chip cookies. He smiled. “Something smells good.”
Mike sank into the recliner. “She’s been baking since
sunrise.”
“Oh, hush.” Jenny wiped her hands on her apron and leaned
into Mason for a quick hug. When she pulled back, Mason saw the red rimming her
eyes and staining her nose. She always had a cookie jar full, but excessive
baking meant something was worrying her.
Guilt stampeded through Mason like a herd of scared
longhorns. He hadn’t thought to call them last night and let them know Bradi
was safe. But she might not have told them she was with him either. “Bradi did
get home this morning?”
“Oh, yeah. She spent the night with Lindsey.” A jittery
smile lay at odds with the moisture in her eyes. “Said she did a bit too much
celebrating and didn’t want to try to drive.”
Mason nodded, a little uncertain how to proceed. He’d
obviously stumbled into some family drama. “She home?”
“No, but you’re welcome to wait.” She sniffed and motioned
to the couch.
He hated to intrude but he didn’t want to miss Bradi either.
“I can wait on the porch.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. Sit down.” She shooed him with one hand.
“Would you like some lunch?”
“No, ma’am, I’m not hungry. But thank you.” He turned back
to the door, intent on waiting outside. His gaze fell on two suitcases beside
the door. Bradi’s suitcases. He’d loaded and unloaded them often enough those
first few years when she left and came home from school. His breath hung in his
throat and dread weighed heavy in his gut. “Where’s Bradi?”
“She went to tell Doc Harper.”
“Tell him what?” Mason swiveled to face both Bradi’s
parents. Fresh tears gathered in Jenny’s blue eyes, reminding him of Bradi’s
when she’d lashed out at him yesterday for being such an ass. Was that only
yesterday? “What’s going on? Where’s she going?”
“Oh.” Jenny twisted her hands in the worn apron. “I thought
she rode over to talk to you yesterday. She said her decision depended on you.
But maybe…” She looked at Mike then back at Mason and lifted a shoulder. “Guess
she decided on her own. We only found out this morning so…”
“Just tell the boy.” Mike rubbed a hand over his face. “He
might be the only one who can talk some sense into her.”
“She’s leaving. Taking an internship with the PRCA.”
Lowering herself to the arm of the sofa, Jenny dabbed at her eyes. “She told us
a while back about the offer, but I thought for sure she wouldn’t take it. I mean,
I know it’s a great opportunity, but…”
Mason’s stomach roiled. She was leaving?
“I don’t think she really wants to go,” Jenny continued,
though Mason could barely hear her over the blood rushing through his ears.
“But that could be my wishful thinking.”
Is that what she’d tried to talk to him about yesterday? The
reason she’d been calling? Her dream had always been to come home and take over
Doc Harper’s practice. She talked of nothing else in high school. Had something
changed?
“No, I don’t think so.” Mason shook his head and started
backing toward the door. He missed the knob twice before latching onto it and
slinging the door open. The pictures on the wall rattled with the force. The
sound yanked him from the stupor of disbelief and hurled him into action. Last
night felt right. This didn’t. “What time does her flight leave?”
Jenny blinked but Mike sat forward. “Midnight.”
Nodding, Mason crossed the threshold and jumped all three
steps of the porch in a run toward his truck. The engine roared as he stomped
on the accelerator and threw the truck into reverse. Without letting off the
gas, he shifted into first and the truck fishtailed down the drive toward the
highway.
What if Bradi’s plans had changed? She had.
And he sure as hell hadn’t seen that coming.
His foot eased off the gas pedal, doubt crowding in. What if
last night was just the side of Bradi he hadn’t known existed?
Mike sank into the recliner. “She’s been baking since
sunrise.”
“Oh, hush.” Jenny wiped her hands on her apron and leaned
into Mason for a quick hug. When she pulled back, Mason saw the red rimming her
eyes and staining her nose. She always had a cookie jar full, but excessive
baking meant something was worrying her.
Guilt stampeded through Mason like a herd of scared
longhorns. He hadn’t thought to call them last night and let them know Bradi
was safe. But she might not have told them she was with him either. “Bradi did
get home this morning?”
“Oh, yeah. She spent the night with Lindsey.” A jittery
smile lay at odds with the moisture in her eyes. “Said she did a bit too much
celebrating and didn’t want to try to drive.”
Mason nodded, a little uncertain how to proceed. He’d
obviously stumbled into some family drama. “She home?”
“No, but you’re welcome to wait.” She sniffed and motioned
to the couch.
He hated to intrude but he didn’t want to miss Bradi either.
“I can wait on the porch.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. Sit down.” She shooed him with one hand.
“Would you like some lunch?”
“No, ma’am, I’m not hungry. But thank you.” He turned back
to the door, intent on waiting outside. His gaze fell on two suitcases beside
the door. Bradi’s suitcases. He’d loaded and unloaded them often enough those
first few years when she left and came home from school. His breath hung in his
throat and dread weighed heavy in his gut. “Where’s Bradi?”
“She went to tell Doc Harper.”
“Tell him what?” Mason swiveled to face both Bradi’s
parents. Fresh tears gathered in Jenny’s blue eyes, reminding him of Bradi’s
when she’d lashed out at him yesterday for being such an ass. Was that only
yesterday? “What’s going on? Where’s she going?”
“Oh.” Jenny twisted her hands in the worn apron. “I thought
she rode over to talk to you yesterday. She said her decision depended on you.
But maybe…” She looked at Mike then back at Mason and lifted a shoulder. “Guess
she decided on her own. We only found out this morning so…”
“Just tell the boy.” Mike rubbed a hand over his face. “He
might be the only one who can talk some sense into her.”
“She’s leaving. Taking an internship with the PRCA.”
Lowering herself to the arm of the sofa, Jenny dabbed at her eyes. “She told us
a while back about the offer, but I thought for sure she wouldn’t take it. I mean,
I know it’s a great opportunity, but…”
Mason’s stomach roiled. She was leaving?
“I don’t think she really wants to go,” Jenny continued,
though Mason could barely hear her over the blood rushing through his ears.
“But that could be my wishful thinking.”
Is that what she’d tried to talk to him about yesterday? The
reason she’d been calling? Her dream had always been to come home and take over
Doc Harper’s practice. She talked of nothing else in high school. Had something
changed?
“No, I don’t think so.” Mason shook his head and started
backing toward the door. He missed the knob twice before latching onto it and
slinging the door open. The pictures on the wall rattled with the force. The
sound yanked him from the stupor of disbelief and hurled him into action. Last
night felt right. This didn’t. “What time does her flight leave?”
Jenny blinked but Mike sat forward. “Midnight.”
Nodding, Mason crossed the threshold and jumped all three
steps of the porch in a run toward his truck. The engine roared as he stomped
on the accelerator and threw the truck into reverse. Without letting off the
gas, he shifted into first and the truck fishtailed down the drive toward the
highway.
What if Bradi’s plans had changed? She had.
And he sure as hell hadn’t seen that coming.
His foot eased off the gas pedal, doubt crowding in. What if
last night was just the side of Bradi he hadn’t known existed?
Similar Books
