MASON WAS POSITIVEhe would never come up for air. He could drown in all things Harper and die a happy man. But eventually, his lungs won out and he pulled back so they could both catch their breath.
Harper curled up like a kitty cat into his side, her legs tucked under and her head resting on his sternum with one arm slung around his chest. He held onto her back, keeping her secure and enjoying every point of contact. How had he held back from this for so long? People made this type of situation work all the time. As long as Harper knew what she was getting into, there was no reason why they couldn’t be together. Layla made things complicated but not impossible...right?
Their little slice of heaven seemed far too short when Layla eventually woke up. They’d had a couple of hours on the couch, but as he walked down the hall, Mason knew it wouldn’t be enough. That thought was why he knew this was going to be a problem. His time with Harper would never feel like enough. She’d been here all day and he still wanted more.
Just take what you can get,he told himself. It’ll all work out. I’ll make sure of it.
“Hey, Tiny,” Mason said as he walked into Layla’s room.
Her face was bright red and her hair matted to her cheeks, but when she held up her arms, she might as well have reached into his chest and squeezed her heart. Stick a fork in me, I’m done. There was nothing for it. Layla had turned him into a lap dog and Harper was right behind.
He carried Layla out, her fingers in her mouth until she spotted Harper. Wiggling against him, Mason put her on the ground and the little girl ran over, flopping her head into Harper’s lap.
“Hey, pretty girl,” Harper said with a laugh. She pulled Layla onto her lap, nuzzling her neck and getting laughter in return. “Want to go for a walk?” Harper asked, glancing between Layla and him. “The sun’s shining. We should take advantage of it.”
Mason nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
“Great. You change her and I’ll pack some snacks.”
Mason gave her a wry look. “I know that trick.”
Harper laughed and stood, bringing Layla to him. “Tough luck, handsome. I only said I’d help with the schedule.”
Mason took Layla, but also grabbed a kiss when he leaned close. “To motivate me,” he said with a smirk and pump of his eyebrows.
Harper walked away, glancing over her shoulder with a flirty smile. “I’m happy to keep you motivated all the time.”
Mason whistled low enough Harper wouldn’t hear it and shook his head. He turned when Layla squirmed. “You women are going to be the death of me,” he told her. “I think I should be more upset about that.” With a shrug, he went to the corner where he had diapers and other baby stuff, getting Layla changed and ready for an outing.
Once again, it took far longer than it should have, but eventually they were walking along the boardwalk, Layla swinging her legs out in front of her stroller. This was the first time Mason had really gone out with Layla, other than the market the other day, but that hadn’t been in his hometown. A light breeze played across their skin, which felt good to Mason, but Harper was having a hard time with her hair.
“I should have pulled it into a ponytail,” she muttered, rolling her hand around it.
Mason let go of the stroller with one hand and tugged on her beautiful blonde locks. “I like it down.” He stared at the pink color that crept across her cheeks. The fact that she blushed was oddly attractive. It brought her skin alive and he wanted to touch it to feel the heat. He knew from experience only a couple hours ago that her skin was like silk, and he wanted to touch it again.
They were quiet after his admission, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. He wished he could take her hand, but the stroller kept him from it. Just another reminder that having a child was going to interfere with his love life.
Can we really do this?he wondered. After knowing what it was like to kiss her, he wasn’t sure if he could stop, but he also wasn’t sure how this would look going forward. He wanted to see Harper every day, but between their work and Layla’s schedule, what if he only saw her once a week? Would that be enough to build a relationship on? What if Harper couldn’t handle it? What if she needed more than he could give her?
“You’re thinking awfully hard over there,” Harper said with a grin. She tried once again to tuck her hair behind her ears, but it only lasted a few seconds.
He smiled back. “Just thinking about how tame this situation makes me look.” He waved his hand toward the stroller. He couldn’t tell her about what was really going on in his brain. It would only make him look like he was unsure of his feelings, which wasn’t the case at all. He was halfway in love with Harper. He just wasn’t sure if their lives would allow it to actually progress.
Harper’s laugh was heavenly, which fit perfectly with his comparing her to an angel so often. “The great lumberjack has been domesticated. Whatever shall he do?”
“I feel like I need to carry one of my chainsaws around with me,” he continued. “Just to prove that I’m not a sissy.”
Harper whacked his arm. “You’re giant. No one thinks you’re a sissy.”
“I don’t know...” he murmured. “I know what I’ve thought when I’ve seen guys like this.”
“And what was that?”
Mason widened his eyes and leaned over a little. “That they were whipped.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “You men. So dramatic.”
He gave an extra big shiver. “No man wants to be held back.”
Harper sobered and her eyes dropped to Layla. “And are you being held back?”
Mason regretted his words. He’d been trying to tease, but apparently it had been the wrong topic. One of these days he’d remember that his situation was unique. But it was a good question and he wanted to give her an honest answer. “I think it would be easy to think I am,” Mason said. He paused, yanking the stroller out of a rut. “But it wouldn’t be entirely truthful.”
Harper glanced his way, obviously waiting for an explanation.
Mason squinted into the sun, trying to come up with the right words to express his thoughts. “I think it’s all about a person’s attitude, though.” He swallowed hard. “My life has taken a complete one-eighty,” he explained. “But it doesn’t have to be bad.”
Layla squealed and bounced in her seat.
They stopped and Mason watched the bird that had caught her attention. “My time isn’t my own anymore. It’s full of diapers and naptimes, tears and tantrums.” He huffed a laugh. “But it’s also full of taking time to stop and watch a seagull. Reading books in funny voices, cuddling and laughing much more than I ever have before.” He turned, making sure Harper could see the sincerity on his face. “It might not have been what I expected my life to be like at this point, but it isn’t holding me back. It’s opening a whole new world.”
Harper’s eyes were misty and she laughed when she sniffed. “Sorry.” She wiped at her face. “I don’t know why, but that might have been the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Mason smirked, his chest puffing out a little. “I never turn down brownie points.”
Harper’s laugh grew and she stepped up, rising on tiptoe to give him a soft kiss. “Mason Turley, you’re an amazing man.”
Yeah...there’s no way we’re not giving this a shot.He began to push the stroller again. “Just trying to keep up, Angel. Just trying to keep up.”