Chapter 32
COLE
“Does Parker know you’re here?” Mason asked as he strode into the kitchen.
I was already showered and changed, pulling a handful of water bottles from the fridge. When I was in town, I stayed in the house portion of Heritage Hill, separate from the guest rooms. This kitchen felt more like home than my real one ever had.
“Why do you ask?”
As a former Army Ranger and NYPD cop, very little got past Mason. He gave me a look that said exactly why do you think? I didn’t bother answering.
“Do you have a small cooler around here or something?”
Without a word, he crossed to a cabinet and tossed a padded cooler in my direction.
“He’s not happy.”
I assumed as much.
“What do you want me to say? We’re both adults.”
I started packing the water bottles. When Mason sat on a stool at the center island, I knew I was screwed. This was not a casual check in.
This was an interrogation.
Mason style.
“I have to agree with him on this one.”
I glanced at my phone. Plenty of time before I needed to pick her up. Not how I wanted to spend it.
“Look, Mace—”
“Don’t give me some cracked-out line about knowing what you’re doing and not hurting her or whatever else you were about to say,” he cut in. “It’s me. The guy who was in your exact situation a year ago and knows how this ends.”
The parallels hadn’t escaped me.
“Not exactly.”
“Close enough,” he said. “You live in the city. You can’t stay away from this town. And now there’s one woman keeping you anchored here.” He smiled for the first time since walking in. “Pretty ironic, isn’t it?”
There was no point bullshitting him. Mason could smell it a mile away.
“It was one night.”
He held up a hand.
“Stop. I saw you together Friday night. Parker has eyes too. He said you were acting strange in Italy.”
“Strange?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Parker said from behind me.
Of course.
“Literally never seen you act like that around a woman in my life,” Parker added as he went straight to the fridge, opened my cooler, and took a bottle of water.
“Help yourself,” I muttered.
Mason watched him take a sip, then grabbed one for himself.
“Hey,” I said. “Those were mine.”
“Technically, they’re mine,” Mason replied.
Parker pointed at him. “He’s got a point.”
“Parker’s never seen you act like that,” Mason continued, “because we never actually see you with women.”
A blessing, really.
“Guys, listen,” I said. “I didn’t expect Italy. I didn’t expect to enjoy her company. I came up this weekend because I wanted to see her. Last night was her idea. We talked in Italy. She knows I’m not a relationship guy.”
Parker snorted, gesturing toward Mason. “He wasn’t a relationship guy either. You take it to the next level.”
Mason shrugged. “He’s right. I wasn’t. Then I was. And now look at me.”
I waited for the point.
It never came.
“What do you want me to say?” I asked.
Parker ran a hand through his hair. “We’re looking out for Delaney and her friend. But we’re looking out for you too. We just want you to be happy. Whatever that looks like. Preferably without leaving Delaney’s best friend brokenhearted.”
“Who says I’m breaking her heart?” I asked. “We got together once.”
Parker shook his head. “Delaney says she was seeing someone casually who wanted more. She ended it. She wants stability. Marriage. Kids. We know where she stands. And we know where you stand.”
That was the problem.
Mason leaned back, letting Parker finish the job.
I grabbed two more waters from the fridge.
“I appreciate your concern,” I said, “but I’m not canceling today. It’s just a hike.”
When I turned back, they were both laughing.
“Just a hike,” Mason said.
“And he’s supposed to be the smart one,” Parker added.
“You’re both assholes,” I said. “I’m not going to lie to her. And I’m not walking away either. I want to see her again.”
That was all I had.
Apparently, it was enough. Mason stood, clapped the counter, and smiled.
“Enjoy your date,” he said.
“Your word,” I reminded him.
“I know.”