Page 34 of Sweet Surprise

“Mason had colic. I spent a lot of nights pacing the floor with him. Mrs. Kellerman was the one who told me to put his tummy on my shoulder and that it would help with the discomfort. I finally found an infant gas medicine that seemed to help. Even though it was hard pacing every day and night with him, I’d do it all over again if I had to.”

Carson stared at the photo, let his finger barely rub over it. “Didn’t Todd help?”

“Pfft.” Practically spitting the sound, she shook her head. “No. Todd wasn’t into babies, and he had to work early. He needed his sleep.”

“So did you.” Carson kept his gaze on the photos.

He had no idea how much those three little words meant to her. For so long she had been solely responsible for everything—herself, her son, and Todd. She wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone, not even herself, but she was tired. Bone weary, to the soul, tired.

For the next hour, they sat side by side, poring over albums and memory boxes. Jess shared stories of Mason’s first steps, his obsession with dinosaurs that started at age three, his earliest drawings—stick figures that somehow already showed the promise of artistic talent to come. Carson listened intently, asking questions, occasionally reaching out to touch a photo or a memento as if trying to connect with the years he’d missed.

Mason drifted in and out of their reminiscing, sometimes pausing to explain a particular toy or drawing before darting off to play with other re-found toys. Brady followed him dutifully, sniffing each new treasure with curious interest. Mason’s new best friend.

It had only been a few weeks since she’d driven into Honeysuckle with no plan beyond telling Carson the truth about Mason. Now here she was, surrounded by the physical evidence of her old life, seamlessly integrating into her new one. And at the center of it all was Carson, steady and reliable, offering support she hadn’t even known to ask for.

So this was what it felt like, she realized, to have someone truly have your back. To have a partner in all the ways that mattered, even if the foundation of their relationship was built on practicality rather than passion.

“Look what I found!” Mason’s excited voice broke through her reverie as he bounded back into the room, clutching a small wooden box. “My rock collection!” Apparently, he and Nonnie along with Uncle Garret had been sorting through the boxes from Mason’s old room, now piled in his new room.

He plopped down between them, carefully opening the box to reveal an assortment of stones in various shapes and colors. “This one glows in the dark,” he explained, holding up a pale green rock. “And this one has real gold in it. See the sparkles?”

“That’s amazing,” Carson said with genuine interest. “I used to collect rocks when I was your age too.”

“Really?” Mason’s eyes widened. “Do you still have them?”

“I think they might be in a box in the attic.” Carson glanced at Jess, a mischievous glint in his eye. “If I still have them, I bet Nonnie knows exactly where they are.”

“Cool!” Mason turned and practically vibrating with excitement, bolted back up the stairs, calling Nonnie on his way.

“I don’t know that I have ever seen him quite this happy, every single day.”

“I’m glad.” Carson’s gaze returned to the last pages of another album. Ones with Mason older, his first day of kindergarten, his last birthday, Christmas.

Carson flipped forward and back a few pages. “I don’t see any of Todd. Not very photogenic?”

“Not very present.” She didn’t want to think about all the years with a good man she’d robbed her son of. “I should have left him years ago.”

“Hey.” Carson reached under her chin with one finger and turned her head to face him. “You did the best you could under difficult circumstances. The proof that it was more than good enough is in how happy and well adjusted Mason is despite the man you thought was his father.”

His smile was warm, genuine, and for a moment, Jess allowed herself to forget that this was all temporary, that in less than a year they’d be going their separate ways. For now, it was enough to be here, surrounded by the pieces of her past while building something new, however fleeting it might be.

Yes, Jess thought, watching Carson push to his feet and carry the box of memories upstairs to their room. Even if none of this would be forever, even if their budding relationship was built on convenience rather than love, what they had right now was real enough. And after everything they’d been through, maybe that was all that mattered.

Chapter Fourteen

Carson guided the Jeep over a rough patch of terrain, glancing in the rearview mirror at Mason, who bounced excitedly in the back seat. The boy had his backpack clutched to his chest, the binoculars and his prized telescope handed down from Carson safely at his side.

“How much farther?” Mason asked for at least the fifth time.

“About ten minutes,” Carson answered with the same patience he’d shown the previous four times. “If the mustangs are still around, we might find them grazing just past that ridge.”

“If they’re not,” Mason watched the horizon carefully, “can we go back to the canyon where we found them last time?”

“Maybe,” Carson said. “But no promises. Fixing fence lines can go quickly or take a while. We’ll have to play it by ear.”

The kid stared at him through the rearview mirror as if Carson had spoken in Greek.

“Playing by ear means you wait to see what happens and then make a decision.”

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