by S. J. McCoy
Gina's heart raced. Was she ready to start over with Mason? How could they go anywhere? Where they had gotten to was the place that broke her heart. But that was a long time ago. They were both different now, older—hopefully, wiser.
“What do you say, G?”
She smiled. “Okay. Where do you want to go?”
“How about the Valley Lodge?” She could hear the relief in his voice.
That made her smile. She knew it wasn't Mason's kind of place. It was an attempt to take her somewhere he considered fancy. She appreciated the thought, but if they were going to start over then she'd rather go back to their roots. How about the Riverside instead?”
“You want to?”
She laughed. “I'd love to. When are we talking about?”
“Tonight? I'll come pick you up at six?”
“I could meet you there?” She'd prefer her dad didn't see Mason coming to pick her up. She didn't want him getting his hopes up before she knew if there was anything to even hope for.
“That wouldn't be a real date. I'll be by at six.” He hung up before she could argue.
She sat there shaking her head. “Okay, Mason. See you at six,” she said to herself.
~ ~ ~
Mason wrapped a towel around his waist and came out of the bathroom. It seemed he was a little overanxious. He was showered and shaved, and it was way too early. He almost bumped into Shane, who was stepping into the hallway at the same moment.
“Whoa. You smell good,” Shane said with a grin. “Do I need to guess what you're doing tonight?”
“Nope. You already guessed. I called her up and I'm taking her out on a date.”
“Awesome. Where are you guys going?”
“The Riverside.” Mason's grin faded at Shane's response.
“Seriously, bro? You're taking her to that dive? Show a bit of class. She's been living in the big city for the last ten years. Why the hell would you want to take her there?”
“You love the Riverside.”
“Sure I do, for a burger and a beer with the guys. Not for one of the most important dates of my life!”
“Don't worry. I was going to take her to the Valley Lodge. The Riverside was her suggestion, and I'm hoping that it means something. See, that was where we went on our very first real date.”
Shane smiled. “Ah, sorry bro. I take it all back. Sentimentality and nostalgia trump class every time.”
Mason punched his arm. “I have class, thank you very much.”
“Yeah, right,” said Shane with a laugh. “Cowboy class is what you have.”
Mason nodded. It was true. He'd never had the need for any other kind. As he went into his room to get dressed, he couldn't help but wonder whether it would be enough for Gina now. As Shane had said, she'd been living in the big city for ten long years. What if all their fancy ways had come to be important to her? What if his cowboy ways weren't enough anymore?
He shrugged as he pulled on his jeans. If she'd changed that much, then she wasn't his Gina anymore and it wouldn't matter, would it?
It was a quarter till six when he pulled up out front. He wasn't surprised to see Al appear at the window and then come ambling out to greet him.
“Mason, good to see you, son. I think she's ready. Come on in and I'll give her a shout.” The big grin on the old guy's face told Mason what he'd been hoping to hear. Al still wanted to see him end up with Gina, almost as much as he did.
He followed Al in through the back door to the kitchen and couldn't help smiling to himself at the memory of coming out here to see her last week. When he'd arrived, he'd only wanted to make her talk to him. When he'd seen her crouched down hiding it made him laugh. He'd worried that she might have become some fancy city girl over the last ten years, but seeing her squatting down in just a T-shirt, her bare ass sticking out, he'd known that she was still his Gina. He'd also known that she still turned him on as much as she ever had, more so, in fact. When she'd stood up to him, flushed and angry, her round breasts and curves that the T-shirt couldn't hide had made very clear to him that she was all woman, and still the only woman he wanted. He shifted in his pants, hoping to hide the evidence of what the memory of the kitchen table was doing to him.
When Al went out the door to shout for her, Mason shoved his hands in his pockets, regretting having thought that his tightest jeans were the way to go. Remembering the way she'd writhed underneath him, remembering how quickly No, Mason, no! had turned into Yes, Mason, yes! had him hard as a rock and wanting more, and these jeans left no room to hide that.
He smiled as Al came back in and spoke in a low voice. “I'm not going to say much, son. I don't think I need to, do I?”
Mason raised an eyebrow. He thought they were on the same page, but meeting Al's steely gaze, he had to wonder.
“I don't know what went wrong, but it's time the two of you made it right.”
Mason let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. “Yes, sir.”
Al grinned. “That's all. I want my girl home, and I think you do, too.”
“More than anything.”
Al grinned. “Then don't fuck it up this time then, huh?”
Mason laughed. “No, sir.” He wasn't about to say that he still had no idea how he'd fucked it up last time. He had the feeling Al already knew that and besides, anything he said would sound like an excuse. “I'm not letting her go again.”
Al nodded as Gina appeared in the doorway. “Well, you kids have a good time. I'll see you tomorrow.” He let himself out the back door without waiting for a reply.
Mason caught his breath. Damn, she was beautiful. She wasn't exactly dressed up, they were going to the Riverside after all, but she looked amazing. It seemed she'd decided that her tightest jeans were the way to go, too. The way they clung to her and emphasized her curves had him digging his hands deeper into his pockets. She wore a simple white top that clung to her breasts then flowed loose over her hips. All he could think about was sliding his hands underneath it, stroking their way up, and then filling them with her breasts. He swallowed, his throat was dry.
“Hi.”
He met her gaze, her eyes were shining. She looked soft, maybe even a little scared? It seemed her time in the city had taken away some of her fire. His Gina had never been unsure of herself. It only made him love her more. “Hey, babe. Are you ready to go?”
She nodded.
He stepped toward her and held out his hand. She took hold of it and the smile she gave him melted his heart. She looked happy and nervous at the same time, but what made him smile the most was the love shining in her eyes. She hadn't been able to tell him that she didn't love him anymore and now, no matter what she might say, her eyes were telling him that she did. At that moment, he felt as though they were back on track. He loved her, she loved him. Nothing would be able to get in the way of that. Would it?
Chapter Eleven
Gina smiled when Mason came with her to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door for her. He was a gentleman in the true sense of the word, but he wasn't the kind to go in for gestures like this. At least, he hadn't been when she'd known him. She realized that there was so much of him she didn't know anymore. So much had happened in her own life in the last ten years, how could she think that nothing had happened in his? She didn't think he'd been in any long-term relationships, but why didn't she? Who would have told her if he had? Her dad certainly wouldn't, and come to think of it, neither would Shane. She climbed in and smiled through the window at him as he closed the door for her.
He came around and got in himself. “What's up, G? You're looking at me like you don't know me.”
There he went, reading her thoughts again. “That's what I was thinking. I don't know you. I know who you were, but not who you have been these last ten years, not who you've become.”
He tipped his hat back and winked at her, making her smile. “You know me. You know me better than anyone else ever has or ever will.”
She sho
ok her head. “The Mason I knew would never have suggested going to the Lodge for dinner, and he definitely wouldn't have opened the door for me.”
He laughed. “I am the Mason you knew. You just never saw me nervous about taking you out before.”
“You were nervous?”
“I am nervous.”
She reached over and put a hand on his arm. It seemed the years had changed him a little. The Mason of old would never have admitted vulnerability of any kind. She liked it. It gave her hope that they could maybe share something very real now—now that they'd both done some growing up. She didn't want a tough as nails, ride-to-the-rescue infallible hero anymore. She wanted a real man, a man who could admit fear and pain and be a partner as much as a protector. She squeezed his arm. “Then I guess we're in this together.”
He smiled at her, the creases around his eyes reminding her how much older he really was. “That's where I want to be, babe.”
When he pulled up in the parking lot at the Riverside, she smiled to herself when he didn't come to open her door. He'd made his gesture, but it wasn't in his nature, and she wouldn't want it to be. She slid down and came around to join him.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Do you want to sit out on the deck?”
She smiled. “I do.”
They'd come here on their very first real date. It was strange to call it that, strange because it hadn't happened until after the first time he'd made love to her. The night after he'd taken her virginity, he'd brought her here to make it official that they were dating. It might seem an odd way to go about things, but it was the way it had worked out for them. As far as Gina was concerned it was perfect, it was as it should be. It was their story, their history. That night had been busy, they hadn't been able to get a table inside and even though it was still chilly out on the deck, they'd sat outside and had dinner together as a couple for the first time.
It wasn't quite so cold tonight, but there were only a few hardy souls sitting out. She could see through the doors that most folks had opted to eat inside where it was warm.
Mason grinned at her. “I do, too. I'm going to run back to the truck. I put a couple of jackets in there, just in case.”
Gina admired his long easy stride as he went back to the truck and returned moments later. She smiled as he held out a shearling-lined jean jacket and helped her into it. She snuggled inside it breathed in the scent of him. He grinned at her and pulled on his own jacket, before wrapping his arms around her. “I'll keep you warm.”
The feel of him standing so close, wrapped around her the way he used to, took her beyond warm—all the way to hot and yearning for him. She had no doubts that anything had changed between them there. Every time she was close to him, she wanted him. She knew he wanted her too, judging by the way he kept shifting around in those jeans!
He led her to a table over at the edge of the deck and sat down with a grin. She grinned back. He remembered which table they'd sat at all those years ago. She looked out at the river and its backdrop of snow-capped mountains then back at Mason. “It's so beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you are.”
“Do you still think so?” She wasn't fishing for compliments, she was genuinely curious.
He reached across the table and took her hand. “To me, you were always the most beautiful girl in the world. You know that. What I didn't expect is how much more beautiful you are now that you're older. I mean you're even more beautiful as a grown woman than you were as a girl.” He hesitated. “I hope that came out right?”
She smiled and nodded. “Don't worry. It did. I understand exactly what you mean because that's how I feel about you, too. You were gorgeous back then.” She had to smile at the way he grinned at that.
“Gorgeous?” he raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, gorgeous, but you were still a boy in some respects.” She laughed. “A young buck, if you will. Now you're all grown up. Seasoned, weathered...I don't know. Just...a real man.” She met his gaze. “And I find you even more attractive than I did back then, even though I wouldn't have believed that was possible.”
He grinned. “Then you do know exactly what I meant, although you put it better than I did.” He squeezed her hand. “You always said you needed a real man. Now you've got one, do you want to keep him?”
She drew in a sharp breath. Hell yeah, she wanted to keep him! But she was older and wiser. Much as she would love to step straight back into the fairytale, she was more cautious now. He'd broken her heart and shattered her world once. She wasn't in a hurry to jump straight into letting him do it again.
He frowned. “You don't want me?”
“I do want you, Mase. But I need to take it slowly. We're two very different people than we were back then, we need to get to know each other all over again. Get to know who we are now and whether we'll work as well as we used to.” She didn't mention anything about how he'd hurt her before, but she didn't need to.
He was still frowning at her, but the server came out to take their order. She hoped that she could move the conversation on, but as soon as the girl had left, he said, “And you also need to tell me about what went wrong before, G. I need to understand what happened. I still don't know how I hurt you.” He took a deep breath. “But, I do know how you hurt me.”
That put a dagger through her heart. She would never, ever willingly hurt him. She was surprised that he admitted that she had. He'd moved on after she left, hadn't he? She hadn't come back because he hadn't really loved her or wanted her forever like he said. She'd just been one of a long line, the one after Marie, and the one before April. Even thinking of the name April sent a shudder through her.
His eyes filled with concern. “Can we talk about it?”
“Not tonight. I want to enjoy this evening. Laugh, have fun. Is that okay with you?” Her eyes pleaded with him. She wasn't ready yet to rake through all the old hurt. She wanted to spend some time with him. Have some fun with him and get to know the man he had become. She wasn't at all sure how long that would last once they went back and talked about what had happened. She wanted to feel a little stronger before they went there. After all, how could she hold against him what the boy he had been had done.
He nodded slowly. “Okay, but we do need to talk about it soon. I need to know what happened. I've never known and I've torn myself apart over the years, wondering what went wrong.”
She squeezed his hand, why did she feel guilty? He hadn't wanted her, so she'd made it easy for him. The pain in his eyes made her wonder. “We will, Mase. Let's enjoy tonight though, please?”
Mason smiled. She could see he was making a conscious effort to let it go—for now. “How could I say no to that? I've waited all these years and you're asking me to enjoy a night with you.” He winked and gave her the smile that made her heart race. “I hope you mean the whole night.”
If her heart was already racing, it thundered in her chest at his words. Was she ready to go there? Who was she kidding? She'd been thinking about it since he'd called to ask her to dinner. When she'd suggested they come here, to the place where they'd had their first date, she'd also been thinking about what had happened afterward. He'd driven her down by the river and they'd climbed into the bed of his truck to watch the stars. He'd made love to her out there, in a pile of blankets under the big sky. They'd fallen asleep and spent the whole night in each other’s arms.
His gaze told her he wanted to recreate that part of their first date, too. She smiled. “We'll see.”
He grinned back at her.
She had to laugh. “What does that look mean?”
“It means you didn't say, hell no! And that means it's all down to me and my powers of persuasion. So, I'm a happy man.”
“It seems you have a lot of faith in your powers of persuasion, cowboy.”
He nodded and reached across to touch her cheek. “I sure do, babe. And your memory mustn't be too good if you doubt them.”
The shudder that ran through her this time
was one of desire. She remembered only too well how persuasive he could be—and how powerless she was to resist him when he wanted her. If he kept looking into her eyes the way he was, she might have to drag him back to his truck right now!
The server came back with their food and shattered the moment. Once she'd left, Mason grinned at Gina again. “Don't worry. We can enjoy dinner first. I haven't had one of these burgers in years.”
She nodded. She wasn't sure she could enjoy hers. Her whole body was humming with anticipation of what would come afterward.
~ ~ ~
Mason watched Gina closely as she took a sip of her beer and stared out at the river. It might be chilly, but it was a beautiful blue sky evening. He let his mind drift back to the first time he'd taken her. She'd been persistent in the years that followed her first declaration that she loved him. At fourteen, she'd been a cute kid to him, but nothing more than that. He'd gone off to college, but each summer when he came home, she was around. She and Shane did everything together in those days. Riding, roping, learning to drive and swimming down in the creek. The summer she was sixteen he'd been sorely tempted to give in to her when she came to him one afternoon. She had two horses saddled and ready to go. She was wearing the shortest shorts and a bikini top that barely contained her by then full breasts. She'd shown him another packet of condoms and said that it was time. That she understood why he wouldn't when she was younger, but now she was grown up and she still loved him, still wanted him to be her first. If Shane hadn't come barreling into the yard yelling about coyotes down in the bottom pasture, Mason probably would have gone with her.
She smiled at him, bringing him back to the present. “This has been wonderful, Mase. Thank you.”
He nodded, it had been a wonderful dinner. They'd talked and laughed. They were still so comfortable with each other. He'd never felt anything close to this with another woman. Never wanted to.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.