Reputation (Mason Family 2)

Daddy sits in a recliner in the corner. He loves the earbuds that Coy got him to listen to the throwback episodes as loud as he wants. He let Hollis’s Grandma Judy borrow one, and they sit together watching a re-run of Jeopardy.

Holt, Blaire and Oliver sit at the table. They’re engrossed in some office shenanigans that have plagued them for weeks now, it seems. Wade chats with Hollis near the steps, and Boone is outside with Coy and Bree.

I walk to the window and watch them. Bree stands in the middle of the yard, just to the right of where the pool will go in a few weeks, and throws a ball to Coy. Boone stands farther back and taunts his brother.

My heart is so full, so warm. I never dreamed that my life could end up this way.

I step out into the enclosed porch wrapped in windows so you can still see the lawn from inside the actual house.

A baby swing sits next to the fireplace. It’s entirely too early to be putting up baby stuff, but Coy can’t resist.

I put a hand on my stomach and watch as Coy takes a swing. Bree’s giggle drifts through the air as Coy swings wildly and misses the ball.

“I got you! Strike one,” she shouts.

Laughing, I sit on the swing that Rodney made in a shop behind their house. Coy says it’s the first thing he’s ever actually made. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I love it just the same.

“Hey,” a voice says from the doorway.

I look over to see Anjelica. She’s so sophisticated in her black suit and white blouse that is set off with a fun pair of bright pink heels.

Coy’s new agent is everything. She’s smart and kind, but she can be aggressive if needed. She’s become part of our family over the last few months, even standing up with Larissa as a maid of honor at our wedding.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she says, kissing me on the cheek before sitting beside me. “I had to have a little ball-busting competition before I could get over here. Spoiler alert: I won.”

“I have no doubts.”

She grins. “How’s the little one?” She rubs her hand on my little belly. “Hey, princess. It’s Auntie Anjelica.”

“What are you and Coy going to do if it’s a boy? The Masons are very male dominant, if you haven’t noticed.”

She laughs. “Trust me. I’ve noticed.”

Our attention is drawn to the backyard as Bree squeals. She is chasing Coy, who is headed towards us with a hand on his jaw.

“This doesn’t look good,” Anjelica whispers.

Coy, though, is grinning. He pops the door open.

“Guess she’s got the curveball down,” he says with a laugh.

“I am so sorry,” Bree says, following her idol into the house. “I didn’t mean it. Again. Why do I always hit you?”

Boone steps inside the porch and notices Anjelica.

“Hi. Don’t give me anything to do. This is a family event,” he says before fleeing inside.

I snort. “I think Boone is scared of you.”

“Good. Holt told me to keep him busy, so that’s what I’ve been doing. Oliver and I have been spending so much time trying to get Coy’s new label off the ground that Boone’s had to pick up some slack.” She looks through the glass at the table of Mason men. “I don’t think he likes it much.”

“Time to eat!” Siggy calls, her voice cutting through the chaos like only a mother’s voice can do.

Anjelica gets up and offers me a hand.

“You go on. I want to stay here for just a while,” I tell her.

She smiles and disappears into the house.

I swing back and forth, feeling absolutely content. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and start to panic. How can things be this good?

I have to tell myself that it can. It is. That there will be hard times. It’s life. But as long as I have Coy, there will be good times too.

My hand goes to my stomach again, and I press gently. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too.”

I look up to see Coy standing in the doorway. He holds a bag of frozen peas on his cheek.

“I love you too,” I say, laughing. “Is your face okay?”

“It would be better if you sat on it.”

My jaw drops as I look around to see if anyone heard him.

“Don’t,” I say, shushing him.

He bends down and kisses me—effectively shushing me right back.

“Are you coming in to eat?” he asks. “Or I can bring you a plate of food out here, if you’d rather?”

“I’ll come in. I was just enjoying … life,” I say with a grin. “Dad loves his guest suite so much. He was telling me today about how nice it is to be in a smaller place with wide doorways and how he loves the elevator you had installed.”