Chapter Eight
“What about Muffy?” Mason asked as he led me to his car.
“I told my niece Muffy could have a sleepover with her tonight. I was supposed to leave her with Violet anyway.”
He nodded as he opened the passenger door and shut the door behind me before getting in and starting the car. He stayed silent until he’d pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. “Are you okay?”
“Surprisingly better than expected.” I couldn’t believe it was true. I felt badly for Joe, but I had realized something in that back room. He had spent his life making messes and then scrambling to clean them up. While he’d told me that very thing, seeing firsthand proof of it was eye-opening and freeing.
“Do you still want to go to Magnolia?”
I grabbed his hand and twined his fingers with mine. Part of me wanted to go home and cry, but most of me was done mourning the life I’d never have with Joe. I’d squandered twenty-four years before Joe, and there was no reason to squander another day now that I had a chance at a life with the man next to me. “You have no idea how much I want to go to Magnolia with you.”
He shot me a surprised look before returning his attention to the street. “Is there any particular movie you want to see?”
I stared at him, amazed that I was here with him now. Part of me screamed that this was too much, too soon, but the rest of me was tired of waiting.
Mason swung another glance at me, waiting for my answer.
“I don’t even know what’s playing.”
He rattled off several movies and I picked a romantic comedy. He kept shooting me curious glances, probably expecting me to fall to pieces after my encounter with Joe. But instead I felt more empowered. Joe was supposed to be the strong one, but he was the one who’d fallen apart. Maybe I was stronger than I thought I was.
I turned in my seat to face him. “How did you get the afternoon off?”
“I already told you.”
“Mason, you’re the assistant DA and you canceled court to take me to Magnolia for the afternoon. Given the fact I’m not one of Judge McClary’s favorite people, I doubt he’d give you permission for that. What’s really going on?”
His free hand tightened on the steering wheel. “I didn’t want to worry you, especially since you had enough to worry about with seeing Joe.”
“I’m not some fragile flower, so don’t treat me like one.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“You are the very last person I would ever accuse of insulting me. Just tell me the truth.”
He took a breath. “The police and the FBI think they have Crocker cornered in a four-block area in Shreveport.”
“But?”
He shot a grim smile at me. “But I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I think he’s still around. I have no evidence to back it up, just a gut feeling.”
“So why are we going to Magnolia?”
“Because if Crocker’s still around Henryetta, I doubt he’d look for you in Magnolia.”
“So that’s why Judge McClary agreed.”
“Reluctantly, but yes.”
I didn’t want to think about the possibility of Daniel Crocker lurking in Henryetta.
“Don’t worry, Rose. They’ll find him.”
I nodded. They had a better chance because the state police were involved.
“Did I tell you that my mother is coming to visit in a couple of weeks?” Mason asked.
“No.” I’d met his mother after Sunday service at Jonah’s church over a month ago and I’d loved her from the moment she uttered her first sweet word.
“She asked if she could collect on that rain check for Sunday lunch.”
I smiled, happiness filling my heart. “I’d love that.”
We spent the rest of the forty-five-minute drive talking about Mason’s childhood and antics he and Savannah had gotten into as kids.
“My dad was an attorney. He practiced estate law, but he encouraged Savannah and me to practice the art of persuasive arguing. I think he secretly wished he’d become a defense attorney.” He laughed. “My father would secretly give us a topic at breakfast, and we’d spend the day coming up with our arguments. Then we’d argue our points at dinner. We drove my mother insane. No one was surprised that we both went to law school.”
“I can tell that you love what you do.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really, how can you?”
“Because your eyes light up when you talk about it. Do you ever worry that you’re prosecuting an innocent person?”
“Honestly, I never thought about it very much until Bruce Wayne’s trial. A lot of things changed for me after that case.”
The smile he flashed me said his attitude wasn’t the only thing that had changed.
We went to see the movie, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how I was safe and cozy in a movie theater in Magnolia while Bruce Wayne was God only knew where. He could be in serious trouble. Jonah was right. It was time to tell Mason.
After the movie, we went to dinner at a local restaurant. To calm my nerves, I kept telling myself that our meal was just like our lunches at Merilee’s, but it wasn’t. At least not for me. The air was charged with anticipation, although I wasn’t sure of what. Mason had made little physical contact with me other than holding my hand. It was just as well since I was distracted enough just sitting next to him. I couldn’t imagine being able to concentrate if he had made any other kind of move, and I really needed to concentrate on something important. I took a deep breath after we ordered. “Mason, I have something to tell you.”
The smile fell from his face. “Okay.”
“It’s about Bruce Wayne.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Okay.”
“Wait. What did you think I was going to say?”
“Never mind. Tell me about Bruce Wayne.”
“He’s missing.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, missing?”
“You know that he’s been calling in sick, but after I ate lunch with Neely Kate yesterday I took Bruce Wayne some chicken noodle soup and he wasn’t there. Not only that, but half his clothes were gone.”
Mason looked worried. “Where did he go?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know. David said that for the past several days, Bruce Wayne would call in sick to work and then leave early in the morning and come back late. The last time he saw Bruce Wayne was on Monday night. Then Scooter Malcolm told Jonah that he saw Bruce Wayne at Weston’s Garage on Friday and over the weekend.”
“Do you think he had anything to do with Crocker’s prison break? We know he had some outside help.”
“No. I just can’t see him agreeing to do that. He’s protective of me and he knows that Crocker is upset with me. But what if he refused to help and they hurt him?”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t want to get him into trouble. I was worried that he might have run away, and I figured you’d have to turn him into his parole officer if I told you.”
“It sounds like he’s in trouble. I’ll notify the sheriff’s office and we’ll file a missing person report.”
“What if he’s hiding from Crocker’s guys?”
“We’ll take that into account. Rose, I know how hard Bruce Wayne has been working to straighten out his life and his parole officer is bound to have noticed too. Plus, I can put a good word in for him.”
“You’d do that?”
“Of course. Bruce Wayne has made remarkable progress since he’s begun working for you. Everyone can see that.”
“Thanks.”
“Next time, tell me, okay? We really are on the same side.”
That was going to take some getting used to.
An hour later, we arrived at the Fenton County sheriff’s office to file a missing person report on Bruce Wayne. Mason asked the receptionist if his friend Jeff was around and a few minutes later, a deputy wearing a warm smile walked out from the back. Mason took a step toward him. “Rose, I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Jeff Dimler. He’s the chief deputy sheriff and we’ve worked together quite a bit.”
I shook his hand, thrown off by his friendliness. “Hi.”
“So you’re the infamous Rose Gardner.”
I cringed. “You know about me?”
He laughed. “You have a better case record than the Henryetta Police Department. There’s a running bet here at the sheriff’s department that you’ll solve more crimes this year than they will.”
I scowled. “Yeah, they’re not too fond of me over there.”
“So we’ve heard. Not to worry, we’ll take you seriously here.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“It’s hard to argue with a three for three record, Ms. Gardner.” He winked. “If you ever consider a career in law enforcement, keep the sheriff’s department in mind.”
I laughed. “Thanks.”
“Say, Mason.” Chief Deputy Dimler leaned his shoulder against the wall. “The guys were impressed with your three-point shot in the last seconds of the basketball game. They’re talking about making you a permanent member of the team even after Gonzales comes back after his dislocated shoulder. Interested?”
Mason laughed. “The deputies are willing to have a lawyer on their team?”
“As long as you help us beat those guys at Martin Heating and Cooling, you could be a three-eyed Martian as far as their concerned. What do you say?”
He grinned. “Count me in.”
“Great!” He looped his thumbs over his belt. “Exciting day in Henryetta today apart from the Crocker escape, huh? I heard that Joe Simmons even made a campaign stop in Henryetta.” The deputy turned to me. “At your nursery, right?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“He applied for a sheriff’s deputy position and we offered it to him, but he turned it down to run for the state senate. Turning out like his daddy, huh?”
I shifted my weight, uncomfortable to be reminded of my past with Joe.
“You have no idea,” Mason muttered, casting a glance at me. “But we’re here to talk about Bruce Wayne.”
Chief Deputy Dimler gave Mason a puckered smile. “Fair enough.” He motioned to his office and we sat in front of his desk.
“Bruce Wayne worked for Daniel Crocker before Bruce Wayne’s arrest last year, so we know he has ties to Crocker’s boys,” Mason began. “But he’s been working for Rose this past month and has shown a real aptitude for landscaping. He’s gone above and beyond as an employee. He seems to love his job, and I’m certain he wouldn’t throw all that hard work away on a whim. I’m worried his old ties have gotten him into trouble.” Mason and I filled Chief Deputy Dimler in on what we knew.
The deputy looked up from his notes. “We’ve noticed a lot more activity at Weston’s Garage these last few weeks. We’ll see what we can do. It could be they were putting some pressure on Decker to come back to the fold, so to speak, and he’s lying low to avoid getting mixed back up in it. Hopefully we can get Decker’s roommate to cooperate.”
I wasn’t sure they’d ever manage that.
Chief Deputy Dimler’s cell phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”
Mason stood. “I think we’re done here. Thanks for the assistance, Jeff.”
We got up and walked out of the room as the deputy took the call.
Mason put an arm around my back and leaned close to my ear. “Bruce Wayne’s not in any trouble and they’ll start looking for him soon. Feel better?”
I was more than relieved. “Yes. Much. And the fact that Chief Deputy Dimler doesn’t hate me is reassuring.”
“Rose, I was serious about moving out of the city limits. The sheriff’s deputies would be much more responsive when you need help. I know I’d feel better if I knew law enforcement was going to respond to your calls more quickly.”
I scowled. “Why do you keep suggesting there will be a next time?” His eyebrows rose as he smirked. “I’ve been considering the idea since you mentioned it to me. But financially, it’s just not an option right now. Not unless I sell the farm and who knows how long it will take for that to happen.”
“We can talk about it later. And if you’re serious about moving, we can figure out a way to make it happen.” He pushed the front door open. “Now let’s head home.”
I grinned up at him. “What was Jeff talking about you making a three-point shot?”
He shrugged. “Fenton County has a men’s rec basketball league. A lot of the businesses have teams, the sheriff’s department included. Deputy Gonzales dislocated his shoulder several weeks ago and when Jeff and I met for lunch a couple of days later, he asked me to help out. I’ve filled in three games.”
“Sounds like you impressed them. I didn’t know you played basketball.”
He shook his head. “I haven’t in years. But it’s been fun and I’ve started hanging out with some of the guys after the games.”
Mason opened the car door for me to get in when Chief Deputy Dimler stood in the doorway and called out to us. “Hey, Mason. I think you’re gonna to want to hear this. The FBI just phoned and said they have Crocker cornered in a warehouse in Shreveport.”
Mason released a long breath. “That’s great news.”
“They’re in the middle of a stand-off, but they should have him apprehended within several hours.”
“Thanks for the information. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know when he’s back in custody.”
“Sure thing.”
We got in the car and I called David, warning him that a sheriff’s deputy would be dropping by to ask questions about Bruce Wayne. I knew he’d freak out if law enforcement officers just showed up on his doorstep.
When I hung up, Mason seemed unusually quiet and tense for several minutes. “Do you want to talk about anything that happened earlier this afternoon?”
Part of me wanted to forget the afternoon altogether, but I knew Jonah would call that unhealthy. Plus I didn’t want to keep secrets from Mason. “Joe thought I was sleeping with Jonah.”
The expression left his face. “Excuse me?”
“His father had someone take photos of me with Jonah a couple of weeks after Joe broke up with me. He said they showed us hugging and sitting close to each other.”
“How did he jump to that conclusion?”
“Because the Joe and Hilary engagement isn’t so fake. Joe’s sleeping with Hilary.”
He cringed. “Rose. I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. I just don’t understand. He says he can’t stand her, but he keeps going back to her time and time again.”
“Some habits are hard to break. Even when they’re bad for us.”
We drove in silence for several minutes until Mason pulled into my driveway and turned off the engine.
I stared out the windshield at my front porch. “He told me he can’t live without me,” I blurted out.
“And how do you feel about that?”
I turned to Mason, searching his eyes. I hated that he looked worried. “I told him that I can’t forgive him for running to Hilary so soon after we broke up. Even if we got back together, I wouldn’t be able to trust him not to go back to her.”
His expression was still guarded. “Is that how you really feel or what you thought you should say?”
If anyone other than Mason had asked me that question, I’d be angry. But there was no malice in his voice, and he of all people deserved an answer. “I have to be able to trust the man in my life, Mason. I’ve been hurt by too many people. If I give my heart to someone, I want him to be truthful with me. The fact is, Joe hid so many things from me. He wasn’t truthful with me over the majority of our relationship.”
He didn’t answer.
“He said he wanted to protect me from Daniel Crocker, but I told him that I didn’t need him. I told him I had you. Just like I’ve had you for months. I just didn’t realize it.”
“Rose.” His hand slid up my arm.
“I’m glad I saw that side of him today. It freed me to move on and not feel guilty for wanting to be happy with someone else.”
His gaze fell to my mouth. “Someone else?”
“You, Mason,” I whispered. “I want it to be with you.”
His mouth lowered and my breath stuck in my chest as his lips lightly brushed against mine, like he was worried he’d scare me away.
I rested my hands on his shoulders and parted my mouth as his tongue explored mine. A fire erupted in my chest and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. My reaction removed his hesitancy and he wrapped one arm around my back, moving the other behind my head.
Desire flowed through my veins and I turned awkwardly in the passenger seat to press myself against more of him.
His head lifted, leaving us both panting. “I suspect your neighbor is watching us.”
I grabbed his hand. “Come inside.”
He got out of the car and came around to open my door, pulling me into his arms and kissing me until I was lightheaded.
Why had I been resisting him for weeks?
Leaning back with a grin, he took my hand and dragged me up to the front porch. “Keys,” he mumbled before he kissed me again. When he lifted his head, he said it again, “Your keys.”
I stared up at him.
“Your keys? So I can unlock your door.”
“Oh.” But I still studied his face in a daze. Mason had literally kissed me senseless.
“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m liable to skip going inside, which wouldn’t be so great for my career given that your neighbor makes bi-weekly calls to my office to report indecent activity at your house.”
I laughed as I dug through my purse and found my keys. Mason took them from me and quickly unlocked the doorknob and the deadbolt. But instead of opening the door, he pushed my back up against it and kissed me again. One hand cupped my cheek while the other slid under my sweater and skimmed the bare skin of my waist, setting my hairs on end. I grabbed the back of his neck, clinging to him as my knees weakened. My heart pounded in my chest and my skin flushed.
Mason lifted his head, his eyelids heavy with lust.
“Are you coming in?”
He watched me for several seconds. “No.”
I blinked, certain I’d heard him wrong. “No?”
“I’ve waited for months, but you haven’t. I don’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for.”
“You’re not pushing me into anything. I want you.”
“I don’t want you to regret this, Rose. We have time. We can wait.”
“What if I don’t want to wait?”
His hand caressed my cheek. “If I can wait, so can you. I just want you to be sure. You only decided today to move on.”
I buried my face into his chest and groaned. I could see the sense in his words, even though I didn’t want to admit it. “I hate that you’re right.”
His arms wrapped around my back. “You have no idea how hard this is for me. I’m going to have to go home and take a cold shower.”
I looked up into his eyes and pressed my lips against his before I could stop myself.
He groaned and deepened the kiss as I clung to him. “Rose, you’re not making this any easier.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled against his lips.
“Liar.” He laughed and took a step back. “Go inside and lock the door. They have Crocker cornered, so you should be safe, but I’ll have the police do several drive-bys tonight.”
“Okay.”
“Will you meet me for lunch at Merilee’s tomorrow?”
“I should tell you no for being so mean.”
He kissed me again, murmuring against my lips, “I’m doing my best to convince you.”
“If you kiss me like this tomorrow, then definitely yes.”
His face lit up with a grin. “I have court in the morning, but it’s Judge McClary and you know how he likes his noon lunch recesses.”
“So noon? I’ll be working at a job site by myself tomorrow, so I might not be too pretty.”
“You’re always beautiful, Rose.”
I blushed.
“Are you building the retaining wall? By yourself? Can you get someone to help you temporarily until Bruce Wayne shows up?”
“I could ask David, but he hated working for me before. He only did it because I promised he’d earn recreational money.”
“Try him again. And maybe he’ll tell you more about Bruce Wayne while you’re working.”
“Okay.” I had to admit it was a good idea, although I suspected he’d be resistant, particularly since this would be even harder manual labor than what I’d hired him for the first time.
“Now go inside. I’ll call you in the morning and let you know that Crocker was officially apprehended.”
I opened the door and stood in the doorway for a moment. “Goodnight, Mason.”
He leaned over and gave me one last kiss, proving that meeting him for lunch was the best idea since the invention of the microwave.
“Goodnight, Rose.” He gently pushed me inside and closed the door behind me.
After flipping the lock I turned on a lamp and peered through the curtains as his car backed out of the driveway.
I leaned my back against the door and sighed as a strange feeling washed through me. I tried to put my finger on what it was. It was weird not having to let Muffy outside, but that wasn’t it. My body was filled with surging hormones and an unsatisfied craving, but that wasn’t it, either. I felt unsettled, as if my life were on a teeter-totter and I didn’t know where I was going to land. Was this what it was like dating someone else? Dealing with the uncertainty of the future?
With a tired sigh, I pushed away from the door. It was only nine o’clock, and I was nowhere near ready for bed. I put on my pajamas and called Neely Kate, filling her in on my day with Mason. When I told her about Mason kissing me, she squealed so loudly in my ear that I had to hold the phone away. “You’re going to make me deaf, Neely Kate.”
“Hearing is overrated. So he’s a good kisser?”
“Well, I don’t have much to compare it to, but when he finished, I was pretty fuddled.”
“Oh!” She squealed again. “I knew you two would have great chemistry. You’re a rising Scorpio and he’s a Cancer. You’re a perfect love match.”
“How do you know Mason’s birthday?”
She gasped. “I can’t believe you of all people are asking me that!”
“No kidding.” I laughed. Neely Kate was known far and wide for her extensive knowledge regarding everything and everyone around her. But incredibly, she wasn’t prone to gossip. “I can’t believe he’s making us wait.”
“I think it’s romantic. He really cares about you, Rose.”
“I’ve known that for weeks. I don’t need him to wait to prove it.”
“Well, you rushed into sleeping with Joe and look how that turned out.”
I sighed. “That was different. I was sure I was about to be murdered and I didn’t want to die a virgin.”
“Still, I like it. It makes him more chivalrous. If I wasn’t married to Ronnie, I’d go after him myself.”
“I’m eating lunch with him tomorrow. I’ll be sure to tell him he has options.”
She snorted. “It would be a waste of breath. The guy only has eyes for you, Rose. Be sure to kiss him in public, though. He’s turned down so many eligible Fenton County women that rumors have been going around that the poor guy is gay.”
I laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Call me tomorrow after your lunch. Unless you’re too busy.”
“You’re terrible. Goodnight.”
I turned on the TV and started a new episode from season two of Grey’s Anatomy. After I found out about Joe’s engagement to Hilary a few weeks ago, Neely Kate had brought over the first few seasons. Now I was hooked. But tonight I couldn’t concentrate, remembering the way Mason had kissed me and how much I wanted more. I’d worried that dating Mason would feel like I was cheating on Joe. But I hadn’t given Joe any thought whatsoever just now. I tried to pay attention to who was sleeping with whom at Seattle Grace, which seemed to change from episode to episode, but my mind kept drifting to Mason and our moment on my porch. Finally, I gave up in the middle of the second episode and turned off the TV.
After making sure all the doors were locked, I climbed into bed, missing Muffy so much it took me longer than usual to get to sleep. My dreams made me restless and when I woke up in the morning, I felt uneasy, like something was wrong.
Cracking my eyes open, I glanced around the room. Everything looked fine until I noticed specks of red all over my ivory comforter.
Red rose petals were strewn all over my bed.
Shrieking, I sat up and scrambled backward, bumping into the headboard.
Rose petals were scattered in a path that led from my bed out the open doorway into the hall.
My heart hammering in my chest, I got out of bed and rounded the corner into the hallway, terrified of what I’d find. The petals continued down the hall and led to my sofa, which was now covered in red splatters, eerily similar to Momma’s sofa after her head had been bashed in by Daniel Crocker with her rolling pin. I fought hysteria and swallowed to keep from throwing up as I inched closer, terrified the red stains were blood. A wooden rolling pin covered in red on one end lay on the middle cushion next to a geode with purple crystals, both pinning a piece of paper in place. I carefully pulled the sheet out, my hand shaking so hard I could barely read the handwritten note.
My dearest Rose,
You and I have business that I’m very much looking forward to finishing.
Eternally yours, Dan