Mason's Marriage Page 6

  “I think he has the right idea, but the wrong man. We should get married, Mimi.”

  Mimi’s eyes widened. She was so thankful that Mason couldn’t see her expression. The words she had waited what seemed a lifetime to hear!

  “For Nanette’s sake,” he continued. “It would be best.”

  Mimi frowned slightly, perplexed.

  “You and I know we can get along under the same roof. There’s no reason not to have a united front. It will make everything better for Nanette, now and in the future. If there was anything you and I had in our corners growing up, Mimi, we had our fathers.”

  Was he proposing marriage—or a marriage of brave faces?

  Whatever it was, it didn’t sound like what she’d been dreaming of.

  She turned to him. “Is that with separate bedrooms or without?”

  “Oh, well,” Mason said with a grin, “if you want sex written into the agreement, I can accommodate.”

  Walking back inside, she grabbed her purse.

  “Where are you going?” Mason demanded.

  “Out,” Mimi said. “I need some fresh air.”

  He frowned. “Do women usually need air when they’ve been asked to marry a man?”

  “As far as I can tell, you’re not offering anything to get excited about,” Mimi said. “You’re just trying to keep your life as uncomplicated as possible.”

  “Hang on,” Mason said. “I was trying to be more sensitive to my family. I was even trying to be perceptive.”

  Mimi turned toward him angrily. “Mason, you have no powers of perception. Hawk and Jellyfish are wrong.”

  She left, heading toward Calhoun’s house.

  Mason caught up to her. “Listen, I know I’m not the world’s most softhearted guy. I don’t do candy and flowers. But I’m willing to give our family a chance.” He touched her arm. “Mimi, I think it would be good for everyone involved.”

  Mimi held her breath. Was she being selfish? What he was saying—if she looked at it unemotionally—made sense. She’d waited years for Mason to want to marry her. But she also wanted him to want her—and what it sounded like right now was that he wanted the marriage without the trimmings of true love.

  “I never tried to trap you with sex, Mason,” she said, her real feelings pouring out. “Frankly, I don’t need a marriage to feel like I’m doing my best for Nanette. Sex? That was just something that happened between us. We blurred the lines of our friendship.” She took a deep breath. “I think it would be a mistake to blur the lines of marriage with an uneasy truce. Let’s not have any more confusion.”

  He stared at her. “I didn’t feel like you tried to trap me with sex, Mimi, and if you took my pained joke a moment ago as a reference to that, then I apologize. If anything, what we shared that night was a golden opportunity to trap you.”

  She looked at him askance, not trusting her ears. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I’m standing here. I’m proposing. Most importantly, I’m the father of our child.” His expression was fierce and protective, a side of him Mimi had never seen before. “Think about it, Mimi. You and I—” he caught her hand to his heart “—we have a hell of a lot of history between us.”

  She was so astonished she didn’t know what to say.

  After a moment, he dropped her hand and walked away.

  THE THING MASON had always appreciated the most about Mimi—besides her steadfast friendship—was her unpredictability. For once, he wished she were more predictable. Just when he thought he’d finally figured out a practical way to avoid getting his heart more involved than it was, she turned him on his head again.

  Only this time it hurt. In fact, it was not just his head. His heart stung with the ache of rejection. He’d heard his brothers babble over the years about how painful falling in love was—all of them had gone to great lengths to proclaim their “wounds”—but nothing, absolutely nothing could be as painful as finally dredging up a proposal and having your woman look back at you as though you were crazy.

  A woman was supposed to cry happy tears and drag her man down to the jewelry store for an engagement ring. Or do something romantic like make a ring out of straw to seal the deal until the real thing could be procured.

  But Mimi had stared at him, silent and apparently confused. It was disheartening, especially since he wanted so much to give his daughter what he’d had, which was a whole family. Sure, he hadn’t had a whole family his entire life, but his early years, he remembered, were pretty darn secure.

  Then there was the matter of his father’s journal, which he didn’t intend to read, but which brought him mixed emotions of pain and gladness. It provided security, and the knowledge that one day he could look forward to his father’s thoughts and words, coming so many years after Maverick had left.

  Security counted. Mason wanted Nanette to have it. Deep inside, he’d wanted Mimi to chase him a little, to show him that she knew that she wanted him. He was still stinging a bit that she’d married Brian. She had so much energy; he wanted her to use some of that energy discovering he was the only man for her.

  True to her nature, Mimi had not chased. If anything, she’d become more aloof, he thought, striding into his house. More friendly, which was the death knell for romance as far as he was concerned.

  “Hey,” Last said, as Mason walked into the house. “I’m heading down to Calhoun’s. The kids are already there. He’s going to have a marshmallow toast outside. You wanna go?”

  Nanette was going to roast her first marshmallow without him? Mason hesitated, even as his mind was in a dither about Mimi’s nonacceptance of his very generous offer.

  “You look tired,” Last said. “Fatherhood tuckering you out?”

  “No,” Mason said with a glare. “Don’t get started about how old dads need their sleep, either.”

  Last grunted. “Okay, Pops.”

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind,” Mason snapped.

  “You always do, Mason.” Last looked at him. “Anything I can help with?”

  “Actually, I think you can.” Mason sighed. “Let’s walk down to the marshmallow toast, and I’ll tell you everything.”

  They headed out the front door. Last could help Mason make a decision about the journal. Last was also an excellent person to wheeze to about Mimi.

  “Hawk and Jellyfish made a find while they were gone this time,” Mason said. “They brought back a journal Dad had been keeping when he stayed up north.”

  Last stopped in his tracks. “A journal? How? What kind?”

  “I don’t know exactly. I haven’t read it. I don’t want anybody else to know until I’ve had a chance to read it. Then I’ll decide the proper way to pass it around.”

  “No,” Last said. “That’s not right. You had to protect us when we were young, but now you don’t make decisions for any of us anymore. You make decisions for the family ranch, with all of us in council. We should all read the journal at the same time. Good or bad, it’s the only way it should be done.”

  Mason nodded with satisfaction. “You’re exactly right. We’ll pick a time in the near future. Soon. We’ll make sure we have babysitters and schedule a few hours to see what Dad had on his mind.”

  “Man, that’s weird,” Last said. “Dad leaving a journal, and you talking about needing a babysitter all in one breath. Every day brings a new surprise, doesn’t it?”

  Mason grunted. “That brings me to my other topic of discussion. I proposed to Mimi.”

  Last stopped, then began pounding him happily on the back. “That’s great!”

  “No, it’s not,” Mason said. “She didn’t accept.”

  Last raised a brow. “Mimi didn’t accept?”

  “No. She just stood there and stared at me. I felt pretty stupid, actually.”

  Last rubbed his chin. “Usually women are not silent about proposals. It’s either yes or no. Smiles or tears. Or they run away. But that’s rare.”

  “Mimi would never run away,” Mason said, but the
thought made him worry. No, as long as he had Nanette, Mimi would stay close by.

  “So what kind of brotherly advice do you want?”

  “Well,” Mason said slowly, “I think it would be best if she accepted.”

  “I see.” Last raised an eyebrow. “And did you tell her that?”

  “I think so,” Mason said. “I’m certain I stressed my thoughts on that subject very clearly.”

  “I think I’m beginning to see some of what’s going on,” Last said. “When you proposed, did you have a ring?”

  “No.”

  “It’s not entirely necessary,” Last said kindly, “but sometimes it does help make your point more emphatically.”

  Mason shrugged. “The idea came upon me on the spur of the moment.”

  “And did your proposal go something like, ‘Mimi, I think it would be best if we got married for Nanette’s sake?”

  “I probably said something like that.”

  “Did you say anything about the color of her eyes?”

  “Hell, no,” Mason said. “Mimi knows what color her eyes are.” He looked at Last with a frown. “If that’s the best advice you can spoon out, I’m in a big bowl of trouble.”

  “Not to be too personal, but by chance, did you tell her you loved her? Adored her? Anything that might derive from the Latin noun amor?”

  “I approached it in a calm, rational, levelheaded manner,” Mason said. “Unlike the rest of you, who either needed to fall out of a tree or a hang glider or a hot air balloon to figure out marriage might be your bandage.”

  “Yeesh,” Last said, “let’s keep walking. This one’s gonna be tricky, and I don’t want to miss the toasting.”

  Mason grimaced. The only toasting he had felt lately was when he was in bed with Mimi the other day. Then old feelings had simmered to the surface, making him realize he had more interest than he’d been allowing himself to remember.

  Just thinking about it made him heat up.

  “Bro, if I’d been Mimi, I don’t think I would have taken you seriously,” Last admitted.

  That was the last thing Mason wanted to hear. “Well, there’s sure nothing funny about a marriage proposal.”

  “Yeah, but it sounds like you offered it to her with about as much enthusiasm as you might have for boiled cabbage—not that I’m referring to Helga’s cooking or anything.”

  “I like boiled cabbage!”

  Last sighed. “I don’t. I want my cabbage fresh, hot and sassy, if you know what I mean.”

  Mason rolled his eyes. “Only you could equate sex and cabbage.”

  “Dude, that’s my point! If you were really in love with Mimi, and you really, really wanted to marry her, even something as simple as a lowly head of cabbage would take on a special glow.”

  “Last, you’ve finally lost me.” Mason shook his head as he strode toward the fire pit where the kids were gathered. Several brothers, as well as Olivia and Valentine and Helga, overlooked the roasting with happy smiles.

  Mimi didn’t even look his way, Mason noted unhappily.

  He wondered if Last was right. Perhaps Mason had been bland with his proposal. Mimi was a practical lady; his practical suggestion should have appealed to her. She wanted what was best for Nanette, as well.

  Of course, Mimi had never been one to proceed along an average course. He watched her assist Nanette with a marshmallow and smiled. No matter what, he sure was glad Nanette was his daughter. He’d always loved her, but she was even more an angel in his eyes now because she would forever connect him to Mimi.

  I should tell her that. That’s what Last thinks I should say.

  He went and sat beside his new family. Mimi looked at him, just a bare glance of greeting.

  “Hi, Daddy,” Nanette said. She handed him her first roasted marshmallow, which he ate right from her little fingers, to her great delight.

  “Mmm,” he said. “You’re going to be a good cook like your mommy.”

  “Yes,” Nanette said, completely aware that she was going to be just like her mother.

  Mimi rolled her eyes at Mason. “Have I ever cooked for you?”

  “I have experienced some of your culinary skill.”

  “I don’t remember,” she said. “Probably nothing more than sloppy joes.”

  “My favorite meal,” Mason said.

  That brought a slight smile to her face. “Anything edible is your favorite.”

  Mason sighed. “A man has to eat.”

  Nanette handed him another marshmallow. “This was a great idea,” Mason said happily. “We just need some hot dogs and sauerkraut, and life would be just about perfect.”

  Olivia looked up. “I’ve got some inside. Do you want me to get you one?”

  Mimi giggled. “If you feed him, you’ll end up feeding all of them.”

  “That’s fine. Mason’s been helping a ton around here.” Olivia headed toward the kitchen.

  “So,” Last said, “do you have anything you’d like to share with the gathering, Mason?”

  Mason stared at his brother. “No. I don’t.”

  That only made Bandera and Fannin and Calhoun more suspicious. Which was part of the problem with having a large family—there were always more ears stretched out to hear your business.

  “Tell us,” Bandera urged.

  “No.” Mason glowered at him. He was still pretty sore with Bandera for not sharing Mimi’s secret. Mason understood why Bandera hadn’t, but still, a brother ought to be more loyal to his brothers.

  The journal burned at the back of Mason’s mind, and he sighed uneasily. “I do have something, but I’m not ready to share it right now.”

  “Is it…about the ranch?” Fannin asked, newly in from Ireland with his wife, Kelly, and their children. “Everything all right?”

  Beside him, Mimi shifted, looking into the distance.

  “Give us a topic at least,” Calhoun said. “You’re killing us, bro.”

  “Nah. Tonight is for marshmallows.” He stood. “Mimi, could I talk to you for a minute? Alone?”

  “Oh,” the brothers and wives said in unison.

  He could tell that embarrassed Mimi. “If you don’t mind, folks, this particular family business is just between Mimi and me.”

  They all beamed and then tried to look as if they weren’t, which none of them were successful in doing. Mason sighed. Mimi was reluctant to remove Nanette from her lap and follow him, and it didn’t help to have his brothers gibing him.

  Once she’d sent Nanette to sit with Valentine and Annette, Mimi rose to follow Mason. It was a beautiful evening, with twinkling stars as far as the eyes could see. The smell of the campfire teased his nostrils with memories of other marshmallow toasts and campfires, with Mimi always there, part of his life. And maybe a part he’d always ignored and never really understood.

  It was said that sometimes someone had to lose something important before they fully realized its worth. He had been guilty of that, but now was the time to change. Never a man for change—God knows everyone ribbed him about that—now he wanted it desperately.

  “Mimi,” he said as they strolled toward the moonlit pond. Tex had been fond of planting lilies there; all the brothers had helped build a small swimming dock for the Jefferson children. The pond had been on Mimi’s land, before he’d bought it, and the swimming hole had always been something that they’d shared.

  Until she moved into town, away from him. That should have been his first wake-up call. Or second, or third.

  “Mimi,” he began again, when she didn’t say anything, “I noticed you didn’t answer when I proposed. In fact, it struck me that you seemed more shocked than…receptive.” He took her hand in his and they walked onto the dock. During the day, it was shaded by a giant willow tree. Right now, under this beautiful, romantic willow tree, he intended to make everything right.

  She looked at him, but there was no smile in her eyes. Mason’s heart began thundering with foreboding. “It also hasn’t escaped me that you still h
aven’t replied to my proposal. It was an honest proposal, Mimi. I want you to know that.”

  She nodded. “I know, Mason. You are always honest.”

  “Not with myself,” he said earnestly. “Mimi, you’ve changed my life by giving me Nanette.”

  Again, she nodded. “And I’ve thought a lot about that.” Taking a deep breath, she said, “Mason, I called Brian today. After your proposal.”

  “Brian?” Mason’s brows furrowed. “What does he have to do with this?”

  “He’s our family lawyer.”

  “Ours, too,” Mason said, his heart beginning to take on a sharp case of heartburn. Nerves, he thought. All men get nerves when their proposal is on the table.

  “I discussed with him what has happened recently,” Mimi said, “that I had told you that you were Nanette’s father. And that you had brought her to your house. Then proposed. In a rather sporadic, haphazard fashion for you, Mason. You’ve always been the most diligent thinker and deliberate decision maker.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes wide and clear. “You never asked me to marry you before. And then you took my child away from me. Your proposal has convinced me that the best thing for all of us…me, you, Nanette…is for me to move back to my town house.” Her hand slipped from his. “If for no other reason than so we can remain friends and maintain some dignity between us, I’m filing for legal joint custody of Nanette.”

  Chapter Eight

  Mason was shocked. His world bottomed out. Too many people had left him, and he wasn’t about to give up the new little family who had come into his life. He told himself to be rational; he’d pushed Mimi too hard. Take a deep breath, talk it out…but before he could think of being more rational than he was, he grabbed Mimi to him and kissed her as if there was no tomorrow.

  There was no tomorrow, based on what she’d just said. He kissed her until both he and she were breathless, and then when she stared at him, he kissed her again, desperate to hold her to him as long as she’d allow it.

  God in heaven, don’t leave me. I’ve just found you.

  Mimi pulled away. “Mason!”

  He commanded himself to calm down. “That’s me. Somewhere under this hat.”