Page 160 of Ghost

“You going to need any ice?”Nick asked as he returned.“Nicky will be out in just a minute.”

“Yeah.I got two big coolers in the back of the truck.My fridge is pretty empty and so is Mitch’s, but I know Deb hasn’t got any room in hers.I figured I’ll put one case in mine and one in Mitch’s, the another in one of the coolers.Just swap them over when we need to.”

Nick’s son, Nick Davies Junior, known as Nicky walked out from the storeroom.Mason and Nicky’s locked eyes and both seemed to freeze.

“You want those in the back of your truck, Mason?”Nick asked, noticing that his son and Mason were in a staring contest.

It took Mason a moment, but he finally answered.“Yeah.Perfect.”

He wasn’t sure if putting the beer in the back of his truck was perfect or if he meant that Nicky was perfect.

“Uh, can I get a sandwich or something for dinner, please, Nick?”

“Of course.”Nick walked behind the deli counter.“What’cha in the mood for?”

“You know me.”Mason watched as Nicky walked out the front door towards his truck, the case of beer over his shoulder.“Whatever looks good.”

“Well, I’m trying to use up as much cut meat as I can since we’ll be closed for several days, so what about an antipasto platter?You’ll have enough for a few meals.”

“Sounds good.”Mason turned to face Nick.“You know, I’ve never met your son?”

Nick stopped in his tracks.“No?”

Mason shook his head as the bell on the glass door rang.

“Let’s take care of that right now.”Nick motioned for his son to come over.“Mason here just told me that the two of you have never been properly introduced.Mason, meet mine and Patty’s son, Nick Junior.Nicky, meet Mason Montgomery.”

When Mason took Nicky’s hand, he swore there was an electric shock between them.From the look on Nicky’s face, he must have felt it too.

“Nice to meet you,” Nicky said.

“Same here.”Mason didn’t want to let go of the man’s hand but reluctantly did so.

“I feel like I already know you,” Nicky said.“Mom and Pop here talk about you all the time.Say you’re the neighborhood savior.”

“Pfft.”Mason shook his head at Nick.“I wish to hell you and Patty would stop that.I’m not doing anything all that special and don’t even start saying I am.”Mason turned back to Nicky.“So...architecture?”

“Yeah.I’d like to have a look at your place sometime.I have a real interest in that period of architecture.”

Mason could swear the young man, who was close to his own age, blushed.From the look on Nick’s face, he didn’t miss it either.

“Sure, just let me know when.”

“How about Friday?”Nick suggested.“Nicky’s going to come check on the coolers and such.One time when we were closed for two days, I came back, and the deli coolers had stopped running and I lost all the cold cuts and cheeses.That was a very expensive fix, let me tell you.”

“Yeah, sure,” Mason answered, looking at Nicky.“We’re all taking Friday off.Making it a long weekend.”

Nicky looked at his father questionably.“Sounds good.”He turned his blue eyes to Mason.“What time?”

“How’s ten in the morning?”Nick answered for his son.“Nicky here needs to check the store around nine, then he can just walk up to your place.”

“That works for me.”If Mason didn’t know any better, he’d have thought Nick way trying to play matchmaker.”

* * * * *

Mason could hear Paul from the sidewalk.He was playing with his kids, and his little girl was squealing in delight.Paul is such a great dad.Deb and the kids are very lucky,Mason thought, remembering that his own father had run off and left him and his family to fend for themselves.Thankfully, Uncle Bud had been there to help.

He knocked on the door, but with so much noise coming from inside the house, it was obvious that no one heard him, so Mason opened the door and was greeted with a barrage of noise.Paul’s youngest boy ran up and grabbed his hand.“Come on, Uncle Mason, we’re beating Daddy up!”