When We Go Back Again (Mason Brothers Book #1)

Chapter 9

EDEN

I woke up early on Sunday morning so I could sit on the back porch and enjoy the morning sun before everybody else got up. Once Joseph started sleeping through the night, he would usually sleep past eight. Even on the days I wanted to sleep in, I’d force myself out of bed so I could enjoy even just an hour of silence before he was up and ready to go. With a cup of coffee in my hand and nothing but the horses in my view, I find myself completely content.

The sound of the backdoor brings me back to the present and I turn slightly to see my mom coming out to sit with a cup of her own. “It’s peaceful out here first thing in the morning, isn’t it?”

I nod my head while sipping on my coffee, “I do love it. You and Carl are really lucky to have such a property.”

“I know, it is my favorite place in the world, I think. Just wait until the first snowfall.”

“Oh no...snow.” I shudder at the thought.

Mom giggles, “I bet you didn’t need to deal with that much in Southern California, huh?”

“Only when we made a trip to go skiing. I know Joseph will like it. I can’t wait for him to experience all four seasons.”

“How is he doing? I mean, I see him every day and he seems happy, but you’re his mom, you’d know best.”

“It’s only been a week so I think there are still moments he probably just feels like we’re on vacation, but he’s loving the horses and we’ve seen Carly’s little boy Ahmed a few times. That is more friends that he had back in San Diego.”

“Does he ask about Caleb?”

‘Thank God he hasn’t. Then again, Caleb wasn’t exactly around much, you know?”

“Yeah, that is probably a good thing. I’m sure that the conversation might be rough if he does ask.”

“It will, I’ll just do my best,” I sigh. “Being a parent is hard, Mom.”

She leans over and puts her hand on my shoulder and laughs, “You’re telling me! I know you said you won’t be joining us for breakfast today, what will you be doing?”

“Oh geez, Mom.” 

“What? I’m allowed to ask. You may be 28, but you’re still my little girl.”

I bite my bottom lip and look in her direction, “Fletcher and I are going out for breakfast. If you MUST know.”

“Fletcher huh? You two reconnected already?” She may sound completely innocent, but her face says different. I know she knows a lot more than she’s admitting right now.

“Yes, Mom, but something tells me that you already knew that.”

“Glenwood Springs is a small town. Somebody may have seen the two of you at the Mason Jar last Friday.”

“Just because they saw the two of us doesn’t mean anything.”

“No, it doesn’t, but sometimes you can just tell. So, tell me, does this mean that the two of you are dating?”

“I don’t know. We’re having breakfast, getting to know each other. We have a past, but I just want to take it slow. We might be Fletcher and Eden, but a lot has changed over those years. I can’t jump into something without knowing what I’m doing.”

“I respect that. You have a real good head on your shoulders and I know you’ll do it in your own time. Does he know about Joey?”

“I did tell him. I knew he would have found out eventually one way or another. There is just this need to protect Joseph and his feelings in all of this too. It didn’t seem to bother him when he found out though.”