by Tina Leonard
Helga’s daughter, Kelly, had married Fannin, one of Mason’s younger brothers. Mimi needed no reminder of how important the mother and child bond was. But moving into Mason’s room was bound to start a fire of some kind. “Maybe we could push a small bed into the guest room Nanette is using.”
“Hmm.” The German housekeeper nodded. “We could. Mason is planning to decorate for Nanette. You might not like to stay in a room that is decorated with angels and bows.”
Mimi smiled. “I really don’t care about that.” She crooked an eyebrow. “Angels and bows? Did Mason pick the decor?”
“Yes. In a catalog from England.” Helga took a catalog from Mason’s side table. “This is Daddy’s idea of what his little girl should have.”
Mimi was stunned. “It’s breathtaking. And it costs a fortune!”
Helga grinned. “She’s his only child.”
Mimi blinked. “But such extravagance! That’s not like Mason at all!”
“It’s good for him. Let him spend. He is celebrating.”
“I guess so,” Mimi murmured. He was crazy. “I don’t suppose he ordered the matching pink three-story dollhouse, as well?”
What sounded suspiciously like a giggle escaped the stoutly built woman. “Of course. Nothing less than heaven for his little girl.”
Mimi’s heart curled tightly inside her. A very sad part of her was saying that they’d messed this whole thing up very badly. She and Mason would have been a good team: friends, lovers, excellent parents. Why had he not loved her enough to ask her to marry him?
Now it was really too late. She knew that by the way he was making plans without her. What father selected his little girl’s room decor on his own? “What did he say when he told you?” Mimi asked, her heart so tight she could barely stand it.
“He told me that Nanette was his child. Which I had already known.” Helga shrugged.
“You couldn’t have,” Mimi said. “I didn’t tell anyone except Bandera, whom I swore to secrecy.”
“Pfft. You and Brian were never together long enough to make anything happen.”
“Neither were Mason and I, really,” Mimi said.
“But it happened. And she looks just like him, anyway.” Helga folded her arms with satisfaction. “I was making dinner when he called all his brothers, and I can tell you that he was quite proud. He bragged, actually, about his little daughter.”
“He can be so odd,” Mimi said with a reluctant smile. “I want to be so angry with him for taking Nanette out of my house like a caveman, but part of me admires the side of him fatherhood has brought out.”
“Very possessive. Good in a man,” Helga said with a nod.
Mimi wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know.” She sighed. “We grew up playing with goats…and rope swings…and playing pranks on people for fun. We were a renegade band, me and the Jefferson boys. I would have been so lonely without the Jefferson kids. She’ll be lonely out here.” Mimi sighed. “At least in town there are many children for Nanette to play with.”
Helga laughed. “Have another baby.”
Mimi stared at her. “I don’t really know what to say to that. How? Why? With whom?”
The housekeeper smiled. “Same way as the first time. Why? So Nanette won’t be lonely. Although I think another baby would be more for you. And the only man you want to father your children is Mason. So, with Mason. That would be best for everyone.”
Mimi jumped as she heard Mason’s boots coming up the stairs. “Uh-oh.”
Helga drifted away, leaving Mimi to face Mason alone.
“What are you doing?” Mason said when he saw Mimi. He noted her suitcase and frowned.
“Well, if you won’t come to the mountain, the mountain must go to you. Or something like that,” she said, feeling very, very nervous.
“Meaning?” he asked with a bigger frown.
“That I’m moving in.” She lifted her chin defiantly, waiting for the storm to erupt.
He shrugged. “Make yourself at home. Pick a room, and ask Helga for towels. Excuse me.”
He disappeared into his bedroom and closed the door. She stood in the hall, her mouth open. Helga peeked her head from around a door frame and gave her a grin before disappearing again.
Mason’s bedroom door jerked open, scaring her half out of her wits, since she hadn’t fully recovered from his acceptance of her decision. She was still in fight-or-flight mode, and the adrenaline hadn’t had time to filter through her body.
“Nanette’s downstairs eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Can you go watch her for me? I need a shower.”
He closed the door. Mimi stood still for one second, then hurried down the stairs. Nanette sat at the table, chewing happily, her hair prickly with straw pieces. “Sweetie!” Mimi exclaimed. “I’ve missed you!” She hugged and kissed her daughter with delight.
Nanette handed her a piece of sandwich. Mimi shook her head. “No, thank you. But it looks delicious.”
“Uncle Mason made it,” Nanette said.
“Oh.” Obviously, Mason hadn’t seen fit to enlighten his daughter to what he was apparently crowing all over the town and to all his brothers. Mimi wondered why Mason hadn’t told Nanette the truth.
Maybe it was because she was so very young. Mimi sat next to her daughter on the bench, wondering how Nanette would react to a truth that would change her life. Was changing it even now.
All thanks to Mason. He was in the process of changing Nanette’s world to the way he thought it should be—and didn’t seem too inclined to include Mimi in his plans.
MASON STOOD UNDER a hot shower, letting the water run over his muscles. He was tense, more from the fact that Mimi was in his house and likely to cause more trouble than from any labor he’d performed.
She had changed his world. With her typical dive into unthinking actions, she had sent him on new paths he’d never thought of exploring. He was a father, had been a father, and she had stolen his chances to experience the wonder of fatherhood fully. She would have justification and reasoning, but this time he would not allow her to sway his mind.
He was extremely angry with her. He wasn’t certain he could forgive her.
And yet, for Nanette’s sake, he was going to have to learn to live with the fact that Mimi was now an inescapable part of his life. There was no running from her or ignoring her now. Over the years, he’d mainly shoved his feelings about Mimi to the background.
Now, in spite of his anger, a very secret part of him was relieved that they were inextricably tied together—and forever so. Another part of him was deeply grateful that she’d given him a child. It was mind-bending, and he hadn’t expected the overwhelming rush of proprietary emotions that came with fatherhood.
So, good or bad, Mimi was impacting him, as always, only on a new level. He should expect Mimi’s influence in his life to grow ever more profound. Good or bad, then: what to do about Mimi?
For Nanette’s sake, he should marry Mimi. Mason stood under the water, unblinking, as the foreign thought stayed in his mind, echoing. For Nanette’s sake….
He shut off the water and toweled off slowly. What other option was there? Providing his daughter with a whole home and family would be the right thing to do.
He had done the right thing all his life. When Maverick left, Mason and his brothers should have been put into foster care. But Union Junction was a small town, and people had known Maverick and his beloved wife. The boys were in church every Sunday and in school during the week. Townspeople weren’t anxious to see a grieved family split up, so Sheriff Cannady stepped in, saying he’d keep an eye on the Jefferson boys. Papers that should have been filed somehow never were; reports to authorities were never made. The family stayed together.
Everyone figured Maverick would come back. By the time anybody finally realized the boys were completely on their own, Mason had turned eighteen, legal age to raise a family if need be. He had done right by his brothers, and Mason was damn proud of it. Family was what made
daily existence meaningful. Otherwise life would be simply survival in a lonely, empty void.
Mimi was now part of his family, in a way that no game of pretend between playmates could have made it so. He needed to do right by her and Nanette. But if he was going to marry Mimi, there was a price to pay, and he damn sure expected to make her pay it.
A man needed to be the head of his household. No Mimi-hijinks, or his world would stay continually unsettled. If she thought that because she’d moved herself in here—a fact he admired—she could run his household and therefore his life, she was in for a rude awakening.
If she thought that now that the truth had come out, he would pursue her, she would find herself wrong about that, as well. His brothers had pursued their women, gaga and smitten, until they caught their prey. But he was no hunter. His driving need was for a family that contained no fracture, and he would not play the games of courtship.
Mimi would need to accept his terms.
But first, he intended to let her stew in her own worry and uncertainty, just as he’d done ever since she’d dropped her emotional bomb on him. In fact, she’d dropped a lot of emotional bombs on him over the years, and he was in no hurry to put away his bomb shelter.
Dressed now, he went downstairs to check on Nanette. His daughter sat contentedly working a puzzle, and her mother sat next to her. Mimi looked up at him. “We need to talk.”
He nodded. “I know.”
She hesitated. “Do you have your schedule at hand so I can pencil in an appointment?”
“I have time now.” Might as well see what was on her mind.
“Well, I think it needs to be in private,” Mimi said, her tone uncertain.
“Helga!” Mason called up the stairwell. “Could you come watch Nanette for a few minutes?”
The housekeeper came down the stairs with a smile. “Yes. In fact, I am going into town to check on the sheriff—oh. Sorry,” she said to Mason. “You are sheriff now.”
He shook his head. “Sheriff Cannady will always be ‘Sheriff’ to me, as well.”
Helga smiled. “I have some chicken soup to put on for him.”
Relief was on Mimi’s face, and Mason knew that she hadn’t quite worked out the details of how she was going to stay here with him and Nanette, and yet spend time with her father. Helga had long been taking care of both households. Clearly, Mimi was grateful that could continue, as it would be a bit difficult for her to cook here and then run food into town to the sheriff. Plus, she’d just get under Helga’s feet, though Helga was likely too wonderful to complain about Mimi intruding in her kitchen.
“Thank you,” Mimi said.
“I will take him his granddaughter—if I may,” Helga said to Mason.
Mason nodded. “She’d love to see her grandfather. Thank you.”
Helga gathered up some things as Mason stared at Mimi. Clearly nervous, she plucked at a table napkin. They needed time alone, he decided. This would give him a chance to tell Mimi what he expected from this new partnership between the two of them. He was pretty certain he was calm enough now to discuss what she’d done.
Then again, maybe he’d just roar all over her for keeping his daughter from him. Mason took a deep breath, and kissed his daughter. “I’ll see you for dinner, Nanette. Mind Ms. Helga.”
“I will.” She slid off the bench, gave her mother a hug and skipped out the door with Helga. The front door closed firmly.
“Mason—” Mimi began.
Instantly, he held up a hand. From the first word, he intended to let her know that this was his house, that was his daughter and he was in charge. “Mimi.”
She fell silent. For a moment, he admired her face. Though they were both older now, she retained a sweet expression—when she wasn’t being mulish—and a girl’s curves. Her jeans were filled out in the right places, and her white blouse was untucked and plain, again showing pleasing curves.
He did remember he’d enjoyed the act of creating Nanette, even if he hadn’t known they were doing so at the time.
“Mimi,” he said more sternly to get his mind off his wandering thoughts. “I will probably never forgive you for keeping my daughter from me.”
Her shoulders stiffened. “I don’t expect you to. I’m not asking you to.”
He felt his teeth go slightly on edge at her unyielding reply. “All right. What topic did you think was important enough to call a caucus?”
She looked around. “Caucus? It’s just you and me. That’s a conversation, one between two people who now have similar goals. Mine is to see Nanette happy as she grows into a responsible young lady, and yours is to see Nanette happy as she grows into a responsible young lady.”
His mouth twisted. “The conversation topic, then, please. I have a lot to do today.”
“I want to be present when you tell Nanette that you’re her father. I think we should do it as a family.”
He blinked, caught by surprise. He’d expected her to argue about Nanette living with him. Actually, he had deliberately left his mind open to any shock she might throw his way, because it was Mimi he was dealing with. But this one was bigger than he’d expected.
He narrowed his gaze. “I would think that would be the obvious way to go about it.”
“You always thought everything was obvious. Most of us couldn’t measure up to your vision of plain-in-sight.”
Now he was getting steamed, and he really had meant to stay calm, rational and focused in all his dealings with the mother of his child. Respect, he told himself. Respect the mother of your child, even when she has that tone that only Mimi knows how to deliver so effectively.
“Us?”
“Never mind.” She waved a hand. “Let’s just focus on the future.”
“Fine by me.” He crossed his arms, glaring.
“Would you grant me that, Mason? I need to be present when you tell Nanette that you’re not her uncle. She’s going to be so surprised, and she’s going to have a lot of questions. I think I’m the appropriate person to give her the level of information she will need.”
He didn’t want to upset his child, that was for certain. And if Mimi could help smooth his transition from uncle to father… “We should probably talk as a family,” he conceded.
“Thank you.” Mimi flashed him a smile women usually gave men in black-and-white Westerns, as if he was a hero or something.
Mason knew he was no hero. She was working him like a steer. “Mimi, no drama.”
“What are you talking about?” The grateful smile slid off her face.
“I want to keep it very simple between you and me. While I appreciate the fact that you’ve moved into my house, we need to establish some basic rules. We make appointments to chat with each other about Nanette. You cause no disruptions. You make no decisions for me or my household. In return, you can stay here rent-free.”
Mimi gasped. “You jerk! You arrogant, pigheaded son of a—”
He held up a lordly hand. “Mimi, no drama, no disruptions.”
Mimi’s lips pursed. “You are an ass, as always. I will never know why I loved you all those years.”
Her hand flew over her mouth, but Mason couldn’t say who was more shocked, Mimi or him. They stared at each other, dumbfounded. He couldn’t process her confession fast enough, her statement too large to take in, and before he understood what she was doing, Mimi had grabbed her purse and run out the front door.
His jaw could hardly be more loose if it was a separate, oiled and hinged piece of his face. “Loved me?” he repeated to himself, stunned. “Loved me all those years?”
Chapter Four
What in the hell was Mimi talking about? Mason told himself not to listen, not to get sucked into Mimischemies, but his bomb shelter wasn’t completely protected against such an onslaught. He stalked out after her, catching her before she could back her truck down the driveway. Without thinking, he jerked her door open. “Stop,” he demanded.
“No, Mason.”
He reached in, s
witched off the engine, pulled her out and kicked the door shut with a boot, gently dragging a reluctant Mimi into the house. “Explain.”
“No!”
He sat her on the sofa and walked a safe space across the room. “I think you’d best speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Mimi was silent. Then she sighed. “Mason, it’s no secret to anyone in this town, or to your brothers, or just about anyone else. I did love you. I guess all my life.”
“We were friends! You couldn’t have loved me.”
Mimi shrugged, wiping away something on her face. Mason told himself stubbornly that it was a piece of grass, or dirt—anything other than tears.
“You might not have loved me, but I loved you.” Mimi looked away from him. “I’ve made jokes about being the girl who could never get her man. So if your feelings are hurt because I didn’t tell you that Nanette was your child, think of how I felt loving you and finding myself pregnant with a child I knew you…wouldn’t want.”
“I would have wanted her,” Mason said, feeling himself get angry again.
“You want her because you know her now,” Mimi said, “but if I’d come to you and told you I was pregnant, you would have thought I was trying to trap you into marriage. You’re always suspecting me of a scheme.”
He froze, right in the middle of thinking that very thought.
“Would you have been able to conceive of what having a child would mean to you, Mason? Now you know Nanette, and the two of you are inseparable. But I don’t think you would have welcomed the news of a pregnancy then. You were dealing with Last, and your father, and I was married…it was far better to continue on the course I was on. At least I thought so at the time. You know, sometimes life is messy, Mason, but it’s not always because I want it to be that way.” She took a deep breath. “Actually, all my life I’ve wanted stability. I think any child who grows up without a mother wants that, and since you and I both lost ours, you should understand more than anyone how much I want a stable home life for Nanette.”
“I’m sorry,” Mason said, surprising himself. “So you did love me?”