laugh was straight from his gut and filled with self-deprecation. “Don’t tell my clients.”
“Cross my heart.”
His gaze dipped to the V in her dress. “Your heart is what always drew me to you. Your ability to always be kind amazed me.”
She tried. “I imagine your clients don’t come to you with a lot of kindness for their exes. I’m sure dealing with their anger and demands all day can get to you.”
“I have to say, coming home and seeing you and the boys every night for a few hours erases everything bad from my day.”
That touched her deeply and brought a sheen of tears to her eyes. “I appreciate that, Mason. I find myself looking forward to seeing you at the end of the day, too. The second I walk in the door, the boys are asking to go to your place.”
“I hope that doesn’t change.” A suspicious edge tinged that nice sentiment.
She didn’t have time to wonder about it, or second-guess why she thought she heard something in his words that maybe wasn’t there. The waitress approached the table and Mason placed their order, then refilled her wine glass.
* * *
They enjoyed the rest of the evening, talking about their day, people they knew from the past that Mason was still acquainted with, plans to take the boys on a long ride and picnic over the weekend, and eating and sharing the amazing food.
Sierra loved reconnecting with Mason, sharing a simple but lovely meal, and focusing on each other. He asked questions, trying to fill in the pieces he didn’t know about her life in Napa. He didn’t shy away from the fact she’d been married to David. He didn’t mind that David naturally came up in conversation. In fact, he asked about him, which made it easier to remember they’d once been friends and Mason missed him, too.
In all the time since David’s death, she finally found a kind of peace about his absence. Talking to Mason about him settled her in a way that she’d tried to find this past year, but it had seemed so elusive. Now she got it. No one talked to her about David. They all tiptoed around the fact that he was dead. They stopped asking if she was okay or offering condolences because they didn’t want to make her sad. But talking about the good times and fond memories of David with Mason made her miss him and, at the same time, lessened her grief.
Mason had no trouble filling her in on his family, either. She asked a ton of questions because she wanted to know more about him. She wanted to know everything about his life now.
“So my dad joined a yoga class after he hurt his hip. My mom thought it was a good idea. She dropped him off, went to run an errand, then came back, walked in to pick him up, and found him bent over with a twentysomething hottie leaning over him from behind helping him with the pose and stretching his hips. She says my dad had a grin on his face and was enjoying himself far too much. She dragged him out of there and wouldn’t let him go back.”
Sierra busted up laughing. “She knows the lady was just doing her job, right?”
“Mom told him if he went back to her, she’d hire me to represent her in the divorce.”
Sierra laughed even harder. “Oh no. I take it he didn’t go back.”
“Oh, he went back, but to a class that has a male instructor. The guy is very handsome according to my mother. Based on my father’s frowns about that, I don’t think he likes my mother sticking around to watch the class and stare at the instructor.”
Sierra’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “Oh dear. So I guess you might be working for your father if she goes after the sexy instructor.”
Mason shook his head. “I’m staying out of it.”
“How is your dad’s hip now?”
“Better. He goes to a massage therapist once a week, too. It’s helping. He’s moving better. He hates being inactive. Worse, he hates that he can’t ride the way he used to.”
“Do they come to the ranch often?”
“Less and less, but we keep in touch. They’re always hounding me to settle down and start a family.” Mason rolled his eyes. “Settle down? Like I’m out partying all the time or something.”
“It’s not easy to find someone. I guess you’re more aware of what you want and don’t want because