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"You and I both know once this sabbatical is over, you'll be put out to pasture with the Rangers. They'll stick you in some desk job and trust me. It's not worth it. You need to figure out where to go next."
Mason sighed and looked up, catching Lucy's gaze. He might as well tell them both the truth.
"Pops, I didn't tell you, but the FBI wants me to do some snooping down here. I'm on contract, and if all goes well, there's a job waiting for me when I get back."
Ray paused, and Mason just breathed heavily while Lucy's eyes widened. His back ached from the all day travel, and he reached back to rub at the spot.
Ray's voice dropped quieter. "Well, I didn't know that, did I? I thought maybe you'd move back to Crimson Creek. Even if I'm not the sheriff anymore, they'll welcome you back to the force."
He sighed and squeezed the back of his neck. "I don't think that's in the cards for me yet, Pops. I'd love to live close to you, and I see myself going back to the Crimson Creek police department eventually. But I've still got a lot of good years left in me, and if the FBI is calling, I want to take it."
A pause on the other line left time for him to arch his back. "I can understand that, son. Trust me. I didn't like when that heart attack put me to pasture, but I sure am loving life now. I just want the same for you."
Mason smiled absently at the ocean. "I love life, Pops."
"But there's no love in your life, Mason. Don't you see? That's where it all starts to balance out."
Mason's stomach dropped. They were definitely matchmaking, but he couldn't afford a relationship. Even if he could trust her, there'd always be some part of him that felt guilty going to work. His last girlfriend had shown him that, right before she'd been caught in the crossfire.
He hadn't seen it coming. His instincts were off, which meant he couldn't trust himself to do right by Lucy or any other girl.
Lucy was picking at her bright pink sparkly nails. She deserved more than he could offer her.
He sighed and stood, leaning one arm on the half wall that separated their patio from the neighbors. "I hear you, Pops. But it's not going to end how you want it to."
"Mason, it's time to get back on the horse."
His jaw clenched, and he closed his eyes against the memories. "No, Pops. I don't mind hanging out with her. She's a great girl. But I'm here for a job, and I'm going to do it well. Without Lucy."
The pause on the other end of the line spoke volumes. He'd been by Mason's side throughout the chaos of last summer.
"Just spend the next two weeks getting to know her, will ya?"
He sighed and rubbed his back again. "There's not really anything else I can do, is there? But I have work to do, so I'm not sure how much time we'll spend together."
"Just try, Mason. That's all I'm asking."
"Fine. But I'm not going to mix business and pleasure. Not again, Pops." He tried to clear his throat from the lump that threatened to choke him. "I'm going to go now. Gotta figure this shit out. Bye Pops."
They hung up, and he glanced over his shoulder. Lucy stood up and propped a hand on one cocked hip. Her eyes were wide with curiosity, but she only asked, "So? What'd he say?"
Mason swallowed hard, the memories still at the forefront of his mind. "I guess we're here together for the next two weeks, but I do have to work, Lucy. Do you understand?"
She nodded but didn't say anything. She just stared at him with those big brown eyes that seemed to see into his soul.
He glanced away and marched back inside to the built in phone on the desk. He flipped through a binder, looking for the number.
"I'm starving. Are you hungry?"
She came inside and fiddled with her phone. "I am, but what are we going to do about the bed?"
He paused and looked at her as she plopped onto the couch, laying along the length of it and making her dress ride up again. Shit. How could he have forgotten about the bed? He groaned and sat in the computer chair with a sigh.
"I can ask if there's another room, if you're uncomfortable."
Just because they slept together at Christmas didn't mean they were automatically going to do so again. But if they shared the bed, the odds of more sex increased a thousand percent.
She shrugged and tucked her hands behind her head as her cheeks turned pink. "I asked about a room with two beds, but Nana specifically requested one bed when she confirmed the booking in December."
