“Yeah,” he said in surprise. “Thanks.”
“They weren’t my friends,” I said as I started scooping the grounds. “Not anymore.” I cringed. “I knew them when I moved to Ardmore after I graduated from high school. We didn’t keep in touch after I came back here.”
“Kind of weird they’d show up here after all those years,” he said. “And around the same exact time Kate broke loose.”
I poured the water into the coffeemaker, then turned it on. I could make an enemy of Mason, or I could try to keep him as a friend. I’d always liked Mason, and I knew he’d liked me too. The question was could I count on him to pick friendship over his job. I wasn’t so sure I could. Not anymore.
Sitting down across from him at the kitchen table, I said, “Living in Oklahoma was the worst time of my life. I did quite a few things I wasn’t proud of, and Branson and Stella were part of it. Turned out they were desperate for money, and somehow they found out where I was and decided to hit me up for a payoff.” I looked into Mason’s eyes. “I’m begging you to leave my past in the past.”
“Sounds like it’s not in the past anymore.”
“Mason.” I leaned forward and covered his hand with my own. “There are things in my past that could hurt me.”
“Like Stella and Branson?”
I held his gaze. “Worse.”
“I can help you, Neely Kate, but you have to tell me what’s goin’ on or I’m hamstrung. Let me help you.”
I wanted to believe him, but he was going to have to prove himself again, and so far he wasn’t even close to convincing me.
Recognizing that I wasn’t going to answer, he asked softly, “Where did Rose go? Are you certain she’s safe?”
“Yeah,” I said, glancing down at our hands. “She went to Shreveport with her aunt for the weekend. It had been planned for a couple of weeks, and I insisted that she still go. One less person to worry about with Kate around.” Then I added, “But then, your mother is watchin’ Muffy for me, so you probably already knew about her trip.”
“I only knew that she’s out of town. Not the details.” Mason held my gaze. “Neely Kate, I’ve always considered us friends. Would you agree?”
“Of course. I was heartbroken when you and Rose broke up.”
“So if we’re friends, then you can trust me, right?”
My blood ran cold. He wasn’t going to let this go. “Do you want me to be honest, Mason?”
“Of course,” he said, though I noticed he’d steeled his back.
“Right now, it feels like there’s Mason my friend and Mason Deveraux, the man who works for the attorney general, and to my disappointment, I feel like the attorney general Mason is in my kitchen.”
“You don’t think I’m here out of concern for your safety?” He sounded more hurt than I’d expected.
“Yes, I absolutely believe you’re concerned about my safety. But I also believe you’re usin’ our friendship to get information.”
“Before you would have wanted me to have the information so I could help catch Kate. What’s changed?”
“No offense, Mason, but it’s hard to believe that after you threatened Rose you were bringin’ down anything in your way.”
He pushed out a breath. “An unfortunate choice of words that I wish I could erase, yet I can’t. I only want to help you, Neely Kate.”
“Before you left, I was sure you had my back,” I said quietly. “Now I feel like you’re tryin’ to trick me into sayin’ something that will help you with your investigation.”
“Do you have something to hide?” he asked.
I got up and got us two mugs.
“Why did Alonzo Adkins try to kidnap you yesterday?” he asked quietly.
“I really wish I knew the answer to that,” I said, leaning against the counter.
“Was he your past rising up like the boogeyman?”
“Honestly, Mason? I have no earthly idea, and that scares the bejiggers out of me.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” I said as I held on to Joe’s arm. “People’s tongues are bound to be waggin’.”
We stood in the entrance of a hotel ballroom in Little Rock, which was already full of men and women in tuxes and formal dresses. He’d convinced me to keep our plans to attend the fundraiser, but after our crazy morning, we’d been late.
“Let ’em wag,” Joe said as he gave me a gentle tug into the room. “Kate’s big escape is gonna overshadow the news that you’re our sister.”
I caught a glimpse of Jed slightly to my left. The only way he’d agreed to let me go was if he could act as a bodyguard, saying it would be easy to explain his presence given the fact that Kate was still on the loose and had killed two people in front of me. I’d never expected to see him dressed in a suit two nights in a row, and tonight he was wearing a tux to boot… and he sure did look fine. I was struggling to hold on to my brother’s arm and not go over to the man I loved.
“Why do you like him so much?” Joe asked when he noticed where my gaze had wandered.
“Because believe it or not, he’s a good person. He’s tryin’ to make his life right, and he loves me and wants to protect me. But most importantly, he makes me feel like I’m enough.” I cast him a glance. “Does that make any sense?”
He gave me a sad smile. “Yeah, it does, but for what it’s worth, I already thought you were enough.”
The small orchestra on a low stage began to play, and couples were making their way onto the dance floor. Joe and I wandered the room, chatting with other couples. I was sure he enjoyed the surprise on their faces when he introduced me as his sister. A few eyebrows rose, but the conversation always quickly turned to Kate’s escape and murders.
We’d been making the rounds for a good thirty minutes when Joe’s body tensed as he gazed locked on something across the room. “Mason.”
“He’s here?”
Sure enough, Mason was approaching, wearing a tux of his own. He stopped in front of us and gave me an appreciative glance. “You look beautiful, Neely Kate.”
I glanced down at my bright red strapless dress then back up at him. My hair had been pulled up into a loose updo and I felt beautiful… like a princess. Only my prince was stuck in the periphery and was at serious risk of being spotted. I had no doubt that Mason would recognize him. “Thank you, Mason.”
“Joe, you must be quite proud of her.”
Joe’s face beamed as he let his gaze linger on me. “You have no idea.”
Mason gave Joe a polite smile that looked forced. “May I steal her away for a dance?”
Joe’s hand landed protectively on my arm. “I suppose that’s up to Neely Kate.”
I could see this might turn into an argument, and the Simmons family had endured enough excitement and notoriety for one day. “Of course,” I said, purposely preventing my gaze from drifting to Jed.
Mason lightly put an arm around my back and led me to the dance floor. When we were amongst the other couples, he pulled me into a dancing embrace, keeping a respectable distance between us.
“You really are beautiful tonight,” Mason said with a genuine smile. “Be sure to get photos for Rose.”
My heart stuttered. “We already have a few.”
“I can’t imagine she would miss helpin’ you get ready for something like this. Whatever dragged her away must have been really important.”
I didn’t bother to hide my hurt and disappointment. “And here I thought you were trying to make up for this morning.”
Guilt flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by slick Mason, the version of himself Joe had warned us about last fall and winter. “Is there something that happened between us this morning that I need to apologize for?”
I almost told him that he’d been an ass this morning, but that wouldn’t help anything. “I’m exhausted, Mason. I was hoping you asked me to dance because we’re friends and Joe apparently doesn’t feel like dancing, but then you had to go and ruin it.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, acting truly chagrined. “You’re right. Only I noticed something odd and thought I would bring it to your attention… since you’re Rose’s friend and all.”
I didn’t like where this conversation was heading, but there was no running away from it now.