Starlight On Willow Lake

“Faith. Faith McCallum.”

“That’s right. And your girls are Cara and Ruby. The little one is just adorable.”

“Thanks.”

“And the older one...” Regina’s expression turned sympathetic. “I suppose some girls go through that phase.”

“What phase would that be?”

“Adolescence.” Regina hesitated, studying Faith for a moment. “You seem awfully young to have a teenager.”

“I was young when I had Cara.”

“So what did he rescue you from?”

“I beg your pardon.”

“Mason. It’s kind of a thing with him. Everyone he hires seems to have some hard-luck story, and he gives people a second chance. The housekeeper had some high-profile husband who knocked her around, the chef and his family were indigent and the other aide, Lena...I’m not sure what her story is...”

In a way, thought Faith, Mason had rescued her. But she wasn’t sure how she felt about Regina making that assumption.

Regina turned to the big mirror over the hall table and checked her lipstick. A moment later, Mason appeared, dressed in a tailored suit, his shoes shined, a conservative tie neatly knotted against his crisp white shirt.

“There you are,” Regina said. “And where’s Donno? I need to get to the station.”

“We’ll drop you there on the way to the hospital,” he said easily.

She favored him with a brilliant smile. “You’re a lifesaver. I was just telling Faith that.”

“She saw my lifesaving skills in action,” he said. “Rusty, to say the least.”

Regina slipped her arm through his. “I’d never call you rusty.” Groomed to the last inch of her shadow, she made Faith feel shabby and unkempt by comparison.

Normally, Faith wasn’t one to compare. Her best friend, Kim, was ridiculously beautiful, the kind of woman whose style seemed effortless, but Faith never felt self-conscious around Kim. This was different. Maybe it was because Regina moved in on Mason as if she owned him.

* * *

Mason stuffed the paperwork from the hospital into his briefcase. Getting a blood and bodily fluid evaluation had been a first for him, but it had gone fine. The accident victim, a guy named Richard Sanders, had given his consent to be tested, as well, and there were no issues, thank goodness. For safety’s sake, they would go back in six months to be retested.

Regina had made it clear that she wasn’t happy about the idea of heading down to the city without him, but he kept thinking about his conversation with Faith the night before. She had seemed so surprised by his need to make a quick exit. He didn’t have anything urgent on his agenda, so he figured he could stick around a bit longer.

Almost right away, he felt like a fifth wheel. The household ran smoothly, and now that Faith was on board, he wasn’t needed at all. Still, it seemed like a good idea to make sure the new caregiver was everything they’d hoped for.

It was a beautiful morning, and out on the patio facing the lake, Faith and his mother were getting started on their day. He could hear their voices drifting through the sliding screen door. He didn’t want to hover, but he was curious about how they were getting on together.

“According to this schedule, you’re to spend two to four hours a day working out,” said Faith.