Dance With Me - By Hayden Braeburn Page 0,28
thought blood a bit thin. “I'll be waiting.”
~*~
“Where does it say to turn?” Sean asked Dylan.
“Up the road a piece, then right at the fork.”
They continued deeper into the forest, spewing gravel as they drove much faster than intended, veering right when the road split. Cabins were sprinkled throughout the area, offering little more than shelter. “Right or left?”
“Left,” Dylan answered decisively.
They drove on for less than ten minutes until Dylan barked, “Stop. Here.”
Sean's SUV crunched along the gravel as they came to a stop. “You armed?” Sean asked his surprisingly helpful partner.
“Always,” Dylan answered, pulling up the leg of his jeans, his Beretta in an ankle holster.
“Army?”
“Ranger,” he confirmed with a sharp nod. “Let's go.”
A fucking Ranger? No wonder Black had been able to avoid him that morning. “Marine.”
Dylan cracked a smile at that one. “Had you pegged for a jarhead about two minutes after meetin' your ass. Now, let's go.”
They had just slid from the SUV when they heard a gunshot. They split up, quietly making their way through the woods to flank the cabin when another shot rang out. He tightened his grip on the Beretta and hoped they weren't too late.
~*~
Alec opened the door to reveal not only Carolyn Everett, but Charles, Caleb and Cassidy as well. “No news,” he said by way of greeting. The Everetts weren't expecting pleasantries, they had come to support Kat and each other. He was more than a little surprised the skeptical Cassidy had tagged along, but kept his mouth shut.
Kat's blue eyes were wide as she made her way into the living room. “I didn't know you'd all be here,” she said, her gaze locking on Mason's sister.
Cassidy grimaced. “Mason and Priscilla are both missing, and while I will reserve judgment...” she trailed off when her mother shot her a look. “I know you're worried, Kat. We are, too.”
Momentarily speechless, Kat stood still. Caleb noticed her distress and chuckled. “Nugget here likes to play the tough bi..er..brat, but she's really all soft and squishy on the inside. She's worried about Mase.”
Cassidy's lip curled at her younger brother. “I am not soft and squishy.”
Caleb smirked. “Yes, you are. You're also worried about the old man.”
“Children!” Carolyn cut them off. “We came here to support each other, not pick on one another. Sit down and be nice.” She turned her attention to Kat, who was now perched on one end of the couch. “Instead of focusing on what's happening, let's talk about you and Mason, dear.”
“Okay,” Kat answered cautiously. “What do you want to know?”
Carolyn smiled. “Everything, honey, but let's start with how you met and then you can tell us why we didn't meet you until you had a diamond on your finger.”
Kat looked at the ceiling for a long moment. Carolyn was right. She needed to focus on the good, and thinking about happy times with Mason would help. She pulled in a breath, letting it out with a shudder. She would stay strong. “We first met a little more than three years ago when I came in for the loan on the studio. The loan officer I was supposed to meet with was home sick, and Mason took over.” She smiled, a faraway look in her eye. “I think I fell a little in love with him that day.” A sigh fell from her full lips. “He was wonderful, but he had a girlfriend at the time, Melanie.”
“I remember Melanie,” Caleb jumped in. “Pretty little redhead.”
“That's the one,” Kat confirmed with a laugh. “About a year and a half ago, she and her husband came to the studio to learn to dance before their wedding. I knew Mason wasn't seeing anyone, so I made all my deposits in person for a month or two, hoping to catch his attention.”
Caleb slid a pointed look over Kat's curvy figure. “That couldn't have been too hard.”
“Horndog,” Cassidy admonished with an elbow to her brother's middle.
“You have eyes, sis,” Caleb protested through a grunt.
Kat watched the exchange, amused by the interplay between the siblings. She supposed she should be offended by Caleb's appreciation, but it was Cassidy who drew her attention; she wasn't all hard edges, at least not with everyone. She smiled before continuing the story. “One day I walked in the door when he was walking out while juggling a coffee, his cell phone, keys, and a large accordion folder.”
“Uh-oh,” Carolyn remarked.
Kat laughed. “Uh-oh is right. Let the record show Mason Everett is not good at juggling!”
The room erupted in