Chapter 21
Thomas
Before I met Mason, I never considered myself to be a particularly tender-hearted man.
But watching the brothers say goodbye was more difficult than I thought.
In the ten days we’d been there, I’d observed the quiet man I thought I knew begin to blossom under the love of his family.
He smiled more, laughed more, and wore less of the weight of his childhood around his shoulders.
It was easy to see Axel had been missing that closeness in his life as well.
Seeing them bond so quickly gave me faith in humanity.
I would never understand the reasons behind Davis Kennerly’s decisions.
But one day, he would have to live with the damage he caused to his relationship with both his sons, and there was a chance they may never forgive him.
As we reached our cruising altitude for our non-stop twelve-hour flight, I found Mason staring at the dark screen in front of him.
I knew he was replaying the last two weeks and processing everything he’d learned, trying to put misaligned pieces together.
But most of all, he was sad, and I didn’t know what to do to comfort him.
His face said it all without the need for words.
It would only be a matter of time before both of his worlds collided.
When I couldn’t stand the agony of watching him any longer, I reached across the partition dividing our seats in the middle row of the cabin.
Our suite doors were closed, giving us privacy from the people around us.
“How are you?” I asked. “Do you need anything? Are you hungry?” I was turning into my mother. She’d be so proud.
Mason’s lips curled up and settled my unease. “No, babe, but thank you. I’m fine. Just a little…” he shrugged as he trailed off.
I spoke softly, finishing his sentence. “You’re feeling melancholy.
” I reached for his hand. “And that’s normal.
Finding Axel made you feel whole, and leaving him behind feels like losing all over again.
You felt their love, and they felt yours.
I promise you, Axel isn’t faring any better than you are. ”
He sighed. “Yeah. As difficult as it was to say goodbye, I keep thinking about how it must have felt to have trust be violated like that. How could he ask her to do that? And how could she agree so easily? My father had to know there was no way Melinda was going to let him go back to Shannon. She’s the type who would have taken the family down before allowing him to leave her. ”
“That’s a question only your father can answer. I’ll be right by your side if you want to go back for answers.”
Mason smiled for the first time in a long while, and I took that as a win. I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. He mirrored my action to hold me to him. I lost myself in him until I pulled away.
“It’s all going to work out, sweetheart. I promise.”
With our foreheads pressed together over the half-wall separating us, he spoke softly. “As long as I have you and my siblings, I have everything I ever wanted.”
The following morning, I showered and changed clothes, opting to skip my run in Coronado. We ran every day in London, so missing today wouldn’t be a problem. I was waiting on my girls to get here.
When we landed last night, I dropped Mason off at his beach house before heading home. It had been more difficult than I anticipated to leave him. Over the last two weeks, I realized how much he meant to me, making it odd to be completely alone. And without the dogs, it was too quiet for my liking.
As I made a grocery list, I made coffee and waited for the drip to stop.
Pulling out two cups, I’d taken out the sugar-free Hazelnut creamer he loved and my organic half and half before I realized my mistake.
As I stared down at the countertop, a smile crossed my face.
I could blame it on jet lag, but the truth was that taking care of him and having him in my space had become my normal.
And the longer he was away from me, the more I wondered why he hadn’t just come home with me.
Or why I hadn’t stayed with him. Picking up my phone, I sent a text.
Me: Morning. I’m going to need you to come over here, ASAP.
Mason: Good morning. Yeah? Why’s that? You miss me?
Me: Yes. Very much. Can you help me out?
Mason: If I say it makes me happy that you miss me, would that be okay?
Me: More than. Now get over here.
Mason: You don’t have to ask me twice.
Me: See you soon.
Releasing a contented sigh, excitement thrummed through me.
I needed to feel his lips on mine and breathe in his scent.
We had a lot to talk about, and I had plans to take him out on a date.
While he was sleeping on the plane, I’d been scouring the internet for ideas, and I thought I found one he would enjoy.
As I waited for Hudson and Erin to arrive, I threw some clothes in the washer and checked my email.
Deleting all the spam and regular crap, I came across one from a potential client and another from my former boss.
Samuel Gallagher was the head of the FBI Field Office in Sacramento.
He’d emailed to ask me to call at my earliest convenience.
Checking the time, Hudson wasn’t due for another twenty minutes, so I decided to make the call now, rather than be interrupted later when Mason got here. He picked up on the second ring.
“Thomas, how are you? Enjoying life?”
I chuckled. “I’m good, and I’m keeping busy. How are you? How’s everything in Sacramento?”
“Fine, fine, I can’t complain. How do you like living in San Diego?” he asked.
“I’ve only been here a few months, but I’m happy. The weather is great. Is there something I can do for you, Sam?”
“It’s more about what I can do for you,” he replied. “A position has opened in the Los Angeles field office that you’d be perfect for.”
Los Angeles? It was only two hours away, but I was already whining about being ten minutes away from Mason. I sure didn’t want to be that far away. “I appreciate it, but—”
“Hear me out, Thomas,” he said gently. “The vacancy is for the Chief. Not field work like you were doing. You’d be running the place, like you always wanted to.”
Running a hand over my face, my mouth suddenly felt dry. Being chief had been my dream job, but I wasn’t sure I wanted that anymore. An opportunity like this didn’t come along very often, so it made me pause. “I have another offer on the table, Sam.”
He chuckled. “That’s fine. I’d be surprised if you didn’t. I’m just offering you a meeting.” He paused. “The accident wasn’t your fault, Thomas.”
I ran a hand over my head, not wanting to think about that night. What he didn’t understand was that I would feel guilty about her death for the rest of my life. “I know, Sam. Let me think about it.”
“Alright. We’ve got some time. I’m coming down to the San Diego office soon if I can get this situation up here sorted. Come meet with me, and hear me out. That’s all I’m asking. Don’t say no yet. This isn’t Richmond.”
My gut churned. “Yeah. Okay. Give me a call when you come down, and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good man. I’ll be in touch.”
I ended the call and placed my phone on the cabinet. Thankfully, Hudson was early, leaving me no time to think about the call. Striding to the door, I opened it to find him and Erin, along with my girls. Their excited barks and whining chased the silence from my life as quickly as they entered.
Squatting down, I allowed them to give their welcome home and I’ve missed you kisses as Hudson closed the door.
“Hello, ladies. I missed you, too.” I unclipped their leashes and let them scamper through the house.
Taking out my wallet, I pulled out the cash to pay Erin.
“Here you go, young lady,” I said, handing her the money. “Thank you for taking care of them.”
Erin blinked at me. “I would take care of them for free. You don’t have to pay me.”
I smiled at her. “Erin, that’s the least I can do for someone who loves to take care of them while I was gone. I knew they were in good hands.”
“Take the man’s money, baby girl,” Hudson said. “You earned it.”
She looked up at her dad with a familiar smile. “Thanks, Daddy. I’ll go get their food from the car.”
Hudson nodded, then looked me over. “So, how was London?”
“Very successful,” I replied, keeping any emotion off my face. “There’s still a lot to unravel, but he met Axel and their mother.”
He folded his arms over his chest and gave me a smug look. “And what about the two of you?”
“We’re in a good place to move forward,“ I replied. The door opened before I could elaborate. Erin walked in with Mason, who was carrying the dog food. He wore a relaxed and happy smile as he held out his hand. “Hey, Hudson. How are you?”
Before he could reply, Mason’s eyes met mine.
The boxer-melting, hungry smile he sent my way prompted one from me.
He’d totally forgotten Hudson was there as he headed over to me.
Taking my face between his hands, Mason kissed me reverently before turning to drape his arm casually over my shoulders.
Hudson grinned. “Well, that explains a lot. I guess you really did have a good trip.”
Mason grinned, but I could hear a hint of sadness in his tone. “Yeah, we did. I met my brother. Just got off the phone with him before I came over. Turns out we’re not adopted. It’s a complicated mess.”
Hudson’s expression softened. “We’re happy for you, Mason. I hope you get the answers you’ve been looking for.” He looked to me. “Thomas said you met your mother, too.”
He smiled. “Yeah. That’s a whole story too.”
When he didn’t elaborate, Hudson spoke. “I’m sure. If you’re up for it, we’re getting together this weekend at Lennox’s house before everyone heads off for one last vacation. Your friends are anxious to know how you’re doing.”