Page 14 of The Hero's Bride
“I don’t need anything.” She smiled and caught Sully walking toward them.
“All filled up,” he said to her. “Why don’t we go back to the Jeep while Red gets supplies?” Sully escorted her back to the car and turned to her when they got to the Jeep. “You’re welcome to sit in the back, but I’m gonna try to get some sleep. I’ve been told I snore like a bulldog.”
Thalia chuckled. “I’ll sit in the front. Then you can stretch out and snore to your heart’s content.” In truth, she was hoping to talk to Mason more.
“I appreciate it and once I start sawing wood, you’ll thank me for the warning.” He got in the back seat, and she slipped into the front. Before long Mason was jogging toward the Jeep. He got behind the wheel, flashed her a grin, and started the engine. “All right, let’s get out of here. Only ten more hours to go.”
Sully stretched his arms over his head. “Well, when you put it like that, we’ll be there tonight if we don’t run into any trouble.” The large man lay on his side, scrunching up his long legs as Mason turned onto the poorly paved stretch of road.
Turning in her seat, she faced Mason. “Do you think we will?” A shiver of fear snaked down her back at the thought of the men at the boatyard.
“What? Run into trouble? If we do, we’ll be ready for it.” He had one hand gripped on the wheel, the muscles of his arm straining against the fabric of his T-shirt. Gold freckles dotted his skin between the gaps in his tattoos, and she wished she could continue to stare so she could count each one. “Keep your eyes peeled for a scenic spot. Somewhere where a couple might do some sightseeing. We’ll take a few pictures and send them to Jude. It’ll make his life easier when he’s pushing the paperwork through.”
With the gas station in the distance behind them, the scenery straight ahead was one of jagged mountain ranges. The road was framed by sand, dry shrubs, and cacti. “What will we do if we reach the border, and the paperwork isn’t ready?” She bit her bottom lip, scanning the landscape for a scenic spot. She knew the request was probably meant to keep her busy, taking her mind off the potential danger.
“Figure we’ll get a hotel as close to the border crossing as possible. We can lay low for a few days and once Jude has the paperwork cleared, we will cross into Texas.”
“And after that?” She didn’t want to pester him, but she couldn’t help the questions from tumbling off her tongue. His knuckles tightened, then blanched on the wheel.
“Jude will meet us in Southlake, where the Days are being held. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security will interview you. After that, we can fly to Virginia to see Vivienne if you’d like.”
Her breath caught. “Yes! I would love to see Vivienne.” She paused, suddenly uncertain. Rescuing her hadn’t been an official mission, which meant he was using his own time and resources to help her. “I know you must need to get back to work. Back to your life.”
He angled his face to look at her and offered a smile that lit his expression. “I have leave time. She’s in Virginia Beach with our friend Iron. I know you’d probably rather stay in Virginia, but as your sponsor, we’ll need to stick together.”
She touched his arm and the heat of his body warmed her palm. “I’d like to stay with you.”
Although he didn’t look convinced of her words, he continued. “After that we’ll head to California.”
She stared out the window as she gathered her thoughts. The tall cactus plants with arms that seemed to reach upward were replaced by shorter clusters, each with a pretty pink or orange flower sprouting from the center. She’d lived in Mexico most of her life, but there was so much she hadn’t seen. She never would’ve known there was more than the lush forests beyond the tired city she’d grown up in. She turned her thoughts back to Mason and the conversation they’d had the night before. He had expressed that he had no expectations, but that didn’t sit well with her. Not because she expected him to change his mind and start demanding things of her, but more because she needed the details laid out to feel secure. After entering the United States the first time with big dreams of going back to school and earning money to help her father, she was devastated when those hopes were dashed.
“I don’t want to assume anything, Mason, or have you think I can offer something I can’t. My education didn’t go beyond childhood, but I can cook and clean, and I’m sure there’s some kind of work I could pick up. I don’t want to be presumptuous about where I’ll be staying, either.”
“Thalia, as far as I’m concerned, you and I are old friends.” The sunlight picked up the natural highlights in his hair, reflecting streaks of gold and brighter reds. “You’ve stuck your neck out for me, and I have no doubt that if you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have made it past eleven. I don’t want you to worry about where you’re going to live or how you’re going to earn money. I want you to take the time to just…live for yourself. Without feeling as though you always need to be doing something for someone else. I have no doubt you’ll figure out what you want to do with your life. If it’s going back to school, we can make it happen. If you decide that California isn’t the place for you, although I hope you’ll love it, we’ll figure that out too. Right now, just know I’m going to take care of you. You’ll stay with me in my condo. I have a spare bedroom, although it’s taken up by Tiny, so for now, you can take the main bedroom. Tiny and I will bunk together. We’ll figure it all out as it comes.”
The breath wooshed out of her lungs. In her short time on earth, she’d learned if something seems too good to be true it probably was, but she’d chosen to put her faith in Mason.
“We’ll talk more when we get settled in a hotel, yeah?”
“Yes.” She smiled softly. “If I’m going to be your fiancée, I probably should know a little more about you.”
“Ask me whatever you’d like.” He leaned back onto the headrest and smiled. The sudden urge to reach over the console and touch the coarse length of his beard had her tightening her hands in her lap to stop their wayward movement.
She’d never considered a man beautiful before, but in that moment, she knew without a doubt that Mason certainly was. Thalia cleared her throat. “What have you been doing for the past twenty years?”
He barked out a laugh. “I like how you cut right to it.”
She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over her face and immediately felt guilty. Just yesterday, she’d discovered her father was murdered, now she was smiling and laughing with a man who intrigued her more by the second. What kind of daughter did that make her?
“Sweetheart,” his voice was a low growl, and a thrill spiraled through her at the rough sound. “Tell me what just sucked the joy off your face.”
She sighed. “That it’s not fair I’m here, enjoying our conversation, when my father gave his life for mine.” Her throat constricted.
“He did that so you would have a chance at happiness.” His soft words struck her chest, and she knew he was right.
She swallowed hard and swiped at her eyes. After taking a few cleansing breaths, she tried again. “I know you mentioned something about your parents being in a band. What was that like?”
The light in his eyes went flat, and he blew out a quick breath. “Well, I got to see a lot of places I wouldn’t have otherwise. Mostly, they left me home. The housekeeper was there, and she’d make me dinner to heat up and left snacks for when I’d get home from school. I didn’t mind being alone even as a kid, but looking back it was lonely. That’s until I snuck Tiny back to the States.” He grinned, giving his face a boyish appearance. “My dad just about passed out when he saw the lizard. He doesn’t like anything with scales. Any animals really. I sulked, slammed a few doors, and they let me set up a space for him. They couldn’t control their own poor behavior, let alone mine. Before they knew it, Tiny was huge and took up half of my bedroom.”
