Page 11 of Mason Wilder
“Yes. No. And No.” While she received the onceover, Tessa looked at her mom. The woman was everything to Tessa. Independent. Beautiful. Vivacious. Successful. Loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of her family.
“Are you hungry? Papi made arroz con pollo last night and there’s some left in the fridge.”
Tessa wasn’t hungry. Her stomach was still in knots. But the idea of eating one of Papi’s authentic home-cooked meals reminded her that she hadn’t eaten anything today.
“C’mon.” Her mom led her to the kitchen with an arm around her shoulder. “I’ll make you a plate. We’ll both have some.”
They sat at the breakfast bar with their warmed arroz con pollo. “I really missed this.” Tessa took a big bite of the chicken and relished in the flavor. Fast food on the road wasn’t for her. Lucas was better adept to it. Mason reveled in it. And Sindy admitted that she’d grown up on take-out but preferred a home-cooked meal. “Where is Papi and Dad?”
“Dad dragged Papi to the guitar store.”
A small chuckle bubbled up from Tessa’s throat. Her dad rarely bought guitars off the rack, preferring to have a custom-made Les Paul or Strat, but that wasn’t what she found amusing. The outing to a public mall necessitated an entourage of bodyguards and sometimes, shutting down the entire store. She doubted Prodigy would ever reach the degree of fame that Immortal Angel had achieved, but Tessa was happy to be out there on stage.
“How was your first tour, Tess? We really missed you and your brother. Mason too. That boy practically grew up in this house.” Her mom’s gaze drifted off to the side. “I remember so many sleepovers. Lucas and Mason were inseparable. They’d start playing music together and they’d disappear for hours. But I don’t have to tell you that.”
“No. I remember.” Tessa tried to keep the edges of her mouth from turning downward and forced her expression to remain even. She put on her bravest face, as memories flooded her mind. She’d been so fascinated with him as a child. His incredible smile was hypnotizing, and his boyish giggle used to make goosebumps rise on her arms. His talent captivated her. She used to sneak down to the studio and listen to Mason and Lucas play together. She’d sit on the stairs so they wouldn’t see her, and she’d just listen to the sound of the drums vibrating in her chest. She’d felt the beat in her blood. It was another reason she wanted to learn to play the bass. It had that same deep pulse of the song.
“You’re really enjoying that arroz con pollo, Tessa. You haven’t said a word in five minutes.”
“What?” Tessa looked at her nearly empty plate. “Oh. Yeah. I guess I am. We ate at some nice restaurants on the road, but mostly fast food. You know how it is. There wasn’t much free time.”
“Papi wants to make a big meal tomorrow night for everyone as a welcome home for Prodigy. It’ll be nice to have everyone together.” Her mom put her plate on the counter and waited for Tessa to finish hers before clearing the top of the island. “Now, let’s see this sketch and the fabulous fabric you told me about.”
Tessa pulled one bolt of fabric from the tote bag and placed in on the kitchen island. Sheunrolled a few yards and let it blow in the air as she shook it open. The silver thread picked up the overhead light and glistened, contrasting with the dark background.
“Black-on-black leopard?” Her mom fingered the silver metallic thread that outlined one of the leopard spots. “This is gorgeous.”
She knew her mom would love it since all Jessi Blade garments were lined with a pink silk leopard print.
“This is going to drape beautifully, Tessa. Let me see your sketch.”
Tessa dug the sheet of paper out of her bag, unfolded it and held it up.
Her mom took the paper and studied the sketch intently, her eyes roaming the page. “I love it. Let’s go to my workroom.”
Tessa followed her mom, fabric carefully cradled in her arms, to the room where trendsetting designs were born. She had spent so many hours in here as a kid, watching her mom construct designs for one of her many fashion houses, or custom-made couture pieces for the hottest rock stars and celebs. Tessa had learned, firsthand, the art of design and sewing and recently made several outfits for the tour, alongside her mother, just as they were doing now.
“You’re so talented, Tessa.” The pride always shined brightly from her mother’s gaze. “You have the capability to be a famous designer with your eye for fashion and edgy style. You’re a strong businesswoman with incredible work ethic. But most of all, you’re a performer with vocal ability beyond comprehension. You can do anything you want in life. You can have anything you want in life. Don’t ever be afraid to reach for the stars. They’re there waiting for you to pluck them out of the sky. Nothing is out of your reach.”
Tessa smiled and nodded, although her chest was caving in as her thoughts drifted back to Mason. She still couldn’t believe that she’d been so wrong about how he felt about her. She was never wrong. Her instincts were spot on. She paused for a moment and wondered why she was backing down so easily. She never accepted defeat. If she wanted something, she went after it and didn’t quit until she got it. Why was she giving up? Mason was worth fighting for. Hope and light filled her heart, and she vowed to make Mason see that they were meant to be together.
