“Oh, and guys don't ask me out all the time.”
Mason simply nodded. “Whatever you say.”
She gestured to the picture off to the side. “Your parents?”
“Yeah. I lost this when I was staying at the mental health center.”
“Are you close with them?”
“I never knew them. They died when I was five.”
Kelly's eyes grew wide and her face turned a dark shade of red. Mason thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry,” she said. “I don't even know you, and I'm asking stupid questions.”
He laughed. For some reason he was feeling more at ease. Maybe it was because she seemed as awkward and uncomfortable as he was.
“It's okay. Can't have a conversation without some talking.”
Kelly was thankful when their drinks arrived and they placed their order. She could nurse a soda for a few seconds and not feel like an idiot.
“So, at least we won't have to worry about money for a while,” she said.
She smiled at him, which caught him by surprise. Maybe it was just the circumstances of her father dying, but she treated him very badly up until now.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” he said. “I'll be able to find missing kids without almost getting sick each time.”
“What do you mean?”
“I'm a private investigator,” he explained. “I get the prove-my-spouse-is-cheating jobs every now and then. But what I really like to do is find missing children.”
Kelly stared at him intently. He actually turned his head for a moment, to see if she was staring at someone else behind him.
“That might be the most amazing thing I've ever heard.”
He thought she was joking. Her expression told him she wasn't. It was his turn to glow red.
“It's a great job,” he said. “At least until you have to collect money. I hate having to charge parents for finding their children. Maybe now I can do it for free for a while.”
She said nothing for half a minute. She simply stared at Mason, trying to figure out if the man was for real.
Mason squirmed uncomfortably, wondering if he said something wrong.
Their food arrived. Shrimp chow mein for Kelly. Chicken fried rice for Mason.
“How did you get into finding missing children?”
He looked into her eyes, longer than he meant to.
“What?” she said.
“Enough about me,” he announced. “Tell me about you.”
She laughed. So he wanted to play mysterious.
“There's not much to tell.”
“Well, tell me anyway.”
She poked at her food and smiled.
Something incredible happened.
They both relaxed even more.
They kept the conversation light. Mason tried to talk as little as possible and made Kelly do most of the talking. He did tell her about one of his cases, of finding a runaway three states away. He left the part out about mind sliding right to her.
She told him about when she worked an entire shift with a hole on the back of her slacks, not too far away from her butt. She wondered why she cleaned house on tips that night.
Two hours passed, and they didn't realize it until Kelly looked at her cell phone.
“Oh shit! I have to be at work in an hour.”
“You're going to work...today?”
She frowned. “I thought work would take my mind off everything.”
He nodded. He could understand that.
Mason paid their bill and grabbed his picture. They left the restaurant and walked down the sidewalk together in silence. They drew a few stares, with Kelly looking beautiful, and Mason looking like he was prepared to paint a bedroom.
She was surprised when they approached his Jeep and he made no effort to stop.
“This is your Jeep, right?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Well, where are you going?.”
“I'll walk you to your car first.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
He gave her an annoyed look. “To make sure nothing happens to you. Why else?” He noticed the look of surprise, then appreciation on her face. “Wow. Who have you been hanging out with?”
She was quiet a moment. “Apparently not the right people.”
They continued the two block walk to her car.
“This is just a little overwhelming,” she said as they crossed the street. “I guess I'd better rent a truck this weekend and start moving.”
“I'll help.”
She laughed. “Yeah. I'll get someone I don't even know to help me move.”
They made it to her car. She gave him a smile before opening the door.
“Thank you for lunch. And the talk.”
“Anytime.”
He caught a glimpse of her legs as she climbed behind the wheel, and immediately felt guilty. They buried Doc earlier in the day. He wasn't supposed to think about how hot his daughter was.
She waved as she drove away.
Mason wondered if he'd just made a new friend.
He doubted it. But it was always nice to hope.
Chapter 11
Kelly stood in the middle of her living room, surrounded by packed boxes. She had the balcony door open to let in the Saturday morning breeze. It was a beautiful day to move, to start something new.
She didn't think she needed any help moving. Why would she? She was single and lived in a tiny apartment. She just needed to pack up during the week, rent a moving truck on a Saturday, load up, and get moving.
She was in way over her head.
It was crazy how many things a single person could accumulate.
There were boxes everywhere, packed with clothes, silverware, her computer, little things she'd collected over the years. She didn't even think about the big things, like the couch, bed, and television. Her father's house was already furnished. Her plan was to store everything in the basement temporarily.
She forgot all about getting everything out of her apartment.
She sighed and put her hands on her hips. It was irritating, but it wasn't the end of the world. She could move all the boxes herself, then hire movers to handle everything else. It would still probably take most of the day.
There were familiar voices in the parking lot below outside her balcony.
“Look, all I'm saying is, you got all this money now. You can buy breakfast.”
“Yeah, I guess I could. But I bought donuts last week, remember? You and your little cop buddies scarfed them all up.”
“Dude! Would you be quiet-”
“Brian, did I hear something about donuts up there?”
“They were sugar free, babe.”
“Uh huh. I bet they were.”
Kelly stepped onto her balcony to see Mason and Brian walking to the apartment building front door. Not too far behind them was a woman and a little girl. The woman carried two bags while the little girl had a carrying tray of drinks.
Panic set in as she went back to her living room. She became very conscious of what she was wearing. Shorts and a sleeveless tee shirt, with no shoes or socks.
She quickly put on a pair of shoes, not even bothering to look through her boxes for a pair of socks. Blisters were probably in her future, but she didn't care. She didn't even try to cover up her pasty legs. She did get lucky and found a thicker tee shirt to slip over her sleeveless one.
She was in the bathroom double checking her hair when the knock at the door came.
“Just a minute!”
She frowned, realizing she looked terrible.
But why did she even care?
Kelly opened the front door to see Mason and Brian standing side by side. Mason greeted her with a shy smile.
“The moving crew is here,” Brian announced.
She stepped aside while Mason led Brian and his family into the living room.
“Okay,” Mason said. “This is Lisa, Brian's wo
nderful wife. And hiding behind her is Dani, my homework partner-in-crime.”
Lisa smiled and set the bagels and cream cheese down on a nearby box. “Hi. It's nice to meet you. We brought breakfast.”
“Don't drink the tea with no sugar or the bagels with no flavor,” Brian said, rolling his eyes. “Those are all for me. Be jealous.”
Kelly smiled, then gave Mason a look.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
She led Mason back to her bedroom and shut the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“Helping you move. I said I'd help you move.”
She took a deep breath. “Mason, look, thank you. Really. You seem like a real nice guy. But I barely know you. And I'm not comfortable with people I don't know moving my stuff around.”
He smirked and looked at the large bed next to him with no covers. “So how were you gonna move this bed here? And the couch?”
“I was gonna hire movers.”
He smiled and said nothing, hoping the irony settled on her.
It finally did, and she rolled her eyes. “Mason-”
“Look, I'm sorry. I thought you needed help. You never told me not to help.”
“I never told you to help...wait a minute. How do you even know where I live?”
“I called Barry.”
Kelly was quiet. She looked more upset than anything else. Mason felt horrible. He could only imagine what was going through her mind. He thought she would appreciate the help, but he could understand the other side of it. Basically a stranger, an ex-patient from a mental health center, ambushed her at her apartment.
People skills weren't his best quality.
“I'm sorry,” he said again. “I just wanted to help, to be friendly. We can leave right now, if you want.”
Kelly should have been on edge. She knew Mason wasn't playing with a full deck. She didn't blame him at all, but judging from her father's stories, Mason had been in the mental health center most of his life.
Hadn't she experienced enough crazy people for one lifetime?
She should retreat to her comfort zone, tell Mason to leave, and leave her alone.
She wasn't going to.
There was something relaxing about Mason. Ever since her kidnapping, she was naturally afraid of everyone she met. It was easier to be alone than to meet someone new.
With him, she wasn't afraid.
“No,” she said, smiling slightly. “You can stay. Besides, who else would help me move this bed?”
He laughed. “And hey, you never know. Maybe we'll get to know each other along the way.”
*****
Kelly never had so much fun in her life.
Mason and Brian definitely behaved like brothers. They teased and taunted each other as they carried the heavy stuff out of the apartment. Kelly and Lisa carried the boxes, and even Dani helped out.
She laughed hysterically at the odd things they said to each other.
The women were in the back of the moving truck, shifting things around to make more room. Mason and Brian carried her box-spring across the sidewalk.
“You didn't tell me she lived on the top floor,” Brian said.
“Hey, I didn't know either. Is your age finally catching up to you?”
“I'm thirty-three, not sixty-three. Maybe if you were a better private investigator, you could figure that out.”
“Well, you look sixty-three. Maybe it's the diabetes. I think I'll have me a nice cup of sugar later.”
“Oh, you're hilarious. Why do you always have to swing below the belt with the diabetes jokes?”
Kelly looked at Lisa, who stood there laughing. She helped them guide the box-spring inside.
They managed to fit everything in one huge truck load. Kelly dropped her key off at the front office, which was a strange feeling. They followed Kelly to her new house.
She parked in the driveway, while everyone else parked along the street. Mason was ready to follow Kelly when she stopped. He did the same, holding his arms out to stop his family.
Kelly studied the two story house. It was a beautiful house. Barry was right. The neighborhood looked great. Children ran up and down the street, playing a game of football. There was an old couple holding hands, relaxing on their front porch. A younger man mowed his lawn while a woman worked in a garden.
Emotions overwhelmed her as she stood there motionless.
She was moving into her father's house.
Her house.
She missed her father, and regretted not giving him another chance.
It was all her fault.
He probably died thinking she didn't love him.
Mason heard her sniffle slightly in front of him.
He looked at Brian and Lisa with a questioning look on his face. He had no idea what to do. Brian simply shrugged, and Lisa looked like she would cry at any second.
It was Dani who shoved him forward.
His hand shook as he placed it on her shoulder.
“Uh, are you okay?”
She pulled herself together. “Yeah. I'm fine. Could you just give me a minute, alone in the house? This is gonna sound silly, but I've never been in it before.”
“Go ahead,” Lisa said. “Take your time.”
They watched as Kelly slowly took the steps and unlocked the front door. She hesitated before stepping inside, then turned around, looking right at Mason.
“I changed my mind. Come with me.”
Mason looked from side to side, to see if she was talking to him. “Me?”
“Yeah. You.”
Lisa gently pushed him forward.
“Would you guys stop pushing me?” he whispered.
Dani giggled.
Kelly and Mason stepped into the living room of her new home.
The first thing they saw were the pictures of Kelly.
She was everywhere. Baby pictures on the wall. High school graduation ceremony on the dining room table. Track meets on the coffee table.
The picture of Kelly in her track uniform brought back bad memories for Mason. He glanced down at her foot.
Mason grinned when he saw a bookshelf in the dining room. It was full of books on the human mind.
He looked around at the furniture. It certainly looked comfortable. A large sectional couch in the living room, with a stereo that dwarfed his own, and a huge television. The dining room had a large table and six chairs. The kitchen was stocked as well. A set of stairs led up to the bedrooms and bathroom.
It was creepy to see some dishes in the sink. Only a little more than a week ago, Doc lived in the house.
“Wow,” Mason said, thinking about the moving truck outside. “Where will you put all your stuff? You just gonna sell it?”
Kelly brought her hands to her face. She was foolish to think she could do this. She thought she was emotionally distant from her father, but this was too soon. Maybe she should sell the house.
“I can't do this,” she said.
Mason almost touched her shoulder, but pulled his hand back. He wrinkled his face at her.
“You're kidding, right?”
She turned to look at him. He shook his head.
This was the same woman who nearly disfigured her foot trying to slip out of a restraint, then threw boiling water in her kidnapper's face.
Seven years after the fact, she was still the most incredible woman he ever met.
“Listen to me. You can do anything,” he said. “I don't think there's anything that could stop you.”
Kelly returned his confused look. She thought he was patronizing her at first, but saw the look in his eyes. It made her heart skip a beat.
“You don't know me that well, Mason.”
“I know more than you'd think.”
She wanted to reach out and hug him, but restrained herself. She wasn't good at hugs.
“So, we're putting everything downstairs?” he asked.
She took a breath and nodded. “Yeah. Let's get started.”
They spent the next few hours unloading and organizing everything in the basement. The basement was finished with walls and carpet, but unfurnished. It almost looked like an entire studio apartment when they were done with it.
The sun had nearly set when they finished. The moving truck was completely empty. Mason, Brian, and Dani were in the living room watching a cartoon on television. Kelly and Lisa were in the kitchen.
“Thank you so much for the help,” Kelly said.
“Oh, no problem at all.”
“Get that bastard!” Mason shouted from the couch.
The women peered into the living room. Brian and Dani both stared at Mason. He looked sheepish and embarrassed.
“The coyote and the road-runner,” he explained to the women.
“How can you root against the road-runner?” Brian asked.
“Cause the coyote's a genius.”
“You're out of your mind.”
Dani looked at Kelly and rolled her eyes. It was all she could do to not burst out laughing.
“Mason's a good guy,” Lisa said.
“Yeah. I didn't even ask him for help. He just volunteered. He volunteered you guys too, I guess.”
Lisa looked at her. “He offered help without you asking?”
She nodded.
Lisa stole a glance at Mason, who was engrossed in the cartoon. “Hmm.”
“What? What's going on?”
“Oh, nothing. He keeps to himself, usually.” She looked at her family. “Are you two ready to go?”
“Aww. Do we have to?”
“Yes, Brian. I'm sure Kelly has her own plans tonight. You two can stay over another night.”
Brian gave his daughter a playful punch on the arm. “You hear that? We can stay over sometime.”
“Dad, you're so weird.”
Kelly walked the Lowdrys to their car. She actually got a hug from Lisa. Kelly thanked them all again for the help. She didn't know where she'd be without it.
Mason gave her a smile and crossed the street to his Jeep. She walked with him.
“What are your plans for the night?” Kelly asked.
He looked at his cell phone. It was almost seven o'clock. Dinner. Hang out with Lucy. Then maybe an hour or so of the Discovery Channel.
That was how he rocked a Saturday night.
“I'm not sure. Why?”
“I still have to take this truck back and pick up my car. Keep me company?”
Mind Slide Page 8