“Mason,” his mother said, rushing forward to pull him into a hug. If she saw Clara, it didn’t register at first. His father, however, clenched his jaw as he spied her.
“What is this?” he asked, and the tone of his voice caused his mother to pull back and realize Mason was not alone.
“What do you mean?” Mason asked sweetly. “This is me inviting you to dinner to meet my girlfriend.” He held out his hand to Clara and pulled her close to him when she placed her hand in his.
“Girlfriend?” His mother’s hands flew to her mouth, and her wide eyes jumped between Mason and her husband. “But, that’s not possible.”
“You mean because you tried to keep us apart?” Mason was surprised at how calm and collected his voice sounded.
His father opened his mouth as if he was going to protest and then sighed. “It wasn’t our idea.”
“But you still took the money,” Mason said. “I can’t believe you two would do that.”
“She’s just as guilty,” his mother said in a small voice. “She agreed to break up with you.”
“You’re right; she did, but she was seventeen and under the rule of her father. You two don’t have an excuse.”
“We just wanted the best for you,” his mother sobbed.
“What is this?” The deep, demanding voice of Clara’s father carried over the heads of Mason’s parents.
“So glad you could join us, Dad,” Clara said, speaking up for the first time. “Why don’t you all come inside?”
Though it was evident from the expressions on their faces that coming inside was the last thing they wanted to do, they followed Clara into the living room and took a seat. His parents took the couch while her father took the chair farthest away. Mason almost chuckled at the hostility that still appeared to exist between them.
“I’m going to ask you again, Clara, what is this?”
Clara stepped closer to Mason and stared evenly at her father. “This is me finally standing up for what I want, Dad. The job I took in Southlake is for the Texas Tornadoes, the same team that Mason plays for. Though you tried to tear us apart six years ago, God brought us back together. I know you thought you were doing what was best for me.” She turned to look at his parents. “You all did, but you were wrong. Mason and I belong together, and while we hope you will accept our decision and put the past wrongs behind us, we will not be torn apart by you again.”
“You can’t do this,” her father said. “You’re supposed to marry Joel, not a… a football player.”
“I don’t love Joel, Dad. I never did. I love Mason, and I have since high school. I tried to put him out of my mind and do what you wanted, but I was miserable. I applied for the job to get away from you, to get away from Joel. I want you in my life, but you can’t run it any longer.”
“The same goes for you two,” Mason piped up, eyeing his parents. “I understand why you did what you did, but that doesn’t make it right. Clara and I want a life with you in it, but only if you accept that what you did was wrong and promise never to try and tear us apart again.”
Silence filled the room as eyes exchanged glances. Mason tightened his grip on Clara and forced himself to wait.
“You’re right,” his father said, finally breaking the silence. “We were wrong. Though we only wanted the best for you, we should have talked to you about it instead of conspiring behind your back.” He turned to Clara. “I hope you know that it wasn’t that we didn’t like you; we just didn’t want anything to distract Mason from going pro.”
“Thank you, sir,” Clara said.
Her father cleared his throat. “I’m sorry too. After your mother died, I just wanted the best for you, and I never thought Mason would make it to a point where he’d be able to take care of you.” He turned to Mason. “I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. You’ve definitely defied the odds, and while I would prefer my daughter fall for someone with a more stable career, I won’t hold her back from pursuing her dreams any longer.”
Mason nodded though inside his heart was bursting with joy. He hadn’t been sure what to expect when they’d planned this whole thing, but he should have known that if God could bring him and Clara together after so long, that He could thaw frozen hearts as well. After all, mending relationships was a big part of who He was.
“I’m so glad to hear you say that, Dad,” Clara said with a smile. “Well, since we’ve all decided to try being friends, who would like to join us for dinner?”
26
Clara
Clara smiled over at Mason as he leaned forward in anticipation. Though she knew he would rather be out playing the game, he had managed to make peace with his situation and instead had thrown his energy into healing and recovering as quickly as possible.
She was almost entirely healed. While deep coughs or laughing fits still sent her hand to her chest every now and then, for the most part, she was back to normal and back to work. Justin had been kind enough to give her the whole week after the accident off, and she and Mason had spent every day together. It was amazing how they’d been able to pick back up almost as if they had never broken up.
“I see things are going well,” Davis said from beside her.
Heat flared across her cheeks as she turned to face him. “What do you mean?” They hadn’t really disclosed their relationship to anyone on the team yet, deciding to wait until the championship game was over in case it meant she had to find another job.
“I saw it in your eyes the first time you looked at him and the day he was injured. That’s the same way my wife looks at me.”
Clara glanced quickly over at Justin to make sure he was out of earshot. “We didn’t mean for it to happen, but we dated in high school. While we both thought that had been our chance, it seems God had something more planned.”
“He always does,” Davis said and flashed a small wink.
“Do you know if there’s anything in the contract about dating? We had planned to talk to Justin and the coach tomorrow and disclose.”
Davis ran a hand across his chin. “I don’t know, but these are good people, and they would be silly to lose either of you. It might mean you get reassigned to defense, but I doubt you’ll have much to worry about.”
Clara smiled and squeezed Davis’s arm. “Thank you. You’ve been a great friend, and I’m so glad I’ve gotten to know and work with you.” Clara had worked with a lot of male trainers in her time and they generally fell into two categories: the ones who hated her because she was a woman or the ones who ignored her because they thought she couldn’t do the job as well. She’d met very few who actually treated her like an equal and it was refreshing. The fact that Davis was a fellow believer only made it even better.
She turned her attention back to the game and grinned as Mason shot to his feet and cheered as Jefferson made an impressive reception. She had no idea what the future held for his injury, but she was glad to see him cheering his teammates on.
As the two-minute warning sounded, Clara moved to stand by Mason. The Tornadoes were down by seven and a hail Mary pass was the only real option they had. She knew it had to bother him that he wasn’t out there, fighting for his place on the field and his opportunity to score.
The ball snapped and Blaine sent it flying down the field. Jefferson jumped up, but the defender managed to get in front of the ball and sent it careening in the other direction and away from any Tornado receiver. A silence fell in the stadium as the referees whistled the ball dead. That was it. The Tornadoes had lost.
Clara bit her lip as she waited to see how Mason would react. “Mason, I’m so sorry.”
He looked up at her and shook his head. “Don’t be. The team played hard, and they wouldn’t have been any better with me out there.” His shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “Besides, we won last year. We can’t win every year. I’ll be right back.”
Clara smiled as she watched him hobble out to congratulate his team members. God had really been working on his heart, and it was amazing to see. A
fter slapping hands and having an extra-long talk with Jefferson, Mason made his way back to her.
“You really are amazing, you know that?” she said when he was within ear shot.
“Nah, I just realized the last few weeks what’s really important. Games are great and winning is awesome, don’t get me wrong, but having you back in my life is even better.”
Tears filled Clara’s eyes. She felt the same way, but it was so nice to hear him say it.
“In fact, I can think of only one thing that would make this day better,” he continued.
“A healed tendon?” Clara ventured, her voice still choked with emotion.
“Nope, you agreeing to be my wife.” Mason pulled a box out of his pocket and slowly lowered to one knee. “I’ve had this ring for six years, Clara, and I can’t wait any longer to give it to you.” He opened the box and stared up at her. “Will you make me the happiest man on earth and marry me?”
“Yes!” The tears she had been trying to hold back spilled down her cheeks and without caring who saw, she dropped to her knees as well. He slid the ring on her finger and then her hands were on his cheeks. Electricity zinged between them and the world around them faded away. “I love you, Mason Dixon,” she said before leaning forward and touching her lips to his.
She had no idea how long the kiss lasted, but the deafening sound of cheers and clapping finally registered in her brain and she pulled back, embarrassed that everyone on the team now seemed to be watching them. She scanned the faces to see if the coach or Justin was angry, but everyone was smiling down at them.
“Bout time you joined the club,” Tucker said, helping Mason to his feet. “I’m pretty sure you couldn’t have chosen a better woman.”
Clara’s face heated again as players and coaches issued their congratulations.
Blaine held up his hands to quiet the noise. “We played hard today, and while we might have come up short, it appears we still have a reason to celebrate. Who’s with me?”
The crowd around them cheered again, and Mason pulled her to his chest. Though it was noisy and crowded and Clara could hardly hear herself think, she decided there was no place she’d rather be. In the short time she’d been with this team, they had become like family to her, and she could only hope she’d have several more years with them in the future.
Epilogue
Six Months Later - Mason
Mason stared at the room in amazement. The team had wanted to do something special for him, and so they had hosted his rehearsal dinner at the team facility. However, it didn’t look like the normal cafeteria. Instead, some of the tables had been cleared and ribbons and flowers had been hung around the room. At the front, several tables had been placed together to hold the array of food that had been provided.
Mason smiled as Clara’s eyes grew wide at the table of food laid out for them. “The Tornado chef did all of this?”
“Well, not by herself, but with her team, yeah. The team decided that we needed a proper rehearsal dinner, and they asked her to prepare the food. It’s good, right?” Mason could hardly believe the spread himself. There were three entree types, two different salads, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and a plate of the most tantalizing bread he had ever seen.
Clara nodded. “It’s amazing. If it tastes half as good as it looks, then I have a feeling I will be leaving stuffed.”
Mason chuckled. “You will definitely be leaving stuffed. This chef is amazing.” In fact, the new chef was what made summer training worth looking forward to. Last summer had been her first year, and Mason couldn’t wait for training to start up again in a few weeks to get more of her delicious food.
“I can’t believe the team did all of this for us.”
“Believe it,” Blaine said, appearing behind them with his new wife, Kenzi. They had married in April, and from the smile on Blaine’s face, married life agreed with him. “This team is about family, and you both are an important part. It will be good to have you playing again this year, Mason.”
Mason nodded and clapped Blaine on the shoulder. It had taken him until the end of March, but he’d been given a clean bill of health and the green light to resume practice and training. Though he’d put on a few pounds, he had no doubt he would lose it all in the summer heat and come back just as lean as before.
“Thank you for agreeing to be one of my groomsmen,” Mason said. Duke was his best man, of course, but thankfully Blaine, Tucker, and Jefferson had agreed to stand with him as well. He wondered briefly where the others were. Other than his parents and Clara’s father, Blaine was the first to arrive.
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. We’ll let you continue to greet guests. Those seats near the table are calling our names.” Blaine headed off with Kenzi but before Mason could say anything else, Tucker and Shelby walked in. Duke came in next with a pretty blonde Mason had never met before.
“You must be the mystery woman who has charmed my brother,” Mason said, sticking out his hand and enjoying the blush that spread across Duke’s face.
“Is that what he’s calling me?” She looked up at Duke with a teasing smile but eyes that were already cloudy with affection. Mason would have to get the rest of this story later because Duke had obviously been seeing this woman for some time.
“That’s not what I called you.” Duke shot Mason a burning stare.
The woman just laughed and turned back to Mason and Clara. “I’m Katrina, and you must be Mason and Clara. I hope we’ll become good friends.”
Mason had no doubt they would if his brother kept her around long enough. Katrina had spunk and Duke needed someone like that in his life.
Adrienne and her husband hurried in shortly after. Mason had never met Adrienne, but he would have recognized her from Clara’s description. The woman could have been the Barbie doll model with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfect figure. Plus, her dress was starched so stiffly that it flared out around her legs.
“I’m so sorry we’re late. The babysitter was running behind, and I didn’t think you wanted us to bring the kids.” Her eyes widened as she scanned the room. “By the way, this place is amazing.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Clara said, leaning forward to hug the woman. “We’re still missing a few people, but I’d love for you to meet Mason.”
Adrienne extended her hand, and Mason was surprised by how strong her grip was. She might have been little, but someone had taught her the benefit of a firm handshake.
“It’s so nice to meet you. This is my husband, David.”
The group shook hands and then Adrienne and David moved off to sit down as well.
Stacy and two other friends from Clara’s previous work came in, and then she turned to him. “Is that everyone?”
Mason scanned the room. “Everyone except Jefferson. I wonder where he is.”
Clara glanced down at her watch. “Let’s give him a few more minutes, and then we’ll have to get started.”
He knew she was right, but he hoped the young wide receiver made it. They’d become closer in the last few months after his injury, and while he enjoyed the man’s company immensely, Mason had begun to think Jefferson might be hiding something.
At that moment, Jefferson flew in the door, looking flushed and harried.
“Hey, man, glad you could make it. Everything okay?”
Jefferson took a moment to breathe and regain his composure. “Yeah, I just… had something I had to deal with at home.”
Mason wanted to pry further, but at that moment, a bell at the front of the room began ringing. “Looks like you’re next to us,” he whispered as he led the way to the remaining three empty seats.
The bell stopped and Mason looked around to see what was happening next. Suddenly, the head coach walked out from the side door. Mason’s eyes widened at the sight of the man in a suit and tie. “I’m so glad you could all make it tonight. As you know, we are here to celebrate Mason’s last night of freedom.”
Laughter erupted arou
nd the room, and the coach smiled at Clara. “I’m just kidding. We all know that Mason is getting the better end of this deal. Clara, though you’ve only been with us for six months, you’ve become an important member of this team, and we’re so glad that you’ve decided to continue with us.”
“Hear, hear,” Blaine added, lifting his glass in the air.
“That’s why we wanted to throw this rehearsal dinner for you both, to say thank you for all that you’ve done. Now, some of you have tasted our head chef’s food last summer, but she rarely made appearances. She and her team have worked hard to prepare the food you see before you, and before we dig in, I convinced her to come out and at least say hello. Lucia, can you come out here?”
Mason’s eyes shifted to the side entrance. He, like most of the other players, had been curious as to who this amazing chef was. The door opened and a petite woman with dark hair and olive skin stepped through.
Next to him, he heard Jefferson suck in a breath, and he turned to look at him. “You okay?”
“She’s gorgeous,” Jefferson whispered.
Mason smiled. Perhaps if things went well, Jefferson might be the next one of them to settle down with a wonderful woman.
The woman stopped next to the coach and lifted a hand shyly. “Hello, I am Lucia. I’m originally from Italy, but I am enjoying cooking for all of you. Congratulations to the happy couple. I hope you enjoy the food.” Her voice was friendly, but her eyes were wide and round as if the sight of so many people terrified her. With her spiel finished, she flashed another wave and hurried back out the way she came.
“She seems very shy,” Clara said.
“But boy can she cook,” Mason said. “Come on, I think they’re waiting for us to start the line.”
Mason filled his plate with more than he could possibly eat and suggested Clara do the same. They wouldn’t clean their plates, but there was no way he wasn’t trying a bite of everything. When everyone had their food, Blaine led them in a prayer and then everyone dug in. For a moment there was silence as everyone chewed and then the conversation started again.
Touchdown on Love Page 12