Mason let out a sigh. “Would you believe I’m trying to round up musicians for Thursday’s wedding?”
Samuel had touched him on the shoulder. “You won’t be disappointed. My guys can do anything you want.”
Barry had moved to the edge of the group. Usually he was able to hide his emotions under the mask of his cop face, but not tonight. He appeared distracted and distressed. He glanced in my direction and there was worry in his dark eyes as he muttered “good night” and headed up the hall. Probably he was embarrassed about driving away instead of helping Eric chase down the shoplifters. Poor Barry. Would he ever get his mojo back?
CHAPTER 22
“Sunshine, I’m going to have to back out of our plans,” Mason said. It was the next day and I was just getting ready to leave the bookstore. We’d talked several times during the day and had planned on barbecuing at his house. I could almost hear Mason shaking his head with frustration as he told me there was another family wedding meeting.
“Whatever,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment. It was ridiculous for me to feel left out—it was his family—but I did.
“I’m sorry,” he said and I knew by his tone he really meant it. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“An invitation to the wedding would do,” I said, trying to sound like I was joking. There was a long silence on his end and for a moment I thought we’d been cut off.
“I’m working on it, sunshine,” he responded finally before we said our good-byes and hung up.
Working on it? How much work was involved with saying “Hey, Molly, come to my daughter’s wedding.” I knew it wasn’t quite that easy for him. I gathered there was some agreement with his ex about keeping family things separate from their new social lives. Maybe I was being silly, but in my mind unless Mason acted like I was a fixture in his life, our relationship wouldn’t go any further. We’d stay friends, but friends without benefits.
After that I went directly home wondering what was waiting for me this time. I came in through the kitchen door and was relieved to find quiet. But I’d barely closed the door when Barry walked in. Was it my imagination or did it seem like he’d been listening for me to come home?
He acted surprised to see me, but he could have been faking it. Then he made a move toward the cabinet with the dishes. “I was just coming in for a cup of tea.” He reached for a stoneware mug. “You really started something with the tea drinking. It’s a nice way to cap off the evening. He looked at the area around me. “No entourage?” I knew he was referring to the previous evening when North had been with me and Mason showed up right after.
Whatever distress he’d shown the previous night had been filed far inside and he was back to his usual self.
“Not tonight,” I said.
“Where’s the counselor?” Barry asked. I explained about Mason’s daughter’s wedding and his efforts to try to put it together.
“Hmm, so the lawyer finally found something he couldn’t fix so easily. It must be a shock.” He went to reach for another mug. “Want to join me?”
Having tea at night had become a nice habit and I nodded in agreement. He took out another mug and set up both drinks. As we went outside, Cosmo came in the kitchen to see what was going on and the small black mutt followed us out.
* * *
I leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath of the night air. The crickets were chirping and all the night birds were talking to each other.
“Isn’t this nice how we can just sit together, have tea and talk.” I smiled at him. “See, no matter what you thought, we can still be friends.”
Barry flinched at the comment. I asked where Jeffrey was and he said he was spending the night at one of his drama friends. They were camping out in his backyard. I glanced toward the house. “What about Samuel?”
“He’s off somewhere. He doesn’t keep me in the loop,” Barry said. “So, it looks like it’s just you and me.”
There was no reason for me to feel awkward, but I did. Although there had been a time when having the place to ourselves would have meant something, that was long past. Barry let out a noise that sounded like a wistful