“Mason.” she said softly, “It’s so good to see you.”

He sat on the bed beside her reaching out to take her hand. She squeezed his lightly and smiled over at him. “How’s my young Casanova?”

Groaning he rolled his eyes then grinned at her, “Not you too.”

Laughing she patted his hand, “And why not me? I’m you’re mother I get to call you whatever I like. Although I must admit I don’t really like the fact that you’re dating all these women.”

Shaking his head he laughed softly. “I’m not dating all these women mom.”

He paused then grinned and raised his eyebrows at her. “In fact. I’m only dating one woman and you know her very well.”

“Lena?” she asked quickly, “You and Lena?”

Nodding he got off the bed and walked over to the window looking out at the sidewalk below. “Yeah. I’m shocked too. I took her to see her sister yesterday.” he told her and watched as his mom’s mouth opened a little then shut.

“Wow.”

“I know.” he said softly. “It was an amazing moment for us mom. What you did with her flowers, were beautiful.”

His mother blinked and it looked as though tears were forming in her eyes. Funny, Lena had been crying over her just the day before, and as he stood there looking at her he decided it was time they were all in the same room together.

“She’s been coming to me for nine years and every time she paid me for the flowers I’d ask her to come with me to see Carly.” she shook her head slowly, “Every time she said no. Mason please be careful love.”

Smiling he walked over and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I am being careful mom. Don’t worry I wont break her heart.”

Smiling sadly she reached up to cup his cheek, “It’s not hers I’m worried about.”

Standing up he nodded slowly, “I know she’s difficult mom. I know she has more problems than I even know what to do with or how to deal with and I’m pretty sure they all stem from losing her sister, but yesterday we came so far. She let me inside.” He gave her a goofy smile. “I sound like a schmuck.”

Laughing she shook her head, “No dear, you sound happy.”

“Would you mind if I go get her? I’d love to finally have us all in the same room, and I’m fairly certain if I don’t go and get her she’ll be up here a little later anyway.”

“Why would I mind dear? Go get your girl.”

He turned and walked out the door, oh he planned to.


Lena had just walked into the break room after finally finishing up with her rounds this morning. She’d managed to co ordinate a break during her day right when Shelly could. So now they were both sitting down for lunch. Pulling out her incredibly boring ham and cheese sandwich Lena peered over to her friends plate.

“Lasagna, really? Do you have to bring a good lunch every day?”

Shelly lifted her fork to her mouth then chewed and nodded. “You’ve been around me when I’m hungry. It’s not pretty.”

“That’s true.” Lena agreed taking a bite from her sandwich.

“You okay today?” Shelly asked around another mouthful.

Lena’s eyes came up to meet her friends. “Yeah. Why?”

“You seem different. Quieter than usual, but more relaxed.” grinning Shelly sat back, “Is Mason keeping you nice and relaxed Lena?”

Rolling her eyes she cursed the fact that she could never keep things from Shelly. So of course that had meant she’d come into work today and told her everything that had happened, in the flower shop that is. She hadn’t yet found it in her to talk about their little excursion. That was still to new, still to life altering, to divulge just yet.

“No we haven’t, done, anything since a week or so ago. I told you that. We just talked yesterday.” then with a grin Lena added, “No touching.”

“Pssh! Yeah well I don’t know what to believe because you told me all about what happened when you both decided with the no touching rule.”

Lena was about to reply when Brandy knocked on the door then hurried in. She came around and stopped beside the table. “Dr O’Donnell?”

Looking up, at her skittish receptionist, she raised a brow. “Yes Brandy?”

“Ah you have a visitor.”

Frowning Lena looked at Shelly then shrugged. “Can’t they come back? I’m on lunch.”

“Well yes I asked him that, but he insisted that I come and tell you ahh that Casanova is here?”

Lena felt a huge smile break out over her face and she actually burst out laughing. Shelly’s mouth fell open and she dropped her arm down with her folk in it. Brandy looked back and forth between the two of them.

“Casanova huh?” Shelly asked with an arched brow, “Doesn’t think to highly of himself now does he?”

Still laughing Lena reached for a napkin and wiped her face. She was just about to answer when she heard.


“I didn’t pick the name myself, just so you know.”

Mason watched as three heads turned to face him standing in the door. Sure, the little assistant had told him to wait at her desk, but he’d heard Lena laughing and decided to take a chance and walk on back. He knew she’d get a kick out of the nickname and was happy to see her sitting there grinning like a fool.

“Ah I told him to wait at my desk.” he heard the little assistant sputter.

Lena kept her eyes on him and said softly. “ I’m sure you did. He doesn’t listen very well.”

Grinning at her he walked in and looked down at Shelly. “Sorry to interrupt lunch.”

“Nonsense. It’s fine.” she smiled up at him.

He watched Lena stand then said softly, “No, no I’ll just join you two. If you don’t mind?”

Shaking her head she sat back down. The assistant was still standing glued to the spot staring at him. He smiled at her and winked. He watched her turn bright red then seeming to find her footing flee from the room. Turning his head he saw Lena arching a brow.

“Just can’t help yourself can you?”

He leaned back in the chair and put a hand to his chest, “Me? What’d I do?’

“Throwing that charm around everywhere.”

He looked over to Shelly who was chewing on, he looked closer, what appeared to be lasagna. “At least she admits I’m charming.”

Shelly grinned at him.

“So you’re here visiting your mom?” Lena asked sitting very proper with her hands clasped on the table. She looked so professional today with her hair pulled up into a bun and her scrubs and lab coat on. Her glasses were sitting beside her on the table. Leaning forward her reached across and flicked the name badge around in his fingers, Dr. Magdalena O’Donnell M.D. and the rest was blocked by the lapel of her coat. Wow, in this setting she was something else. All brains behind those careful eyes. She was watching him closely right now so he grinned. Dressed like she was he couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated, this lady was smart with a capital S and what was he? A highly paid cook.


Lena watched his grin as he looked at her closely. She couldn’t help but wonder what it was he was seeing. Was he remembering the way she’d fallen apart in the flower shop? Or maybe the way she’d clutched his hand, terrified to move across the cemetery. Either way she found it infuriating that she didn’t know, and that he was grinning at her like a loon.

“What’s your problem Langley?”

“Don’t have a problem. I was just thinking how professional you look.”

Shelly laughed at that then blurted out, “As opposed to how unprofessional she looks in a tub?”

“Shelly!” Lena cried and her eyes flew to his. Her cheeks were heating and the more she tried to glare him down the bigger the smirk was that covered his damn mouth.

“What?” her friend asked innocently.

Looking toward Shelly, she said through clenched teeth, “Shut it.” Then her eyes came back to rest on two laughing blue ones. “And as for you?”

“Yes Dr?”

She narrowed her eyes and said in the most dignified voice she could find, “Behave yourself.”

Grinning at her he sat back and turned to face Shelly, and on a whispered she heard him say softly, “I don’t know. She sure looked like a professional at what she was doing that night in the tub.”

Lena stood quickly her chair tipping back, “That’s it!”

Glaring down at him she noticed, for the first time, he was wearing a pair of well worn jeans and a black t-shirt that was molding to all his hotness and he’d dropped on the table a black leather jacket. She shut her eyes for a minute, breathing deeply, because quiet frankly she didn’t want to be thinking about that night in the tub when he looked so damn amazing. When she heard a second chair push back she opened her eyes and looked up at him where he now stood. She heard Shelly still laughing softly behind them. He grinned down at her then reached out to push a wisp of her behind her ear. “You’re so easy to fire up Lena O’Donnell.”

Still feeling pissy she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her chin up to him. “That’s Dr O’Donnell.”

She watched his mouth tug at the corner and he nodded reaching down to grab his jacket. “Oh is it now?”

Rolling her eyes she snapped, “Is there a reason you’re here Langley? Other than to drive me crazy and embarrass me in my work place?”

He was about to say something when Shelly chimed in. “In all fairness I did start it.”

He looked over his shoulder to her friend, “I appreciate that.” then he turned back to her.

“Well?”

“I want you to come and see my mother.”


Mason was trying very hard not to laugh as Lena marched down the hall ahead of him. Damn she was cute. She was all kinds of mad at him right now and he couldn’t find it anywhere in him to care. She’d huffed out of the lunch room, pissed off at him and Shelly, then made her way down in front of him to the elevators. She reached out and punched the button and that’s when she finally looked over at him. “You’re an ass.”