Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven
Mason leaned against the doorframe and stared at his sleeping daughter. He’d done the same thing every single night for the past week, since the day Kelley had brought her back and they’d come home. His little girl was home. He'd never been as happy as the day Kelley had brought her home, even though they'd just said their goodbyes to Blain, the memory was overshadowed by Grace's homecoming.
She still slept like something caught in a hurricane but Mason just smiled. He wouldn't have it any other way. She was his perfectly beautiful little girl. His heart was full and he felt like he was on top of the world. His world was perfect once more.
He hadn’t slept that first night, too afraid that he’d wake up and realize that everything had been a dream. He didn’t care about biology, Grace was his daughter and now, thanks to Kelley, nobody could ever take her away again. It was a feeling of such contentment that Mason had a permanent smile on his face for the last few days.
“Mason …”
Mason turned to find Carey at the end of the hall near the stairs and she motioned for him to join her. He looked back at Grace one more time before following his mother down the stairs and into the living room. She had her speech face on and Mason knew that whatever was coming next, was serious.
Carey sat on the couch with two cups of coffee on the table and looked expectantly at him. “Sit down.”
“What’s going on, Mom?”
“I want to talk to you about Andrea,” Carey said carefully.
Mason sighed and leaned back against the couch. He’d known this day was coming but he didn’t want to talk about Andrea right now. She was still healing in some ways and Grace had these moments where her eyes seemed to glaze over, like she was lost to the world, in her own little world perhaps. The experience had broken something in her, in him as well, but he'd fix it, he had to.
“It has to be tonight?”
Carey nodded her head and shifted in her seat. “I love you, Mason. You were mature well before you reached puberty. When Grace showed up on our doorstep, you stepped up. You took care of her but you also lied to me. Don’t get me wrong, Mason, I love her and I know you love her. She's finally where she belongs.”
“She’s my daughter, I don’t care who says what.” Mason’s tone was angrier than he’d intended.
“I didn’t say she wasn’t, Mason.”
Mason flexed his fingers, realizing that he’d clenched them into fists. He took a deep breath and looked at the concern in his mother’s eyes. He hated seeing her worry and his whole adult life had been dedicated to not only help her but everyone around them.
“What are your plans with Andrea?”
Mason blinked and stared. “Why?”
“She’s Grace’s mother and she’s living in your house. You sent her to the island after her attack.” Carey sighed then too and clasped her hands together. “I’m not her biggest fan, I’ll admit it, but I can see you care about her.”
“Mom …” Carey lifted her hand and swallowed her pride.
“This is me giving you my blessing if you want to marry her,” Carey said.
“What?”
Carey smiled tightly. “I want you to be happy and I want Grace to be happy, no matter what that entails. That’s all I’m going to say about it. Look after our little girl. I love you, Mase.”
With that Carey stood up and walked out of Mason’s house. Mason remained sitting on his couch as he thought about everything Carey had said. Was that something he should consider? Should he ask Andrea to marry him? The thought hadn't occurred to him but now he could think of nothing else.
He liked her and they got along really well and maybe that could turn into love, because they shared Grace, they both loved her. Carey was right about one thing, he did care about her. He wouldn’t have reacted to everything the way he had if he didn’t care.
Perhaps he was even in love with her, he had no idea. He’d never really been in love before, he’d always played the crowd and then Grace was there and there had been no time for relationships or getting to know someone, never mind falling in love.
Mason started thinking about everything, where his life was, where he wanted to be and where he wanted to go. He wasn’t leaving Yorkdare Bay and he wasn’t leaving Grace. His mother was here, Kelley and Lee were here.
His family.
This was his home and home was where the heart was. Grace, Kelley and Lee were his heart. Carey was his mother and he loved her fiercely but his life revolved around Grace and his two brothers, the fight they were fighting and he wasn't sure where love for a woman fit into all that.
Mason woke up to a tapping on his shoulder and his eyes snapped open. He was on the couch and Grace stood in front of him. “Daddy?”
“What’s wrong, Princess?”
She climbed on top of him and then slid in between him and the couch’s backrest. His arm snuggled over her and he pulled the blanket over them. She snuggled against his chest and let out a contented sigh. “I missed you, Daddy.”
Mason kissed the top of her head. “I missed you too, baby.”
“Are you happy?”
Mason turned his head to look at her but he only saw the outline of her cheek and her wild bed hair. “Of course I’m happy.”
“Why aren’t you married?”
Mason chuckled. “Do you want me to get married?”
Grace shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. What if everything changes and I’m not your favourite person anymore?”
“You’d always be my favourite,” Mason said.
“I’m everyone’s favourite,” she said with a giggle. "You're my favourite too, Daddy."
“Are you happy?” Mason asked her.
“I’m home, Daddy, and you’re my daddy again, that makes me happy.”
Mason shifted slightly as her elbow dug into his ribs. “What about Mommy? Doesn’t she make you happy?”
Grace was quiet for a long time and Mason stroked her back. “She doesn’t feel like my mommy. Everything I remember ... it’s me and you and Uncle Kelley and Uncle Lee and Aunt Marella. She wasn’t there, I don’t remember her.”
