Silverbacks and Second Chances

by Raines, Harmony

  “You didn’t?” Did she sound offended?

  “No. I travel a lot, I eat alone a lot. As I said, when Haley suggested a blind date, I would normally have said no. Should have said no. But I figured it might be nice to talk to someone who lives locally. I’ve always found that the best way to get inside knowledge on an area.” He smiled gently. “Does that make me sound like a loser?”

  “No. No, it doesn’t.” Tiana looked up as Austin returned. “I am starving.”

  They ordered, the waiter looking more relaxed as he wrote everything down and then collected the menus. “I think I frightened him,” Mason confided.

  Tiana smothered a smile. “You did act a little strange when you saw me. Most waiters and waitresses have experience of blind dates not starting well, let alone not ending well. But I don’t think Austin has much experience at all with diners.”

  “I thought the same.” He searched for a way to start a normal conversation when all he wanted to do was ask her if she would be his wife at the earliest opportunity. “You work with Haley, don’t you?”

  “I do. We’ve known each other for years. We’ve worked at The Mountain View for years.” The waiter brought her drink, a soda with ice and lemon because she was driving.

  Pity, his bear said.

  “Do you enjoy it?” Mason asked, wanting to know everything about Tiana. “Working in the restaurant.”

  She inhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair. “Is that a barbed question?”

  His brow furrowed. “No.”

  Tiana nodded. “Just checking. Some people don’t see waitressing as a good career choice.”

  “True. But sometimes we don’t have the same choices as others.” He studied her for a moment. “My mom worked as a store assistant all my life. My dad worked construction.”

  “And you?” Tiana asked.

  He smiled. “I work construction, too.”

  Tiana sipped her drink and then looked away before turning those laser sharp blue eyes on him. “I wait a lot of tables, I see a lot of people. And your watch and your suit put you at a higher wage than most construction workers. I’d say your watch alone is worth more than I earn in a year.”

  “Astute and observant, I like it.” His eyes flashed. “Haley never told me anything about you other than she works with you at the restaurant. I’m guessing she didn’t tell you about me either.”

  “Astute and observant.” Tiana raised her glass to him and grinned. “She also told me we were similar in some ways. But I don’t see it.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’d say we’re both hard working. Know the value of life.” He paused and looked down at the pristine white tablecloth before he spoke the next words. “I also think we’re both lonely.”

  Chapter Three – Tiana

  Lonely. He had no idea what he was talking about. Tiana couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent time alone except for when she was in her car or in her bed.

  She swallowed hard. Thinking of her bed while seated across the table from Mason was a bad idea. Since the moment he shook her hand all she could think about was how she’d like to feel his hands all over her body. That’s why she’d told him straight, that after the meal, she was going home to her own bed… No, no more thoughts about bed…

  She was doomed.

  “You don’t have to be alone to be lonely.” Mason’s voice cut through her thoughts of the two of them in bed. Any bed. “My schedule is hectic, and yet even in a room full of people I’m alone. Disconnected.” He gave short laugh. “Sorry, I’m projecting and probably revealing more about myself than you want to know.”

  “It’s okay. I understand.” She was still ready to deny she felt the same way, but he was right. No matter how much she loved the people in her life, she had always figured one day she’d have that special someone to share the small stuff with. Just as her mom and dad had a special someone.

  “Here’s the food.” He smiled apologetically at her and she wanted to set him at ease.

  She listened to the waiter's spiel and thanked him with a reassuring smile that set Austin more at ease. Then she turned her attention to her food, which looked and smelled delicious. So delicious, that the aroma of her chicken pasta made her mouth water. She picked up her knife and fork and ate, savoring the first mouthful as the flavor exploded in her mouth. “This is wonderful.”

  “It is.” His eyes lingered on her face and she wasn’t sure whether he meant her or the food. She stopped herself right there. Of course, he meant the food, they’d only just met and although Tiana couldn’t deny the instant attraction between them, that was all it was.

  “You said you’re thinking of moving to Bear Creek.” She kick-started the conversation and hoped to keep it on neutral ground.

  “I am,” Mason began. “What’s it like living here?”

  “Amazing. The scenery, the wildlife, all of it is incredible. And the people, well, you couldn’t meet nicer people.” She thought back over her life here in Bear Creek and couldn’t find one bad word to say about it.

  Then she had a sudden thought. Did Mason know about shifters? Wow, this was awkward. It wasn't her place to spill the secrets of Bear Creek and the surrounding towns, but he should know before he moved here.

  “Have you lived here all your life?” Mason asked as he cut into his medium rare steak.

  “No, I moved here when my husband got a job at the local timber mill.” Was she eating too fast? She looked at her plate, she’d already cleared half of it. It was so yummy she should eat slowly and savor each mouthful instead of hoovering it up.

  Mason nearly choked, and her head jolted up as she tried to figure out what had upset him. “Husband.” His eyes flicked down to her ring finger as he took a drink to recover from his coughing fit.

  “Ex-husband. We had a child, moved to Bear Creek and then he ran off with the love of his life.” She shrugged. “It’s all in the past.”

  He composed himself and ate his steak, while he formed his next question. Tiana could almost hear his mind working. “You have a child?”

  And there it was, the question that made most men run a mile. A child meant complications. A child meant the loss of freedom. No flying off for a vacation whenever you wanted. School rules. The motto of her life for the past eighteen years.

  “I do. Although he’s not such a child anymore. He’s eighteen.” Tiana didn’t soften this news by telling Mason her son was about to fly the nest as he furthered his education.

  “You raised him alone?” Mason asked.

  “Sort of.” She studied his expression, which was all kinds of interested, as if he were hanging on her every word. “Don’t worry, I haven’t left a trail of ex-husbands in my wake.”

  “So what does sort of mean?” Mason’s interest was a little overwhelming. Tiana had never hidden her history from people she met. She had nothing to hide. But Mason seemed too interested.

  “I have friends, Haley and Sorcha who I work with, and a couple of other mothers from school. My parents also helped out as much as they could. They helped pick me up and put me back on my feet after Quentin left.” She would be forever grateful for the help and support her parents showered on Tiana, and Rhett, who they loved to pieces.

  “You have a strong sense of family. Perhaps that’s what Haley meant when she said we had a lot in common. My parents have always been supportive of me. One of my proudest moments was when I paid off the mortgage on our family home. I would have bought them a more expensive house, but they were happy right where they are.” She finished her meal as he talked. “They are the people who kept me grounded, who made sure I never lost sight of who I was and where I came from.”

  “They must be proud of you, too.” Tiana looked down at her plate. She never thought of whether her own parents were proud of her. Or if they saw her as a failure. Which was stupid, because how could she have failed when she raised a child to be such a wonderful human being?

  “They are.” He watched her closely. “And your ex
-husband?”

  “He lives in a trailer in my back yard.” She watched him closely as his expression changed from one of disbelief to outrage. That revelation was hard for a lot of people to swallow.

  “You allow your cheating ex-husband to live in your back yard?” Mason sounded suitably offended for her.

  “I do. He moved in with his new love for ten years or more. Then his partner, Nicky, passed away. Cancer. Quentin was suicidal. And no kid deserves to lose a parent.” Tiana sat up straight, ready to defend Quentin, although god knows he didn’t completely deserve it.

  However, Mason surprised her. “That’s a pretty heroic thing to do.”

  “Yeah. A hero, that’s me,” she joked self-deprecatingly.

  “Don’t sell yourself short.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “It’s good to see there are people in this world who care.”

  “You don’t see many people who take in their ex-husbands and let them live in their back yard?” she asked in mock astonishment.

  “No, that is a first,” he told her, matching her lighthearted mood. He sat back in his chair and watched her as Austin returned to collect their empty plates.

  “How did you enjoy your meal?” Austin asked as he carefully picked the plates up. He was not comfortable in his work, and Tiana wanted to offer him words of wisdom, but right now she couldn’t think of any.

  “It was perfect, thank you.” She allowed her eyes to rest on Mason and realized she was acting the same as countless other diners she’d served. She was flirting. With a man. A man she’d met on a blind date.

  “What’s so funny?” Mason asked after the waiter left, promising to return with dessert menus.

  “Nothing.” She shrugged. “This is nice.”

  “Nice. Don’t get all enthusiastic on me.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled.

  “I didn’t expect it to be. When Haley admitted this was a setup, I figured… Well, I didn’t know what to expect.”

  “What exactly did Haley say to you?” he asked.

  “Haley and Sorcha set me up. Sorcha said she’d been set up on a blind date and planned to stand you up.” She was going to be honest. Mason could take it, she was sure. “I said it wasn't fair and felt sorry for you. So a little later, Sorcha suggested I took her place.”

  “I got passed around.” He sat up and clasped his heart. “I’m wounded.”

  “Haley admitted you were meant for me all along.” Her eyes locked with his and her throat constricted with longing. He was perfect. If she got to choose, he would be the one she picked.

  “I am meant for you, Tiana,” Mason said quietly, and she believed him. Even though dating was the last thing she wanted. The last thing she needed.

  “My life is complicated, Mason.” Oh, goodness, complicated did not even begin to cover it.

  “I’m a simple man, Tiana. I have simple needs. I can fit in with whatever kind of crazy you have going on.” His words were heartfelt. Which made him too good to be true.

  “I’m not so sure you’d want to.” She drank her soda, wishing it was something stronger. But she didn’t need a buzz from alcohol, Mason’s presence was intoxicating enough. Never one to fall into bed with a man on the first date, let alone a blind date, she was willing to make an exception just this once. Her body craved him like a sugary donut.

  Or a sugary dessert. The waiter returned with the menu, which was an indulgence after such a wonderful meal, but this was a special occasion, the first date she’d been on after a couple of disastrous rebound dates after Quentin left. But they’d been to bolster her low self-esteem more than because she wanted to be in a relationship. It didn’t take long for Tiana to figure that out and settle down to a life of raising Rhett alone.

  Tiana ordered a tiramisu and Mason ordered apple pie and ice cream. The pause while the young waiter took their order and collected the menus was long enough for Tiana to compose herself. She needed to play it cool, and not jump in feet-first only to regret her decision at a later date.

  “Why move to Bear Creek?” Tiana asked Mason as they waited for their dessert.

  “Why not?” he asked. “It has everything going for it. But the main draw is the mountains. I’ve lived in the city for too long.”

  “Won’t you find us a little dull?” What did a man like Mason do in his free time? Looking at his well-toned muscles, he must spend a lot of time at the gym.

  “Not from what I’ve seen so far.” The heat of his gaze burned her flesh and she wished the waiter had left a menu, so she could fan herself with it. Or perhaps she could open a window. “There is a movie theater and the restaurants are good.”

  He was teasing her. “I always thought city folk would be dry and boring. But you have quite the sense of humor, Mason Tennant.”

  “What about you, have you never thought of leaving Bear Creek after your marriage broke up? You didn’t think of moving back to your family?” He looked up as Austin returned with their desserts. “Thank you.”

  “No,” Tiana replied as they were left alone once more. “When I first moved here with Quentin, it was strange, I’d always lived in a large town. But then I met Haley and then Sorcha. We have been there for each other. They helped me through the shock of Quentin cheating. My parents were coming up to retirement age, and they moved here when Quentin left. We’re pretty tight-knit.”

  “Is that a warning?” Mason asked. “Will they pin me down and interrogate me when I stop by to pick you up?”

  “Ahh, that is presumptive of you. Who said I’ll give you my address?” Tiana’s eyes sparkled as they talked, she’d missed this. Missed talking about nothing, with words that meant everything. The attraction between them was undeniable.

  “I can follow your scent.” He lifted his head and inhaled. “Grapefruit and almonds.”

  She laughed. “That’s the hand soap from the hotel restroom.”

  “Anything smells good on you.” He ate his dessert and then drained his beer before asking, “Where do we go from here, Tiana?”

  “I told you, I’m going home.” She dared to look at him, dared not dream of him being hers. “After that, I don’t know.”

  “Can I see you again?” he asked as if his heart would break if she said no.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “But I honestly don’t know where I want this to go.”

  “Will you promise me to give us a chance?” In this moment, he was vulnerable, letting her see his naked need for her.

  “I promise to try.” She looked down at her dessert and concentrated on eating it, one spoonful at a time. After she’d scraped the last of the sweet gooey chocolate from the plate, she placed the spoon down carefully. The raw emotion in his words moved her, she wanted to say yes, she would give them a chance.

  However, there was something about the intensity in his voice and in his expression that unnerved her. An image of Quentin slid before her eyes, broken and sobbing over the death of his partner. His grief was tangible, a monster stalking him at every step, every turn.

  “Tiana.” Mason’s voice pulled her out of the dark memories and into the light. Whatever she might share with Mason, it was not the same as the love between Quentin and Nicky. She wouldn’t allow herself to be consumed by another person. Her heart was too battered and bruised to ever fall that hard.

  “I should go.” Tiana looked at her watch. “My family doesn’t know I’m skipping work for a dinner date. They’ll worry if I’m late.” She twisted around, trying to catch the waiter’s eye so she could settle her half of the check.

  “When can I see you again?” Mason reached out and touched the back of her hand and she jumped as her skin tingled as if she’d been shocked by an electrical current. He felt it, too, and her heart fluttered with longing.

  “I don’t know.” Her forehead creased as she tried to recall her schedule for the next few days.

  “Tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Tomorrow,” she repeated. “I’m busy most of the day. I have a hospita
l appointment with my mom, and laundry, so much laundry.” She smiled weakly. “Then I have a long shift. It’s Friday, the restaurant is busy, and the tips are good.”

  “After work?” he was insistent.

  Her jaw tightened, he was too eager. What if he was a stalker or something?

  She took her phone out of her purse and tapped on the screen before passing it to him. “Add your number and I’ll text you.”

  He accepted the phone and tapped in his number, before returning it to her. “Are you brushing me off?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I need a little time to get my head around this.” She signaled the waiter. “I hope you understand.”

  “I’m going to try.” He watched her intently, as if etching her face into his brain. Definitely too intense, she should run away now and keep running.

  “Check, please,” she said to the waiter as he approached.

  “Add it to my bill. Room 210,” Mason told the young man.

  “I’ll pay half,” Tiana said, digging around in her purse for her wallet.

  “My treat,” Mason told her. “As a thank you for saving me from my own company. And for persuading me that Bear Creek is the place I belong.”

  “We didn’t talk about the area very much,” Tiana told him, not wanting to feel as if she owed him anything.

  “We talked enough.” Mason stood up, the conversation about the check done as far as he was concerned.

  “I’d feel more comfortable paying my half,” Tiana insisted.

  “Why don’t we agree that you pay for our next date?” His eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “I can see why you’ve done well in business,” she told him. “Those negotiation skills are killer.”

  “I hope so.” He grinned as they left the table and headed to the exit. “Maybe our second date could be a tour of your favorite places around town.”

  “You want to visit the grocery store?” she joked as they crossed the hotel lobby.

  “If I’m with you.” He held the entrance door open and cool night air caressed her flaming hot face and her body, which ignited in a heat all of its own.