roasted potatoes she had in her right hand. In true Mason form, the potatoes flew off the spoon and landed on the floor. “Damn it.” She reached over to dab at the growing wet spot on Nikki’s jeans. “Shit. God, I’m such a klutz.”
“Mason.” Nikki grabbed Mason’s wrist and pulled it away. She gave her a tight smile. “It’s just water.”
Mason closed her eyes and shook her head in sheer frustration. She exhaled loudly and got up to tend to the potatoes that were still on the floor. She scooped them up with her napkin. “Sorry, I’m just tired I guess. I haven’t slept too well the last couple of days.”
Aspen reached over and squeezed Mason’s hand. “It’s okay, honey. It’s Anne, isn’t it?” Aspen dished potatoes and a slice of meatloaf onto a plate and handed it to Mason.
“Thanks.” Mason waited while everyone else finished serving themselves. She smiled at Nikki ruefully. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s cool.” To her credit, Nikki played the whole thing off. “Who is Anne? Girlfriend?”
“No.” Mason shook her head and finished chewing before she answered. “She was my neighbor and a dear friend. She passed away last week. I’m just having a hard couple of days.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Nikki rubbed Mason’s arm. “I know how hard it is to lose someone.” In truth, she did. Long before Nikki turned into a free-spirited party girl, she had fallen in love with her best friend. It was a short-lived love affair that ended in tragedy. Nikki still couldn’t think of that day and not feel cold. Congenital heart disease. The one person Nikki loved, and she couldn’t save her. Nikki felt Lex’s eyes on her, and she shook her head just enough to let Lex know she didn’t want to talk about it.
“How are things with Mrs. Cabot’s daughter?” Aspen met Mason’s gaze and knew that something had happened. She knew Mason well enough to know when she had a story. She cocked her head and pinned Mason with an inquisitive stare. “Care to share?”
Mason shook her head. “It’s nothing, really. Marly came by and we worked some things out.”
Aspen grabbed more potatoes as they spoke. “So, she’s okay if you keep your stuff in the yard?”
“I guess.” Mason shrugged. “As long as she has the house. I think she wants to get rid of it. Man, I would buy it if I could afford it. I love that house.”
“Maybe she will cut you a deal.”
Mason sighed. “I doubt it. Hopefully, she will stick around until after stART. I’m not sure where I will store all the pieces if she doesn’t.”
“stART?” Nikki wiped her mouth and laid her napkin down. She leaned back and studied Mason for several seconds. Despite her obvious proclivity for causing accidents, she did have a handsome face, and it seemed she was good with her hands, outside of the kitchen. Nikki wondered what else she was good at.
“stART on the street. It’s the biggest art show in central Mass. I lucked into a spot this summer.”
“Oh? When is that?” Nikki was slowly becoming more interested in Mason. She pretended not to notice Lex’s cocked eyebrow. Lex could be suspicious of her motives all she wanted; it didn’t mean she was going to act any differently. Besides, they were both adults. “Do you get into a lot of shows?”
“Some.” Mason leaned back in her chair, comfortable for the first time. She felt at home in her skin when she could talk about her passion. “I’ve got stART this month then Aspen and I are sharing space at th e South End Art Hop Labor Day weekend. I’ll be doing a couple of smaller, local shows in July and August. If Marly can stick around long enough to get me through the summer, I can find a place to rent by then.”
“Do you think she will?” Lex got up and cut her cake, dishing healthy-sized portions for each of them. She grabbed four wine glasses and filled them with milk. When she set the glasses down, she waited for the comments to come, knowing Nikki, at
“Mason.” Nikki grabbed Mason’s wrist and pulled it away. She gave her a tight smile. “It’s just water.”
Mason closed her eyes and shook her head in sheer frustration. She exhaled loudly and got up to tend to the potatoes that were still on the floor. She scooped them up with her napkin. “Sorry, I’m just tired I guess. I haven’t slept too well the last couple of days.”
Aspen reached over and squeezed Mason’s hand. “It’s okay, honey. It’s Anne, isn’t it?” Aspen dished potatoes and a slice of meatloaf onto a plate and handed it to Mason.
“Thanks.” Mason waited while everyone else finished serving themselves. She smiled at Nikki ruefully. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s cool.” To her credit, Nikki played the whole thing off. “Who is Anne? Girlfriend?”
“No.” Mason shook her head and finished chewing before she answered. “She was my neighbor and a dear friend. She passed away last week. I’m just having a hard couple of days.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Nikki rubbed Mason’s arm. “I know how hard it is to lose someone.” In truth, she did. Long before Nikki turned into a free-spirited party girl, she had fallen in love with her best friend. It was a short-lived love affair that ended in tragedy. Nikki still couldn’t think of that day and not feel cold. Congenital heart disease. The one person Nikki loved, and she couldn’t save her. Nikki felt Lex’s eyes on her, and she shook her head just enough to let Lex know she didn’t want to talk about it.
“How are things with Mrs. Cabot’s daughter?” Aspen met Mason’s gaze and knew that something had happened. She knew Mason well enough to know when she had a story. She cocked her head and pinned Mason with an inquisitive stare. “Care to share?”
Mason shook her head. “It’s nothing, really. Marly came by and we worked some things out.”
Aspen grabbed more potatoes as they spoke. “So, she’s okay if you keep your stuff in the yard?”
“I guess.” Mason shrugged. “As long as she has the house. I think she wants to get rid of it. Man, I would buy it if I could afford it. I love that house.”
“Maybe she will cut you a deal.”
Mason sighed. “I doubt it. Hopefully, she will stick around until after stART. I’m not sure where I will store all the pieces if she doesn’t.”
“stART?” Nikki wiped her mouth and laid her napkin down. She leaned back and studied Mason for several seconds. Despite her obvious proclivity for causing accidents, she did have a handsome face, and it seemed she was good with her hands, outside of the kitchen. Nikki wondered what else she was good at.
“stART on the street. It’s the biggest art show in central Mass. I lucked into a spot this summer.”
“Oh? When is that?” Nikki was slowly becoming more interested in Mason. She pretended not to notice Lex’s cocked eyebrow. Lex could be suspicious of her motives all she wanted; it didn’t mean she was going to act any differently. Besides, they were both adults. “Do you get into a lot of shows?”
“Some.” Mason leaned back in her chair, comfortable for the first time. She felt at home in her skin when she could talk about her passion. “I’ve got stART this month then Aspen and I are sharing space at th e South End Art Hop Labor Day weekend. I’ll be doing a couple of smaller, local shows in July and August. If Marly can stick around long enough to get me through the summer, I can find a place to rent by then.”
“Do you think she will?” Lex got up and cut her cake, dishing healthy-sized portions for each of them. She grabbed four wine glasses and filled them with milk. When she set the glasses down, she waited for the comments to come, knowing Nikki, at
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