CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Mason

It's nearing midnight by the time we make it back to Heartwood. The conditions on the road were slick, and flash flooding made some sections almost impassible. The wind and rain are already easing up, a perk of fall storms in the prairies—they're fierce but swift and leave as quickly as they roll in. Still, Grady took the drive slowly, white-knuckling the wheel for an hour and a half.

We dropped off the rental car at the airport, and all crammed into his truck, Ally and I in the back seat, leaving Spencer and him up front. Ally sat close to me, not wanting to let go of my hand. She rested her head on my shoulder, quickly falling asleep once we hit the highway. The heavy feeling of Ally's head on my shoulder makes me feel like my heart will burst, and I lean down to breathe in the heady coconut smell of her hair more than once.

Spencer and my brother bicker playfully in the front seat for most of the drive until Spencer also dozes off. Grady isn't used to being around girls that can handle his teasing, let alone hand it right back. She's a firecracker if there ever was one, but she would do anything for Ally, and that makes it hard not to like her.

The cool night air is fresh after the rain and the smell of the wet earth is almost sweet when Grady drops Ally and me off at the cabin.

"You can stay at the cabin with us, Spence," Ally offers as she hops down out of the truck. She's still groggy from her nap in the car. She has a faint wrinkle along her cheek from where it rested on the seam of my shirt, but she's so beautiful I can't take my eyes off of her.

I have to blink a few times to convince myself that I wasn't imagining her standing there in the emergency department. How had I been so stubborn that I didn't see how much I need Ally in my life? There's no point in thinking about it now. Right now, I want to get Ally into the cabin and show her just how thankful I am that she came back for me.

"Thanks, but fuck no. I will not be a third wheel to your little reunion ." Spencer laughs, her finger waving between Ally and me. "Grady can drop me off at the motel."

I don't hide the sigh of relief I let out. As much as Spencer has been an amazing friend to Ally, and I owe her everything for bringing Ally back to me, all I want right now is to have the cabin all to ourselves. Ally whacks my arm with the back of her hand, but she doesn't protest Spencer's suggestion, either.

We wave off Spencer and Grady and head inside the cabin. It's dark inside. I haven't been back here since Ally left. I couldn't bring myself to face it, the colossal mistake that I made. But tonight, coming home with Ally feels right. I used to avoid the cabin, never wanting to feel the emptiness that Dad had left behind. But Ally came into my life and filled a void, and now I can't imagine living anywhere else with her.

Sure, the cabin will need some renovations, maybe an addition out the back. It won't be big enough for a family. It was only supposed to be a vacation property. Until a month ago, I didn't think that my heart was big enough to even entertain the idea of having a love life, let alone a family, and now I want both.And I want both with Ally.

Ally frowns at her tote bag as she plops it down on the bed.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my heart skipping a beat as I consider Ally may be having second thoughts.

"I just realized I moved all my stuff back to the city and now I have to move it all back again. Not to mention the fact that I only brought one change of clothes with me."

I laugh, a mix of relief and unadulterated joy that this is the biggest problem between us right now. I close the space between Ally and me once again, wrapping my hand around the back of her head, twining my fingers through her hair and gently tugging on it so she's looking up at me. I bring my lips close to hers, just grazing them.

"Who says you'll need clothes?" I whisper against her mouth before letting our lips collide. Ally smiles into my mouth as she kisses me back.

"Who says you'll be doing anything wild with that arm of yours?" Right. I forgot about that.

"Minor inconvenience," I say. I'm not letting anything stop me from fucking Ally right here and right now. "You might just have to do most of the work. You think you can handle that, Honeybee?"

Ally's mouth curls into a playful grin as she places her hand on my chest, pushing me back and down onto the bed.

"I think you're the one that won't be able to handle not touching me while I ride you." I allow her to guide me back down onto the mattress, relishing watching Ally as she moves to unbuckle my belt. Ally takes an excruciatingly long time undressing me, taking extra care of removing my shirt over my broken arm. The break isn't as bad as it could have been, and the doc put it into a sling instead of a cast, but I still can't move it or put weight on it.

I shiver as Ally plants soft kisses all the way down it from my shoulder to my elbow as if her love might be the very thing that heals me. What she doesn't realize is that she already has. She's already healed me in ways she could never understand or imagine. She brought me back to life. I had hidden myself away for so long, too afraid to confront my fears, my demons. Too caught up in the stress and burden of my job.

Ally removes her own clothing sensuously, as if putting on a show for me. I take in the soft curves of her body as each piece falls to the floor. Ally is stunning. She crawls across the bed and brings herself up to straddle me, her soft flesh making contact with my cock, instantly hardening it. Ally takes her time, leaning down to run a trail of kisses up my chest. She reaches down and takes my cock in her hand, rubbing my tip in small circles around her clit.

This time feels different. This time, there are no walls between us. Everything is laid out bare. We're not in a hurry. We have all the time in the world together. This time, we savour every single moment, allowing it to stretch out before us, slow and sweet.

Ally tilts her hips back, never once letting her lips break from mine. She lowers her hips down, taking my cock inside her. She's already ready for me, for my size. I moan into Ally's mouth, the two points of contact between our bodies feeling like pure, sizzling, hot fire. And then Ally pulls her lips away from mine, sitting up tall so she can rock her hips back and forth, her firm breasts bouncing with each movement. She tilts her head back, eyes rolling upward, her lips parting in a soft moan.

She rocks on me and rides me until we both find release and collapse into each other, our breathing ragged and shallow. Ally lays her head back on the pillow next to mine, her eyes closed in sweet ecstasy, the afterglow of pleasure almost lighting her from within.

Ally is the light at the end of a long and dark tunnel. She's the bright spot that gives me hope for the future. Guilt settles in my gut, a hard knot that I'm struggling to undo. I never meant to push her away. I let my fear of failure get the better of me. The part of me that believed there was no room for her got the better of me. I'll never be able to undo that.

I brush a strand of that beautiful strawberry blond hair off her cheek.

Wrapping my good arm around Ally's petite frame, I pull her in close so her head is resting on the soft spot beneath my shoulder. She snuggles into me, trailing her fingers up and down my arm, stopping at the tattoo on my bicep.

"I meant to ask you, what does this mean?" Ally asks, one finger tracing the outline of the bear I had inked on my skin last year.

"Protector." I say, pausing for a beat before elaborating. "The bear is a symbol of protection, a leader who defends others against all threats. The mountains represent Heartwood." I feel Ally nod against my chest.

"You carry such a heavy burden, Mason, always feeling responsible for others, putting others above yourself."

"I would never hesitate to protect the people I love, Honeybee. And now you're at the top of that list." I bury my face in her hair, breathing in her sweet scent.

"I know you'll always have other priorities, Mason. I'm never going to ask you to neglect your role. I know how important that is and always will be. I just want to know that I'm important to you, too." The fact that Ally even has to question where she is on my priority list is too much.

"You're all I need, forever, Ally Wells," I whisper, placing my lips on her forehead.

"Is there room for me in there this time?" Ally leans away and points her finger at my chest, right to my heart.

"More than enough. I'm done shutting everything and everyone out. I promise." And I mean it, I will do everything in my power to make her believe me. At this moment, I think I know how I can do that.

Ally smiles and nuzzles her head into my chest.

"I never thought I'd be the kind of girl that sleeps with her boss," Ally says with a low, raspy giggle.

"What would you say about me not being your boss anymore?"I ask.

"You're not going to fire me now, are you?" Ally turns from where she is lying on my chest to look up at me. She knows I would never do anything so drastic, not in a million years. But concern still shadows her expression.

"Never, Honeybee. I don't want to be your boss anymore. I want to be your partner, your equal." I lift my hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Ally's ear. "I want to put your name on the clinic license."

A smile spreads across Ally's face. Her eyes glimmer as they become dewy, making my insides quiver. Just her gaze alone has me coming undone, powerless against her.

"Are you sure? You'd do that for me?" Ally has never felt appreciated for what she brings to the table. People have always found some way of using her willingness and drive, but they've never seen her for the unstoppable force that she is. Not the way I do, now.

"Positive. I'm not just doing it for you, either. You bring out the best in me, Ally. And I am happy to relinquish some control over the clinic to you. Your first order of business as a partner will be to find another nurse to hire."

Ally stretches herself up so she can plant a warm kiss on my mouth, delicious and sweet. Ally is mine, and I am Ally's, and as our lips move together in unison, I can't help but think that we'll make an unstoppable team.

"I love you, Mason Landry," Ally whispers into my mouth. And that's what does it.

From now on, the only person I'm on call for 24/7, is Ally Wells.