So Many Men... (15 page)

Mason steeled himself against the sight of Tess laughing and gazing into the eyes of another man while he swept her across the polished floor. Mason’s stomach tightened. How could he have let himself forget how she collected men like so many knickknacks?

My relationships with men do tend to all be temporary.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed past swirling couples to tap the man on his shoulder.

It was Max, from the cookout, and he turned, eyebrows raised. “Hey, Mason, what’s up?”

Mason leveled his gaze on him. “I’m cutting in.”

“Oh, right.” He turned to Tess and kissed her cheek. “I’ll talk to you later, sweetie.”

Anger boiled up inside Mason as he took Tess in his arms. Maybe Max was the reminder he needed that Tess might not be the woman for him. Yet as she rested her hand in his, that soothing feeling that always accompanied her drifted over him, calming him.

You don’t want to believe it, but you can’t dispute the fact that something unusual, something maybe even magical, happens when we’re together.

Was it true? Was she really a healer—a sexual healer?

Another couple swept by and the man winked at her. Resentment rose in Mason as he glared at the man. Damn it, he just couldn’t wait anymore. “Tess, I have to know if you’ve made a decision.”

She drew back, her eyes wide. “You mean about your proposal that we live together?”

“Yes.”

“I was going to talk to you about it before, but then all that happened with Rafe and…”

“And?”

“I don’t know that this is the proper time and place.”

He would have laughed had he had any humor left in him. “
Now
you get a social conscience?”

“We’ve worked so hard for this night.”

“And you don’t want to ruin it by telling me it isn’t going to work between us?”

She stopped in the middle of the dance floor. “No, that isn’t what I was going to say.”

“Then what were you going to say? Will you or will you not live with me?”

“It isn’t that easy. I don’t think you’ve thought this through.”

“That’s a no.”

Her eyes glistened under the huge globe lights. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to still be with you.”

Disappointment clawed its way through him. His stomach constricted. He’d known from the moment he’d asked her that she’d say no. Who was he kidding? He’d
taken his walk on the wild side, but the wild side hadn’t welcomed him.

He stepped away from her. “Excuse me, I need to get some air.”

“Mason, wait, I want to explain.”

“No, don’t…it’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”

Before she could respond, he made his way toward the heavy double doors leading out of the ballroom. He avoided eye contact with everyone on his way, focusing only on the exit.

“Mr. Bailey, wait. Please, don’t go.” April crossed in front of him, her arms outstretched toward a bull of a man.

Mason pulled up short. “April?”

“Mason.” She turned back to the man as he stopped in front of them, her eyes wide and a note of panic in her voice. “Mr. Bailey, surely you realize the Dade County Women’s Club and Project Mentor don’t condone such activities.”

“What activities?” Mason asked. What the hell was going on?

“That woman—that gypsy…” Outrage shone in Phillip Bailey’s eyes as he shook a heavy finger toward the back of the ballroom. He turned, scowling, toward Mason. “Mason Davies?”

“Yes, sir, I’m Mason Davies.” He extended his hand. “What seems to be the problem?”

The man narrowed his eyes, the muscles in his neck bulging. “You can kiss that youth center goodbye.”

Mason straightened and cast April a sideways glance. She spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “Whatever the issue, I’m sure we can work this out, Mr. Bailey. Why don’t you let me get you a drink?”

“I don’t need a drink. I need to get the hell out of here. What a bunch of— Good night, Dr. Davies. This meal ticket is out of here.” Without another word, Bailey stormed out the door.

Mason stared after him in dismay, then his gaze shifted over the small crowd that had gathered around them. He turned to April. “What was that about?”

Tess caught up to him. “Mason, please, let’s go someplace where we can talk.”

“Hold on.” He said to April, “What activities do we not condone? What gypsy woman was he talking about?”

April cast Tess a nervous glance. “I’m so sorry, but it’s her people. I’m afraid they’ve ruined it all for us.”

Tess looked from April to Mason. “What is she talking about?”

April raised her hands in distress. “Your aunt—I believe that’s who she is—is the one he called a gypsy woman. She has run off our most promising benefactor.”

“Aunt Sophie?” Tess’s gaze narrowed. “You can’t be serious. Aunt Sophie wouldn’t do that.”

“She certainly did. She’s selling her services at one of the banquet tables, giving some kind of card readings to all the guests.”

Tess shook her head. “That’s harmless and I’m sure she wouldn’t charge a fee. She never does.”

“I don’t think Phillip Bailey thought it was harmless. She told him something about abusing his power and using manipulation for his own gains. I don’t know exactly what she said, but couldn’t she have made up something good? He was livid when he stomped out of here.” April wrung her hands. “Without his donation we can’t possibly make our goal now.”

Mason stared at the board at the front of the ballroom that tallied the donations in a digital display. They were well below the halfway mark. April was right. They
had
been counting on a donation from the Baileys to put them over the top.

A sick feeling twisted through him as a vision of Rafe in his hospital bed flickered through his mind.

He’d failed the kids.

“That’s ridiculous.” Tess stepped forward, steeled for battle. “Whatever Aunt Sophie told him, it was something he needed to hear. She couldn’t just make it up. She has too much integrity for that. If Bailey chooses to listen to her, her readings always prove helpful. She has never hurt a soul through them.”

“You didn’t see him.” April faced her, fists clenched. “He was to be this project’s main benefactor. Am I not right, Mason? Without his support we’re dead in the water.”

“That can’t be true.” Tess turned to Mason, her eyes liquid blue. “Mason?”

Mason nodded, feeling numb and sick with the taste of defeat.

“No.” Tess touched his arm and he shifted away from her. “The night isn’t over, there’s still a chance. I’ll get up and make a speech, implore everyone to dig deep and give for the children.”

Light reflected off the diamond studs in April’s ears as she shook her head. “Cassie’s been up there all night. She does this for all the DCWC fund-raisers. If she can’t charm the money out of them, it isn’t going to happen.”

“But there’s still time.”

April gripped Mason’s arm as she glanced uneasily
at the murmuring crowd. “We might still scrounge enough to put together another fund-raiser, but…” Again her gaze skittered to Tess. “I’m really sorry, Tess, but we’ve got to take care of this problem first.”

Frowning, Mason turned to April. “What do you mean? What problem?”

“Well, if we’re going to salvage anything of this night, it seems to me we have just one hope. I hate to say it, but…but…” She took a deep breath. “Well, I think it would be best if Tess took her aunt and the rest of her family out of here. They should probably all leave.”

“What?” Tess stared at her, her eyes round in disbelief.

Ask Tess and her family to leave? Mason shook his head. How could he do such a thing?

“If they don’t, then we’ll ruin our chances of salvaging anything out of this fiasco. Look at this crowd. They don’t look so happy. A lot of people witnessed the event and this place is filled with Bailey’s supporters. I’m sure they’re waiting to see how we respond.” She said to Tess, “You have to understand that we need to cut our losses.”

“Mason.” Tess touched his arm again. “You know that isn’t true. There are still plenty of people left. The night is young. Let me—”

“She’s right.” Mason closed his eyes against the memory of Rafe facing off with the gangbangers who put him in the hospital.

“You want us to leave?” Tess’s voice shook.

He swallowed past a lump in his throat. The room blurred. This was for the best. He had to think of the youth center. Besides, Tess had rejected him, as he’d known all along she would.

Mason had to cut his losses in more than one way.

It should end things between them nicely. Then he could get on with his life. He met her gaze. “Yes, I want you all to leave.”

She stood still for one unbelieving moment, then she fled into the dwindling crowd.

T
ESS SWEPT THE SKIRT
of her dress aside and plopped down on Sophie’s couch. Anger raged through her. She drew it around her like a cloak, protecting her from the despair lingering just beneath it. “I still can’t believe it.”

Erin shook her head as she settled beside her. “Men. They just aren’t worth a damn. I’m convinced we don’t need them.”

Sophie set her requisite tea tray on the table and settled beside Maggie, who’d remained home for the evening with the vague excuse that she had plans. “Don’t be silly. I spent half my life believing men needed us, but I am convinced we need them every bit as much.”

Erin rolled her eyes. Maggie snorted but refrained from comment. She seemed to grow less outspoken every day. Forgetting her own frustrations for the moment, Tess leaned forward but was still unable to get anything from either her mother or Aunt Sophie.

“I don’t know.” Tess flopped against the cushion. Sadness seeped through her anger. She closed her eyes a moment until the burning in her throat lessened. “I wouldn’t say that I needed Mason, exactly, but there was definitely something different about him.”

“Like what, dear? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it before.” Maggie sipped tea from a special mug Sophie had brought her.

“I don’t know. It was like I felt…different when I was with him.”

“What do you mean, ‘different’?” Erin asked.

Tess glanced around at the questioning faces. “It’s hard to explain, but I guess he made me feel…better, maybe? Except for tonight,” she added with a bitter note. Tonight he had effectively crumbled her foundation beneath her. “I know it sounds corny, but sometimes I felt uplifted, like…”

“Like you could conquer the world?” Sophie asked, her eyebrows arched.

“Yes, I guess so. What does it mean?”

Sophie frowned. “I’m not sure. Like I keep saying, you girls are a whole new breed, so to speak, but my guess is that in certain instances, it’s possible that the healer receives some sort of reciprocal healing.”

“Reciprocal healing?” Maggie leaned forward. “That would seem to go hand in hand with the empathic nature. Don’t you think?”

“That’s probably right.” Sophie nodded. “If the healer can feel the emotions of the healee, then why not the healing energy?”

Tess frowned. “But if that’s the case, then why wouldn’t it work like that every time?”

Sophie shrugged. “Not sure.”

“Not that I’m buying into any of this, but maybe it’s a matter of the energy flow having the proper conduit.” Erin glanced at each of them in turn.

Maggie twisted a lock of her hair around her finger. “Meaning it would only work with the right man?”

Erin nodded. “It’s just a theory.”

“Well, it’s a moot point now.” Tess stared into her
empty cup. “I’m guessing after tonight, things are effectively over with Mason. I can’t believe he asked me—all of us—to leave like that.”

Sophie patted her knee. “You need not worry, dear. His actions tonight show that he is in dire need of your healing.”

“Do you know that he asked me to live with him and I had actually given it serious consideration?”

Maggie shrugged. “I always found that living with them helped the healing.”

“Well, it isn’t happening now. No way.” Tess folded her arms. No need to tell them all she had already turned him down. Didn’t need to stir that pot.

What an idiot she’d been. Moisture gathered in her eyes and her throat tightened. “I’ve never been so humiliated. How could he let anyone talk about you like that, Aunt Sophie? April accused you of ruining the fund-raiser.”

“Why would she say that?” Maggie asked.

“Some bigwig potential benefactor didn’t like a reading I gave him.”

“You were giving readings at the ball?” Maggie turned wide-eyed to Sophie.

“I told them anything you said was something that man needed to hear,” Tess said.

“So he left without making a donation?” Erin asked.

Tess nodded. “According to April the man was livid. Apparently they were counting on his contribution.”

“He made a contribution,” Sophie said.

“Then it wasn’t enough. The board wasn’t even to the halfway point when we left.” Disappointment flooded Tess. Not only had the night ended her relation
ship with Mason, it may have been the end of Project Mentor. “I guess there won’t be a youth center, after all.”

A mysterious smile lit Sophie’s face. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Why not?” Tess asked.

“You see, I told everyone that I would give the proceeds from the readings to Project Mentor.”

Tess straightened. “So how much did you charge?”

“The usual love offering. I left it up to each individual to decide, based on how they liked the reading.”

“How much did you donate?”

“Let’s see…” Sophie quirked her lips as she made a mental calculation. “I would say that the amount I dropped in the box on our way out should have put you just over the top of your goal.”

Tess stared, stunned. “Oh, my God, Aunt Sophie. You have got to be kidding.”

“Not at all. I had some serious customers tonight and they went away quite pleased. Set a good number of them straight.” She shrugged. “With the exception of that Bailey character, of course.”

“But you said that he made a contribution,” Erin reminded her.

“Oh, he did. After he ran off in a huff that gracious wife of his made an extremely generous love offering and she insisted it was with his money.”