“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit?”
“As soon as I’ve got the pizza.”
I wasn’t sure how to say goodbye. Should I hug him? I couldn’t take another one of those kisses. I settled on an awkward half-wave.
But Mason didn’t. He pulled me into a tight hug, pressing his lips to my hair. “Everything’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
Everything about the moment was a wash of reassurance. The strength of his hold. The warmth of his body. The feel of his words. And all of it was dangerous for me to sink into. But I was stupid when it came to men. So, I sank into the comfort anyway.
12
Mason
I checkedmy watch for what seemed like the hundredth time. They were late. Movers were rarely on time, and the whole process always took longer than you thought it would, but it didn’t stop worry from gnawing at me. I should’ve met them at the cottage instead of waiting for them here. A million what-ifs ran rampant in my brain. The Foleys showing up and wreaking havoc. A car accident.
An alert on my phone dinged, and I pulled it out of my pocket. I’d left the gate open, but the security system would still notify me if there was movement. I pulled up one of the video feeds just in time to see a familiar blue hatchback drive slowly by.
I headed down the stairs. I already had one of the bays on my garage open for Anna, but I wasn’t sure if they had stuff they needed to unload first. She rounded the circular drive, rolling down the passenger window. Justin stuck his head out. “Your house is sick!”
The corner of my mouth kicked up. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“Total compliment.”
“Glad you like it since you’ll be living here.”
His eyes widened as if just remembering that fact. “This is gonna be awesome.”
I hoped he was right. There were a lot of balls in play right now, and this transition would take time. But no matter what hurdles we encountered; it would be worth it to keep the kids safe.
Anna leaned forward. “Where should I park?”
I reached through the window and held out a garage door opener. “I left a bay open for you. Here’s the remote that goes to it. That’ll be yours.”
“Thanks.” She slowly pulled forward, heading for the garage, and I followed.
There was more than enough room in the five bays. Only two had truly been used. One with the SUV I drove most often, and another for a truck I used around the property if I was working on a project. A couple of ATVs and a snowmobile were stored in the bonus space.
Doors slammed as everyone got out. Justin’s gaze immediately cut to the toys. “Are those yours?”
“Yup. Have you driven an ATV before?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted to.”
“Maybe we can take them out tomorrow once you’re all settled.” I glanced at Anna, who was scowling at the vehicles. “But you have to wear a helmet.”
“I don’t know if he’s old enough, and those don’t exactly look safe,” she argued.
The cage-like covering for the four-wheelers didn’t exactly inspire confidence. “I promise they are. I got the safest ones on the market. You could roll it a dozen times and not get a scratch.”
Anna’s eyes narrowed in my direction. “I don’t want him rolling anything.”
Justin leaned into his aunt with a grin. “I’ll be super careful, promise.”
“Sure, you will,” she grumbled.
I motioned them towards the garage’s entrance to the house. “Come on, let’s head inside.” I looked at Lyla, who seemed more nervous than I’d ever seen her. “You ready?”
She nodded but didn’t say anything. I waited while she caught up to me. “I know this is a new place, and new can sometimes be scary, but we can do whatever we need to make this feel like home, okay?”
