One might at first think that Mason was bragging, but I could tell he wasn’t. He seemed excited to have me there, and even more excited that I had escaped with my life and I was not even hurt. I knew he felt responsible and I hadn’t yet ruled out that he wasn’t, but I didn’t see myself holding a grudge for very long. It had never been my style.
“Toby is spending the day with his grandparents,” Mason said. “But he should be home shortly. I’m sure he will be happy to have you here.”
“He’s a great kid,” I said.
“Yeah, he is,” Mason replied with a beam of pride. He knew what a wonderful son he had.
It seemed like Mason really did have it all.
CHAPTER 13
Mason
I felt so stupid.
How could I have let this happen? It was my fault, all of it. Libby could try to console me and tell me that she didn’t blame me for this, but I could see it in her eyes that somewhere deep inside she wasn’t so sure.
And eventually that would come to surface.
It was ok. I was prepared for it when it did happen. I’ve never been afraid of confrontation or admitting when I’ve made a mistake. If I had to take my licks like a man, then so be it. I just wanted to be in Libby’s good graces.
For whatever reason it was so hard to get a good read on her, at least when it came to how she felt about me. I occasionally caught her looking at me, not really checking me out, but eyeing me with a sense of wonder in her face. It set off a curiosity in me as to what she might have been thinking. Oh, to peer into the mind of a woman… that sometimes could take a bit of doing. I just hoped Libby gave me that chance.
We had a good time while I showed her around my home. I was conscious of how close it could be to bragging at times, so I did my best to subdue everything and just showcase to her that this was not some fancy palace; it was just my home. It was Toby’s home. It was just where we lived.
And for the most part I believe she understood that, but I did get a few “wow” moments from her. Sometimes that feeling hit me, too. It was kind of random, but I wasn’t immune to it all. There were times, more often than most might believe, when I would look around and think to myself, “How the hell did this really happen?”
I had been blessed to find what I loved at an early age, find a great mentor, and then use the lessons I’d learned to excel in my chosen field. That was really all there was to it. But even then, it was beyond my wildest expectations.
Libby had a lot of preconceived notions about who I really was. That was easy to see and to understand. I knew that if I was ever going to have any real shot with her, I would have to find a way to break through those kinds of walls and show her that I was just a person. I had hopes, dreams, and flaws, just like anyone else.
As we sat there at the kitchen table enjoying a few beers and trying to relieve the stress of the day, I believed Libby was starting to see a glimpse of that.
“So, what is a typical day for you?” Libby asked me as I handed her the second beer of the afternoon.
I laughed. “A typical day? Wow… I don’t know if I have one. I’d get pretty bored if I did.”
“Really? How so?”
“I’m one of those people that likes to be on the move. I like to stay fluid. I mean, some things are the same from day to day. I’ll get up early, get my workout in, breakfast, and head to the office. I’ll take a few meetings, but all of that is usually done by mid-morning. After that it just varies. I might go to visit some properties I’m building, take in a game of golf to discuss business, or just fun, et cetera. But I always keep my afternoons free for Toby. And I’ve done my best to cut out work from that time until he goes to bed. Then I’ll usually retire to the office with a drink and get some more work done. But my staff knows not to bother me during family time. That’s very important to me. Especially, since… um… Toby’s mother…”
My voice trailed off. As thoughts of Gina entered my mind, I found myself not wishing to continue that particular conversation thread.
Libby nodded. “I’m sorry to hear about what happened.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I guess, since then I’ve just stepped up my dad game. I felt I didn’t have a choice. Toby was getting older, and while he doesn’t remember much about his mom, I never want him to feel like he is missing something in his life. So, luckily I’m in the position that I control my work, and I can schedule things around my duties as a father. And I’m very much aware of how lucky I am to be in that position.”