Mason was released Monday morning, no charges pending.
The flash drive did what Becky said it would do: It absolved Mason of guilt. It showed Caldron about to hit me, and it wasn’t alone. Logan ended up going with Mark when he went to see Keifer, and they got him to release the carnival’s video recording. Garrett had been right. Apparently, they had security cameras set up, and the footage helped back up what the first video showed. The cops were now looking into pressing charges against Adam instead, but Garrett wasn’t sure if that’d happen. He told us that afternoon, after Mason got out, that any charges against Adam were none of our business. We shouldn’t go looking to start trouble because we had enough already.
I agreed with him.
I was just thankful Mason was out, and nothing had come of his stint in jail.
“So everyone’s all good, Jeeves?” Logan asked.
He received a round of weird looks in return.
Seeing our reaction, he jerked a shoulder up. “What? I like the name. Sue me.”
“Uh, yeah.” Garrett narrowed his eyes just briefly. “Everything’s good, Jeeves.”
Logan grinned. “Sam, I think I like this dad more than the other one.”
“Thanks.” I frowned. “I won’t tell David.”
Logan shrugged again. “Tell him if you want. He knows Malinda holds my heart in their twosome fearsome.”
“You’re starting with that stuff again?” Mason asked.
“We need a new name since Nate is more in the fold. Are we back to the foursome fearsome?”
“Stop thinking about it.”
“Why?” Logan asked his brother.
“Because I can tell it’s upsetting you.” Mason’s hand settled more firmly on my hip, slipping under my shirt. Logan made a sound, but Mason ignored him. “Thank you, Garrett, for coming down and helping us.”
The two shook hands.
Garrett’s gaze fell on me. “You know I’d do anything to help you guys.”
A warmth trickled through me, and I felt my throat choking up. “Thanks, Garrett.”
Mason and Logan stepped back, so it was just my biological father and me. He turned to face me, his arms out at his sides, and I stepped into them. “Can you start calling me Dad?” he asked.
I nodded, my head moving against his chest. And when we let go, I felt some wetness on my face. “Yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t want to confuse Sabrina,” I teased, wiping the tears away.
“Ah, little Seb.” His fondness was evident. “She’s so busy. I always wonder if you were like that, too. She looks like you.”
“Except for the blond hair that’s almost white.” I brushed some of my black hair off my shoulder.
“Yes, but her personality is like yours.”
As much as a two year old’s could be. But I grinned.
He gave Mason and Logan a wave and headed to his Audi.
As he left, Logan clapped his hands together, jumping up on the curb. “And now it’s just the threesome fearsome again.”
Mason’s gaze was hooded. I didn’t look, but I felt him studying me as he said to Logan, “I told you to stop worrying about that. It’s the three of us. Nate’s close, but he’s not you or Sam.”
Logan let out a breath of air, jumping back down. “Yeah, okay. I should go. Taylor talked about going back to see her friends. They called last night; something happened up there.”
Mason focused more fully on his brother. I could feel the tightness in my chest lighten as he did. “Are you going with her?” he asked.
“I might,” Logan admitted. “No offense, but I’ve got a feeling the two of you are going to do the ‘couple’ thing the rest of your time here. Unless you guys want to go back, too?” His eyes lit up. “Yeah! You should. Mase, your internship’s done. Dad’s not opening the hotel while you’re here anymore, and Sam, you don’t have a job. Come on. Let’s all go back.”
The reason he wanted to go was obvious. Taylor was there. And the reason we’d come to Fallen Crest was Mason’s internship. He needed that credit.
“Your dad will fill out all your internship paperwork, right?” I asked.
“He already did. The only thing I need from him is a grade.”
Logan barked out a laugh. “God, our dad sucks. You’re going to have to go in and kiss his ass.”
“I know. I’ll apologize for the speeches, too.”
“Fuck that. He knew what he was doing when he tried to force us to give him nice ones.”
I remembered what Analise had said to me. I hadn’t told either of them about that conversation. They knew about Becky, but I’d kept quiet about the reason Becky had found me at the hotel in the first place. I’d tell them when things quieted down.
“I think he’ll do the right thing and give you an A,” I told him.
Logan gave me an incredulous look, and Mason just pressed his lips together.
Their doubt was obvious.
“Okay. Right, Sam.” Logan shook his head.
I shrugged. “I got a feeling.”
“You okay?”
Mason’s question came out of nowhere. I turned to look at him, momentarily speechless. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because Mason was in jail for almost forty-eight hours,” Logan offered.
Mason frowned at his brother. “We’ve done longer.”
“Hey.” Logan cocked his head to the side. “You said you were going to see your mom. Did you?”
Here it was. This was my opening to tell them she was officially letting me go. I opened my mouth, ready to share the joyous news…and nothing. No words came out.
“I did, but nothing happened,” I said instead.
Mason’s eyes narrowed.
“It doesn’t matter. That flash drive Sullivan gave you and the video Keifer added was all we needed.” He clapped Mason on the shoulder. “You’re out, and I think we’ve learned a valuable lesson.”
Both of us waited.
“We should always have our own camera guy around. You never know what lengths some piece of shit might go to the next time we’re busting heads.”
Mason shook his head. “Or we could try to stop getting into physical fights. If any of that video gets leaked to the NFL, I could be out before I was even in.”
“Nah.” Logan brushed that off. “You’re good. Everything’s all good.” He snapped his fingers, pointing at us. “And on that note, I’ve been thinking about Taylor since I told you guys she wanted to head back. Now I’m hard.” He glanced down. “You guys are my ride, so can we go? I’d like to spend some time with her before we hit the road tonight.”
“We didn’t need to know some of those details.” Mason went to the driver’s door as Logan reached for the back door handle. I went around to the passenger side.
As we all settled inside, Mason asked, “You guys are leaving tonight, then?”
Logan was looking at his phone. “Yeah, and she just texted. Something went down with Jason. He got jumped.”
“Logan.” Mason’s tone held a warning. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Like jump the guys who jumped him?” Logan finished sending a text and slid his phone back in his pocket. “No. You’re right. I’d never defend that little piece of shit, but the problem is that he’s Taylor’s family, and you know we are about family. Totally don’t do shit to help each other out. That’s us. That’s the Kade motto: don’t do shit.”
Mason pulled out of the parking lot. “You can tone down the sarcasm. I’m not saying don’t help. I’m saying don’t physically fight. Get it done a different way.”
“I know. I know, but it’s so damn satisfying when the other guy is on the ground because of you, you know?”
“I know.”
I looked over. Mason’s voice had quieted.
“We got off track this summer,” he continued in a more normal voice. “We tried going right before. We need to get back to it. You have a future, too, you know.”
Logan smirked. “Damn right. I’m going to be a lawyer. It’ll really piss Quinn off if I get there ahead of him, too.”
I turned around in my seat. “You’re really going to follow through with that?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“That’s a lifetime commitment to fucking with Adam Quinn.”
Logan looked at his brother, their eyes meeting in the rearview mirror. “I know, but it’s not about just fucking with him. Maybe it was getting hauled in that night, or you being arrested a second time, or even just Quinn saying he’s going to be a lawyer. I don’t know what it was, but that’s what I want to do. I want to be able to stick it to anyone I fucking please, because I know my way around the law and they don’t.”
That made sense, and the subject was closed.
When we got home, Logan didn’t sequester Taylor in their bedroom for the next hour like he planned. Instead, they made plans to take off.
Mason and I were in the kitchen when Nate appeared. He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “Uh, Logan and Taylor are packing. What’s going on?” He pulled out a chair and sat across from me at the table.
Mason straightened from the fridge where he’d been grabbing a diet soda for me. Letting the door close on its own, he handed me the can and leaned against the counter. “They’re heading back. Something’s up with one of Taylor’s friends.”
“Oh.” Nate’s eyebrows furrowed together. His eyes skated between Mason and me. “What are you guys doing?”
Mason glanced at me. “We don’t know. We haven’t talked about it. You?”
“Technically, you could go,” Nate said.
One of Mason’s eyebrows rose. “Meaning you want to go back?”
“Well…”
So he did.
Nate spread his hands over the table, his palms up. “There’s no real reason to be here anymore. We came for your internship, but that’s over now. And the wedding’s done, too. So…” He smiled, coaxing us. “Matteo’s back there already for football training. There’s no reason to stay.”
“Except my stepbrother is here.” I leaned forward, propping my elbows on the table. “Oh.” I snapped my fingers at him. “So is my best friend, and my stepmother and David.”
“You’ve had all summer to hang out with them, and you have. You’ve seen Heather a ton. Plus, Malinda and David were at the wedding last night, too. I mean, come on, guys. Let’s go back. There are parties back there. We can chill for an entire month before classes start. Your internship ended early. You could start football on time. I don’t understand why we’re not going back.”
“So go.”
Nate looked at Mason. “What?”
“Go.” He gestured to me. “Maybe we’ll stay an extra day.”
Nate slowly sat back in his chair and tipped it on its rear legs. “You’re okay with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. Caldron, for one. You won’t want backup?”
“Caldron’s the least of our problems now. He’s going to be charged in the assault against us, and also for attempted battery against Sam.”
“Quinn then.”
“I can’t know for sure…” Mason’s eyes flickered to mine briefly. “But I have a feeling Quinn’s got his own troubles going right now.” Nate didn’t know Becky had broken it off with Adam.
“All the more reason for you to come with us.” Nate stood up. “Come on, Mason. Let’s all go back to Cain. We had problems one year, but we don’t get into trouble there anymore. Our biggest problem is Taylor’s friends now, and those guys are tame compared to what we usually deal with.”
“A crime boss was tame?”
“That was a one-time thing. You know it.” Nate switched to me. “Sam, what are you thinking? You have to want to head back to Cain, too. Analise is just down the road, and she won’t have a wedding to plan any more. She’s going to have a lot of free time now.”
“Actually,” I cleared my throat, looking at Mason, “she’s doing what you suggested.”
“Really?”
“What?” Nate looked between the two of us. “What’s going on?”
“Analise is letting me go.”
“So you did talk to her.”
“I never said I didn’t,” I noted, quietly.
He didn’t call me out. “What else did she say?”
“She and your dad are going to move. We can have the house.”
Nate’s eyes widened. “What? For real?” A grin spread over his face. “Man, all those memories from that house.” He turned to Mason. “Let’s stay for a week and throw a massive party next weekend. One more big bash before we all head back. Logan would be down for that.”
“Down for what?” Logan and Taylor joined us, leaving their bags in the living room.
“Sam just said your parents are moving. We get the house,” Nate announced. “One last big rager. How about it?”
Taylor’s eyes widened, and she seemed to pull into herself.
“Oh. Can you stay till then?” Nate asked.
“Well…” She looked at Logan. “I have to go back now. Do you—”
He shook his head. “No. I’m going where you go. If you can stay, I’ll stay. If you want to go back, I’ll go there, too. It’s your call.”
She bit her lip, obviously torn as she looked around the kitchen. “I’m sorry, guys. I really need to go back. Jason was hurt bad. I don’t want him to—”
Mason stood up, cutting her off with a wave. “Then you go. It’s decided.”
“I’m really sorry.”
Logan reached for her hand and pulled her against his side. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
“I know, but I’m pulling you away from your family.”
Nate laughed, pointing to Mason and me. “Uh, do you not know us? We’re all family. If something affects you, it affects all of us.”
Taylor still looked torn, but Logan lifted his arm to her shoulder. “She knows, and she’ll get over her guilt. So…” He nodded to the rest of us. “Party at the house this weekend? The one in Cain?”
Mason nodded, then gestured to Nate. “Do me a favor, Logan?”
“Anything.”
“Take him with you.”
Nate twisted back around. “What? Mason—”
“I don’t want to hear it. You’re going. Sam and I will be behind you.” His gaze came to me. “I’d like to spend some alone time with my girlfriend.”
“Then it’s all planned. Nate and I will go back with Taylor. We’ll take care of the fuckers who fucked with Taylor’s friend, and then we’ll all celebrate this weekend. Your training starts next Monday. I’m sure all the guys will want to let loose this weekend anyway.”
And with that, the plan was set in motion.
Logan, Nate, and Taylor left that day.
Mason and I spent the rest of the evening in bed, holding each other and enjoying our first alone time all summer.
We stayed a few more days and the rest of the week passed quickly. I went to the carnival to thank Petey and Keifer for sharing the surveillance video. Both told me not to hesitate to reach out again, and Petey reminded me with a wink not to sell carnies short. I tucked that information away and gave each of them a hug. I didn’t know when I’d be seeing them again.
After that I spent my days with Malinda, Mark, or Heather. I tried to get as much time in as I could with each of them. David, too. He’d been around all summer, but we hadn’t spent a lot of one-on-one time.
I knew he was busy planning for football, and on our last night in Fallen Crest, I realized I’d taken him for granted. I expressed that to him on the porch, after we’d just finished a family dinner.
“No, Sam.” He shook his head, relaxing beside me on the bench. “I’m always here. You know that. You never have to worry about putting in your time with me. If you want to see me, I’m here. If you’ve got other people to see, I’m still here.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“No problem. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Malinda came out to the porch then, her face flooded with tears, and I rose. Her goodbye seemed to last longer than normal, and we were only going back to college. We weren’t moving across the country. I knew Malinda would be up for parents’ weekend, too. She came every year.
“I’m just going to miss you two so much.” She hugged me, then Mason. “And you. It’s your last year. I can’t believe it. You guys are growing up too fast.” Mark stepped through the door behind them, and she added, “You, too. Stop growing up. I don’t like it.”
“I’ll get right on that, Mom. No problem.”
“Oh, and Sam, too.” She turned to me, the dam breaking and tears wetting her entire face again.
More hugs. More goodbyes. More laughter until finally, Mason took my hand and began walking across the yard.
Mark waved, then we heard, “Mom, you know you can’t stop them from going, right?” They headed back inside.
The screen door closed, but we could hear Malinda say, “I can try. I’m going to do the same with you, so don’t get any ideas. You know long, drawn-out goodbyes are essential with me.”
Mark groaned, but David waved, a kind and loving smile on his face as he saw me looking back, and then he closed the inside door.
Mason tightened his hold on my hand. “Come on. I want to take you somewhere.”
“What?”
We crossed the street to Helen’s house and went inside. “Dress in something warm,” he told me. “It could get cold tonight.”
Tonight?
It was nearing dark. But we were going to be outside somewhere. “What do you have planned?”
He grinned, and my heart skipped a beat. “Just get dressed, okay?”
I melted, like I always did with him.
“Okay.”