Surprise Trip

LAUREN

The next three days were a complete blur. I had seen Mason in his work mode before, where he would complete tasks in a matter of minutes that would take most people hours to get through. I’m sure it didn't hurt that he was one of the most feared men in the country. That tended to speed things along nicely.

I still had no idea where Mason was planning to take us, but my task was to tell my dad about the trip. Mason insisted that my father come with us when he heard that he had never been out of the country.

I’d never seen him so shocked. I had to explain that not everyone got to travel around the world like he did. Some people never had the opportunity to travel at all.

I called Becky to see whether my dad would be healthy enough to travel. It still felt surreal, considering just days ago the doctors didn’t know what to do with him. But after Mason hired a team of specialists, it was like a miracle had happened. They’d tried new treatments, and somehow, against all odds, my dad was recovering. He’d been discharged from the hospital and was looking much better—almost like his old self again.

She seemed on the fence at first, but we would be flying on a private plane and Mason already made sure to hire the best nurses to take care of my dad in case anything happened during our travels.

Our last stop before heading to the airport was to pick my father up. Mason and I got into the car and Coop took off.

“Are you finally going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked leaning towards Mason in the back seat.

“You’re going to have to be patient, Lauren,” Mason said. “I want it to be a surprise.”

I rolled my eyes. He still felt the need to control everything down to the last detail, but at least this time the surprise was going to be a good one.

“You better not be taking me halfway across the world just to walk your dog again,” I said.

Mason let out a bellowing laugh.

“That’s not what I have in mind, but now that you mention it…”

“No! Absolutely not, Mason!”

“Relax, relax, Gale is dog sitting Prince while we’re gone, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I swear, that dog will be the end of me one day.

Just then, we pulled in front of my dad’s house. He was so excited about the trip when I talked to him on the phone, he was almost as anxious as I was to find out where we were going, but I know he was just happy to be able to spend time with me and get to know Mason better.

After Coop parked, Mason and I walked up to the front door. I reached out to press the doorbell when it suddenly opened and Becky stood on the other side, a look of concern plastered on her face.

“Hi, Becky,” I said. “I thought you were taking advantage of your time off, you didn’t need to wait for us to pick up dad.”

Becky offered a quick nod and motioned for us to enter the foyer. I could tell there was something she was holding back, but before I could ask her anything, my dad called out from his seat in the living room.

“Is that you sweetheart?” He asked. “Come on in! I’m just back here watching telly!”

I looked at Mason. He seemed stoic as always, but I could tell he sensed something was wrong too. I felt as though I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Immediately, I started to worry about what could potentially be going wrong.

As we stepped into the living room, I could see my dad sitting in his favorite chair facing the television. The moment he saw me, a huge smile spread across his face and he held his arms out wide for me to give him a hug.

I sat on the couch closest to his chair and Mason took his place next to me. When he placed his hand on my exposed knee, my heart beat fluttered.

“Hiya dad,” I said as my father turned down the volume. “How are you doing? Is everything okay?”

“I’m doing fine, love,” he said. “You really shouldn’t worry about me so much.”

“You’re the only person in the world I need to worry about, Dad.”

He let out a chuckle, pausing when his laughter turned into a fit of coughs. Becky hurried into the room with a glass of water and helped him settle.

I looked at Mason with concern. Maybe it would be too much for my father to travel. Mason read my concern easily and squeezed my leg reassuringly.

“I’m not the only person you should be worrying about,” my dad said, once he had collected himself. “You have a new life now Laurie, you’ve got a whole new man in your life to worry about now and you have no idea how happy that makes me.”

My dad looked at Mason with pride. It had not taken him long to consider Mason as part of the family. Even though the truth of our situation would no doubt make him think of Mason in a different light, I have no intentions of ever telling my father the truth. Not just because I worry how the news would affect his health, but also because I would never want to taint his image of Mason. In spite of our deception, I think my father sees Mason more clearly than most people do. He sees beyond the bravado to the man Mason truly is.

“Mr. Hart,” Mason started to say, but my father cut in quickly.

“Please, call me dad, or Vincent at least!”

Mason smiled.

“Of course,” he said. “Vincent, I’m sure you know that I care about Lauren and I want to take this trip to spend time with you both as… family.”

I looked at Mason, somewhat shocked. I’d never heard him sound unsure of his words before. It was almost as if he was scared to call himself part of our family.

“Son, you must know that means so much to me,” dad said. “Seeing Lauren happy is all that I care about.”

He paused to smile at Mason and I as we sat on the couch.

“I do have some bad news though,” he said as he continued. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you on the trip. I really am sorry.”

“Are you okay dad?” I asked, immediately concerned. I can’t believe how selfish I’ve been trying to force him on this trip when he clearly isn’t fully recovered yet.

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” dad said. “Becky and I spoke with my doctor’s and we agreed it’s best that I stay home. I really appreciate everything the two of you have done, but it looks like I’ll be staying on Her Majesty’s lands for the time being.”

He offered a smile, but my heart completely sank. I wanted nothing more than to spend time with my father and Mason. I understood that his health took precedence, so I did what I always do. I pushed down the feeling and I put on a smile too.

“It’s okay dad,” I said. “I can stay with you for the weekend and we can find some fun things to do around the town.”

Dad scoffed and let out another laugh.

“What are you talking about?” He asked. “Just because I’m not going, doesn’t mean you two have to go! I’d think you’d be more excited to hear that you won’t have to take your dad along on your honeymoon.”

He stood up and slapped Mason playfully on the knee. I was surprised to see him in such good spirits about the whole situation. I didn’t want him to feel like he needed to put on a show for us, but I had to admit, it would be nice to spend some alone time with just Mason. Still, I meant what I said. I had no plans to leave my dad all on his own.

“Dad, really,” I said. “I can stay with you. I don’t need to go on some fancy trip…”

“No, Lauren,” my dad said firmly, his voice carrying a rare authority I hadn’t heard since I was grounded back in Year 9. “You will not delay your honeymoon any further because of me. I insist. You and Mason need this time together, you’re young! Go live your lives!”

Mason glanced at me, his eyes searching for my approval, waiting for me to make the decision. I could feel the weight of it pressing on me. I felt torn, part of me still worried about leaving my dad, but the other part longed to be alone with Mason, away from everything.

Dad, as always, could read me like a book. He placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled softly.

“Laurie, don’t put your life on hold for your old man. I’m going to be okay. I promise.”

I glanced back at Mason, and he nodded in silent agreement.

“If you want to stay, I’ll call the plane off right now,” he said gently. “But if you’re ready… there’s something I’ve been planning. Something just for you.”