Chapter 21
21
C arley finished prepping the casserole and slid it into the oven. She cleaned up her mess then set the table. She pulled her laptop from its case and opened it on the kitchen counter. She answered a couple of emails then looked at her calendar. She had to show Layton Terry the condo in three hours. She had enough time.
She received a signed offer on one of her listings from another real estate agent in the area and grinned when she saw the offer was the same as the asking price. She forwarded it to her seller with a note, "We've received a signed offer on your house. Congratulations! Time to pack."
The oven timer was about to go off, so she opened the oven and pulled the casserole out. She padded down the hall to the bedroom. Standing in the doorway, she watched Mason sleep. His face was relaxed and his breathing was even and strong. He was a handsome one. Incredibly handsome. She allowed herself a couple of minutes to stare at him, then softly stepped next to the bed. She ran her hand down his arm as she softly said, "Hey, there. It's time to get up."
He didn't wake so she spoke a bit louder. "Hey, Mason. Honey, it's time to get up."
He didn't wake but he did move his legs. Then his legs began thrashing, and she stepped back, worrying he’d reinjure his leg, but afraid to get too close. He was having another nightmare. His arms began pushing away from him as if he was pushing something or someone back. His legs kicked almost like he was running. Then he bolted upright and stared across the room for a moment.
Carley swallowed and stepped in his line of vision. "Hey."
He took a deep breath. "Hey."
He scraped his hands through his hair, then down his face. Turning his face toward her he asked, "Did I scare you?"
"No."
His lips frowned for a moment. He twisted and set his feet on the floor with a slight wince. Carley softly announced "supper's ready when you are. The primary bathroom is right down this little hallway to your right. Take your time, it can sit a few minutes."
She turned to leave the room, but he halted her. "Hey."
She turned to him. "Yes."
He grinned. "You were scared."
"I wasn't."
He cocked his head and waited.
"I wasn't. I'm never sure what I should do. Get out of the way. Get in the way. Call out to you." She shrugged. "I don't know what you're pushing away, and I don't want to be replaced as that thing or person."
He let out a deep breath. "Yeah." He looked at his feet then his eyes slid up to hers. "I keep having nightmares about the people I've killed."
"Killed?"
He shrugged. "They were on my operating table, and I couldn't save them. I killed them."
"No, you didn't. That's not killing someone, Mason. You may not have been able to save them, but you didn't kill them."
"In my nightmares, I did, and they're trying to get to me to kill me too."
Her shoulders dropped and she stepped in front of him and knelt. Tipping her head up to look into his beautiful, sad eyes, she smiled softly. "You're not a murderer."
"I didn't help them. That's what I was trained to do. But I didn't do it."
She ran her hands up and down his firm solid arms. "Mason." Taking a deep breath she said, "You were trained to help people who can be helped. Not everyone who comes into your OR is savable. Especially not in a time of war. You were working under hard conditions. Even outside of the war arena, there will be those you just cannot save, no matter how much training you have. When it's our time to go, God will call us home."
His eyes stared into hers for a long time. His watered slightly and he blinked rapidly to dry them. He nodded and swallowed. She raised herself up and touched her lips lightly to his. His hands bracketed her head and his lips moved slightly against hers. It was a sweet kiss. Nice. He rested his forehead against hers.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, and they stayed in that position for some time. Comforting each other. Sharing a moment. A quiet moment that didn’t feel awkward. It was sweet. He was such a contrast of emotions. When they had sex, he could take charge. He knew what he wanted and was learning what she wanted. Then, there were times like this when he was completely vulnerable. She liked both Masons.
He pulled back slightly and chuckled. "I'm sorry to break this moment because it's one of the best moments of my life. Comforting and comfortable. But I have to piss."
She chuckled. "Mother Nature calls."
She stood up, then backed away, and he stood and waited to make sure his balance was intact. Then he limped to the ensuite bathroom, and she went out to the kitchen to get supper on the table.
Pulling the salad from the refrigerator, she carried it to the table, then turned to get the dressing from the fridge when Mason appeared in the doorway.
She smiled. "Hey. Take a seat at the table. What can I get you to drink?"
"A beer."
She halted. "Can you have one?"
His brows pinched together. "Because of the pain pills? They were just a strong Acetaminophen. It was..." He glanced at his watch. "About five hours ago. Likely not in my system any longer."
She nodded. "Okay."
"Plus, I'm not driving today."
She halted, then kept moving. His brows rose in the air. "What was that?"
"I have a showing at the condos tonight with Layton Terry."
Mason's head went back. "Oh. Shit. I'm sorry. I forgot."
She grinned. "It's perfectly understandable. You've had a day."
"Skip the beer. What are you having?"
"Iced tea."
"I'll have the same, please."
She turned to the fridge and pulled the pitcher of tea from inside. Standing next to Mason, she poured tea into his glass, then repeated for her glass. His arm wrapped around her waist, and he squeezed her. "I'm sorry. I should have remembered."
Carley chuckled. "I'm not mad or sad. It's perfectly fine. I don't expect you to come with me. You have a hole in your leg."
He shook his head. "I have a dent in my leg, not a hole. It's little more than that."
She chuckled, kissed the top of his head, then sat across from him. "So we have a green salad, and cheesy broccoli and chicken casserole."
"It smells amazing."
He used the spoon she'd put on the table to dish himself a healthy portion. She smiled as he ate. He nodded often and hummed his appreciation. "This is really good."
It felt good to cook for someone who appreciated their food and enjoyed your cooking.