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“I will after—”
“Now. I want to go back. I’m tired of your attitude.”
He lifted a single brow. “My attitude? That’s interesting.”
“Take me home!” she demanded louder this time.
At that moment they pulled into a diner with a bright sign lit up overhead. Mason put his truck into park and pushed open his door. When she didn’t move, he paused. “Well? Are you coming?”
“Coming? Coming where?”
“Sal’s. You have to be hungry. I’ve heard your stomach growl at least a dozen times. You can’t do the kind of work your uncle wants you to do on an empty stomach.”
“But… he’s probably waiting—”
“I’ll call him myself if that makes you feel better.”
She peered out the window at the large diner. Through Mason’s open door, she could already smell the bacon, sausage and coffee they were cooking up. As if agreeing with Mason’s sentiment, her stomach grumbled louder than it had all morning. Mason gave her one last pointed look, then shut his door.
Well, it didn’t seem like she had any other choice.
9
Mason
Mason shouldered his way into Sal’s Diner and waved at Hope. She smiled back as she turned to grab the coffee pot and a mug. It wasn’t often he came in for breakfast, but when he did, Hope knew what he wanted.
She hurried over to the booth he usually occupied, and just as he sat down, she placed the mug in front of him. “No book this morning?” Hope was one of those people Mason wouldn’t have minded having as a mother. She was warm and kind. Her auburn hair was more red than brown and there were some streaks of gray in it. But the thing he liked about her most was her interest in what he was reading.
Mason shook his head. “Not today. I’m here with someone.”
She glanced up toward the door, but it didn’t open. Confusion flooded her eyes. “Are you sure, hun?”
He turned to look out the window only to find Harley’s silhouette still in his truck. With a heavy sigh, he nodded. “I’m sure. I just don’t know if she’s going to come inside or if I’m going to have to take something to go.”
This time Hope looked out the window, and then she smiled with understanding. “Well, if your friend stops being so gun-shy, I’ll be more than happy to take your order.”
Mason watched Harley through the window. There were a few moments when he nearly got out of his seat and went out there to drag her inside himself. Fortunately, she finally found the nerve to get out of his pickup and head inside.
She stood just beside the door, her focus sweeping through the whole diner before coming to land on him. Then she hurried forward. “I really wish you would have told me what we were doing.”
“Would you have agreed to it?”
“I don’t know, maybe,” she said under her breath.
He picked up the laminated menu from between the salt and pepper shakers. “Well, I’m hungry, and you’re hungry. We might as well get something to eat, and then I’ll take you back.” Mason didn’t bother looking up at her while he perused the menu. At this point, he felt like he’d finally gotten a read on her.
Harley was just like all the other spoiled girls who lived in Colorado Springs. She didn’t know the meaning of accountability. She had the acrobatics of the kind of person who put their foot in their mouth several times a day. He didn’t think she cared much for anyone but herself.
All of that aside, he didn’t think it was right to starve her in order to get results. That was where her uncle had been wrong. Ranching was hard enough as it was without being starved. And Harley didn’t look as though she could wrangle a piglet, let alone a calf that needed branding. If he wanted to get much use out of her like her uncle was expecting, then she’d need to have a hearty breakfast every single day.
Hope returned to their table shortly after Harley’s arrival. She had her pad of paper ready but couldn’t hide her curiosity. Strangely enough, she stared with what could only be described as empathy. The empathy wasn’t the strange part because Hope was known to be one of the most tolerant people he knew.
It was something deeper—like she knew exactly who Harley was.
Mason cleared his throat, drawing Hope’s attention. She jumped and let out a soft laugh. “I’m so sorry about that. What can I get for you?”
“Just a coffee for me, please,” Harley said with a firm voice, daring either of them to argue with her.
