All Time Love

by Beverley Hollowed

  She had no idea what her next move was going to be, but she needed to think of something, and think of it fast.

  It was a little after eight when Amelia and Mason reached the hotel suite in Hartford, that evening. The suite was stunning, and Amelia wished she could relax and enjoy it, but between having to face her dad the next day, and the unexpected invader growing inside her body, her head was a mess

  “Are you okay?” Mason asked as he stood at the doorway of the room. “You are awfully quiet.”

  “Yeah, I am just tired,” Amelia lied for the millionth time to Mason. She had no idea how she was ever going to tell him she was pregnant. She didn’t even know if he wanted kids. She felt so alone.

  Mason had wanted to take Amelia to dinner that night, but she was nervous that someone would see her and tell her parents that she was in town before she got to see them

  She had decided not to tell her mother she was coming because she was afraid her mother would tell her to stay away.

  So instead of going out to dinner, Mason ordered room service so they could have a nice meal, just the two of them.

  He also ordered a bottle of champagne and poured Amelia a glass. She stared at it, knowing that she shouldn’t drink it because of the baby, but she also knew Mason was watching her and she was afraid he would see right through her. So she sipped it, really slowly, to make it last as long as she could.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” Mason asked as he watched Amelia absentmindedly push the food around her plate.

  “Not really,” she said, as she looked up and gave him a smile.

  “Amelia, I know you are worried about tomorrow,” Mason said as he reached over and took her hand. “But you really need to try and eat something. You barely touched your food in Andrew’s last night either, and it worries me.”

  “I will be okay once tomorrow is over,” Amelia replied and smiled, even though she knew there was more than tomorrow to worry about. “I just want things fixed between me and my dad. Then I know everything else will be okay.”

  “Everything else?” Mason repeated, as gave her a questioning look.

  DAMN! She screamed inside her head. Why did I say that?

  “Just, it feels like things are still unsettled because of this tension between Dad and me,” Amelia said quickly.

  “But you are still sure about us?” Mason asked, staring at her with worry. “You aren’t having second thoughts, are you?”

  “No,” Amelia replied and reached out her hand to take Mason’s. “I have no regrets about us.”

  Before Mason could reply, his phone rang and he picked it up and sighed.

  “It’s Andrew,” Mason said looking up at Amelia. “I’m sorry, I really need to take this.”

  “It’s fine,” Amelia replied with a smile, relieved that Mason was distracted from where their conversation was going.

  “Hello,” Mason said as Amelia continued to pick at her food, and not really pay much attention to the one-sided conversation she could hear Mason have.

  “Damn it,” Mason said in a tone that caught Amelia’s attention. She was surprised when he suddenly stood up and walked to where the TV in their room was, and switched it on. He began flicking through the channels until he came to a news report and stopped.

  Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Mason watched the TV without saying a word.

  Amelia instantly sensed something was wrong. She stood up and slowly walked to where Mason was sitting before sitting down next to him.

  Her eyes fell on the news report, but she had no clue what it was about. Suddenly she recognised the woman that appeared on the screen. It was the customer from the shop the week before.

  They had called her a few days later when the book arrived, but she never came back to collect it.

  Amelia listened to what the woman was saying on the news report and was taken back by just how angry she was.

  “My son is spending the night in jail for something he didn’t do because he was let down by the judicial system. The fact that his so-called attorney walked away from the case, days before the arraignment has not helped his cause in the slightest. In fact, I think it swayed the judge completely and that’s why he refused my son’s application for bail. Someone is going to pay for what has happened here today, I give you my word.”

  Despite the fact that there were a sea of reporters asking her questions, she didn’t say another word. Instead she hurried down the steps of the court house and into a waiting car.

  “What can you do about this, Andrew?” Mason asked and Amelia could hear the anger in his voice. “What do you mean, she hasn’t said anything you can use. She said someone will pay, and you know she means me. That was a threat if ever I heard one.”

  Amelia could feel her stomach knot. She looked back at the TV, but the story had changed so she returned her attention to Mason. That’s when it hit her. This was the client he told her about. The one that had threatened her, and she was in the shop. Had she come there to intimidate her and get at Mason?

  Amelia recalled how the woman just glared at her, and how she had expected her to react to her name, which at the time meant nothing to her. She searched her memory, trying to recall the name she had given that day, in the shop. Summer? Sienna? Simone, that was it, Simone.

  “Simone Anderson,” she said under her breath and Mason turned to look at her. “That is her name.”

  “Hang on, Andrew,” Mason said looking at Amelia with concern. “How do you know her, Amelia?”

  “She is the customer,” Amelia replied as the realisation of what had happened, hit her.

  “The customer?” Mason replied, not sure what she was talking about.

  “Last week,” Amelia said, trying her hardest not to get worked up, but failing miserably. “She was the customer that came into the shop last week. She kept glaring at me, and when she told me her name, I think she was upset that I didn’t recognise it. She was in the shop.”

  “SHE WAS IN YOUR FUCKING SHOP!” Mason exclaimed angrily and was up on his feet and pacing immediately, as he brought the phone to his ear once again. “Are you hearing this? She went to where Amelia works! I want something done about this, now!”

  Amelia watched Mason as he listened to Andrew but she knew he didn’t like what Andrew had to say.

  “Well if the police can’t do anything, Drew,” Mason growled into the phone. “I will take care of it myself.”

  He hung up the phone abruptly as Amelia sat quietly on the bed and watched as Mason continued to pace up and down, his mind working overtime.

  “Why didn’t you say she was the customer?” He asked finally turning to Amelia and looking at her with concern etched all over his face.

  “Because I had no idea who she was,” Amelia replied, suddenly feeling like a bold kid in the principal’s office. To her horror, she could feel her eyes well up with unshed tears. She tried to blink them away, but it was too late.

  “Please don’t cry,” Mason said, his voice suddenly kinder and full of concern. This just made Amelia cry harder. “It will be okay, I promise. Simone Anderson will never lay a hand on you, I give you my word.”

  “I swear,” Amelia sobbed, as she stared up into Mason’s face. “I didn’t know who she was. Yes, she made me uncomfortable, and now, looking back, that was exactly what she meant to do. But I swear, if I had known who she was…”

  “Shh!” Mason exclaimed as he pulled Amelia into his arms. “I will take care of this. Simone Anderson has picked the wrong person to mess with this time. I would die before I let someone harm a single hair on your head.”

  Amelia didn’t reply, instead she buried her face into Mason’s broad chest and let go of all the grief she was holding inside all day.

  She knew Mason meant what he said and that scared her. She was afraid he would do something stupid, just to keep her safe.

  Amelia closed her eyes and prayed that for just one day, everything would be how it should be, and that she could be happy.

&nbs
p; Chapter 29

  “Are you ready?” Mason asked Amelia as he turned off the engine. Amelia didn’t reply for a moment. Instead she just stared out at the restaurant that belonged to her parents. She held the gift she had brought for her dad in her arms like her life depended on it. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “I hope so,” she replied, as she finally looked over at Mason and gave him a smile. Mason knew she was terrified that her father was going to refuse to see her, and if he was honest, he wished he could be sure she had nothing to worry about. Still, he had to give her some hope.

  “He loves you, Amelia,” Mason said. “Of that, I am sure. You have to believe that means enough to him. Have a little faith.”

  “I will try,” she said with a nervous smile, then she gave him a strange look and he knew she was worried about more than just facing her father. He knew she was worried about his little issue with Simone.

  Mason reassured her over and over again, that there was nothing to worry about with Simone. He just wished he believed that himself. Andrew had called back that morning and made Mason promise he wouldn’t do anything stupid when it came to Simone. He told him that he had his best men on the case, and if she as much as breathed in Mason’s direction, he would know about it.

  Mason assured him, as long as Simone kept her distance from Amelia, then he would stay away from her. Still, Mason had this feeling in the pit of his stomach that this thing with the Queen Bitch was far from over.

  “Let’s do this then,” Mason said reaching out and softly touching her cheek. Amelia smiled and briefly leaned into his touch.

  He turned and opened his door, climbed out, then hurried around the car to open Amelia’s door too.

  Mason reached for her hand and held it tightly as she climbed out. She looked up at Mason and gave him another nervous smile.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Mason said as he gave her a kiss, then took her by the hand and led her in through the doors.

  “Amelia!” Jilly exclaimed the moment she saw her walking through the door. Mason could see the relief instantly on Amelia’s face the minute she saw the bright, welcoming smile from her friend. “It’s so good to see you, Sweetie. You have been missed.”

  “You too,” Amelia replied as Jilly hugged her tightly.

  “You must be Mason,” Jilly said as she released Amelia from her embrace and turned her attention to him. She held out her hand to Mason and smiled at him warmly. “I have heard a lot about you. Nice to finally meet you.”

  “And you, too,” Mason replied as he shook her hand firmly. “Though we did kind of meet before. However, it was a few weeks ago now.”

  “That’s right,” Jilly said with a warm smile. “I guess we did. Well, it’s nice to finally get to meet you properly.”

  “Milly,” Shannon said from behind Mason and Amelia. When Amelia turned to look at her mom, she was greeted with a huge smiled and Mason released the breath he had been holding.

  “Mom,” Amelia cried as she hurried up to her mother and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Mason just stood and watched them both, smiling to himself and praying she’d get the same welcome from her father.

  “I am so happy you came home, Sweetheart,” Shannon said, as she held Amelia at arm’s length. “And your dad will be too, even if he is too stubborn to admit it. I have missed you so much, Milly.”

  “Where is he?” Amelia asked and Mason could hear the nerves creep back into her voice.

  “He is just picking up some pies I left cooling at the house,” Shannon explained. “He should be back here any minute.”

  Amelia’s smiled faded a little and Shannon reached out and tenderly touched her daughters face.

  “Are you okay, Sweetheart?” Shannon asked and Mason could tell she was worried too. “You look, I don’t know, a little sad.”

  “I’m okay, Mom,” Amelia replied. “I have just missed you guys. I hate this not talking to Daddy. I hate that he is mad at me.”

  “Milly,” Shannon sighed. “I think the truth is, he is madder at himself, but he is too stubborn to admit he was wrong.”

  “Am I?” Charlie said suddenly from the doorway. Amelia turned around to look at her father and Mason’s heart sank when Charlie made no move towards his daughter. He clenched his fist at his side, but he wasn’t sure if it was to stop him knocking her father on his ass, or wrapping Amelia in his arms to keep her safe.

  “Happy Birthday, Dad,” Amelia said nervously as she stared at her father. Mason could see her breathing had change and he knew she was beginning to panic.

  “Thank you,” Charlie said coolly and Mason was surprised when he turned and walked down through the restaurant, then disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Is he for real?” Mason asked angrily as he looked from Amelia to Shannon. “She is his daughter, and he just treated her like a stranger.”

  “Mason,” Amelia said and it was clear she was fighting hard to hold back the tears. “Please, just let it be. It was a mistake coming here. I thought maybe if…”

  She couldn’t say another word, as suddenly a heartbreaking sob left her mouth. Shannon quickly pulled her daughter into her arms and held her close as Amelia cried her heart out.

  “I have had enough of this,” Mason’s said angrily, as he turned and headed for the kitchen. “He needs to know that it’s not okay to treat you like this. You are supposed to be his daughter.”

  “Mason, please don’t!” Amelia cried out but her words fell on deaf ears.

  Mason reached the kitchen door and pushed it opened before he had even worked out in his mind what he was going to say. He found Charlie standing at the sink in the kitchen, with his back to him. He didn’t even flinch when Mason walked into the kitchen.

  “Mr. Wells,” Mason began nervously. “I’d like to talk to you.”

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Charlie replied without even turning to face Mason.

  “Good, because I just want you to listen anyway,” Mason said angrily as he stepped a little closer to Charlie. Mason was surprised when Charlie still didn’t turn around to look at him. “I know you hate me, and I suppose I understand why, but Amelia is your daughter and it’s not okay that you’re treating her like this.”

  Charlie finally turned and faced Mason, but he still didn’t speak, instead he crossed his arms and leaned back against the sink.

  “She loves you more than I think you know,” Mason finally continued, this time a little less forceful. “She has pulled herself into a million pieces over the last five weeks, trying to find a way to make things right between you two.”

  Still Charlie didn’t respond.

  “Look, I am the last person to pretend to understand the connection between a father and his child,” Mason said honestly. “I haven’t seen my dad since I was sixteen, and that was the night he beat the ever living crap out of me before leaving me in a coma for three days. But I think I know when two people love each other. I know Amelia loves you more than anything in this world, and I believe you love her too.”

  He paused, waiting for Charlie to say something but much to Mason’s frustration, he said nothing.

  “Do you want to know what I think?” Mason asked, looking Charlie in the eye.

  “Enlighten me,” Charlie finally said.

  “I think you blame yourself for what happened to her that night with that kid,” Mason said, and to his surprise Charlie closed his eyes and dropped his head. “She was your little girl, and that lowlife hurt her, and there was nothing you could do to protect her. Even afterwards, you couldn’t make him pay for what he did, and you think that you failed her.”

  Mason stopped and took another step closer to Charlie.

  “And now you think you are failing her again, by not keeping her away from me,” Mason said. “But the truth is, what happened was never your fault and I know Amelia doesn’t blame you for what happened back then. However, your behaviour…”

  Mason paused as Charlie finally lifted his head and opened hi
s eyes, and they glistened with unshed tears.

  “Your behaviour now, is breaking her heart,” Mason said.

  “I just don’t want to see her hurt again,” Charlie said and the crack in his voice gave away just how upset he truly was. “Like she was after that Chase kid. She was such a happy, free spirit when she was little and he took that from her.”

  “I understand that, but ignoring her is just hurting her more than that snot nose kid ever did.” Mason said, looking Charlie in the eye. “Look, I know I have no right to ask you to trust me, but I am asking you to trust that I love her. That I will never hurt her or let anyone ever harm a hair on her head.”

  “Daddy,” Amelia said as she slowly opened the kitchen door. “Please don’t hate me.”

  “I could never hate you, Monkey Face,” Charlie said as the tears finally found their way down his face. He held out his arms and Amelia wasted no time. She ran to him and let him wrap her in his arms. “I am so sorry.”

  “I have missed you so much,” Amelia whispered and Mason couldn’t help but smile because he had finally kept his promise. He had made things right for her. He turned to walk out of the kitchen, and give them some privacy.

  “Mason,” Charlie called out, and walked towards him with his hand held out. “I know you won’t hurt her. I know you will make her happy.”

  “I will,” Mason said as he shook his hand and smiled, before he turned and left Amelia alone with her father to talk. “I give you my word.”

  They spent the day at the restaurant, and Mason finally got to taste Shannon’s cooking and he agreed, it was as awesome as Amelia had been raving about. While Amelia helped out with her mom and dad Mason watched her as she worked, and she finally looked happy.

  Charlie then taught him how to pull the perfect pint of beer and was impressed that Mason was such a fast learner. Mason was surprised how at ease he felt with Amelia’s family, especially after the last time he had been in their company, but he really was. He felt like he too had come home.

  They finished the evening with a big cake, like they did every year when it was one of their birthdays and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday. Shannon made Mason promise he would come and have his cake there for his next birthday too.