Made to Love, page 13
“No, I totally understand. I was going to suggest we hold off on that as well.” Marly opened her door. “How about we meet up in a couple of days? I think we could both use some time to just be.”
“That sounds good.” Mason put her hand on Marly’s arm and squeezed it. “Your mom knows; don’t beat yourself up too much.”
Marly smiled gratefully. “I hope so.” She got out of the car and stood on the curb. She watched Mason pull away and smiled. She could see what drew her mother to Mason in the first place. She was a kind soul and had a soft heart. The friendship was good for them both. Marly chuckled as she walked back to the house. She realized that Mason’s friendship had also been good for her. In Mason, she felt closer to her mom, and that made the last few weeks a bit more bearable.
Chapter 10
Mason took the steps two at a time and rapped on Marly’s door loudly. She put her hands in her back pockets and rocked on her heels as she waited for Marly to answer. When the door opened, her face broke into a huge smile. “Hey.”
“Hi.” Marly pushed the screen door open. “Wanna come in?”
“Nope.” Mason shook her head no. “I want you to come out. I’m heading out to the ranch to see the baby. I thought you might want to come with me.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Mason. I don’t want to intrude.”
Mason dismissed her hesitation. “You aren’t intruding. There are so many people in that house right now, they won’t notice one more.”
Marly frowned. “I’ve got stuff to do around the house today. I have to clean the gutters, go through mom’s clothes, not to mention I have a dance class tonight.”
“Unh-uh.” Mason crossed her arms over her chest and eyed Marly impatiently. “Get your shoes on, you’re coming with me. You need to get out more, and this is a perfect excuse.”
Marly started to say no, but then she saw the look on Mason’s face, and she begrudgingly acquiesced. “I’m only doing this for the baby. Don’t think it has anything to do with you.”
“Of course not.” Mason shrugged her shoulders innocently. “I wouldn’t dream such a thing.” Mason guffawed when Marly stuck out her tongue. “Shoes…now.”
Twenty minutes later, Mason pulled alongside a car with Florida plates. “That’s Aspen’s mom and Aunt Ginny. You will love them. And the Massachusetts plate is Lex’s mom. You are in for a treat.”
Marly’s brow furrowed at Mason’s cryptic tone. She began to question her choice to come along. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Yes. Now, come on.” Mason waited while Marly got out of the car then led them up the steps to the back door. She knocked softly in case Alex was asleep. A huge smile spread over her face when Nikki answered the door. “Hi.”
“Hi, beautiful.” Nikki stepped back to let them into the kitchen. “Hi, it’s Marly, right? Like the dog?”
“Not exactly.” Marly hid her eye roll as she slipped past Nikki. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out where the appeal in six feet of purple-haired sarcasm was. She hoped for Mason’s sake, Nikki was much nicer to her.
“Nikki, who is it?” An older version of Lex shuffled into the kitchen.
“Thia, it is just friends of Lex. This is Mason, and that is Marly. This is my aunt Maria.”
Mason smiled and reached out to shake her hand, but Maria Tataris pulled them both into her arms and hugged them. She pulled away and squeezed Mason’s cheek. “Nikki tells me that you ask her out on a date. That is good. Someone needs to make an honest woman out of her. Wait till I tell my sister.”
Nikki groaned loudly. “Thia, please.”
“Don’t you thia please me. Look at my Lex. She’s all settled down, giving me babies. You…you are traipsing all over the world, giving your heart to no one. You will put your poor momma in the grave if you keep this up.” Maria shook her finger at Nikki before turning her attention to Marly. She cupped her cheeks in her hands and studied her face. “Why so sad, mikri mou? Such pain in these brown eyes.” Maria held Marly out and scrutinized her. “And so thin. You must eat. I’ll make you a sandwich.”
Marly stuttered helplessly. “I’m really okay.”
“Ma, what are you doing?” Lex came out of the living room and wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulders. “Leave the poor woman alone. I’d like to still have friends when you leave.”
“Oh, stop it.” Maria shook her head and laughed. “You know if you gave me more grandchildren, I wouldn’t have so much free time on my hands.”
“Ma, please.” Lex eyed Nikki anxiously. “Help me.”
“Unh-uh, you’re on your own. Why do you think I never come home anymore?” Nikki nodded toward Maria and raised an eyebrow suggestively. “Between her and my mom, I wouldn’t get a moment’s peace.”
“See what I mean.” Maria grabbed Mason by the hand and pulled her into the living room. She nodded toward Aspen and Alex. “What Nikki needs is a nice baby to settle her down. Perhaps, you could talk some sense into her.”
Mason felt her face get hot, and she fought the urge to bolt from the room.
“Maria, be nice to Mason. I need her.” Aspen smiled and reached up to kiss Mason on the cheek. “How you doing, honey?”
“I’m doing alright. Marly and I took Anne’s ashes to the lake last week. It was a bit emotional, but I did at least get the chance to say good-bye."
“I’m sorry, honey. I know that had to be hard.” Aspen looked around Mason and waved at Marly. “Hey, you came. I wasn’t sure if you would.”
Marly hid the surprise at Aspen’s words. She thought Mason’s invitation had been unplanned, but it seemed as though it was quite contrived. “Yes…after some coaxing from someone.”
Mason ducked her head at the look that Marly shot her. “I…I…” Mason wisely shut her mouth and started to back out of the room.
“It’s okay.” Marly was as drawn to Alex as she had been at the hospital. She knelt down beside Aspen’s chair and studied his perfect face as he nursed quietly. “He’s so beautiful.”
“Thank you. He looks more like Lex every day.” Aspen pulled Alex away from her breast. “He’s probably done now. Would you like to burp him?”
Marly hesitated. “You’re sure?”
“Very sure. I will take whatever help I can get.” Aspen pulled the burp cloth off her shoulder and handed it to Marly. “He has some trouble sometimes getting the bubbles out of his stomach. Don’t worry about patting him too hard. He will be fine.”
Marly draped the cloth over her shoulder and gently scooped Alex into her arms, laying him against her shoulder. Her movements came instinctively.
Aspen studied Marly carefully. There was something about her that she liked very much. On the outside, Marly was very gracious and likeable, but Aspen sensed the hurt and the doubt that lay buried beneath her exterior. She could see the uncertainty in her eyes, wondering if people really liked her, or if they were using her for something, as if she had a hard time trusting people’s motives. Marly was beautiful and powerful like the horses, and like them, she was skittish in her movements until she was comfortable. With Mason, and now with Alex, Aspen saw her guard come down, and she watched her body relax. “Marly, how have you been holding up?”
Marly smiled over the top of Alex’s head. “I’m okay. It finally hit me as I was saying good-bye to Mom, how much I really missed her. Nothing can prepare you for losing a parent, even when you thought you weren’t that close. Mason has helped tremendously. She helped me understand that a lot of the negative feelings I had were based on how I saw the situation growing up. I finally realized that all the things my mom did were because she truly loved me. She wanted to make sure that one day I would be okay on my own. I guess my mom really did love me unconditionally.”
“Most mothers do.” Susan popped into the living room and smiled at her daughter and Marly. “I’m Aspen’s mom, Susan.”
Marly stood up and smiled hesitantly; not entirely comfortable with all the company. “Marly Cabot. I’m a friend of Mason’s.”
“It’s a pleasure meeting you.” Susan leaned over and kissed Alex on the head. “What do you think of my grandson?”
“He’s perfect.”
“Yes, he is.” Susan peered around the corner. “Your aunt was right behind me.”
“I’m here; I'm here. Keep your girdle on.” Ginny rolled her eyes at her sister then winked at Marly. “I see you’ve met the louder of the two siblings. I’m Ginny.”
Marly immediately sensed a kindred spirit in Ginny. She reminded her so much of her own mother. Her eyes were kind and welcoming, and her smile made Marly seem right at home. “I’m Marly Cabot. Mason’s friend.”
“It’s good to meet you, Marly.” Ginny studied Marly closely. Ginny was like Aspen, in that they had a sixth sense for reading people. She could tell immediately that the woman was grieving, that much was evident in her eyes. Ginny knew that pain all too well. She could also sense Marly’s hesitance at the whole situation. Ginny felt like that was entirely warranted. The house was overrun with bigger than life personalities. “You’re lucky you got the chance to hold Alex. It’s been slim pickings this week.”
Marly smiled. She knew that Ginny was acknowledging the full house. “Guess I am lucky.”
“It would seem so.” Ginny sat down and patted the seat beside her. “Here, you sit back down. Susan, stop hovering. Between you and Maria, no one else has had a chance to hold him.”
“Thank you.” Marly turned around and got her bearings then sat down slowly, so as not to jiggle Alex.
Ginny studied her several moments longer. “Are you from around here, Marly?”
“Originally.” Marly’s earlier hesitation disappeared. She felt at ease in Ginny’s company. She stole a glance in the kitchen and realized that Mason was deep in conversation with Nikki. Something in the way her body leaned toward Nikki made Marly sad. She shook the feeling off and smiled at Ginny. “I grew up here, but this is the first time I’ve been back for any length of time in almost twenty years.”
“This was my home for most of my life. I finally got tired of the cold and retired to Florida last year. Susan and I live in a wonderful retirement community in Melbourne. Are you back to stay?”
“A month ago, I would have said no. Now I’m not so sure.” Marly paused to resituate Alex and went back to patting his back. “My mom passed away last month. She and I weren’t super close. I figured I would sweep into town, take care of everything and leave again, but something changed.”
Ginny saw Marly’s eyes flick to the kitchen, and she knew immediately what had changed. She didn’t think Marly knew yet that she was interested in Mason. Marly seemed lost, which was understandable. She reached over and squeezed Marly’s leg. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Losing a parent is a pain that is unimaginable. It seems like the hurt never goes away. If it helps being close to her, I think staying here is a good idea. And remember, she is always in your heart, no matter where life takes you.”
“I can feel her with me, especially lately. I am not ready to let that go. She always wanted me to come back home. I hate that it took this to get me here.”
“Honey, don’t beat yourself up for that. It doesn’t change the past. It just makes it harder to grieve, and trust me, that will be hard enough. I’m sure your mother knows what’s in your heart. She wouldn’t want you to torture yourself over what you didn’t give her. She would want you to remember the time you did have together.” Ginny nodded toward Mason. “And if you have someone to lean on, that will certainly help.”
Marly shook her head from side-to-side quickly. “We’re just friends.”
Ginny chuckled softly. “Oh, I know that, honey. Let your friends help you.”
Marly nodded. She felt someone watching her, and she turned to find Mason’s eyes on her. She nodded to Mason’s whispered are you okay? “She has helped me tremendously. She helped me realize that I had a very jaded view of the truth. She is helping me heal.”
Ginny smiled reassuringly. “Sometimes it helps to have a mirror thrown up in your face. It makes us see things as they are and not how we imagine them. Now, where did Susan disappear to?”
Marly acknowledged the truth of her words silently. She smiled as Ginny pushed herself up with a groan and went in search of her sister. It was funny how quickly she was realizing that her version of the truth had held her back all these years. The emotional growth in the last month alone was more than she would have expected. Marly shook her head and looked down at Alex’s sleeping face, content with the progress in burping him. “Aspen, he’s sleeping pretty soundly. Should I put him in his bassinet?”
As if sensing her chance, Maria shot into the living room and scooped Alex out of Marly’s arms. “I bet you are just dying to spend time with your yaya. Aren’t you?”
Aspen caught Marly’s glance and rolled her eyes heavenward.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“So it would seem.” Aspen leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “So I heard that you are giving out dancing lessons?”
Marly smiled from ear-to-ear. “She told you?”
“Mm-hmm. I toyed with telling Nikki she should buy some steel-toed boots, but then I thought it would be even funnier if we just let her experience Mason’s slow dancing for herself.” Aspen leaned in closer and shielded her mouth from prying eyes. “God love her; she is the sweetest woman in the world, but she is like World War Three on the dance floor.”
“So, I may have bitten off more than I can chew?”
Aspen shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. One thing I know about Mason is once she sets her mind to something, she will kill herself to accomplish it. If she has her heart set on showing Nikki what a wonderful woman she is, she will do it.”
“If Nikki can’t see that already, she’s being blinded by her purple hair.”
Aspen hid her smile. She could see already that there was more chemistry between the two of them than Mason and Nikki would ever have. “I think sometimes people don’t see what’s right in front of them.”
“Forest through the trees.” Marly chuckled easily. “I think your mom said something like that earlier. No matter, I will turn Mason into a dancing queen. Nikki will be putty in her hands.”
“Who will be putty in her hands?” Mason flopped down beside Marly and eyed the two women quizzically.
“I was just telling Marly that Alex has turned Lex into an even bigger softie than she already was.”
Mason tapped Marly on the leg. “He seems to have had the same effect on you. You looked quite at home with him.”
Marly felt her cheeks get warm, and she dipped her head shyly. The attention was nice, but foreign to her, and it had an odd way of making her insides deliciously warm. “He’s hard to ignore. Everything about a new baby is unspoiled perfection. The smell, the feel, the noises they make. He’s a very sweet boy.”
“Maybe someone is going to settle down here and have some of her own. It’s a good place to call home.” Aspen studied Marly closely, judging her reaction. She seemed at least open to the idea of staying in Burlington. And maybe, there would be something or someone in the future that would entice her to settle down. “For now, you can come around anytime you need a baby fix. I imagine in a month or so, we will both be tired of dirty diapers.”
“Thank you, I may take you up on that.” Marly nudged Mason. “What happened to your girlfriend?”
“She had a phone call. Something about an old friend.” Mason sighed loudly. “Wanna take off? After hearing her talk about all the clubs she’s been to over the years, I’m going to need a month of dance lessons.”
“You are welcome to stay for lunch. Aunt Ginny’s been cooking for hours, and it’s worth sticking around for that.”
Mason hesitated long enough to let Marly know she wanted to head out.
“Thank you for the offer.” Marly stood up and smiled. “But Mason is right. I’ve seen her moves, or lack thereof, and if she is going to be even close to ready to go clubbing Friday night, we need to get started right away.”
Aspen stood up and hugged Marly. “The offer to visit is a standing invitation. You don’t need Mason either.”
“Hey!” Mason feigned offense and pulled Aspen into her arms. “I am standing right here; I can hear you.”
Aspen laughed out loud. “Yes, honey, I know. I would say the same thing if you weren’t standing here.”
“You guys ready to eat?” Lex popped her head around the corner and waved her hand toward the kitchen. “You’re staying, right? There is so much food.”
“No.” Mason shook her head. “I’ve got an errand to run. We just wanted to drop by and visit for a few minutes. Thank you, though.”
“What?” Maria’s nasally voice piped over the other noise in the house. “You’re not staying?”
“No, we really have to go.” Mason got Marly’s attention and silently pleaded with her to help. “I have a thing.”
“Blame it on me.” Marly shook her head. “I’m the party-pooper. I have to meet with Mom’s attorney to go over some of her paperwork.”
“Yes, Marly has a thing.” Mason pulled Marly toward the back door.
Marly smiled at everyone as she walked through. “It was nice meeting you all. Take care.”
When they were safely in the car, Mason smiled gratefully. “I have a hard time saying no, especially when they gang up on me.”
“It’s fine. I always feel like I’m intruding anyway, since they are your friends.”
“Oh, no, you’ve been adopted.” Mason looked over her shoulder and backed out, carefully avoiding the cars around her. “You’re stuck now.”
“Hey, if I get to sit for Alex, I guess it’s worth it.” Marly studied Mason’s profile as she drove, deciding whether or not to pry into her personal life any further than she already had. “So, you and Nikki looked pretty cozy.”
