knees, his expression as good-natured as always. “Talking about Zoe, have you told her you’re leaving?”
“Not yet.”
Mason rose to his feet. “C’mon, I’ll go with you. She’ll be less likely to collapse into an inconsolable mess if there’s a crowd.”
Keira choked out a laugh and stood. “Thanks, Mason. For everything.”
“Pfft.” He was trying to appear nonchalant, but she was relieved to see some of the joy had returned to his eyes.
The general store was on the corner closest to them. Keira was only partway across the road when her subconscious registered that something was wrong. The store’s lights were on but it seemed deserted. No one stood at the checkout, and Zoe was nowhere to be seen.
Mason hadn’t noticed. He was watching a group of children chasing each other near the fountain. She tapped his arm to bring him to a halt and nodded toward the window.
It took him a second to register what was wrong, then his expression darkened. A faint, nasally voice made its way through the plated glass, too muffled for the words to be recognizable.
“Stay here,” Mason said, pushing through the door.
Something in his tone unsettled Keira. She lightened her footsteps as she followed him inside. Instinct told her to keep to the shadows, so she did, ghosting along the edges of the shelves.
The voice sounded clearer inside the store. It seemed to be coming from near the freezer section at the back, and its familiar, sneering cadence sent disgust writhing through her stomach.
“Honestly, I feel bad for her. The rest of her kids are overseas, right? The only support she has left is you, her least favorite. It would almost be less stressful to go through treatment alone.”
Keira slipped past Mason and looked around the shelf. Partway down the aisle, leaning against the chiller unit and casually examining a carton of orange juice, stood the well-dressed man who’d bumped into Keira the previous day. His glossy, styled blond hair obscured his face, but she could easily picture his contemptuous expression and pale-blue eyes.
Just beyond him, Zoe’s face was twisted into a mask of hatred. Her fingers were clenched into fists at her sides, and veins stood out on her neck. She kept her eyes resolutely on the floor, but they were swimming, the moisture threatening to tumble out and drag tracks of black mascara with it.
“Though I’m sure they’ll come back for the funeral,” the man said, flipping the carton around to read the ingredients. “So you can look forward to that pretty little family reunion within the next six months. That’s how long Dad says she’ll last. Oh, does this have added sugar? How trashy.”
He tossed the carton aside. It exploded as it hit the floor, spraying orange juice across the tiles and the lowest shelves. Zoe flinched.
“Gavin.” Mason moved from behind the shelf, startling Keira. His voice, normally cheerful, had become deep and cold. He seemed to gain extra inches to tower over the other man as he moved to stand beside Zoe. “Pay for that juice and leave.”
Keira slipped forward to stand at Zoe’s other side. Zoe looked startled, but her expression had lost the awful, helpless anger. Keira took her hand and squeezed.
Gavin took half a step back and flicked his bangs as his eyes darted over them. He clearly hadn’t expected company, but he recovered his smirk quickly and directed it toward Mason. “Oh, you’re still hanging around town? I thought you’d moved on already.” His eyes slid toward Keira, and his smile grew. “And our town’s newest recluse. How charming. She looks like a frightened little mouse.”
Mason shifted forward to block Gavin’s view. “I mean it,” he said. “You have until I count to five to get out of here.”
“What happens if I don’t?” Gavin leaned forward, his expression darkening. “You gonna fight me, Corr? See if I don’t drag you through court for assault. Then you’d never get to be a doctor, not that you deserve the title anyway.”
Mason’s voice held a deep, dangerous rumble. “One. Two. Three—”
Gavin stepped back and raised his hands. “Whatever. You’re not worth my time. I’m going. Have fun playing with your reject buddies. I hope they make you feel better about how much of a disappointment you turned out to be.”
Mason snorted as he turned toward Zoe and Keira. “Better than yours. At least my father didn’t need to bribe my way into college.”
Gavin’s retreat came to a sharp halt.
Mason, unconcerned, focused his attention on Zoe and gave her shoulder a squeeze.