AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She went quiet again, then said, "Is there anything else you wanted, Mason?"
Just you.
But he couldn't say that, not over the phone. He wanted to see her face, see her expression, touch her and show her how much he wanted to be with her.
He sighed as his coworker, Benson, walked in from the kitchen and caught his eye. He raised his glass and said, "Yeah, that's it for now. I want to talk to you tomorrow, Luce, so I hope to see you then?"
"Yeah, I'll be there," she said quietly. "Bye, Mason."
"Bye, little bird," he said, the pressure in his chest tightening. He hung up and walked to the kitchens, then to the office where they'd set up a mini-command center. It was time to set up the sting and see what dirt they could get on Seth.
Chapter 44
Taylor drove Lucy through traffic into the city. Lucy was too nervous to drive, and she needed the emotional support. Taylor glanced at her bouncing leg in the passenger seat and arched a brow.
"That was Mason on the phone," she blurted.
Taylor nodded. "I heard. What'd he say?"
Lucy frowned and shrugged, picking at her nail. "He asked questions about dad, then said he missed me and wants to talk tomorrow."
Taylor tapped in time with the music on the steering wheel. "That's good, right? Maybe you can finally tell him about the baby?"
Lucy nodded, nerves fluttering her stomach. "Something's wrong though. Why would my dad call and invite me to dinner on the same day that Mason calls to ask about my dad? Don't you think that's weird?"
Taylor tilted her head and cut through traffic to their exit. "Maybe a little, but maybe Mason was just using it as an excuse to call."
"Maybe," Lucy said, but heard the own hesitation in her voice.
"You don't have to do this, you know," Taylor said.
Lucy shifted nervously. "Meet with Dad? I kind of feel like I do. I never heard a word after I punched him in the face, and that was months ago. When he called, he said he'd spent the past few months getting himself straightened out. I need to see if it's real."
Taylor sighed, "I know how you feel, babe. Trust me, I know. My dad called from jail asking for bail again."
Lucy frowned. "But the last time you talked to him—"
"Was when he called from jail asking for bail. I know, I know. Why do we hope that they'll change, Luce? Why can't we just forget our deadbeat dads and let it go?"
Lucy shook her head as they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. "I don't know, Tay."
Taylor parked and turned the car off. "Are you going to tell him about the baby?"
Lucy frowned and shook her head. "Probably not. What's the point? If he's clean, that's great, but he'll still have to prove that this time it'll stick. That takes time. I've been down this road before, remember? In high school, he'd clean up for a few months, then be right back to it, then go to jail. I want to hope, but I'm afraid to."
Taylor patted her arm as they gathered their purses. "I know, but I'm here with you, babe. I'll be right here with you the whole time."
Lucy's smile was wobbly as emotions flooded her. She took a few deep breaths and opened her door. She adjusted her summer dress to hide her little baby bump and slung her purse over her shoulder.
"You can probably sit nearby and be fine. Maybe at the bar or at a table beside us?" Lucy asked. Taylor nodded as they walked down the sidewalk to the front door.
The sun had set but the city lights of Dallas were lit up. This wasn't the best neighborhood but it was decent enough, safe enough. It's funny how she'd become so concerned with safety since getting pregnant.
It reminded her of Mason, and she felt tears prick her eyes. He hadn't called since he'd finished training for the Marshals. She'd texted him a congratulations GIF when Ray had told her he was done and headed home. She'd hoped that that would open up the conversation.
But he hadn't replied. She was afraid to hope that her dad was clean, and she was afraid to hope that Mason would take a chance on her. She was tired of being so afraid.
She missed the fun Lucy, the one who would go on adventures and try parasailing and whale watching. Taylor opened the door to the restaurant, and they went inside. She smiled at the hostess and said, "I'm meeting someone, but I'm not sure—oh, there he is."
