“Oh, for God’s sake...” Mason grabbed Fern’s coat and held it out to her. “Get a room and leave me in peace.”
“I wouldn’t sleep with your father if he laid gold nuggets.”
“Thanks for that visual.” Wincing, Mason held out the garment, wagging it in hopes of enticing Fern to slip it on and then slip right out the door. “I appreciate you two bringing my gear, but if you don’t mind, I’ve got baby-care research to do. Oh—and, Dad, here are your keys.” Mason fished them from his pocket. “Thank you for letting me use your ride.”
“No problem, but what’re you gonna drive now?”
“I suppose Alec’s Hummer.”
“Talk about pretentious.” Fern snorted. “I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead, but I never did approve of that car—if you could even call it that. More like a tank.”
Jerry snapped, “You didn’t seem to mind much last winter when you stuck your Shirley Temple curls out the sunroof for the Christmas parade.”
“Shut your pie hole, old man. You’re just jealous no one asked you.”
Fingers to throbbing temples, Mason counted to ten to keep from blowing. Fern and his dad had always been combustible neighbors, but he’d forgotten to what degree. At least they could now retreat to separate vehicles.
After ten more minutes’ bickering, Fern and Jerry finally left Mason in peace. Only, even then he didn’t truly feel calm because of the emotions warring in his head. Guilt for not feeling more sadness in regard to Melissa’s and Alec’s deaths, confusion over the sheer logistics of caring for their infant twins, hurt over being treated like a pariah by two families he’d once very much loved and felt a part of.
Thank God for Hattie.
Even though she’d temporarily left him in charge, he appreciated knowing he wasn’t ultimately alone. Knowing that by the time the babies woke she’d be back comforted him when otherwise he’d have been in a panic.
Mason tossed a couple logs on the fire, then grabbed his iPad, only to find the battery near dead. He rummaged through his bag for the charger but, when he returned to the sofa to do baby research, found his cord wasn’t near long enough.
In need of an extension cord, he headed downstairs to the utility room. His first trek to the home’s lowest level, he hadn’t ventured farther than the heater. Now he noted the kind of party room he and Alec had only dreamed of when they’d been teens. A fully stocked wet bar complete with two kegs on tap and a loaded wine fridge. A few half-empty beer mugs sat on a counter covered in longneck twist caps sealed in clear acrylic. Mason had never seen anything like it. Had the creation been his idea or Melissa’s or their architect or designer’s?
A pool table sat lifeless with all the balls scattered as if fresh from a break.
Bright lights from three vintage slots and an assortment of pinball machines and video games stood out in the gloom.
A dozen or so weary red balloons hung at various elevations. Some waist-high. Others an inch from the floor. What had the happy couple been celebrating? Was their current group of friends comprised of the same old crew he’d once also considered his?
He caught a movement in his peripheral vision and discovered Hattie reflected in the mirrored wall behind the bar.
“Impressive, huh?” She trailed her fingertips along a felt-covered poker table still littered with cards and chips. “Almost as nice as my bar on the wharf, but I have more than one TV.” Gesturing to a wall-mount model that was damn near half the size of his truck, she swiped at glistening tears. Her faint smile twisted his heart. He couldn’t imagine what she must be going through.
“If you don’t mind my asking...” He swatted a balloon. “What were they celebrating?”
“Remember Craig Lovett from your senior class?”
He nodded.
“It was his birthday.” Behind the bar, she took the three mugs and washed them in the sink. “I’m surprised Melissa left even this little of a mess. Practically her only hobby was cleaning.”
“Fun.” He snagged the nearest balloon. “Want me to grab all of these?”
“Sure. Thanks.” Though it’d been years since their last meaningful conversation, Hattie’s current cool demeanor unnerved him. A childish part of him wanted things back the way they used to be between them. Hattie had been his go-to girl for when he’d just wanted to chill. They’d always been able to talk about anything from sports to politics to, hell, even stupid issues like annoying road construction.
Now he wasn’t sure what to say.
Her new, more polished, infinitely more curvy look threw him for a loop. Not only didn’t she look the same, but she carried herself with more confidence. Shoulders back, long hair loose, wind-tossed to the point of being a little wild. Her scent even threw him. Gone was the tomboy blend of sweat and bubble gum, replaced by a complex crispness that on this snowy night embodied the town’s conifer trees and ice.
“Here’s a trash bag.” She held the top open for him while he shoved in the balloons. She was quiet for a moment and then said, “What’s wrong?”
“Not sure what you mean?” He focused on his task rather than her uncomfortable proximity.
“You’re tensed up—kind of like when we were in grade school and all of you guys used to freeze when the girls threatened to give you cooties.”
“Whatever...” He shook his head. “I’m just tired.” Of the whole situation. If Melissa and Alec hadn’t died, he’d be safe and sound back in Virginia—even better, off on a mission where his thoughts were occupied 24/7 by things that mattered. The issues currently fogging his brain were the kinds of details he found best avoided. Women and kids were so far off his radar they might as well be alien life forms.
“Me, too. Hopefully, after a good night’s rest all of this will feel less overwhelming.” Her eyes shone.
Mason knew he should say something kind and reassuring, but how could he when panic consumed him? Even worse, once they met with the judge, his ties to the whole mess would be cut, but poor Hattie was stuck with two kids for a lifetime. Inconceivable. “Yeah. I bet everything will seem better in the morning.”
* * *
HATTIE WOKE TO the not-so-melodic sound of her nieces screaming. She bolted from her guest-room bed, nearly colliding with Mason as he charged up the stairs from where he’d slept on the sofa.
She winced. “Thought you said everything would be better in the morning?”
“Yeah, well, guess I was wrong. You take the one on the left. I’ll take the right.”
Hattie scooped squalling Vivian from her crib.
Mason picked up Vanessa.
Neither baby showed any sign of calming soon. Above her nieces’ now-frantic tears, Hattie shouted, “I’m guessing both need fresh diapers and feeding, so should we divide and conquer?”
“What do you mean?” He lightly jiggled Vanessa, which only agitated her further.
“I’ll make bottles while you handle morning cleanup.” Honestly, could her sister have left her in any worse position? The instant upgrade from aunt to mom was rough enough; tossing in an incompetent baby daddy like Mason compounded her already-considerable woes.
His eyebrows shot up. “You mean you’re leaving me alone with them?”
After placing Vivian temporarily back in her crib, she patted Mason’s back. “I have total faith in you to do a great job.”
Five minutes later, bottles in hand, she’d just mounted the steps to check on Mason’s progress when she spied him carrying