Page 16 of Damsel in Defense
“Yeah,” Mason says, rubbing the back of his neck.“I live here part-time with two of my teammates.It’s sort of a shared space during the season.But I’ve got it to myself until training starts up next month.”
“So…we’re alone?”I ask before I can stop myself.
His smile turns sly.“Unless you brought backup?”
I roll my eyes and toe off my shoes.“Didn’t realize I needed a chaperone.”
“You don’t,” he says, leading me toward the kitchen.“But if it helps, I made turkey burgers and sweet potato fries.Keeping with the comfort theme.Figured we could both use it after travelling.”
“You cooked?”
“I do that sometimes.”He shrugs.“Can’t live on protein bars and takeout alone.Well, Icould, but then I’d probably get kicked off the Nighthawks for rolling around the ice.I’ll save that luxury for when I retire.Many, many years from now.”He knocks on the counter.
“Right,” I say, sliding into a bar stool as he plates the food.“Wouldn’t want to disappoint your fans.”
He arches a brow.“Jealous already?”
“Not even close.”
“Can I get you a drink?”
“I don’t drink,” I say on autopilot.
“Like anything?Not even water?”
“Har-har, Mr.Funny.I just meant I don’t drink alcohol.”
“Is that for any particular reason?”he asks, hand on the fridge door.It’s on the tip of my tongue to lie to him and make a joke to distract from his question.A little voice in my head whispers that with Mason, I can be my authentic self.
“When I was in my early twenties, I was part of a rock group with my brother.Drinking was like breathing back then.But it comes to a point where the hangovers are never worth it, and I saw what booze was doing to the people I loved.So I just stopped drinking.I wasn’t an addict or anything, but I didn’t like who I was.”
“It’s incredible that you were able to see that within yourself.Not many people would or could do that.”
I scrunch my lips up, giving him a small acknowledgment.
“I was going to grab a can of raspberry sparkling water.Does that sound good to you?”
“Perfect.”A zing goes through me at how easily he accepted that part of me.He didn’t question whether I was telling the truth or what the tabloids always made me out to be a drunk.Mason listed and accepted me on my word.
He rounds the island, sitting beside me and placing two cans on the marble.I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the food was right in front of me.Apparently, a bag of tortilla chips and coffee as sustenance wasn’t enough.
I must make a sound when I bite into the turkey burger because I see Mason scrunch up his shoulders and laugh from the corner of my eye.I don’t care.This burger deserves my praise.
We eat in comfortable silence until most of my food is gone.
“So why were you in Barbados?Were you attending a wedding too?”I ask around my next bite of food.
“No, I was there with my family for the last week.We try to do family vacation once every couple of years.”
“That…sounds really nice.You must be close to them.”
“I am.My parents and youngest sister live in Calgary.Then I have a brother who’s also here in the city, but he flew back early due to a work emergency.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Honestly, I have no idea.He works in covert security with some ex-Marine friends, and I never really know what he’s doing.He’sokay.I think they needed his expertise on something.”
“That sounds like a wild job.”Popping a fry into my mouth, I twist on my stool to get a better look at him.“Right now, you’re in the off-season, right?”He nods around his last bite of burger.“So what do you do with your summers off?”
