Page 13 of Mason Wilder
“No. No. I must hug my Mason.”
His parents were there in an instant, taking the blanket before it landed on the floor and gently supporting Aunt Mary until she was safely on her feet. She hugged him and patted his shoulder. “Oh, Mason,” she cooed.
Her frail frame felt like nothing in his arms, and her legs trembled, unused to the burden of supporting her body, so he held her tightly.
She rested her hand on his shoulder and continually patted it as she repeated his name. “You haven’t been gone this long in a while.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Guilt gnawed at him. Although Aunt Mary was his great aunt, she was more like his grandmother, and they shared a close bond. He flashed her a teasing smile. “You can always come on tour with Prodigy, the same way you toured with Immortal Angel when I was a kid.”
“Oh, no.” She emitted a lighthearted laugh and waved a shaky hand at him. “I was a much younger woman back then. I still can’t believe I toured with a rock band.”
Mason’s mom helped Aunt Mary back into the chair. “You’re a bad ass, Aunt Mary,” she said.
“And you’re a dear.” Aunt Mary patted his mom’s hand with affection, then she wrinkled her nose and sniffed the air. “Is that White Castle I smell?”
Mason picked up the box of sliders and offered her one. She presented a mischievous grin and took one from the box and nibbled on it.
Mason did the same. “Just like old times, Aunt Mary. Do you want another?”
“Careful,” Mason’s mom warned. “I don’t want your stomach to get upset. We’re going by Angel’s for one of his home-cooked meals tomorrow night, and I know you don’t want to miss that.”
“Heavens, no.” Aunt Mary retracted her hand. “I love Angel’s cooking. And I’m looking forward to seeing Tessa and Lucas, too.”
Thoughts of authentic Cuban cuisine, maybe lechon asado, had Mason’s taste buds watering, but the smile fell off his face the second he remembered the uneasy tension between himself and Tessa. The White Castle burgers felt like a brick in his stomach and he dropped his arm to his side, almost dropping the small burger to the floor.
For almost an hour he totally forgot about the awkwardness that stood between him and a girl he loved like a sister. He knew he needed to face Tessa and clear the air. They needed to talk about the elephant in the room and get it out of the way. He just needed to figure out what the hell he was going to say to her.
