"It looks like a restaurant in here.” She giggled, reading the cards. “But where is Mason?”
“Back here!” He strode out from the back room wearing a wide smile. “I was wondering if I’d see you today, but I didn’t think it would be so soon.”
“Mason!” Jack launched himself at him, wrapping his arms around his knees. “Can we play zoo?”
“I don’t think Mason should be doing much of that sort of thing right now, kiddo,” Holly said. “He has a boo-boo on his shoulder. That’s why his arm is in a sling.” It pained her to see it, even though she knew the wound was harmless enough—according to him, anyway.
She directed Jack to a set of blocks kept in the waiting area for just the sort of impatient, energetic toddler he was before turning her attention to her knight in shining armor. Even if the shining armor was the car he’d wrecked during the rescue, the description fit perfectly. “So. What are you going to do with all these casseroles? Open a restaurant? Or a soup kitchen?”
“I was too busy worrying about keeping them all edible. There’s not enough room in the fridge in the back.” He was smiling, though, a bashful sort of smile she knew was supposed to hide the pride he felt. The appreciation. “I never expected this.”
“You’re a hero in this town. Better get used to it. Or not,” she added with a heavy heart.
“Why not?” His emerald eyes sparkled as they moved over her face.
“Because, you know. It’s all over now.” She’d practiced, hadn’t she? In the mirror. All morning. Getting ready for this.
His eyes stopped sparkling. “Is that what you want? For this to be over? Us, I mean?”
“Why do you have to make this so hard?” She looked at the floor, sniffling. “I don’t want to cry in front of Jack.”
“So don’t. You don’t have to. Holly, look at me.” He caught her under her chin, lifting her head until they were face to face. “If I hadn’t been on the verge of unconsciousness in the car and looped out on pain meds at the hospital, I would’ve told you what it meant to know you were in danger. And how I would drive into that building again and again, every day for the rest of my life, if that was what it took to rescue you. Or a burning building. Whatever. So long as you were all right. Because I’ve fallen helplessly, hopelessly in love with you.”
So much for not crying in front of Jack. Big, fat tears coursed down her cheeks as she stared at Mason in wonder. “Really? You’re not, you know, looped out right now?”
“Not even in the slightest.” He chuckled before growing serious again. “No, I mean this. And I’m sorry I ever left room for you to doubt me. I’ve been scared; I can admit it. Scared of hurting you. Of not measuring up. Now I realize the past can inform the present instead of being repeated. I can take what I learned and do the opposite.”
“Yes!” She beamed. “That’s exactly right. You have what it takes to break the cycle.”
“I want to break it with you. I know that’s not the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said,” he said with a wry grin, “but I mean it. I want this. I want us. I don’t want to leave.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” she said. “Not ever. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave us. When I thought that was it yesterday, that I would never see you again, I knew how stupid I was to be angry instead of telling you flat-out that I was in love with you and wanted you to stay here with me once everything was settled.” She stepped closer to him.
“You are? You do?”
Nodding, more tears streamed down her cheeks. “Yes. So much.”
Mason closed the gap and then hesitated as his gaze darted over to where Jack played. He raised an eyebrow before turning his attention back to Holly.
“He’d better get used to seeing it.” She shrugged before stepping into the circle of Mason’s embrace.
The touch of his lips set off an explosion deep in her soul. How could either of them have ever doubted that this was forever?
“Mama!” Jack tugged her jeans. “Mama, what are you doing?”
They both laughed as she bent to lift Jack onto her hip. “Mason is my special friend, and he’s very important to me,” she explained. Just saying the words was enough to send her heart into the stratosphere. Holding on to both of them at once seemed too good to be true.
But it was true. This was her life; these were her loves. Somehow, she’d come through a nightmare and made it out on the other side with the love of her life holding her hand.
As Mason allowed himself to laugh with Jack, his arm around her waist, she remembered that he’d come through a nightmare of his own. Judging by the joy written all over his face, she knew he was happy he’d made it out with her.
“There’s just one more thing you can do for me.” He grinned, looking down at her as the phone started ringing on the desk.
She could’ve stared into his eyes forever. “Name it.”
His brows drew together as he grimaced in mock pain. “Help me find a receptionist?”
Epilogue
Ten years later…
“Daddy? Dad? Dad?”
“Yes?” Mason glanced in the rearview mirror at the brood sitting behind him. “What is it?”
“Are we there yet?” Nine-year-old Hannah flopped back in her seat with a pout. “We’ve been driving forever.”
“We’ve been on the road for exactly thirty-four minutes,” Holly announced as she turned in her seat. “In case you were wondering. That’s not forever.”
“You’re so impatient.” Jack, ever the big brother and the voice of reason, looked down at his little sister. At thirteen, he made sure everyone knew how tiresome he found his younger siblings to be when they acted this way. “You’re always complaining.”
“Knock it off,” Isaiah called out from behind him, kicking the back of Jack’s seat. He was the youngest, all of five years old, but he had more than enough attitude to keep everyone in line.
Mason and Holly exchanged loving, if exasperated, looks as they continued on their way to Noah’s for the Guardian Group reunion. It had been way too long since they were all together, even though they kept in close touch and discussed the guys Noah hired from time to time. Guardian Group was still going strong.
“Mom?” Jack asked.
“Yes?”
“How many kids will be there? Anybody my age?” They both knew the real question Jack was too shy to ask. Would there be any girls his age there? He was just starting to wake up when it came to girls, a situation they’d both been dreading for a while.
Midnight feedings? Piece of cake. Stomach viruses? All three children plus the adults had suffered the same bug at the same time, and they’d made it out alive. Temper tantrums? Old news.
Girl trouble? The Talk? Mason wasn’t sure there was any way to prepare for it.
“Among the six of us, there are plenty of kids,” Mason explained. “Nobody as old as you, though. Noah’s daughter, Kelsie, is the oldest, and she’s three years younger than you.”
“That’s right. She was born right around the time we met.” Holly’s hand closed over his knee, her rings flashing in the sunlight.
“Yep. Mia was the first one to have a baby, so everyone else is younger.” Mason met his son’s eyes in the mirror. “That okay with you?”
“Yeah, sure.” There was no missing how he relaxed, letting out a deep breath. The poor kid probably wished he hadn’t spent so much time getting ready if there weren’t any cute girls to look cool in front of.
“I wouldn’t want to be that age again,” Holly whispered as the kids started another conversation among themselves.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Mason agreed with a grimace. “Talk about agony.”
They rode on this way, singing with the radio and answering countless questions about how much longer they’d be in the car, before Mason turned down the street he knew held the home Noah and Mia shared with their family.
“Whoa!” Hannah’s eyes bulged as they drew closer. “They’re rich!”
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“We told you guys that Noah and Mia and the kids live in a big house,” Mason reminded them. “How else would they have the room for everyone to spend the night?”
Holly turned in her seat, and from the corner of his eye, he caught her giving them a patented Mom Look. “Let’s not make a big deal about it, okay? Last time I checked, we’re not doing so badly.”
Truly, they weren’t. After years of medical school and residency, he’d gone from physician’s assistant to a partner in Chester’s one and only medical practice, and Holly had continued treating local patients as well as rehabilitating abused and injured dogs. They’d built a beautiful life together, buying a ramshackle Victorian just before their wedding and restoring it one room at a time.
“But they’re rich-rich,” Jack insisted. “Super rich.”
“Enough.” Mason laughed as they pulled alongside a row of vehicles he knew belonged to his friends. His team. It was almost surreal, knowing they’d be together again.
And soon they were parked, people poured out of the house all at once. They were the last to arrive, it seemed, as ten adults and countless children swarmed the SUV.
“Holy cow.” Holly laughed before opening the door, immediately hugging Kennedy and Ryder.
Noah reached Mason first, and the two of them shared a short hug before Mia threw her arms around Mason’s neck. “Hey, stranger!”
“Hey, yourself! This is overwhelming,” he admitted.
“We sort of exploded, didn’t we?” She swept a hand over her hair in a distracted way, shaking her head at the antics the kids were already getting into. The older kids peppered each other with questions about their favorite TV shows, cartoons, movies. The younger kids showed off fancy shoes that lit up when they walked, and one little girl twirled around to show how her dress flared out, to the delight of the others.
“Isn’t it funny how easy it is for them to make friends?” Gunner slung an arm around Mason’s shoulders. “They just met, but they’re already best buddies.”
“And Jack’s the cool older boy. Look at the way Kelsie’s eyeing him.” Mia giggled. Sure enough, her daughter blushed when Jack noticed her looking his way.
“Come on in,” Noah called out, clapping his hands. “I already started the grill, and there’s a bunch of steaks just waiting for my expert skill.”
“Expert.” Kolby laughed with a roll of his eyes. “We’ll see about that.”
“Oh, no,” groaned his wife, Ivy. “How many Rangers does it take to ruin a steak? I can just picture the six of you fighting over the tongs while the meat burns.”
“Watch it,” Kolby warned before kissing his wife on the cheek.
Mason thought they did pretty well at keeping away from the grill, if only to keep the women from laughing and teasing. Within an hour, they were sitting at a pair of long tables in the garden with a mouthwatering spread in front of them: steak, potatoes, hot dogs and burgers for the kids, and grilled vegetables. There were salads, ears of corn, and sliced watermelon.
He looked up and down the length of both tables—one for all but the smallest kids, one for the adults. Everyone mingled together, the kids laughing and playing games like they’d known each other their entire lives.
After a while, the sun set and Mia flipped on strings of lights crisscrossed over the tables. The kids grilled marshmallows at the fire pit while the adults sat around, enjoying their beverages and laughing about some of the clients they’d taken on back in the day.
“There are times when that seems like another life,” Mason admitted as Holly settled on his lap. She was his life now, along with the kids. They were what he’d worked for, through endless days and even longer nights, and finally it was time to start enjoying the fruits of his labor.
“Look at us.” Elijah sat back in his chair, one ankle over the opposite knee. “Could you have imagined?”
“I doubt any of us could.” Ryder chuckled, stroking his chin. “I know I couldn’t have, not in a million years. All of us, settled down. Married men. Fathers.” His eyes widened in mock surprise.
“Sometimes, I hear my dad’s voice coming out of my mouth when I’m talking to the kids,” Gunner admitted, and they all laughed and nodded in understanding. “Amazing how that happens.”
“I’m proud of you. Of all of us.” Noah raised his glass. “To all of us. Our family.”
Mason raised his own glass while Holly rested her head on his shoulder. The kids ran back and forth, trying to catch fireflies, while lights twinkled overhead. No, he never could’ve imagined ten years with his soulmate. A stable, happy home invariably full of kids and at least one or two foster dogs at a time. A thriving practice. A town full of friends.
“You okay?” Holly whispered, her eyes shining against the overhead lights.
“Better than okay,” he whispered back. “Much better.”
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Looking for a new series? Turn the page to read the first chapter of Her Pretend Billionaire Boyfriend.
Sneak Peek! Her Pretend Billionaire Boyfriend Chapter 1
Tristan Stone swiveled his chair away from the boardroom table and looked out over the Seattle skyline. The sun glinted off the windows of the Space Needle while a white-capped Mount Rainier stood in the background. He wished he was there, on the top of the mountain, and not dwelling on the board meeting that had just ended. He didn’t want to think about the dozen or so men and women who’d argued about which direction his grandmother would’ve wanted him to take the cruise line he’d inherited.
He missed her.
Find someone to love, sweetheart. Not all women will want you for your money. His grandmother’s words were like a megaphone in his head. He could still feel the aged hand touching his cheek and see the wrinkled face smiling up at him. Even while she was sick, she’d been thinking of him.
He’d tried to convince her he didn’t feel lonely, but she could always see through him. Three months, and not a day went by that he didn’t miss her laughter and wisdom.
“Tristan!” Grayson Matthews’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Are you listening to me?”
“No,” he said without taking his eyes off the skyline.
“Nice. Real nice.” Grayson huffed, pulling a chair directly in front of him and sitting backward in it.
Tristan leveled his eyes at him. “What?”
“That board meeting was out of control. Why didn’t you do anything?”
Why? Because he didn’t want to do anything. His grandmother wasn’t even cold, and vultures were circling. “My head isn’t here.” He had tasks to finish for his grandma. One of which was taking a cruise on the last cruise ship she’d designed so he could spread her ashes over the ocean.
Grayson’s icy blue eyes softened. “Buddy, I know you miss her, but if you want this company to continue, you’re going to have to bring that alpha dog reputation you’ve created to the table.”
Alpha dog. Tristan snorted. “I know, but this is different. I’m not buying up a company. This was her company. A company…people…I promised to take care of.” He was used to taking over companies, bulldozing over anything that got in the way of making it successful and turning it into a thriving business. This was different. He’d made a solemn vow to take care of her employees, among other things. Things he wasn’t willing to tell his best friend.
“Listen, man, I know you were close to her, but…”
Tristan stood and raked a hand through his dark-brown hair. “I’m not selling this company. I’ll buy out everyone’s shares if I have to. I don’t care if I go bankrupt keeping it.” He closed his eyes. He wasn’t just close to his grandmother. Other than Grayson and his Aunt Felicia, she was the only person he trusted to love him for more than just his money.
The chair squeaked as Grayson stood. “Maybe you should take a vacation. Get out of
here, get some fresh air, grieve. Come back when you’re ready to make some hard decisions.”
Grayson continued when he didn’t respond. “Seriously, take one. Two weeks. What can possibly happen in two weeks without you here? It’s been three months, and nothing’s changed yet.” Grayson grasped his shoulder and turned him around. “You took care of her the last eight months of her life. I know it had to be hard on you. Taking a break will help.”
Tristan did like the idea. The stress of taking care of a loved one was worse than he ever imagined. The last month or so, his grandma didn’t even know who he was. She’d look at him with a blank expression most of the time, and when she was even remotely coherent, she’d call him by his father’s name, Thomas.
He had promised his grandma that he’d take a cruise and spread her ashes. May as well get it done. He could check that off the list. “Maybe you’re right.”
Grayson smiled and pulled out his phone. “Ohhh, I’m going to need you to say that again. I want to record it and replay it when you’re being arrogant and egotistical.”
“I’m not arrogant or egotistical. I’m just right all the time.” Tristan chuckled.
His friend’s eyes widened. “Let me take care of it. I’ve got the perfect place in mind. Hot women, warm sand, cool clear water. I can even picture it. The two of us, lounging on some tropical oasis and sipping fruity drinks that come in pineapples.” He pulled up the search engine on his phone. “Cheesy, but tasty.”
Tristan rubbed his knuckles down his jaw. “No, I want to go somewhere no one will recognize me. I want to be left alone.” He wanted to be Tristan. Not Tristan Stone the billionaire. He wanted to feel normal. For once, he wanted to be just one of the guys. An idea began to form.
“You might try Mars, then. You’re a thirty-one-year-old billionaire, and you’re in every socialite paper known to man. And with that baby face of yours? Good luck.” Grayson laughed.
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