her head, trying to hide her smile. “You’re crazy, you know that. You have no idea what kind of mess those two monsters can make of a bowl of chips and chili cheese dip.”
He shrugged that off. “I’ve got a sponge and mop and a leather couch that wipes clean. No problem.”
She hoped he meant it. “Okay. We’ll see you Saturday.”
“I can’t wait.” He held his fist out to Danny. “See you this weekend.”
Danny pounded it. “Yes!”
Oliver leaned way over his seat to fist-bump Mason’s hand, too. “Horsies!”
“You can pet all of them and ride one.”
Oliver sat back with a huge grin.
Sierra waited for Mason to turn back to her. “You made their day.”
“I hope I made yours, too.”
“You made me smile. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Sierra.” He pulled out his phone and tapped a couple times, then handed it to her. “Put your info in there for me.”
She typed in her name and cell number, then handed the cell back to him.
He touched a few more things on his phone and hers dinged with a text in her back pocket.
“Now you’ve got my number. See you Saturday.” He touched her shoulder before heading back to his car. With a wave he drove off.
She watched him go until his car disappeared.
Grabbing the mail from her mother’s box, Sierra climbed back into her car thinking about the way she still felt the imprint of his big hand on her shoulder and the warmth spreading through her.
Her heart felt lighter after seeing Mason and how he made her kids smile and excited about something again.
It had been so long since she’d seen Danny that animated that she hadn’t even realized how subdued he’d been since his father’s death. He hadn’t mentioned football at all. But she remembered how they’d watch the games together cheering on their team and letting out long and overblown groans when there was a bad call or their team lost. They ate junk food, had burping contests, and wrestled and laughed together.
The sound of it had filled the house, and she missed it, too.
The fist bumps were supercute, and the looks in her boys’ eyes as Mason paid attention to them . . . They needed that kind of male bonding in their lives.
She was Mom. She did her job, loved them with her whole heart, and they needed her. But it wasn’t the same as having your dad around, or a man who took a real interest in them.
Mason had invited them over to be a good neighbor and distract the boys after all they’d been through. She appreciated the gesture.
She found herself looking forward to the weekend along with her boys. Maybe they all needed a man like Mason in their life. Someone open, honest, and kind.
* * *
It wasn’t until she got the boys settled watching a movie while she made dinner that she remembered to check her text and save Mason’s number in her contacts. She stared at the text, enthralled by Mason’s words, and jumped when her mother tapped her on the shoulder and said, “The pasta is boiling over.” She tore her gaze from her phone to deal with dinner.
But she didn’t need to see it to remember exactly what it said and how it made her feel.
Mason: I’ve missed you. Welcome home. I can’t wait to see you this weekend. Sooner, I hope.
Was it strange to feel like she’d been waiting to come back home and realize that maybe he was the reason why? It didn’t make sense, but then again with their history, maybe it did in some strange way.
Chapter Eight
Mason couldn’t stop thinking about Sierra. Hope and anticipation had been building inside him since Heather told him Sierra was coming home. Those feelings got stronger when Sierra confirmed she planned to stay for good.
If he could contribute in any way to encouraging her to make a life here again, he was all in.
He’d missed her. He thought he knew how much, but it didn’t even scratch the surface of how he felt when he saw her yesterday.
Such a simple meeting, but he hoped it led to something more.
He’d let her get away years ago because he’d been too focused on building his career and thinking that she’d always be there for him, that she wasn’t going anywhere.
Stupid. Of course someone else saw her beauty and everything wonderful about her and wanted her for himself.
It still pissed him off that David snuck right in there and stole her before Mason made his