“Why did you think Mason would frighten me?” I cocked my head. “Do you think I’m that much of a child? I’m as old as you, Meghan. Actually a few weeks older. And just because I’ve been sheltered doesn’t mean I’m scared of my own shadow. I just lack experience. I’m fixing that, starting now.”
“I’d say you started fixing that this summer, when you stopped by and offered your PR services to Ali. That took gumption. I’m just surprised. Happily so.”
“Thanks.” I grinned at her. “I needed to hear that, because honestly, I’m a little terrified about this whole thing.”
“Nah. You got this, Rilla.” She gave me a quick hug. “Go knock ’em dead.”
I tried to hold onto Meghan’s encouragement as I pulled into the driveway next to the large brick house on a quiet street in Burton. A huge black truck sat further back down the drive. I smiled a little; it had to be Mason’s. It looked like what I’d expect him to drive. I couldn’t see him folding his huge frame into a little compact.
Before I could walk up the steps and ring the doorbell, the front door opened and a small blonde tornado flew out, heading straight for me. I braced myself as Piper launched herself at my legs.
“Hey, sweet pea!” I crouched and held her by the upper arms. “What’re you doing outside by yourself?”
“She’s not supposed to go out the front door without an adult.” Mason stood in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face. “She knows the rules.”
“I was watching for you, and I saw you. You’re the berry lady.”
“The berry ... oh.” I grinned down at her adorable face. Her blonde curls were in a ponytail, and her mouth was curved into an eager smile. But those eyes—they were what made her truly a gorgeous child. They were brown, but not quite; flecks of green and gold made them more hazel. Whatever the color, they sparkled with mischief.
I stood up and offered her my hand. “Why don’t you bring me inside and tell me where everything is? I’m going to need you to show me the ropes, you know.”
“Oh, we don’t have any ropes.” She shook her head. “Daddy says maybe I can get a jump rope for my birthday, but that’s not for—how long, Daddy?”
“Five months, and that’s not what Miss Rilla meant, princess. Showing someone the ropes means you’re explaining a new job.” Mason met my gaze as we neared him. “Hi, Rilla. Thanks again for doing this. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
“Thank you for giving me the chance. I’m glad to be able to help you, but remember, it’s a good thing for me, too.”
He nodded and glanced down at his daughter. “Piper, run and tell Nan that Miss Rilla’s here. We’ll be there in just a minute.”
She took off down the hallway at top speed, and I wondered if the child ever did anything slowly.
“Hey.” Mason touched my shoulder, and I jumped. He was standing much closer to me than I expected. I had to crane my neck to look up at him. “Did your dad ... was everything okay?”
I could’ve fibbed and told Mason that everything was fine, that my father hadn’t objected at all. But a liar I was not, and so I shook my head.
“He wasn’t happy. But it’s not just this. He’s been upset at me for a while, since he didn’t want me to take the job with Sam.” I blew a lock of hair out of my eyes. “My father doesn’t want to accept the fact that I’m grown up and he can’t control me anymore. He’ll get over it. Or so my grandmother says.”
“I don’t want to cause trouble for you.” Mason rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe I can put something together with one of the caregiver sites and a babysitter service ...”
“No.” The vehemence of my voice was unexpected, even to me. “Please, I mean. I really want this job. I meant what I said before. I’m happy to help you, but my salary here is going to make it possible for me to finally move off the farm.”
He stared down at me for the space of several heartbeats, not speaking. His eyes were fastened on mine, and I realized that they were the exact same shade as Piper’s. In Mason, though, they had an added intensity that made me shiver.
“Okay.” He sighed and nodded. “We’ll try it. But if things get too rough for you at home, promise you’ll tell me right away. I can figure something else out.”
“They won’t.” I spoke with assurance, but when Mason didn’t budge, I added, “But I promise.”
“Good. Okay, Mom’s this way. Since you haven’t met her before, you might not notice, but she’s real thin. We try to find whatever sounds good for her to eat. She’s not actively on chemo now, since she’s between sessions, but she still has nausea sometimes.” As he kept talking, Mason walked down the same hall Piper had run, and I followed.
We turned into a room that was lined with bookshelves. A single bed was set up in the corner, but I could tell it didn’t really belong there; no doubt this had been an office or library before it was Mrs. Wallace’s sick room.
She sat in a recliner near the center of the room. Her gray hair was cropped close; I guessed it was just growing back after chemo. A broad smile stretched across her thin face.
“So this is our angel of mercy!” Mrs. Wallace held out her hands to me. “Come here, darlin.’ I’m so tickled to meet you.”
There could be no doubt about this woman’s origins. She may have left the great state of Mississippi, but it hadn’t left her; it rang out through every word she spoke.
I took her hands gently within my own. “I’m not sure anyone would call me an angel, Mrs. Wallace, but I’m glad to meet you, too.”
“Hogwash, darlin.’ I can practically see your halo. And please, call me Naomi. We’re gonna be friends, I just know it. I love your name, by the way. So pretty and timeless.”
I laughed. “If that’s a nice way of saying it’s old-fashioned, I appreciate your tact.”
“Old-fashioned isn’t a bad thing.” She leveled a look at me that told me Mason had talked to her about my upbringing. “You be proud of that name and how you were raised. Nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Yes, ma’am. Naomi, I mean.”
“Mom mostly needs very basic help. Meals, getting up and down for the bathroom and help with dressing. There are a few simple medical procedures that have to be done now and then, but the visiting nurse can show you how to do that, if you’re comfortable with it.” Mason gripped the back of a chair and leaned his weight on that arm.
I glanced at him. “As long as it’s not drawing blood, I think I’m okay.”
Naomi laughed. “No, the vampire nurse does that. It’s just a matter of hooking me up to IV drugs when they’re needed. And I have a porta-cath, so as long as you can screw it in, we’ll be golden.”
“That I can do. What about doctor visits?”
“I take care of those.” Mason’s eyes lingered on his mother. “Rocky’s great about covering things at the bar when we have appointments. But that’s why I have to be out late some nights, too. You’re sure you’re going to be okay with that?”
“I told you I would be.” I knelt down next to his mother’s chair. “Naomi, if you’ll be patient with me the first few days, I’ll get up to speed as soon as I can. I’m sure it’s been distressing to have Mrs. Murphy leave you, and I don’t want you to have any more upset than necessary.”
“Sweetie, we’re going to do just fine.” She beamed. “Mason, did you talk to Rilla about Piper’s schedule yet?”
“No, we’ll go over that now. You okay if we move to the kitchen?”
“Of course. Piper, honey, why don’t you stay here with Nan for a bit so Daddy can talk to Miss Rilla?”
Piper scrambled up to sit next to her grandmother, and I noticed that she was careful not to lean on the older woman’s legs or arm. She settled herself on the chair and rested her head on Naomi’s chest.
Mason led me into the kitchen. It was open and sunny, with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. He pulled out a chair for me at the wide oak-hewn table and then sat down across from me
. A white dry erase board was propped against the sugar bowl.
It didn’t take very long to review Piper’s daily schedule, which was fairly loose.
“This was something Mrs. Murphy put together. To be honest with you, Piper doesn’t really do well with schedules.” He dropped his forehead onto his hand. “I probably should’ve told you this before you agreed, but my daughter can be kind of a brat.”
I laughed. “Mason, she’s three years old. That’s pretty much a kid’s job at that age.”
“No, I know, but really she is. She doesn’t listen, she’s headstrong and wild ... and how would you know about three-year olds? I thought you were an only child.”
“I’ve been working in our church’s nursery since I was ten years old. The kids who’re just starting out in the youth group now? I changed their diapers. Sometimes we’d have ten or twenty babies under the age of four. Believe me, I can handle one willful three-year old.”
Mason regarded me for a moment, one eyebrow raised. “Let’s revisit that sentiment after you’ve been with Piper for a few days.”
He wasn’t wrong.
It wasn’t that Piper was a bad kid. It wasn’t even that she was too active or disrespectful. She was smart and very, very busy. If I turned my back for a minute, helping Naomi to dress or in the bathroom, Piper would be in the kitchen, mixing cups of flour and sugar into a big pot. Or in her room, taking all the books off the shelves so that she could climb on them to reach the top of her closet. I caught her one afternoon about to cut her hair with scissors she’d gotten by pulling over a kitchen chair and emptying out a cabinet.
On the other hand, she was a kind child. Although she didn’t fully grasp the concept of her grandmother’s illness, she moved slowly around Naomi, careful not to jolt or jostle her. When we sat down to eat lunch or dinner together, she chattered away to me, holding conversation that was advanced beyond her age.
No matter how challenging Piper was, though, I loved being with her. She’d sit on my lap with her warm little arm around my neck, and when I put her to bed, she’d pull my face in to kiss my cheek.
“I love you, Rilla.” Her sweet voice was high and clear, and every time she said it, I fell in a little more under her spell.
I’d been working at the Wallace house for five days. So far, everything was fairly smooth sailing; Mason was good about making sure I got in my hours at the stand, and I’d even been able to put some of our advertising plans for the bar into effect, since he let me use his laptop while Piper napped. I’d announced the new hours on all the social media sites, put together a newsletter list, and set up a frequent diner program. Mason seemed to be impressed, though it was hard to be sure; we didn’t see each other except in passing when he came home.
Today had been a long day. I’d covered the morning and early afternoon at the stand before driving into Burton in time for Mason to leave for his evening shift at The Road Block. Piper was already up from her nap by the time I arrived at the house, so I didn’t get any break: we were in perpetual motion from two in the afternoon until eight, when I finally got her to sleep.
I trudged down the steps and into Naomi’s room, where I collapsed into the easy chair across from her recliner. I heard her soft laughter.
“Done in, are you, darlin’? Yes, I always say, nothing can wear a person out like a three-year old.”
My head lolled to the side, and I opened one eye to regard the older woman. “She just never stops. How on earth did Mrs. Murphy do it? Mason said she was in her fifties. I can’t imagine how she kept up with Piper.”
“Well, there’re a few differences. First of all, a child can tell how far she can get with an adult, and I think Piper knew Mrs. Murphy had her limits. She looks at you as younger and more energetic, and so her behavior has changed accordingly. And I think she’s testing you, too. She’s trying to see how far she can push before you break.”
“We might’ve found out that limit today. I was about ready to hold her down until she fell asleep.”
Naomi smiled. “I used to give Mason warm milk with a slug of brandy. I know it’s frowned upon these days, but Lord, that boy wouldn’t go to sleep for love or money. It was the brandy or my sanity.”
I grinned. “I can see that. Gram told me once that she used to rub whiskey on my gums when I was teething.” I paused, considering. “She probably had to hide it so my dad didn’t know. He doesn’t tolerate any form of alcohol in the house.”
“Well, I respect that on principle. I was raised Baptist, and believe me, I grew up hearing more sermons railing against demon liquor than you can begin to imagine.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Always bothered me, though. All that fuss about a beer or a shot of whiskey, yet there were people living in poverty two blocks away. Children who didn’t have enough to eat. Seemed to me that was a bigger sin than tossing back a few on a Saturday night.”
“Then you don’t have a problem with Mason owning a bar?” I studied Naomi.
“Not a bit. He’s responsible, my boy. If someone’s had too much to drink, he cuts him off and makes sure he has a ride. He’s been known to drive a tipsy customer home himself now and again.”
I drew my legs up to cross them on the seat. “I heard Mason tell someone at the stand that he’d only been back in town for about two years. Meghan said he’d lived in Tennessee before then. Did he own a bar there, too?”
Naomi blinked at me, surprised. “Oh, honey, didn’t you know? Mason was a talent scout for a huge record producer in Nashville. He left Burton right after high school, went out there hoping to get a job in the music industry, and he did. Hit it pretty big, too. He’s got a real talent for seeing the potential in people.” She smiled at me.
An unfamiliar warm tingle filled my chest. Was she saying Mason saw potential in me? The idea gave me a sort of glowy feeling. “He didn’t go out there to become a star himself?”
“No. Oh, don’t get me wrong, my boy’s got talent. When I hear him sing, it gives me goosebumps. But I’m his mama, and I guess Mason realized he didn’t have the heart to go to Nashville and get turned down over and over. Knowing your limits and your strength is very important, you know.”
“Does he still sing?” Somehow, the image of Mason sitting with a guitar over his lap, strumming it with those huge hands, made that glowy feeling shine even brighter.
“Every now and again, for Piper and me. There’s a tip for you, sweetheart—Piper’s soft spot is music. I think she’s probably got a fair amount of talent herself, given who her mama was. And then add what Mason can do ... I’d be more surprised if Piper wasn’t musical than if she is.” Naomi shifted in her chair, wincing slightly.
“Do you need something?” I sat forward. “Are you in pain?” Mason had told me that his mother suffered with both the symptoms of the leukemia and the side effects of the chemotherapy.
“No, nothing more than usual. Sometimes I just need to change positions. Could you move that pillow a little farther down, honey?”
I fluffed up the pillow and wedged it against Naomi’s lower back, tucking it until she leaned back and nodded. “That’s exactly right, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Can I get you anything else?” I leaned my hip onto the back of my chair.
“No, thanks, sweetie, I’m fine. Sit down and chat with me. It helps, you know—takes my mind off everything. Unless you have something else to do, that is.”
“I’m good.” I sank back into the chair. “I cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, and I don’t have any PR work tonight.” Fiddling with a thread on the hem of my skirt, I glanced up at Naomi again. “Could you tell me about Piper’s mom? You said she had talent.”
“Oh, she did. Lu had the voice of an angel. Mason found her singing in a little tiny bar an hour outside Nashville, and he brought her into his company. They signed her on the spot, and she had such a shining future.” Naomi shook her head, her lips pulling into a frown. “Such a shame. I remember when Mason called Jack and me to tell me about meeti
ng her. I think it was love at first sight, for both of them. They got married six months later, and then Lu’s career was just exploding. Everyone wanted her. She went on tour with Faith Hill while she was pregnant with Piper.”
My chest tightened. It sounded like a fairy tale, and yet instead of living her happily-ever-after, Lu was dead, and her husband was here alone, trying to raise their child. “What happened to Lu, if you don’t mind me asking? I mean, if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, I understand.”
“No, it’s all right. You should know, seeing that you’re taking care of Piper now. Lu was killed in a car accident. A drunk driver hit her late one night when she was on her way home from a recording session. It just about killed Mason.”
“I’m so sorry.” I whispered the words, as though speaking them louder might offend somebody. “That’s terrible. And so sad. How old was Piper?”
“Just six months old. It was Lu’s first night back at the studio.”
Unexpected tears filled my eyes. “That poor child. She’ll never know her mama. And Lu never got to be a mother to that baby.” I sniffled and swallowed hard.
“I know.” Naomi pressed her lips together, and I saw the glimmer of wet on her cheeks, too. “It about broke my heart, to see that baby looking for her mother for weeks after, and Mason barely holding it together. Jack and I went out there and stayed the entire month after the accident, just to help him. And then Jack passed, too, right after Piper’s first birthday. Heart attack.”
“Is that when Mason decided to move back?”
She nodded. “It just seemed right. We were both alone, and he was having trouble working and taking care of the baby, even with a full-time nanny. To tell you the truth, I think after Lu was gone, Mason just lost his heart for the music business.”
“I’m surprised he’d open a bar, after what happened.”
Naomi shrugged. “Mason is a practical man. I think he knows people are going to drink, and at least he could try to prevent them from driving after they’d had too much. Plus, it was a good fit. He still has contacts in the music industry, so he brings in new bands to play at the club.” She laid back her head and closed her eyes. “Given everything that’s happened, I believe Mason’s as happy as he can be.” Her eyelids rose just enough to gaze at me. “Of course, he’s young. I hope he finds someone who can share the rest of his life with him.”
Love in a Small Town Box Set 1 Page 54