Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments
Page 21

“You sat with her at a play and went out for drinks, and you don’t call that a date?”
He slowly spun to face me, bewilderment on his face. “I’m telling you that conniving bitch played me to get information that played a part in my sister’s murder and you want to know why I’m not calling it a date?” When I didn’t answer, he said, “No. Rose. It was not a date. We talked about my job and hers and a project the state police had been working on in conjunction with my department.”
Horror at my own behavior rushed through me like wildfire. My jealousy had hurt him and I wasn’t even sure why I was so jealous. I knew logically that Mason didn’t want to be with Hilary, but it still hurt to think about them being near each other.
“You were with Joe for months before we started dating, and I don’t begrudge you one single minute of that. But you think I had one or two dates with Hilary Wilder—when you and I didn’t even know each other existed—and you hold it over my head. I saw Hilary three more times after Savannah’s death, and she never even once acknowledged she knew me. And frankly, I prefer to keep it that way. The only thing I’m guilty of is being a damn idiot. So forgive me if I didn’t rush to give you the details.”
“Mason,” I said through the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry.”
He stomped toward the living room. “I need some air.”
I trailed behind him, unsure of what to say to make this better.
He grabbed his coat off the hook on the wall and a flashlight off the entry table, then opened the front door. “Come on, Muffy.”
My startled little dog followed him without a backward glance at me, as if to tell me what a witch I’d been. They were still in my line of vision when my head started to tingle. I heard the front door slam shut as I was plunged into a vision as abruptly as if I’d been tossed into a frigid lake.
I stood in the courthouse hall, looking into the serious face of Carter Hale, a defense attorney Neely Kate and I had met a month before.
“Do you think you can help?” I asked in Mason’s voice, which sounded strained.
“I’m still not sure why you asked me. You’ve made no secret of the fact that you can’t stand me.”
Anger made Mason shake and he clenched his fists. “Because you’re the only person in this whole goddamned county who doesn’t have his hand in someone’s pockets.”
“You’re gonna ask Carter Hale for help,” I mumbled. And just like that, I was back in the living room, overcome by a wave of nausea and a dull ache at the back of my head. The vision wasn’t all that odd in and of itself. I was sure it had something to do with Mason’s county business. But why did I feel so awful? This had been happening more often lately. Was it because I was forcing too many visions?
But before I could give more thought to the vision, the memory of the horrible fight I’d had with Mason hit me full force. What had I been thinking? I felt so awful, I grabbed my phone and sat on the couch to call Neely Kate, but I stopped before pressing the call button. She had her own issues. The last thing she needed to be saddled with was a problem of my own making. Instead, I called Violet.
“Hey, Rose,” she answered, sounding guarded.
“Violet, I’ve done something awful…and I don’t know how to fix it,” I said as I started to cry.
Her voice softened. “I can’t believe you’re capable of doing something that bad. Tell me what happened.”
I told her everything and when I finished, she was silent for a few seconds. “He was wrong to keep that from you, Rose.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I can see why he did. I’m not sure I’d confess to something I felt so guilty about.”
“Yes, you would.”
But she didn’t know about the Lady in Black. I had the sudden urge to tell Mason everything when he came back inside, but while it might appease my own guilt, there were other considerations. For one thing, it might potentially destroy Mason’s career. I had no idea what he’d do to Skeeter if he knew I was the Lady in Black, and I couldn’t take the risk. But it made me a whole lot more understanding of his reasons for choosing not to tell me about Hilary. “What’s done is done. He kept it from me and now the truth is out. I was jealous, Violet, and nothin’ good ever comes from that. I hurt Mason and I need to figure out how to make it up to him.”
“I think you need to ask yourself why you were jealous.”
I pushed her question away. “Because Hilary Wilder destroys everything she touches and I couldn’t stand the thought of her tainting Mason.”
“Hmm…”
“What does that mean?”
She sighed. “Mason loves you. He’ll get over it. And if he doesn’t, then maybe you two aren’t meant to be.”
I heard stomping on the front porch and a bark from Muffy. “He’s back. Thanks for listening, Vi.”
“That’s what sisters are for. Thanks for trusting me enough to call me.”
I hung up and set the phone on the coffee table, standing as the door opened. Mason walked through the opening, Muffy at his heels. He closed the door behind him and stood by it, his face emotionless.
I studied him for a moment, wondering if he was still as upset as he’d been when he left. “Oh, Mason. I—”
His eyes softened. “Sweetheart—”
That was all I needed before I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry.”