Chapter 15
15
PIA
“Someone’s here to see you.”
Beck stood at my office door, which was always open. After a successful first week, I’d just been wrapping up, planning to head back to my apartment for a long, hot bath. Avoiding Mason during our opening week had been impossible. After that near… whatever it was… I’d just wanted to crawl in a hole. Instead, we had to navigate our roles, he as innkeeper and me as manager, and ensure all went smoothly when Heritage Hill opened for the first time in decades without his father greeting guests.
“To see me? Is it Delaney?”
She was the only person I knew in town besides the boys.
“Who?”
“Never mind.”
“Oh, Delaney Thorton. That’s right, I forgot you guys were friends. No, it’s not her. But speaking of her, did she tell you?—”
“That you guys dated in middle school? Yeah, she did. Said you were a terrible kisser.”
As expected, that gutted poor Beck. Hand to his heart as if I’d wounded him, he groaned. “That’s a low blow, Pia.”
I was so bad at keeping up a joke. “Fine. She didn’t say anything about kissing you.”
He smiled. “Knew it, because we never kissed.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nope. I was too scared to try. Was a late bloomer, if you can believe that.”
“I don’t believe it at all, actually.” I closed my laptop. “Did you say someone wanted to see me?”
“Oh yeah. Your mom and sister are here.”
My head snapped back up as I shoved my laptop in its case. “Excuse me?”
“You mom and sister are here.”
So much for pulling more info out of Beck. I stared at him, trying to make sense of his words, but he didn’t say anything more. How was that possible? I’d just talked to Mom, and she didn’t say anything about this at all.
“What the hell?” I grabbed my stuff and rushed from the office.
“How old is your sister?” Beck asked as we headed down the stairs. I stopped and glared at him. “What? She looks just like you.”
“So discriminatory. Twenty-four. Too young, so stay away.”
“I will,” he acknowledged as we made our way to the reception room. “But not because she’s too young.”
I can’t even with him right now.
“Mom?” I turned the corner and, sure enough, my mother and sister Sophia were standing there talking to Mason. “Soph? What the heck are you guys doing here?”
My mother opened her arms. “Surprise!”
Hugging them one at a time, I looked them up and down. Sure enough, they were real.
“You’ve met Mason?”
“Sure have. You never mentioned how handsome your boss is, Pia.”
This was just what I needed. “Really, Mom? Maybe because he’s my boss ?”
“You can be seriously embarrassing,” Soph said, backing me up.
“Well, I certainly don’t mean to be. Did I embarrass you, Mason?”
He looked ready to crack up laughing. At least he didn’t take offense. Thankfully, Mason wasn’t offended easily. And also, he looked really good in navy. I wished I could tell him to stop wearing it.
“Not at all, ma’am.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” I asked them.
“Duh,” Sophia said in her “my big sister is so clueless” tone. “Because it’s a surprise. Mom wanted to make sure you’re all settled in.”
“I’m perfectly settled,” I said, trying to ignore how good Mason smelled. “But my apartment is tiny. How long are you staying?”
“Just the weekend. And if you have plans, don’t worry about us. Sophia and I will get to know the town. Don’t change them for us.”
“Pia, can I talk to you a sec?” Mason asked.
I stepped off to the side with him just as Beck walked from the foyer upstairs. I saw my sister looking. “No. Absolutely”—in case she didn’t get it the first time—“no way.”
Sophia rolled her eyes.
“He already asked about her,” I said, defending my tone to Mason. “And that’s not happening.”
“Don’t blame you. If I had a sister, I wouldn’t let Beck date her either.”
“He is a real piece of work,” I admitted when Mason and I were fully out of range from my mother and sister. “So what’s up?”
“Let them stay here. We have open rooms.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. Why wouldn’t they? Unless you’re dying to sleep on your couch for the weekend.”
“I’m actually not,” I admitted. “But I do love staying up late with Soph after Mom goes to bed and having a wine, or two, with her. Of all my sisters, she and I are the closest. I still can’t believe she’s here.”
“You stay too. Take number one.”
No. Absolutely a terrible idea. Especially in the main house. Why hadn’t he suggested one of the inn’s rooms that were empty for me? Didn’t matter. The answer was no.
The word stuck on my tongue.
Our eyes met.
I thought of saying no. I thought of saying, “That’s a bad idea.” And yet, of all the responses that ran through my head, my mouth was about to blurt out the most dangerous one.
“Sounds good. As long as you’re positive.”
“I’ve been meaning to tell you that, anytime you’re here late and want to stay, number one is open for that reason. Friends and family only.”
“Beck keeps calling it Cole’s room, as if he’ll be joining you three soon.”
“Beck just wants to recreate college, in every way. Cole’s not coming back to Cedar Falls.”
“It seems like you’re right.” My heart raced. “Looks like you’ll be having some unexpected guests this weekend.”
“Works for me.”
Neither of us moved. I could tell he wanted to say more, but words were not always Mason’s strong suit.
“What is it?” I prompted.
“It was a good week,” he said. “Thank you.”
It was a good week, and despite Mason’s concerns that his dad was the affable one, he’d “turned it on” every time he was with a guest.
“You’re welcome,” I said simply, having learned to accept a compliment. It wasn’t always the case. So often when I was young, I’d say things like, “no big deal,” or minimize my accomplishments. But after what happened with Richard, I’d promised myself to knock that shit off.
“Beck and I are painting tonight though. I hope that won’t bother you.”
“Not at all. I’ll take them to dinner, and Soph and I can hang out late at night in my room.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
Besides you?
“Will do.”
I reluctantly pulled myself away from Mason and back to my mom and sister. “Okay, so here’s the scoop. We’re all going to stay here for the weekend since my apartment is tiny. You two will take rooms over there.” I pointed toward the inn section of Heritage Hill. “And I’m going to stay here in the main house. That way,” I said to Soph, “we can have a late-night wine with the kitchen close by.”
“Or two or three wines?” she asked.
“Your mother would like to be invited to the late-night wine session too,” Mom said.
“Sure. We’ll just drag you from the bed where you’ll be snoring after three seconds of watching the Hallmark channel over to my room. And also, you don’t like wine,” I pointed out.
“True,” she admitted.
“Ladies,” Mason called from where I’d left him. “Welcome to Heritage Hill, and Cedar Falls. I’m sure I’ll see you around this weekend.”
“Thank you, Mason,” my mother said sweetly as he left.
The second he did, both Soph and my mother started in.
“Holy shit, Pia. He’s gorgeous.”
“Watch your mouth, Soph,” my mother said. “But she’s right. He really is. Does he have a girlfriend?”
“Have you two hooked up? I’m picking up some vibes.” Sophia picked up her overnight bag.
“No. No. And knock it off,” I answered. “Come on. I’ll show you two ying-yangs to your rooms and will try to make a reservation at a restaurant you’ll love for tonight. Or tomorrow, if I can’t get it tonight.”
“Italian?” my mother asked, as if there wasn’t any other kind of food.
“No, Creole.”
Her face was priceless.
“Trust me, you’ll love this place.”
As we walked toward the hallway that connected the main house and the inn, neither of them let up about Mason, asking question after question. Thankfully, neither one of them asked pointedly if I liked him in that way , because I didn’t make it a habit to lie to my family. And the answer was yes.
I did.