Chapter 1 #3
“It’s all right, Mama. I know your food is the best in town.
I just have a few things to settle with this little witch here and I’ll come back out and enjoy a real bowl of your chili.
” Turning back to Rebecca, fire in his eyes, he kept his hands to himself with difficulty.
“There’s a certain part of her anatomy I’d like to make as hot as that chili,” he growled down at her, now close enough to tower over her.
“Here Senor Kord,” Mama offered obligingly, “You may use my spoon.”
Rebecca gasped, looked at Mama accusingly and then back at Mason with wary eyes, not quite sure he wasn’t serious.
“Thank you Rosa,” he smiled for the first time, “I may decide to take you up on that if I don’t hear a damn good explanation in the next five seconds.”
Mama then gave Mason a look that clearly doubted there was one and laying the spoon on the work table, left mumbling something in Spanish that Rebecca was glad she couldn’t understand. She suspected Mason did though as he nodded his head in agreement.
Six foot plus of angry male leaned against the table, legs crossed and calmly turning the spoon over and over in his large hands as though examining it for flaws.
Rebecca stood almost frozen. When his rich voice growled “I’m waiting”, she jumped, her throat so dry and her face so hot she almost felt as though she had eaten the chili.
Deciding the best defense was a good offense she proceeded to come up with a reasonable plan. Unconsciously twisting the beautiful emerald ring he’d given her for her eighteenth birthday she started inching around to the opposite side of the table.
“I don’t know how you could bring her here,” she blurted out.
“Especially after all the lectures about suitable dates and being careful of my reputation. She doesn’t have one left,” she continued.
Warming to her subject now she began to advance on him, remembering her previous anger.
Why she was so angry about his choice of women she didn’t examine too closely.
Kathy had been a few years ahead of her in school and she’d made quite a name for herself in the locker room.
While Rebecca didn’t particularly care what the woman did, Mason should have.
“Are you so desperate that you have to pick someone like…?”
“That will be enough,” he shot back unfolding his length from the relaxed position he’d assumed. Slamming the spoon down on the table with enough force to crack it he reached her side in three long strides.
“Whom I choose to date and where I go on that date is none of your damn business.”
“Then where do you get off telling me exactly the same thing?’ she demanded, almost stomping her foot in frustration.
Her shining hair floated around her like a living thing and for a moment Mason lost his train of thought.
Tearing his eyes away from that golden glory he tried to marshal his thoughts into some type of reasonable response.
Truthfully he didn’t have anything against young Jacob Brenner.
He’d always seemed a well-mannered boy, but last night when he caught them clenched in an embrace on her front porch he’d been overcome with jealousy.
It appalled him to realize he’d been ready to punch out a mere boy and he’d taken it out on Rebecca, accusing her of being too free with her affections.
The truth was, he’d asked Kathy out and deliberately taken her where Rebecca was working to prove to himself that the attraction he felt was only in his imagination.
Standing next to her now, with her lovely face flushed with anger, her feminine little body only inches from his he was damn close to saying the hell with it and pulling her into his arms, showing her just why she couldn’t date anyone, for he knew in his heart that no one would ever be acceptable as far as he was concerned.
Pull yourself together man he thought. Basically you’re the only family she has; she thinks you’re like a big brother. The last thing she needs now is you grabbing her and scaring the daylights out of her.
Rebecca stood quietly, watching the play of emotions across his handsome face. Feeling the inexplicable pull between them, but not understanding the cause, she was almost disappointed when he backed off and turned to leave the room.
“You’re right, honey”, he said softly. “You too are free to date anyone you choose. Just be careful you don’t make the mistake of falling in love with the wrong man.” Laying his big hand gently on her cheek he smiled sadly. “You don’t need any more unhappiness in your life.”
Confused, she nestled her cheek into his large warm palm, feeling the loss when he dropped his hand and walked out of the room. Oddly, what seemed so terribly funny a few minutes ago somehow made her feel like crying.
Of course, that had been years ago. Rebecca found herself sitting in her car in the driveway, caught up in memories.
Maybe going to Mama Rosa’s tonight wasn’t such a good idea.
Looking at her watch she snapped out of her reverie and realized she’d have to hurry if she was going to be ready by seven.