Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
“Have you been to the library since it was remodeled?”
Sky was retreating again. He was quieter—distant and distracted—as they showered and ate breakfast. Mason was hoping the library would snap him out of it and bring him back.
“Nope.” Sky shook his head, staring out the passenger window and reciting the names of new businesses as they drove down Main Street.
“But it’s a library, so it’ll be awesome.
Libraries are always awesome,” he murmured, then tapped the glass.
“When did Mo’s close?” he asked angrily and looked at Mason like he was responsible.
“After Mo died…”
“No! That sucks. Mo was the best and his ice cream was my favorite.” Sky crossed his arms over his chest and pouted at the windshield.
“I’m sorry.” Mason reached over and gave Sky’s arm a squeeze. “His daughter, ‘Tisha, is still around. I’ll see if she has Mo’s vanilla ice cream recipe and try to replicate it for you,” he offered.
Sky’s head swung around and his brows pinched. “Who would do that?” he laughed, then rolled his eyes. “You would. That’s exactly the sort of thing you love doing,” he said but he made it sound like a bad thing.
They had arrived and Mason pulled into a spot by the front door. “I’m sorry?” he attempted but Sky made a pfft! sound.
“No, you’re not. Being the most thoughtful jerk on the planet is your thing, Mase.
You’d probably fly to Madagascar and pick the vanilla pods yourself, then milk a cow for fresh cream if ‘Tisha told you it was part of Mo’s process.
You’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it’s perfect and afterwards, you’ll tell me it wasn’t any trouble. ”
“It definitely wouldn’t be that much trouble. I probably have most of the ingredients at home.”
Mason thought that “thoughtful jerk” was perfectly accurate and well-deserved.
He couldn’t explain why he was pushing his luck with Sky and setting them both up for heartache.
Every bit of his common sense warned that they had gone too far and to turn back at once, but huge chunks of his heart and his soul already belonged to Sky.
Everything that wasn’t reserved for Sam, Sina, and his parents was Sky’s and always had been.
Those parts craved more and reveled in every moment with Sky.
After years of missing him and wishing for another chance to see him and hear his voice, it was impossible not to stare and want to be closer.
It didn’t matter how much it hurt him, Mason would pay any price for more time with Sky.
He knew it would cost Sky just as much, if not more, but Mason couldn’t stop himself and he couldn’t hold back.
At least we’d have this.
There was no telling what might happen down the road.
They’d always wonder if they should have tried and what it would have been like.
Now, they finally knew that they had something real, even if it only lasted for a handful of days, and it was good.
Neither would waste time worrying if it was all in his head or if he was a coward.
And if some wild opportunity arose, they would know if it was worth the risk or worth waiting for.
Mason didn’t want to overwhelm Sky more than he already was by sharing all of his rationalizations. “I have a really nice ice cream maker in the pantry. Sina gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago.”
“Awesome. Maybe you could find a recipe book while we’re here,” Sky said, tilting his head toward the library impatiently. “Don’t forget your sweet tote,” he teased over his shoulder before pushing open the truck’s door and getting out.
“What’s wrong with my tote?” Mason asked as he reached back and grabbed the black and pink bag. It stayed on a hook by the front door and Sam and Sina dropped their library books in it when they were done with them.
“Nothing,” Sky said with a smirk. “You like big books and you cannot lie.”
He also liked big butts and the silly song.
“It’s true.” Mason pulled the straps over his shoulder and joined Sky on the sidewalk. “Most of the time.”
“Hmm.” It was a neutral hum and Sky seemed more interested in the library’s bright new atrium. “This is great!” He gestured overhead at the skylight that ran the length of the building.
As was Sky’s habit when he was out with those he trusted, he walked with his shoulder pressed against Mason’s so he wouldn’t trip or crash into anything while he stared at the sky or anything of interest around him, really.
It was why he had such a hard time moving around the city on his own, Sky had confided.
He couldn’t leave his apartment without noise-canceling headphones and rarely took his eyes off his phone if he was alone.
That was another reason why he was so attached to Kayla.
She understood and enjoyed being his sidekick in the city.
“Oh, wow! It’s you!” Audrey Campbell bounced excitedly behind the counter and pointed at Sky, but Mason pretended it was aimed at him.
“Calm down, Audrey. I might be the mayor, but I put my pants on one leg at a time. Besides, you saw me last week.” He took the stack of books out of his bag and slid them toward her.
“You know I adore you,” she told Mason, then smiled at Sky, looking a tad starstruck. “We keep ordering more copies of your book, but we can’t keep them on the shelf! It’s our longest hold!”
“Really?” That’s—!” Sky covered his face as he ducked and blushed. “So kind. Thank you. Please, stop.”
Only Sky could hate being famous and make it adorable. I love him even more now.
They looked at Mason and he realized he had sighed out loud.
Stop swooning, dummy.
“Did our holds come in?” he asked Audrey. “I’ve been looking forward to picking them up.”
“And you’re telling me to calm down,” she said with a wink at Sky.
“Let me check. I’m pretty sure I stacked a few for the Cartwrights this morning.
” Audrey turned to her computer and efficiently typed in their names.
“Six books. Be right back!” She dashed into the room to her left and reappeared a moment later, holding up a hockey romance with an illustrated cover.
“Tell Sarina she has to come and see me after she reads this.”
“I’ll let her know.” Mason waited as she scanned each book, depositing them into his bag. Then thanked her. “Wanna take a tour?” he asked Sky and waved for him to follow.
“I’d love one.”
Sky fell in step next to Mason again, their shoulders touching. “Since when does Sina read romance novels?”
“She doesn’t,” Mason whispered out of the side of his mouth. “I check out romances with my card all the time but this one’s a very spicy gay hockey romance. I got hooked on them a few years ago, for obvious reasons.”
“Because you play hockey and they’re good?” Sky confirmed, his tone getting flatter as his focus shifted.
“I think so.”
Sky nodded. “I’ll download it and read it on the train.”
He didn’t seem interested in talking after that or was too distracted, so Mason rambled about the building’s new amenities and various art pieces and installations from local donors and philanthropists.
Every now and then, Sky would grab Mason’s wrist and give it a slight tug, signaling that he wanted to stop and get a closer look at something.
He found three books and mumbled, “Check these out for me,” before nodding at the kids’ section and tugging on Mason’s wrist. “There better be a train table or you’re fired. ”
The library had two. Mason had pushed hard for them because Sky loved them so much when he was a kid.
Still loved them apparently.
“Dude! Can I play with these?” he whispered excitedly and spun to see if there were any children around waiting for a turn.
There weren’t any, but Mason would have run them off if there were. “Go for it. Tell them I said it was okay. I’ll check these out and be right back.”
“Thanks, Mase!” Sky dropped to his knees next to the closest table and began taking inventory and naming the various tank engines. “Where the hell is Percy?” he asked, turning and crawling to check the other table.
Knowing he wouldn’t want to be rushed, Mason stopped at the coffee stand after checking out Sky’s books. He ordered himself a caramel macchiato and a vanilla latte for Sky. They hung out by the train tables for almost an hour, then left when Sky said he was getting hungry.
Everyone at Gino’s was elated to see Sky and pretty pleased that Mason was there as well when they stepped into the small pizza shop.
There were only four tables, an ancient soda fountain, a counter along the wall, and stools for extra seating.
You could feel the heat of the brick oven and watch as pizzas and calzones were made.
Gino’s daughter, Carla, insisted on taking their order and sitting with them while they waited and ate.
They had to share a bottle of red wine, of course, and she tried to spoon-feed Sky his vanilla ice cream.
“Don’t be a stranger, my sweet boy!” Carla air-kissed both of his cheeks loudly and gave his right an affectionate pat. “I’m proud of you, you know that?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” Sky kissed her cheek before ducking out the front door.
“Always the same, that boy. It’s good to see you two together again,” she told Mason.
She was fast for a woman in her late seventies and caught his hand before he could get his card out of his wallet.
“Don’t worry about it this time. I’m so happy you two stopped by.
You and Skylar and that family of yours probably paid for half of this.
” She waved around them and laughed. “Always our most loyal customers.”
“We do eat a lot of pizza, and there’s only one place that makes it the way we like it,” he said as he lowered and pressed his cheek against her right and then her left.
She laughed because there were actually three pizza places in Roseview but Gino’s was the oldest and the other two had changed ownership several times over the years. “You have a nice day, Mason, and give Little Sam a big squeeze from me.”
“Will do,” he said as he left and found Sky leaning against the truck’s hood. “I need to stop by the market on the way home.” Mason opened the passenger door for Sky. “We’re almost out of fruit punch and a few other odds and ends, and I didn’t take anything out of the freezer for dinner.”
Mason closed Sky’s door, then ran around to the driver’s side.
Why does this feel like the end of a really good date?
It might have been the best date of his life, which was a bit strange considering it was just a trip to the library for the week’s book run, some quality time with Thomas and the other tank engines, and lunch at Gino’s.
“What’s up?” Sky asked when Mason slid behind the wheel and buckled his seatbelt.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about what I should make for dinner. Any ideas?”
Sky squeezed an eye shut, then slowly shook his head. “I’m so full right now. My brain won’t go there, but you know what kinds of things I like.”
“How about…?” Mason could cook all kinds of things, and food was one of his love languages.
But it was tricky to know what Sky would be in the mood for when it came to dinner.
His sensory and emotional batteries were usually pretty low at the end of the day, and his threshold for surprises was at its lowest. “What about something you haven’t had in a while, maybe something Nadine used to make.
I’ve been feeding you well since you’ve been here, but you probably don’t eat a lot of home cooked meals in the city. ”
“Do frozen dinners and air fried chicken nuggets count if they’re made in a home?”
“No.”
Sky rubbed his temple. “What about… Oh! Can you make a pot roast?”
A wide grin stretched across Mason’s face. “I can make a pot roast. It might even be better than Nadine’s.”
Sky looked concerned. “That better not be true because we’re both in trouble if Nadine finds out.”