Perfect Summer: Mason Creek, book 7

by Lopez, Bethany

  I chewed my lip nervously while I waited for everything I’d just dished out to register.

  “I get that. Hope has to be your first priority, and if it eases your mind, I’ve fallen hard for her. She’s got a special place in my heart, and it would be amazing if I got to be in her life in a more permanent position,” he said, reaching his hand out to cover mine. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but I didn’t want to rush you or anything. But ever since I found out I got the land and could start building my house, my dream has been for you and Hope to live there with me. I’d love for you to help me make decisions on the build, so that it’s your house too. Now, whether that means we just live together or you’re interested in marriage, I don’t know. But only because we haven’t discussed that far into the future yet.”

  My heart was pounding so fast I thought it might beat out of my chest.

  “Wow, really? You’re ready for all that?” I asked.

  “More than ready,” he replied. “Is that something you’d be interested in? I know you bought your house, and it seems like you love it…”

  “I do, but building our own means I can incorporate the things I love and add what’s missing. Plus, we’d have time to get it ready to sell and then I can help with the build of the house, if you’re okay with that.”

  “Of course, I want you to feel like it’s your house as well. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you if I can.”

  I got up and moved to sit on his lap. I threw my arms around him and said, “I can’t believe this is happening, but I’ve never been so happy, Mitch. I do love you.”

  “And I, you. I’m so excited to start our life together.”

  34

  Mitch

  I’d been riding high all week and it didn’t show any signs of stopping.

  At this point, nothing could get me down.

  I was a man in love with a gorgeous, funny, smart, and independent woman, who, by God’s grace, loved me back.

  This was turning into the most perfect summer of my life, and if everything went the way I planned over the next twenty minutes, it was about to get even better.

  “Mitch, hello. I wasn’t expecting to see you today. What can I do for you?” Grace Evans asked, opening the door wider, a welcoming smile on her face.

  “I was hoping to talk to you and Richard, if you have a few moments.”

  “Of course, come on in,” she said, stepping back to let me inside. “Richard’s just having his coffee and reading the paper in the den.”

  I let her lead the way as I struggled with nerves.

  This is going to go great. They always loved you and you know they want Faith to be happy. You’ve got this, man.

  I was so invested in my inner pep talk that I didn’t realize we were already in the den until Richard was standing up from his recliner and reaching out his hand to shake mine.

  “Morning, Mitch, what brings you by this fine morning?” he asked, and I swear by the look in his eyes that he knew exactly why I’d come.

  “Uh, why don’t we have a seat,” I suggested, knowing I needed to take control of the situation, or I’d never be able to get the words out.

  Richard sat back in his recliner and Grace sat in her paisley chair on the other side of the end table, so I took a seat on the couch cushion closest to them.

  “It’s no secret how I feel about Faith … how I’ve always felt about her,” I began, my voice getting stronger as I spoke. “I’ve been in love with your daughter since before she knew I existed, and even though it hasn’t always been easy, I know I never stopped loving her. She moved on and had a whole life without me, but deep down I was always waiting for her to come back.”

  Grace clasped her hands together and brought them to cover her mouth, her eyes beginning to fill.

  “Now she’s back and by some miracle, she’s giving me another shot. Plus, she has Hope now, and that little girl has rooted herself in my heart. I’d love to be a father to her and a husband to Faith and give them both the life they deserve. So … Richard … Grace … I’m here to ask for your blessing to ask for Faith’s hand in marriage.”

  “Oh,” Grace exclaimed, standing up and rushing toward me. She bent to throw her arms around my neck and said, “This is the very best news.”

  I chuckled and did my best to return her hug. Then when she moved away I looked to Richard for his answer.

  “I have to admit, I was expecting this to happen twelve years ago, although then I probably wouldn’t have been ready to give you my blessing, since you were both so young, and I knew how much pressure my daughter put on herself … She wasn’t ready then. That jackass she did marry didn’t even give me the courtesy of asking for my permission, probably because he knew I wouldn’t give it. I’m happy to see things finally working out for Faith the way they should. She deserves the world and I believe you’ll help her get it. I’ve always known you were a good fit for my little girl and knowing you will cherish Hope as well and will bring her willingly into your life, love her as your own…” he paused, so I nodded, agreeing that I would. “Well, I’m just thrilled to finally welcome you into our family. Of course you have my blessing.”

  We both stood and gave each other one of those manly half hugs.

  “Thank you, Richard, Grace,” I said happily, my grin taking up my entire face. “I’ll do everything in my power to make them both happy.”

  “We know you will,” Grace said, moving in for a real hug this time.

  Once we were done, they both walked me to the door and I was about to leave when it opened, and Faith walked in. She stopped and looked at the three of us in surprise, and my mind scrambled trying to think of a reason I was at her parents’.

  “Hey,” she said, moving to give me a kiss. “What are you three up to?”

  “I asked Mitchell to pick up some fertilizer for my garden. You know your dad’s back’s been hurting him, so I didn’t want him to do it,” Grace lied easily.

  “Oh, that’s so sweet of you,” Faith said, looking up at me with adoration, which made me want me to sweep her off her feet and take her home with me.

  “What are you doing here, sweetheart?” Richard asked, his voice sounding a little sketchy. He obviously wasn’t as good at fibbing to his daughter as his wife was.

  Faith looked confused for a moment, as if she couldn’t remember, then she snapped her fingers and said, “You’ll never believe who came into the salon today … Charlee Evans, my cousin. I didn’t even know she existed, but apparently she’s Uncle Charles’ daughter. She’s in town for a visit and we just happened to run into each other. How crazy is that?”

  Faith’s father scowled at the mention of the other man’s name, and I wondered what the story was there.

  “Oh right,” Grace said. “I believe he has a son as well, but we’ve never met them. Was she nice? Is she staying a while? I’d love to meet her.”

  Richard grunted, but Grace just slapped him on the arm.

  “Family is family, no matter the ridiculous feud you have going on with your brother,” she scolded.

  “She’s lovely and I’m sure she’d love to meet you too,” Faith said, looking curiously at her father.

  “Well, I have to get going,” I said, not wanting to miss the appointment I’d made at King’s Jewelry to look at engagement rings.

  “Me too,” Faith said. “I have to get back to the salon, I just wanted to come by and tell you both about Charlee in person. I’ll walk out with you.”

  We all said our goodbyes and Faith and I walked out together.

  “Where’s your truck?” she asked, looking up and down the street.

  “I, uh, was working the next block over, so I parked there and walked,” I lied. I’d actually parked farther away so I could try and talk to her parents without the gossips catching on and speculating.

  “You carried fertilizer all the way here?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

  “Yeah, I, uh, needed the exercise. I’d better get back to work,
” I said quickly, dropping a kiss on her lips before turning to head in the opposite direction. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Okay,” she said, her tone suspicious, and I hoped I didn’t just blow it.

  35

  Faith

  “It’s such a beautiful day, I wish summer would never end.”

  We were once again at the picnic area by the creek where we’d had our first date, and many after, and where Mitch had brought me for our auction picnic, except this time, Hope was with us.

  I smiled as I watched her run around. She’d been going between jumping in the creek to doing twirls on the bank.

  “Winters are harsh,” Mitch agreed, “but there’s something to be said for waking up to fresh snow, drinking mulled wine, and skiing.”

  “Mm, that’s true,” I said, leaning back against his chest. “But I’ve always been more of a warm weather girl.”

  “I know,” Mitch said softly, moving his head so he could nuzzle my neck.

  “That feels nice,” I murmured, snuggling back into him.

  We watched as Hope danced around and played, alternately laughing and talking to herself.

  “The contractor called and said they’d like to meet up Thursday evening to go over building plans for the house. Does that work for you?” he asked.

  I mentally checked my work schedule and said, “Yeah, that should be fine. My last client is at three on Thursday, and it’s just a cut, so I’ll be done by four.”

  “Perfect, I’ll call them back and lock in a time. Have you thought about what you’d like to incorporate?”

  I shifted to look back at him and said, “Are you kidding, I have one Pinterest board dedicated to the construction and another dedicated to the décor.”

  I felt his chest rumble against my back as he laughed.

  “Well, I’d love to see them…”

  “Sure, but let’s do it when we get home on the computer. My phone screen is too small for you to get the full effect.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Mr. Mitch, come spin me,” Hope called out.

  When we’d arrived, Mitch had taken her by the hands and spun her around in circles, so of course, every five minutes since she’d been asking him to do it again. Like the trooper he was, he kept complying, but I knew from experience she’d wear him out eventually.

  “Excuse me,” he said, so I scooted up and let him get up.

  I watched Mitch spin Hope around and listened to her giggles, feeling utterly content.

  Since it was there, I sat up and grabbed some cheese and crackers and popped them in my mouth. We’d only brought snacks with us, since we were planning to go out to dinner with my parents that evening.

  I wasn’t sure how it had all come about, but my mom had called and said there was a new place a few miles outside of town that she and my dad really wanted to check out and had asked the three of us to go with them.

  She’d also said it was kinda fancy and wouldn’t it be fun if we dressed up and did our hair and nails.

  It was strange because she knew because of my salon, I never left the house without my hair and nails done, which I told her, but she simply said she just wanted to make sure.

  It was all very suspicious.

  I mean, my parents hardly ever went out to eat unless it was a birthday or anniversary, and never asked us to go with them. At least, not since I’d been back. I think they were afraid of how Hope may act in a restaurant, so they preferred to have us to their house or come to mine.

  I wondered if they had something important they wanted to tell me.

  Oh gosh, what if one of them is sick, or they want to tell me they’re getting a divorce or something?

  I stood up and started pacing as all of the worst-case scenarios I could think of crossed my mind.

  But why would my mom want me to dress up and look nice if it was bad news?

  Nothing made sense, and I could feel my heart rate increasing as I worried over what could be going on.

  “Hey, Faith,” Mitch called.

  I looked over at him and Hope and saw they were standing by the overlook. It was a small wooden platform with a rail that stood a few feet over the creek, going out over the water. It was actually where Mitch and I had our first kiss.

  “Yeah?” I called back, distracted.

  “Come here, Mommy,” Hope called, waving her arm furiously.

  I started toward them, my brain still going in a million different directions.

  “Yeah, baby?” I asked when I reached them.

  “Stand over here,” she said, taking my hand and moving me so my back was to the railing.

  “Okay,” I said with a confused laugh.

  I let her position me the way she wanted and tried to focus on the present. Afterall, there was no use fretting over what may come, they were going to tell me whatever they were going to tell me, and I’d deal with it.

  Mitch grinned down at Hope, who was smiling sunnily back at him, and I had a moment to think about how sweet they were together, when Mitch brought his eyes to mine and lifted his hands.

  When he opened them to reveal a small velvet box, then opened it and an oval-cut diamond ring caught the sunlight, I gasped and took an instinctive step back.

  I hit the rail with more force than I intended, and I heard a crack seconds before I was freefalling backward.

  I vaguely heard Mitch and Hope call out as my stomach dropped, along with my body, and I hit the hard edge of a rock. I felt a snap as I landed, seconds before cold water rushed over me, and I knew my arm was broken … again.

  36

  Mitch

  One second she was standing before me as I was about to propose and then she was gone.

  “Faith!” I screamed, running to the edge of the platform but careful not to fall down after her.

  She was laying in the creek below, her eyes wide and full of fear.

  “Mommy!” Hope was crying, but when she would have moved to join me on the edge, I grabbed her and carried her off the platform.

  “Go to the blanket and grab one of our phones. Call 911. Can you do that, Hope?”

  I held on to her biceps until she looked at me and I saw her eyes focus.

  “Hope, can you do that?” I repeated.

  She nodded.

  “911,” I said again. “Tell them we need them to come to the picnic area by the creek, okay? I’m going to go help your mom.”

  She nodded again, but still didn’t move, so I gave her a little push toward the blanket and shouted, “911,” again. When she turned and ran, I hurried down into the creek where Faith had fallen.

  “Faith,” I called. “It’s Mitch. I’m coming to you and Hope is calling for help, okay?”

  I kept my tone calm and made sure to tell her what was going on. I’d watched a YouTube video on how to help during a panic attack, and I was scrambling trying to remember everything as I approached her.

  When I got to her, I knelt in the water next to her and looked her over.

  Her eyes were still wide, and her face was a ghostly white. She was shaking, but I wasn’t sure if that was due to the temperature of the water or the panic attack, and she was taking big gulps of air as if she couldn’t breathe.

  “I’m right here,” I assured her. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe and the panic attack will be over in a minute.”

  I wanted nothing more than to gather her in my arms and hold her tight, but I didn’t know if she’d injured anything during the fall and I knew the panic attack needed to pass before anything else could happen.

  “Is there anything I can do for you?” I asked.

  “Get … out … of … here.”

  I’d read that this could happen, so knew not to take it personally, but the thought of leaving Faith, even if she was embarrassed and didn’t want me there when she was hurting seemed impossible.

  Still, the video had said to take a few steps back to give her space, but not to leave entirely, so that’s what I did.

/>   “I’m so sorry you’re going through this, sweetheart, but I want you to know that help is on the way and if you need anything from me, I’m here.”

  Just then Hope came rushing over, saying, “They’re on the way.”

  “No,” Faith cried, and I knew she didn’t want Hope to see her.

  “Come here, baby,” I said soothingly, lifting Hope and cradling her to me as I moved far enough away so she couldn’t see her mother. I took my phone from her and put it in my back pocket, but figured everything else would have to wait until later.

  Sirens in the distance had me breathing a little easier.

  “Here they come,” I told Hope, who was hugging me tightly as she cried.

  “Is my mommy okay?” she asked.

  “Yes, she’s going to be just fine. I promise.”

  We stayed out of the way while the first responders hurried toward Faith, and when they had her on the stretcher and were taking her to the back of the ambulance, I asked, “Can we ride with her?”

  “Yeah, Mitch, of course,” the guy, whose name I completely blanked on, said in a gentle tone. “Don’t you worry, Hope, your mom’s going to be just fine.”

  We all got into the back of the ambulance, and they shut the doors.

  Faith’s eyes were closed, but her chest was rising normally, and her color looked better.

  “We gave her something for the pain,” the medic told me when he noticed my eyes on Faith.

  “She was having a panic attack,” I said lamely.

  “She was coming out of it when we got to her, but it looks like her arm is broken. Dr. Carson will be able to tell you more once he examines her.”

  Luckily, the trip to the doctor wasn’t long. I held Hope close as they took Faith out of the back and told us to go to the waiting room. Once there, I cradled her in my lap and used my free hand to get to my phone so I could call Faith’s parents and let them know what had happened.