Thirty-One and a Half Regrets (12 page)

I shifted my weight, uncomfortable to be reminded of my past with Joe.

“You have no idea,” Mason muttered, casting a glance at me. “But we’re here to talk about Bruce Wayne.”

Chief Deputy Dimler gave Mason a puckered smile. “Fair enough.” He motioned to his office and we sat in front of his desk.

“Bruce Wayne worked for Daniel Crocker before Bruce Wayne’s arrest last year, so we know he has ties to Crocker’s boys,” Mason began. “But he’s been working for Rose this past month and has shown a real aptitude for landscaping. He’s gone above and beyond as an employee. He seems to love his job, and I’m certain he wouldn’t throw all that hard work away on a whim. I’m worried his old ties have gotten him into trouble.” Mason and I filled Chief Deputy Dimler in on what we knew.

The deputy looked up from his notes. “We’ve noticed a lot more activity at Weston’s Garage these last few weeks. We’ll see what we can do. It could be they were putting some pressure on Decker to come back to the fold, so to speak, and he’s lying low to avoid getting mixed back up in it. Hopefully we can get Decker’s roommate to cooperate.”

I wasn’t sure they’d ever manage that.

Chief Deputy Dimler’s cell phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”

Mason stood. “I think we’re done here. Thanks for the assistance, Jeff.”

We got up and walked out of the room as the deputy took the call.

Mason put an arm around my back and leaned close to my ear. “Bruce Wayne’s not in any trouble and they’ll start looking for him soon. Feel better?”

I was more than relieved. “Yes. Much. And the fact that Chief Deputy Dimler doesn’t hate me is reassuring.”

“Rose, I was serious about moving out of the city limits. The sheriff’s deputies would be much more responsive when you need help. I know
I’d
feel better if I knew law enforcement was going to respond to your calls more quickly.”

I scowled. “Why do you keep suggesting there will be a next time?” His eyebrows rose as he smirked. “I’ve been considering the idea since you mentioned it to me. But financially, it’s just not an option right now. Not unless I sell the farm and who knows how long it will take for that to happen.”

“We can talk about it later. And if you’re serious about moving, we can figure out a way to make it happen.” He pushed the front door open. “Now let’s head home.”

I grinned up at him. “What was Jeff talking about you making a three-point shot?”

He shrugged. “Fenton County has a men’s rec basketball league. A lot of the businesses have teams, the sheriff’s department included. Deputy Gonzales dislocated his shoulder several weeks ago and when Jeff and I met for lunch a couple of days later, he asked me to help out. I’ve filled in three games.”

“Sounds like you impressed them. I didn’t know you played basketball.”

He shook his head. “I haven’t in years. But it’s been fun and I’ve started hanging out with some of the guys after the games.”

Mason opened the car door for me to get in when Chief Deputy Dimler stood in the doorway and called out to us. “Hey, Mason. I think you’re gonna to want to hear this. The FBI just phoned and said they have Crocker cornered in a warehouse in Shreveport.”

Mason released a long breath. “That’s great news.”

“They’re in the middle of a stand-off, but they should have him apprehended within several hours.”

“Thanks for the information. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know when he’s back in custody.”

“Sure thing.”

We got in the car and I called David, warning him that a sheriff’s deputy would be dropping by to ask questions about Bruce Wayne. I knew he’d freak out if law enforcement officers just showed up on his doorstep.

When I hung up, Mason seemed unusually quiet and tense for several minutes. “Do you want to talk about anything that happened earlier this afternoon?”

Part of me wanted to forget the afternoon altogether, but I knew Jonah would call that unhealthy. Plus I didn’t want to keep secrets from Mason. “Joe thought I was sleeping with Jonah.”

The expression left his face. “Excuse me?”

“His father had someone take photos of me with Jonah a couple of weeks after Joe broke up with me. He said they showed us hugging and sitting close to each other.”

“How did he jump to that conclusion?”

“Because the Joe and Hilary engagement isn’t so fake. Joe’s sleeping with Hilary.”

He cringed. “Rose. I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. I just don’t understand. He says he can’t stand her, but he keeps going back to her time and time again.”

“Some habits are hard to break. Even when they’re bad for us.”

We drove in silence for several minutes until Mason pulled into my driveway and turned off the engine.

I stared out the windshield at my front porch. “He told me he can’t live without me,” I blurted out.

“And how do you feel about that?”

I turned to Mason, searching his eyes. I hated that he looked worried. “I told him that I can’t forgive him for running to Hilary so soon after we broke up. Even if we got back together, I wouldn’t be able to trust him not to go back to her.”

His expression was still guarded. “Is that how you really feel or what you thought you should say?”

If anyone other than Mason had asked me that question, I’d be angry. But there was no malice in his voice, and he of all people deserved an answer. “I have to be able to trust the man in my life, Mason. I’ve been hurt by too many people. If I give my heart to someone, I want him to be truthful with me. The fact is, Joe hid so many things from me. He wasn’t truthful with me over the majority of our relationship.”

He didn’t answer.

“He said he wanted to protect me from Daniel Crocker, but I told him that I didn’t need him. I told him I had you. Just like I’ve had you for months. I just didn’t realize it.”

“Rose.” His hand slid up my arm.

“I’m glad I saw that side of him today. It freed me to move on and not feel guilty for wanting to be happy with someone else.”

His gaze fell to my mouth. “Someone else?”

“You, Mason,” I whispered. “I want it to be with
you
.”

His mouth lowered and my breath stuck in my chest as his lips lightly brushed against mine, like he was worried he’d scare me away.

I rested my hands on his shoulders and parted my mouth as his tongue explored mine. A fire erupted in my chest and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. My reaction removed his hesitancy and he wrapped one arm around my back, moving the other behind my head.

Desire flowed through my veins and I turned awkwardly in the passenger seat to press myself against more of him.

His head lifted, leaving us both panting. “I suspect your neighbor is watching us.”

I grabbed his hand. “Come inside.”

He got out of the car and came around to open my door, pulling me into his arms and kissing me until I was lightheaded.

Why had I been resisting him for weeks?

Leaning back with a grin, he took my hand and dragged me up to the front porch. “Keys,” he mumbled before he kissed me again. When he lifted his head, he said it again, “Your keys.”

I stared up at him.

“Your keys? So I can unlock your door.”

“Oh.” But I still studied his face in a daze. Mason had literally kissed me senseless.

“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m liable to skip going inside, which wouldn’t be so great for my career given that your neighbor makes bi-weekly calls to my office to report indecent activity at your house.”

I laughed as I dug through my purse and found my keys. Mason took them from me and quickly unlocked the doorknob and the deadbolt. But instead of opening the door, he pushed my back up against it and kissed me again. One hand cupped my cheek while the other slid under my sweater and skimmed the bare skin of my waist, setting my hairs on end. I grabbed the back of his neck, clinging to him as my knees weakened. My heart pounded in my chest and my skin flushed.

Mason lifted his head, his eyelids heavy with lust.

“Are you coming in?”

He watched me for several seconds. “No.”

I blinked, certain I’d heard him wrong. “No?”

“I’ve waited for months, but you haven’t. I don’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for.”

“You’re not pushing me into anything. I want you.”

“I don’t want you to regret this, Rose. We have time. We can wait.”

“What if I don’t want to wait?”

His hand caressed my cheek. “If
I
can wait, so can
you
. I just want you to be sure. You only decided today to move on.”

I buried my face into his chest and groaned. I could see the sense in his words, even though I didn’t want to admit it. “I hate that you’re right.”

His arms wrapped around my back. “You have no idea how hard this is for me. I’m going to have to go home and take a cold shower.”

I looked up into his eyes and pressed my lips against his before I could stop myself.

He groaned and deepened the kiss as I clung to him. “Rose, you’re not making this any easier.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled against his lips.

“Liar.” He laughed and took a step back. “Go inside and lock the door. They have Crocker cornered, so you should be safe, but I’ll have the police do several drive-bys tonight.”

“Okay.”

“Will you meet me for lunch at Merilee’s tomorrow?”

“I should tell you no for being so mean.”

He kissed me again, murmuring against my lips, “I’m doing my best to convince you.”

“If you kiss me like this tomorrow, then definitely yes.”

His face lit up with a grin. “I have court in the morning, but it’s Judge McClary and you know how he likes his noon lunch recesses.”

“So noon? I’ll be working at a job site by myself tomorrow, so I might not be too pretty.”

“You’re always beautiful, Rose.”

I blushed.

“Are you building the retaining wall? By yourself? Can you get someone to help you temporarily until Bruce Wayne shows up?”

“I could ask David, but he hated working for me before. He only did it because I promised he’d earn
recreational
money.”

“Try him again. And maybe he’ll tell you more about Bruce Wayne while you’re working.”

“Okay.” I had to admit it was a good idea, although I suspected he’d be resistant, particularly since this would be even harder manual labor than what I’d hired him for the first time.

“Now go inside. I’ll call you in the morning and let you know that Crocker was officially apprehended.”

I opened the door and stood in the doorway for a moment. “Goodnight, Mason.”

He leaned over and gave me one last kiss, proving that meeting him for lunch was the best idea since the invention of the microwave.

“Goodnight, Rose.” He gently pushed me inside and closed the door behind me.

After flipping the lock I turned on a lamp and peered through the curtains as his car backed out of the driveway.

I leaned my back against the door and sighed as a strange feeling washed through me. I tried to put my finger on what it was. It was weird not having to let Muffy outside, but that wasn’t it. My body was filled with surging hormones and an unsatisfied craving, but that wasn’t it, either. I felt unsettled, as if my life were on a teeter-totter and I didn’t know where I was going to land. Was this what it was like dating someone else? Dealing with the uncertainty of the future?

With a tired sigh, I pushed away from the door. It was only nine o’clock, and I was nowhere near ready for bed. I put on my pajamas and called Neely Kate, filling her in on my day with Mason. When I told her about Mason kissing me, she squealed so loudly in my ear that I had to hold the phone away. “You’re going to make me deaf, Neely Kate.”

“Hearing is overrated. So he’s a good kisser?”

“Well, I don’t have much to compare it to, but when he finished, I was pretty fuddled.”

“Oh!” She squealed again. “I knew you two would have great chemistry. You’re a rising Scorpio and he’s a Cancer. You’re a perfect love match.”

“How do you know Mason’s birthday?”

She gasped. “I can’t believe you of all people are asking me that!”

“No kidding.” I laughed. Neely Kate was known far and wide for her extensive knowledge regarding everything and everyone around her. But incredibly, she wasn’t prone to gossip. “I can’t believe he’s making us wait.”

“I think it’s romantic. He really cares about you, Rose.”

“I’ve known that for weeks. I don’t need him to wait to prove it.”

“Well, you rushed into sleeping with Joe and look how that turned out.”

I sighed. “That was different. I was sure I was about to be murdered and I didn’t want to die a virgin.”

“Still, I like it. It makes him more chivalrous. If I wasn’t married to Ronnie, I’d go after him myself.”

“I’m eating lunch with him tomorrow. I’ll be sure to tell him he has options.”

She snorted. “It would be a waste of breath. The guy only has eyes for you, Rose. Be sure to kiss him in public, though. He’s turned down so many eligible Fenton County women that rumors have been going around that the poor guy is gay.”

I laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Call me tomorrow after your lunch. Unless you’re too
busy
.”

“You’re terrible. Goodnight.”

I turned on the TV and started a new episode from season two of
Grey’s Anatomy
. After I found out about Joe’s engagement to Hilary a few weeks ago, Neely Kate had brought over the first few seasons. Now I was hooked. But tonight I couldn’t concentrate, remembering the way Mason had kissed me and how much I wanted more. I’d worried that dating Mason would feel like I was cheating on Joe. But I hadn’t given Joe any thought whatsoever just now. I tried to pay attention to who was sleeping with whom at Seattle Grace, which seemed to change from episode to episode, but my mind kept drifting to Mason and our moment on my porch. Finally, I gave up in the middle of the second episode and turned off the TV.

After making sure all the doors were locked, I climbed into bed, missing Muffy so much it took me longer than usual to get to sleep. My dreams made me restless and when I woke up in the morning, I felt uneasy, like something was wrong.