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“Thank you,” he whispered as he lifted his hand and placed it on the side of my face. I fought the urge to lean into his touch. It would be so easy to do. To get lost in the moment. Then he spoke again, and I felt my resolve to keep things platonic slipping even more.
“I don’t know what we would do without you, Palmer.”
I tried to come up with some witty reply, but the words stuck in my throat. I was held captive by the bubble that had formed around us. For that moment, it was only the two of us.
The gold and green specks in his eyes danced as he searched my face for something. Permission, maybe? To act on this intense feeling between us? For me to tell him to leave? It was all beginning to be too much. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of so many different emotions.
Then it happened.
Mason leaned down as I lifted my head, and our lips met. The kiss was so soft and tender, I nearly started to cry. Or maybe it was because I had been wanting this again so badly since last October.
His hand slipped into my hair, and I placed mine on his chest, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around his neck.
Mason broke the kiss, then leaned his forehead to mine as he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
I closed my eyes. I wanted to tell him not to apologize. That I’d wanted that kiss as much as he did, if not more.
Instead, I took a step back, giving us both the distance we needed.
Mason turned and grabbed his coat, slipping it on while we both remained silent. He reached for the door, stopped, and said, “Thank you for today.”
And then he was gone. I couldn’t even find the words to speak before he slipped out the door and I was left standing there.
I brought my fingers up to my lips and gently touched them. Then I collapsed down onto the sofa and stared at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room.
“Oh, Palmer. You’ve gone and fallen in love with him.”
The day after Christmas, I avoided Mason the best I could. The snow had let up and most of the streets had been cleared, so I left to go check on my parents. After that, I swung by my sisters’ houses and left gifts and then went to Braxton’s. By the time I got back, Charlie had called me and asked if he could come over so we could paint.
I was relieved when I opened the door to see Jen standing there. When Charlie went off to set up his paints, Jen pulled me to the side and said that Mason was meeting with Ashley that afternoon, since he was heading back to work tomorrow.
“Is she coming to the house?” I asked softly.
Jen shook her head. “They’re meeting at the Seaside Grill.”
“My parents’ place?” I asked in a stunned voice.
My shock clearly took Jen by surprise, because she frowned and gave me a questioning look. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
I shook my head. “No, of course not.”
After Jen left, Charlie and I spent a good amount of time deciding what he wanted his first project with his new paints to be. We still had the school project to work on as well, but he wanted to do something special for his grammy and granddad. After deciding on a sunset, we got to work painting until it was time for Jen to pick up Charlie for dinner.
“Would you like to come over for dinner?” she asked while she bundled him up.
Every part of my body wanted to scream yes. I wanted to see Mason and hear about what happened with Ashley, but for once, my brain won out. “Thank you for asking, but I ate a late lunch with my brother. I appreciate the invite though.”
Jen looked disappointed for a beat, but then covered it with a grin. “Another time then?”
“Yes,” I said as I nodded. “Another time for sure.”
Two days after Christmas, I found myself helping my folks out at the restaurant during the breakfast shift, since Mom was still feeling under the weather. When the bell above the door rang, I looked up and smiled.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Braxton as he walked to the counter and sat down. I slid a cup of a coffee in his direction.
“So much better. I stopped by and checked on Mom.”
“And? How is she?”
He chuckled. “She was snuggled up on the sofa reading a book. A small part of me thinks she’s feeling a lot better but is taking advantage of a few days off.”
“I don’t blame her, to be honest. I wish Mom and Dad would seriously consider retiring.”
Brax took a drink of his coffee. “I suspect once Addie and Sutton have the babies, they will. They’re going to want to spend time with the grandkids.”
