Chapter 9

 

Mason could smell Sweet Dreams Bakery before he could even see the storefront. The mouthwatering scent of cupcakes and pastries floated down the street like a guiding path to the bakery’s front door.

He walked in, trying to fight the sudden urge to order one of everything, and went right to the counter. He nodded to Shay, his sister-in-law and mother to his future niece or nephew, and she smiled big at him. Her brown hair was pulled to the side and braided, and she wore a pink and white frilly apron that matched the décor of the bakery perfectly.

As he approached, she snapped her fingers and pointed at him. He stopped in place, staring at her in confusion. “What’d I do?”

“You have to try my newest cupcake. I was going to surprise you for your birthday, but who was I fooling? I’d never last the month. Besides, they’re so good I’m adding them to my rotation.”

Before he could say anything, she disappeared into the back where the kitchen was. Louise, who had worked at Sweet Dreams Bakery from the beginning, gave a wave to Mason. She was a pretty girl with dark brown hair—that was currently braided in a crown on her head—and big brown eyes that looked cartoon-like. She was also extremely bubbly and always had a massive smile on her face.

He nodded in response.

“She’s been working on this cupcake for over a week.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Do you not know her at all? She’s only your sister-in-law. God forbid it’s not perfect, which it was three times ago.”

“I heard that,” Shay said as she came back holding a plate with a delicious looking chocolate cupcake. “Besides it wasn’t perfect. It is now. At least I think it is.” She held it up to Mason’s face. “Isn’t it amazing?” she asked.

“It’s a cupcake,” he said, and she rolled her eyes in response.

“It’s not just a cupcake. It is a chocolate stout cupcake with a salted caramel buttercream.”

“There’s beer in this?” he asked, pointing at the small cake with piqued curiosity.

“It’s your beer in it. The growler you gave Matt? I kind of stole from him and worked my magic with it. What are you waiting for? Eat. I need to know if it’s as good as I think it is.”

“I already told you it is,” Louise said from behind her.

“Your opinion doesn’t count. I sign your paycheck; you’re biased.”

“You’re carrying his brother’s offspring. I think that makes him biased, too.”

“He doesn’t mix personal life and business, and this is business.”

“She has a point,” he said.

“I do. Now eat.”

Mason had no doubt that the cupcake would be good. He didn’t think it was possible for Shay to make anything that wasn’t amazing, but he’d be lying if he wasn’t a bit skeptical as he brought the cupcake to his mouth. Mixing beer in cake mix was a bit out there. But when he took a bite, any reservations he had were lost to the moist, chocolaty goodness.

“This is damn good,” he said before taking another bite.

“I told you!”

“You really want to put this in your rotation?”

“Absolutely. I’m thinking Fridays, as a prelude to the weekend.”

“I like it.”

“I still need to run some numbers to see how much beer I’ll actually need, then we can talk about you giving me a good deal.”

“I’m not going to charge you.”

“Of course you are.”

“You should get some perks for having to sleep with my brother.”

“Trust me, that’s perk enough.”

Mason held up his hand. “Set myself up for that one.”

“That you did.” Shay motioned him over to the side as a customer came in. She offered a friendly hello, but let Louise take care of their order. “So what brings you in here today?”

“Are you still looking for someone to rent your grandparents’ house?” he asked, jumping right down to business.

“Why? You know someone?”

“I might.”

“Who?”

Mason looked at his sister-in-law then at the small tables and chairs behind them. “Shouldn’t you be sitting?”

“Not you, too. I’m pregnant not injured. I’m fine. Continue.”

Mason raised an eyebrow in her direction.

“Your brother is driving me nuts. ‘Don’t lift that, don’t stand on that.’ I’m short. What does he want from me? Sometimes I have to stand on a chair to get something off the top shelf. It’s not like I’m standing on the edge of an eighty-story building.”

“He’s just worried.”

“No, he’s an idiot.”

“He wants to keep you safe.”

She let out a loud sigh. “I know, and I love that he cares so much. It’s just…”

“Overwhelming.”

“A bit.”

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to deal with him.”

She smiled. “I always do. Okay sorry. Back to you. House is still available. Who did you have in mind?”

“The girl I hired to run the tasting room is in need of a place.”

“Is she trustworthy?”

“I don’t think she’s a serial killer.”

“Not a serial killer, okay good. Cross that off the list. If you vouch for her that’s all I need.”

“I do.”

“Okay then. When does she want to look at the place?”

Mason took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. He hated asking for anything, but Cassie needed a place to live, and Shay had an empty house just sitting there.

He pushed his pride aside and went for it.

“She doesn’t have much. Financially, I’d say she doesn’t have a pot to piss in. Not sure what she’d be able to pay you.”

“I see,” Shay said.

“I thought I’d give it a shot; maybe if you were desperate enough to get someone in there.”

If it was a few months ago, he’d offer Cassie the loft above the brewery, but he had since moved in, wanting to be as close to his business as possible. He’d even offer to pay her rent, but all his funds were tied up in the brewery at the moment.

“Tell you what,” Shay said, “Tell her to come by the house tomorrow so I can meet her. Give her a tour.”

“What about rent?”

“I think we’ll be able to work something out.”

“Shay, you’re the best.”

“I know,” she said with a smile. “And because of that, I’ll take the first batch of beer I need for free.”

“Deal.”

***

Cassie didn’t have a car, so when Mason told her that Shay was willing to meet her at the house, she had no idea how she was going to get there. Then, without a moment of hesitation, Mason held out his keys.

“You have a license?” he asked as he dangled the keys in front of her.

“I do.”

“Good. Don’t hit anything,” he said, then handed her a piece of paper with an address and directions.

“Wait, you’re not coming with me?” she asked, trying to quench the anxiety of having to meet someone new on her own. Though, Shay wasn’t exactly a new person. Cassie had met Shay briefly at the opening, and she seemed really sweet.

“I have some things to finish up here. Unless you need me to go with you?” he asked, his eyebrow arching in that adorable way it did when he was waiting on a response.

She knew if she said she wanted him to go he would drop everything, that was the type of guy he was proving to be, but she didn’t want to inconvenience him. There was no reason why she couldn’t go alone.

“No, that’s all right. You go do what you have to do.”

“You sure?” he asked, and she liked that he cared enough to double check.

“I’m sure.”

“Shay doesn’t bite unless you get too close to her batter… then she might poke an eye out with one of her spatulas.”

“Good to know,” she said with a smile. “I met her for a few seconds, but you’ve told me enough about her that I feel like I know her.”

“If you need me, call me.”

She didn’t want to tell him that she didn’t have any way to call him. In order to make a call she’d need a cell phone, and that was a luxury she could no longer afford. Besides, she was afraid the phone that she once had was set up with a tracker and the last thing she needed was to be found. Once she’d escaped from Dylan, she made sure to toss the phone at the bottom of a lake.

“Will do,” she said anyway, not wanting the truth to bring up any more questions she didn’t want to answer. At least not yet. She still wasn’t ready to talk about her past, even though she was convinced she could trust Mason. She wasn’t ready yet.

He gave her a nod and headed back into the brewery.

She looked down at the keys, then at the truck, surprised at his trust in her. In the driver seat, she adjusted the seat and mirrors, and following the directions he had given her, she headed out.

Fifteen minutes later, she pulled beside a red Mini Cooper, and looked up at a quaint house with a small wraparound porch. Two rocking chairs sat to the right of a blue door that accented the yellow siding perfectly. The house was something out of a dream. Cassie imagined sitting on the porch, rocking away as the sun bathed her in its warmth, Mason stopping by and sitting beside her, ready to pour her a new batch to taste.

A ridiculous thought, even if she could afford this house, why would he randomly stop by?

She couldn’t deny the strange spark that was between them. It was intense, and she was pretty certain that Mason felt it, too, but no matter how magnetically drawn each of them was to the other, she needed to be strong and try to ignore it. The problem was her body and her heart were so quick to jump into those happy, butterfly feelings, and although Mason was proving to be as trustworthy as he claimed, she still feared making a wrong choice.

Sure, she liked Mason, found him to be the most attractive man she had ever seen, but attaching herself to another male was the last thing she needed. What she did need was to keep her job more than anything else. Without it she wouldn’t have the chance to make this beautiful house in front of her home.

The nights were getting progressively colder, and staying in the tent was proving more difficult… not to mention the icy shower she was subjected to each morning. Cassie found herself praying to Francine every evening for a small miracle so she wouldn’t freeze to death in the woods, hoping that she would get the chance to stay here in this quirky but welcoming little town. Little by little, it was starting to feel like it could be her new home.

Her biggest wish was that if all this were to happen, if things finally started to work out for her, Dylan would never find her. She never wanted to face his wrath again, nor did she want to subject anyone in the town to it either.

“Hi Cassie,” Shay, a petite brunette with an empire waist green top and jeans, said as she approached. Her smile was friendly and inviting, and instantly put Cassie at ease.

“Hi.”

Shay held out her hand, and Cassie accepted it without hesitation. “It’s a pleasure to meet you officially. It was so loud at the brewery, I’m surprised you were able to hear what everyone wanted.”

“Years of practice working in a sports bar during Monday Night Football.”

“That would explain it.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you, too. Though Mason has told me so much about you, I feel like I practically already know you.”

“Really?” The surprise on Shay’s face was evident, but Cassie wasn’t exactly sure why. The way Mason spoke of Shay, she assumed they were close.

“He said you were easy going and understanding, that you’d have to be in order to be married to his brother.

“Well, that’s true. What else did he say? All good things, I hope.”

“Of course. He told me that this is your grandparents’ home, and you spent your summers here. More recently, you lived in this house for a short time before moving in with your now husband. Congratulations, by the way. I hear you’re expecting.”

A smile touched the edges of Shay’s mouth as she rested her hand on the slightest of baby bumps. “I am. Thank you. He told you all that?” Shay asked, waving her finger around as if the words were in front of them for her to circle.

“I’m sorry. Was he not supposed to?” Panic slammed into Cassie, and her hands shook with worry. What if she wasn’t supposed to repeat any of that? What if he got mad at her?

“I’m just surprised is all,” Shay said, and the panic that welled up inside her died down. “Mason is a man of very few words.”

That came as a bit of a shock to Cassie. Ever since he picked her up on the side of the road that day, he had never been short of things to say. If anything, he spoke more than she did, always starting conversations whenever they fell into awkward silence and asking her questions even if she didn’t answer them half the time.

“He must like you,” Shay said and the idea caused an unexpected warmth to flow through her stomach and spread through her heart and cheeks.

She shrugged, trying to brush off the sudden rush of feelings. “He’s easy to get along with. I lucked out getting a guy like him for a boss.”

“And that’s all he is?” Shay asked, her eyebrow arching. “Your boss?” Cassie didn’t answer right away, and Shay quickly added, “Not that it’s any of my business. Sorry. You know what? Don’t answer that. It’s just Mason doesn’t tell us much about his personal life, so I was fishing, and that’s not fair to you.”

“It’s okay,” Cassie assured her. “He’s my boss, nothing more. Besides, I recently got out of a bad relationship.” She had no idea why she let the words flow so freely, other than the simple fact that Shay was easy to talk to. If Cassie allowed it, she could see her and Shay becoming friends.

“I know all about bad relationships,” Shay said with a sympathetic smile.

“Really?” Cassie said, unable to hide the surprise in her voice. “You seem so happy.” Happy and well-adjusted—two things Cassie didn’t think she’d ever be.

“I am now, but the road to get here wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.”

As silly as it was, Cassie found comfort in that. Looking at Shay, she saw a successful woman who was happy with her life choices. Maybe it wasn’t too late for her after all. Maybe she really could put her past behind her and move ahead.

“I can tell you this,” Shay said as she walked toward the front door. “The journey, while it sucked, was definitely worth it.”

“It’s the bumps in the road that make you stronger,” Cassie said, speaking from her own experiences.

“Exactly. Don’t let one bad relationship keep you from finding a good one. We all have a past. It’s what we do going forward that matters.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Since the conversation went this way, I’m just going to add… beware of that Hayes’ charm.”

“Hayes’ charm?”

“You’ll know it when you see it,” Shay said as she opened the front door and welcomed Cassie into a new start.

***

Mason had wanted to go with Cassie to meet Shay, but he had to tend to the beers that he was currently brewing. After cleaning out the sent grain from the mash tun, he took a break and headed to the tasting room.

They were closed today, since he opted to only be open four days a week, but there were still things that needed to be done. He hoped in time they could open more frequently, but he wanted to wait for the demand, so he would make money instead of lose it. He had no doubt that time would come; he needed to be patient.

He was topping his glass off when he heard the entrance door open. He turned around just as Cassie walked in, the sun illuminating her from behind. There was a skip in her step, which he found strangely arousing. Her hair swung back and forth with each stride and a smile spread wide on her face, wider than he had ever seen.

He crossed his arms over his chest and rested against the bar, waiting for her to share her good mood. When she didn’t say anything, he urged her on. “So?”

“I leave the campgrounds this weekend.”

“Good,” he said, as relief flooded him. Now he wouldn’t lay awake at night wondering if she was okay like he had done every night since he met her.

“And you were right. Shay’s great.”

Cassie had been so strange around Declan the other night that he wondered if she would be okay meeting Shay by herself, so he was happy that she did. He had no doubts that Shay would be friendly and welcoming to Cassie, but he was happy Cassie was able to see that for herself.

“She actually invited me out for a girl’s night with your sisters.”

“More like a night of staying in, drinking wine, and watching some horrible movie.”

“I think that sounds nice.”

“The wine or the horrible movie?”

“All of it. And for your information, I happen to love horrible movies. Especially ones from the eighties and nineties.”

“I’m sorry.”

She went to laugh at his joke, but stopped herself, looking down at the keys in her hand. “Oh here,” she said handing over the keys. “Thank you so much for letting me borrow your truck.”

“Did you bring it back all in one piece?”

“No, I left the bumper down on Main Street and the wheels over on Spruce.”

“You’re funny,” he said, reaching for the keys. Her finger grazed his ever so slightly, but enough to capture his full attention, a jolt of electric heat coursing through his body which he found absolutely ridiculous. He wasn’t a fourteen-year-old kid who’d never touched a girl before. He had touched plenty of the opposite sex. He might’ve been the quiet one, but the Hayes’ charm still shined through, and girls couldn’t resist the strong silent type.

Still, Cassie wasn’t like any other woman he had been with. She had her own quiet nature that intrigued him.

She was a mystery he wanted to explore.

Cassie stepped back, and Mason realized he was lingering. He quickly shoved the keys in his pocket and turned to the wall with all of Kate’s pieces. He had finally mounted the last shelf that morning. “How does it look?” he asked, hoping to move on from his awkward silence.

“It looks great. Your sister does amazing work.” Cassie walked over to the shelf and admired the pieces. “It’s just beautiful. I always wanted to be able to create something from nothing, but could never find the right outlet.”

“What have you tried?” he asked genuinely curious.

“Oh, let’s see.” She held up her hand and started to count off on her fingers. “Jewelry making, crocheting, quilting, tried to make my own clothes, but that went horribly wrong when I put on the pants and realized one leg was longer than the other. I also tried painting and card making. Then scrapbooking, but quickly realized I needed more than a few pictures to really be able to create anything worth seeing.” Her voice trailed off, a sadness settling over her features as she stared across the tasting room.

He wanted to reach out, pull her against him, and erase whatever thoughts were going through her head. He wanted to assure her that she could take as many pictures as she wanted now, and if she wanted to scrapbook then dammit there was no reason why she couldn’t. Instead, he stood there like a fool as her eyes glossed over and her lip trembled slightly.

He was about to make his move, finally, when she shook her head and forced a smile. The sadness slowly faded as she waved her hand as if she could dust away whatever cracked her exterior.

“So yeah, never found the right outlet.”

“Kate has classes twice a week,” he said.

“I doubt that would be my outlet.”

“Me too,” he said with a smile. “But wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.”

“Maybe I will then. After I’m settled.”

“If you need help moving…”

She looked down like she was ashamed. “Moving what? My tent?” She snickered, but it seemed more like a cover-up for embarrassment. “I think I can manage.”

“If you need a ride, then.”

“Just because you’re my boss doesn’t mean—” Her words cut off, and she swallowed. “Never mind.”

“What?” he asked, wanting to know what was going on in that head of hers.

“It’s just that. You don’t have to be so nice to me. You’re not obligated to—”

“Who said anything about being obligated?” He stepped toward her, unable to keep his distance, her usual sweet smell was gone, replaced by something fresh and crisp. “You smell different.”

“Excuse me?”

“You usually smell fruity, but today you don’t.”

“Oh,” she said running a hand over the ends of her hair. “New shampoo.” She shrugged. “They were out of my usual, and this was all I could afford.”

For some strange reason, that made him angry. He could feel the tension pulling tight across his shoulder blades at the thought that she couldn’t afford the basic necessities. “If you needed money, you should have told me.”

“I managed.”

“Next time, let me know.”

“Why? So you can take care of me? Pity me? I don’t need any of that. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”

“Is that why you’re living in a tent?” The words were out before he could stop them. He had a habit of saying exactly what was on his mind, no hesitation, no filter. With his family and friends, they laughed it off because they expected it, but looking at the shock on Cassie’s face, he knew he’d crossed the line.

“I’m sorry,” he said, but before he could fully apologize, she spun away from him and headed to the door.

“Thank you for letting me borrow your truck. Have a good night.”

“Cassie, wait…” he said, running out from behind the bar and chasing after her. He grabbed her arm, and her entire body froze beneath his touch. Her back went rigid, and a tremble ran through her. He dropped his hand as if she shocked him, cursing himself for forgetting that she startled easily from unexpected contact.

Not wanting to frighten her anymore, he held his hands up. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, hoping his words were enough to assure her but wishing he could go back in time and beat the shit out of whoever did this to her.

She stood there frozen, her eyes lost in some distant battle. He wanted to comfort her, but he was leery of making any movement.

“Cassie?” he said, steadying his voice to a soothing, calm tone.

Her eyes snapped to his, and she shook her head before sucking in a deep breath and swallowing. “I’m sorry,” she said, stepping back and moving to go around him.

“Don’t leave. Not like this.”

The last thing he wanted was to let her go out into the evening upset and alone.

“I have issues,” she said.

“I didn’t notice.” He hoped it would lighten the mood, and when the slightest of smiles played at the edge of her mouth, he sighed in relief. “Want to talk about it?”

She shook her head.

He didn’t need words to know the truth. “You still don’t trust me.”

She didn’t say anything, so with his hands on display for her to see, he stepped closer, closing the gap between them. He moved until he could feel her warmth radiating off of her. Smell the fresh scent of her new shampoo.

Slowly, he reached out to her, tucking her hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes, but the wrinkles on the bridge of her nose told him that she was merely tolerating him. “One day,” he said. “I promise that you won’t shy away from my touch, but melt into it, because you’ll trust me completely and irrevocably.”

Her eyes popped open, the golden brown bright with hope. “Don’t promise me that.”

“Why not?”

“In my experience, promises are never kept; they’re always broken, but I want to believe there’s truth in what you’re saying.”

“Where I come from, when a man makes a promise, he stands by it. I just need you to trust in me.”

“Trust has to be earned. I can’t give it at will, but I’m trying.”

“That’s all I ask.”

He dropped his hand even though he really wanted to tangle it in her hair, pull her mouth flush against his, but he knew he couldn’t. Not yet. He needed her to trust him and kissing her was the fastest way to derail that train. “I want to kiss you, but I also want it to be your choice. I don’t want to take that away from you. And I want you to trust me when I do. So when you’re ready, and I hope one day you will be, let me know.”

He found the strength to back away, holding on to hope that he’d find a way to convince her that he wouldn’t hurt her.