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I didn’t want to tell him about Mia like this, sat on his lap, crying on the side of the road. “I will, just not now, we’d better go, we’re going to be late,” I told him trying to get up.
“Sweetheart, wait.” He said tightening his hold on me. “Are you okay? I can take you back to the ranch and go on my own to meet Jack?” He offered, stroking his fingers up and down my arm.
“I’m okay. I want to go and meet Jack. I need to do this. Please, Mason.” I begged.
He sighed. “Okay but I’m stopping the minute it looks like it might happen again.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I gave him a small smile. He reached down and kissed me on the forehead.
“No need to thank me, sweetheart. Come on let’s go and get your brother.”
He stood up with me in his arms, carrying me back to the truck as if I weighed nothing at all. He managed to open the truck door without having to put me down, gently placing me in my seat and reaching across me to put on my seatbelt. “Okay?” He asked me, brushing my cheek with the back of his hand.
“Yeah,” I whispered. He shut my door, and I took in a shaky breath, watching him go around the front of the truck and get in on the driver’s side. I was so embarrassed that he’d seen me like that. There wasn’t much I could do about it now, though, and it didn’t seem like he was freaked out about what had happened. I focused my eyes on the dashboard again, counting my breaths again as Mason pulled out into the traffic. We’d been on the side of the road for about twenty minutes which meant we were probably going to be late.
“Does your brother know about your panic attacks,” Mason asked breaking into my thoughts.
“He knows that I struggle in the car. The only other attack I’ve had happened on the way back from the hospital after I was discharged. I’ve always managed to control them other than today.” He reached over and plucked my hand from my lap, entwining his fingers with mine. I looked down at our hands in surprise. “What are you doing?” I asked him quietly.
“Just thought it might help if the drive was still bothering you.” He looked at me sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”
He went to pull his hand out of mine, but I stopped him gripping his hand tight. “No, don’t. It is helping. Thank you.” I looked up to meet his eyes briefly before he focused back on the road, a small smile tugging at his mouth. His thumb gently stroked the back of my hand, and my head dropped back against the seat. I was exhausted after what had just happened, and I closed my eyes enjoying the feeling of Mason’s hand in mine.
“Libby sweetheart, wake up, we’re here.” I opened my eyes to see that we’d arrived at the airport. I shook my head in an attempt to wake myself up.
“Sorry I fell asleep. I’ll text Jack to see if he’s landed.” I said looking around for my phone.
Mason held my phone up. “He’s landed; he text about five minutes ago. I replied, hope that’s ok? He’ll be out in a few minutes he’s just getting his luggage.”
“Oh okay.”
“I didn’t want to wake you until I knew Jack was here. I figured you could use the sleep.”
“Thank you. I hope I wasn’t snoring.” I joked, smiling at him.
“Nah, think you were dreaming about me, though.” He laughed. “You were saying,Masondon’tstop, that feels sooooo good.” His voice high pitched and squeaky.
“I was not!” I laughed, reaching over to smack him. My hand connected with the rock-hard abs of his stomach and I quickly pulled my hand back hugging it to my chest. “Ouch! God whose stomach is that hard!” I whined, rubbing my hand which was now pounding.
“Me, darling that’s who, and that serves you right for hitting me.” He said playfully his eyes sparkling. “Let me see your hand.” He held his hand out wanting me to show him mine.
“It’s fine,” I told him. “Come on let’s go and wait in arrivals.”
Ten minutes later and I was bouncing around, excitedly waiting for Jack to come through the arrival doors. “There he is. Jack,” I shouted waving my arms in the air. I could hear Mason chuckling beside me. I pushed my way through the crowds and flung myself into Jack’s arms. “You’re here!” I exclaimed.
“Hi Libby, how you doing?” Jack asked me spinning me round in a circle, his bags dropped to the floor by our feet.
“It’s so good to see you,” I told him. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too Lib.” He said putting me down and kissing me on the cheek.
Mason had made his way over to us and had picked up Jack’s bags. I turned to look at him and saw him grinning at me with that heart-stopping smile of his. I saw Jack looking between the two of us. “Jack, this is Mason, Mason my brother Jack.” I gestured between the two of them.
Mason put his hand out, and Jack shook it. “Nice to meet you, Jack.”
“Yeah, you too,” Jack told him.
“Mason works on the ranch. Savannah is at university, and everyone else is busy, so Mason offered to drive me to get you.”
