He starts using the screw gun again and I get back to doing the same. As I work, I think back to high school. Mason was only an innocent eleven-year-old when Ella and I were running around together. He’d have had no idea about anything going on behind the scenes. Cody, though—only two years younger than me—he knew.
* * *
Once we get the rest of the drywall hung, we stand back and take it all in. The number of hours and days we’ve spent—it’s taken forever to get this done, so it’s almost hard to believe we reached the end of this phase.
“Onto spackling,” Mason says with a tired sigh.
“Yup. This place will be girl ready in no time.”
“Yeah, funny.” He rolls his eyes at me.
“What?”
“You try dating with the schedule I got.” He huffs.
“I didn’t say you had it easy.”
“I don’t haveitat all.”
I look to him. He looks defeated. I don’t blame him—every guy like him deserves a girl. He’s a good guy, but unfortunately, his job is demanding and sometimes even a deal breaker.
“I think you’ll meet her when you’re not looking. Just, rightplace, right time, you know?”
“That’s the conclusion I’ve come to.” He laughs. “Sometimes I go out and get a beer with the guys after a long shift, but good Lord. The girls we run into want nothing more than a free drink and a good time. If you know what I mean.”
“Oh, I know. That’s how I met Lexie. Not the ideal environment to find a girl to take home to Mom and Dad. In my experience anyway.” I pause, holding Mason’s attention, then I keep going. “If Mom doesn’t like her, she ain’t the one. I’d live by that too, because Lexie was one of them, just looking for one thing.” I huff.
I hate the hookup culture; you’ll never see me getting into that crap. It’s hard but worth it. I look back to Mason. “Don’t get into that, you hear me?” I scold pointing my finger.
“Yes, Dad,” he jokes.
“I’m serious, Mason. Your cop buddies give you a hard time, give them hell. It ain’t worth it.”
“I know the drill.” He rolls his eyes again.
“I just … I can’t express it enough.” I pause again. “You don’t want a soul tie withanyonebut your wife.”
“Noted,” he says, his focus still on what he’s doing. I think he’s done having this conversation, but I’m not. I have more that needs to get off my chest.
“And Addison. That girl’s gonna give me a damn heart attack. I don’t like Brantley. Do you like him?”
“Not really, no.”
“Good. I’m not crazy,” I mutter.
“His record’s clean.” He shrugs as if that information is normal to know. “I think Addison’s smart though. Good judge of character,” he adds.
“I know she is. That doesn’t mean I trusthim. He seemslike the pushy type, and I swear, if I hear one more thing, I’m gonna—”
“Wait, hear what? What’d you hear?”
I stop. Damn it. I shouldn’t have said that. She didn’t want people to know.
“Nothing.” I turn my attention back to work.
Mason stands straighter. “Hold up. No. What did you hear?”
“I talked to her about it. It’s good.”
