“Saints, woman! Xeni can we please go?” Mason pleaded.
“Sure. Bye ladies.” Xeni grabbed Mason’s hand and pulled him to safety outside the cannery.
“Do I want to know what that was all about?” Xeni asked when they got in the car.
“They just like to give me a hard go because I never cook for them. I spend most of my life behind a stove. I’m not gonna do it for fun or for free,” Mason said as they pulled out of the farm. “But for you, love, I’d do anything.”
Xeni wasn’t sure how to take this bit of information. She was flattered, but she didn’t want Mason to cook for her if it was something he hated.
“You don’t have to cook for me anymore. I can cook for myself and I’m sure there’s some interesting local restaurants I can try out while I’m here.”
“Whatever you like.”
“Are you okay?” She thought everything was all jokes back in the cannery, but a cloud seemed to have settled over Mason.
“Just an email from home.”
“Oh.”
“It’ll be fine. I just need a few minutes. Thank you for asking if I’m alright.”
“You’re welcome. Take all the time you need.” Xeni settled into the quiet and watched the scenery as they drove back into town.
* * *
When they reached Dunkin’ Donuts, Mason felt like he’d done enough sulking. He knew his mum meant well, but her periodic requests that he try to make things right with his father were never welcome. She knew better than anyone the way his father treated him. He understood that she wanted peace between them, but now, especially after he was able to unburden himself to Xeni, he knew he didn’t want to go back to what was waiting for him in Edinburgh. He deserved better.
He put his car in park and took a moment to choose his next words wisely. Xeni was being very patient with him and he didn’t want his mood to ruin their day.
He looked over and she was looking back at him, her fingertips worrying her bottom lip. Mason held out his hand, palm up. Xeni looked down, considering his offering.
“You want another twenty?” she teased, but that didn’t stop her from lacing her free hand with his. He lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of her palm. “I told my friend Sloan about you last night.”
“How’d that go?”
“Good. She thinks ya cute.” She flashed him an adorable smile and he wondered what the fine would be if they were arrested for getting down in front of a Dunkin’ Donuts at ten in the morning. “I think I have to tell my other friends soon. That’s a hell of a secret to drop on just one person in the clique. All of your friends know and you see how badly they’re behaving.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment if you want to brag to your friends about me.”
“I’ll consider it. You cool off a little?”
“I did. Being around you makes it easy.”
“Flatterer.”
“Do you want to get real rings?” he asked, surprising himself a little.
“Oh, I—”
“Think about it while we get some breakfast.”
“Okay.” They went inside and grabbed their coffee and breakfast sandwiches, then headed over to the Home Depot to grab as many boxes as Mason could shove in the trunk. When they got back to Ms. Sable’s house, Xeni announced her plan of attack.
“I’m thinking about the most important rooms to a prospective buyer, so the master bedroom, the kitchen, the bathrooms and then I want to just see what of her personal items, like personal personal stuff, is just laying around the house.”
The place was very clean, but even Mason noticed notes for doctors appointments Ms. Sable had posted on the fridge. “We’ll go room to room together?”
“Yeah.”
