four hour flight much more bearable.

When we got off the plane, Evelyn walked with me down to the
baggage claim while her family trailed along behind us, snickering and laughing
until her grandson—who I had learned was named Jacob—came up and took her hand.

“All right, Grandma, it’s time to leave the gentleman
alone,” Jacob said, grinning.

Evelyn smiled up at him and brushed his red hair off his
forehead before pinching his cheek. The guy had to be in his late twenties, and
obviously the one who paid more attention to his grandmother. What she said
next didn’t surprise me. “He’s my favorite grandson, but don’t tell the
others,” she admitted slyly.

Rolling his eyes, Jacob shook my hand and grinned. “Thank
you for humoring her. She doesn’t get out too much these days.”

“It was my pleasure. I don’t have any more living
grandparents, so it was nice to spend time with her.”

Evelyn smiled and patted my hand, beckoning me to bend down
closer to her. She was about five feet tall while I stood over her an extra
foot taller. “If your Claire doesn’t take you back, sweetie, I will be more
than happy to take her place,” she uttered, wagging her eyebrows. “You know, I
bet if you asked her to marry you she would come back.”

“I will surely think about that,” I promised her. “Have a
wonderful birthday and maybe I will see you in one of the casinos.”

She nodded enthusiastically and kissed me on the cheek before
her and her family sauntered off. My luggage finally made its round to me so I
snatched it up and made sure it was all in one piece. Once I got to the hotel,
I was going to drop off my things and head out to scout the places that I was
told could lead me in the right direction.

I had a plan forming and I was …

“Hello, Mason,” a familiar voice called out from behind me.
Immediately, my heart stopped and I froze, not sure if I’d really heard her
voice or if I imagined it. It was impossible. There was no way she could be
standing behind me.

I turned around slowly, expecting to have just imagined it,
but there right in front of me was an angel in a white sundress; her bright
blonde hair draping over her shoulders. However, I wouldn’t necessarily call
her an angel with the way she glared at me with her arms crossed at her chest
and a scowl on her face.

It was Claire … and she was pissed.
What the fuck was she
doing here?

I watched Mason as he chatted with the elderly woman in the
plane; he was so engrossed in her stories that he didn’t even know I was there.
My name came up a few times in their conversations, but I was too far away to
hear exactly what they were talking about. I kept my distance as Mason walked
to baggage claim with the lady in tow, and I had to admit it was kind of sweet
and not something I ever thought I’d see Mason do, except it still wasn’t
enough to get me over being pissed at him. He left without saying good-bye, and
even if I told him I didn’t want to see him he still should’ve tried.

The old lady and her family finally walked away once they
got their luggage, so I walked up behind Mason, arms crossed, and ready to
battle. For once he didn’t have his baseball cap on and I noticed that his
shortly cropped, dark blond hair had grown out just a bit on top and was gelled
in messy spikes. His dark denim jeans hung low on his hips, but what caught my
attention was the bright red T-shirt that hugged the bulging muscles in his
arms, showing off the lower half of the sprawling eagle tattoo he had that
covered his shoulder to mid-bicep.

My God, he’s gotten bigger in the last few months.
Was
it bad that all I wanted to do was run my hands over his arms and feel them
under my touch? His arms were the most magnificent part of his body and being
in them was even more so.
Stop thinking about that, Claire,
I chided
myself.

“Hello, Mason,” I said, catching him off guard.

His whole body froze, and I swear it took him over a minute
to finally turn around. “What the …” Mason began, completely taken unaware.
“What are you doing here?”

“Umm … I flew on a plane,” I remarked sarcastically.

Mason rolled his eyes and groaned. “No shit, Claire. What I
want to know is how is this possible? There’s no way you could’ve been on my
flight.”

I straightened the bag on my shoulder and nodded, but I was
more than happy to tell him how I got past him without him even noticing. “Yes,
I
was
on your flight. I snuck by you when you were on the phone with
Melissa. I made her call you because I knew it would distract you. I can be
smart sometimes you know.”

“Son of a bitch,” Mason growled, running a hand through his
dark blond hair. “I can’t believe she told you where I was going.”

“Well, it’s a lot better knowing instead of reading a
good-bye letter wondering when you’d be back,” I hissed. “It would’ve been nice
to hear the truth from you, especially if there was a chance I’d never see you
again.”

Eyes going wide, he stiffened and balled his hands into
tight fists when he asked, “What are you talking about?”

He was angry and I knew he’d be angry with Melissa, but he
had to understand why I came. “Mason,” I started, my voice low, “Melissa told
me what you were doing here. She told me everything. I came because I thought
you could use my help.”

“Hell no,” he thundered, pulling me off to a secluded
corner. “I’m not going to put you in harm’s way, Claire. Do you even know the
kind of people I’m going to be around? You’re crazy if you think I’m going to
let you anywhere near that shit. My friend’s wife is still missing and I know
what happens to pretty women like you on the street; I’ve seen it. I would
never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”

It was true; he’d seen some horrific and disturbing things
being a cop, and I couldn’t imagine seeing it up close and personal. He, on the
other hand, didn’t know I had connections in Vegas. “Nothing is going to happen
to me,” I promised. “I know my way around Vegas, and I
know
I can help
you. You need to hear me out.”

His emerald green gaze grew weary as he stared at me, and I
knew deep within my heart what he was wondering. He lifted a hand to my cheek,
and it took all I had not to lean into his touch, but then he pulled away
before he could make contact. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.

With a heavy sigh, he asked softly, “Is that the only reason
why you came … to show me around Vegas? How do you even know your way around
here?”

I didn’t want to tell him
all
the details of why I
spent my time in Vegas, but if it came down to disclosing my past to help him
I’d do it in a heartbeat. However, of course, showing him around wasn’t the
only reason why I came, but I didn’t want him to know that just yet. He
couldn’t expect me to come crawling back to him after just a simple letter. He
said he would fight for my heart, and I was sure as hell going to make him.

Straightening the bag on my shoulder, I reached down to grab
the handle of my suitcase and smiled. “Oh, you know me, Mason. I’m always up
for an adventure. Besides, what kind of person would I be if I knew a way to
help you and I didn’t? Melissa would never forgive me if something happened to
you. Once I help you I’ll leave Vegas and go home to my life, simple as that.”

Narrowing his gaze, he responded dryly, “What about Cooper?
Is he okay with all of this or does he even know you’re here alone with me?”

Cooper was furious when I told him what I was doing, and the
last thing I wanted to do was lie to him. He deserved more than that and he
didn’t deserve to be betrayed. It broke my heart when he insisted on reading
the letter Mason wrote to me, except deep down I think he knew I still loved
Mason anyway. Cooper was the one who always picked me up when I was down and he
was always there for me, except for the time I left for Vegas. I shut everyone
out at that time. I loved him dearly, but I knew I was never
in
love
with him. In time I think it might have happened, but there was something about
Mason that stirred every fiber in my soul. However, I wasn’t going to let him
know any of that yet.

Turning on my heel, I ambled my way toward the exit signs
and called out over my shoulder, “Excuse me, but I don’t think mine and
Cooper’s relationship is any of your business. Now come on and let’s go. We
can’t get anything done here.”

Mason scowled, but I saw the hint of a smile behind that scowl.
He kept his pace beside me and once we got outside, the heat of the Nevada sun
engulfed me.
Holy shit, I forgot about the heat.
It was only May, but it
felt like an inferno already; it had to be in the nineties.

Mason swiped the dampened hair off my shoulders and I jumped
in response. I wasn’t expecting him to touch me like that … so intimate. The
heat in my body jacked up another ten degrees and it wasn’t on my skin where I
grew damp. Leaning close, his breath tickled my neck as he whispered in my ear,
“I’m not going to lie to you, Claire. When I turned around and saw you my heart
did a fucking flip. I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. It killed me
to not be able to touch you, and worse it pissed me off seeing you with another
man. As much as I don’t want to do this, there’s something you need to
understand—”

A cab pulled up to the curb, interrupting him, so he moved
away and spoke to the driver before loading our bags in the trunk. He opened
the back door for me, but before I could slip inside, he stepped in the way so
he could finish what he was saying. “I don’t know how you think you’re going to
be able to help me other than showing me around, and you have no idea how happy
it makes me to be able to talk to you, to touch you. However, my mind isn’t
going to be swayed. I need you safe, and being with me here is too risky. I
need you gone as soon as possible.”

I glared at him and was about to tell him he didn’t get to
make my decisions for me, but he put a finger to my lips and leaned closer, his
nose almost touching mine. My breath hitched, and with his lips so close I
wanted to close the distance. “I’m sorry for all that I’ve done and tonight I
want nothing more than to make it all up to you in any way you want, but once
tomorrow comes I’m sending you on a flight back to California. You mean too
much to me.”

Little did he know it, but I wasn’t going anywhere.

We arrived at the Bellagio, per my request since Mason’s
former idea of a hotel ended up being the crappiest one in Vegas. Not that I
was high maintenance or anything, but staying in that rat hole just wasn’t
going to do. We’d probably get mugged as soon as we stepped out of the cab.

Mason busied himself with getting our bags out of the trunk
while I waltzed inside to see if the hotel had any rooms available. The
Bellagio was my favorite hotel out of all the ones on the strip and it was
mainly because of the fountain of lights in front of the hotel. Each night they
would play music and the water would dance in an extravagant display along with
the sound. It brought me peace, it relaxed me, and most importantly it also
helped bring me out of my depression.

Memories came flooding back as soon as I entered through the
front doors. My eyes immediately went straight to the massive fixture on the
ceiling. It had to be one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. There
were over two thousand different colored glass-blown flowers made into an
enormous chandelier. It was absolutely breathtaking.

By the time I got to the front desk, I was able to walk
right on up to the lady at the counter whose nametag said her name was Laura.
She looked to be in her late thirties with her chocolate brown hair pulled back
in a sleek ponytail, wearing a silky cream colored blouse and a knee-length
brown skirt.

She smiled warmly and greeted me, “Good afternoon, what can
I do for you today?”

Pulling out the wallet from my bag, I laid it out on the
counter and answered, “I’d like a room, please, preferably one that overlooks
the fountain if you have it.”

She grinned and typed away on the computer for a few
seconds. “Okay, let’s see here. It looks like the only fountain view room we
have available is in one of our Cypress suites. It’s an open floor plan with a
king size bed along with a his and her bathroom, but we do have other rooms
available if this doesn’t suit you.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mason finally come
through the front door carrying our bags, starting straight for me. Pulling out
my credit card, I handed it to Laura quickly and said, “The Cypress suite
sounds perfect. I’d like to book it for two weeks if that’s possible.”

She nodded and ran my card before giving it back to me. I
tucked it back into my wallet and shoved it into my bag just as Mason came up
to my side with a scowl on his face.

“Did you just pay for our room?” he muttered incredulously.

Laura handed me the paperwork and the keys with an amused
expression on her face as she gazed back and forth between us. I knew he would
insist on paying for it so that’s why I did it as fast as I could. Mumbling
under his breath as we walked off toward the elevator, I tried to take one of
my bags from him, but he held on tighter and wouldn’t let me grab it.

As soon as we got inside in the elevator, I patted him on
the back, hard. “It’ll be okay, Mason. If I let you pay for the room we
would’ve ended up with one bed and no view,” I teased, trying to get a rise out
of him. Yes, I got us a room with one bed, but I didn’t want him thinking I did
it on purpose. It was probably childish of me to do that, but I wanted to see
the way he reacted when I told him we have a room with two beds.