Broken (Book 1, The Watcher Chronicles, Paranormal Romance) by S.J. West

haltingly.
    “Good , then that’s settled,” Faison says, smiling at her accomplishment of finding me a date on such short notice, even though she never actually asked me if it was what I wanted.
    Mama Lynn appears in the arched entry way to the kitchen from the living room.
    “Come on in, Mason,” she says , ever the epitome of southern hospitality.  “I’ve got something for you.” She waves him over indicating he should follow her into the kitchen.
    Mason walks into the house and I close the door behind him.
    Faison leans into my ear and whispers, “I think he likes you.”
    I look at her like she’s lost her mind.
    “You practically bushwhacked him into taking me to that stupid party.  A party I wasn’t even intending to go to,” I whisper back heatedly.
    “But he likes you,” Faison says, full of excitement because she’s always been a hopeless romantic.
    I just shake my head and walk to the kitchen, completely unsure how I will ever recover from my Faison induced mortification.
    Mama Lynn is just handing Mason a snowman tin full of cookies when I reach the kitchen.
    “Now you share these with the people you and Jess work with,” Mama Lynn instructs.  “I only make them once a year so you better enjoy them while you can.”
    “I’ll be sure everyone gets a chance to taste you r wonderful cooking,” Mason tells her.  “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
    I see Mama Lynn blush slightly as she waves her hand.  “Oh , they’re just a little something we give to all our friends at Christmas.”
    “Then thank you for including me in such a special group of people.”
    Mama Lynn smiles.  As Mason turns around to find me, I see Mama Lynn point to Mason and make the ‘ok’ sign with her hand telling me she approves of him.  It makes me wonder if Mama Lynn had been the mastermind all along behind Faison’s ambush of Mason. Had she been secretly orchestrating a way to get Mason and me on a date since she met him that morning?  It is then I realize how desperate the two most important people in my life are to see me go on a date.  Poor Mason is fixed in their crosshairs now.  A fact which almost makes me pity him.
    When Mason faces me, I know there is only one thing to do: get him out of Mama Lynn’s house before she has us married off.
    “I need to speak with you in private,” I say to Mason, tilting my head indicating we should go outside.
    Mason turns to look at Mama Lynn.
    “I’ll make sure the people we work with in Colorado get these,” he tells her.  “Thank you again.”
    “Anytime.”  Mama Lynn smiles.
    Mason turns to Faison.  “Nice to have met you, Faison.  I suppose I will see you at the party tomorrow night.”
    Faison smiles.  “Oh, you can count on it.”
    Once we step outside, I start to walk down the sidewalk to my house, not wanting curious ears to hear what I have to tell Mason.
    “Luci fer came to see me,” I say.
    Mason scowls.  “What did he want?”
    “He seems to think he and I can be friends,” I say, shaking my head at the absurdity of the string of words I just said.
    “I don’t think he knows the true meaning of that concept,” Mason comments dryly.  “Did he say why he thought the two of you could be friends?  Or more importantly, why he wants to be friends with you?”
    I shrug.  “Just that he sensed something familiar about me.  He didn’t elaborate much on the subject.”  I pause for a moment, not sure how Mason will take my next revelation.  “He saw the crown.”
    Mason stops walking , forcing me to stop and turn to face him.
    “What did he say about it?”
    “ Not much, just that it shouldn’t be here.  More or less the same thing you said to me when you first saw it.”
    “Did he try to take it from you?”
    I shake my head.  “No.  He didn’t seem interested in trying to take it.”
    Mason’s eyes narrow on me.  “You don’t seem scared of him.”
    I suddenly realize Mason is right.  “No, I guess I’m