Skylar swallowed the nervous lump in her throat as she anxiously headed to Mason's table, holding the two plates, not knowing who had ordered what. She didn't need to ask since they'd both ordered the same thing: steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Great! They even like to order the same food. Carefully, she placed the plates in front of them, when she really wanted to smash them in their faces. Nick was already eating dinner since he'd gotten there first. He was never good at waiting.
"Hey, Skylar," Nick said. "Nice to see you on this side of the diner. You're usually stuck behind the register."
"Thanks," she said, desperately trying not to look Mason's way or at the girl sitting next to him, but she failed. When Mason gave her a sweet smile, she couldn't help but smile too. Why do you have to be so darn cute? Why do you make me feel like I'm walking on air when you're around?
"By the way, this is our cousin, Amanda. She's visiting us from out of town," Nick introduced.
Cousin? The pang that had twisted her heart a second ago disappeared with Nick's words. Skylar gave her the biggest smile. That Amanda was Mason's cousin was the best news she'd heard in a long time. No wonder his manner had been odd at the restaurant when she had asked him about his date. She also recalled Mason telling her there were more like them, but he'd never mentioned having a cousin. "It's nice to meet you."
"Same here," Amanda muttered. "I've heard a lot of things about you."
"You have?" Skylar didn't know if her tone meant good or bad. "I hope good things." She smiled again. "Let me know if you need anything else." Then she backed away, heading to the register.
"Skylar," Mason called.
Skylar's heart skipped a beat from the sound of Mason's voice. "Yes?"
"We're going to the mountains this weekend. We have a cabin up there. Would you and Kayla like to come?"
Skylar blinked her eyes in surprise. "I'll ask her, but yeah, sure." Then she thought about what she'd said. She'd answered without thinking it through.
"We'll pick you up Friday after work. At Kayla's house. Is that okay?"
"Sure. We get off early on Friday, about three."
"We'll pick you guys up at three thirty." Mason looked at Nick to confirm.
"Okay." Skylar turned on her heel and walked away.
When she was headed to the cash register, her phone buzzed inside her pants. Knowing who was texting, she didn't answer. Just to be playful, she looked across the room to Kayla and produced a devious grin.
"Pick up your phone," Kayla mouthed, pointing to her cell and sending it straight back into her pocket when Mona steeled her eyes at her.
Skylar knew it was driving her nuts. She waited a few seconds for Mona to head to the other side and texted her back, since she couldn't take the excitement any longer either. Mason had asked her out for the very first time. Even though it wasn't a one-on-one date, it didn't matter.
Mason asked us to go to their mountain cabin this Friday.
What? Really?
Just kidding.
Shut up.
Okay, NOT just kidding. Yes!
What did you say?
I said I'll think about it.
What? Really? Are you nuts?
I said yes.
Stop messing with me. Yay!
What are we going to tell your mom?
Don't worry. I know what to say.
Are you sure?
I'm going to tell her we're going with a bunch of girls.
And she'll buy your story?
Why not? I'm a good girl.
Yeah, right. Go back to work. Lol!
Skylar put her phone away and glanced toward Mason's table. They looked like they were in a heated conversation. She wished she had supersonic hearing so she could hone in on what they were saying. Whatever it was, she hoped Mason wasn't talking about Remus. Every time she thought about Remus it freaked her out, so she tried to think about other things. Going to Mason's cabin would be a great distraction. She couldn't wait.
There were two cars parked in front of Kayla's house, both with the passenger-side doors opened. Kayla hopped into Nick's silver Mercedes and Skylar slid into Mason's black BMW. As soon as Skylar settled herself in, Mason pulled her seat belt to lock her in.
This was the second time she had been in the car with him and both times he had belted her in. She wasn't used to this kind of attention, but it felt nice. It was something her ex-boyfriend had never done-acted chivalrous. As soon as Mason closed the door, Skylar practically jumped out of her seat, startled by an unexpected voice. Skylar turned to the sound of a cheerful greeting.
"Hello, Skylar," Amanda said, smiling.
"Oh hey, Amanda," she replied, smiling back. Having assumed it would only be the four of them, she was quite surprised to see her and wondered if Everett was in the other car. After that, things were quiet until Mason got in.
Skylar enjoyed the scenic route they passed through-nothing but mountains, valleys, and trees. The conversation was minimal. Amanda asked Skylar many questions, but mostly focused the topic on herself. She did tell some funny stories about Mason which seemed to break the ice as their laughter rang out in the car.
After a couple of hours of driving on many winding roads, they finally reached their destination. The place was bigger and more modern than Skylar had expected. Though she had been to the mountains a few times before, she had never seen a place as nice as the one in front of her. With a huge, beautiful yard full of trees and flowers, this was obviously a private vacation home. She didn't spot any other cabins nearby either.
The warm fresh air brushed softly against Skylar's skin, giving her a tranquil feeling as she stepped out of the car. Inhaling deeply, she then exhaled all her worries away as if they could be carried off by the wind.
When Mason grabbed the bags and led the way, Skylar turned to look for Kayla, but instead she saw Everett stepping out of the car. Seeing him reminded her of Remus, causing her stomach to tighten into knots. She wondered if he knew his half brother was missing. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Nick and Kayla walking side by side toward her. Then Kayla linked arms with Skylar, walking ahead of Nick.
"Pretty nice," Kayla muttered, grinning from ear to ear. "We're gonna have so much fun." Then she leaned closer. "What's Amanda doing here?"
Skylar shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what's going on with Mason and me, so I'm glad she's here. Amanda is a great distraction."
"Exactly." Kayla's tone was sharp. "But you two need to figure things out. Get to know each other and not have a third wheel tagging along."
"She's not tagging along. Plus, you could say the same thing about Everett."
"True, but at least he's cute to look at." Kayla giggled.
"He's all right, but he makes me nervous."
"Don't worry about anyone except Mason."
"I don't know what I'm feeling these days."
"Don't think so much. Just have fun." Kayla took several steps up to the front door, and her eyes grew wide as she unlinked her arm from Skylar's.
Skylar felt her eyes widen, just like Kayla's. "It's so beautiful here."
The fresh smell of pine and the summer breeze whizzed through the air. The first thing Skylar spotted in the house was the tall vase filled with beautiful flowers. It was situated on a round table that looked just like the one at Nick's home. Then her eyes moved to the elongated windows that reached up to the second floor, surrounding the house and allowing plenty of natural light in. The house was elegant and modern, yet it still felt like a cabin. It was furnished with only the best as far as Skylar could tell, but it was simple, warm, and felt like home.
After the guys gave a tour of the house and directed the girls to their bedrooms, they settled into the dining area where the food had already been prepared. Mason sat to Skylar's right while Kayla sat across from her. Plates filled with steamed tilapia, balsamic rice, and mixed vegetables were placed in front of them.
"Delicious," Kayla muttered, taking a bite. "I wish my mom could cook fish like this."
"Amy, our housekeeper, is a great cook," Mason said matter-of-factly.
"You have a cook here when you come?" Skylar asked, gazing at the utensils, plates, and glasses that were arranged as if they were in a five-star restaurant.
"Yes, she lives nearby. She takes care of this place when we're not around. She doesn't work during the weekends and she leaves right after she makes our dinner. This was already prepared before we got here," Nick informed, scooping a spoonful of rice into his mouth.
Everett got up and took a bottle of wine out of the wooden cabinet. "Let's drink a toast to our new friends." He went around pouring wine into the goblets that had already been placed on the table. Then he picked up his glass and held it in the air. "To our new friends and Remus. Wherever did he wander off to?"