Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments: Rose Gardner Mystery #7 (9 page)

“You sat with her at a play and went out for drinks, and you don’t call that a date?”

He slowly spun to face me, bewilderment on his face. “I’m telling you that conniving bitch played me to get information that played a part in my sister’s murder
and you want to know why I’m not calling it a date?
” When I didn’t answer, he said, “No. Rose. It was
not
a date. We talked about my job and hers and a project the state police had been working on in conjunction with my department.”

Horror at my own behavior rushed through me like wildfire. My jealousy had hurt him and I wasn’t even sure why I was so jealous. I knew logically that Mason didn’t want to be with Hilary, but it still hurt to think about them being near each other.

“You were with Joe for
months
before we started dating, and I don’t begrudge you one single minute of that. But you think I had one or two dates with Hilary Wilder—when you and I didn’t even know each other existed—and you hold it over my head. I saw Hilary three more times after Savannah’s death, and she never even
once
acknowledged she knew me. And frankly, I prefer to keep it that way. The only thing I’m guilty of is being a damn idiot. So forgive me if I didn’t rush to give you the details.”

“Mason,” I said through the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry.”

He stomped toward the living room. “I need some air.”

I trailed behind him, unsure of what to say to make this better.

He grabbed his coat off the hook on the wall and a flashlight off the entry table, then opened the front door. “Come on, Muffy.”

My startled little dog followed him without a backward glance at me, as if to tell me what a witch I’d been. They were still in my line of vision when my head started to tingle. I heard the front door slam shut as I was plunged into a vision as abruptly as if I’d been tossed into a frigid lake.

I stood in the courthouse hall, looking into the serious face of Carter Hale, a defense attorney Neely Kate and I had met a month before.

“Do you think you can help?” I asked in Mason’s voice, which sounded strained.

“I’m still not sure why you asked me. You’ve made no secret of the fact that you can’t stand me.”

Anger made Mason shake and he clenched his fists. “Because you’re the only person in this whole goddamned county who doesn’t have his hand in someone’s pockets.”

“You’re gonna ask Carter Hale for help,” I mumbled. And just like that, I was back in the living room, overcome by a wave of nausea and a dull ache at the back of my head. The vision wasn’t all that odd in and of itself. I was sure it had something to do with Mason’s county business. But why did I feel so awful? This had been happening more often lately. Was it because I was forcing too many visions?

But before I could give more thought to the vision, the memory of the horrible fight I’d had with Mason hit me full force. What had I been thinking? I felt so awful, I grabbed my phone and sat on the couch to call Neely Kate, but I stopped before pressing the call button. She had her own issues. The last thing she needed to be saddled with was a problem of my own making. Instead, I called Violet.

“Hey, Rose,” she answered, sounding guarded.

“Violet, I’ve done something awful…and I don’t know how to fix it,” I said as I started to cry.

Her voice softened. “I can’t believe you’re capable of doing something
that
bad. Tell me what happened.”

I told her everything and when I finished, she was silent for a few seconds. “He was wrong to keep that from you, Rose.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I can see why he did. I’m not sure I’d confess to something I felt so guilty about.”

“Yes, you would.”

But she didn’t know about the Lady in Black. I had the sudden urge to tell Mason everything when he came back inside, but while it might appease my own guilt, there were other considerations. For one thing, it might potentially destroy Mason’s career. I had no idea what he’d do to Skeeter if he knew I was the Lady in Black, and I couldn’t take the risk. But it made me a whole lot more understanding of his reasons for choosing not to tell me about Hilary. “What’s done is done. He kept it from me and now the truth is out. I was jealous, Violet, and nothin’ good ever comes from that. I hurt Mason and I need to figure out how to make it up to him.”

“I think you need to ask yourself why you were jealous.”

I pushed her question away. “Because Hilary Wilder destroys everything she touches and I couldn’t stand the thought of her tainting Mason.”

“Hmm…”

“What does that mean?”

She sighed. “Mason loves you. He’ll get over it. And if he doesn’t, then maybe you two aren’t meant to be.”

I heard stomping on the front porch and a bark from Muffy. “He’s back. Thanks for listening, Vi.”

“That’s what sisters are for. Thanks for trusting me enough to call me.”

I hung up and set the phone on the coffee table, standing as the door opened. Mason walked through the opening, Muffy at his heels. He closed the door behind him and stood by it, his face emotionless.

I studied him for a moment, wondering if he was still as upset as he’d been when he left. “Oh, Mason. I—”

His eyes softened. “Sweetheart—”

That was all I needed before I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry.”

I sighed in relief when his arms encircled my back, pulling me close. “No, you were right. I should have told you.” His voice was husky in my ear.

“I handled it so badly. I’m so upset that I hurt you.”

He held me tighter. “Rose, it’s okay. Given the circumstances, I understand.”

I clung to him, thankful that he wasn’t the type of man to hold a grudge.

He pulled back and looked down into my face. “On my walk with Muffy, I decided I should be flattered you were jealous enough to get that upset over it.”

I sighed, feeling foolish about my overreaction. “I figured you knew her through the state police… I just couldn’t let my mind wander to you two bein’ together. So when you said you’d spent time with her socially, my imagination ran wild.” I gave him an apologetic smile. “I know you have a past with other women, but the thought of you with
her
—”

“And now you can banish the thought because it
never
happened.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck again, clinging to him. “I had a vision.”

“Of me?”

“As you walked out the door.”

“The way you’re holding on for dear life has me worried.”

“The vision wasn’t bad, but it was the way I felt afterward that had me worried.” I looked up at him. “You were talking to Carter Hale in the courthouse, asking him if he’d help you with something, and he seemed surprised you’d ask him.”

His mouth quirked to the side as he pondered it. “There’s an upcoming case that Hale wants me to be more lenient on with a plea bargain. Maybe that’s it. But I’m more worried about how you felt afterward.”

“I felt sick to my stomach and had a headache, but I’ve started feeling bad with some of my visions lately.”

Worry filled his eyes.

“I feel fine now. It’s probably nothing.”

He started to say something but stopped short when his phone rang. He drew it out and gave me an apologetic grimace before answering. “What do you have, Deputy Miller?”

That got my full attention. I hoped the deputy would have more information about the car that had nearly run me off the road.

“Okay.” Mason sounded disappointed. “Well, let me know if something turns up.” He hung up and looked into my face. “I called Miller while I was on my walk with Muffy to see if they’d found the car that passed you on the highway.”

“I take it they didn’t?”

“No.” Worry wrinkled his forehead.

“Mason, no one’s after me. I’m more worried about you.”

He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. “I’m fine. But I promise to be hyper-vigilant until all of this is sorted out. We have the alarm system I installed here and everyone going in and out of the courthouse goes through security. I think I’m pretty protected.” He leaned down and kissed me, making my toes curl. “But who’s going to protect me from you in our bed? Because right now I intend to take full advantage of the make-up sex clause.”

I gave him a half-hearted grin. “That’s the only good part of fighting.”

Later, as I snuggled against him in the dark, drifting off to sleep, I realized I’d never asked him about Dora.

Maybe it was better that way. I wasn’t sure I could handle another fight right now.

Soft gray sunlight filtered through the bedroom curtains when I woke up the next morning. I was surprised Mason was still sleep, but he had gotten up multiple times in the night, so he had to be exhausted. As I snuggled closer to him, the events of the previous day flooded my head, ending with the car that had run me off the road. In the cold light of a new day, I felt certain it hadn’t been an accident. Which meant Mason really was in danger.

Was this what life was like as the significant other of an ADA? Would our lives constantly be threatened? While the thought was sobering, it wasn’t exactly surprising.

The question was, did I want to live
my
life this way?

I stared at his sleeping face and lightly traced my thumb over the worry lines at the corner of his eye. Mason truly believed in justice. He believed in punishing the perpetrators of violent crimes to the full extent of the law to protect innocent people, but he also advocated for leniency and second chances for those who had made foolish choices. He was a just man who poured himself into his work, always keeping the safety of other citizens in mind. How could I fault him for that? Those very tendencies were part of what made me love him so much. Besides, it wasn’t like my own secret life didn’t come with its parcel of trouble.

My hand slid across his chest, his T-shirt rubbing against my fingertips, before I even thought about what I was doing. Touching Mason had become as natural as breathing.

And that right there was my answer. Not the sex—although I definitely had no complaints there—but the fact that he had become a part of me. I couldn’t bear to think about what my life would be like without him in my bed, in my world, as my confidant and partner. He was devoted and loyal, kind and patient, supportive and encouraging, like no other person had ever been to me. Some days he believed in me more than I did in myself, and I had grown in leaps and bounds since he’d wormed his way into my heart. I was with him until the end, whatever that might be, come what may.

While I’d been musing over him, my hand had found its way under the covers and I discovered that he was already stirred up. After only a few strokes, he released a low groan and rolled toward me, capturing my mouth as he began to fondle my body.

Within seconds, I was stirred up myself, but I felt more serious than playful. Mason lifted his face to look at me, and I cupped his cheek so I could stare into his eyes.

His smile faded when he saw my expression. “Rose, are you okay?”

I didn’t answer as I tugged his T-shirt over his head, then pushed him onto his back and straddled him, slowly sliding down on top of him, but not moving.

He watched me as he lifted my nightgown over my head and tossed it onto the floor. His hands skimmed up my waist, then cupped my breasts. I gasped and leaned my head back as his thumbs brushed my nipples.

A fire ignited in me and I began to move, closing my eyes and reveling in the moment. Within minutes we were both panting. Mason rolled me onto my back and took over. I locked my ankles around his back as his mouth claimed mine. I lifted up to him and cried out his name as I found release, which pushed him over the edge. He groaned and rested on top of me for several seconds before gathering me gently into his arms and rolling us to our sides, chest to chest.

His fingertips stroked my arm and he searched my face. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I said through the lump in my throat.

“Have I done something to upset you?” he asked softly with a worried look in his eyes.

I shook my head. “No. I was just thinkin’ about how much I need you.”

A soft smile lit up his face. “And the thought is so devastating that it’s made you cry?”

“I’m not cryin’,” I protested as a single tear escaped the corner of my eye.

His thumb swiped away the traitor. “I can see that.”

“Someone wants to hurt you. I’m scared I’m going to lose you.”

His eyes filled with adoration. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“You can’t promise such a thing.”

He grinned. “Rose, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this, but I can be a stubborn son-of-a-bitch. I’m not leaving you, by my own free will or someone else’s attempt to get rid of me.”

He gave me a slow, lingering kiss that had me stirred up again. “I think we need some time away from Henryetta and all our current problems sooner rather than later,” he said. “My uncle’s cabin is sounding better and better.”

“Let’s do it,” I said. “Obviously I can get away from work now. The question is if
you
can get away.”