“It’s a wonderful surprise.” I took her hand and we walked with the crowd toward the front of the building.
“I won’t even make fun if you sing along,” she teased, lacing our fingers together.
I lifted our joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll try to contain myself.”
Her eyes sparkled with what could only be joy. “You don’t have to. Not with me.”
I kissed her hand again. “No. Not with you.”
Chapter 16
Hannah
It was easy to lose track of the endgame with Mason in my life. He was all consuming.
Everywhere.
“Are you going to eat that?” he asked, reaching across the table and snatching the rest of my blueberry muffin and popping it into his mouth.
The Virtuant exploit loomed, but there was Mason Kohler.
He’s part of the plan,I justified.
The plan. The plan.
The plan.
He’s so much more than the damn plan.
I felt slightly light-headed as he rubbed his foot against mine beneath the tiny corner table at the back of Nan’s Coffee Shop.
We continued to meet there every morning before work. It had become a routine. Familiar.
Just like his lopsided smile and the way he ordered a blueberry muffin, insisting that was all he wanted before snagging half of mine.
I had learned so much about Mason. And the more I knew, the more I liked him.
We had fallen into an easy comfort around each other. One born from late-night phone calls and surprise visits to the theater. It had blossomed on the ice of a skating rink and in quick kisses before going to work.
In the weeks since I had pushed my way into his life, I had come to know a man who was passionate about his work. A man who held on to the memories of his brother with a ferocity I appreciated. A man who demanded respect and who never thought twice about being kind.
Mason had slowly become the high point of my day.
Before I was forced to remind myself of his purpose in my life.
“I guess not anymore.” I pretended to pout, swatting his hand as he tried to take the last creamer from my saucer. “Get your own.”
Mason grinned and my insides constricted. He was too handsome for his own good.
Formyown good.
“I can get you another one.” He lifted my hand and kissed my fingers. One at a time. I tried not to sigh like a love-struck heroine in a romance novel.
“No, that’s okay. I’m full anyway.” I drank the rest of my coffee.
“My parents are nagging me to come and see them soon.” Mason made a face, letting me know exactly what he thought of the idea.
“And you don’t want to see them?” I deduced. I had gotten the indication that he didn’t get along with his parents, but he had yet to go into the details.
