Chapter 4 #3
He rarely spoke at the meetings, so Mason didn’t know a lot about his story, only that he’d lost a leg in Afghanistan and had spiraled after he left the military. But he and Mallory were happy together. Mason saw that every time he was with them.
Rebecca came by to take their orders. Mallory asked for an egg-white veggie omelet, Quinn ordered eggs sunny side up, and Mason requested scrambled eggs with ham and a grilled English muffin.
“Coming right up,” Rebecca said before taking off to tend to other customers.
“We’re having a dinner party this Saturday and wanted to invite you to come if you’re able to get away from work,” Mallory said.
“I’d love to. Thanks for the invite. What can I bring?”
“No need to bring a thing, unless you have a friend you want to invite.”
Mason immediately thought of Jordan, which was insane, but he had the thought anyway and immediately felt uncomfortable about it.
“What do you suppose he’s thinking about over there?” Mallory asked Quinn.
Mason looked up to find them both fixated on him. “What?”
“You just got all silent and broody,” Mallory said. “Something on your mind? Or maybe someone?”
Mason shook his head. He absolutely couldn’t talk about this with her—or anyone. They’d think he needed his head examined if he told them he’d had a strange reaction to blowing air into Jordan Stokes’s lungs or how much he’d enjoyed keeping her company in the clinic until her sister arrived.
He’d mulled over their conversation several times since he left the clinic the night before and found himself smiling every time he recalled her sarcasm, not to mention her reaction to the first bites of pizza she’d allowed herself in far too long.
The blissful expression on her striking face as she’d taken the first bite of pizza was unforgettable.
“Mase, your face is red.”
He glanced at Mallory. “No, it isn’t.”
“Yes, it is! Who is she? We see him every day, and he’s been holding out on us, Quinn!”
“Leave him alone, babe. You’re embarrassing him.”
“Oh, please. It’s Mason! He doesn’t get embarrassed.”
“Yes, he does.” Mason glared at her playfully.
“And I’m not holding out on you. It’s nothing.
” But he’d like it to be, and how funny was that?
What interest would a woman like her have in a small-town firefighter?
She was used to the glitz and glam of Hollywood and a fast-paced celebrity lifestyle.
His lifestyle would bore her to tears. Hell, it bored him to tears in the off-season.
“Come on. Spill it. You know you want to.”
Mason was trying to figure out when Mallory had become like a sister to him, needling him the way only a sibling could. He huffed out a deep breath, full of annoyance. “I had pizza with Jordan Stokes at the clinic last night, and it was fun. There’s your big scoop.”
Mallory’s eyes went wide with excitement. “Ohhh, I like this. Jordan and Nikki are so gorgeous.”
“Are they? I hadn’t noticed.”
“I only know Nikki, because she’s engaged to my cousin Riley,” Mallory continued as if Mason hadn’t said anything.
“She’s as nice as she is pretty, and so great at running the Wayfarer.
My dad sings her praises on a regular basis.
” Mallory had been nearly forty when she found out that Big Mac McCarthy was her father, and the two of them had forged a close relationship since they found each other.
“If Jordan is anything like her, and hello, she must be—identical twins, after all—you should ask her out.”
Mason held up a hand to stop her. “Whoa.” To Quinn, he said, “Can you please do something about her?”
“Yeah, I’ve tried.” Quinn smiled and shrugged. “She is what she is.”
“That’s right.” Mallory smiled at her beloved. “And I’m too old to change now. I like her for you.”
Rebecca brought their food—along with a reprieve for Mason that he knew was temporary. Mallory wasn’t going to let this go.
They dug into breakfast while Mason waited for her to make her next move.
She didn’t disappoint. “What harm would come from inviting her to dinner with some friends? Everyone needs to eat, right?”
“You’re like a dog with a bone,” Quinn said, smiling at her.
“Woof,” Mallory said, returning his grin.
“I think it’s possible she’s been spending too much time with her siblings and cousins,” Quinn said. “She used to be such a nice girl until they ruined her.”
Mason laughed at the face Mallory made at him.
“They’ve taught me well about how to be a total pain in the ass.”
Quinn snorted. “They sure have, but I still love you, even when you’re being a total PITA.”
“Aww.” Mallory leaned in to kiss him. “Thanks, babe.”
Mason flashed them a teasing grin. “Barf.”
“Don’t change the subject,” Mallory said. “Ask Jordan to come to dinner.”
“It might be easier to ask Jordan than to put up with Mallory badgering you about it,” Quinn said, earning an elbow to the ribs.
“You might be right about that,” Mason said.
Mallory beamed with pleasure. “So you’ll ask her, then?”
“I’ll think about it. Now talk about something else.”
“I’d much rather talk about you and Jordan. I really like the idea of you two together.”
Mason signaled to Rebecca. “Check, please.”