Spring Fever

“Oh, nothing for me,” A

“The nurse just came out and said Sophie’s doing fine,” Celia volunteered. “So I was hoping maybe I could lure this crazy man of mine into finally relaxing and eating something.” She reached over and gave Mason’s knee an affectionate squeeze.

“And I was just trying to tell her that this hospital gives me the creeps, and I really don’t want to eat anything here,” Mason said, looking up at A

“Well,” A

“I think that’s a very sensible idea,” Celia agreed, nodding her head vigorously. “There’s really nothing you can do here tonight, A

Mason frowned slightly. “A

Celia laughed a silvery, hollow little laugh. “Of course. But she probably wants to go home and shower and get out of that stinky dress, don’t you think?” She studied A

A

“I’ll call you if there’s any change,” Mason said as he stood.

Clearly, A

“I’d better get home to make sure Pete puts the little heathens to bed,” Pokey a

“I’ll walk you both to your cars,” Mason offered.

10

“I’m right there,” Pokey said, pointing to the Range Rover she’d parked in the ambulance loading zone.

Mason and A

It wasn’t until she saw her friend’s taillights disappear that A

“Oh hell,” she told Mason. “I don’t have a car here, and neither do you.”

“That’s right.” Mason scratched his neck absentmindedly.

“I’ll call her and get her to come back for me,” A

Mason reached in his pocket and brought out a set of keys. “I’ll give you a ride,” he said. “We can take Celia’s Saab.” He pointed in the direction of the parking lot and started walking. “It’s right over there.”

“Shouldn’t you check with her?” A

“I don’t have to ask Celia’s permission to give you a ride, A

That last sentence hung in the air. Trust. Celia trusted him. A

“Suit yourself,” A

He scowled. “Be right back.”

Fifteen minutes passed. It was getting dark, and the temperature had started to dip as the sun dropped. A

She gri

Finally, Mason strode through the emergency room doors. “Let’s go,” he said brusquely.

An uneasy silence fell between them as Mason expertly shifted the Saab into gear.

“Everything okay?” A

“It’s all good,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road. “Thank you for insisting we get Sophie to the hospital. I guess … I guess I was kidding myself thinking the wedding could go on.”

“I’m sorry about your wedding. Celia was a beautiful bride. But I’m glad things turned out all right with Sophie,” A

“Celia really adores Sophie,” he blurted out a moment later.

“I’m sure she does,” A

“It’s a lot for anybody to deal with,” Mason went on. “Not just being a stepmother, but, you know, taking on my, uh, daughter by a woman she’s never met.”

*   *   *

As far as A

One day, while they were still legally separated, but before the divorce was final, Mason knocked on her office door and stepped in and closed it carefully.

The visit took A

He sat stiffly on the edge of the chair facing hers and cleared his throat.

“Look,” he said finally. “I’ve got something I need to tell you. I was seeing this woman…”

A

He scowled. “Will you just listen? This is important. The thing is, we’re not really together now, this woman and I. We were only together for a short time, actually, and then she got pregnant. But I only recently found out about the baby.”

A

Mason cleared his throat and plunged ahead. “Sophie is three months old now. Her mother, Kristy, is single, divorced, actually. And she and the baby had been living with Kristy’s mom, down in Jacksonville. But Kristy’s mom just died of breast cancer. And Kristy—she’s not a bad person, but she’s probably not mother material. She could handle the baby, while her mom was living there and helping out. Now, though … she’s pretty overwhelmed. She wants to go back to her job, and Sophie is kind of cranky, I guess you’d say, right now. So, uh, here’s the deal. Sophie’s coming to live with me.”

A

“Yes,” he said, glaring at her. “I am. Is this somehow fu

At that moment, it dawned on her that Mason was perfectly serious.

“Are you telling me that you’re an unwed father?” she said finally.

He shook his head in disgust. “If that’s what you want to call it.” He stood. “Okay, I can see this was a mistake. I just thought I owed you an explanation, because I realize, as soon as it gets out that I’ve adopted Sophie, some people are going to just assume I was having an affair with Kristy while I was married to you.”

A

“No,” Mason said quietly, getting up from his chair. “I never met Kristy until after we were separated. You can take my word for it or not, but as God is my witness, that’s the truth, A

Sophie’s arrival had, as Mason predicted, stirred up a lot of gossip in Passcoe. And although the knowledge that Mason fathered a child with another woman had come as yet another searing blow to A

“Is she not the yummiest little thing you’ve ever seen?” Pokey crooned, the first time she held the sleeping child in her arms. “No denying she’s a Bayless, either. Look at those eyebrows! And that high forehead. She is Mason made over.”