Mason especially, to know that David pulled one over on you.”
No, she didn’t. “Is it so hard to understand why? I feel stupid and duped and like I didn’t even know him if he could do something like this behind my back. He lied to me for months before his death by not telling me he took out the loan. What else was he lying about?”
Her mom thumped the coffee mug on the counter. “That’s a very good question. If it were me, I’d want to know so that if something else comes at me out of the blue from his past I’d be prepared. If you know, you can protect the boys. And yourself, Sierra. Who knows what he was into that cost that kind of money.”
She’d like to think it was a bad investment, or gambling, though that really seemed unlikely. David had never been a gambler. Maybe he was helping out a friend and didn’t want her to know for whatever reason. Sierra hoped it was something easily explained.
The boys stomped down the stairs and headed for their backpacks by the door. She scooped up the mail, set her mug in the sink, and met her mother’s inquisitive gaze. “I need more time to think about it.”
She needed superpowers. She’d love to resurrect David and shake some answers out of him.
Instead, she headed for the door to take the boys to school and get herself to work. The boys ran out the door and she turned back to her mom. “I appreciate the push and that you’ve kept this between us.”
“I only want to help, honey. If there’s a way for you to recover some of that money, it will make your life easier.” Her mother paused, then sucked in a steady breath. “I also think that if you’re really hoping to move on with Mason, you should put the past to rest with a clear head and heart.” Dede held up her hands and let them drop. “That’s my two cents.”
In other words, Sierra should be honest with Mason about her and David’s relationship. She should trust him to help her with this problem without judgment.
David had shaken her ability to trust. He’d made her cautious. Where her desire was to jump into a relationship with Mason now, she’d cautiously erected a wall between them, using the boys to keep him at a distance and make things uncomplicated.
“Damn. I’m still letting him influence my decisions and get in the way of what I want.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t David let you have what you want?”
She drew back one side of her mouth in a half frown, thinking back to how David subtly manipulated her into doing what he wanted most of the time. “I wanted to move back here. I talked to him about it, but he refused. He didn’t want to change jobs or be so close to all of you. He wanted us to have our life.” As in separate from her family. “I went along because I thought what he wanted was me and the boys.”
“And now you’re not so sure that’s what it was.”
“I think something was keeping him in Napa Valley and it wasn’t me and the boys.” She shrugged. “Maybe I’m wrong.” And in that moment, it became clear. “I guess I’ll find out.”
Chapter Fifteen
Mason stared at the change on his calendar and wanted to smile, but found he was more confused than happy about his next appointment. He walked to his office door and found his assistant at her desk, typing.
“Louise, when did Sierra call for an appointment?”
“This morning. You had a cancellation. She said she’s a friend of yours, so I made the appointment.”
“Did she say why she wanted to meet with me?”
The object of his inquiry walked in the door.
“Hey,” Sierra said, her eyes darting between him and Louise, who couldn’t stop looking from him to Sierra like she could see the sparks flying between them.
“I hear you need a lawyer.”
Sierra bit her lip, glanced at Louise, then back at him. “Um. Not really, but kinda.”
That made him nervous. If she wasn’t in need of a lawyer . . . Well, he hoped she wasn’t here to break up with him.
Then again, who made an appointment to do that?
“Mason?”
“Yeah?”
“If you don’t want to help me . . .”
“Of course I want to help you.” A strange sense of ease went through him. She wanted help. She didn’t want to break up. And