Page 51 of Fallen Hearts

But I had.

“I apologize for the way I treated your daughter,” he said. “When she first came?—”

“You’d just buried your father,” my mother said gently.

“I thought you didn’t believe in apologizing?” I asked, sincerely curious. I’d thought about our conversation throughout my shower. More or less. Okay, mostly I’d thought about Mason, but about that conversation too.

“I believe in rectifying wrongs, but you’re right. Usually apologies are unnecessary if we see them as an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. But in this case, I am truly sorry.” His words were as softly spoken as I’d ever heard him before.

“Well, that’s a new one,” Parker said.

“To answer your original question…” Mason ignored Parker and turned his attention to Mom. “She’s doing a phenomenal job. Pia was meant to work in this field.”

“She was brought up in our restaurant, as I’m sure she told you. And she was always good with the customers. Though her dad and I were surprised she didn’t want to work at our place, I agree, it’s a perfect fit for her.”

“Um,” I interjected as our food arrived. “I am right here.”

“Oh look,” Sophia teased. “There you are.”

Well into the meal, my eggplant pizza even better tasting than it smelled, and after my mother regaled Mason with childhood Pia stories, I’d almost forgotten Mason and I were so close our legs touched.

Almost.

Until he leaned into me to snag the small bowl of grated cheese. “Pardon my reach,” he said.

I tried not to inhale.

Tried not to notice our legs were now flush up against each other.

Tried to swallow my pizza. Breathe normally. The basics.

Somehow, I managed to get through the meal. And when my mother said she was ready to go to the inn—no pub for her—I’d almost volunteered to take her back and keep my butt there. I trusted the guys to take care of Soph, who was ready for a night out.

But Mason beat me to it.

“I’ll take you,” he said to Mom. And if that wasn’t enough, when we asked the waiter for the check, she said it was taken care of as she handed Mason his credit card.

When had he managed that?

“Thank you,” Mom said, Sophia echoing the sentiment.

“It’s the least I could do for giving her to Heritage Hill,” he said to my mom, standing.

“You’re awfully complimentary tonight,” I teased him, following. “And thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Looks like you ladies are mine,” Parker said, linking elbows with both me and Sophia. “See you there,” he called to Mason, whisking us away. Mom waved as the three of us made our way up the street, the sight of her with Mason stirring something inside me that shouldn’t be there. A feeling of domesticity, as if we were together and he was taking care of his mother-in-law.

What an absolutely absurd thought.

I turned around again, for one last look, but they’d walked in the opposite direction and were already gone.

18

MASON

Tonight, there would be no sidebar conversations.

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