When You're Back (Rosemary Beach #12)(26)

He was my first concern. Shouldn’t I be his?

I went to brush my teeth and get dressed. Today was about proving my worth at my job, not sulking because Mase had let me down last night.

When I stepped out of the bedroom, my eyes fell on Mase standing at the stove. His back was to me, but he was definitely cooking. I walked toward the kitchen through the living room, hoping to see what he was doing.

Mase turned just as I got into the kitchen and gave me that smile that made my heart flutter. “Morning, beautiful. Breakfast is almost done.”

Breakfast? We normally ate cereal or something his mom, Maryann, brought us. And wasn’t Mase supposed to be down at the stables working?

“Have a seat, and I’ll get your orange juice,” he said, wiping his hands on the dishtowel stuck in the front of his jeans.

I didn’t move. I was still trying to figure out what was going on.

He paused when he saw me still standing there. “You good?” he asked, looking concerned.

I managed a nod and moved to the table while he poured me a glass of orange juice.

“Coffee is brewing. I’ll get you some in a few.”

“What are you doing?” I blurted out.

He slid what looked like an omelet from a pan to a plate, then turned to me and held it up. “Fixing you breakfast. I didn’t get to make you dinner after your first day of work. So I thought I’d fix you breakfast before your second day. Not the same, but I didn’t sleep much last night. I watched you sleep and beat myself up over letting you down.” He walked over to me with a serious expression on his face. When he set the plate down in front of me, he bent over and looked into my eyes. “I never want to be the one to let you down, and I did that last night. I won’t do it again. You’re the most important part of my life.”

My heart went into a silly beat of giddiness. I had been upset with him, but this made all that melt away. This was Mase. The man I trusted and loved. I returned his smile. “Thank you,” I whispered.

He leaned in and kissed me sweetly. “Don’t thank me. I don’t deserve it,” he said against my mouth. “Be mad at me. Throw things at me. Hell, baby, slap me. But don’t thank me. That kills me.”

I reached up and cupped his face. I adored that face. “How about I love you, then?” I said with a smile.

He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand. “That always sounds good.”

I moved my hand and looked down at the plate in front of me. The omelet he’d made looked delicious and full of cheese, but it was also big enough for three people. “Go get another plate and eat with me. This is massive.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

During our breakfast, I told him everything I had wanted to tell him last night. He told me about his day, although I felt like he was leaving something out. It was in his eyes. And he never told me what Aida had come over for.

That bothered me.

The morning had gone by quickly. Piper was busy with one lesson after another, and I had to go out and help her do some cleaning and brush down the horses. She’d explained how to do it and showed me once yesterday, and I had picked it up quickly. I was feeling very accomplished by the time lunchtime rolled around.

I hadn’t packed a big lunch today, and I was starving. My turkey sandwich and apple would not be enough. I wanted a big, thick hamburger and a large order of fries. Not that my butt needed it, but I sure wanted it. Maybe even some chocolate chip cookies. I would have to use my imagination and eat the sandwich I’d brought and pretend it was something yummier.

“You have something to eat?” Piper asked, sticking her head through the doorway.

Not what I wanted. “Yes,” I replied.

“Good. Take your lunch break. I’m headed up to the house to meet Arthur for lunch. See you later this afternoon.”

I nodded, and she closed the door behind her. Sighing, I pulled out my paper bag and set it on my desk. Tomorrow I would prepare a huge lunch. Something delicious. Something wonderful.

The door opened again, and I looked up, expecting to see Piper again, but it wasn’t my boss. It was someone else. Someone I did not want to see.

“Piper just left for lunch,” I said, sounding more annoyed than necessary.

Captain grinned, and I noticed his dimple again. Were guys supposed to have dimples like that? It was a deep one.

“Brought lunch,” he said, holding up a large paper bag. Much bigger than mine.

“I didn’t ask for lunch,” I snapped.

My attitude didn’t deter him. He walked into the office and closed the door behind him. “No, you didn’t, but I was getting mine, and I thought what the hell. Do something nice for someone today, Captain.” He set the bag on my desk. The smell of something mouthwatering hit my nose. Much better than my sandwich. “So when I ordered the best damn burger in Texas, I decided to get two and bring one to you. Day two on the job, figured you needed a treat.”

He had brought me a burger. Was he kidding me? Did this man read minds?

When he placed the large box in front of me, I was pretty sure I was drooling. It smelled amazing. He was just being nice. Who was I to turn down a lunch that I had just been dreaming about?

“I was expecting more snarky comments. Possibly a threat to throw the damn burger right in my face. That kind of thing,” Captain said, sounding smug.