Page 131 of I Heart Mason Cartwright
I rest my head on his, grateful for the added warmth the closeness brings.
I must fall asleep, because the next thing I know, Zach is screaming like a little girl and someone is shining a flashlight in our faces.
I hold my hand up to block the light from my eyes. “Willow?”
“No,” a deep voice answers. “Mason, is that you? What are you doing out here? Is that Willow with you?”
I recognize that voice.
“Mister Brooks?” Zach croaks.
“Zachary?”
I clear my throat. “It’s Mason and Zach, Jonathan. We are the only people in the car.”
“What the hell are you doing in the car?”
“It’s a long story,” I say at the same time Zach says, “Your daughter kicked us out.”
“Why not just go home?” Jonathan asks as he opens the driver’s side door and takes a seat. “Did your window break?”
“We were pretty drunk when she kicked us out,” Zach says. “We broke the window to get in the car.”
“Must you be so honest?” I hiss at him.
“There are keys for such things,” Jonathan says.
“I know,” I say. “Our keys and phones are in the house with Willow. Which is the only reason why we are in the car.”
Jonathan nods. “You both look like hell.”
“Thank you, sir,” Zach says.
I run my hands through my hair. It feels dirty even though I just showered this morning. Or maybe that’s me. Maybe I feel dirty because I know I’ve just hurt the most important person in my life with a callous comment that never should have left my mouth.
“You love her?” Jonathan asks looking at me.
“With everything I have.”
“It’s my understanding that you are quite well off financially,” he says.
“I do okay.”
He looks at me thoughtfully.
Then nods and says, “I’m going to talk to my daughter. I’d be happy to bring you out your phones and wallets or whatever you need to give me a few hours alone with her, if you don’t mind.”
“Is she going to be upset after she spends this time alone with you?” I ask.
Jonathan looks down and shakes his head before looking back up at me. “I hope not. I’ve not been a good father to her for quite a while. I want to apologize to her for that. I want to mend what I am now realizing is a very broken relationship with my firstborn, and I’m afraid I am primarily to blame for that.”
I stare him down. He doesn’t look away.
I nod my approval. “If you could bring my keys and wallet, I would appreciate it. I will give you time with Willow, but I will be back first thing in the morning, if not sooner. After that I’m not leaving until she is convinced that there is nothing in this world more important to me than her.”
“Hoorah,” Zach says from under the blanket. Which makes me laugh since he was never in the military, but also makes me feel good that I have his support.
Jonathan steps away from the car, then turns back and leans his head in. “Is there room for one more under that blanket if she’s not willing to talk to me?”
Zach pokes his head out. “I’ll keep you warm, Johnny.” He wiggles his eyebrows, making me laugh.
Jonathan, to his credit, laughs as well, shuts the car door, and heads toward the house.
