Mason's Marriage

He was very angry with Mimi for stealing his time with Nanette from him, but she’d given him a wonderful miracle, too, he slowly admitted. Who could have imagined that something as sweet as a child could come from such a moment of fiery lovemaking?

After that night with Mimi, he’d felt guilt. He’d felt remorse, and he’d felt crazed in the head. But he’d never regretted it. It would be a lie to say he had. Even when she’d walked down the aisle with Brian, Mason had been glad he’d loved her. All practicality told him that she was better off with Brian, and he’d let her go. It had never been his intention to steal her away from her intended.

Only he supposed he had. Mimi couldn’t have conceived a child with Brian while she was pregnant with Mason’s child, and he supposed Brian hadn’t wanted to raise another man’s baby. It would have been too much for a new marriage to handle. He felt momentary guilt that perhaps she’d never had a chance to make her marriage work because of him.

The fact was, he couldn’t keep his thoughts away from her, and that night he couldn’t keep his hands off her. She’d been upset over her father’s condition, and he’d comforted her. Without planning it, he had allowed that comfort to spiral into acting on his feelings and he had made love to her with every fiber of his being.

No, he didn’t regret that. And her marriage…well, that was one more seed of guilt he’d end up reaping one day.

He sat up, astonishment hitting him. “Nanette Jefferson,” he said out loud. Not Cannady. Jefferson!

“Mason,” Last said, peering around the door more cautiously this time, “I hate like hell to bother you, but—”

“That’s my child,” Mason said, pointing to Nanette gleefully.

“Yes, yes, she’s our child, all of us adore her. But, Mason—”

Mason got up, barely able to keep the grin off his face. “That’s my daughter. Not Brian’s. Mine.”

Last stared at him. “Are you insane? Mason, I really think you need to come downstairs and let Calhoun and Fannin and me spell you for a bit. You’ve been working too hard.”

“Nanette Jefferson,” Mason said, stubborn in his joy.

“Are you…getting married?” Last asked.

“Hell, no,” Mason said. “I’m getting proper papers filed, is what I’m going to do.”

“Proper papers?” Last frowned. “To do what?”

“To declare Nanette as mine. To change her name. All that stuff that fathers do when they become fathers.”

“Did you fall down the stairs and hit your head?”

“No,” Mason said, “and when you figure it out, you’ll realize you’re Uncle Last.”

Last blinked. “You’re going to scare Mimi with all this crazy talk.”

“Mimi scared me,” Mason said. “She told me yesterday that Nanette is my child.”

Last’s jaw dropped. “So that’s what Bandera was hinting about!”

“Bandera?” Mason stared at his youngest brother. “Does he know? Has he known all this time? And kept it from me?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Last said, clearly backtracking or confused. “Now that I think of it, he said that he wished Nanette was your child so he could be Uncle Bandera.”

“I’m going to put my boot—”

“I know, I know.” Last held up his hand. “What difference does it make if Bandera knew, Mason? If Mimi had taken him into her confidence, he wouldn’t tell you. None of us would go back on a confidence.”

“She’s my daughter!” Mason exclaimed. “I had a right to know!”

Last pulled him into the hall, closing the door. “Would you stop shouting into her subconscious?”

Mason blinked. “What?”

Last looked at him impatiently. “Nanette is hearing every word you say!”

“She’s asleep.”

“And hearing you bellyache. Now look, you can’t be sore at all of us because once again you’re all twisted up at Mimi. Mimi’s had enough to deal with, and if she didn’t figure you’d be much of a support system, then she didn’t lean on you. She probably didn’t tell you after she found out she was pregnant because she was married. For heaven’s sake, Mason, you can understand that. After all, it’s not exactly like Valentine was thrown a welcome reception by any of us when she told us she was pregnant with my daughter.”

“Yeah, but you were having a weird phase.”

“And you’ve been having a weird phase for years. I’m sure Mimi was scared out of her wits that you’d react somewhat the way you’re reacting now.”

“Mimi kept her from me,” Mason said, angry.

“It’s okay, Mason. It’s not like Mimi had her in a different city and you never got to see her.”

Mason glared at him. “She should have been on the ranch, where she belonged.”

“And she was, most of the time. Mason, you should be happy you’ve got flesh and blood of your own without a wedding ring. You never wanted to get married, anyway.” Last looked at him curiously. “So quit yer bitchin’.”

Mason felt his chest heave. Last didn’t understand. Mason didn’t understand, himself. Too many new and different emotions were roiling his good sense.

“Jeez, Mason, I didn’t spend any time with my daughter when she was young because I was being a jerk. You at least got to spend all the time you wanted with Nanette, and still can. Don’t waste time being a dunce. That’s all I have to say.”

“It’s not that easy.”

The front door slammed. Both men peered over the stairwell in time to see a tiny blond whirlwind rush up the stairs. “I’m coming to kiss my daughter good-night, Mason,” she said, brushing past the both of them, “so shut the hell up before you even say a thing.”

“Whoa,” Last said, “female troubles?”

“I don’t know,” Mason said, frowning. “I’d be the last person she’d share that with.”

“Not her, Mason. You. Are you having female issues?” Last sighed with exasperation. “Are you and Mimi fighting?”

“Yes,” Mason said. “I can answer that question affirmatively.”

Last peered in the bedroom. Mason did, too, not really all that surprised that Mimi had decided to run right over his line in the sand. “Did you take Nanette from her, Mason?”

“Nanette belongs here, on the ranch that is her birthright,” Mason said. “With her father.”

“You ass,” Last said under his breath. “You have no concept of how to woo a woman.”

“I don’t want to woo Mimi. I want to kick Mimi’s little tail.”

“Sure.” Last nodded. “And you were saying that the whole time she was going down the aisle with Brian—after you’d made love to her? I seem to remember sitting near you, and you looked pretty stone-faced, very determined to be Your Royal Hardheadedness.”

Mimi stood, after making sure a sheet was tucked around Nanette. She placed Nanette’s favorite small pink giraffe next to her, then Mimi walked to Mason and Last. “You’re going to have to find a better way to handle this,” she said. “You can’t have everything your way. I know you’re angry, but you’re going to have to eventually calm down and think through what’s best for Nanette.”

She left, her sandals moving smartly down the stairs and out the door, which she closed quietly.

“She has a point, you know,” Last said. “This could get weary for everyone if you don’t chill out a bit.” Last clapped him on the back. “Whoever would have thought you had it in you, you ol’ sourpuss? After all the years you sang the Condom Song for us, specifically for me, it turns out you had a shower without your raincoat.” Last grinned hugely, not about to be denied his crowing.

Mason sighed, knowing he full well had it coming—from all his brothers. “One time,” he muttered. “One time.”

“One shot’s all it takes, bro,” Last said gleefully. “If your rifle’s straight and well-oiled. And it appears you’d been taking good care of your equipment.”

“Last,” Mason said, his tone warning.

“Well,” Last said, “I never thought I’d say this, but congratulations, Mason. You’re a dad.”

Mason was about to grunt a reply when Last continued. “A bachelor dad, of course. A single father. An unwedded man who will one day pay for prom gowns and wedding dresses.”

Mason jutted out his chin. “Thank you, Last. You can go now.”

Last turned serious. “Mason, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Just be good to Mimi, okay? It’s your future lying in there next to the little pink giraffe. You don’t want to goof up the thing that means the most to you.”

Last thundered down the stairs and went out the front door. Mason sighed, taking one last lingering look at his daughter, then headed toward his own room.

Last was right about one thing: Nanette was his future. And she was staying right here with him, where she belonged.

He would be generous and allow Mimi to visit whenever she wanted, though. Underneath his anger, he really didn’t intend to keep her away from her child.

As long as everything went his way.

Chapter Three

Mimi knew one thing: Mason could not have his way, at least not the way he was trying to have it. She opened the door to his house early the next morning and set her own suitcase down. “Good morning, Helga,” she said to the housekeeper, who was cleaning up after a very early breakfast. Two plates. One for Mason, one for Nanette. “Tomorrow, you can make breakfast for three.”

Helga laughed. “Good. I wondered how long you’d stay away.”

“Where are they?”

“In the fields. Nanette is going to learn how to ride fence this morning.”

Mimi picked up her suitcase. “I’m going to hide this upstairs for now. At least until I spring some changes on Mason.”

“Mr. Mason doesn’t handle change very well,” Helga said with a smile.

“He’d better learn to adapt. He’s about to meet the even more stubborn side of Nanette’s family tree.” She went upstairs, trying to decide on the best place to sleep. There were several empty bedrooms that had been occupied by the Jefferson brothers over the years, and Nanette had been sleeping in the guest room.

Mason slept up here, too. A slight chill traveled over her skin as she gently swung open his bedroom door. His bed was made, and his dresser was tidy. A pair of jeans lay on the bed, as if he’d changed his mind about what he wanted to wear today. On the dresser was a picture of Mason and Nanette, posing beside Olivia’s horse, Gypsy.

She knew she should be grateful that Mason was so crazy about their child.

“You can sleep in here,” Helga said, her grin broad. “We can move Nanette here, too, and put Mason down the hall.”

“I don’t think so.” Mimi backed away from Mason’s room.

“A mother needs to be with her daughter,” Helga commented. “Always I had Kelly with me.”

Helga’s daughter, Kelly, had married Fannin, one of Mason’s younger brothers. Mimi needed no reminder of how important the mother and child bond was. But moving into Mason’s room was bound to start a fire of some kind. “Maybe we could push a small bed into the guest room Nanette is using.”

“Hmm.” The German housekeeper nodded. “We could. Mason is planning to decorate for Nanette. You might not like to stay in a room that is decorated with angels and bows.”

Mimi smiled. “I really don’t care about that.” She crooked an eyebrow. “Angels and bows? Did Mason pick the decor?”

“Yes. In a catalog from England.” Helga took a catalog from Mason’s side table. “This is Daddy’s idea of what his little girl should have.”

Mimi was stunned. “It’s breathtaking. And it costs a fortune!”

Helga grinned. “She’s his only child.”

Mimi blinked. “But such extravagance! That’s not like Mason at all!”

“It’s good for him. Let him spend. He is celebrating.”

“I guess so,” Mimi murmured. He was crazy. “I don’t suppose he ordered the matching pink three-story dollhouse, as well?”

What sounded suspiciously like a giggle escaped the stoutly built woman. “Of course. Nothing less than heaven for his little girl.”

Mimi’s heart curled tightly inside her. A very sad part of her was saying that they’d messed this whole thing up very badly. She and Mason would have been a good team: friends, lovers, excellent parents. Why had he not loved her enough to ask her to marry him?

Now it was really too late. She knew that by the way he was making plans without her. What father selected his little girl’s room decor on his own? “What did he say when he told you?” Mimi asked, her heart so tight she could barely stand it.

“He told me that Nanette was his child. Which I had already known.” Helga shrugged.

“You couldn’t have,” Mimi said. “I didn’t tell anyone except Bandera, whom I swore to secrecy.”

“Pfft. You and Brian were never together long enough to make anything happen.”

“Neither were Mason and I, really,” Mimi said.

“But it happened. And she looks just like him, anyway.” Helga folded her arms with satisfaction. “I was making dinner when he called all his brothers, and I can tell you that he was quite proud. He bragged, actually, about his little daughter.”

“He can be so odd,” Mimi said with a reluctant smile. “I want to be so angry with him for taking Nanette out of my house like a caveman, but part of me admires the side of him fatherhood has brought out.”

“Very possessive. Good in a man,” Helga said with a nod.

Mimi wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know.” She sighed. “We grew up playing with goats…and rope swings…and playing pranks on people for fun. We were a renegade band, me and the Jefferson boys. I would have been so lonely without the Jefferson kids. She’ll be lonely out here.” Mimi sighed. “At least in town there are many children for Nanette to play with.”

Helga laughed. “Have another baby.”

Mimi stared at her. “I don’t really know what to say to that. How? Why? With whom?”

The housekeeper smiled. “Same way as the first time. Why? So Nanette won’t be lonely. Although I think another baby would be more for you. And the only man you want to father your children is Mason. So, with Mason. That would be best for everyone.”

Mimi jumped as she heard Mason’s boots coming up the stairs. “Uh-oh.”

Helga drifted away, leaving Mimi to face Mason alone.

“What are you doing?” Mason said when he saw Mimi. He noted her suitcase and frowned.

“Well, if you won’t come to the mountain, the mountain must go to you. Or something like that,” she said, feeling very, very nervous.

“Meaning?” he asked with a bigger frown.

“That I’m moving in.” She lifted her chin defiantly, waiting for the storm to erupt.

He shrugged. “Make yourself at home. Pick a room, and ask Helga for towels. Excuse me.”

He disappeared into his bedroom and closed the door. She stood in the hall, her mouth open. Helga peeked her head from around a door frame and gave her a grin before disappearing again.

Mason’s bedroom door jerked open, scaring her half out of her wits, since she hadn’t fully recovered from his acceptance of her decision. She was still in fight-or-flight mode, and the adrenaline hadn’t had time to filter through her body.

“Nanette’s downstairs eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Can you go watch her for me? I need a shower.”

He closed the door. Mimi stood still for one second, then hurried down the stairs. Nanette sat at the table, chewing happily, her hair prickly with straw pieces. “Sweetie!” Mimi exclaimed. “I’ve missed you!” She hugged and kissed her daughter with delight.

Nanette handed her a piece of sandwich. Mimi shook her head. “No, thank you. But it looks delicious.”

“Uncle Mason made it,” Nanette said.

“Oh.” Obviously, Mason hadn’t seen fit to enlighten his daughter to what he was apparently crowing all over the town and to all his brothers. Mimi wondered why Mason hadn’t told Nanette the truth.

Maybe it was because she was so very young. Mimi sat next to her daughter on the bench, wondering how Nanette would react to a truth that would change her life. Was changing it even now.

All thanks to Mason. He was in the process of changing Nanette’s world to the way he thought it should be—and didn’t seem too inclined to include Mimi in his plans.

MASON STOOD UNDER a hot shower, letting the water run over his muscles. He was tense, more from the fact that Mimi was in his house and likely to cause more trouble than from any labor he’d performed.

She had changed his world. With her typical dive into unthinking actions, she had sent him on new paths he’d never thought of exploring. He was a father, had been a father, and she had stolen his chances to experience the wonder of fatherhood fully. She would have justification and reasoning, but this time he would not allow her to sway his mind.

He was extremely angry with her. He wasn’t certain he could forgive her.

And yet, for Nanette’s sake, he was going to have to learn to live with the fact that Mimi was now an inescapable part of his life. There was no running from her or ignoring her now. Over the years, he’d mainly shoved his feelings about Mimi to the background.

Now, in spite of his anger, a very secret part of him was relieved that they were inextricably tied together—and forever so. Another part of him was deeply grateful that she’d given him a child. It was mind-bending, and he hadn’t expected the overwhelming rush of proprietary emotions that came with fatherhood.

So, good or bad, Mimi was impacting him, as always, only on a new level. He should expect Mimi’s influence in his life to grow ever more profound. Good or bad, then: what to do about Mimi?

For Nanette’s sake, he should marry Mimi. Mason stood under the water, unblinking, as the foreign thought stayed in his mind, echoing. For Nanette’s sake….

He shut off the water and toweled off slowly. What other option was there? Providing his daughter with a whole home and family would be the right thing to do.

He had done the right thing all his life. When Maverick left, Mason and his brothers should have been put into foster care. But Union Junction was a small town, and people had known Maverick and his beloved wife. The boys were in church every Sunday and in school during the week. Townspeople weren’t anxious to see a grieved family split up, so Sheriff Cannady stepped in, saying he’d keep an eye on the Jefferson boys. Papers that should have been filed somehow never were; reports to authorities were never made. The family stayed together.

Everyone figured Maverick would come back. By the time anybody finally realized the boys were completely on their own, Mason had turned eighteen, legal age to raise a family if need be. He had done right by his brothers, and Mason was damn proud of it. Family was what made daily existence meaningful. Otherwise life would be simply survival in a lonely, empty void.

Mimi was now part of his family, in a way that no game of pretend between playmates could have made it so. He needed to do right by her and Nanette. But if he was going to marry Mimi, there was a price to pay, and he damn sure expected to make her pay it.

A man needed to be the head of his household. No Mimi-hijinks, or his world would stay continually unsettled. If she thought that because she’d moved herself in here—a fact he admired—she could run his household and therefore his life, she was in for a rude awakening.

If she thought that now that the truth had come out, he would pursue her, she would find herself wrong about that, as well. His brothers had pursued their women, gaga and smitten, until they caught their prey. But he was no hunter. His driving need was for a family that contained no fracture, and he would not play the games of courtship.

Mimi would need to accept his terms.

But first, he intended to let her stew in her own worry and uncertainty, just as he’d done ever since she’d dropped her emotional bomb on him. In fact, she’d dropped a lot of emotional bombs on him over the years, and he was in no hurry to put away his bomb shelter.

Dressed now, he went downstairs to check on Nanette. His daughter sat contentedly working a puzzle, and her mother sat next to her. Mimi looked up at him. “We need to talk.”

He nodded. “I know.”

She hesitated. “Do you have your schedule at hand so I can pencil in an appointment?”

“I have time now.” Might as well see what was on her mind.

“Well, I think it needs to be in private,” Mimi said, her tone uncertain.

“Helga!” Mason called up the stairwell. “Could you come watch Nanette for a few minutes?”

The housekeeper came down the stairs with a smile. “Yes. In fact, I am going into town to check on the sheriff—oh. Sorry,” she said to Mason. “You are sheriff now.”

He shook his head. “Sheriff Cannady will always be ‘Sheriff’ to me, as well.”

Helga smiled. “I have some chicken soup to put on for him.”

Relief was on Mimi’s face, and Mason knew that she hadn’t quite worked out the details of how she was going to stay here with him and Nanette, and yet spend time with her father. Helga had long been taking care of both households. Clearly, Mimi was grateful that could continue, as it would be a bit difficult for her to cook here and then run food into town to the sheriff. Plus, she’d just get under Helga’s feet, though Helga was likely too wonderful to complain about Mimi intruding in her kitchen.

“Thank you,” Mimi said.

“I will take him his granddaughter—if I may,” Helga said to Mason.

Mason nodded. “She’d love to see her grandfather. Thank you.”

Helga gathered up some things as Mason stared at Mimi. Clearly nervous, she plucked at a table napkin. They needed time alone, he decided. This would give him a chance to tell Mimi what he expected from this new partnership between the two of them. He was pretty certain he was calm enough now to discuss what she’d done.

Then again, maybe he’d just roar all over her for keeping his daughter from him. Mason took a deep breath, and kissed his daughter. “I’ll see you for dinner, Nanette. Mind Ms. Helga.”

“I will.” She slid off the bench, gave her mother a hug and skipped out the door with Helga. The front door closed firmly.

“Mason—” Mimi began.

Instantly, he held up a hand. From the first word, he intended to let her know that this was his house, that was his daughter and he was in charge. “Mimi.”

She fell silent. For a moment, he admired her face. Though they were both older now, she retained a sweet expression—when she wasn’t being mulish—and a girl’s curves. Her jeans were filled out in the right places, and her white blouse was untucked and plain, again showing pleasing curves.

He did remember he’d enjoyed the act of creating Nanette, even if he hadn’t known they were doing so at the time.

“Mimi,” he said more sternly to get his mind off his wandering thoughts. “I will probably never forgive you for keeping my daughter from me.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “I don’t expect you to. I’m not asking you to.”

He felt his teeth go slightly on edge at her unyielding reply. “All right. What topic did you think was important enough to call a caucus?”

She looked around. “Caucus? It’s just you and me. That’s a conversation, one between two people who now have similar goals. Mine is to see Nanette happy as she grows into a responsible young lady, and yours is to see Nanette happy as she grows into a responsible young lady.”

His mouth twisted. “The conversation topic, then, please. I have a lot to do today.”

“I want to be present when you tell Nanette that you’re her father. I think we should do it as a family.”

He blinked, caught by surprise. He’d expected her to argue about Nanette living with him. Actually, he had deliberately left his mind open to any shock she might throw his way, because it was Mimi he was dealing with. But this one was bigger than he’d expected.

He narrowed his gaze. “I would think that would be the obvious way to go about it.”

“You always thought everything was obvious. Most of us couldn’t measure up to your vision of plain-in-sight.”

Now he was getting steamed, and he really had meant to stay calm, rational and focused in all his dealings with the mother of his child. Respect, he told himself. Respect the mother of your child, even when she has that tone that only Mimi knows how to deliver so effectively.