Lila kissed him right back with everything she had. Her hands went into his hair, bringing him closer. Mason was shocked for just a heartbeat, and then he was holding her tighter, letting his tongue dip into her mouth.
“Lila,” he whispered against her mouth. “Darling.” He pressed his lips to hers, then to her cheek, and then to her forehead. “You’re gonna destroy me if we keep kissing like that.” He pressed his lips to her forehead once again. “Nana is safe. You’re here, and you’re good. Now, you probably have a whole lot of stuff to do. Tell me what you need. Let me help.”
Lila nodded. She wanted to ask him to stay and help around the house, but in reality, she should send him to the diner and make sure that everything was good there.
She knew what she wanted to say.
She also knew which one sheshouldsay.
“Can you go check on Moony’s?”
Mason licked his lips nervously as if he wanted to say something, but he just nodded and turned on his heels. Lila took a deep breath to keep from calling him back.
ELEVEN
MASON
Mason was a nervous wreck. He couldn’t remember the last time he wasthisnervous about any fucking thing in his life. He ran a hand through his hair, then tugged at his shirt. He checked the zipper on his jeans, then rubbed a hand across his mouth. Had he brushed his teeth? He was pretty sure.
“Are you gonna quit fidgeting?” Bobbie asked from across the kitchen. “You’re making me anxious. It’s gonna be fine.”
Mason shook his head. “We both know that you donotbelieve that it’s gonna be okay. She will lose her mind and hate me when she gets here.”
Bobbie shrugged. “Yup. There is a chance.”
He felt the color drain from his face. “Geez. Thanks for the faith, Bobbie.”
“Aww, come on, kid. You’re making a big gesture, and she isn’t used to it. She might be too stunned to have a good reaction, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good idea.”
“Yup,” he said. “Yup, yup. It’ll be a shock, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
Bobbie grinned. “You’ve got it bad.”
Mason didn’t think he needed to reply to that, so he resumed his pacing in the kitchen. A few minutes later, Lila walked in. She was wearing a pair of tight blue jeans and a light pink top. Her long hair was pulled back and away from her face. Her skin was golden, and unless he was losing his mind, she blushed when she saw him.
“Hey,” he said to her.
Really? You couldn’t think of a better thing to start with?His wolf’s standards for romance were pretty grand, apparently.
“Hi,” Lila replied. “What’s going on? Is the dining room under control?”
“It is, yeah. I wanna show you something, but I want you to keep an open mind, okay?”
She frowned. “Did you create a new recipe again? I told you. I don’t mind. It’s totally fine so long as you agree to give me the recipe to keep the usuals happy once you leave.”
Mason placed his hands on her shoulders while standing behind her, and he led her to the door. She pushed through the door and suddenly stopped walking.
“Wha…”
“Before you lose your shit, let me explain.” Mason moved around Lila to stand in front of her. “I went to the high school and offered a few of the kids an after-school job. Bobbie and I did interviews, and we hired the best of the bunch.”
“You hired Rita Carter to waitress.” It wasn’t exactly a question, but she didn’t look mad either. She was just stunned.
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
“Well, because you and I have somewhere to be this afternoon.”