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“She doesn’t know more than me, though, right, Mason brother?”
“No, bud. Nobody knows as much as you.” I went over to him and ruffled his hair, needing to break the strange tension that had descended over us.
It was too much.
She was too much.
And honestly, I didn’t know what the fuck to do with that.
CHAPTER16
HARPER
“Thanks,”I said as Mason drove me back to the RCC. “I know I keep saying it, but you didn’t have to do that.”
Much to Scottie’s chagrin, Mason had asked their neighbor, an older woman with kind eyes and curly gray hair, to watch him until Mrs. Steele got home.
I got the impression he didn’t want me there when she returned.
“It was nothing,” he said with his dismissive trademark tone.
Things had cooled between us—no trace of the fire that had burned Sunday night. I wanted to ask him about it and see where his head was, but I knew I would only be asking for more heartache, so I swallowed the words.
It wasn’t an easy thing to do. Not when I was ignoring my own advice to be honest and upfront.
But despite the rare moments when a temporary truce settled between us, Mason barely tolerated me, and I suspected that if I hadn’t ended up volunteering at the RCC, I would never have ended up in his bed.
A truth that was hard enough to admit to myself without hearing him say the words.
“I’m not sure Scottie is ever going to let me hear the end of it though.”
“Sorry, I didn’t want to cause any trouble.”
“It’s fine. Although, I’m sure he’ll tell Mom all about it the minute she gets home.”
A beat passed, and for a second, I thought he might let the silence linger. But he said, “Does that happen often?”
“I’m usually extra vigilant, but my boss wanted me to try some new dishes. I should have known better.”
“I didn’t realize it could be so debilitating.”
“It can be a lot worse than that. I’ve spent days holed up in the bathroom before. But like I said, I’m pretty good at managing it now.”
“There isn’t a cure?”
“Nope. Just long-term symptom management. It comes with an increased risk of all kinds of diseases and cancers, so that’s something to look forward to.” Shock fell over Mason’s expression, and I let out a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, it’s not exactly a good conversation piece.”
“I get it,” he said. Only he didn’t clarify what exactly he thought he got. And I didn’t ask because Mason Steele made me feel off-kilter. He was an enigma, layered and complicated.
I’d never met anyone quite like him before.
It was obvious family was important to him, his biological family and the one he had with the team. But beyond that, I didn’t know much about the guy with ice in his gaze and a steel fortress around his heart.
Only, he hadn’t been that guy today. He’d helped me. Gone above and beyond to make sure I was okay. I told myself it didn’t mean anything, that he only did it to appease Scottie, but it was hard to make myself believe it.
We rode the rest of the way in a thick silence, but I couldn’t resist stealing glances at him. Watching him out of the corner of my eye as he focused on the road ahead. I got lost in the strong profile of his face, the way his impressive biceps flexed and contracted under his sweater.
When the RCC finally came into view, I was desperate for some fresh air. But the second he pulled into a parking spot, he twisted around and looked at me.
