Obviously Jenna had had a falling out with her parents, and she wasn’t interested in reconciliation. Mason’s throat clenched at the thought. Family members needed to stick together, work things out through thick and thin. Mason couldn’t stand the idea of Jenna living year after year without working out her differences with her family. She was so lucky to have family. Why couldn’t she see that?
Surely whatever her issues were, they weren’t nearly as large as she believed. Nobody’s problems were that big.
“Drink, Mr. Simmons?” Patrick headed behind the bar and proceeded to pour himself several fingers of what appeared to be an expensive scotch.
Mason shook his head. “No, sir. Thank you.” No way was he going to drink alcohol and lower his ability to read people this evening.
“Are you an alcoholic, Mr. Simmons?” Patrick eyeballed Mason over his glass as he took a long swig of the brown liquid.
Mason almost choked. “No, sir.”
Patrick circled the bar and took a seat in a leather arm chair, nodding to a matching chair on the other side of a small round mahogany table that probably cost more than all the furniture in Mason’s entire home.
Instead of taking the offered seat, Mason rounded the chair with Jenna in tow and pressed her forward.
She gasped as she glanced back at him, but he raised an eyebrow, hoping she would realize he wasn’t taking no for an answer. She could either take the seat or argue with him, but he would win. He gambled she wouldn’t want to make a scene.
No way was Mason going to sit in the open chair and leave Jenna standing. It would be rude. There were many other seats in the room, but none were close enough to engage in conversation with her father. Mason suspected Jenna was in far more need of a chat with Dad than Mason himself.
Patrick lifted an eyebrow as Mason stood behind Jenna. She settled herself in the chair and crossed her legs. She didn’t look her father in the eye, but it was a start.
“What do you do, Mason?”
“He’s an accountant, Dad.” It was the first time Jenna spoke, and she did so quickly enough that Mason recognized her desire to paint Mason in her own way.
At that moment a young lady waltzed into the room, saving them from more benign conversation. “Well hello there, sister. And who have we here?” The waif-like woman was nothing like Jenna. She was taller, blonde, and her huge blue eyes blinked as she spoke, her gaze directed at Mason.
Mason cleared his throat and introduced himself. “Mason Simmons, ma’am. I’ve been dating your sister.”
The woman smiled as though the idea were preposterous. She winked at him when Jenna wasn’t looking. “I’m Jean. Has anyone given you a tour? I’d be glad to while my sister speaks with Father.”
Mason couldn’t believe the audacity of this woman. He would no sooner follow her from the room than he would cut his right arm off. She acted like a child instead of a grown adult.
Jenna gasped.
Mason squeezed her shoulder where he’d rested his hand when she’d taken a seat. “No, thank you. I’m sure I’ll have ample opportunity at another time.”
On the heels of this conversation, Joann sauntered into the room. She wore an evening gown as though they were going to a ball instead of enjoying Sunday dinner together. The smile she plastered on her face was fake, and she had a twinkle in her eye that led Mason to believe she’d won some sort of battle, or at least round one.
“Jenna. So glad you could find time to join us this evening.” She lifted her gaze to Mason. “I know nothing about you, young man, but I like you simply for being able to accomplish what none of us has been able to achieve for two years.”
Two years? Holy shit. This was worse than he thought. Who were these people?
Jenna stiffened under his hand.
“Shall we move to the dining room? Dinner is ready.” Joann turned and fled as quickly as she’d entered, clearly expecting everyone to jump and follow, which they did.
All but Mason and Jenna, at least. Jenna seemed rooted to the seat. She heaved for a breath as the others shuffled from the room.
Mason wanted to make the most of the situation. Whatever had everyone’s panties in a wad couldn’t be all that bad. Mason kneeled beside Jenna and looked her in the eye. “You okay?” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “It’s just dinner.”
She raised her gaze and narrowed it on him, her chest rising with each breath. “There’s no such thing as ‘just dinner’ with my family.” She rose and took his hand to lead him from the room.
When they reached the dining room, Mason tried not to react outwardly to the opulence. The table was set as though the Queen of England were a guest tonight. Mason glanced around and quickly surmised no one was in attendance but the four family members and himself. Seemed overboard. What on earth kind of money did these people have? And why hadn’t Jenna mentioned it to him before now?