married, or pissed about how she was betrayed by him.
“There’s also someone new, but he doesn’t feel that way about me. Hell, I’m sure he hates me.” She hangs her head down before lifting it back up and running her fingers along her mother’s name. “I wish you were here. Talking to Shawn isn’t the same, and everyone else in town is really close to this man.”
I decide I need to let her know I’m here, because I have a feeling she’s talking about me, and most likely would hate that I’m overhearing her confession.
I clear my throat, startling her. “Oh, uh... hi, Mason,” she says, getting up off the ground and brushing the dead leaves from her knees. She looks good. I’m used to only seeing her in her uniform. The sweater she has on stops right at the waist of her jeans, revealing a hint of her stomach.
“How’d they go?” I noticed the dates on each grave; they all died within a day of each other. I ask, to stop my eyes from raking over her ass in them jeans.
“Car accident. Gram and Pops died instantly. Mom hung on until the hospital, and Dad passed the next day,” she says, whispering.
Before I can even think about the words coming out of my mouth, I blurt out, “Go out with me.” Why did I just say that? Stupid. I shouldn’t be starting something I can’t finish.
Her eyes widen before she answers. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Just coffee,” I say, sounding like I’m begging. I don’t know what I am doing here. I only meant to say sorry, not fuckin’ take her out.
I watch her face, and can see that she is chewing the inside of her cheek. Finally, she answers. “Okay, I can do coffee.”
I watch her kiss her hand and place it on each tombstone. Bending down to Hilary’s, I trace my finger over her name, when a breeze comes in and I swear to fuck I hear Hilary’s voice, just a whisper of it. ‘ She’s perfect for you, baby’. My head jerks up. What the...? Moira interrupts and the breeze disappears.
“Ready?” she asks.
I stand up and face her. “Yeah.”
“I’ll drive behind you? That okay?”
“Sounds good,” I say, walking slightly behind her out of the cemetery. Now I am staring at that ass. I smile. It feels nice.
When we get to Moira’s car, I open her door for her. I can be a gentleman on occasion; it’s rare, but it comes out sometimes. “Momma B’s Bakery okay?” she asks me.
I haven’t really paid much attention to the bakery since the shit went down with Betty, but I nod. “Yeah, sounds good.” She gets in, and I shut the door behind her. Damn, she needs a new ride. It’s all banged up, having seen better days. It is like a damn death trap waiting to happen. If she were mine, I wouldn’t ever allow her to drive the damn thing.
We walk into Momma B’s Bakery and place our order, taking a seat right by the window. This is feeling kind of awkward. I am trying to steer our conversation clear of his son and his wife. I want him to be comfortable. But it all turns tense when we’re interrupted. I was in the middle of telling him about how I love my work, when a woman comes over to the table, looking at Mason, her eyes sad.
She’s beautiful, despite the scars on her face. I recognize her from the hospital as one of Hilary’s friends.
“Mason,” she says, as I’m sipping on my Caramel Latte. She interrupted us, but I feel like I am the one intruding here.
His face turns to stone, and he glares at her through gritted teeth. “What are you doing here?”
Yikes. Something is going on here, and I don’t know what to do or where to look. I am tempted to say something. She is clearly upsetting Mason, but I am afraid he will think I am crossing the line. He is a man that doesn’t want or need anyone to fight his battles. I decide to keep my mouth closed, biting my tongue. I don’t like the way she is making him feel. His relaxed face is now stiff, and his mouth is cast down.
“Momma B left this place to me.”
“Why the