CHAPTER 17: Mason

I had trouble sleeping after I took Isabelle back to her parent’s house. I wanted to spend the night with her and wake up to go for breakfast, but this was different. She had a daughter that she had to put first and I respected that. Our time together would be precious but it felt like I would be a part of their lives very soon.

I turned to look out of the window at the clear sky, playing back the way it felt to be inside of her. Isabelle was perfect, and I’d start locking my office door if that’s what it took to feel her again.

Not really. I had to respect the basic rules of the company and keep us under wraps as much as possible. I closed my eyes and drifted off for a little longer, not planning on getting to the house until later in the morning. Her family deserved time with her and I could see them after that.

I woke up to a call from Colby, canceling dinner tonight due to work and I told him it was fine. I might be busy but I didn’t tell him that I planned around our visit. I ended the call and dressed to go check out the gym before running along the sand instead. It was still cool out, and the sun was bright with the air salty from the ocean.

I loved Seattle but it would be nice to have a place by the ocean as well. Maybe I could get a vacation home down the line and bring Isabelle and Kendra here for a break. They had family here and it would be perfect. I looked down the long beach to see other joggers as well as people just wandering along and smiled as I ran past them.

I showered and changed into some shorts that would work as a suit and a t-shirt, packing some extra clothes in a bag that I added to the back seat of the car. I checked with Isabelle that it was okay for me to come by and she told me to hurry. I started the engine and pulled out to the road to head to the freeway, turning on the news as I drove. I liked to keep up on the things going on even if most of it was depressing. I merged into the lane and pressed the gas to speed ahead, wanting to be with Isabelle as soon as I could.

I pulled into the driveway and parked off to the side, hopping out and walking to the front door. I heard laughter inside and stood for a moment to listen before ringing the doorbell. I didn’t want to interrupt them but I sensed last night that Isabelle’s mom welcomed people with open arms. I pushed the button and the sound of a chime broke through the chatter and I heard someone walking towards the door. Isabelle threw it open and smiled, looking gorgeous in a light dress with a cardigan. “Hi.” She greeted me, opening the door and ushering me in as her father stood up from his seat at the table.

“Mason. I hear that you’re going to join us today,” he said as he shook my hand firmly.

“I was hoping to. Isabelle mentioned the beach.” I replied as he nodded and looked warmly at Kendra.

“That girl loves the beach. She could spend the entire day there. We might come back and grill for dinner or go out, depending on what we feel like. You’re welcome to join us.”

“Perfect day,” I agreed as I turned to see Melanie walking towards me. She wrapped me in a tight hug, asking if I wanted some coffee. “I’d love it.”

She poured me a cup, and we sat down in the cozy living room to talk about the afternoon. Kendra wanted to go to her favorite beach and Melanie decided to pack a cooler with some food. Isabelle went into the kitchen to help her and I watched her walk by, longing to kiss her. Kendra walked over to me and sat down with a ball in her hand a few feet away, asking if I’d play with her. I nodded, and we began rolling it back and forth between us, getting more aggressive by the moment. We were laughing when Isabelle poked her head out to look at us and I winked at her. I asked Kendra if she’d ever played air hockey and she told me that she was the best at it. I challenged her to a game as soon as we found a table and we shook on it.

Isabelle got Kendra dressed and slathered in sunscreen before we went out to the large SUV parked beside me in the driveway. Kendra sat in the very back in a small car seat that Isabelle buckled her into before sitting beside me in the second row. I buckled in and grabbed her hand as she smiled at me, glancing back as we moved out of the long driveway.

We went to a large beach with a lot of rocks and places for kids to play and Kendra hurried towards the steps as Isabelle called out for her to slow down. I watched as she chased after her daughter, chuckling along with her parents. “That will be the whole weekend,” Melanie told me as I nodded. She looked at me and I knew that she was going to say something with regard to last night. “Did I do the right thing last night? It looked as though you care for Isabelle and she needs that.”

“I do. I care for her a lot but I am willing to give her the space that she needs where Kendra is concerned. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.” I looked at Melanie as she smiled.

“If you ask me, it is time for her to move on. What happened with Kendra’s father was bad but she gave her soul to that baby. Kendra is old enough to handle Belle dating, and she seems to like you. I would swear that she picked up on her mom’s fear or whatever you would call it of men. This is a good sign.” Melanie smiled at me. “Push it a bit with her. It’s not an issue at the job, is it?”

“I know the owner. It will be fine and if it is, I’ll find something for her. I’d be willing to take care of both of them if need be,” I frowned at my words, knowing how fast this was going. “I’m sorry. I like her a lot.”

“I know. I think the feelings between you came into the airport before you did.” We made our way down the path to where Isabelle was spreading out a blanket and telling Kendra to hold on as she asked for her sand toys. She set the beach bag down and dug inside, handing her daughter the bucket and shovel as Kendra ran to a spot in the rocks where the water swirled in.

“She has been playing there since she could walk. Always that spot, at least until the tide comes back up.” Isabelle told me, watching Kendra dig into the damp sand.

“Why did you move to Seattle?” I asked her as Isabelle smiled at me.

“I was looking for jobs in my field and the one with you stood out. I did the math and figured it wasn’t that far away and just went with it. I think that I was meant to live there. It was somewhere new where there weren’t so many memories.” She shrugged. “I think it was a good choice, especially if you can visit home with us sometimes.”

“I’d like that.” We smiled at each other and she slipped her sweater off and went to play with Kendra as I looked up and down the beach. It was speckled with families enjoying the weather and I smiled as I glanced back at the girls. We took Kendra down to the water and watched her as she ran into the waves, laughing and screaming with excitement. I couldn’t help but feel like it was my first time at the ocean as I watched her run down the wet sand as Isabelle opened her mouth to speak. “She’s okay. We’re both watching her.”

“Can you have a kid in your life?” Isabelle asked me, glancing from Kendra to me. We walked towards her as I reached for her hand, brushing it with mine.

“If you would have asked me that a few years ago, I would have told you no. I like Kendra though and I would enjoy being a part of her life. I want to be a part of your lives.” I glanced at her as Kendra paused and reached down for something.

“I would,” she said as she started to walk towards Kendra. It seemed like slow motion as a wave came over the beach, over Kendra as Isabelle screamed. I looked forward and started to run as she went out with the water, tumbling with the current. I jumped into the water and swam to Kendra, grabbing her and moving out of the current as I held her in my arms. Melanie and Frank rushed forward as I swam to the shore with Kendra and Isabelle walked right into the water to take her from me. Kendra was breathing raggedly and Isabelle placed her on the beach and checked her breathing. She watched as her daughter coughed up water, turning her head as she blinked. “You saved her.” Isabelle said as she looked at me for a moment. “Thank you so much.” Frank carried her to the blanket once Kendra was alert, laying her down as Isabelle sat behind her to hold her daughter.

Kendra stayed there for about an hour before she asked to play again. Isabelle sighed and stood up, walking with her back to the bucket as Melanie let a tear slide down her cheek. “Thank you, Mason. I don’t know what we’d have done if that ended differently.”

“I would do anything to save her. She is important to all of you and me,” Mason said as I glanced over. I was ready to start sobbing, but I held it together for Kendra. She didn’t seem to be scared anymore though I’d see if she asked to go the water again.

We had lunch in another hour, eating quietly around the blanket as Kendra sipped some juice. She wanted to go back to the water and Isabelle stood to go with her, her legs shaking. I watched them, feeling like they needed some time alone as I took a deep breath.

We left the beach in the late afternoon with a weight over our shoulders. Kendra was the only one chatting in the back, seemingly not scared by what happened to her. I thought that it was one of the scariest moments of my life and Kendra was new to my life. How would I feel if it was Isabelle in danger or one of our children in the future? I felt someone take my hand and looked over at Isabelle as she stared at me in the dim light. “Are you okay?”

“That was so real,” I told her, squeezing her.

“I know. If you weren’t there, I don’t know what would have happened.” Isabelle spoke softly as we listened to Kendra ask if we were going to grill for dinner.

“Is that what you want to do?” Melanie asked from the front as Isabelle waited.

“I want one of those hot dogs with cheese and some chicken,” Kendra replied as we all let out sighs of relief.

“We’ll stop at the store, Ken.” Frank assured her as I smiled for the first time in hours. Something awful happened but everything was going to be fine. Frank stopped by the store and Melanie and Isabelle went in to shop as I looked at Kendra, sound asleep in the back. She fell asleep ten minutes after asking for dinner, probably exhausted for the day. “You did a good thing back there, son. You didn’t even think about it before you were in that water. Her own father never did that and I doubt that he ever would. He was wrong for Belle but you’re right for her, for both of them.”