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Chapter 13
Mason was sitting at his desk, waiting. Matt had woken up, had done his crying and was now playing with his
toys. Mason wanted to hug his son and hold him tight, but he did not dare.
He was waiting for the phone to ring. Still, when it did, he gave a start.
"Mason Capwell."
"Hey." It was Cruz.
"How's Julia?"
"She's all right. You were right, Mason, someone threatened her but they were gone when I arrived."
Thank God, Mason thought. He did not say it aloud. "Where are you now, Cruz?"
"At Julia's. Want to talk to her?"
"No--"
No one was listening. Julia's voice made Mason sigh silently.
"Mason - honey, I'm fine now. How are you?"
"Fine. Look, Julia, I need to go away."
"What, now?" she said in disbelief.
"Now. I'll ask Cruz to come by and pick up Matthew."
His voice was dry, he seemed very distant. Nothing to surprise Cruz, but Julia immediately got on the alert.
"What's wrong, Mason?"
Mason raised his eyes to see the Indian grinning. "Nothing is wrong; why?" he said coldly. "You know I just do
not like what is happening; so I need to go to settle the matter. Nothing to worry about."
Julia shuddered. "Mason--"
"Julia," he interrupted her.
She understood. "I'll tell Cruz to go immediately," she said, her voice lifeless.
Mason longed to tell her everything. He suddenly realized he needed to tell her so much. He just did not know
how he could do that, now. They already knew Julia was dear to him; he would not endanger her more by
showing just how much he cared.
On the other hand, it was probable he would never see her or talk to her again. Was it fair to leave her to
doubt him forever?
After all, he told himself, it was not her that they were after.
"Julia," he said gently, and this time she knew it was really her Mason talking to her. She knew everything he'd
say now would be very important.
"Yes?" she exhaled.
"Take good care of our baby. I'll be thinking of you both. And," he controlled a spasm in his throat, "please take
care of Matthew. I'll be back. Do not believe anything you hear about me. Just wait for me."
The Indian grinned again, and there was menace in the grin. That was all; Mason would not say more.
"Yes Mason," he heard. "I will take care of your kids. And I will wait for you, if it takes forever."
Mason knew that was true. A part of him was happy. A part of him hurt. How could he require this from a
woman like Julia? What if he was dead by the end of the day and his body was never found? Judging by the
faces of the cutthroats that were around it was most probable.
Still, it was the closest to an oath of love and loyalty he could voice now. And he felt he would need Julia's love.
Mason raised his hand and felt his forehead was all in cold sweat.
"Amen," he said in a tone that sounded more like his own. "Now tell Cruz to hurry."
He knew Julia felt what was going on in here, so he was not surprised when she did not say she loved him.
But he was - disappointed.
"Take care," she said instead.
He smiled. He would fight to come back and marry this woman - if it took forever.
Mason was sitting at his desk, waiting. Matt had woken up, had done his crying and was now playing with his
toys. Mason wanted to hug his son and hold him tight, but he did not dare.
He was waiting for the phone to ring. Still, when it did, he gave a start.
"Mason Capwell."
"Hey." It was Cruz.
"How's Julia?"
"She's all right. You were right, Mason, someone threatened her but they were gone when I arrived."
Thank God, Mason thought. He did not say it aloud. "Where are you now, Cruz?"
"At Julia's. Want to talk to her?"
"No--"
No one was listening. Julia's voice made Mason sigh silently.
"Mason - honey, I'm fine now. How are you?"
"Fine. Look, Julia, I need to go away."
"What, now?" she said in disbelief.
"Now. I'll ask Cruz to come by and pick up Matthew."
His voice was dry, he seemed very distant. Nothing to surprise Cruz, but Julia immediately got on the alert.
"What's wrong, Mason?"
Mason raised his eyes to see the Indian grinning. "Nothing is wrong; why?" he said coldly. "You know I just do
not like what is happening; so I need to go to settle the matter. Nothing to worry about."
Julia shuddered. "Mason--"
"Julia," he interrupted her.
She understood. "I'll tell Cruz to go immediately," she said, her voice lifeless.
Mason longed to tell her everything. He suddenly realized he needed to tell her so much. He just did not know
how he could do that, now. They already knew Julia was dear to him; he would not endanger her more by
showing just how much he cared.
On the other hand, it was probable he would never see her or talk to her again. Was it fair to leave her to
doubt him forever?
After all, he told himself, it was not her that they were after.
"Julia," he said gently, and this time she knew it was really her Mason talking to her. She knew everything he'd
say now would be very important.
"Yes?" she exhaled.
"Take good care of our baby. I'll be thinking of you both. And," he controlled a spasm in his throat, "please take
care of Matthew. I'll be back. Do not believe anything you hear about me. Just wait for me."
The Indian grinned again, and there was menace in the grin. That was all; Mason would not say more.
"Yes Mason," he heard. "I will take care of your kids. And I will wait for you, if it takes forever."
Mason knew that was true. A part of him was happy. A part of him hurt. How could he require this from a
woman like Julia? What if he was dead by the end of the day and his body was never found? Judging by the
faces of the cutthroats that were around it was most probable.
Still, it was the closest to an oath of love and loyalty he could voice now. And he felt he would need Julia's love.
Mason raised his hand and felt his forehead was all in cold sweat.
"Amen," he said in a tone that sounded more like his own. "Now tell Cruz to hurry."
He knew Julia felt what was going on in here, so he was not surprised when she did not say she loved him.
But he was - disappointed.
"Take care," she said instead.
He smiled. He would fight to come back and marry this woman - if it took forever.