First Choice, Second Chance, page 11
"It's Mr. Corelli," the older man snarled. "You're with my daughter, you should have some respect. I can keep her away from you. I will if you don't smarten up."
"You can't threaten me," Mason said, straightening his back and standing a little taller. Luca wasn't overly tall, so it wasn't hard for Mason to bring himself to a more imposing position. "You have no authority over me anymore. You can't threaten to fail me because you caught me kissing your daughter. You may have some influence over Lila, but you need to remember she's an adult. If she wants to see me, she will. You can't stop her."
Mason took a deep breath, surprised all of that came pouring out. He hadn't planned on it. The way Luca's eyes bore into him, it hadn't gone over well.
"You better watch the temper, little boy. She is my daughter and will do what I tell her. If I find you use that temper on her, you will never see her again."
Mason sucked in a breath at the threat. His stomach twisted at the insinuation, but he refused to let it show. "I would never hurt Lila. I can be pissed off at you, or even at her. I would never raise my hand to her."
He turned away before he could do just that to Luca. As he left the grandstands, his hands started to shake. He couldn't believe the man would even think that about him. He'd never really had a reputation for fighting. He didn't look for trouble. He didn't walk away from it, either. As he calmed down, he realized he had fought more a few years ago than he did now. He had calmed down since Kyle went off to school. When he didn't have to keep his defenses up around his brother, he'd let them down around everyone else as well. Luca wouldn't know that. They'd left about the same time Kyle did.
That still didn't give Luca the right to insinuate he'd ever hit Lila. He had more respect for her, for himself, for the parents who had raised him, than to ever take his anger out on the woman he loved like that. Even if he hadn't told her those words, at least not when she'd been awake. Mason shook off those thoughts as he walked down the midway.
He stopped at one of the food stands and bought a sausage sandwich for his dinner. It was one thing he looked forward to every summer and fair season. All the food he didn't eat the rest of the year. He'd polished it off by the time he reached the stand selling funnel cakes. He stood in line for one and decided to take it back to the racetrack to find his seat for the concert. He licked some powdered sugar from his finger then nearly ran into someone. It took him a moment to realize it was his own father. He wasn't used to seeing him out of his work clothes, except for Sunday mornings or special occasions. He was dressed in a button down shirt now and his best black jeans, with his cowboy boots shined up. Next to him, his mother stood in a flowery dress, with what he was sure were practical heels under it.
"What are you two doing here? I didn't know you were coming out tonight."
"Thought we'd come out for the concert. That is allowed, isn't it?" his father asked. There was a smile on his face, behind the words.
"Of course. I didn't expect to see you."
"Don't worry, Mason, we won't embarrass you."
He groaned. "I'm not worried about that, Mom. I just said I was surprised. I'm heading back that way. I want to get a seat up close. Are you coming now?"
His father shook his head. "We'll sit up in the grandstand. We don't need to be close. We know what Lila looks like." He did reach around Mason and rip a piece of the funnel cake from the rest then popped it into his mouth.
They did walk together toward the grandstand. Admission to the fair covered the concert tonight as well. Mason liked that, even if it meant admission cost more. Other fairs did it opposite, cheaper admission, but you had to pay for a ticket to the concert. Usually they had bigger name artists there. That didn't matter. He hadn't been to a fair concert for two years. Before that, Lila had always dragged him along to them. He couldn't stand to go without her though.
As he passed through the gates and made his way up toward the stage, he stopped himself from following that path. There were folding chairs set out on the racetrack, starting about a yard from the edge of the stage. He made his way to that row. He didn't want anyone to get in front of him and block his view. Then, he settled down with his funnel cake to wait for the concert to start.
#
Lila wiped her hands on her pants before grabbing her guitar. She should be used to this. She'd been performing in front of large crowds for the last two years. In front of smaller crowds for even longer. Why did she always have this attack of nerves before she went out? She'd be over it by the time the first song of her set was over. Why did she let it get to her in the first place?
Her opening act was nearly done with their set. That was something, to have an opening act. That was usually her place, opening for a bigger act. At least it had been for the last two years. Was she really getting that big? Was it because she was home? Her own modesty told her it was the second, even if she'd like to believe the first.
When a stage assistant poked his head into her trailer, he didn't need to say anything. She knew exactly how much time she had to get in position. They'd be moving around the stage set-up to her band's preferences before she went out. None of that mattered to her. She'd go out there, and she'd sing. Her father had brought her usual band up for these concerts. She didn't know what they'd been doing the rest of the summer, but they were here now.
It would be the first time she'd faced Brody, her drummer, since her father had found out about what she'd been doing with him. She wasn't sure how awkward it would be, especially now that she was with Mason. It shouldn't be awkward. They hadn't been a couple; neither had been in love. It had only been sex. She'd heard him talking to the other band members. He'd had experience she wanted. He willingly gave it to her. There really wasn't more to it.
She'd stayed separate from them tonight. They all knew the songs. They wouldn't be playing anything they hadn't done before. The panic built again as she looked at the clock, two minutes.
She knew the songs, had faced crowds larger than this. What the hell was her problem?
Mason.
What a beautiful problem he was. What if she screwed up? She doubted anyone else would notice if she forgot a line or a song fell flat, if she was offbeat, but he would. He noticed everything about her, way too much about her.
She took a few breaths in and released them slowly, until she her anxiety lessened. She didn't have any more time to panic. Time for her to go out there. One more breath, and she left the trailer to make it to the back of the stage. She pulled on her mask of confidence as they announced her name. She could do this. She had to do this.
With the lights in her eyes, it was hard to see anything out there. She saw Mason as soon as they toned down. Sitting right up front, smiling up at her. She could see a bit of powdered sugar at the corner of his mouth. She thought seeing him would make her more anxious. Instead, it grounded her. If she could look at him all night, she wouldn't feel a hint of those nerves again. Unfortunately this wasn't a concert for one. Knowing he was right there for her helped her get through it. She launched into the first song with her eyes locked on his.
She had to move around the stage, but every time she came back to the spot, she sought him out. Every time his attention was directed right back at her. When their eyes met, it felt like she could fly across the stage every time.
#
Mason stood at the edge of the stage again. This time, waiting for Lila to finish taking pictures and signing pictures with the concert goers. He hadn't bothered waiting in line. He didn't need an autograph. He ran his finger along the guitar pick she had tossed out into the audience during one of her songs. She hadn't actually tossed it out randomly. Her eyes had been locked with his the whole time. She had thrown it right to him. His heart had soared at that moment.
He liked seeing her interact with her fans, seeing her smile at them, throw her arm around the young girls who wanted to be like her. He could see she was getting weary. A couple of the guys waiting in line got a little closer than Mason would have liked, but he hung back. This was part of her job. He had to leave her to it. That didn't mean he had to like it.
Finally, the last of the fans trailed away. He could still hear the excitement in their voices as he pushed away from the stage and strolled down to where her table was set up. Most of those voices were hoarse as they'd been screaming the words of the songs. Their ears were probably ringing as well. His were, but it had been worth it. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since she had stepped out on stage. He couldn't even remember who had been sitting beside him. She had owned the stage and his attention. Something had been off. Nothing too noticeable to anyone else. He had seen it, had heard it right when she first came out. She was scared and trying to hide it. That had faded as she got into the show, but it had never disappeared completely. He had even seen the relief when she had finished the final song and turned to leave the stage.
Why did she do this if it scared her so much, if it wore her right down? He could see now as he approached her that's exactly what she was, worn down to the bone. He wanted to scoop her up into his arms. Wanted to kiss her until those shadows were gone from her eyes. She wouldn't appreciate that. Not when there were other people around. He waited next to the table until everyone else, the head of the fair board, the concert coordinator, and her parents had gone off. Her father was the hardest to get to leave. She told him not to worry about her, and he finally left.
"I saw you out there, right up front," she finally said as she swept the mementos fans had left her into her guitar case and closed it up. "It meant a lot to me, Mason."
"Why would I be anywhere else? I told you I wanted to be here, Lila."
"I know you don't like being around all these people," she said with a quick gesture of her hand. "I'm sure you'd rather be out on the farm. Yet you came here for me." She took a deep breath then looked up at him, and he saw a sparkle in her eye despite the question. "Daddy thinks it's because you want to get me in your bed."
He couldn't help it. The laugh came out on its own. "Well, that has been on my mind," he said, snaking a hand around her waist and pulling her close to him. "It could be I care about you. I want to support you. I-" He stopped and let the statement hang in the hair before letting out a breath. "He can't see it, can he? That anyone besides him could care about you."
"He knows," she said, leaning into him. "He doesn't want it to be you."
His skin prickled as anger burned through him. "Why? What have I ever done to him? To you?" He put a finger under his chin and lifted it so he could look down into her eyes. "What have I done?"
She shook her head, and he could see the tears in her own eyes. "You've never done anything, Mason. He knows what you are. You're a farmer's son who has only ever wanted to work with his father. He thinks I deserve more than that. I could never convince him I only ever wanted you. He doesn't think it will be enough."
Mason's thoughts crashed together at her confession. She wanted him. Did she mean she would stay here with him? Even when the summer ended? He wasn't sure if he could believe it. If it would be too much to hope for. "Lila."
She put a finger to his lips before he could say anything else. "We don't have to stay here. Is there somewhere else we can go? I want to be with you tonight, Mason."
He pushed away all of his questions. They would take things a day at a time. It would be fine as long as he remembered she could still leave. He only had to remember that. "Come on. I know a place."
Chapter 17
Now
The next week passed in a blur to Mason. Early mornings were devoted to chores. He took a break at lunch and met Lila at the diner in town. Then, back out to the farm to take care of things there. Afternoons were spent mowing, raking, and baling the last of the hay into late evening. Then, he'd go back to town to take Lila to dinner. They'd come back to his place for a couple hours. He took her back to her parents' even though her father had seemed to accept she came back to him. He didn't want to be the one to put a wedge between them again.
A part of him was sure he was making a mistake. Falling right back to where they had been seven years ago. It hadn't worked then. Why did he think it would this time? He couldn't stay away from her. When he tried to, his skin itched, and he found himself heading for his truck. It wasn't actually possible to be addicted to a person.
It didn't matter if it was or not. She seemed to be in his blood. He couldn't get her out. At first, he thought they could get the sex out of their systems. It hadn't worked. He wanted her even more every day. The wrench slipped off the bolt he tightened, and he swore as his knuckles hit against the side of the tractor.
"Something wrong?" his father asked as he hobbled into the barn where Mason worked.
"This piece of shit. I'm ready to junk the thing. It should have been towed away nearly five years ago. I don't know why you insisted on saving it after it almost killed you."
His father was silent as he stepped forward and ran a hand along the hood of the tractor. "Do you know why I wanted to keep it?"
"Because we couldn't afford to buy a new one. We still can't." Mason tossed the wrench to the ground. If they could afford a new one, he wouldn't have to keep fighting to get this one to work from day to day.
His father shook his head, and Mason caught his grimace before he could hide it. "To remind me I'd had a close call and to remember to grab each day as it came. There's no guarantee how many more I'll have."
That was exactly what kept Mason's stomach tied into knots every time he had to work on it or sit on top of it. "You don't need this to remind you, Dad. You have me. It was my fault you were even on it that day. If I hadn't been so stupid-"
Scott held up a hand, bringing him to a stop. "You didn't make me get on the tractor that morning, Mason. It could have waited another day. I was stubborn. It's as much my fault."
"I shouldn't have been out getting drunk during planting season. I shouldn't have still been letting her get to me after almost three years."
"No, you shouldn't have been. It doesn't make this your fault. It doesn't mean you should be carrying this weight on your shoulders. That you should try to kill yourself to make up for my mistakes."
"Your mistakes? What mistakes did you make?"
"My mistakes," Scott said again. "I told you I shouldn't have been out there. How many times had I told you not to go out on your own? Yet I did it." His father looked away from him for a moment. "Yes, I was angry with you. And I was scared. You were killing yourself, slowly but surely. I hated watching it, knowing there really wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. Instead of talking to you about it, I did what I always told you not to. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have. Everything I've cautioned you against." He took a breath and hesitated before adding, "I've paid for it. I hate to think you're paying for it, too."
"Dad, I love this farm. I really don't mind the work, but I hate what this thing represents."
His father sighed. "I know all of that. It doesn't have to be your whole life, though. Like I said before, you're still young enough to make another life. You could do that with Lila now."
His stomach flipped over. He couldn't think about it. She might have a reason to stay this time. It still wasn't him. "That's not what we're doing, Dad."
"Really? Because you've been spending a lot of time with her. Your mom wants her to come over for dinner."
Mason barely held back a groan. It wasn't like last time. They weren't dating. Sure they went out to dinner, but he wasn't going and asking her out and picking her up at her door. They met at the diner or sometimes a restaurant in the next town over. At least then he didn't have to face her father at the door. They weren't trying to feel each other out. They enjoyed each other. Couldn't that be enough? His father's eyes were steady on him, still waiting for a response.
"I'll ask her, see if she wants to come. When is this dinner?"
"Saturday night. I'll let your mother know."
Mason noticed his father walked a little straighter, with a little more life to his gait, on the way back to the house. Still painful to watch, but it was like their conversation had given him some hope. If that was all it took, he would make sure Lila said yes to dinner. He wouldn't look any farther right now.
#
Mason sat in his truck staring out at the parking lot. He took the ball cap off his head and slapped it against his leg. It was stained with grease and sweat and frayed around the edge of the bill. He should toss the thing. He couldn't imagine doing that. Lila had given it to him before she left for Nashville the first time. Anyone could tell how much he wore it.
He wasn't going to wear it into the restaurant, though. He'd barely had time to change and make it here. He still wasn't going to wear that ratty hat inside. He combed his fingers through his hair then stepped out of the truck. He'd seen Lila's car, so she was inside waiting for him. Why couldn't he go in there?
He knew why. Because she was in there. Damn it, he'd never felt this inferior before. What had gotten into him?
His mother wanting him to ask her to dinner Saturday night, that's what. It would make whatever this thing was between them even more official. He wasn't sure if that was what he wanted. They were having fun right now, but neither were eighteen anymore. He didn't think his love would be enough to hold her here. It never had been before.
She was here right now, and didn't give any indication she was leaving. He would take that for now.
Mason pushed through the door but barely noticed the blast of cold air. She stood across the lobby, smiling at him. Warmth spread through him, pushing away all the cold places. God, would he survive if she left again?
Then, he cursed himself out for that thought. Of course, he'd survive. He survived the last time. He nearly scoffed. If what he'd been the last seven years was surviving, he'd hate to see it if he really broke down. Then, all those thoughts washed away when she came to his side and put her hand on his arm.
She pushed up on to her toes and brushed her lips over his cheek. He shifted so his lips could meet hers. He hadn't shaved. He didn't want her cutting her lips on the scruff on his face. "Hello," she murmured when she pulled back.
