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“Bear sure likes you,” his uncle said. “She doesn’t like too many people.”
I found that hard to believe with her disposition, but maybe there weren’t too many people who came around to his farm.
“Uncle Jeb, this is my girlfriend Hazel,” Mason said. “We planned on calling, but you know how the phone signal is out here.”
Uncle Jeb waved his hand dismissively. “Better not to use the phones. You know those things are constantly being monitored. No one has any privacy anymore.” He shut and locked the front door behind us. There were several deadbolts attached to the door.
“You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend,” Uncle Jeb said.
Mason held me close against him. His body heat radiated off of him and onto me. I leaned into his touch and strong embrace.
“We recently reconnected,” Mason said. “We knew each other back at boarding school, dated when we were kids.”
Uncle Jeb’s eyes brightened. “I remember Hazel. She was the best thing that ever happened to you. Kept you out of trouble.”
Was that what he said to his family when he spoke about me? I rested a hand on his chest. It wasn’t difficult to fall into the role of his girlfriend. I wanted to be his. “Mason was the best thing that happened to me at boarding school, too,” I said. I wasn’t trying to flatter Mason or his uncle. I only spoke the truth.
Mason shucked his coat and shoes, leaving them by the entryway of the house. I did the same, following his lead. “I hope you don’t mind, but we haven’t eaten anything. I was hoping to whip up something in the kitchen before bed,” Mason said.
“Be my guest. My house is your house, son. I’ll change the sheets in the guest room while you make your lady something to eat.”
We hung our coats and placed our shoes on the mat by the door. Mason latched onto my hand and tugged for me to follow him down the hall and into the kitchen. He flipped on the light switch, bathing the kitchen in a bright daylight glow from the lightbulbs overhead.
I grimaced and shut my eyes, trying to adjust. The foyer hadn’t been overly bright, but the kitchen blinded me.
Mason flipped another switch, only lighting half the kitchen. “Better?”
“Thanks.” I let go of his hand and sauntered over to the counter to sit down on one of the stools. “I’m not sure how much I can eat. Sleep, that I can do.” I stifled a yawn. Just speaking about sleep made me even more tired.
“I promise I will tuck you into bed as soon as we’re done eating.”
I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. Mason stared at me, making my stomach flop. Was he really going to tuck me into bed, or was he saying that for his uncle’s benefit?
His Uncle Jeb hadn’t followed us into the kitchen, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t listening. He’d been just a room away, down the hall. I didn’t know where the guest room that he’d spoken of was located in the house. I hadn’t heard footsteps travel up the stairs or down the hall.
Resting my elbows on the counter and my head in my hands, I tried to stay awake.
“You’re going to fall asleep in your food just like Izzie, aren’t you?” Mason said a huge grin spread across his face.
I didn’t know who Izzie was or what he was referring to. “What?”
“Jaxson’s daughter.” He shook his head, the smile never left his face. “You just remind me of someone when you’re sleepy.”
I mumbled, incapable of answering in full sentences. I just wanted to sleep. I shut my eyes for a brief second, just to relax, when I felt a warm arm on my back and jumped in my seat.
“Relax,” Mason said. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “I made us a sandwich. I’d like you to eat something before we climb under the covers.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Were we actually going to share a bed? Hours earlier, I’d wanted to, but he’d turned me down. Now we were stuck pretending that we were madly in love and together.
“Come on. You need to eat something.” Mason had made a sandwich for himself. He sat on the stool beside me and took a bite of his peanut butter and jelly.
I glanced at the peanut butter and banana sandwich that he’d made for me. When we were kids, it had been my favorite, he remembered. I wasn’t hungry, but I lifted the bread to my lips and took a bite to appease him.
It took forever for me to finish the sandwich. Time seemed to stand still because I was tired and ready for bed. With heavy eyes, I finished the last bite and swallowed down a glass of water.
“I promise tomorrow I’ll make us both something a little more nutritious,” Mason said. He cleaned up the dishes, washing both of our plates in the sink, rinsing, and then scrubbing each item.
I stood, wobbling from lack of sleep. “I can help dry the dishes,” I offered. I walked around the counter to the sink and grabbed a dishrag, drying the plates after he washed each one.
