work.”
“When did you get the other cards?” Troy asked, unmoved.
“One showed up on Wednesday sometime. It’s probably nothing.”
“Wasn’t Wednesday the night you went out with him?” Troy spouted, his face reddening.
“Troy, I’m not in the mood.” She wanted the last ten minutes to be erased from her life forever.
“Hannah, what are you thinking?” Troy said shaking his head. “Use your brain. You can’t be this stupid again.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Mason said, stepping out from behind her. “You want to talk to her that’s one thing, but you don’t insult her in her own home. I don’t care if you are family.”
She threw her hands up in the air and stepped out from between the two men towering over her. “You two feel free to take this outside. I’m going to go get dressed.”
She tried to listen as she went through the motions of getting ready for work. She didn’t hear anything breaking. But she didn’t hear the yelling she’d expected either.
Her pinstriped black suit and heels made her feel much more authoritative and in control than she’d been barefoot and naked beneath her bathrobe. She knew the cards were nothing, but she’d call the building manager anyway and see if he had any ideas. And it would give Mason an incentive to start sleeping over.
As she emerged from the hallway, she found Troy alone in the apartment. “Where’s Mason?” she asked, not bothering to hide her hurt that he’d leave without saying goodbye.
“Why are you so sure it’s not him?” Troy asked from his perch on the sofa. “He could be trying to scare you so he could play the hero.”
This one was easy. “Each time a card had shown up he’s been with me.”
“Maybe he’s having someone else deliver them.”
She saw where this train of thought led and cut him off. “Troy, this is not your problem. Hasn’t your annoying buddy Derek vouched for his brother?”
“If it isn’t him… When did you last hear from Marty?”
“What? Why?” Hannah asked, her stomach sinking.
“He was really angry when I told his wife what he’d been up to. Then again, Mason mentioned some creep from work was eyeing you. Do you think it’s him?”
“Where is Mason?” she asked again, not wanting to create a list of suspects for a crime that consisted of spending too much time at Hallmark.
As if on cue, Mason appeared in the open doorway with a box. He began pressing some kind of tape to her doorframe.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he continued to play with her doorway as if she’d given him permission.
“Making sure that little chicken shit doesn’t slide anything under the door anymore.” Mason replied without looking at her, so her annoyed expression never registered.
“With what?” Troy asked, crossing to the doorway. The two men were oblivious to her presence, focused on solving the problem, not on her.
“I’m fireproofing it.” Mason’s eyes never moved from his task. “When the door is closed it will seal so tight an envelope won’t fit through.”
I do not have time for this, whatever it is. “I’ll leave you two to bond. Lock up when you leave. You never know who might wander in without being asked.”
“I always thought you were crazy, Dad,” Mason said to the long, jean-clad legs sticking out from beneath the black GTO. The car had been in the garage for at least fifteen years and he’d never even heard the engine run.
“You all have at one point,” Mac McNally said, sliding out from beneath the car. His hands and shirt were clean, as if he lay beneath the car for fun. “Why am I crazy today?”
“I don’t think you are. I think you must be a genius.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me, kid. You still have to help me move the table out before you leave. Grab me a beer will you?” Mac got up slowly and grabbed a rag and canister of wax off his workbench.
Mason carefully maneuvered the cans from the too-full fridge. With just over a
“When did you get the other cards?” Troy asked, unmoved.
“One showed up on Wednesday sometime. It’s probably nothing.”
“Wasn’t Wednesday the night you went out with him?” Troy spouted, his face reddening.
“Troy, I’m not in the mood.” She wanted the last ten minutes to be erased from her life forever.
“Hannah, what are you thinking?” Troy said shaking his head. “Use your brain. You can’t be this stupid again.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Mason said, stepping out from behind her. “You want to talk to her that’s one thing, but you don’t insult her in her own home. I don’t care if you are family.”
She threw her hands up in the air and stepped out from between the two men towering over her. “You two feel free to take this outside. I’m going to go get dressed.”
She tried to listen as she went through the motions of getting ready for work. She didn’t hear anything breaking. But she didn’t hear the yelling she’d expected either.
Her pinstriped black suit and heels made her feel much more authoritative and in control than she’d been barefoot and naked beneath her bathrobe. She knew the cards were nothing, but she’d call the building manager anyway and see if he had any ideas. And it would give Mason an incentive to start sleeping over.
As she emerged from the hallway, she found Troy alone in the apartment. “Where’s Mason?” she asked, not bothering to hide her hurt that he’d leave without saying goodbye.
“Why are you so sure it’s not him?” Troy asked from his perch on the sofa. “He could be trying to scare you so he could play the hero.”
This one was easy. “Each time a card had shown up he’s been with me.”
“Maybe he’s having someone else deliver them.”
She saw where this train of thought led and cut him off. “Troy, this is not your problem. Hasn’t your annoying buddy Derek vouched for his brother?”
“If it isn’t him… When did you last hear from Marty?”
“What? Why?” Hannah asked, her stomach sinking.
“He was really angry when I told his wife what he’d been up to. Then again, Mason mentioned some creep from work was eyeing you. Do you think it’s him?”
“Where is Mason?” she asked again, not wanting to create a list of suspects for a crime that consisted of spending too much time at Hallmark.
As if on cue, Mason appeared in the open doorway with a box. He began pressing some kind of tape to her doorframe.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he continued to play with her doorway as if she’d given him permission.
“Making sure that little chicken shit doesn’t slide anything under the door anymore.” Mason replied without looking at her, so her annoyed expression never registered.
“With what?” Troy asked, crossing to the doorway. The two men were oblivious to her presence, focused on solving the problem, not on her.
“I’m fireproofing it.” Mason’s eyes never moved from his task. “When the door is closed it will seal so tight an envelope won’t fit through.”
I do not have time for this, whatever it is. “I’ll leave you two to bond. Lock up when you leave. You never know who might wander in without being asked.”
“I always thought you were crazy, Dad,” Mason said to the long, jean-clad legs sticking out from beneath the black GTO. The car had been in the garage for at least fifteen years and he’d never even heard the engine run.
“You all have at one point,” Mac McNally said, sliding out from beneath the car. His hands and shirt were clean, as if he lay beneath the car for fun. “Why am I crazy today?”
“I don’t think you are. I think you must be a genius.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me, kid. You still have to help me move the table out before you leave. Grab me a beer will you?” Mac got up slowly and grabbed a rag and canister of wax off his workbench.
Mason carefully maneuvered the cans from the too-full fridge. With just over a
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