“Oh. My. God.” Peyton hugged her knees. “You’ve finally told them the god had feet of clay.”
“I’m just sick of it.” She leaned back in the chair and screwed her eyes shut. “If he hadn’t died, we would’ve just split up and Mum and Dad would’ve forgotten about him years ago. I can’t live my whole live with them thinking he was my one and only soul mate or something.”
“Preaching to the choir. And thanks, because you do know Mum’s going to grill me about this now, don’t you?” As if on cue, Peyton’s mobile rang. Her sister glanced at it and groaned. “Here we go…”
*
It was lateSunday afternoon when Mason finally finished work on the emergency job that had turned up that morning. He scrubbed the grease from his hands in the small bathroom at the back of the workshop and only half listened to his boss Drake, who was talking about the customized paint job he was getting for his classic Triumph Stag.
Piper had called him earlier to see if he wanted to spend the afternoon with her. She’d never phoned him before, or asked him out like that. He’d been so tempted to bail on his boss, but he needed all the overtime he could get.
He still hadn’t decided what to get her for Valentine’s Day. He knew he could do roses and chocolates, but he wanted something else. Something to show her he didn’t think relationships were overrated or that commitment was a dirty word.
After Friday night she couldn’t be in any doubt as to how he felt about her. He wasn’t talking marriage and kids but he sure as hell wanted her to know he was serious.
A girl like that expects diamonds.Would that prove to her he was willing to do whatever it took to make this work between them? Except the more he’d got to know her the less she struck him as a diamond loving girl. She came from old money, and she had a kind of classy glow about her, but she never acted like an entitled bitch. Not even when she’d been with his brother. He pulled out his phone and sent her a text.Just leaving work. See you in an hour.
Drake’s mobile went, and as Mason pulled on his leather jacket his boss bit out a curse. “Fucking joking, aren’t you? What the hell am I supposed to do with them now?”
Mason glanced at him as Drake shoved his phone in his pocket. “Bloody sister-in-law can’t take the kittens now. You don’t know some mug who wants a couple, do you?”
It wasn’t a serious question. He grinned at his boss, who was muttering obscenities under his breath. Most of his mates were more into dogs, and there was no way he had the time to take on the responsibility of a couple of cats. Not that he had the room in any case.
He reached the door.Piper’s got plenty of room.
What the hell? He froze, and frowned as that thought hammered through his head, gaining momentum. She’d said just the other day she’d been thinking of taking in a kitten.
Stop right there.It was a crazy idea. He wanted to get her something she’d never forget for this first Valentine’s Day together. Not a couple of rescue kittens that’d need an on-going commitment from them both.
Isn’t that what I want?
Butcats?Who gave a girl they were trying to impress kittens for V Day? He didn’t even know anything about cats, and the only one he had any contact with gave him death stares at every opportunity.
Slowly he turned round. Drake still looked pissed. “The kids are going to hate me, but it looks like I’ll have to see if the local pet shop can take the kittens.”
“I’ll take them.”What the fuck?Had he just said that out loud?
“You?” Drake stared at him as though he’d just grown a second head. “Are you serious?”
It was Valentine’s in two days. He hadn’t found anything to give her, but insane as this idea was it also felt strangely…right.
“You want to show them to me?”
*
Tomorrow was Valentine’sDay. Piper lay on her bed and stared at up the ceiling.Why did I book that romantic Valentine’s weekend getaway for us?She’d done it on the spur of the moment on Sunday morning before she’d called him but now she was having second thoughts.
She hadn’t even seen him since Friday night, since after his text yesterday instead of turning up he’d called her three hours later apologizing for not being able to make it. And it wasn’t her imagination. He’d sounded oddlygleeful.
She rolled onto her side. Obviously he’d seen more in their Friday night conversation than she’d thought and her nonchalance hadn’t fooled him for a minute.
Just give him a call and ask him what’s going on.Yes she could do that. Except she couldn’t get past the fact that the last time she’d contacted him and asked him out, he’d said no.
I’m not that desperate.And even if she was, she didn’t want him guessing.Clinging vinewas the last thing she wanted him thinking about her.
The trouble was she’d hyped herself up to have a serious talk with him, and it hadn’t happened.
She groaned and sat up, pushing her hair off her face. It was ten already. He obviously wasn’t coming round tonight. So what was she going to do about the weekend away she’d planned? It was a crazy extravagance, but she’d wanted to do something special.
