First Choice, Second Chance, page 10
She couldn't meet the other woman's eyes. "I'm sorry, Mary."
"Now, what are you apologizing to me for? Did you haul my son back here and tie him to the bed while you had your way with him? If he didn't complain, I don't see what the problem is." Lila caught her smile, but she still couldn't believe the words came from her. Mary had always seemed to be a straight-laced, church-going woman. She couldn't believe she would think that, let alone have the words come out. "Scott said he was whistling while doing chores. So, I'd say he wasn't complaining."
"No, he didn't complain." Then, her face grew so hot, it had to be red. "I didn't mean I tied him up. Oh, God." She brought one hand up to her face. When the older woman chuckled, she wanted to shrink until she was invisible.
"My son's a grown man," Mary said, "but, I still worry about him. I knew he went out with Brian last night. That boy usually keeps him straight, but I know he's been struggling since you came back." Lila's stomach sank. "I saw him come in late. Then, a beautiful woman stood out on his porch early in the morning,"—? Her gaze ran up and down Lila again. — "wearing his shirt and drinking his coffee. He hasn't brought a woman back here in quite a while. I worried. Then, I found you here."
"Does it really matter it was me?"
When Mary remained silent, Lila finally raised her eyes and saw the serious look in the older woman's eyes. "You know it matters, Lila. It's always been you for him. Even when you left and broke his heart, no one else really ever mattered."
She shook her head. "It's not like that, Mrs. Akeley. He doesn't feel that way about me anymore."
The other woman's eyebrow arched, nearly disappearing into her hairline. "Really? You're going to try to tell me that when you still smell of him and are wearing his shirt. I know I may seem old-fashioned, but I'm not blind and I'm not stupid, Lila."
She shook her head. "I would never think that of you, Mrs. Akeley."
"Please, call me Mary. Your mother's my friend, and you're sleeping with my son. You were married to my other son."
Her cheeks were no longer flushed, now all the color had drained out of them. "Mrs. - Mary," she corrected at a sharp glance from the woman. "I know what you must think about me. I'm not bouncing between them. Kyle, he-he was a mistake. I'm sorry. I know you love him, he's your son. What he did to me..." She trailed off as Mary put a hand over her now shaking ones.
"That's enough, Lila. I think nothing of the sort. Kyle's true nature came to my attention when his father was nearly killed. He couldn't spare even a moment of his time to care. It's torn me apart these last years I could have raised someone like that. He's my son, and I'll always love him. But, I don't blame you for not being able to. And you don't need my permission to be with Mason. You're both adults."
Tears trembled on the woman's eyelashes. "It's not your fault, Mary." She could say that with certainty. "He's charming. It's easy to pass over the way he is when he starts using that charm on you. He had me fooled for over six years and destroyed my life in that time."
Mary reached an arm out around her shoulders. "You'll get it back, Lila. You're too good not to."
Lila shook her head. "It's gone now. I couldn't even imagine getting back up on a stage. I have a job here. I can't walk away from that." She didn't want to walk away from Mason, either.
"Then, you'll make things work here," she said and squeezed her shoulders. "Give him a chance. He may try to push you away still. He's afraid you'll hurt him again. He needs time to see you again." Then, she stood up. "I'd better get back up to the house now. Take care of yourself, Lila, and my son."
Lila stared after her as she headed back across the field to the house. She took a sip of the coffee, the woman's words circling in her head, then almost choked on it when she heard footsteps. Then, a voice asked, "What did my mother want with you?"
Chapter 14
Before
Lila didn't want to open her eyes. She remembered almost instantly where she was and who she was with. She took a moment to savor it, and there was no regret. She could still feel Mason's arm over her. Could feel his body hard behind hers and the scratch of the blanket over them. She didn't want to move.
She couldn't stay here. Her parents would be expecting her to be back from Ashley's in time for church this morning. She was singing again, so she had to be there. If they knew she hadn't been at Ashley's all night, there would be hell to pay. She sighed and shifted against him, but she still didn't get up. When his arm tightened around her, she wasn't sure how she would without waking him. She hoped she could be gone before he woke up. She might never get out of here.
She took another moment to lie in his arms. When tears pricked her eyes, she knew she needed to leave. She couldn't do this, couldn't fall for him. Hell, who was she kidding? She had started the moment she'd come back to town. Hadn't she admitted that much to herself the night before? It still didn't change anything. She couldn't stay. At the end of the summer, she'd be heading back to Nashville. Nothing that happened here would change that. They could have their fun. She had to remember it had its limits. She couldn't love him.
That didn't help her battle the tears. It may already be too late. She wiped at her cheeks quickly before lifting his arm off her body. He groaned in his sleep, and she held still for a moment, but he didn't wake up. She let out the breath she'd been holding and slid to the end of the truck bed. There wasn't a lot of light yet, and she had to hunt for her clothes. She found her shirt and skirt lying in a pile together, not far from Mason's clothes. She had straightened her skirt when a voice came from near the truck.
"Ready to do the walk of shame, Lila?"
She could feel her face flame but still brought her eyes up to meet Brian's. "I have no shame."
His laugh bloomed instantly. "And you shouldn't." His eyes cut down to Mason. "He loves you."
The laughter left her immediately, and she shook her head. "He can't. I'll be leaving soon enough. He can't love me."
"You could always stay or ask him to go. You know he would."
No, she couldn't do that. She could never ask him to leave everything he had here. Not any more than she would be able to leave her own life. She reached for the socks still in her boots. "Like you're one to give relationship advice, Brian. What are you and Ashley fighting about this time? She wouldn't tell me."
He lifted a shoulder. "It's nothing." At Lila's long look, he sighed. "She thinks I'm wasting my life throwing these parties. That I should do more."
"You didn't tell her you were accepted to a school? To all five you applied to?"
He lifted that shoulder again but asked, "How do you know?"
"My father worked at the school. He still talks to them and hears things. Which one are you going to?"
"I don't know. I might not go at all."
"Don't be stupid. I know you're not, no matter what you might let everyone else think. She's right. You can make your life a lot better than this, Brian. She wants to be with you when you do. So, stop being a dumbass."
"Well, that's blunt. Maybe you should think about taking your own advice." He turned away. "If you need a ride home, let me know."
Mason started to stir. "That's all right. I'll be fine."
"Keep telling yourself that," he said before striding away.
She would. Because if she didn't, she didn't think she'd be able to do what she had to when the time came.
#
Mason opened his eyes, and the first streaks of light spread across the sky. He no longer felt Lila in his arms. He rolled over onto his back and saw a quick flash of dark hair from over the edge of his tailgate. "Lila," he called out to her. "What are you doing?"
"I have to go," she said but didn't look at him. "My parents are going to be picking me up for church in less than two hours. I need to get a shower and change. I can't let them see me like this."
He grabbed his jeans before scooting to the end of the truck bed. "Are you okay?" he asked her as he slid one leg into the jeans. She still hadn't looked at him.
"Fine, but I don't want Daddy to be mad at you."
"Are you?" He couldn't help it. He got the feeling there was something wrong between them.
She finally looked up. "No, not at all. I told you last night I wanted it. I know how Daddy will react. He might forget about laying low and take me back to Nashville to get me away from you. I don't want him doing that. Do you?"
He shook his head but said, "You could always tell him you want to stay. You're an adult now. He wouldn't make you go back if it's not what you wanted, would he?"
She shook her head. "I just…I can't let him know. Okay, Mason?"
He let out a breath. He didn't know why he felt this disappointment. He knew she wasn't staying, that she would be going back at the end of the summer. Why was he trying to ruin the time they had left together by being stupid? He'd keep his fantasies to himself and be disappointed in August when they all shattered. "I'll take you to Ashley's. I need to get back and help Dad with the chores, anyway."
He finished pulling his jeans up and buttoned them before grabbing the blanket to fold and put back in the cab of the truck. By the time he'd stashed it behind his seat, Lila had climbed into the passenger's side, so he hopped up behind the wheel. The ride back to town was silent, and he thought again maybe she regretted what had happened. When he glanced over at her, he saw the frown on her face. It made his stomach take a dip. She did regret it. She didn't know how to tell him.
He had himself convinced of this by the time he pulled up in front of Ashley's house. Then, Lila leaned over the seat and brushed her lips across his cheek until he turned his head. The kiss she poured into him held not even an ounce of regret. He brought his hands up to her face and added a little more force to the kiss. She finally broke away. "I have to go. I'll call you after church if you're not there."
"I doubt Mom will let us miss it."
She flashed him a smile then hopped down from the truck. She glanced back once before dancing up the sidewalk and right through the front door. He waited until she was inside before leaning back against his seat. This wasn't going to be a one night thing. It couldn't be. Not with the way she made him feel. He had to have her again. He wasn't sure he would be able to get through a day without a look or a kiss from her. He let out a sigh. Where did these thoughts come from? Soon enough he'd have to make it through every day without either of those. He needed to remember that.
Chapter 15
Now
Mason wasn't sure what to think when he left the field and saw his mother sitting on the porch with Lila. He hung back along the edge, hoping the corn would keep him hidden. He didn't know why. His mother put her arm around Lila's shoulder, and a moment later, a hand on her knee. Then, the older woman turned to leave. He could tell she said something else over her shoulder, but he was too far away to hear the words.
He waited until his mother had started through the field before moving forward. Lila brought the coffee mug to her lips without raising her head. She had no idea he was there. He could take in her beauty for a moment. She had nearly struck him dumb the night before in the tight shirt and skirt. This morning, he didn't think he could even breathe. She only wore his shirt, more than a size too big for her. Yet the sight of her wearing it turned him on more than the clothes she wore the night before.
Of course, it wasn't like waking up beside her hadn't turned him on. They'd never had that the last time. He'd always had to get her home before her father had a fit. Either he had gotten past that now, or she didn't care. He could take the second, even if the first would be nice, too. He had never understood what Luca had against him, except Mason liked his daughter. Even that he hadn't understood. He never would have hurt her. What was the problem with wanting her?
He shook off those thoughts as he climbed the steps. She tensed up at his footsteps. He couldn't have that. "What did my mother want?"
Her shoulders relaxed even though it seemed forced. Like she feared the consequences of the night they'd spent together. After a moment, though, she turned to him. "She was worried about you. She saw me standing out here and thought you'd brought home some loose woman." She smiled then and put a hand on his chest. "Is that a common practice for you?"
She meant it lightheartedly, but he could hear the more serious question behind it. Was that all this was? One night to get things out of their system, just a random hookup? Since he wanted to rip his shirt off of her and take her right there, he figured he could assure her that wasn't the case. "I haven't brought anyone here in a couple years." He took a step closer to her and brushed her hair off her shoulder. "I have no desire for a one night stand."
She tipped her head back so their eyes could meet, and her lips parted. For a moment he thought she would say something or lean up to kiss him. Instead she dropped her gaze to the pulse pounding in his throat. It matched the throbbing in his jeans. He wondered if she realized that. Then, her eyes came back up, and she said, "You should probably take me home."
Disappointment washed through him. Even though he had been thinking the same thing on the way over here. Her parents would probably be worrying even though she had sent that message, so he tamped down that feeling. "Maybe you'd want to put your own clothes back on."
She glanced down at the shirt she wore then back up at him, and her eyes sparkled. "When they see you bring me home, it's not going to matter what I'm wearing. They'll know what we did."
He had to admit, her wearing his shirt home only heightened everything he felt for her right now. There was probably something wrong with that, but he didn't care. "Does that bother you?"
Her smile dimmed slightly. "It doesn't matter. I've had someone questioning my every move for the last seven years. I'm an adult. For the first time, I feel like I can make my own decisions."
Warning signals went off in his mind, and it twisted something in his gut. His grip tightened on her shoulders. "Did he hurt you? Did Kyle ever hurt you?"
She shook her head, and he forced himself to relax his grip. "It wasn't like that, Mason. I didn't even realize what he was doing at first." She laughed, but he caught the bitter edge to it. "Hell, I didn't see what he was doing until he left. He chipped away at me. That's why I never noticed it. The changes were so small. He told me what to do. When I didn't do it how he wanted, I was stupid. I was slow. It must have been luck that had gotten me as far as I had before he came along. I started to believe it. It stole away all my confidence. I could barely walk out on stage during that last year I performed. I didn't realize how much I'd come to count on the little compliments he stingily handed out until he left. I had nothing left. Even if there weren't all those rumors spread about me, I don't know if I could have gone back out there."
Her words reached in and tried to rip his heart apart. Something moved through him, making him want to reach out to her, to take her in his arms and soothe away the pain, help her build that confidence back up. It was one of the things he'd always loved about her. Even when she was nervous, and he remembered noticing that about her at those fair concerts all those years ago, a confidence surrounded her. He hated it had been taken away from her.
"You're none of those things, Lila," he said brushing his thumb across her cheek. "You're beautiful. You're smart. You're incredibly clever. You're talented more than you're lucky. I'd like to rip my brother's tongue out for saying any of those things to you."
He didn't even think about it anymore. He brought his lips down to hers. He wanted to keep the kiss soft and light. Her hands moved up his back until they wound around his neck. The feeling of her hands on his muscles had him diving deeper into the kiss. She opened for him. Still, he pulled back. Because if he didn't, he'd carry her back into his house and they'd spend the rest of the day in his bed. That wouldn't accomplish anything. He had too many responsibilities to soak in the luxury of her. "Get your clothes," he said, his voice rough. "I'll drive you home."
"Mason."
He heard the pain in that one word and looked up at her. "Get your stuff, Lila," he said again, forcing his voice to be softer this time. "I have things to see to around here." He reached out for her hand. "I'd love to see you again tonight."
He watched her chest heave with the breath she expelled. Then, the smile crossed her face. "I'd love that, Mason."
"Great. We'll get dinner. Then, figure things out from there. I'll give you a call when I'm done here."
She stood up on her toes now and brushed her lips over his. "I'll get my things."
Chapter 16
Before
Mason stood at the side of the stage and watched Lila test out the sound system. He had never thought of what she had to do to get ready for a concert before, aside from actually knowing the songs, anyway. Now he saw more to it. There were sound checks, outfits to approve, or rather, for Luca to approve. He hadn't realized how much of a hand her father had in her appearance. Hair and makeup to do, which they were getting ready to take her back for. She broke away and headed for him first.
She slipped one hand over his shoulder and leaned in for a kiss. She didn't linger over it since her father watched. "I have to get ready. You are going to be here for the concert, right?"
"Of course. I said I would be."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him. He didn't kiss her again, only held her. "You're going to be fine. I'm going to walk around the fair for a while, but I'll be back here for the concert. I'll make sure to get a seat close to the front. You won't be able to miss me."
She pulled back and smiled up at him. "Be sure of it." She glanced over her shoulder. Mason had already seen the look on her father's face and knew what she saw.
"Go on," he said, brushing his lips over the top of her head. "I'll be here when you come on. I promise."
He watched her walk away before stepping away from the stage himself. He hadn't gone far when a heavy hand fell to his shoulder. "Luca," Mason said without turning around.
