Page 95 of Fallen Hearts

I wanted to pull her so close to me that there was no beginning or end to either of us. That should be my answer to the captain’s questions, and maybe it was. I just had to find the courage to do what was necessary, even if it wasn’t what I wanted.

Unfortunately, the right thing wasn’t always the easy thing.

A lesson too easily forgotten.

32

PIA

Something had been off with Mason all weekend. Though I couldn’t put my finger on it, exactly, he was more like the Mason I’d first met than the one I’d fallen in love with.

Dammit.

I hadn’t asked for it. Or gone looking for it. But there it was. When he’d asked me to stay the weekend, it took everything in me not to say “Yes!” Instead I played it cool, trying like hell to match his energy. Go with the flow. Be like water.

Inside, though?

“I didn’t ask you here to work,” Mason said, coming into the office. When I got up, he and Parker had already been installing windows. I’d gone over to the inn’s kitchen to talk to Esther and caught up with the weekend guests, but apparently Mason had done that already when I was sleeping. For a guy who didn’t think he’d be good at the innkeeping part of Heritage Hill, Mason was incredibly efficient and attentive.

Wandering back, instead of disturbing the guys, and not ready to go home, I’d wandered in here. Having chatted with Delaney earlier this week, I came up with a finalized plan for our initial phase of community partnership outreach and couldn’t wait to get started. Although it was too late to plan something for the holidays, an idea of a New Year’s Eve bash at Heritage Hill, catered by the Grapevine Bistro, was still doable.

“I know. But I had a dream last night that it was our first big event, and I forgot to order wine. One of the guests was a writer forWine Spectatorand left in a huff. It was a nightmare, actually, come to think about it.”

Mason sat across from me. No kiss. No sex on the desk. In fact, we hadn’t christened anything but his bed this weekend, and though it had been incredible…

“Your boss is an asshole,” he said, paint splattered all over his white tee. He had no business looking so hot, mussed up as he was. But that was Mason for you. The man would look sexy in a potato sack.

“I don’t think so. At least, not most of the time.”

He smiled. “Meant to say, ex-boss.”

“That I’ll give you. But my wine nightmare has nothing to do with him.”

“Sure it does.”

I hated when he was so matter of fact. “No, it’s about…” What was it about? Me not doing a good job? Something I never questioned until… “Fine, maybe a little.”

“Pia,” he said, sitting forward as I sank. “You are one of the most intelligent, capable, visionary people I know. It was his loss and our gain, so I’m glad he’s an asshole. But I also hate that he’s still making you question yourself, even for a second.”

A warm, fuzzy feeling enveloped me at his words. I didn’t want to need them.

“Thank you,” I said simply.

“You’re welcome.” He grinned. “And I’m not saying that because we’re sleeping together.”

Sleeping together. That’s all we were, I supposed.

Be like water.

“You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

No longer smiling, Mason cocked his head to the side, as if contemplating me.

“I have a question for you. Don’t jump to conclusions, but… if I were to go back to the city, are you serious about managing the inn yourself? We could hire someone to help, of course, but it would still be a more intense job than you’d bargained for.”

“You’re going back,” I said, aware my tone was flat. Aware I’d just jumped to a conclusion, as he’d asked me not to do.

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