17. Mason

SEVENTEEN

Mason

Another long day at the office, but this time, when I come home, it's not ridiculously late, and I can hear giggling coming through the sliding door.

As I walk over, setting my briefcase down and smiling idly at the state of my living room, which is more stuffed animals than furniture right now, I can just make out movement coming from the backyard.

Watching from the back door, I see Bridget playing with Mia in the pool, spinning her around in circles as she shrieks happily. Mia is wearing her unicorn floaty vest and a floppy hat tied under her chin.

Oh my God. They're adorable.

My chest pinches slightly as I chuckle at the sight. I know that Mia's mother should be here with her.

A familiar sorrow washes over me despite how glad I am that Mia had someone like Bridget in her life.

That's the thing about grief. It's never really gone, and it hits you when you don't expect it.

I'm not as angry anymore, but there are still moments when I can't help it. I think to myself, "How dare Jess leave her daughter. How dare the doctors not save her."

But that's like sitting in a rocking chair. At least, that's what my mother would have said.

Gives you something to do but doesn't get you very far.

I know I need to move on from the past, and the truth is that this is the first time I've felt motivated to do so.

After Bridget left last night, I couldn't sleep, my brain churning over everything that's happened. When I saw her this morning, I could barely think of what to say.

Bridget wasn't any better.

We danced around each other the entire morning until I needed to go, and now that I'm home, I still don't know what I'm supposed to do.

Ugh, there's just so many layers of complication mixed in with all the good.

Leaning against the doorframe, I continue to just watch, tracking Bridget's movements as she plays with Mia.

I want her. I've always wanted her. But she's my best friend's sister. I'm a widower with a small child to look after.

Oh, and she's the nanny.

With a sigh, I rake my hand through my hair. I can't help but question if this is the right thing to be doing.

Should I really be pursuing a woman who clearly just got out of a bad relationship? Who also happens to be Hudson's sister?

I'd never forgive myself if I ruined her relationship with her brother, and I don't want to fuck up my friendship with Hudson, either.

Or with her, for that matter.

My stomach churns like it has all damn day, and not for the first time, I wish that I could just be told what to do.

I know I said there's no rush. And there's not.

But being in this limbo is killing me. I'm not good at waiting around without clear answers. I never have been.

You're not doing yourself any good by just standing here, either. Go on, Mason.

Shaking myself, I approach the pool, and when Bridget sees me, she smiles with surprise.

"Well, hello. I didn't think you'd be home yet. That's great."

Bridget is the type of person to smile with her entire face, every bit of her sweet, charming expression filling her up.

And I can't help but smile back, so damn happy to see her.

"Yeah, I figured after yesterday I owed this little one more time."

Mia reaches up at me on cue. "Dada!"

"Hello, baby girl. Are you having fun?" I smile down at her, and she splashes in the water, getting it right in Bridget's face.

"Splash!" She squirms a little, getting Bridget to start spinning again. "Fishy!"

"Why yes, you are a fishy! Good swimming."

Grinning, I walk back toward the house but pause just before the door.

"Well, kiddo, do you think that we should make Bridget some dinner? She can hang out with us tonight?"

Mia is on board, squealing and clapping, and I look to Bridget with my brows raised.

"So, how ‘bout it? Would you like to stay for dinner?"

She grins softly, meeting my eyes with a quiet joy that melts me right down to my core.

"I'd love to."

I nod. "Great. I'm going to go get out of the monkey suit. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

The water splashes as Bridget walks with Mia toward the steps.

"Sounds good."

When I get back downstairs, much more comfortable in an old t-shirt and jeans, Bridget is standing in the kitchen in her bathing suit, humming like she usually does.

A thin sarong is wrapped around her waist, and it's doing nothing to hide her incredible curves.

For a moment, I'm frozen there on the threshold of the kitchen, just staring at her and listening to her sing to herself—a familiar song about wild horses.

Goddamn, she's gorgeous.

I know Bridget is self-conscious, and I have to imagine that it has something to do with Jai. The idea that he made her feel shitty makes my blood boil, and I fondly imagine the look on his dumb face right before punching him.

Because I don't care what anyone says, Bridget is beautiful. She's smooth and sensual, and that hourglass body creates a silhouette of full hips and tantalizing breasts that make it very difficult to focus right now.

Bridget isn't a stick, and I wouldn't want her to be. The fact that Jai went and made her feel like a whale just because she's shaped like a normal human is infuriating.

And I aim to show her just how desirable she is.

Just maybe not right this second, considering we're supposed to be cooking for Mia.

"All right," I get moving, walking up to Bridget as she stands at the counter, "what do we have?"

Bridget looks up at me with a smile, and I grin back, listening to Mia screaming happily in the living room with Tru on.

"Well, I actually picked up some groceries earlier, so if you'd like we can make marinated chicken and veggies?"

With a nod, I lean just a hair closer to her, nearly touching my nose to hers.

"Sounds great. You start whipping up the marinade, and I'll get chopping."

Before long, we've created a delicious dinner, and Mia is all about the broccoli and carrots. Her favorite part of any meal.

"I can't believe she likes broccoli so much," Bridget says. "You lucked out."

I laugh, mussing up Mia's curls as I smile down at her. "Oh, I know. But she's also a huge fan of C-A-N-D-Y."

Bridget chuckles, finishing her sip of wine. "Just wait until she learns how to spell."

The laughter continues, and damn, it feels so good to just talk with Bridget and relax. She's easy company, and we both wind up trading tales from when we were teens.

"Mason Hayes, don't you dare lie like that. You were a huge troublemaker."

I scoff, putting my hand to my chest like I'm offended. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

With a laugh and cheeky eye roll, Bridget leans over the table, making a face at me with her nose all crinkled up.

"You bum. You and Hudson got me in trouble so much. ‘Oh no, Mrs. Monroe. It wasn't us. Bridget must have done it.' You were both terrible!"

I can't help but laugh.

"Okay, okay. It's true. But come on, it's got to be in the older brother's job description to throw his siblings under the bus."

"Mom was that bus, and she had on snow tires."

Hearty laughter erupts from both of us after that, and I feel warmed through. It's been ages since I've had this kind of dinner with anyone.

And I've missed it more than I realized.

I missed her.

Our conversation continues, and after a while, Mia gets antsy at the table, and I let her down to watch a bit more Tru before bed.

When we've finished up the food, I take the plates to the kitchen, and Bridget goes into the living room to check on Mia.

"Well, that was delicious. I?—"

"Shh. Look."

Bridget has her hand to her mouth, and I look down over the couch to see Mia curled up on the floor, sawing logs.

"Oh, baby. Okay. I'll be right back."

As carefully as I can, I scoop Mia up into my arms and carry her up the stairs to bed.

She stirs a bit when I set her down, but all it takes is to click on the music she usually listens to and get her twinkling nightlight going.

The quiet sets in around me, and I stare down at her as she lays in her crib, rubbing my hand gently across her back.

I can leave any second now. Mia's down and happy as a clam.

Still, I just watch her for a moment, remembering when she first slept in that crib.

It was a while before I could take her home from the hospital because they knew I needed help feeding her and caring for her alone.

Jess had been all about the breastfeeding thing, and we hadn't even bought bottles. I had to go on a mad shopping spree for them—and formula—and then the work of teaching Mia to eat from them began.

She didn't seem to like it at first, but we got there.

We figured it out, didn't we, baby?

There are a lot of downsides to being a single dad, especially with a newborn and no family to rely on. Jess and I had both lost our parents by the time she got pregnant, and we were both only children.

And I never knew what kind of father I was going to be. Mine was taken by a massive wildfire that hit town when I was a kid.

He'd volunteered too, and not having him to turn to was…rough.

Still, from the moment I laid eyes on her, Mia has been my entire world.

And getting to see her with another adult like Bridget, well, it's been truly incredible.

With a sigh, I finally get myself moving and go back downstairs to find Bridget. I'm not sure what we're doing now, but I don't want her to leave.

The living room and kitchen are empty when I get down there, however.

"Bridget?"

I look around and then notice that the patio door is open again, the screen pulled over to keep the bugs out.

Walking over, I see Bridget sitting on the back deck with her wine in her hand. She's watching the moon come up, the sound of crickets chirping loudly.

With a smile, I follow her outside, and she turns toward me when she hears the screen door slide open.

"She go down okay?"

"Oh, totally. Barely stirred. I just…I like watching her sleep."

Bridget smiles, and there's this cute furrow in her brow as she regards me.

"What?"

"That's adorable."

I knock her with my shoulder. "Oh, shut up."

We both laugh quietly, and the silence stretches between us as we enjoy the warm summer night and the cool breeze.

I'm comfortable enough to sit there with her all damn night, but there's one thought that still kicks around in my head.

Bridget is so much more timid now than she ever was.

I can sense that there was bad business between her and Jai, and I want to know what it is. I want to know so that I can understand—and refute anything that fucker may have said.

Ruining this moment is not what I want, however, and I want to bring up the breakup carefully.

Exhaling, I know that it's now or never, and if I am actually going to give all this a try with Bridget, I need to know what happened.

"Bridget?"

She looks over at me, taking the last sip of her wine and setting the glass down next to her.

"Yeah?"

"What happened with Jai? I know it wasn't…pleasant. Can you…can you tell me?"