by Alicia White
When he finally pulled up in front of his house, Mason reached over and grabbed the grocery bags. It was his turn to provide the beer and snacks, and even though the small scene in the grocery store had been a bit uncomfortable, he was hoping to meet the mystery woman again. He stepped out of his truck and closed the door using his elbow. Mason climbed up the stairs, and using the tip of his boot, opened the screen door. Just as he did, the front door jerked open.
“Hey, Mas, where the hell have you been? We’re almost out of beer, and the first hand of cards has been dealt.” Alex grinned, taking a few of the bags out of his hand.
“There was a lady at the grocery store.” He winked before walking past Alex, heading for the kitchen. As he walked past the living room, he gave a quick nod to his younger brothers and friends. “I’ll be back with more beers and some snacks.”
“Yeah!” Riley, one of his younger brothers yelled.
“About damn time.” Noah, one of his other brothers grumbled.
Alex followed him into the kitchen. “Really? Who? New lady?”
Mason could feel his brother’s excitement. They had been looking for the perfect woman to share for many years, but in a small town like Sanctuary, there weren’t a whole hell of a lot of options. Truthfully, they did have options, but none of the women appealed to them both. There seemed to be something missing, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally. For some reason they could never get on the same page.
“I’ll tell you later.” Mason placed the bags on the counter and grabbed the beer, handing it off to Alex. “Poker night is waiting, man.”
“Fine, but I want details.” Alex turned and headed out. Mason knew the moment Alex reached the living room. The yell of joy over the beer delivery was deafening.
Grabbing the bag of chips and dip, Mason made his way toward the group. He tried to clear his mind, wanting to get his head in the game. He didn’t want to lose to one of his younger brothers. Those boys loved to taunt and he knew that tonight, he might be tempted to kick their asses. Grinning, he stepped in the room, ready for battle.
“Deal the cards,” Mason said, sitting down in his normal seat. He grabbed a beer, twisted off the cap, and took a sip.
“So…tells us about the new lady you met,” Will, the youngest McLean brother said.
“No news to share, gentlemen.” There was no way Mason was telling everyone about her. He would wait and talk to Alex later. They were in this together and he wouldn’t chance any friendly competition from his family. They had all played that game in the past. This was different.
“She must be something else,” Riley said and Mason only gave a brief nod in response.
“Full house!” Josh, his cousin, laughed as he fanned his cards on the table. “Kings full of nines!”
Mason cringed and threw down his two sevens. Darn, he’d thought he actually had a fighting chance. “It’s only the first hand, don’t get cocky.”
“Oh, man. Don’t tell me you’re going to be a poor loser tonight,” Josh said with a huge grin.
Rolling his eyes, Mason could only shake his head. This was their Friday night ritual. It had been for years. He really loved being able to just kick back at his house and have some fun with his family. The six of them were really close, always had been. They would always have each other’s backs no matter what. They could also kick the living shit out of each other, but their loyalty remained strong.
The McLeans only had one baby sister, Farah, his momma and dad’s pride and joy. She made rare appearances at their poker nights, but for the most part, the family tried to keep her sheltered and innocent. He didn’t even allow his mind to wonder. As far as he was concerned, she was completely innocent, in every sense of the word.
Looking around, he could only think of one thing to make his life better and he had been waiting many years. He really wanted to find his soul mate, a woman that he and Alex could love and cherish. Would she want to join them at the poker table? Or, would she prefer to have a girls’ night out? Either way, Mason was thinking about the woman from the store.
Chapter 3
Alex McLean watched Mason, the eldest of the McLean bunch, closely. For most of the night he nursed one beer while everyone else probably had a few too many. He chatted with the group, but Alex could tell that he had other things on his mind. The only explanation he could come up with was the woman that he’d briefly mentioned upon entering the house. She must be amazing.
Shaking his head, he tried to get into the game, but really, he was waiting until everyone left. His curiosity was sparked, and he kept wondering what the future Mrs. Mason and Alex McLean looked like. There had never been a woman that could ever ruffle Mason’s feathers. Ever. Whatever had happened at the grocery store had deeply affected his brother. Alex had tried to pick women that might be able to light a spark in Mason, but none of them had.
Staring at his cards, he tried to focus, but ended up throwing them down. He was out. “Since I have to wait for you all to leave before Mason will talk”—Alex stared at his brother and arched his brow—“are any of you dating anyone special? I can’t remember the last time that Riley and Noah talked about their kinky little games. Are you guys holding out on us?”
Alex watched as his younger brothers, Noah and Riley, made eye contact. A secret message seemed to pass between them. They had the same bond that he had with Mason. It was weird how that happened, but maybe it was because of their ages or similar personalities. They were all very close in age, only spread out by a handful of years.
They also all liked to share. He especially loved to see a woman between him and Mason, being pleasured by them both. Shaking his head, he threw that thought out of his mind. It had been way too long since he’d experienced that kind of pleasure. He didn’t want to go there, at least not on poker night, with a room full of guys. Later though, he would let his mind wander in the comfort of his bedroom.
“There is nothing to report tonight,” Noah said, answering for both him and Riley. Hmmm…very interesting, they must’ve met someone special. That’s the only thing that made any sense. Otherwise, his brothers would spill the beans and tell a very kinky story.
“It’s getting late. We should head out, Noah.” Riley jerked his head toward the door, and Noah gave a slight nod.
Alex wanted to ask what their rush was, but he didn’t want to stop them from leaving. He had been waiting hours to talk to Mason. The sooner everyone left, the sooner he would know all the details about the mystery woman. He was a bit excited and hoped that Mason already had a date or a plan of some sort. One thing he loved about his brother was that Mason was always prepared. The man was a Boy Scout.
Everyone slowly stood. A few finished their beers, while others gave a quick half hug and left. Alex started grabbing empty bottles and carrying them into the kitchen. He needed to keep himself busy while everyone said their good-byes. He also had to be patient and wait for Mason to come to him. Mason always did things on his own time schedule, where Alex was more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy.
Alex heard various vehicle engines starting, and when the front door closed, the house was once again silent. He knew that they were alone but stayed in the kitchen, wiping counters and throwing out trash. Mason finally walked in and sat on one of the barstools. It looked as though he was trying to figure out what to say, so Alex gave him time to think. One thing about Mason was that he always tried to use the right words in every situation. He wasn’t a man to react. Instead, he responded.
“The woman from the store…” He dropped the sentence and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Yeah,” Alex encouraged when really he wanted to tell Mason to hurry the hell up.
“She was in front of me at the checkout counter. I don’t know her name. Actually, we didn’t formally meet.”
“Okay,” he said, even though he really didn’t understand. How could Mason be so choked up over a woman he hadn’t even spoken to?
“She wasn’t alone.”
“No, she was with a young girl. Her daughter.”
“Married?” he asked, uncertain if this was even a good idea. All through the night while playing poker he had assumed that Mason had spoken to the mystery woman.
“I don’t think so. She was checking me out.”
“So, women check out other men all the time and let’s face it, tons of women check you out. That doesn’t mean anything.”
“No, it was more than that. She seemed… I don’t know. I got this vibe like she was running from someone. Maybe an ex.” He shrugged. “Marv was checking out her groceries and told her the total. She froze…like she didn’t have enough money to cover the bill. Her daughter reached into the cart and grabbed a binder and asked her mom if they should return a few items.”
“Damn.” The image his brother painted made him cringe. He could actually picture a little girl ready to give up school supplies so that she and her mom could afford to eat. It broke his heart a little.
“I felt so bad for them that I offered to pay. She turned me down flat. Didn’t want any help from me at all.” Mason exhaled loudly, and Alex could see a flash of pain.
His family was really a big part of the community. They donated money and also their time to make their town a better place to live. The McLean family was well-off and had been for many generations.
“You can’t force people to accept help if they don’t want to.”
“When I walked out of the store, she was leaning against the back of her car, crying. She just looked so…defeated. I followed them out of the parking lot until she pulled up to the boarding house on Valley Road.”
“Are you thinking about giving some cash to Minnie?” Alex asked, knowing full well that if Mason did, he would support any decision.
“Yeah, but I want to do more. I just…I just have this feeling about her. I can’t shake it. I want to see her again. But, more than that, I want to make her smile. She was just so beautiful.” Mason whispered the last sentence. Alex could feel his concern. It floated off him in waves.
* * * *
Mason stood up. He had told Alex the whole story and knew his brother understood what he was saying. Throughout the whole night, Mason had been unable to get the picture of the woman crying out of his mind. He had been trying to think of a plan to help her. Would she take any help? That was the question that plagued him.
“I’m gonna head to bed.” Mason’s mind was a mess, and he hoped that after a hot shower, he would be able to fall asleep. Mornings came quickly to those that worked on a ranch. Sunrise to sunset, this ranch was his life.
“Good night,” Alex called out behind him.
“Night,” Mason said over his shoulder as he headed to his room.
They had built a five-bedroom house. Right now, they each had their own rooms, with the huge master suite waiting until they found a woman to share. She wouldn’t just be any woman that they shared. She would one day be their wife. Until that day, the room would sit decorated and empty, for her. The house was set up like a huge L. The main bedrooms were located at one side of the house with an office and fully furnished guest room at the other side of the house. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were in the middle. He really loved this house.
Moving down the hall of their one-story, ranch-style home, he went inside his room and closed the door. He leaned against it, closed his eyes, and pictured the sad woman in his mind. He couldn’t banish the sight of her tears. They had destroyed and called to him at the same time. If only he had gone to her, maybe he could’ve found the right words. Maybe she would’ve allowed him to help her. As it was, he’d let her drive away alone.
Mason pushed his weight off the door. He stripped off his clothes as he walked to his bathroom. He really hoped that a hot shower would clear his mind. Hell, maybe he could figure out what to do. The little girl, shit, seeing her ready to hand over the prized binder was almost too much. Every kid deserved to have basic school supplies and nutritious food. He had seen every purchase and spotted no extras. The mom didn’t splurge and buy makeup. She hadn’t bought anything for herself.
Turning on the hot water, he waited until clouds of steam billowed out of the stall before climbing in. He let the hot water work its magic, massaging his stiff shoulder muscles. More unanswered questions ran through his mind. Were they on the run? Did they have enough money to stay at the boarding house? Or would they end up on the street, sleeping in their car? Did the two of them ever go out and have any fun? When was the last time she’d smiled, either of them?
Mason swallowed the lump in his throat. An idea started to form, and he immediately shut the water off and got out of the shower. He dried off in a rush, went into his bedroom, and picked up the phone.
“Aunt Minnie’s Boarding House,” a sweet voice said, answering the phone on the second ring.
“Hi, this is Mason McLean.” He started to pace around his room, not completely sure what to say.
“Hi, Mason. How are you tonight? This is Minnie.”
“I’m okay. Listen, I’m calling to ask about one of your guests.”
“I’ll tell you what I can, but I really can’t divulge too much information.”
“I ran into a woman with a young girl at the Magic Save grocery store this evening. Do you know who I’m talking about?”
“Yes.” That was all she said. He knew that she wouldn’t give him the woman’s name, and although he didn’t like it, he understood.
“I would like to put my credit card on file for her. If at any time, you need to collect rent, I want you to charge me.”
“That’s an unusual request. Folks don’t usually offer to pay for strangers. But, it’s up to you. How long? I usually charge ninety-five dollars a week.”
“For as long as they stay.” Mason leaned down and grabbed his jeans. He got his wallet from the back pocket and took it out. Flipping it open, he fingered his credit card and waited to give Minnie the card information.
“Okay. Go ahead and give me the credit card number whenever you’re ready.”
Mason read off each number. As soon as Minnie had the information she needed, he hung up the phone and sat on the edge of his bed. He felt better knowing that at least the woman and her daughter would have a roof over their heads. Maybe he would run into her in town somewhere. He wouldn’t show up at the boarding house. He didn’t want her to think he was dangerous in any way.
Standing up, Mason flipped off his bedroom light and got into bed. Everything would be okay. At least that’s what he told himself.
* * * *
A frantic scream jerked Sophie awake, and she jumped out of bed. Feeling a bit disoriented, it took her a minute to recognize where she was. Alice was sitting up rocking herself and Sophie climbed onto her bed and pulled her into her arms. She rocked her, back and forth, wiping a few stray tears, before bringing Alice’s head to her shoulder.
“Shhh…Mommy’s here.” Sophie closed her eyes, exhaling. For one brief moment, she’d imagined that her ex-husband had found them once more. “My poor baby, did you have a bad dream?” Alice gave a slight nod but didn’t say anything. “Let’s lie down together, I’ll hold you.”
Sophie lay down and pulled Alice with her, wrapping both her arms around her. Rubbing her daughter’s back, she tried her best to console her, but the words froze on her tongue. Instead, she started to hum as tears filled her eyes, almost choking her. They were both so damaged by the same monster, haunted.
Alice seemed to do better during the day, but at night, she was scared. Sophie could relate. She was afraid as well. She left the bathroom light on, so that they would never be completely in the dark again. It was always worse when you couldn’t see the monster coming. At least with the light on, she was better prepared.
After a few minutes, Alice fell back to sleep, and Sophie closed her eyes. Dear God, if you can hear me…I really need some help. We’ve been on the run for too long, and I just want to feel safe
. I want my baby to feel safe. Forget me. Please just protect her. She’s too young to have to deal with this pain. I’m sorry I chose the wrong man. Please just don’t let my little girl suffer anymore. She deserves to have a good life.
Opening her eyes, Sophie reached up and wiped the tears from her face. One day everything would be okay. One day she wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore. But, more than all those things, she hoped that one day Alice would be able to smile and mean it. She wouldn’t have to force her lips to curve up and pretend to be happy.
Chapter 4
Monday Morning…two days later…
Sophie drove down the street with a very nervous looking Alice. Today was her first day at a new school, and although Alice pretended to be strong, Sophie could easily read her body language. She gripped her backpack tightly to her chest. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she bit down on her lower lip. The junior high school was just outside of town, and Sophie was really looking forward to starting a schedule and also seeing her cousin Aubrey. This would be her first time seeing her in many years.
Sophie had found and contacted Aubrey on Saturday morning. It wasn’t as difficult as she’d initially thought it would be. She only had to look inside the Sanctuary, Montana, white pages and she was listed. Their conversation on the phone had been brief with Aubrey telling her that she worked as a teacher at the junior high school where Alice would be attending. They made a plan to meet in the front office this morning. Sophie didn’t go into too many details about her life. She only told Aubrey that she had moved and was looking to start her life over again.
Over the weekend, Sophie also had gone from store to store looking for a job. She didn’t want to waste any time, as money was a necessity. There weren’t many openings available, and the places that were hiring needed a social security number on file for tax reasons and a resume. She couldn’t provide them with work experience. She couldn’t chance someone telling a previous employer where she was. That was a mistake from the past and she had learned quickly. She had tried to give a few different excuses, but the owners wouldn’t take the risk. They said it was illegal.