Page 30 of Hidden Resolution (Stonebrooke #2)

“ F or years, I convinced myself that once you found the right girl, you’d settle down.

You’d get over what Melanie had done and wise up.

But I was wrong,” Connie said. Disappointment weighed heavily on her face as she stepped closer to Mason’s bed.

“Maybe it’s the combination of being left by your father and thrown over by Melanie, causing you to be heartless.

But it kills me to see you throw away the best thing that’s ever happened to you.

And Shonda was the very best thing in a long while. ”

“She’s a cheater like everyone else. It took her all of a minute before she was kissing Dane,” he retorted. “And Bucky told me she was collecting phone numbers at the police station like candy on Halloween.”

“Watch your tone, young man. I didn’t raise you to be disrespectful,” Connie scolded. “And Dane kissed her . Not the other way around. I told him to.”

“You what ?”

“I only told him to kiss her if he found you flirting with the coffee-cart woman,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“I wasn’t flirting.”

“No? Hm, that’s not what your brother said. Are you intending to lie to me and say you didn’t accept the barista’s number?”

His face grew warm. “Okay, yes. I got her number.”

Connie smacked him on the side of the head. “Hypocrite!”

“Jesus, Ma. I wasn’t going to do anything with it.”

The phone number had been for show. To dissuade Shonda from any further relationship expectations. Admittedly, anyone but her turned him off these days.

But he’d get over it. He had to.

“Don’t try to kid a kidder, Mason. If you took the woman’s number, you intended to have sex with her. I don’t understand how you could be so cruel.”

“I threw it away,” he confessed.

“Good,” Connie said. After straightening his blanket, she caressed his cheek. “Shonda loves you. We all see it.”

“I don’t want her to.”

“You’ve made it abundantly clear to everyone, especially her. Well done.”

He hated disappointing his mom, but he’d be damned if he would defend himself.

“I’m tired, Ma.” He didn’t need to fake a yawn. “Do you mind if I get some sleep, please?”

“So that’s the way of it, huh?”

“I’m not doing this with you,” he said tiredly. “You can’t make me want marriage and rugrats. Please let it go.”

Alone was better. He knew how to navigate being by himself.

The next two weeks were spent in a flurry of packing for the move.

Shonda’s goodbye to Erica was the hardest thing she’d ever done.

Leaving her old life behind was like cutting off a limb.

And damned if Erica wasn’t understanding and supportive of Shonda’s decision.

Her compassion made everything more difficult.

As expected, Mason didn’t call. The delusional half of her longed for him to beg her to stay. The realistic half smacked the deluded part upside the head.

Dane had popped over on her last day in Stonebrooke to help carry her boxes down the three flights of stairs and load them into her vehicle.

“That’s the last of it,” she said, sighing and shoving her overnight case to the back, then slamming the trunk.

“Thank God. It is downright embarrassing that an owner of a gym should be so winded, lugging boxes up and down stairs.”

“Just down,” she said dryly.

“Hush. I can change the story to make myself look better if I want.”

The teasing turned serious.

“I think I’m going to miss you most of all,” she said tearfully.

“Don’t do that. Don’t cry. You’ll make me get all weepy, too. How would that look to your neighbors? I’ll have to leave town because of all the razzing.”

“Shut up, you ass. I don’t know what it is about the men in your family, but every single one of you has to ruin a perfectly good sentimental moment.”

“It’s a gift.”

She rolled her eyes and went in for one last hug.

“Take care of yourself, babe. Shoot me a text whenever you stop for the night and then again when you get going in the morning. I want to know when you arrive safely.”

“Yes, Dad.” Grinning, she kissed him on the cheek.

“It’s all fun and games until you’re kidnapped by a highwayman and taken to his lair, where he satisfies your every sexual fantasy.”

“On that note, I’d better get going so I don’t miss him,” she quipped.

“Yeah, maybe I didn’t think that one through all the way.”

“Nerd.”

His teasing did what he intended, shifting her mood back toward an upbeat one.

“The moving van comes tomorrow,” she informed him. “Erica said she’d be here for it, but knowing her, she’ll try to help haul boxes. If you’re available, will you make sure she takes it easy?”

“Of course. Or I may make Zack do it. She might be more inclined to listen to him.”

“Don’t count on it.”

They shared one last hug before Shonda climbed into her car to start her journey to Colorado and her new life.

In the days following his release, Mason limped around his home, lashing out at anyone who disturbed his peace or brought up Shonda’s name. Not dissimilar to an animal in pain.

And he was.

When he could take no more of his own mood, he grabbed his keys and headed for her apartment.

His fist connected with the door twice before it was jerked open by an exceedingly irritated Erica. Frowning, he pushed past her—careful of her newly pregnant state—and charged into the living room.

The labeled boxes kicked his pulse up.

“Shonda!”

Silence.

“Shonda, come out here. We need to talk.”

Erica laid a hand on his arm.

“She’s gone, Mason. She left yesterday.”

“Gone? What do you mean, gone?”

Disbelieving, he brushed her off and searched each of the rooms. Part of him wanted to believe the stacks of taped boxes were an optical illusion.

Surely she hadn’t turned tail and run? Not Shonda.

She was a fighter through and through. An optimistic one to boot.

She would’ve stayed until he came to his senses.

“She took a job offer out of state,” Erica said, shadowing him.

“What are you talking about? Where?”

Her silence made him sweat.

“Where is she, Erica?”

“She doesn’t want you to know,” she hedged.

“Where. Is. She?”

“I’m sorry.” And she honestly seemed to be, but he wasn’t accepting of it.

“Are you honestly going to stand there and not tell me?” he asked in disbelief. “You owe me.”

Her raised brows forced him to question the wisdom of his claim. But if he had to use the getting-shot-on-her-behalf card, he would.

After an internal debate, she came to a decision. “Fine. She left for Colorado.”

“Where in Colorado?”

His patience was thin, and if she didn’t tell him, he feared he would wring her neck.

“Yeah, well, it’s all you’re getting. If you want her bad enough, you’ll make an effort to find her.”

“This isn’t one of your stupid-ass romance novels,” he ground out. “Give me the damn address.”

“You aren’t endearing yourself to me. In fact, you’re pissing me off,” she said, jabbing him with her nail.

He rubbed his chest. “Why does everyone keep poking me?”

“You put her through hell,” Erica charged, ignoring his complaint. “But did I say anything? No! Because I know what you’ve been through. I understand what it feels like to be betrayed. But I’ll be damned if I sit here and have you yell at me because of your own stupidity. Go to hell.”

“I swear to God…”

“What? What will you do?” she taunted. “Nothing, that’s what. Zack would kill you dead if I don’t first.”

And suddenly, he couldn’t take the uncertainty and pain anymore. Yeah, he’d screwed up. More than once. He needed to make things right.

Exhaling a ragged breath, he tried again. “Please.”

Her guard slipped.

Thank God for romantic saps.

“I promised her I wouldn’t tell you, and I can’t break my word.”

He dropped onto a plastic-wrapped chair. Defeated, he stared out the slider windows over the dead winter landscape. He’d fucked up. Big time. And there was no coming back. They could’ve had a good thing if he had gotten out of his own way.

“But…” she hedged.

Hope was a funny thing. It refused to let one wallow in self-pity or let go when they probably should. Mason sucked in his breath, raised his head, and waited.

“I suppose if you happened to overhear me telling the moving men the address, I wouldn’t exactly betray her trust,” she said slyly.

He jumped up and planted a big smacking kiss on her.

“Hey!” Zack protested, strolling in at the wrong moment.

“Yeah, up yours, dickhead.” With a grin and a flip of the bird, Mason settled in to wait for the movers. “By the way, I’m going to need to take time off.”

Erica smacked him upside the head. “Smarten up and apologize to her for chasing her away.”

He scowled but was thankful she hadn’t done worse.

“If you hurt her again, Mason, I swear by all that’s holy, I will tear you apart. Piece by piece, starting with your balls. Understand?” she promised.

“Christ, you’re scary,” he muttered, holding up his hands when she would’ve smacked him again. “I understand. Swear! And I won’t hurt her ever again.”

“Good. But know I’ll be sharpening my garden shears just in case.”