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Authors: Mary Manners

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BOOK: Wishes at Willow Lake
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Mason’s lips brushed the crown of her hair before feathering down to claim the sensitive skin along her temple. “Do you ever think about that morning…the first time we kissed?”

“All the time.”

Her pulse skittered as his lips inched ever closer to hers. She could barely breathe…barely speak.

“You were working on the deck at the inn with the guys and Mr. MacLaren. It was nearing the end of summer, and hot that day.”

“That’s right.” His lips brushed hers.

“It was almost too hot to read.” She could feel the warmth of sunlight as it spilled over her shoulders. “But there you all were, hammering away.”

“I could see you from the deck, sprawled out along the shore with your toes dipped in the water.”

“The heat made it hard to focus on the story.” Her brain had felt like tangled spaghetti noodles, same as it did now, as he kissed her once more. “The lake water made the heat bearable.”

In reality it had been the sight of him that heated her more than the sunshine. She’d read the same paragraph four times and still failed to absorb the content.

“Mr. MacLaren told us to take a break while he and Mrs. MacLaren ran into town for more supplies.”

“You ran out of nails, right?” They swayed in time to the music, the rest of the world fading away. Josie was aware of nothing but the warmth of his breath along her cheek, the touch of his hand along the small of her back. His heartbeat mirrored hers.

“That’s right. Ryder went after Ali—he was itching to talk to her about something. Brody sulked off—he and Catherine had had a disagreement the night before and they were still working through things. Hunter…he headed for the lake.”

“And you came after me.” Josie pressed a hand to the nape of his neck, her fingers twining along his dark hair. “You frightened me, sneaking through the brush. I dropped my book in the lake.”

“You almost fell in, too. If I hadn’t caught you…”

“But you did. And when you kissed me, the whole world seemed perfect.”

“It was, for that moment in time—a new beginning. But then Josh fell, and my mom died. The whole world crumbled away.”

“Not the whole world. I was still there, Mason.” Josie paused and slipped from his embrace. “In that moment I loved you—as I’d always loved you. But you threw that love away.”

“It’s the biggest regret of my life.” He reached for her. “Don’t go…don’t retreat. Just let me love you.”

“That’s easy to say.” Josie pressed a hand to her kiss-bruised lips. Hunger fled as she imagined a life again without Mason. The fact that he was here now, with her, was simply more than she could bear if she lost him again. “But, what about your job in Atlanta? What about when the renovations at Posts and Pages are finished? What then?”

“It will all work out.”

“That’s not enough, Mason.” She shook her head. “Not this time. Maybe you should just wrap up the steaks and go. I’m not very hungry anymore.”

 

 

 

 

9

 

Mason shook sawdust from his hair and grimaced. It was nearly noon and Josie had yet to show at Posts and Pages. In fact, she hadn’t shown for three days running, but had relegated tasks to her college help, instead. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was avoiding him.

Maybe she was, and he guessed he deserved it. He’d had the chance to move forward with her, and he’d failed miserably, letting her slip away once again. But he refused to lie to her, and the truth was that he just didn’t know what he planned to do when he was finished with the job in Willow Lake. So much played into the mix, with most of it beyond his control. A guy didn’t just pick up stakes and leave a business he’d built from the ashes because he wanted to. He had bills to pay and customers waiting. He had to make a living.

The bell over the front door jangled as Ryder strode through, carrying Rory in his arms. “Hey, Mace.”

“Hey yourself.” Mason drew a carpenter’s pencil from his back pocket and used it to scribble a note on a small pad of paper. “What’s going on?”

“I finished a job this morning and had to run by the pediatrician for Rory’s check-up. I noticed your truck out front so I thought I’d head in to see if you need any help.” Ryder smoothed a hand over the counter of the new information kiosk that Mason had just finished installing. “The place is really shaping up. It looks amazing in here. What does Josie think?”

“How should I know?” Mason tossed the pencil and pad onto the kiosk. “She hasn’t come around in three days.”

“That’s not like her.” Ryder’s gaze narrowed as he jostled Rory onto one hip. “I’ve never known her to miss work for more than a day at a time. What did you do?”

“Me? Why do you assume
I
did something? And, your kid’s drooling.” Mason pointed toward the baby’s puckered mouth as he jammed one fist between his lips and gnawed. “What’s up with that?”

“He’s teething.” Ryder wadded the hem of his T-shirt and swiped the tiny mouth. “It comes with the territory and makes him fussy as all get-out.”

“Well, I didn’t do anything to Josie.” He studied Rory, who gazed up with dark, innocent eyes shadowed in a wave of chocolate curls. The kid was cute, even in his fussy mood. Mason couldn’t help but smile. “Why is it
my
fault?”

“Who said anything about fault?” Ryder jostled the baby gently on one hip as he began to squall. “But since we’re on the subject…”

“She started pressuring me.”

“Pressuring? That doesn’t sound like Josie, either. Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand?”

“Of course I didn’t misunderstand.” Mason reached for Rory. “Let me take him for a few minutes. I think you can use a little help.”

“Have at it.” Ryder handed over the baby, grinning as he wiped his spittle-slimed hands along the thighs of his jeans. “Maybe you have the magic touch.”

“Of course I have the magic touch. Kids and dogs…they both love me.”

He paced in a small circle, pausing to gaze through the display glass as a cardinal flitted by. The burst of red captured Rory’s attention. The baby’s squall stilled, and he sighed as he gobbled his fist, his head lolling to rest on Mason’s shoulder. “Why are you taking her side, anyway?”

“I’m not taking anybody’s side.” Ryder ambled over to the coffee counter and poured himself a cup. “I’m just asking questions.”

“Well, I don’t have any answers.” Rory felt warm in his arms. Mason splayed one hand along his back and felt the slight rise and fall of each tiny breath. “And that stinks, because Josie’s asking questions, too.”

Ryder drew a sip of coffee, grimaced. “Ugh, this brew is terrible, and cold.”

“I know. No one makes it like Josie. Talk about a magic touch.”

“So, what has she been asking?”

“I don’t know. I was at her place the other night, grilling steaks and enjoying the conversation. Everything was good…more than good. Then, suddenly she shows me this rose bush she planted in memory of my mom. I have to admit, it got me a little choked up. We started dancing—“

“Wait a minute. You danced with her, out on the deck?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Just getting all the facts straight. OK, continue.”

“And out of the blue she starts asking me stuff that I can’t answer…What do I want? What do I plan to do when I’m finished here?”

“You’re gonna dance with a woman on the deck, beneath the stars, I think she has a right to ask questions like that.”

Mason dumped the ruined coffee into the sink and tossed the foam cup into the trash.

“Sounds fair enough, all things considered,” Ryder said.

“It’s not fair. It’s…tough.”

“Nobody ever said relationships were easy.”

“Right.” A glance to the side told Mason that Rory had fallen asleep with his fist stuffed into his tiny mouth. “The kid’s out cold.”

“I see that.” Ryder grinned. “OK, maybe you do have the magic touch. But you’ll have to get one of your own, because he’s mine. So why do a few questions have you so riled?”

“I’m not riled. I’m just…frustrated.” Mason felt like picking up his hammer and pounding a box of nails, one by one, into a two-by-four. “I can’t just drop everything in Atlanta and move back here because I’ve fallen in love.”

“Wait. Whoa. What did you just say?”

“I said, I can’t just drop everything in Atlanta and move back here because—” Realization dawned like a punch to the gut. “Oh, no…oh, great…”

“Easy there. Don’t wake my son.” Ryder burst into easy laughter. “But you’ve got it bad, Mace.”

Mason felt as if he’d just leapt from the ledge of a high rise. He clung to the baby, who was a perfect fit bundled in his arms. It gave him pause. “What am I going to do?”

“I suppose that’s something you will have to decide.” Ryder reached over to take Rory from him. “And sooner better than later, my friend.”

 

****

 

“I feel terrible.” Josie grabbed the kettle from the burner as it began to shriek. She splashed steaming water into the teacup Ali handed her and dipped a bag of Earl Grey. “I haven’t been to Posts and Pages for three days. That’s a record for me. With the pace that Mason’s been working, he’s probably finished with the project by now.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Ali selected a bag of chamomile and poured a second steaming mug. “You can’t stay away forever.”

“I know. But I feel like such a fool for letting him in again. I should have known better. It’s just, we were talking, and then he asked me to dance—”

“Right out there?” Ali pointed to the sliding glass door. “On your deck? How romantic.”

“It was…nice. At least until he kissed me. And then I jammed my foot firmly in my mouth—”

“Wait. Whoa. Back up.” Ali’s tea sloshed over the rim of her cup. “He kissed you?”

“Yes. Twice…or maybe three times. I lost count.”

“You lost…oh my.” Ali slipped into a chair at the kitchen table. “Did he tell you for sure that he’s not going to stay here when he’s finished at Posts and Pages?”

“No. He said he didn’t know.”

“Well, in Mason’s defense, he has a life in Atlanta and a business to run, with employees who are depending on him. If the situation was reversed, would you be able to walk away from Posts and Pages so easily?”

“No, but—”

“Then it’s not fair to expect that from Mason.” Ali sighed and sipped her tea. “Would you consider moving to Atlanta?”

“I don’t know…I’m not sure. I love it here, with all of you.” Josie picked up a teaspoon and added sugar to her cup, stirring briskly. “Oh, it’s just so hard.”

“You have to talk to him, Josie. It’s the only way.”

“I suppose you’re right. And I can’t stay away from the shop any longer. Inventory is due, and I have orders to place and the book club about to start. Audrey’s losing her mind trying to hold it all together. She called me half-a-dozen times today.”

“There’s your sign.”

“I’ll go…tomorrow.”

“Good. You two definitely need to talk this out and sooner, better than later.”

 

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

Josie unlocked the door of Posts and Pages. She was ecstatic with what Mason had accomplished at the shop. Sunlight spilled from the ceiling, flooding through the skylights he’d strategically placed to showcase various display areas. The coffee bar had doubled in size and every bestseller she could get her hands on was shelved for maximum exposure. He’d even arranged a display of candles along the new information kiosk. The scent of lilac welcomed spring.

As she made her way to her office, heaviness overtook the thrill. Mason was done with his work at Posts and Pages. He’d made no indication that he’d remain in Willow Lake. Since the night they’d grilled steaks, he’d been all business, finishing off the project as quickly as possible while she kept her distance. She’d planned to talk with him today, but saw no sign of him. His tools were gone and his truck was nowhere to be found along the boulevard. Maybe he’d already left. The thought launched her belly into a death spiral.

He’d asked her to dance and told her he loved her, and she’d thrown the words back in his face. She couldn’t blame him for leaving. Even so, her mind continually wandered to that night on the patio when they’d swayed together beneath the stars. The memory of his tender touch and coaxing kisses made her tingle, even now. The aroma of lilac wafted stronger as she neared her office doorway.

“Hi, Josie.” Mason’s voice startled her as she rounded the corner. “Running late today?”

“I…what are you doing here?”

“I wanted some coffee.” He leaned back in her chair, propping his feet on her desk. “And to see you.”

“In that order?” She dropped her purse on the file cabinet, her excitement at seeing him deflated. In a few hours, he’d surely be back on the road, headed north, and she’d get to work planning a grand re-opening of Posts and Pages. “Well, I see you found the coffee. Did you light the candle, too?”

“I did.” He stood and rounded the desk to face her, his gaze tender. “I like the way it smells. Maybe we should plant some lilacs along the walkway at the front of the shop.”

“I’ll take that under consideration.” She paused a moment. “Wait. Did you say
we
?”

“That’s right.”

“But I thought—”

“I need you to be quiet and listen for two minutes. I have things to say.” He reached for a roll of duct tape. “Am I going to have to use this?”

“Mason—”

“Two minutes.” He tore off a piece, backing her into the chair as he took a step toward her. “That’s all I’m asking for. Then you can have your say.”

“All right.” She settled into the chair, pursing her lips. Her gaze remained trained on him.

“OK, then.” Mason set the tape on the desk and turned back toward her.

His eyes were full and round and dark as she’d ever seen them.

“Josie Parker, I have loved you since the first time I saw you.” His gentle voice, the way his fingers caressed her cheeks, stole her breath. “You are the most stubborn, kindest, smartest woman I know. I’ve made mistakes…I’ve hurt you—”

“But—”

He shook his head, pressing a finger to her lips. “And I’m so sorry for that. But coming home has made one thing perfectly clear—”

BOOK: Wishes at Willow Lake
13.18Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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