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Mason shook his head. “You’re smiling a bit too evilly right now. I don’t know whether to be awed or scared.”
“Awed,” I answered as I fluttered my fingers over the rough stubble on his cheek with flair. “Always be awed of me.”
He smiled and swayed close, looking drugged by my touch. “I usually am.”
His reaction did naughty things to me. Things I loved but couldn’t think about right now. What was important was that I had successfully calmed all his frazzled nerves. Damn, was I good or what?
But with Mason pacified, it was time to save my little buddy.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“We’ve got food,” I cheered as I entered the living room in front of Mason with my arms loaded with plates full of cake and ice cream and mixed nuts. Serving Sarah first, I set her treat on the TV tray beside her chair and manually placed the plastic fork in her hand. “Here you go, my lovely. I made sure you got the most frosting on your—” I gasped. “Oh, my God, we didn’t sing happy birthday and let you blow out the candles.”
“Sarah has too much trouble with candles,” Mason answered as he gave his mother a plate of food and then handed another to Leann. “We usually skip that part.”
“Oh. Well, we could still sing to her, couldn’t we?” Since Dawn looked too relaxed in her La-Z-Boy with the feet kicked up to organize a song, I began singing as I passed out snacks to Sorcha and Brittany.
Thankfully, Mason and his mom and the three guests sang along with me. Afterward, I clapped, and everyone followed suit.
“We’ll be right back with drinks,” I said.
Mason stumbled after me as I grabbed his arm and dragged him along.
“See,” I said once we hit the hallway. “That wasn’t so bad.”
He snickered. “Probably because you didn’t give anyone else a chance to talk.”
Not appreciative of his teasing, I jabbed him in the ribs with my poky pointer finger. “Just keep watching, buddy. You’re about to behold the miracle that is Reese.”
“Okay,” he relented on another laugh. “I’ll trust you. But Mom didn’t have to sit over by the brats and totally ostracize Sarah like that.”
“She’s probably trying to make them feel more comfortable.” Entering the kitchen, I handed him four cups of already poured punch.
Scowling as he juggled them in his arms, he muttered, “Well, it’s not helping Sarah feel more comfortable.”
“Hey.” I would’ve told Mason to calm down and picture Chris and Liam too. But sadly, I don’t think that would’ve worked on him. Guys could be no fun sometimes. “I have a plan.”
Instantly, I remembered when he’d said that very phrase last night, right before his fingers had—
I shuddered and shook my head, refusing to go there. So not the time.
After making sure everyone had what they needed, Mason and I served ourselves and joined the group, sitting together on the only piece of furniture left in the living room—the loveseat. Talk abou
t a giant tease, being cozied up next to him like we were a couple.
Though the three guests were almost finished with their cake, I said to Sarah, “Why don’t you open your gifts while we all eat.”
“That’s a good idea.” Dawn kicked down her footrest so she could pick up one present off the coffee table and hand it to her daughter.
“Good thinking,” Mason leaned close to murmur acerbically in my ear, tickling the sensitive skin on my neck with his warm breath. “Hurry the torture along so we can get this over with as soon as possible.”
I liked him being this close to me a little too much. I even liked the smell of roasted nuts on his breath. Needing space before I lost it and threw myself at him, I elbowed him away, whispering, “Behave.”
He snorted but moved respectfully back to his side of the loveseat, moodily shoveling cake into his mouth.
Sarah dove into the unwrapping ceremony with relish. Her classmates even wandered closer as she ripped open the first gift. She was so excited, she almost fell out of her wheelchair when she saw her shiny new charm bracelet from Mason.
“Thank you. Thank you, Mason, thank you,” she kept saying, her smile wide and ecstatic.
