Beloved Healer

by Bonnie Dee

  Bryan grabbed his coat too and slipped it on. “I’m ready. Where’s Mason? Who’s keeping us waiting now?”

  “He’s coming later. He had class tonight. We’ll meet at the party.”

  Bryan barely nodded, not all that interested in the answer as a text came in on his phone. His face was illuminated in the light from the screen as he followed her out to the car, both of them crunching along the sidewalk through a new fall of snow.

  “Shoes!” Ava exclaimed as she started the car. “I almost forgot my shoes.”

  She opened the car door, and Bryan called after her, “Straggler! You’re always keeping me waiting.”

  “Shut up. You can’t ruin my mood,” she called back joyfully as she jogged into the house.

  She shoved a shoe into each deep pocket of her parka, and as she walked back to the car, her phone rang. Mason, running later than expected, she guessed, but the caller was her mother.

  Her mom had been sober for almost three months, but years of conditioning to disappointment made a little sick drop in Ava’s stomach before she answered. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m good.” Mom sensed her doubts and rushed to reassure her. “I’m with my sponsor. I was feeling a little shaky tonight. We’re hanging out, watching a movie. How are you?”

  “Good…” Ava waited. She still expected her mom to need something every time she called.

  “I just wanted to check Bryan’s schedule with you. He has that Christmas pageant thing coming up on the fourteenth, right?”

  “Not a pageant, Mom. He’s not in elementary school. It’s a talent show, but Bryan’s not in it. He’s working lights. So it’s not anything we need to attend. I told you this.”

  “Oh, right, right. I forgot. Sorry.”

  Ava swallowed her annoyance. The family of an addict had to be supportive and nurturing during recovery, she reminded herself, even if that person had failed to be those things for most of the loved one’s life. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re trying to keep on top of Bryan’s extracurriculars, but his schedule is posted on the fridge. All you have to do is look at it to keep things straight.”

  “Right. Of course. So, what are you up to tonight?”

  “A work Christmas party. I’m going to be late, and I don’t want to drive and talk at the same time. Bad example for Bryan.” As if on cue, Bryan honked the horn to hurry her up. “I gotta go, Mom.”

  “Okay. Have fun. I love you, honey.” She paused. “Could you pass the phone to Bryan so I can tell him too?”

  “Sure.” Ava got into the car, punched Bryan in the arm with her free hand, and started to offer him the phone. “It’s Mom. She wants to talk to you.”

  Then she stopped and put the phone back to her ear. “I, uh, love you too, Mom. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Christmas. We miss having you live with us,” she lied.

  “Oh, sweetheart. I miss both of you too. So much. But I honestly think this apartment is a better situation for me right now. We all need some space and time to get over the past. I have so much work to do on myself before I should be around you again. Besides, you and Mason are trying to start a life together. You don’t need me in the middle of it.” She barely paused for breath before continuing. “I hope some day you’ll trust me to take care of Bryan. I want my son back. I want to make up to him for all those times I wasn’t there for him. I want to really be his mother at last.”

  “Okay,” Ava cut her off. “I hear you, and we can talk more about all this another time, I promise. Right now I’m going to hand you off to Bryan.”

  She was relieved to pass the phone to her brother and concentrate on driving. Would conversations with her mother ever be less uncomfortable and strained? Ava wanted to trust she was changing and getting better, but she was too cynical to wholeheartedly swallow those grand apologies and promises for the future.

  Mason had suggested Ava and Bryan should find Al-Anon meetings to attend, but it wasn’t as if support groups were readily available, even though plenty of families of alcoholics lived in Waller. Maybe someday, when she and Bryan weren’t so busy living their lives.

  Bryan spoke to their mother for a few minutes, then told her they’d arrived at Garrett’s house so he had to end the call. It was a lie Ava easily forgave him. She’d been guilty of cutting short these rambling conversations with excuses like that.

  “What are you guys planning to do tonight?” Ava asked as they pulled into Garrett’s driveway for real.

  “Dr. Who marathon,” Bryan answered succinctly. “And we’ll probably work on models.”

  Ava knew he meant spacecraft, not lingerie. She was glad Bryan and his old friend had returned to more boyish pursuits. Enough time for fighting over girls next year.

  “Also Alyssa and her friend Katie might come over to watch,” Bryan added when he was halfway of the car. “They like Dr. Who too.”

  “Wait. What? Are Garrett’s parents home to chaperone? You guys can’t have girls over if they’re not.”

  Bryan grinned at her. “Don’t freak out. It’s Alyssa and Katie. We’re not going to do anything, and Garrett’s mom is going to be home anyway.” He paused, then added, “But I’m pretty sure Katie has a crush on Garrett, and I think Alyssa is pretty cool.”

  Ava couldn’t help smiling back. “Oh yeah? Whatever happened to you liking Sophie Haines?”

  Bryan clicked his tongue at her stupidity. “I got over her weeks ago. She only started being nice to me after I got healed, and only because I was like a celebrity or something at school. She’s an ass. Shallow, just like you said.”

  “I said that?” Ava couldn’t remember ever talking with him about Sophie at all.

  “Alyssa’s a real person. She’s always been a friend, but lately I’m starting to see her different. She’s prettier than I thought. I guess I couldn’t see that before.”

  “That’s ’cause you’re growing up. Something some men never do,” Ava said. “Well, be good tonight and have fun.”

  Bryan was across the yard and inside Garrett’s house before Ava pulled away from the curb. Just seeing him able to bound up the front steps like an awkward young colt on those long legs was the best Christmas gift she could ever receive.

  And all because of Mason.

  A warm glow filled her, as it always did when she was about to see him. Their schedules were so busy now that even though they lived together, they never seemed to have enough moments alone. Since Mason no longer worked at the diner, there was even less chance to see each other throughout the day, but Ava was glad he’d taken an attendant’s job at the local nursing home. It didn’t pay much more than what he’d earned washing dishes at Cozy’s but it fit his nurturing character and would look better on a résumé later.

  As she maneuvered the curving, slippery roads between Waller and Brag’s Hollow, Ava thought of all that had changed in her life over the past months. The most obvious being Bryan’s new strong body, of course, but other things as well. Mason had moved in. Mom moved out and, fingers crossed, was staying sober. Both Mason and Ava had taken out student loans and started classes at the community college near Brag’s Hollow.

  It was amazing how much more a person could accomplish when there was another adult to depend on in the house. Mason took up the slack for Ava, helping with laundry and housework and giving time and attention to Bryan. His income and hers added together gave some breathing room as far as paying bills. She could cut back on her work hours enough to fit in those preliminary classes for the degree in physical therapy she hoped to achieve some day.

  The convenience of a two-partner home was only about logistics and didn’t begin to touch on the emotional part of having someone in her life to rely on, someone to love and be loved by. With every passing day, she felt it more—the commitment, the connection between her and the man she’d once imagined would be “just a fling.” Hah! It turned out Mason was the special person she’d hoped for, the one she’d never quite believed she’d actually get.
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  Snow was falling again by the time Ava reached the restaurant in Brag’s Hollow. It floated down in oversized pillow-fight flakes, muffling sound and covering the parking lot and all the cars in a skim of white. Her nearly bare legs were freezing as she hurried inside. She stomped the snow off her boots, then swapped them out for the high heels from her parka pockets, before putting her outerwear in the coat closet—that’s how fancy Schneider’s was.

  In the back party room, all her friends were already gathered. Deb and her partner, Suzanne, sat at the head of the table, heads close together, laughing about something. It had been a relief when the pair made up, affirming Ava’s belief that there could be a happily ever after. Stella Rae and her husband, Mike, were grimly focused on eating their way through the hors d’oeuvres heaped on their plates. Ava knew Mike about as well as she did Stella Rae, which was not much at all despite years of working together. Ava imagined the silence in the house those two shared, a compatible indifference that passed for a marriage. But hey, it seemed to work for them.

  Nash was talking to the dishwasher, Ralph, and to the new guy who’d taken Mason’s place at the diner, Devon Tate, brother of Jill Tate, who Ava used to go to school with. Devon was fresh out of jail and looking to make a new start. When he saw Ava, Nash lifted a hand in greeting.

  Frannie jumped up from the table and came over to her. “’Bout time you got here. I thought I was going to die of boredom. I didn’t know you were coming alone. We could’ve carpooled.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t think to call you. Anyway, Mason’s joining me as soon as he gets out of class. I thought you were bringing that new guy you’ve been seeing.”

  “My plus one called at the last minute to cancel, and then, for good measure, he broke up with me.”

  Ava gave her a hug. “I’m sorry. That sucks.”

  Frannie grimaced. “That’s life. Or at least my life. The guys I meet are incapable of committing. I’ve got to date a better class of men.”

  “I believe you’ll find someone when you least expect it,” Ava said. “I didn’t think that before, but I do now.”

  “You sound like my mother. But I’m sick of waiting for my fucking prince to come,” Frannie complained as she led the way toward the table.

  Ava greeted everybody and thanked Deb for throwing the party. She put in a drink order, sampled some of the snacks, and was just beginning to worry a little about how late Mason was with the roads so slick, when he entered the room. His hair was damp from melting snowflakes and his cheeks red from the cold, and he looked more delicious than the appetizers. She hurried over to him.

  He pulled her into a hug, the cold from outdoors chilling her through her dress. “You look so gorgeous,” he murmured into her ear. “Can we skip this party and go home so I can take you out of that little black dress?”

  “Weather’s getting worse, so we have an excuse to leave early,” she promised. “And by the way, you look gorgeous too.”

  Mason laughed. “It’s these dramatic white streaks. I’ve been told they make me look distinguished. Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

  Ava stepped back without letting go of him, to study the white that popped against his dark hair. She’d heard of people going gray overnight due to some big trauma. Turned out it was a real phenomenon, except it didn’t happen overnight. Mason’s white had become more pronounced within a week after that last big healing.

  “I told you not to dye it for a reason,” she said. “You look hot this way, like it’s a cool fashion choice. Sexy and edgy.”

  He smiled and kissed her. “Whatever. I don’t give a crap one way or the other, so long as you think I’m sexy.”

  Ava linked her arm through his. “I do. Now we’d better go rescue Frannie. Ralph is drunk and hitting on her.”

  Christmas tunes and the laughter of good friends floated in the air as Ava and Mason took their seats at the table. She looked around at the faces of her work family and felt a surge of affection for each one. They’d been her support system when she didn’t have one.

  She studied Mason, who was teasing Nash unmercifully about the online dating site Nash had signed up for. That adorable crease in Mason’s cheek flashed as he grinned, and the length of his thick eyelashes in profile was just…fascinating. Every little detail of his face and body turned her on, but what made her thighs tense even more was the sound of his laughter, so deep and rich and full. God, she’d drag him into the coatroom for a quickie if she thought they could get away with it.

  But soon enough the party would be over, and they’d be home together in her bedroom. No Bryan tonight, so they could be as loud as they wished. She could already feel Mason’s hands touching her, and the slide of skin against skin, and his mouth…oh God, his mouth all over her body, and…

  “Are you feeling okay?” Deb asked. “You’re sort of sweaty.”

  “Uh-huh,” Ava answered. “I’m feeling just fine.” She rubbed her bare foot against Mason’s calf underneath the table. “Really good, in fact. Just full of Christmas cheer and too much eggnog, I guess.” She lifted her glass to toast. “Merry Christmas, everybody.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Not having his power anymore was like forgetting that the electricity was out and trying to turn on light switches or the TV or a blender. You felt foolish when you remembered that even running water required electricity to pump it, and all that was left was to twiddle your thumbs or read a book by candlelight.

  Actually, it had taken Mason a little while to realize the electricity wasn’t working. At first he’d been recovering from his near-death experience, conserving his energy and settling into Ava’s house. He was glad to be there but careful to accommodate Bryan so the boy wouldn’t feel threatened by Mason moving in at the same time his mom moved out.

  Then there’d been his minor celebrity status to deal with as Waller folk came up to him on the street and wanted to shake his hand or chat about their sciatica. He’d firmly refused all healing requests, explaining he wasn’t up for it. Only weeks later had he tried to tap his power and found it simply wasn’t there. Apparently he’d drained the well dry healing Bryan, although a residual ability to read people remained.

  He was mowing the front lawn when a neighborhood kid newly off training wheels came tearing past on her bike. She hit a pothole in the road and flew over the handlebars, landing on the asphalt with a bone-jarring thump.

  Mason shut off the mower and raced over to the screaming girl to find her chin and hands bleeding from scrapes and her nose possibly broken. This would be the time to call 911 as well as the kid’s parents, but he knew how long it took an ambulance to come all the way to Waller. It’d be faster to drive the kid to the medical center, or…what the hell, it would only take a little push to fix it.

  He took a breath and opened his mind, reaching out his feelers to find exactly how she was hurt; the nose cartilage fractured as he’d suspected, and her clavicle bruised from hitting the road. Mason reached down inside himself, searching for the simmering coals that always waited there, ready to be fanned to life, but he found only an empty hearth, not so much as ash left behind.

  By that time the girl’s mom had come running from her house to gather her daughter into her arms. She’d look at Mason with pleading eyes. “Help her! Why don’t you fix her?”

  “I can’t.” He spread his empty hands. “But you should get her to a doctor. I think her nose is broken.”

  He’d been left standing in the street feeling helpless and stupid as a sense of loss washed over him. Like it or hate it, the healing power had been a large part of who he was—so who was he without it?

  Mason had returned to his mowing, and by the time he’d finished the yard, he knew what he wanted to do with his new life. He could still feel out a person’s issues, so he should be in the medical profession. EMT training courses weren’t too extensive. It would be a good start, and maybe someday he’d take a bigger plunge and study to be a doctor. He’d talked about it to Ava th
at same evening and they’d both agreed to enroll for classes and begin working toward their dreams.

  Making a plan and sticking to it was exhausting, Mason learned as he tried to juggle work, classes, and being a part of Ava’s life and Bryan’s too. But tonight, as he sat in Brag’s Hollow’s finest restaurant with Ava’s toe rubbing up and down his calf, he realized he wasn’t remotely tempted to walk away from the difficulties. Against all odds, he’d found his niche, and he intended to stick there like a burr.

  Even as he laughed at Nash’s adventure in online dating, Mason reached underneath the table to hold Ava’s hand, touch her thigh, any part of her, really. He was so grateful to have her and no longer be walking alone in the world. To get really sappy, she’d been his North Star guiding him home.

  Mason felt her smooth, warm leg and the edge of her short dress, which he nudged higher until his hand reached the silk of her panties. The forbidden thrill of touching in a public place, under the noses of their friends, revved him up. His cock was so hard it would be a while before he could stand up without embarrassing himself. Just as well, because the servers were bringing in dinner. He and Ava could hardly cut out of here before they’d even eaten, but, oh, was he ready to go home and be alone with her at last.

  He gave a last tease of his pinkie finger along the elastic of her underwear, then took his hand away. A glance at Ava’s flushed face as she drank deeply from her wineglass made him smirk. She rolled her eyes at him.

  Deb called for their attention and raised her glass. “I want to thank everyone for giving Cozy Café another successful year in some hard economic times for Waller. We’ve pulled together to keep our little diner afloat, and I appreciate each of you for all your hard work. Especially Mason, whose fast thinking kept the building from going up in flames. Thank you!”