"What, you got another one?"
"Not yet," I admitted. "But even with this one, I was never almost fired."
"You sure about that?"
"Reasonably sure," I said. "I mean, I think I'd know, right?"
"Wrong," Mason said. "That day I saw you with Willow, I told Brody you had to go." He gave me a serious look. "Andthat ifhedidn't fire you,Iwould."
Unbelievable."But you can't fire me," I protested. "I don't even work for you. And technically, I don't work for Brody either."
"Trust me," Mason said, "if we wanted you gone, you'd be gone."
I started to argue, but stopped myself just in time. His claim was truer than I cared to admit. In fact, I'd concluded the very same thing on my own not too long ago.
Mason continued. "And you wanna know what Brody told me?"
"What?"
"That if you were forced out, he'd leave, too."
My jaw dropped. "What? He didn't."
"He did."
"But when?" I asked. "And why?"
"The 'when' is easy," Mason said. "It was after I brought Willow back home. By then, I'd gotten the full story on what had happened, and…" He gave a tight shrug. "I figured Imightowe you an apology."
Holy Hell.
So he was admitting it?
I gave him a tight smile. "Oh, you might, huh?" With an expectant look, I added, "Just so you know, you can start any time."
"Later," he said. "And, as to your second question, the 'why,' – Brody said it wasn't right for you to pay formyscrew-up."
"Wait.Yourscrew-up?"
"Willow's my responsibility. Not yours. And not Brody's. It wasmyfault she went missing."
"And the nanny's," I said.
"Nanny or not," Mason said. "Brody was right – even if hewaslying his ass off."
"Wait, what?"
"His reason was bullshit, and I told him so."
I wasn't following. "But you just said you agreed with it."
"No. I said I agreed with his analysis – that it was my fault, not yours. But that's not why he threatened to walk." With a rueful laugh, Mason added, "Or kick my ass."
"Wait, he did?" I was so stupidly touched, I felt my eyes grow misty. "Seriously? He did that for me?"
"He did it forsomeone," Mason said. "And it sure as hell wasn't me."
I stared up at him. "But why are you telling me this?"
