Reckless (Mason Family 3)

“Good luck,” she says with a big smile.

“Do we go in?” Rosie asks.

I stare at the big wooden door that’s still closed in front of us. Seems odd.

“Let’s knock first,” I say.

Knock! Knock!

“Come in!” a man’s voice booms from the other side.

I twist the knob. “Let’s go baby … girl …”

My voice drops as the door swings open and my eyes settle on the room.

Danny is sitting on the corner of his desk, one leg swinging back and forth. And, behind his desk in an oversized black leather chair is Boone.

“Boone!” Rosie screams as she makes a mad dash for him.

My heart was not prepared to see him. Not even a little bit.

“How’s my girl?” he asks, scooping her up in his arms.

Her arms wrap around his neck, and she buries her head in his chest.

His eyes stay trained on me.

I force a swallow and beg myself to stay together.

I can’t cry in front of Danny.

“Boone! I slept in your bed last night,” Rosie says, grinning. “I didn’t even try to sleep in mine.”

He makes a face at her but then quickly returns his eyes to mine. “Did Jaxi let you get away with that?”

Rosie nods.

“Well, that’s okay,” Boone says. “I bet she had a hard time sleeping last night. Just like I did.”

Tears flicker in the corners of my eyes, and I blink them back.

Danny hops off the desk and, frustratingly, stands right in my line of vision.

“I have to apologize to you, Miss Thorpe,” Danny says. “There’s been some miscommunication, and it’s all my fault.”

I furrow my brows but don’t speak. I don’t trust my voice.

The chair squeaks as Boone stands with Rosie still in his arms.

“I don’t have the authority to rent you an apartment,” he says, smiling at me.

“Why?” My voice sounds like it’s wrapped in a wet T-shirt.

“Because,” he says, “I sold this complex. And two of my others, actually. All rentals have to be approved by the new owners. It’s a stipulation in the purchase agreement.”

My heart pounds in my chest. My body and brain war whether to join Rosie in Boone’s arms or not.

I know he’ll catch me if I jump.

My jaw drops open, and a hurried breath escapes my mouth.

He’ll catch me if I jump.

I’ve never been able to say that about anyone before. I’ve never been confident that someone would even try to reach for me if I fell.

But I know he would. He’d catch me just as quickly as he caught Rosie a moment ago.

“Who should I speak with then?” I ask even though I know the answer.

Danny grins as he heads for the door. “You’ll have to speak to Mr. Mason.”

My gaze flips to his and he snatches it up like he was waiting for the opportunity. The greens are vivid and bright. They pull me like a moth to a flame.

“I’m going to lunch,” Danny says. “We’ll get the details worked out this week, Mr. Mason. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

“Thank you,” Boone says. “We’ll be out of here in a moment.”

“Take your time.”

With a final smile and a little wave, Danny exits the room.

The room grows smaller in an instant. The temperature increases. I tug at the collar of my shirt.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Making sure you don’t get away from me.”

The tears well up in my eyes again. He wants us. He wants us to stay.

“Boone …”

“The plan I wanted to go over with you yesterday was the purchase of this complex. I thought it might be a good way for you to see if management was really something you liked. Even if it wasn’t, these places are gold mines. It would be money we could set aside for Rosie.”

I don’t fight the tears. There’s no point.

His words are more than a balm to my wounds. They’re a salve to my fears.

“I understand why you were scared,” he says. “I get why you internalized everything wrong. But I’m the one who let you down. And, for that, I’m sorry.”

The pieces of my heart float back together. The sincerity in his eyes mend them into one.

Not only does he want us in his life but he’s also thought of my dreams and Rosie’s future.

Who is this man? How am I this lucky?

“I panicked,” I tell him. “I got so scared and ran. I thought it would be easier to end it on my terms rather than it ending on yours.”

He smiles sadly. “But I didn’t want it to end.”

He sets Rosie down on the floor. She grabs his wrist and presses her finger to the dial, following the minute hand around and around the glass.

“I didn’t want it to end,” he says again. “What I wanted was for it to be for forever. I was just scared too. I terrifies me to think that I can love you with everything that I have and have it not be enough.”