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“I have work to do,” he replies dismissively, then pushes off the counter, dumping the remainder of his coffee in the sink and collecting his keys off the bench. “I will be home later.”
Watching him walk out of the kitchen without a backward glance, I feel a sudden sense of loneliness at the blatant disregard for my presence shown by my own father. I don’t know why I even bothered trying to talk to him. I don’t know why I ever bother holding on to hope.
As I’m loadingthe dishwasher, the doorbell rings, and a smile quickly forms on my face, knowing who’s standing on the other side of that door. Quickly closing the dishwasher and flicking the switch, I exit the kitchen and head for the front door.
When I open it, Mason stands before me wearing a brown tweed sweater. His eyes roam up and down my body hungrily before settling on mine, a big smile spreading on his face.
“Hey,” he says with a hint of breathlessness.
“Hey.” I smile back. “Let me just grab my bag and lock up.”
Grabbing my bag and phone from the side table, I follow him outside, closing the door behind me.
“Where are we going?” I ask as we walk down the steps of the front porch.
“Gig Harbor,” he replies as we near his truck.
“Is this your truck?” I ask, looking at the pale-blue pickup truck parked before us. I’m not sure of the year, but the paint job sheens like it’s brand new and even though the truck is definitely old, it appears very well looked after for its age.
“Sure is,” he states proudly. “It’s a 1966 Ford F100 pickup.”
“It’s awesome,” I gush as he opens the door for me, and I jump inside. I slide my hands over the smooth texture of the leather seats as I study the interior.
It’s immaculate. Everything from the speedometer to the old radio with the large knobs alongside it appears original, but the lack of wear and tear on them makes me wonder if they have been replaced.
The fresh scent of pine wafts in the air, and I look around in admiration as Mason hops in the driver’s side and starts the engine.
“It was my grandfather’s baby. We spent months fixing it up together before he passed away. He left this to me in his will.”
“When did your grandfather pass?”
“Two years ago.”
I feel an ache in my chest. He has lost two of the most important male role models in his life, which can’t have been easy, and as much as I want to push the conversation further, by the silence that has followed since answering my question, maybe it’s not something he wants to talk about right now.
As we pull out of my driveway and hit the main road, I decide to change the conversation. “So what’s in Gig Harbor?”
He glances over at me for a moment, a relaxed smile playing on his lips before he answers me with one simple word “Peace.”
ChapterThirteen
AVA
Resting my head back against the seat, I glance out the window and scan the view of Puget Sound as we drive over the Narrows Bridge. Wherever we are going, Mason mentioned peace, but to be honest, just being in his presence is making me feel that already.
That is, of course, until a certain someone randomly pops into my mind.
“How did your night with Lily go?” I blurt out.
“My night?” Mason asks, looking puzzled.
“Yeah. Your study session last night?” I ask, my voice dripping with discontent, and I mentally kick myself for not keeping my cool. It certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed, as a smile tugs on Mason’s lips.
“Well,” he drawls out mockingly. “After she took all her clothes off and gave me a lap dance, we managed to get a fair bit of studying done. So all in all? I would say it was a good night.”
My eyebrows shoot up, and he side-eyes me with a devilish smirk before letting out a hearty chuckle. “You are so cute when you are jealous, Flower.”
“I’m not jealous,” I grumble, turning to look out the window again.
