Chapter Twenty-three
Mason
Mason stood on the front porch, tugging at the sleeve to his black button up, telling himself for the billionth time that the jacket would have been overkill. He thought. Crap, maybe he should have worn it and just taken it off at the courthouse? Knowing what to wear as a best man to a wedding when tuxes weren’t an option and the whole thing was highly informal was complicated. Ashlyn had it easy. A dress was a dress was a dress.
The door swung open and he immediately retracted that thought. Silver and strapless, it came to just above her knees. The bodice had a black spiral design with tiny flowers embroidered on it. A layer of sheer black lace covered the skirt, but it wasn’t poofy and frilly like the last dress he’d seen her in. No this was elegant, stunning with just a little bit of edge. And oh so very . . . Ashlyn.
“You look . . .” He shut his mouth and opened it again, but still the right word wouldn’t come. Was there a right word? Finally Mason settled on, “. . . incredible.”
Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a style that somehow still made it look soft and touchable, with a few stray locks curled around her face. She tucked one behind her ear and gaped at him. “Mason, what . . . what are you doing here?”
“I believe we have a car coming to pick us up?” They’d arranged it when they still shared an address. Mason had considered cancelling, or just letting Ash have it to herself, but in the end the opportunity to see her had been too much to pass up.
“Oh . . . uh . . . right. Well . . .” She reached behind her and produced a pair of black heels which she shoved her feet into. How women managed to wear those things and not kill themselves was beyond him, but they looked damn good. “Why don’t you just take it? Harrison can take me.”
“Ashlyn—” A sleek black town car pulled up to the curb and honked. “You don’t have to—”
“Mason, please? Just go. I can’t do this right now. Not today.” She blinked hard.
Mason sighed. He was spoiling something that was special to her. “Okay, but why don’t you take the car and I’ll drive?”
A big, black head poked through the door and Mason grinned.
“Hey, boy.” Squatting, he scrubbed a hand over Tank’s head and the dog’s tongue lolled out.
“You take the car, Mason.”
The horn blared again and Ashlyn glanced at the time on her phone. They needed to get moving, but he was loathed to walk away from this moment. “You sure? I don’t mind—”
“I’m sure. I’ll see you there.” ‘
With that she nudged Tank back inside and shut the door in his face.
***
“Do I really need to wear this stupid thing?”
When Mason arrived at the courthouse, he was directed to a room upstairs where he found Jay scowling into a full length mirror and yanking a tie from around his neck.
“Did Em give it to you?” Jay nodded and Mason laughed. “Then yeah, man. You gotta wear it. Let me see.”
Jay tossed him the silky black material and proceeded to tuck his crisp white button down into the black slacks he was wearing. Mason was relieved to see that he’d made the right call with the jacket. Jay didn’t appear to have one either. Looping the tie around his own neck, he twisted and tucked until a perfect double Windsor sat at his throat. Then he slipped the knot loose and handed it back to Jay.
“Thanks.”
Mason shrugged. “What’s a best man for if not to keep you from getting murdered by your wife on your wedding day?”
A round table, flanked by two chairs sat beside the free-standing mirror. There wasn’t much else in the room. A royal blue carpet, some framed documents on the walls and one oil painting of a rolling countryside. There was a second door that led to who-knew-where and a mostly empty bookcase in the corner. A sheer white curtain fluttered over an open window.
Mason wandered over to the window, but the view of the parking lot wasn’t much to look at. “Where’s Em?”
“Ashlyn dragged her out of the house this morning. Something about her hair. I think she was planning to drop her off at some salon or something and pick her up on her way here.” Jay settled the knot at his throat and studied his reflection. “So . . . you ready for this?”
Mason turned from the window and laughed. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
Jay smiled. Something that he rarely did, but made him look years younger, much closer to his actual age—which Mason was reminded was very near to his own. And he was getting married. “I’ve been ready for this for a long time.”
Mason returned his smile. They weren’t friends—not really—but today it felt like they were. “You guys are going to be great together.”
Jay sat and began tugging at the laces to his dress shoes. They were old and scuffed, but the fresh polish did a nice job of hiding it. When he finished his foot hit the floor with a muted thud and he ran a hand over his face. “I just want to make her happy, ya know? She deserves so much more than—”
“You made her happy when neither of you had anything.” Mason felt like he was pointing out the obvious, but it sounded like Jay needed to hear it. “As long as she’s with you, Em will be the happiest girl in the world.”
Jay sat a little straighter. “Thanks, man. Just a little nervous I guess. How are things with you and Ashlyn? I heard you moved out?”
Mason rubbed the back of his neck. Sleeping in his truck was a real bitch. “Yeah.”
“What happened?”
If Jay knew about him moving out that meant Ash had been talking to Em. And Em had been talking to Jay. And if Jay was talking to him about it, it meant Em had asked him to. On their wedding day. Low blow.
“Ashlyn has . . .” How to explain without breaking her trust? “The girl’s got defenses Fort Knox should install. She threw me out.”
Mason bit the inside of his cheek and turned back the window. The sting still hadn’t faded.
There was movement behind him and when Jay spoke again he was closer, leaning against the side of the table. “When I met Em . . . she had walls. I had more than a few of my own. It wasn’t easy getting past them. We had to fight—both of us—every single day. We’re still fighting for each other. And we’ve only made it this far because we refuse to give up.”
Harrison chugged his way into the lot outside and parked near the entrance.
“Ashlyn’s a special girl.” As if Jay needed to tell him that. “She was there for Em when I couldn’t be. I will never forget that. But you’re right, she’s got skin made of steel. She hides behind it. The question is . . . do you love her enough to break through?”
Love? Mason pressed his palm to the window frame and leaned forward to watch the girls get out of the car. Ashlyn shut the door to that bucket of bolts with a tenderness she rarely showed anyone else and patted the hood on her way past. When she reached Em, she linked arms with her and dragged her into a skip toward the front door to the courthouse. Love.
Mason turned around to tell Jay that it was show time and found he was being watched.
“Thought so.” Jay took one last look in the mirror and a deep breath. “One word of warning, though . . . You break that girl’s heart and I’ll break your face.”