Page 55 of Mason

“I messed up big time, Josephine.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I went to check on my dad, he told me he wanted to stop his cancer treatments because they were making him sicker, and he just wanted to spend what time he had left with his family.”

“I’m so sorry, Mason.”

“I couldn’t let him stop his meds. They’re what’s keeping him with us. So, I tried to find ways to make him see…” Mason broke off, shuddering. He was terrified of telling her this, but he had to. Especially if he wanted to go through with the plan he’d devised sitting here all day.

“This is where you messed up?” Jo asked softly.

He nodded. “Not intentionally. I blame Mama for taking my words out of context. I asked Papa if he didn’t want to be around to see you and me get married, to hold my son.”

“Okay, that sounds reasonable.”

“Mama took it as I asked you to marry me and pounced on it. Papa looked so happy and told me he’d stay on his treatments to see us get married. I should have told him the truth then and there, but he looked so happy, JoJo. He told me he was proud of me.”

Jo was quiet for a heartbeat, but it was longest heartbeat of Mason’s life.

“Your parents think we’re getting married?”

He couldn’t tell what she was thinking because her expression was blank. Not good.

“I’m going to tell them the truth. I just…I couldn’t in that second…” He trailed off, miserable.

“No. If it means keeping your dad on his treatments, let them believe that.”

Shocked. That was his first response.

“It’s not that simple, Josephine. Mama andBabushka…they’re a force of nature. They’ll call your parents, they’ll call their priest, they’ll start planning. It would snowball out of control until we’re standing in a church. And then what would we do? I can’t do that to you. When I ask you to marry me, I want you to know it’s because I love you and not because of keeping my father on his treatments.”

“Mason, I know you love me. You moved mountains to get to me in a blizzard when I needed you.”

“I’ll always come for you. You need me, I’m there.”

She smiled softly up at him. “I know.”

“My brothers told me not to tell you, to just ask you to marry me.”

“What?” Now, that got her attention and she sat up, facing him. Mason grew a little alarmed at the abrupt position change. She moved so fast, she was lucky she didn’t fall out of her damned chair.

“I’m going to marry you one day, Josephine. They just told me to move up my timeline. You didn’t need to know why.”

“And what if I found out? Did they think how that would make me feel?”

“That’s why I’m telling you the truth.” Mason rolled his shoulders, trying to ease some of the stress. “I won’t ever lie to you. Even by omitting the truth.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Iamgoing to marry you one day, Josephine, and when I ask, you’ll know it’s because I want you to spend the rest of your life with me, not because of Papa.”

“What if I don’t want to get married?” Jo asked, her expression tight. “To anyone? Ever?”

“Then you and I will happily live in sin for the rest of our lives, and you can deal with Mama andBabushkalecturing us on our wanton ways.”

That made her smile, and Mason was relieved to see that trapped look leave her eyes. He was right to tell her, to not just spring the question on her.

“Back to your daddy. We can’t tell him the truth. That would only hurt him more and maybe drive him to stop his treatments, so what can we do?”

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