Won’t Fall Again

by Liliana Rhodes

  The elevator door opened. At the end of the richly carpeted hall, the bellhop was opening a hotel room door. Despite how many times I glared at Mason, he kept ignoring me. He walked ahead and entered the room while I was still making my way down the hall.

  Before I reached the door, the attendant exited into the hall with his cart and tipped his hat at me. I entered the room ready to blow up.

  I expected a typical hotel room with a bed or two and a desk crammed in the corner. I didn’t expect to see a room that was larger than my parent’s entire house.

  The luggage were stacked in a corner by the bar. At the far end of the room was a wall of windows that looked out to the marina below. Mason stood in front of the window watching the ships as they docked.

  “The bedrooms are on either side of this room. You can pick whichever one you want,” he said.

  The main room had stunned me so much that I didn’t realize there weren’t any beds. At each turn I felt more out of my element.

  I entered one of the bedrooms and immediately knew that was the one. I didn’t care if the other one was larger, better, or anything. As soon as I saw the plush king-sized bed with an array of soft pillows on it, I jumped on the bed and curled up with them.

  “Don’t fall asleep,” Mason said from the doorway.

  “I won’t,” I said, stifling a yawn.

  “I made reservations for us for dinner. But maybe I should cancel them.”

  “Reservations?” After everything I had seen that day, I had an idea of what to expect at a restaurant. “I didn’t bring anything nice to wear. You said we were here to look at a horse.”

  His brows knitted as he rubbed his chin.

  “Then we’ll have dinner here. Just the two of us,” he said.

  Something in the way he looked at me told me he wasn’t telling me everything. He turned to walk out of the room as I sat up in bed.

  “Wait,” I said.

  When he didn’t listen, I threw a pillow at him and it smacked him in the back of his head. He bent down to pick up the pillow and walked it back to me.

  “Yes?” he said, looking amused.

  “You’re lying about the horse, aren’t you?”

  “You turned me down for dinner,” he said. “But I always get what I want.”

  “What about the horse?”

  “He’s not invited.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “There is no horse. What I told you about the Menorquín horse is true, but I was just looking for an excuse to take you away.”

  “You could have made that excuse somewhere local, you know.”

  “I liked the idea of having you trapped here, far from home.”

  He grinned evilly as he turned and walked towards the door. I flung another pillow at his head but missed.

  We spent the night talking and to my surprise, we had a lot in common. Mason was very down to earth. After we ate, he got up and walked to the window and peered out at the twinkling lights below.

  “Did you bring a jacket?” he asked. “It’s chilly out, but I've always loved the beach at night. Let’s go for a walk.”

  Since I didn’t bring anything, Mason let me borrow a sweatshirt he brought with him. We went down the elevator and walked along the docks until we reached the beach.

  The white sand glowed in the moonlight. I shivered from the cold and Mason put his arm around my shoulders.

  “Why aren’t you like this at home?” I asked.

  “Like what?”

  “Like a normal person. You’re such a jerk at the ranch, I’m never sure what to expect from you.”

  He nodded slowly but didn’t speak. I waited for him to say something, but the more time that passed, the more annoyed I got.

  “Aren’t you going to say something?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “I don’t have anything to say. You’re right.”

  “I’m right? You are a jerk?”

  “It’s not the first time I’ve heard it.”

  “And?”

  “And it’s how I am,” he said.

  He leaned forward and our eyes met. Behind his piercing gaze, I saw sadness. With a sigh, he pushed his hands into his jeans pockets then tilted his head to look at me out of the corner of his eye.

  “Tara, you already know I haven’t been home for many years. You’ve met my mother, so I’m sure it’s not a surprise that she’s the reason.” He sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve never told this to anyone, but I haven’t been back home in six years because I needed to get away from her. She is a pathetic, mean person, and nothing matters to her more than herself.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, wishing I had something better to say.

  “She’s controlled my father for as long as I can remember, and she tried to control me too. The only time she ever wanted me around when I was a kid was when it made a picture perfect moment. I know it’s ridiculous. I realize I am a grown man now, but somehow her words still cut me and turn me into that little boy all over again. And that’s the last thing I want. I can’t explain it, but no matter how much I know who and how she is, I’m always hoping she will change. I always want to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

  He shook his head and mumbled something I couldn’t hear.

  “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. We hardly know each other, but I want to change that. That’s what this trip is all about. I can’t stop thinking about you, and sometimes that pisses me off. So I don’t mean anything by it, but that’s why sometimes I’m a prick.”

  “You’re a prick because thinking about me makes you mad? That’s really not something someone wants to hear when they’ve been flown thousands of miles from home,” I said, trying to make him laugh.

  He stopped walking and turned to stand in front of me. There was no humor in his expression.

  “It pisses me off because your life is at the ranch and that’s the last place I want to be,” he said. “I’m torn between leaving the ranch or staying to spend time with you.”

  We didn’t talk for the rest of our walk on the beach. A gust of wind swept across the water, and I wrapped my arms around myself. Mason slipped his arms back around me again.

  “Let’s go back to the room,” he whispered.

  When we got back to the hotel, the woman at the front desk waved us over. She had a slip of paper in her hand.

  “I have a message for you, Mr. Abernathy,” she said.

  “I told you to not disturb me until morning,” Mason growled.

  “She said it was an emergency.”

  The clerk handed the note to Mason, and he shoved it into his back pocket without reading it. As we rode the elevator up to our room, he pressed me against the wall and his lips closed over mine softly. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the note.

  “You have to read it,” I said.

  “No, no good can come of it. Not at this hour.”

  “But she said it was an emergency.”

  “She said she, and that means it was my mother. Everything with her is an emergency.”

  “Still, I think you should read it to make sure.”

  As we entered the room, he pulled the note out of his back pocket. He unfolded it and as he read it, the color drained from his face.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “It’s my father. We have to fly back now. He’s in the hospital and my mother said it doesn’t look good.”

  Mason called a private airline and arranged for a plane to fly us back to the States that night. He retreated into himself and didn’t speak, but he held my hand during the entire flight.

  It was late when we got to the hospital. Even though it was past visiting hours, Mason walked through the lobby towards the elevators. No one stopped him. He seemed to know exactly where he was heading.

  As the doors opened to the floor, I saw a placard with his last name on it. It was easy for me to forget that the Abernathy family owned everything in town.

  “Which
room?” Mason asked a nurse as we walked past the nurses’ station.

  Her face had a momentary look of confusion until he recognized him.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Abernathy,” she said. “Your father is in 402.”

  We hurried down the hall. Once we were in front of the room, Mason took a deep breath, composing himself, before entering.

  “Mason?” his dad said, looking up from a crossword puzzle. “What are you doing here? I thought you were away. Oh hello, Tara, I didn’t see you there.”

  “I heard you weren’t well. What’s going on?” Mason asked.

  “I’m as well as can be expected, son. I had a kidney stone so they admitted me, but it’s nothing serious. You didn’t have to come home.”

  “Mother said...” Mason’s voice trailed off and he gritted his teeth. “Where is she?”

  “You know your mother hates hospitals. I’m sure she’s at home.”

  Mason stormed out of the room, and I raced after him. I finally caught up to him at the elevators.

  “This is exactly what I was talking about,” he said as he paced. “I’m sorry about this. This didn’t turn out how I wanted at all, but I swear I’ll make it up to you.”

  Present Day

  The sun cast sparkles in the ocean as it slowly descended. I stood and brushed myself off as I took a final look around. The hill was getting darker and shadowy. In the distance, the lights from the city twinkled. Dusk had always been my favorite time of day and on top of this hill with the ocean and city lights, it felt magical.

  I thought about how much I kept trying to tell Mason that I was different. I kept trying to convince him I wasn’t the girl I was all those years ago. But what I didn’t think about was how much I loved that arrogant young man in the past. Despite my pushing him to see who I was now, I never thought about how he had changed, too. While he was still as confident and cocky as ever, for the first time I realized how much I really meant to him.

  Mason packed the car back up and then we were on our way down the dirt road. When he stopped at the canyon road, I noticed the large ‘For Sale’ sign and wondered how I had missed it earlier.

  “Jeez, that hill is for sale?” I muttered.

  “That’s how I found out about that view,” he said. “I’ve been looking for land in Canyon Cove. I’m thinking about building here.”

  “Building? You mean a ranch?”

  “Yes, Abernathy West. I’ll build an eco-friendly ranch and move the horses here.” He reached over and placed his hand over mine before intertwining our fingers together. “I’ve been thinking about the future, and it’s right here in Canyon Cove with you.”

  Chapter Five

  Tara

  The future with me?

  The man I had been dreaming about for the past fifteen years just said the words I had wanted to hear years ago, but now I wasn’t so sure. A future with Mason was exactly what I always wanted. But with him talking about building a ranch and including me in his plans, I felt like he was making my decisions for me. I couldn’t help but revolt.

  “Wait,” I said as I tried to clear my head. “What do you mean with me?”

  He glanced at me, then back at the road. I recognized worry in his eyes and wished I could take the words back. Buying a damn hill and building a ranch had to take time, what was I so worried about?

  “Tara, I’m not going to make it a big secret that I want a future with you. I understand you need things to move at your own pace and I’m willing to wait until you say you’re ready, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop my plans.”

  “What about my plans? Did you ever think of asking me what my plans for the future are?”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t think my moving to Canyon Cove would change anything for you. Except hopefully your home address.”

  “I...it...” I stammered as I worked out what to say. I just wanted to argue with him, but I wasn’t making sense even to myself. Eventually I went with an old argument I knew I could win. “You never think about how things affect anyone else. You always just figure you can throw some money at the problem and it’ll be taken care of.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You and your money. You think you can just move out here and dictate whatever you want.”

  “I’m not dictating anything. I’m building a home, and I would like you to be a part of that. If you don’t want to, then I’ll just be glad to be near you.”

  “Don’t give me that crap. You have no idea what it’s like. You’ve always had an easy life.”

  “I’m not going to apologize for my wealth. Where is all this coming from?”

  “From you wanting me to move in. I know it’s not that easy or simple. I will never fit into your world.”

  “Fit into my world? We’re from the same world.”

  “No, we’re not. We’re from two entirely different worlds. I worked my ass off to help support my parents and you got to travel the world and do whatever you want. You never had anything to worry about. You could never understand.”

  “Don’t tell me this is about money. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “I can’t tell you,” I said. “Just trust me, I don’t fit in. I never fit in.”

  “What makes you think that? I never did anything to make you feel that way, did I?”

  “No, you never did, but…never mind.”

  “What is it? Did someone tell you that? Tell me who and I’ll hand their ass over to them.”

  “No one. Forget I said anything. Just take me home, please.”

  “Tara…” he pleaded.

  Just the way he spoke my name, his voice said so many things to me. He squeezed my hand, but he didn’t say anything else. I couldn’t tell him the truth of what happened all those years ago. I couldn’t admit that if it wasn’t for his mother, things might have been different. I had kept that secret for so many years there was no reason to reveal it now.

  Fifteen Years Ago

  “Damn mud,” I grumbled.

  I was cleaning out the shoe of one of our new horses when I heard the loud thud of Mason’s boots on the barn’s wood floor. As I raked the brush at an angle under the horse’s hoof, Mason stopped at the stall door.

  “Tara, finish up there and come to my office,” he said. “It’s important.”

  Once I was done with the horse, I cleaned up and went to find Mason. Just as I stepped foot inside his office, he grabbed my arm, pulled me close, and kissed me.

  “Stop that,” I said. “We’re at work.”

  “That just makes me want to do more.” He laughed and pressed his lips against mine. “Pack your bag for the weekend.”

  “For the weekend? You know I have to take care of my parents.”

  “Don’t worry about them. I already talked to Lucy, and she said she’d stay with them again.”

  “You really take care of everything, don’t you?”

  Even though I meant it as a joke, I couldn’t help but be bothered a little by it. I was used to taking care of my parents and myself. I didn’t like someone else making decisions for me.

  “I do,” he said with a grin. “We’re going to the Kentucky Derby. It’s a family tradition, we do it every May.”

  “The Derby?” I stepped back and shook my head. “I can’t go. I can’t be there with you and your family. I don’t even think your mother likes me.”

  “She doesn’t have to like you. I want you there. Even my father thought it was a great idea. He thinks you’ll love it.”

  How could I tell him that the Derby was more than just a Thoroughbred race, it was one of the most talked-about fashion events in the South? I looked down at my scuffed boots while I tried to think of a way out. Mason lifted my chin and I looked up into his gentle brown eyes. He looked concerned.

  “Are you worried you won’t find a large enough hat?” he asked. “Because my mother said you could borrow something of hers.”

  I wrinkled my nose and frowned. While I would
love to go to the Derby, the thought of wearing something of his mother’s made me cringe.

  “I’ll have to think about it,” I said. “When are you leaving?”

  “Tomorrow.” He opened the closet door and pulled out a long bag on a hanger. “I got this for you.” He lifted the bag and revealed a sleeveless blue dress. “Can you imagine what a nightmare it would be for me if you wore something of my mother’s and I thought you looked hot in it? I’d probably end up in therapy for years.”

  “I can’t believe you did this,” I said as I touched the dress’s soft fabric.

  “I invited you to go to the Derby at the last minute, so I had to make sure you had something to wear. I ordered a hat from a local salon, but that will be delivered to the hotel. Do you need anything else?”

  I shook my head, too stunned to answer.

  “Good,” he said. “Then like I said earlier, pack your bag for the weekend.”

  * * *

  The trip flew by and the next thing I knew, I was getting ready to watch the Kentucky Derby. Never in a million years did I ever think I would set foot in Churchill Downs.

  The dress fit me perfectly. I wore my hair swept over my shoulder. Just before the limo arrived, I placed the large brimmed ivory-colored hat with an oversized blue ribbon bow on my head. I felt a little ridiculous with the size of the hat, but I had to admit it was fun to wear.

  As I carefully slid into the limo, I ended up with Mason’s mother Iris on one side of me and Mason on the other. I smiled warmly at her, but she turned away as if I wasn’t there. Once the car started on its way, she reached into her clutch and pulled out a small hand mirror.

  “I’m glad you could make it this year, Mason,” she said.

  “I know it bothers you that I’ve been away so long.”

  “The least you could do was come visit. And what about poor Chloe?”

  “What about her? You know I came home to help her with her brother. Once everything’s set with him, I plan on leaving again.”