Page 10 of Merrily Mine
Mason furrowed his brow, like the idea had never even occurred to him.
Normally, my mom would decorate with a twenty-foot tree in the foyer and a smaller tree in the living room where we hung all of our family decorations. This year, the only decorations in the house were our family’s knit stockings hanging on the fireplace. There was a new addition this year, since Hunter’s daughter had been born this spring. Mom had added a new stocking for her.
Thankfully, the mantle was big enough to support their growing families. Would I ever have one of my own? My stocking felt so lonely up there without a matching pair.
“Here you go,” I said, sliding a mug across the counter after I finished making two steaming cups of hot liquid.
He inhaled deeply before letting out a hum of appreciation. “Mmm. That’s the good stuff.”
I tried to ignore the warmth that bloomed on my cheeks as I watched him drink it, his tongue darting out over his upper lip to gather a dollop of whipped cream that had landed in his mustache.
“About last night…” I started, wringing my hands out. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line or made you uncomfortable. You’re Hunter’s friend, and I shouldn’t have?—”
His eyes darted up to meet mine in surprise. “You didn’t.” Mason’s words interrupted mine before I could even finish my thought. “I promise, Emily.”
“Still.” I couldn’t hold back my blush.
He took his hat off, setting it on the counter so he could run his hands through his hair. “Last night, I…” He shook his head. “I needed to leave before I did something stupid.”
“But what if Iwantedyou to do something stupid?” I sipped my hot chocolate slowly, looking up at him over the rim. The giant island kept us separate, but suddenly, the room felt too small and my clothes too tight.
“Emily.” His voice was low.
I waved him off. “It’s really okay. You don’t have to make excuses for me, Mason. I’m a big girl; I can handle myself. I saddle my horse and everything.”
Just because my family was wealthy, and I was spoiled doesn’t mean I didn’t know how to do things myself. I resented the fact that people thought that. Sure, I’d gotten lucky with my content going viral on social media apps, which had allowed me to build up my platform, but creating it wasn’t just a walk in the park. It had taken a lot of hard work, a lot of persistence. A lot of videos went nowhere before I built up my brand.
He frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
If he didn’t know, I didn’t want to have to explain. “Never mind. You should probably go. I’m sure you have a lot to do at the ranch, tending to the horses.”
“Tell me.” It wasn’t a request—but a command. The words scraped over my skin.
“What do you want me to say, Mason? That everyone has treated me like a princess my whole life? That I’m almost thirty years old and I’ve never had an actual job and sometimes it feels like I just…” I shrugged. “I don’t need one more person who feels the need to tiptoe around my emotions. I’m not delicate.”
Mason’s face was full of so much emotion—the same concern from last night, but something else, too. Something I didn’t quite know how to translate.
“What fuckers have been telling you this?” He sounded… angry. But that couldn’t be right.
Everyone,I wanted to say.No one.I let my eyes drift shut for only a second.Myself.
I looked away. “It doesn’t matter.” Because it didn’t. My voice was soft when I finally spoke again. “My point is, you don’t have to handle me with kid gloves. I won’t break.”
He picked up his hat, setting it on his head before tugging at the brim. “I know you won’t break, darlin’. You’re as strong as steel. Always have been.” He walked towards the front door. “And Emily?” His deep voice called out as I watched him turn around to look at me once more.
“Hm?”
“Don’t listen to them. They don’t know anything.”
I swallowed roughly. “Okay.” The word was a whisper.
And then, he was gone. But for whatever reason, his words stayed with me for the rest of the day.
It would be a long, long time before I could get them out of my mind.
4
mason
