Page 107 of Letting Go at 40

We’ve spent months of me sneaking into his bedroom above the garage after long days of work and shuffling around kid activities. I’m not complaining about the private attention Mason gives my body, but I wouldn’t mind an actual date where I can feel like an adult with a life outside of only the kids around us.

I’m happy where our relationship stands but I also feel like we are in a holding pattern. There isn’t a rush for more, but we seem stuck in a stagnant pause. Mason is affectionate. We kiss often. We touch and taste when we are alone, but we haven’t had sex.

I’m starting to think we never will.

Mason and I work well together—a team—reminding me of the days when Ben was sick, but I wouldn’t mind us feeling more like a couple.

A date sounds wonderful.

“Friday?” I question.

“Friday.” His answer is punctuated with another searing kiss.

+ + +

When Friday arrives, Mason takes Lynlee to Logan’s so Lorna can babysit. Mila is there as well, and the older girls plan a sleepover. With an empty house, it’s tempting to want to stay in and ask Mason to ravish me, but his excitement about a date didn’t go unnoticed.

He wants to woo me.

When he returns from dropping off Lynlee, I meet him on the front stoop like it’s a first date. In many ways, it is.

Mason exits his SUV and stumbles when he looks at me. “You’re breathtaking.”

I’m wearing a strapless dress with a loose skirt below the waist. I haven’t worn something like this in a long, long time and I’m surprised this dress still fits. I’m a little breathless in it, but I didn’t want to dress in my typical teacher attire or mom clothes. Tonight feels special.

“You look rather yummy yourself.”

Wearing a white linen shirt and navy-blue linen pants with flip-flops, Mason is casual beach night out personified. His hair has that perfect yet wayward curl to it and his facial scruff is trimmed around his mouth. A tinge of red creeps over his cheeks at my compliment.

He glances down at my feet and smiles. I’m wearing flat sandals, matching the relaxed look of his footwear. The temperature is warming up with some days actually hot. The evenings can still be cool but pleasant and this night hints that summer is around the corner.

Mason opens the passenger door for me and holds out a hand. He stops me just short of entering the vehicle. “I just want to say thank you, in case I forget later.”

My brows pinch. “Thank you? For what?”

“For going out with me.”

His name is a soft caress on my lips. He almost appears . . . nervous.

“I’m honored.” I don’t want to even imagine the number of women he’s gone out with in the past or the types of dates he’s been on, but I am flattered by how much he wants to do this tonight.

He gives me a quick kiss and then lightly presses my lower back to help me into the SUV.

When we arrive at the marina in town, I’m a little surprised. He doesn’t own a boat, but he guides me down a dock and boards a small cruiser.

“Whose is this?” I ask as he reaches for me, grips my hips and lifts me.

“A friend’s.”

I scoff at the vagueness of his answer, but Mason is already settling in behind the steering wheel and starting the engine. The boat isn’t a speedboat or a classic wooden one. In my limited boat knowledge, it’s simply a boat with space for sleeping and a kitchenette below deck. The bow is long and flat over the cabin. Behind the captain’s bench is a sitting area.

Mason pats the bench seat, and I climb up next to him. He navigates out of the marina and across the open water of the lake. We don’t talk as he pilots us at a top speed across the flat, early evening water. The sun will start setting soon. The moon is predicted to be full tonight. The air is chilly at this speed, but I snuggle next to Mason, wrapping my arms around him as we streak over the lake.

The wind whips through my hair. So much for the loose curls I attempted. Eventually, I gather the wild strains into a ponytail. Mason reaches over and wraps the collected hair around his fist, giving it a playful tug.

“About twenty minutes and we’ll be there.”

“Where?” I shout over the roar of the engine.