“Like I said, don’t worry about it.” She jerked her chin at his radio. “Don’t you have to go?”
“I do,” he admitted, “but I promise I’ll come back to see you as soon as I can.” The worry and apology that had been in is his expression transformed into sudden certainty, as if he’d had an epiphany. His jaw set, a cutting edge as he gritted his teeth together and pointed at her. “Tomorrow.”
“What?” Her nerves got the better of her. The one word came out like a screech.
“Tomorrow,” he said again. “It’s my night off. Sheriff said. Let me make it up to you. I’ll show you Hamlet. The doc took you to brunch, right? Coffee? Give me a chance. I can take you to dinner, show you what I have to offer. It’s only fair.”
Fair? What was he thinking? This wasn’t a contest, and she wasn’t a prize. There weren’t any rules. What the hell did he mean, fair? Just because Lucas showed up to take her to the coffeehouse, it didn’t mean that she had to agree to go out with Mason. She was only a few days removed from being married to Jack Sullivan— why was she the only one who remembered that her husband had just been killed?
Regardless of her confession to Lucas earlier, that didn’t change the truth. She wasn’t even sure she’d really understood what his murder meant. She certainly wasn’t looking to replace him.
Especially not with a man who thought it was okay to grab her arm like she was his property.
“I don’t know—”
He clasped his hands together. “Please, Tess. Please.”
If Mason wasn’t begging, it was close enough to make Tess feel like she had to give in. He’d been nothing but kind before his jealousy took over. She’d done her best not to lead him on, knowing that there was no way she could give him what he was obviously after, but she also wasn’t cruel. Mason had been considerate and thoughtful and kind to a stranger in need. Now he was inviting her out. Maybe she was reading too much into it. She doubted it, but maybe.
And, well, if she turned him down, it would be like kicking a puppy in his face. She just couldn’t do it.
“I guess so.”
“Great.” He moved toward her as if he was going to touch her again. Tess froze in place, expecting another rough grab. Either he caught her reaction or he thought better of it, because Mason suddenly pulled back. He pointed at her, repeated solemnly, “Tomorrow,” then moved to return to his cruiser.
Tess watched him go. Once he stepped off the curb, she remembered what she had started to ask him before he distracted her with his resentful reaction to seeing her with Lucas.
“Wait!” she called after him. “I need you to tell me where my car is!”
Mason acted like he hadn’t heard her. Rubbing his hand against the back of his neck, unable to hide the flush that crept up the sides of his throat, he crossed the street to where he had parked. His boots thudded against the gravel, the handcuffs on his belt clanking with the force of each step.
Just before he climbed into his cruiser, Mason waved back at her. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Seven o’clock. See you, Tess.”
It was a promise, Tess knew. But she took it as a threat.
As he sped off, she gave herself a small shake. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up. Underneath her jacket, she could feel the goosebumps as they erupted over her flesh. The same fear that overwhelmed her last night with the note came back with a vengeance. Her wrist ached where he yanked, the skin on fire from his hard touch.
Her first instinct was to go see Lucas again. The force of her response was so strong that it staggered her. It had to be because Mason had basically warned her against seeing him again. As a child, she’d always been contrary. Her grandmother used to tell her the opposite of what she expected a teenaged Tess to do, knowing that she would always do the reverse.
She was an adult now. Tess could do what she wanted—but she would do what was best for her. And right then? Hunting down the gorgeous doctor when she was already rattled wasn’t the best answer for her. Maybe later. Maybe when she was thinking more clearly. For now, the best thing for her to do was go inside and pretend that Mason hadn’t been waiting for her.
Turning toward the walkway, Tess took two steps up the winding cobblestone path before she stopped dead in her tracks. Standing with her arms crossed and her hip propping the screen door open, Maria looked like she’d been waiting a while for the other woman to notice her.
Tess knew she was caught. Her shoulders slumped. “How much of that did you see?”
Maria gestured inside the open doorway “Enough that I think a good cup of hot cocoa is in order. Come in, sweetie. Let’s have a chat.”
17
Maria didn’t say anything until she’d boiled the milk, added the chocolate and poured them each a generous portion of the steaming liquid in an oversized mug. Tess vaguely thought Maria was using soup bowls. Even better. Right now, as unsettled as she was, hot cocoa sounded like just what the doctor ordered.
Small wisps of smoke danced above the mug. Careful of the temperature, Maria took a tiny sip, smacking her lips in satisfaction when it passed her muster. “Ah, that’s good.”
Tess’s tongue was still sensitive from where she burned it on coffee that morning. She pushed her mug to the side, letting her cocoa sit until it was cool enough to drink without causing more damage. Without even realizing it, she started to rub her wrist. The red mark was fading, though the ache from his rough tug lingered.
Maria tsk-ed. “He did that to you?”
“He didn’t mean to yank,” she said, dropping her hand into her lap. “I wasn’t expecting him to grab so I pulled away from him. It was an accident.”