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

Chapter 25

EDEN

“Are you sure that this is something you want to do?” Fletcher sits on the edge of my bed as I look through my closet for something to wear.

“Yes, Fletcher, I’m sure.”

“I know you sound totally annoyed at me right now, but your mom already said she’d take him out and you know Toni is training the new bartender so I don’t need to go into the bar until at least eleven to help them close.”

I turn around and walk over to the bed, “Fletcher, my love…”

“Yes, baby?” He stands up and wraps his arms around my waist.

“I’m going to strangle you if you don’t leave me alone.”

He smiles and pulls me into his chest, leaving a kiss on the top of my head. “Alright, I’ll lay off of you. What time do you think we should leave?”

“Carly said everybody is usually out and about around eight.”

“Alright, eight it is. Do you want to grab dinner beforehand?”

“Mom is making hot dogs.”

“Ooo, I’m down with hot dogs.”

It’s been two weeks since that night at the bar. We don’t like to talk about it much, usually just referring to it as the incident. Two days after it happened, Jacob was picked up a few towns over by the sheriff’s office and was arrested. The DA brought up charges based on my case and at the end of last week, two more women came forward and said that the same thing happened to them. Jacob is looking at two charges of sexual assault and one charge of attempted sexual assault. It angers me that he had done this to other women, but I’m so glad that they came forward and he’s currently in jail awaiting his trial.

Tonight is Halloween and I promised Joseph that I would take him out. I haven’t been out and about much since that night. I’ve just been a little nervous about leaving the house. Jacob is locked up and I know I’m safe, but even the one trip Fletcher and I made into town to pick up dinner made me incredibly anxious.

Fletcher said it was okay that I didn’t go out trick or treating, but I knew that I needed to for Joseph. This was his first time trick or treating and I wasn’t about the let other people do it. Not to mention that the two of them are both are dressing up as baseball players and it is going to be too adorable to miss. When Joseph decided he wanted to be a baseball player, he asked Fletcher if he’d dress up with him and he didn’t even think twice before saying yes. Fletcher is going as Todd Helton and Joseph is going as Charlie Blackmon, scruffy beard and all.

After a quick dinner of hot dogs and chips, the boy went into Joseph’s room to get ready. I was strictly barred from going in there until they were done. A half-hour later I heard the sound of cleats walking down the hallway and when they both stepped out into the living room I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You two look fantastic!”

“Why are you laughing, Mommy?”

I run my fingers over his fake beard, “Because your beard makes you look way too old, young man.”

“Charlie has a beard, so I HAD to have one!”

“I know you did. It is great. Let me see the rest of you.”

He makes a full spin and I catch the name on the back of the jersey and something doesn’t seem right. “Wait, this isn’t the costume that I bought online.”