Moments with Mason (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #3)

by Theresa Paolo

  “That’s what I hear.”

  The Hayes family seemed to be a staple in Red Maple Falls and had made quite the impression. People didn’t mention the name Hayes without offering their praise to go along with it. It made Cassie think back to her and Mason’s first encounter. He probably could have got her references if she had asked.

  “You need a ride?” Marty asked, resting his body against the wall of the main lodge.

  “Like you said, it’s a beautiful day. Want to enjoy them before the snow comes.”

  “According to the Farmer’s Almanac, it’s going to be a doozy this year. I’m happy you found yourself a place.”

  “Me too. It’ll be nice to have a couch to relax on and a fire to curl up in front of, but I will miss you.”

  “Now, aren’t you the sweetest. I’ll make sure to stop in at that brewery and say hello when the weather permits.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “Just promise you’ll hold a seat for me.”

  “Always.”

  “That’s my girl. Now, you best be on your way if you’re going to get to work on time. Call me if you need a ride home. You know I don’t like you walking in the dark.”

  “I know you don’t,” she said with a smile. He had mentioned it to her only every time she headed out of the campgrounds. It was nice to have someone care, to want to keep her safe. It had been so long since she knew what that felt like.

  “You have a good day, you hear,” he called after her, offering a smile and a wave.

  “You too, Marty.”

  Marty might have been a good forty years older than her, but he was the first friend she made in Red Maple Falls, and because of that he would always hold a special place in her heart. He accepted her when she thought the world had given up on her and gave her a place to stay while she figured her life out. She would miss his stories, and she would miss his company when she left. She really hoped he meant what he said, and he’d stop by and visit her at the brewery.

  The wind kicked up, and she pulled her jacket even tighter. The sound of a motorcycle in the distance caused her to miss a step as panic erupted inside of her. She looked around for a place to hide. She was surrounded by trees and could easily slip into the woods undetected.

  “You’re being ridiculous,” she said out loud, forcing herself to keep moving forward. “It’s been four months for heaven’s sake. Dylan is not here. He’s back in Florida.”

  The sound of the bike came closer. Not every motorcycle was him and not every biker was a bad person.

  The bike passed, and the older gentleman who rode by gave her a nod as he continued on.

  “See. Not a bad person,” she said as relief settled in her veins.

  She was starting to regret not asking for a ride when a car pulled up beside her. Her first instinct was to ignore them and keep walking, but then she saw the Sheriff markings on the side panel.

  “Need a ride?” Matt asked as he drove alongside her. He was devastatingly handsome like his brother, but his eyes were much lighter and the lines of his face weren’t nearly as chiseled. He smiled, and Cassie knew that was the Hayes’ charm Shay had referred to. It was warm and inviting, making her want to say yes even though her mind was telling her to say no.

  She didn’t like cops. They gave her an uneasy feeling, even if she knew this was Mason’s brother and Shay’s husband. There were just some things from her past she couldn’t let go. What if he looked into her and found out things she’d rather keep to herself? What if Dylan reported her missing—though she honestly didn’t think he would—and they contacted him? He would find out where she was, and everything she did to get to this point would have been for nothing. She simply couldn’t let that happen. She wasn’t going back to her old life. Never. Not after everything she’d endured.

  “It’s a lot warmer inside the car than it is out there,” Matt said.

  She stopped walking and turned, ready to tell him she was okay, but it was so damn cold. Instead of turning down his offer she accepted it. She knew she’d be safe with him.

  “I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”

  Matt slouched back into his seat as she hurried over to the passenger door. She jumped in, relishing in the heat flowing out of the vents. She held her hands up to absorb as much of the warmth as she could.

  “Getting cold out there.”

  “Cold is an understatement,” she said.

  Matt glanced at her with an amused smile. “That tells me you’re not from around here.”

  “Nope.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Florida.”

  “What brings you to Red Maple Falls?”

  “Change of scenery.”

  “Is it true you’ve been living down at the Turtle Creek campsite?”

  She knew when she was being interrogated, and she also knew when she had to be careful with her words. He might have been Mason’s brother, but he was also the Sheriff. She sure as hell didn’t want to say anything that would put her on his radar.

  “Yes.”

  “Strange place to live.”

  “I like the outdoors, and it’s cheap rent.”

  “I’m sure your family wouldn’t like the fact that you’re sleeping in the woods.”

  “It’s just me, so I have the luxury of going wherever I want.”

  “Why this town then? Of all the towns in New Hampshire?”

  “I liked the quaintness. The campgrounds are well maintained and patrolled.”

  He nodded and didn’t say anything else. She hoped the answers she gave were enough to satisfy his inquiring mind.

  “No family, huh? Must get lonely.”

  “It can.”

  “No friends?”

  He was relentless, and his questions were starting to worry her. Did he know something she didn’t? Why was he so concerned about her? She was a mere nobody on the map of life. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that he was probably just doing his job. He protected the people of this town, and she was an outsider. Still, even knowing that and convincing herself enough to believe it, the intensity in which he shot off questions at her made her uneasy.

  “I didn’t have the type of life that warranted a lot of friendships.”

  “What kind of life would that be exactly?”

  He pulled into the parking lot of the brewery and put the cruiser in park. He turned in his seat and waited for her to respond.

  She didn’t know what he was hoping to find out or what exactly he was hoping she’d say, but she was done with the interrogation. For crying out loud did he want a blood sample and her social security number? How about her first born?

  “Thank you for the ride,” she said and bolted out of the car before he could stop her.

  She hurried to the door and flung it open, not bothering to stop when she spotted Mason. All she cared about was getting far away from the Sheriff and his invasive questioning. She hid her backpack under the bar, grabbed a rag, and got to work, hoping Matt wouldn’t follow her inside.

  ***

  The door had opened and Mason had looked up with a smile, but it quickly dissolved as he’d watched Cassie hurry in, head down, long hair blocking her face. She’d mumbled a quick hello as she flew by him and went directly behind the bar, not giving him a moment’s glance.

  What the hell was that about? He was about to ask her when Matt walked in, making the whole situation very clear.

  Mason walked up to his brother, eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a straight line. He swallowed down the protective anger that was rising inside of him. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Outside. Now,” he growled, unable to control the anger rising inside him.

  Matt’s shoulders slumped forward as he turned to the door. Mason followed behind him and waited for the door to be completely shut before he spun on his brother. “Care to tell me why she ran inside like she was trying to escape an enemy convoy?”

  “I asked her a few
questions, that’s all.”

  “A few questions? You couldn’t help yourself, could you? Have to stick your nose in places it doesn’t belong.”

  “There’s something she’s not telling us.”

  “And that’s her damn business. Not mine and definitely not yours.” Mason ran a hand through his hair, trying to control the intense rage that was consuming him. He loved his brother, but he always did this. He could never stay out of things. “Leave her alone,” Mason said, his voice firm and his statement nonnegotiable.

  “I can’t do that. I’m the Sheriff, and if she’s hiding something…if she’s going to live in my wife’s grandparents’ house.”

  “I’m not asking you; I’m telling you.” Mason stepped closer, pointing a finger at Matt’s chest. “When you needed a ride home from the train station a few months ago I was there. Didn’t ask a single question even though I had a million in my head. I respected your wishes and now I’m asking you to respect mine. Do me a favor and back down.”

  Matt was silent for a long moment, his eyes steady and unwavering on Mason’s. “Fine,” he finally said. “But if I have reason to believe she’s a threat to anyone in this town, I’m telling you, I can’t back down then.”

  “A threat?” Mason all but laughed as the words came out. “Are you kidding me? Have you seen her? Met her? Cassie is a lot of things, but a threat is not one of them.”

  “Looks can be deceiving, little brother.”

  “Not her.”

  “Don’t be blinded by whatever it is that’s going on between you two and miss what might be right in front of you.

  “And what exactly do you think that is?”

  “I don’t know. But people don’t wind up camping in the woods of some random town in the middle of nowhere for no damn reason. Makes me think she’s on the run for something.”

  “I think you’ve watched one too many movies.”

  “I don’t think you’ve watched enough.”

  Mason’s fist tightened as he tried to restrain himself. It had been years since the last time he and Matt threw down, but he was pushing his buttons today. He didn’t want to hit his brother, but he wasn’t giving him many reasons not to. The fact that he was wearing his tan Sheriff uniform wasn’t enough to wash the thoughts from his head.

  What would happen if he hit the Sheriff while he was on duty? He let the tension ease from his hands and flexed his fingers.

  “I’ll leave it alone,” Matt said, but Mason looked at him skeptically. “You have my word, but like I said, if for any reason I think she’s a threat, I’m going to have to take it back.”

  “I can live with that. Thank you.”

  A call came over Matt’s radio, and he ducked into his car. After a few back and forths with Martha, his dispatcher, he poked his head back out. “I need to head into town. Tell Cassie I’m sorry.”

  Mason’s eyebrow lifted at Matt’s words.

  “Sometimes I let the job control my actions. I’m working on it, but I can’t help it, especially when my brother is falling for that person.”

  “Who said anything about falling for her?”

  “You didn’t have to. Actions speak louder than words. You care about her. It’s obvious. Just make sure her heart’s in the right place, too.”

  Mason nodded.

  “See you at Sunday dinner?” Matt asked.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “I’m sure Mom wouldn’t be opposed to a plus one.”

  “Is this coming from my brother or the Sheriff?”

  “Your brother,” Matt said with sincerity in his tone before giving a nod and slipping into the driver side of the cruiser.

  Mason watched as his brother pulled away, gave a wave, then headed back inside to do damage control.

  Chapter 11

  The farm would always be home, no matter how many years it had been since Mason had actually lived there. It was the one place he could go where he was always welcomed no matter what time of the day it was. He was always guaranteed to be greeted by someone he loved and who loved him. He couldn’t imagine not having that source of comfort and familiarity, and it broke his heart to think that Cassie didn’t have that.

  To think she was alone in the world bothered him far more than it should have, especially considering Caleb had been in that same lonely place not so long ago. But for some reason, Mason never thought twice about Caleb’s situation and how he had lost everyone he had held dear to him.

  Perhaps that was because Caleb was laid back, and Cassie was guarded and clearly in need of help, even if she was so quick to resist it. He wanted to be the one to help her, wanted so much for her to trust him that he found himself lying awake at night unable to stop the thoughts of her being alone. They invaded his head every time he tried to close his eyes.

  Knowing that she now at least had a roof over her head, walls to surround her, and heat to keep her warm, he was able to sleep a little easier.

  He spent the morning helping her get settled. She wasn’t kidding when she said she only had a tent, but he couldn’t drop her off with an empty fridge, so he insisted, as a house warming gift, he would buy her groceries.

  When they got back from the store, he headed outside and chopped some wood for her, stacking it on the side of the house so she’d have plenty to get her through the next week. He had made a mental note to get back there and make sure she was stocked up for the winter. He never wanted her to be cold or to ever go without the basic necessities.

  Now they were pulling up to his parents’ house for Sunday dinner. Cassie was hesitant at first to accept his invitation, but she eventually said yes. He hoped his family behaved, and she wouldn’t regret it.

  “This house is beautiful,” Cassie said as he put the truck in park behind Hadley’s pickup. “What was it like growing up here?”

  “Loud.”

  She stared up at the house with a sweet gleam in her eye. “I bet you were never lonely. You always had someone to play with and talk to.”

  “Also never had much privacy.”

  “I would trade privacy for companionship any day of the week.”

  “You sure? Because once you meet my family, that trade is a guarantee.”

  Before Cassie could answer, Hadley knocked on the passenger window, causing Cassie to jump. Afraid the unexpected knock would send her into her mind, Mason rested a hand on her thigh and gave it a comforting squeeze.

  Instead of the blank stare Mason expected, Cassie grabbed her chest and laughed.

  Relief flooded Mason’s body as he brought his hand back to his side. “Told you. No privacy,” he said with a shake of his head.

  They both got out of the truck and joined Hadley and Lady, a senior golden Cocker Spaniel that won Hadley’s heart and went from a foster dog to a permanent member of the family.

  Mason bent down and scratched the curls on Lady’s ears. “Hey, girl.” She relaxed into his hand and pressed her weight against his leg. “Hadley, you remember Cassie.”

  “Of course. How have you been? Hope my brother is treating you right.”

  “I couldn’t ask for a better boss,” Cassie said.

  Hearing her call him “boss” didn’t sit right. It seemed like it put too much of a divide between them.

  “He’s not too brooding?” Hadley tucked her blonde bob behind her ear, her slate blue eyes sparkling a little too much for Mason’s liking.

  Cassie held up her thumb and pointer finger. “Maybe a little.”

  “Hey!”

  “That’s what I thought. Does he also insist on doing everything himself because you know, he’s perfect, and no one can do anything right?”

  “Had…” Mason said, narrowing his gaze in warning.

  “Mace…” she mocked with a big smile, then looped her arm through Cassie’s. “I have quite a few stories I think you might appreciate.”

  “Remember that privacy thing,” Mason said to Cassie as he followed behind them toward the house.

  “Privacy?�
�� Hadley said. “No such thing in this family.”

  “My point exactly.”

  The front door opened, and Kate came out, holding a glass of red wine. “Finally! What took you so long?”

  “Let me guess,” Hadley said. “Grandma is asking when Caleb is going to knock you up?”

  “Yes! Can’t she let me get married before she starts making plans for my womb?”

  “When are you two getting married exactly?” Mason asked, and Kate turned a fiery pair of bluish green eyes on him.

  “Not you, too. It’s not good enough to just get engaged. People want dates for your bridal shower, your wedding. Where are you going on your honeymoon? When are you having kids? How many do you plan on having? Whatever happened to going with the flow?”

  “Sorry I asked,” Mason said, holding his hands up in front of him.

  Hadley patted Kate’s shoulder then looked to Mason. “It’s a bit of a touchy subject at the moment.”

  “You don’t say.”

  Kate took a healthy sip of her wine. “How do they expect me to be pregnant for nine months? I can’t even go ten minutes in there without having a glass of wine.”

  “It’s all new,” Cassie said. “I’m sure it’ll die down after a while. They’re probably excited for you and eager to share that excitement with you.”

  “Who brought the levelheaded girl?” Kate asked.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “I’m kidding,” Kate quickly interjected. “You’re totally right, and I’m being a brat.”

  Mason tried to stifle a laugh. “You? Never.”

  “Shush you.”

  “Where’s Caleb?” he asked.

  “I threw him at Grandma and ran for cover. I guess I should go rescue him.” She opened the door, and the delicious smells of their mom’s cooking greeted them. They walked into the house, and within seconds the Hayes clan descended, welcoming Cassie with warm smiles and even a few hugs.

  Once the greetings were exchanged Hadley and Kate whisked Cassie away to sit with Shay around the kitchen table.

  Mason spotted Cooper outside on the deck, beer in hand, staring off into the distance. With Cassie occupied by all the females in his family, he slipped outside to join his brother.