Gasping she braced herself not knowing what he was going to do next but she didn’t need to wait long. After a quick hot kiss he stood up and she turned to face Shelly who was fanning herself with her hand. Then they both looked back at Mason who was grinning and they all started giggling, exactly like a group of teenagers.
When they arrived at Catherine’s, Mason made a beeline to the kitchen after kissing her quickly on the lips and Lena turned and made her way out the back to where everyone was gathered around the large table under a huge oak tree. Catherine sat at the head and was laughing at something Wendy had just told her. They looked up when she walked in and Catherine jumped up walking towards her.
“Lena honey! How are you tonight?”
Lena smiled took her hand and walked with her over to the table. Sitting down she said her hellos to Wendy and her husband and that was it tonight because Rachel had flown to Italy two days earlier. Mason had told her about the break up with Charlie and she couldn’t help but wonder how she would cope if Mason and her came to an end. Right now everything was great. They were in a comfortable pattern that seemed to shift and morph when it needed to and she felt that she was finally beginning to heal, she really believed that for once in her life things were going to be fine. They all sat down to a meal of steaks and salad and it was delicious. Mason was talking to Wendy about Saturday nights menu when Catherine came down and sat beside her.
“Lena dear how are you? I finally have a minute to talk to you without Mason hogging you to himself.”
Lena smiled over at her and reached out taking her hand in her own. She squeezed it gently. “I’m great. Work’s busy and things with Mason are going very well. I know that’s what you really want to know.”
Catherine laughed and nodded, “It’s true, that is what I wanted to know. He tells me you go down and visit Carly on your own now. That’s a really big step for you Lena O’Donnell. I’m proud of you.”
Lena felt tears gather in her eyes and swallowed deeply trying to hold it together. “It’s all because of him.” she paused and looked over to where he was smiling at Wendy and her husband, “If you’re going to be proud of anyone it should be him.”
Catherine patted her hand. “Oh don’t you worry. I’m very proud of him and I’m grateful to you.”
Lena tilted her head and asked, “Grateful? Why”
“You came along at the perfect time Lena. He was ready to settle down he just hadn’t met anyone worth doing that with, and especially not that silly red headed twit.”
Lena’s eyebrow rose. “Trisha?”
“Yes her. I met her once and I have to tell you, if he’d chosen her I would’ve done my best, but Lena I’ve never been so happy to see him leave a woman.”
Laughing Lena watched as Mason looked over to her and smiled a slow sexy grin that showed his dimples off and made his eyes twinkle. She felt her heart kick up and do double time then he looked back at Wendy and Lena turned back to Catherine.
“I guess it was right place right time?”
Nodding Catherine agreed then said softly, “But I’m grateful you opened to him Lena. I was worried at first.”
“Worried? “ she asked, “About me?”
“No. I was worried about him.”
Lena sat back at that. “Oh.”
“Not because you aren’t a wonderful person dear.” she paused and scooted closer to Lena. “Because you were so closed. I knew you were scared to open your heart to someone. I watched you grow from a young girl to this amazing woman sitting beside me, and I never saw you relax and smile until a few months ago.”
Lena felt tears welling in her eyes and she reached up to brush them away.
“I’m glad my Mason did that for you and I’m glad you let him.” she smiled and leaned in kissing Lena’s cheek. “You two need to look after one another, promise me.”
Nodding Lena looked over to Mason, where he sat watching her with his mother, then she turned back and smiled at Catherine.
“I promise.”
Chapter Twenty Four
The following week flew by. Mason had been working non stop on a new promotion for the restaurant and he’d only seen Lena twice. He missed her. She’d told him she was extremely busy this week with two seminars and she had a new intern following her. They’d met up on Tuesday for dinner and fallen asleep on his couch and Thursday night he’d gone by her house and they’d gone for a run around the park then they’d come home and crawled into bed. They were both exhausted.
He knew they needed to discuss moving in together soon, he wanted her with him all the time. Not just when they could fit each other in, but first he needed to sit her down and talk to her, tell her how he felt. Finally tell her that he was completely in love with her. He was planning to do that tonight. She’d told him she had the weekend off and they were going to meet down at O’Malley’s for a drink when she got off work, then they were going back to his place for the weekend. It was had just turned 7.23pm when his phone rang. He put his pen down and picked it up cradling it between his shoulder and ear.
“Hello.”
“Hi there.”
Mason beamed at the voice on the other end. He felt his heart start to beat just a little faster when Lena’s voice floated over the line. “Hey yourself. You better not be calling to cancel.”
He heard her laugh and could imagine her smiling. “No. I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in your condo this weekend.”
“Oh are you? So it has nothing to do with me then?”
“Hmm. Well maybe a little bit.”
Mason rocked back on his chair and lowered his voice. “Good because I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in you this weekend.”
He heard her take a deep breath. “I can’t wait. Sure you don’t want to just skip O’Malley’s?”
Mason saw his phone light up with a second call coming through. He noticed it was his mother’s shop and figured he’d call her back after he hung up.
“Now why would we skip O’Malley’s? You know I love it there. We first danced there.”
Lena chuckled, “You first groped me there.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Wow, really mature doctor.” Mason replied with a laugh.
“Ok then. If I must I’ll met you there at 8.”
Mason watched his phone light up again, wow his mother was really wanting to talk to him about something. “Ok sounds like a plan. I can’t wait to see you Lena.”
“And I can’t wait to be seen Langley. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Mason hung up and sat forward dialing his mother’s number. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as he sat back rocking his chair. This weekend was going to be amazing, he could feel it. He was still thinking about Lena when he heard a man on the other end of the line.
“Hello? Is this Mason?”
Mason sat up and looked at the phone, yep he’d dialed the right number, so who the heck was this? “Yes, who’s this?”
“Mason, my name’s Edward Scott. I’m the shop owner across the street from your mother’s.” he paused and what came out of his mouth next would forever change Mason’s life.
Lena sat at O’Malley’s with a beer in front of her checking her watch. It’d just turned 8pm. She’d got there a little early and gone in to get a drink. Taking a sip she thought about what she wanted out of this weekend. Oh it was a given there would be a lot of good food, good company and hot hot sex and she wanted it all, but this weekend she planned to lay it on the line for him. Lena was ready to open her heart, let down every defense she had and invite him in. She was going to tell him she loved him.