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Mason
Mason balanced the packages of feminine products in one hand while he picked up a heating pad with the other. How can my little girl be a woman already? Just yesterday she was a tiny little baby who’d fit in the palm of his hand. Now, here he was, so far out of his element.
His own mother had taken off before he was fifteen. His wife had always been so private about that time of the month. He had no experience in this department. I thought I had more time.
Well, he didn’t. And if it wasn’t for the curvy beauty, he’d be even more lost. And what did I do to repay her?
Her fear had been evident as he’d crowded her against her shop. He’d been worried for his daughter’s safety, and nothing—and no one—came before Aspen.
A dog barked at the front of the store, snapping him out of his pity party. Mason grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen—didn’t hurt to have an extra at home just in case.
More barking came from the front.
“Hurry up!” an angry voice commanded.
Adrenaline coursed through his veins. His heart rate spiked. All his senses jumped on alert. Mason headed towards the front, his stomach knotting with a gut feeling.
“You deaf, bitch? I told you to keep that mutt quiet.”
Red-hot anger burst in his chest. Aspen andPippa. Mason set the packages onto the floor and crept down the aisle, his eyes flicking to the circular mirror at the side of the wall. His heart leapt into his throat.
“N-no. My dog’s just scared.” Pippa’s voice trembled as the man with a mask and a gun leveled on her walked closer.
Aspen’s strawberry-blond head shook from around the end of the aisle just out of sight of the perp. Pippa pressed against Aspen, as if trying to get her farther away from danger. She’s protecting her.
“Maybe I should give her something to be scared about.” The cocky asshole aimed the gun towards the dog.
It was now or never.
“No!” Pippa screamed.
Mason charged towards the man with the gun, running into danger instead of away—the way he’d been trained. No hesitation.
His shoulder connected with the man’s gut. Mason gripped the enemy’s arm, pushing the gun down. He tackled him to the ground.
“Oomph!”
Mason pinned him to the floor. The man grunted and struggled, but Mason quickly twisted the weapon from him, tossing it away before he pulled the man into a headlock, clamping his legs around his waist.
Dirty fingernails scraped against his arms as the blue eyes in the mask rolled upwards. Mason’s body thrummed with energy and pulsed with fury. How dare this asshole put his daughter in danger?
“Mason.” Pippa’s wide eyes met his. “He’s out.”
Mason’s gaze cut to the limp body in his hands. He was tempted to hang on just a little longer so this man could never harm anyone ever again.
“Daddy?” Aspen’s terrified voice cut through his angry haze.
Mason released the criminal and picked up the weapon, tucking it into the back of his jeans.
Aspen stepped towards him, but he held his hand out to stop her. “He’s gonna wake up in about five seconds. Stay back.”
Mason twisted his arms behind the thief’s back and pinned his body down. He was gonna wake with one hell of a headache and be one pissed-off motherfucker.
Mason cast a quick glance at his daughter. Everything in him wanted to wrap her up into his arms and soothe her fears. Pippa did that for him, hugging Aspen close, and tucking her into her side so that the bookstore owner still was closer to danger than his little girl.
“Over there, Officer,” the cashier at the front said, drawing his attention to Bently, the sheriff and one of his friends, coming into the pharmacy, gun drawn.
“He’s down,” Mason said.
