Mimi Mine

by Aubrey Cara

  “Colorado with my buddies. Partying.” There was so much desolation in that statement she knew he still hated himself for his actions to this day. “I lied to my parents. I told them I couldn't come home for Christmas. ‘Cause I wanted to party...no one could reach me to let me know what had happened. Not for two days. I hadn't even tried to call them on Christmas.”

  She saw his throat working and she felt a tear track down her own cheek.

  “Oh Mason,” she said searching for something to say but everything she thought of seemed inadequate.

  “After the funeral I went back to my parents’ house. Not to box anything up, just to be at our house. There was leftovers in the fridge. My sister’s room looked like her suitcase she'd brought home from school had exploded. There was still a load of laundry in the wash…

  “It was like they could walk through the door at any moment. All their Christmas presents were still wrapped tight under the Christmas tree, like Christmas hadn't already come and gone. They'd gotten gifts for me, like they couldn't imagine me not showing up. The selfish bastard I was, I hadn't gotten them anything. I went a little crazy for a while. At one point I went out and bought them presents and tried to bury them here with them. I of course was arrested. I was drinking a lot at the time.”

  Her heart broke for him. She could only imagine the pain twenty-four-year-old Mason went through. All alone.

  “I've never told anyone any of that. The reason I'm telling you all this,” he said, finally tearing his gaze away from the grave stones to look at her. “Is because I swore I'd never take anyone I loved for granted again. I lied to you when I promised myself and my family, hell, I think I promised the universe I'd never lie to someone I loved ever again. And I did anyways.”

  Tears ran unchecked down her face, “Mason, it's okay. I forgive you—”

  “No, it's not. It's not okay that I made you doubt for one second you and I are a good thing. The best thing. I need you to know that you're not some passing fancy that I'm 'playing house' with. Kink or no kink. Sex or no sex, I'm in this for the long haul. Most of the time I don't feel like I deserve to be happy. But for the first time in probably my whole life I'm willing to fight for it, if it means having you and Zeke in my life. I meant what I said the other night. I really do love you.”

  “Mason—”

  “No let me finish,” he said squeezing her fingers. “I know it's too soon for me to feel that, let alone be saying it. But I do feel it, so I am saying it. I love you. I also don't expect you to say it back. I just wanted you to know that it wasn't some rash confession spurred on by desperation. I love you and if you want to pump the brakes, we'll pump the brakes as long as we keep moving forward.”

  Mimi nodded and let herself be enveloped in his arms. His hands stroked her hair and she felt him drop a kiss to her head. They stood there holding each other, not saying anything for a long while. Eventually the wind kicked up and caused her to shiver, so Mason packed them up in the jeep and headed back to Coleman Automotive. Mimi registered all this in a daze.

  He'd said he loved her with such casual certainty. Had she ever been that sure of anything in her life? Was she in love with Mason? She loved the way he made her feel. Loved, secure, protected...whole. Like he'd been the last missing piece to her life, and she was complete now that she had him.

  She may have hated that he'd manipulated her sexually but strangely she still trusted him. How could she still trust him so easily after he'd lied to her if she didn't love him?

  Part of her wanted to wrap herself around him and beg him never to let her go. To love her forever, no matter what. That part of her embraced the fact that yes, she was a little in love with Mason Coleman. Maybe she had been for a while now.

  The other part of her...well at the moment the other part of her felt like jumping out of the vehicle and running for the hills.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  After nearly three weeks of hand holding, chaste kisses, and pointedly unromantic dinners, Mason was still very much in love with Mimi, but he'd like to beat his head against a wall. Or wear out Mimi's ass, literally and figuratively. The second option held so much more appeal. Cold showers and “working things” out himself didn't seem to have the same lasting effect when he knew what he was missing.

  They'd gone straight past vanilla and had been residing in the land of puritanical.

  The woman was killing him. He was a patient man but he'd swear the woman was purposely antagonizing him. Her new office attire of low cut shirts and short skirts had been the tip of the iceberg in week one. Last week she'd sent him a messed up copy of a simple report. When she'd hand delivered the fixed copy two seconds later—meaning she'd sent him the error on purpose—she knocked over the pen holder on his desk spilling pens and paper clips.

  That wasn't a big deal until she'd pointed her tight skirt covered ass right at him with a devilish smirk and little “whoopsie” as she cleaned it up. He'd nearly lost it. His hand had itched to give her what she so clearly needed, then stand her in the corner like the naughty little girl she was acting like. He'd spent the next two hours thinking about all the ways he'd nail her to the wall with his cock.

  This week alone she'd been late for dinner three damn times. Two of those times Zeke said he'd reminded his mother they were running late and she'd still dragged her feet.

  On top of it all every time he didn't punish her for her made up efforts, she grew moodier and moodier. Everything was starting to add up. All signs were pointing to one woman who wanted her ass painted red. And he was just the man to do it.

  For having been vanilla all his life he sure did miss the kinkier aspects of their relationship. They'd just started exploring when Mimi nipped them in the bud out of her own misplaced fear. And he'd let her, because he knew she'd needed it at the time. Mason hadn't missed the look of yearning followed by that of a cornered rabbit when he'd told her he loved her.

  He knew the real reason she wanted to pump the brakes was because she was scared out of her mind by how much she felt for him. That may be arrogant of him to think on his part, but he knew in his gut Mimi loved him.

  Knowing didn't mean he wasn't sick of her being in denial. Pumping the breaks was not moving them forward. It was causing them to standstill in a room barely big enough for the elephant they were not mentioning. Mason was ready to discuss the crap out of the elephant and get them moving back in the direction they should be heading.

  Mimi's days of holding him at arm's length and overall mixed signals were coming to end, she just didn't know it yet. He'd already talked to Elaine about watching Zeke in two nights so he could surprise Mimi with a romantic dinner.

  Glancing at his watch and picking up his phone, he reckoned she'd be getting a lot more than dinner and some sweet loving if she was any more late.

  “Hey angel. Are you on your way?” Mason asked.

  “I wanted cheesecake, so I'm stopping off at the store.”

  He rubbed his temple to ward off the headache at Mimi's response. “I told you that Rose made an apple pie.” Rose being his housekeeper.

  “Oh, I must have forgotten.”

  Mason doubted that as he stared at the ceiling and counted backwards from ten.

  “I'll make sure to pick up some vanilla ice cream while I'm here at Newman's.”

  “Newman's?” That was the grocery store on the opposite side of town from his place, completely out of Mimi's way. Mason bit his tongue before saying anything else. “Okay,” he said in resignation. “Are you at the store or are you driving?”

  The radio silence was answer enough for him. “Mimi, you don't have bluetooth in your car...never mind. We'll talk about it later. Drive safely.”

  Mason hung up the phone and set it on the coffee table, going back to moving around the furniture in his living room. Tonight was to be Zeke and Mimi's first overnight at his place. They were going to watch some holiday movies and tomorrow get a tree and decorate his house for Christmas. Decorating for the holidays was som
ething he'd never done in his home, ever.

  Now that he was finished moving around the furniture so they could easily set up the tree tomorrow he plopped down on the sofa. Out of habit he grabbed the stress ball off the side table to toss in the air and catch. He knew he was supposed to squeeze it but usually got more out of mindlessly tossing and catching it over and over.

  Daisy hopped up on the couch plopping her head on his lap and flopping over to her side, instantly asleep. Must be nice, he thought to himself. “Rest up old girl. You'll be herding Jenny and Zeke all day tomorrow.”

  The old dog didn't even twitch, but Jenny's head shot up off the floor when she heard Zeke's name. Those two were inseparable. If Zeke was over, Jenny was by his side. Jenny trotted over to jump up on the couch and stare him in the face, tail wagging.

  “Yes, your boy is coming over,” he said rubbing her head as she sat down and cuddled into his other side.

  He absentmindedly scratched at the dog's ears as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. It would still be another twenty minutes, at least, before Mimi and Zeke arrived. He might as well catch a catnap. Or a dog nap as the case may be.

  He'd been up since five thirty that morning to get in his run before he had to drive out to a meeting at his corporate office in Austin. His schedule was nowhere near as grueling as it had been in years past but he'd also not spent his downtime being a family man. Chasing after Zeke most nights wore him out. Not that he'd exchange his time with Mimi and Zeke for the world. If anything he was ready to make their time together more permanent, and maybe even give Zeke some brothers and sisters.

  He fell asleep with an image of Mimi pregnant, while he tried to decide which room they should make into a nursery.

  Two hours later

  The ringing of his phone jarred Mason awake. Scrubbing a hand over his face he reached for his phone on the coffee table. Not looking at the screen he debated not answering a second before he hit send. “Mason Coleman,” he answered.

  “Mason, this is Elaine. Miriam's mother.”

  “Elaine what can I help you with?”

  “Mason, there's been an accident,” her breath hitched like she was choking back tears. Mason's world pitched and rolled as he fought back a tidal wave of nausea at her words.

  Elaine told him Mimi and Zeke were alright and what hospital they were at. He barely heard her through the buzzing of white noise in his ears as his vision went spotty. He clutched the table in front of him and had to fight not to blackout or throw up.

  “I'll be right there. I'm on my way,” he said already stumbling out to the garage.

  He wasn't cognizant of driving. His head was filled with images from his family's funeral, but this time it was Mimi and Zeke laying in the caskets. They're not dead, they're not dead, they're not dead, was the mantra he kept playing through his head. Elaine had said they were alright, but what did she consider alright?

  It was a miracle he stopped at all the traffic lights and hadn't caused an accident himself. He had no idea where he parked. He only had eyes for the bright red emergency entrance. He raced across the parking lot and in through the double doors, scanning the waiting room.

  Not seeing Herald or Elaine he approached the front desk. “My—” What could he say? She wasn't his wife, but he was afraid they wouldn't admit him if said he wasn't family. “Mimi—Miriam and Zeke Westfall were admitted. I got called.” He knew he was babbling and probably looked deranged, he couldn't help it.

  Taking pity on him the desk nurse said, “Yes sir. Let me take a look.” After some typing she looked up and said, “You're wife and son are in room 103. Go through those doors,” she said pointing to the double doors to her right. “Go down the hall and take the first left.”

  He nodded in way of thanks, letting her believe he was Mimi and Zeke's family. He swore he'd make it true as soon as earthly possible. Trembling he took off through the ER doors, nearly knocking down a nurse in his haste. Rounding the second hallway he spotted Herald and Elaine sitting in a plastic chair along the wall. Zeke popped up from between his grandparents and tore down the hall toward Mason.

  Mason fell to his knees as Zeke flew into his arms. He had to hold back tears as he clutched the boy to his chest.

  “Mama and I got hit by a car,” Zeke whispered into Mason's neck.

  Mason swallowed hard twice before he could talk. “I know buddy. You about took ten years off my life.”

  “They just took mommy to get a kitty scan,” Zeke said in a small voice.

  Mason stood, still holding Zeke in his arms, like the boy was much smaller than he was, and walked over to Elaine and Herald.

  Herald stood and clapped Mason on the back in a man hug, while Elaine got up and pulled him down for a hug and kissed his cheek, saying, “Mimi's fine, so you can get that look off your face. They're just running a precautionary CT scan is all. She's got a bump on her noggin, but otherwise seems alright.”

  He nodded, feeling numb now that he was coming down from the adrenaline rush of discovering Mimi and Zeke had been in an accident. “Do you know what happened?”

  “From what we've heard a car full of teenagers ran a red light and smashed into Miriam's car on the front bumper, passenger side,” Herald answered. “It was the intersection in front of Beckam's gas station in town. Luckily they weren't going that fast. The police already got Mimi's statement, but it will probably still be a while before she can leave.”

  “What happened to the kids in the car?”

  “There was one girl not wearing her seat belt that was brought in with a sprained wrist. I believe the boy driving was taken into custody. We haven't heard if he'd been drinking or just not paying attention,” Herald said.

  The accident was so damned close to what had happened to his family, but it had been an old drunk man that had plowed into his parents’ car at a high speed. And no one had survived. His chest tightened thinking about how close he'd come to losing Mimi and Zeke.

  “Are you okay, Mason?”

  “Yeah,” he said, trying to pull himself together. He ran a hand through Zeke's curls, reminding himself that they were okay. Mimi and Zeke were alright.

  Elaine said, “We're thinking about hanging around for a bit, then if it's going to be a while longer we'll take Zeke home with us for the night, if you don't mind taking Mimi home.”

  Mason's arms tightened around Zeke, his first instinct being to keep Zeke with him. Elaine must have sensed that because she said, “Why don't we just get some snacks and wait til' Mimi comes out and see how long it'll be.”

  Mason nodded feeling out of his element. He realized Zeke probably hadn't had any dinner yet and it would be better if Elaine and Herald took him home, but Mason wasn't ready to let him go. “I'm sorry,” he said to Elaine. “That's a good plan, it's just that I--” Love Zeke and Mimi beyond anything in the universe and am a little destroyed thinking something could have happened to them. Mason swallowed heavily keeping those thoughts to himself.

  “Why don't y'all stay here while Herald and I hit up the vending machine?”

  Mason wordlessly parked himself in one of the plastic chairs along the hall with Zeke on his lap, while Elaine and Herald went in search of vending machines.

  “Are you hungry, kiddo?”

  Zeke shook his head that he still had pressed up against Mason. His little arms were wound tight around Mason's neck. The little man's uncharacteristic silence spoke for itself.

  “Are you sure?” Mason said trying to coax him into talking. “When was the last time you put grub in your belly?”

  “I wanna stay with you.”

  Mason sighed. “Well, you will unless it's going to be a while longer before your mama gets the okay to go home. Then you're going to go home with Nana and Papa and get plenty of rest because tomorrow is gonna be a big day. You gotta help me decorate for Christmas, and I know Jenny is going to want you to play catch with her. And I got a stack of movies for us to watch and—”

  “Mason?”
r />   “Yeah, buddy?”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, kiddo,” he said, meaning it with every fiber of his being and dropped a kiss on the top of his head.

  “Are you gonna be my dad?”

  Damn straight, was Mason's first thought, but there was no way he could say that. “I hope so. You know why?”

  “Why?”

  “Cause you're awesome and I love you this much,” Mason said opening his arms wide.

  Zeke giggled, “That's stupid. I'm not a baby.”

  “That's not stupid. I'm serious. I love you more than...raccoon eyeballs.”

  “What, eww!” Zeke said, but he was sitting up and laughing. Getting into the spirit of things he said, “I love you more squirrel entrails.”

  “Entrails, huh? I love you more than monkey biscuits,” Mason said, avoiding saying fart or poop knowing Mimi was touchy about Zeke using potty humor.

  “Well they didn't have much,” Elaine said as way of greeting as she and Herald came down the hall. “But they did have some peanut butter crackers. Has Mimi come back yet?”

  Mason had been so involved in distracting Zeke he'd succeeded in distracting himself from why they were there in the first place. “Not yet.” Coming to a decision he said, “And I don't think you should wait around too much longer. It's getting late, and Mr. Man here still needs to eat some dinner.”

  “But I wanna stay with you,” Zeke said.

  “It's been a big crazy night, buddy,” Mason said, looking down at Zeke. “I think it would be better if you went on home with Nana and Papa.”

  “Okay,” Zeke said, rather glumly.

  “Are you sure you don't want us to stick around?” Elaine asked.

  Mason shook his head as he stood up and set Zeke on his feet. “No, there's no use in us all hanging out here.”

  “If anything changes...” she said, trailing off.

  “I promise to call. And I'll let you know when we get home.”