She tells me she wants eight children. I think she’s trying to scare me off. I agree the more the merrier, and suggest an even dozen. She tells me her favorite movie is A Message in a Bottle. She definitely wants to change the subject.
“I’ve noticed you have toned down on the profanity. Is there a reason why?” she asks while lying on her side and stroking my cheek.
“Well actually, when you were in ICU I told God if he let you live I would do my best to be a better person. I’m certain I’ll have my slip-ups, but overall I intend to keep up my promise.”
“Mason, you made a deal with God for me? I don’t think you are ever supposed to do that, but that is so sweet.”
“God had his own plan for you, Beauty, I just thought I would sweeten the pot. When you are faced with the life and death of a loved one, a person will promise almost anything.”
“You knew you loved me then?”
“I did.”
My phone dings that I have a text. I roll over and grab my phone.
“It’s from Vincent.”
V: Brea wants to go to the shooting range on Monday, after work. Do you guys want to go?
I look over at Angel with her arm and leg in a cast.
M: We would love to, but I’ll need a truck for Angel to ride in.
V: I’ll swing by after work and pick you both up; let’s say 6?
M: Ok, sounds good. See you Monday.
“Vincent wants us to go to the shooting range on Monday.”
“Mason, you should go. I’m not so sure that’s a good idea for me. I can’t shoot right handed, so I know I can’t shoot left handed. Plus, I can’t get in your car with my leg cast. You should definitely go without me, I’ll be fine here.”
“It wasn’t a question — we are leaving at 6:00 p.m.”
“You don’t want me alone with Jim on the loose?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Mason, I have a question for you. Do you have a picture of Jim?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Sara and Brea don’t know what he looks like, and I want them to know just in case…”
“Say no more. I do. It’s in my car. I didn’t want you to see it and get upset. I’ll make sure they get a copy next time I see them.”
“Thank you.”
Angel
I wake up and Mason is already awake, looking at me, and smiling.
“Good morning, Beauty.”
“Good morning, Handsome. What are you doing and why are you staring at me?” I say, trying to hide the smile that won’t go away.
“I wasn’t staring. I was looking at you.”
“Is there a difference?”
“Yup.”
“There is not.”
“Ok, I was just looking at how beautiful you are.”
“You always say that.”
“It’s true; you are beautiful.”
“Thank you, may we talk about something else?”
He laughs as he scoots closer to me and kisses me on the top of my head.
“What do you want to talk about, Beauty?”
“Well, since you closed the conversation on me last night, let’s finish that conversation now.”
“We did finish that conversation: Vincent is picking us up in his truck at 6:00 to go shooting.”
“Mason, I don’t want to be a burden to you or to anyone. I don’t think it’s a good idea if I go.”
“Angel, you are not a burden to anyone, and I think you need to learn to shoot, right or left handed. That scumbag is still out there and as much as I hate to admit it, he could show up at any time.” Mason wraps a piece of my hair around his finger. “For me, would you please go and try? I know it won’t be easy. How about if I shoot left handed, too. Then we’ll both be at a disadvantage.”
“Ok, so we’ll both be pathetic.”
“Whoa, did you just call me pathetic?” Mason is seriously trying to hide his laugh.
“That’s not what I meant, but yes, I guess I did,” I say, also trying to hide my laugh.
“Just to let you know, that does something to a guy’s ego, and it’s not good.”
My phone chimes that I have a text message.
“Saved by the bell,” I say, holding up my phone. “It’s from Brea.”
B: Sara and I will be picking you up to take you to the gun range on Monday.
A: I’m trying to get out of going.
B: No, don’t. Sara and I will be there to get you. Tell Mason you’ll go with us. Vincent is going to let us use his truck. We’ll be there at 5:30. [Symbol]
A: Ok, see you Monday. [Symbol]
B: Yay, see you then.
“I guess Vincent is going to let Brea use his truck on Monday, and she and Sara are going to pick me up from here to take me to the gun range.”
“Mmm,” he says, grabbing his phone and sending a text.
“What?”
“Saved by the bell,” he says, holding out his phone after it dings with an incoming text alert. “It’s from Vincent.”
“That’s a shocker.” I laugh.
I wait while they text back and forth for a little while.
“Ok, I’ll wait here with you until they get here on Monday.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Do you want to try to shower today?”
“Oh, Mason, don’t tease me, that’s not nice.”
“I’m not teasing, I’m serious. I’ll wrap up your casts with plastic and place a chair in the shower for you to sit on.”
“Oh, that would be awesome. I would love that.”
“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“Where would I go?”
“You know what I mean.”
Mason hops up out of bed and heads towards the kitchen. He walks back through the bedroom carrying a barstool, some plastic, and some tape. He closes the bathroom door and gets things ready for me.
He walks back into the bedroom and helps me to a sitting position on the edge of the bed.
“Let’s get you in the bathroom, and then I’ll tape the plastic over your casts.”
Once the casts are covered with plastic and taped, Mason gets me in the shower and helps me undress while trying to cover me with an oversized towel at the same time. Once I am undressed, he covers me with a towel before heading into the spare room to get my bath supplies. He lays everything nearby for me within my reach. He adjusts the shower head and water temperature before exiting the bathroom.
Once I’m showered, I have my makeup on, and I’m dressed, Mason and I sit outside on the lanai. I left my hair down and wet so it will dry curly. I chose another pink slip-over sundress to wear that will fit over my casted arm. Whoever packed for me knew exactly what I would need. The dolphins have returned as we are having our coffee and muffins. Mason has his laptop opened, and once the dolphins leave we start looking at office décor. I haven’t seen his office yet, but he has plans to show it to me before it’s opened for business. I open my laptop, and I begin my last online class to complete my Interior Design Degree. After this I’ll get my degree and open my own business, if all goes well. I am hoping to complete the class in a week or so.
We spend the rest of the day napping, reading, and watching TV. Mason does some work or something on the computer while I watch A Message in a Bottle. Funny that he owns that movie, I think to myself. Nicholas Sparks did a great job getting Kevin Costner to play Garrett and my favorite quote just melts my heart: “Without you in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching the crowds for your face — I know it is impossible, but I cannot help myself.”
Maria and Josephine show up with Carl’s sisters: Carol, Wanda, Margie, and Sue. Carl, Mason, and Reuben quickly leave and are heading to Hooters. I have no idea who Reuben is married to although I think someone already told me.
I feel bad because all I can do is sit in this wheelchair. Maria and Josephine and the other sisters act like they have been here a dozen time
s before. Carol and Sue get plates, silverware, and drinks out while Marge and Wanda make room in the freezer for the frozen meals they already made.
They must have cooked all week long to have this much food. There is more food than Mason and I will ever be able to eat. We sit around talking like I have known them my entire life. Everyone is friendly and easy going, and even Maria seems to fit in very well with everyone. It turns into a very relaxing afternoon with them.
Mason, Carl, and Reuben come in as the girls are all cleaning up. They make their goodbyes and tell us they’ll be back next week. I smile and thank them for everything and ask them to please don’t go to any more trouble. They each kiss me and tell me they’ll see us next Saturday before leaving.
Mason walks them to their cars while I watch from the doorway.
Later that evening, we listen to music and even play Monopoly outside on the lanai.
On Sunday, Mason’s Mom and Dad come over with dinner. Madison had work and couldn’t make it. Lilly brings in another large canvas painting of a vase of white daisies painted on it. It is so beautiful: simple but elegant. Mason puts the painting in the spare bedroom for me with my other things. Carla, the nurse from the hospital, also comes over. Mason introduces her to me. Mason told me she was with him on the day of my accident and what all she did for him. Mason, Carla, and his Mom get on the computer and start to advertise for the grand opening of his practice for next Monday. Carla will have the calls forwarded from his office to her home phone and will start scheduling patients this week for next week. The last of the office furniture and supplies is due to be delivered on Tuesday.
Mason and his Dad, Bruce, walk the beach after dinner while Carla, Lilly, and I have dessert and coffee on the lanai. I thank Carla for everything she has done for me and for Mason. She tells me there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for him. Carla and Lilly talk about meeting up at the office on Wednesday to make sure everything is in order. Carla says that she’ll have all the staff there as well as a meet and greet with Mason. Mason knows some of the staff but not everyone; Carla has been in charge of hiring the staff for the office.
They fill Mason in when he and Bruce return from their walk on the beach.
On Monday evening, Mason and I wait for Sara and Brea to pick me up so we can ride together to the shooting range. Sara called and said I needed to wear a white skirt. Mason helps me in the truck and Brea tells him we are stopping by the cottage to get my weapon. Once he fastens my seatbelt and rests my casted leg on the backseat and is satisfied, Brea pulls off.
“Well, we have an hour to get over to your cottage, get your weapon, change, and be at Bullseye to shoot.”
“Change? Change into what?” I ask, confused. “Do you have any idea how hard is it to do that?”
Sara tosses a bag into the back seat and they both laugh. I open the bag and pull out three florescent shirts, the green shirt says LOCKED & LOADED, the yellow shirt says FULLY LOADED, and the pink shirt says GIRLS WITH GUNS. We all burst out laughing. I have to wipe the tears from my eyes while holding my ribs. My rib fractures are almost healed; my ribs hurt only when I laugh hard.
“Oh, my God, these are too much!” I say, still laughing.
“We got them from the novelty shop by our work,” Brea boasts.
“We are so excited to wear these shirts tonight,” Sara says, beaming. “I can’t wait to see the look on the guys’ faces.”
We pull up at my cottage, and I stay in the car while Brea runs into the cottage to get my weapon from the bedroom closet. Aunt Maria comes out of the cottage with Josephine, Wanda, Sue, Margie, and Carol. They all have a glass of wine in hand and a smile plastered on their faces. Carl and Reuben must be out together. It’s nice to see Maria making friends.
We change into the tee shirts inside the truck, since it’s too much trouble for me to get out. Sara pulls my hair up into a ponytail and nods her appreciation.
We arrive at the gun range before the guys do. Sara and Brea get out and come over to help me out. I am able to lower myself from the tall truck, and I lean against the truck for assistance and balance. Like Mason, Sara and Brea want me to learn to shoot both right and left handed just in case I ever need to.
Vincent and Mason show up together, and Donovan is right behind them. They park beside each other, get out, and just stare at us. We are smiling because we already know what they are thinking. I’m wearing the pink shirt that says GIRLS WITH GUNS, Brea is wearing the green shirt that says LOCKED & LOADED, and Sara is wearing the yellow shirt that says FULLY LOADED.
The guys walk over to us, and Mason picks me up and swings me around while kissing me.
“You are so sexy, you know that, right?”
All I can do is giggle. He says things to me no one else has ever said. He makes me feel like a giddy schoolgirl in love. I get butterflies in my belly just from the way he looks at me.
“I just want to take you right here,” he says, lowering me to the ground next to the truck.
I think about my first time with Mason being up against a truck, and I swear I can barely stand. Now that image is hot. I look over and see Donovan kissing Sara while Vincent whispers into Brea’s ear.
Mason places his hand on my chin to turn my face towards him.
“You can’t wear this kind of stuff and think it won’t affect me,” he says before lowering his mouth to mine and kissing me passionately.
I am standing on one foot leaning against the truck, but I try to stand on my tiptoe to get closer to him. He lifts me up to him without losing contact with our lips. When he finally pulls away, he says, “You are killing me, Beauty.”
Vincent yells, “Let’s get in there before I change my mind and take Brea home.”
Sara, Brea, and I laugh while the guys adjust their jeans.
“That’s exactly the reaction I was hoping for,” Brea whispers.
“I don’t want to get Mason all worked up, we aren’t there yet, and it may be awhile.”
Mason pulls the wheelchair from the back of the truck and lifts me into it. Once we get registered and get into our designated area, Mason places our guns and ammo out on the table. I look up at him with uncertainty. He loads both our weapons and places the targets out for us. He scoots the wheelchair where I need to be before placing my goggles over my eyes and the ear buds securely in my ears. He also puts his goggles and ear buds on before winking at me.
“Mason?”
“Left hand, Angel. It won’t be easy, but try your best.”
I take the gun because arguing with him won’t do any good. Since I have use of my fingers on my right hand, I put the gun in my right hand with the intentions of shooting it right handed.
“Wrong hand, Beauty. It has a slight kick to it and may cause more injury. Use your left hand and always aim at the torso because it’s a bigger area; if you miss, you may still hit an arm or leg.”
I do, of course, what I always do — I do what he says. I take the safety off the gun, hold it awkwardly in my left hand and aim. I shoot and miss. Mason reloads and hands me the gun again.
I look up at him, “Aren’t you going to shoot?”
“I will, after you.”
“You said you would shoot left handed — it’s your turn,” I say, grinning.
He also smiles. “Ok, I did say that.”
“Now remember, it won’t be easy, but try your best,” I say, laughing as I hand him my gun.
“Are you mocking me, Angel?”
“Maybe,” I say, batting my eyes at him.
He takes his stance, releases the safety, and holds the gun awkwardly in his left hand and shoots.
He hits the target three times.
“Not bad,” I say, looking up at him.
He only smiles before reloading and handing the gun back to me. I shoot the rest of the time. By the time we are finished, I hit the target more than I miss. It takes more time and more concentration to shoot left handed. Mason is beaming at me. He cleans my gun and puts it back into the
box. He never even shot his; he unloads it and puts everything in his backpack before handing it to me.
We arrive in the parking lot last; everyone is already loading up their weapons in the trunks of the cars. Brea says she wants pizza and Mason tells everyone to meet us at his place. The guys will stop to get the food and drinks, and Sara and Brea will take me to Mason’s.
“I want Verona’s Pizza on S.R. 70 — don’t get it from anywhere else,” Brea yells out the driver-side window.
Vincent waves and yells back, “We know — we wouldn’t think of bringing you any other pizza.”
We arrive at the beach house first. Sara and Brea help me out of the truck and into the wheelchair with more ease than I expected. I still have Mason’s backpack with me. We get into the house, and Sara pushes the wheelchair up to the dining room table.
Brea gets into the backpack pulls out my weapon and ammunition. She loads my gun and hands it to me and says, “I want you to keep this with you at all times, but please keep the safety on.”
“You know something, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t. But I know there is a crazy man out there and you need to have a way to protect yourself,” Brea says, walking into the kitchen.
I hear a noise outside on the lanai, and when I look up Jim is standing at the lanai door holding a gun.
“Looks like I am just in time for the party,” Jim says, looking from me to Sara then to Brea. Everyone is frozen in their tracks. Jim takes a few more steps into the house and locks the lanai door behind him.
“Ang, still not happy to see me? After everything we have been through?” He laughs.
He looks around the room and I can’t say anything. The lump is back in my throat, and the tears are blurring my vision.
“Not a bad place you have, but it looks like your little hero boyfriend has left you already.”
“Jim,” I finally say after finding my voice, “this is between you and me. Please just let my friends leave. They have nothing to do with this.”
Jim takes another step into the room while never taking his eyes off me as he says, “I followed your girlfriends and they led me right to you.”
Starting Over Trilogy Boxset Page 24