MASON SIGHED AS HEsank into his couch later that night. He was exhausted. Traveling on days of the festivals always meant long hours and after doing two live demonstrations, his mind was mush and his arms were still shaking from holding onto the chainsaw. If he wanted to dig a little deeper, his pride and heart were also a little shaky today, after being rejected by Harper and still having to watch her smile and interact with customers all day long. She had been right to put some distance between them, but Mason’s emotions didn’t seem to be getting the memo.
A banging on his door had Mason scowling. Who in the world would be coming by at this time of night?
Grumbling, he climbed to his feet and shuffled over. “Ethan! What the heck are you doing here?”
Ethan grinned and sauntered inside when Mason stepped back to make room. “Just thought I’d come hang out with my buddy. Is there something wrong with that?”
Mason rubbed his forehead. “I’ve known you too long to fall for that.”
Ethan laughed and plopped into a recliner, pressing the button to push it back all the way. “I was bored, okay? I was bored.”
“I thought you were going surfing today.” Mason came back to the couch and slouched into the cushions.
Ethan nodded. “I did. This morning.” He glanced at his watch. “That was a long time ago.”
“Have you opened the shop yet?”
Ethan shook his head. “No. Not enough tourists. Probably another two to three weeks.”
Mason nodded and rubbed his beard, grimacing when he caught sawdust. “I need a shower.”
Ethan smirked. “You always do. I can’t figure out why you have that dead rodent on your face anyway. All it does is catch food and dust.”
Mason gave his friend a look. “You just summed up the whole reason in a few words.”
Ethan made a face. “Are you growing mold in there?”
“Some of us spend time outside in the winter,” Mason shot back.
“Yeah...like those of us working construction. Not the ones spending time at a cushy desk job.” Ethan was grinning widely, softening his dig.
Mason rolled his eyes. “If you don’t like it, you can always change careers.” Ethan had been raised on the coast and spent his summers surfing and running a rental and lessons shop. During the winter he worked on custom board jobs, when available, but otherwise worked construction to make ends meet during the downtimes. “I hear Aspen might be looking for a dishwasher.”
“Would Maeve be there?” Ethan’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
Mason paused. “Uh...I have no idea.”
Ethan rubbed his chin. “It would probably be worth my time if she was hanging around. I think there’s an office in the back of the bakery. She probably presses all those calculator buttons back there.”
Mason stood up. “Want something?” He headed to the kitchen.
“Got a soda?”
“Sprite or root beer?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
Mason shook his head and smiled as he grabbed two bottles of root beer and brought one back to Ethan. He twisted off the lid and sat down again. “Why are you wondering about Maeve? I didn’t think you two got along.”
Ethan chuckled. “She doesn’t get along with me. Not the other way around.”
“Why?” Mason took a sip of the cold, bubbly liquid. It felt nice after such a long day working and he leaned back, trying to keep his eyes open.
“Long day?”
Mason totally caught the change of subject, but he ran with it. “I guess. The festival was two hours south.”
“Ah...” Ethan took another long pull from his bottle. “What did you make this time?”
“A totem pole with a tree on the side and the usual bear. Those always sell best.”
“And the tree? Is it gone?”
Mason nodded. “Yeah. It was sold before I finished.”
Ethan snorted. “I think that’s the norm at this point.”
Mason shrugged. “I guess. It’s nice that people are interested in it. I mean, what would I do with dozens of bears and wolves sitting around?”
“And trees,” Ethan pointed out.
“And trees,” Mason agreed. He grinned. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t answer my question. I’ve never had any trouble with Maeve, though she’s almost as quiet as I am, which makes for hard conversations.”
Ethan’s snort was less amused and more derisive this time. “She’s not quiet. Believe me.”
Mason paused with the bottle halfway to his mouth. “You really are fighting.”
Ethan stared at the label, picking at its edge. “Fighting isn’t the right word.” He looked up, his usual mischief dimmed. “She won’t forgive me for something that happened when we were kids.”
Mason’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. “That’s...a long grudge.”
Ethan shrugged and emptied his drink. “Yep.” The men sat in silence for a moment. “Speaking of noticing things...” He narrowed his eyes at Mason. “To use your own words, don’t think I didn’t notice that you’re wearing your nicest flannel shirt. Normally, you’d never wear that to carve. What gives?”
Mason looked down. How the heck did Ethan know this was one he usually saved for special occasions? “What are you? The wardrobe police?” Ethan and Mason had easily become friends when Mason had moved into town. The surfer reminded Mason a little too much of Crew and it had been a natural transition to begin hanging out together. They had enough in common to enjoy similar activities, but their introvert and extrovert personalities also kept them on their toes.
Ethan simply raised an eyebrow, not backing down.
Mason sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, knocking sawdust all over the couch. “I need to vacuum that,” he muttered.
“You need to answer the question,” Ethan retorted.
Mason groaned. “There might have been someone at the festival that I...wanted to see.”
Ethan jerked forward. “You’re joking. Right? The great lumberjack who takes two years to clear a chess board is after a woman?”
Mason growled lightly. If only Ethan really understood the situation, but there was no reason to hash it out. He couldn’t have her. End of story. “Watch it. Just because I don’t jump in feet first doesn’t mean I can’t knock your block off.”
Ethan laughed and held up his hands. “Color me intrigued, but I’ll let you keep your secrets.” He smirked. “For now.” He pressed his hands onto the arms of the chair and pushed upright. “You need sleep and I need to watch Miami Vice reruns. I’ll catch ya later.” He headed to the door. “Thanks for the drink!”
As quick as he came, Ethan was gone. Mason shook his head. He never knew what he was going to get with the guy, but the variety brought some laughter to his otherwise dreary life.
Standing with a groan, Mason stretched. Ethan was right. He needed sleep. “But first...a shower.”
His phone buzzed before he could reach the bathroom and Mason hesitated. He didn’t really want to get into a conversation right now, but if someone was calling this late...
He made a face, but lunged across the room to catch the call before it ended. “Hello?” he asked breathlessly, not having seen the ID before answering.
“Mr. Turley? This is Jason Clark.”
Mason had to catch himself on the edge of the coffee table. “Yes?” he croaked.
“I think I might have found your sister.”