Mason and I spend the day in bed. W

Mason and I spend the day in bed. We order room service for lunch, watch bad TV, and stay wrapped in each other’s arms for the entire afternoon. Around six, I finally get out of bed and into the shower.
I stay in a long time, just letting the hot water run over my aching body.
Most of the campsites had showers, but depending on the time of day and how many campers there were, hot water was never a guarantee. I’ve never taken so many cold showers in my life.
It’s amazing how fast you can get used to something, though. Even the most uncomfortable things like sleeping on the ground and taking cold showers can begin to feel normal. And really, as long as you’ve got a hot guy to snuggle up to at night, it’s all worth it.
I’ve held up my end of the bargain by not complaining along the way. Well, not too much, anyway. But damn, this shower feels amazing. I turn and lean my head back, letting the water run through my hair.
I think about the past few weeks of my life and how much things have changed for me. Not just because of Mason, but because of all the people we’ve met along the way. All the things I’ve tried that I never would have imagined myself doing before this trip.
I think about the baby that Mason and I created and wonder if it’s a boy or a girl. I wonder if the little one is doing okay in there and how long it will be before I get to see his little heartbeat again. The scrape along my side is healing fast and there hasn’t been any cramping or bleeding, so I think I’m in the clear. I have no idea how or when to tell Mason about the baby, though. Will he be mad at me for keeping it a secret all this time?
And I still can’t shake the feeling that he’s still keeping some secret of his own. Something that holds the key to the last of the walls around his heart.
We’re so close now, I know it. So close to a real commitment that would change both of our lives forever.
All three of our lives, really.
When I get out of the shower, Mason is gone, but there’s a pink gift bag sitting on the bed with a note.
My eyes grow wide and I rush over, pull the tissue paper out and reach inside. My hand connects with soft fabric and as I hold it up, I realize it’s a dress. I nearly collapse onto the bed in a fit of happy giggles. For someone who has a walk-in closet that’s bigger than this room, it’s been so hard for me to live out of a tiny little bag the past few weeks. A new dress—even one with no recognizable brand—is like heaven right now.
How did he possibly have time to go buy this? Was I really in the shower that long?
And where has he gone now?
I open the note he left for me and all it says is:
Get dressed, baby. I’m taking you out tonight.
I run my hand along the scrawled words. Baby. It makes my heart soar. And a real date? This is something we haven’t done yet on our trip and it fills my stomach with butterflies. Why is he going to all this trouble to make tonight special?
We’ve been on such a strict budget this entire trip. This hotel stay alone is costing a fortune compared to the campsites, and now the dress? I hope this doesn’t mean he’s almost ready to go home and is spending what’s left of the money so that we can have a fun last few days on the road.
I push the thoughts away. I don’t want to think about what might happen to us when we go home. I know I can’t go back to the way things were. I can’t go back to being his piece on the side while he parades a new girl in my face every weekend. There are only two choices now.
Either we’re together or we’re not. There can be no in between for us. Not anymore.
Behind me, the door opens and Mason walks in. He’s carrying a large brown paper bag.
“Thank you for the dress,” I say, holding it up to my body again. “It’s beautiful.”
He laughs and touches my wet hair. “Did you just get out of the shower?”
I make a face. “Yes? Was I really in there that long?”
He laughs. “An hour? Maybe longer?”
“No way,” I say. I bend to get a look at the clock beside the bed. It’s ten after seven. “Holy crap.”
“Yeah, hope no one else in the hotel needs to shower tonight or they’re in for a rude awakening.”
“Welcome to my life for the past three weeks,” I say. I giggle and let me towel drop to the floor. “I’ll get dressed.”
His eyes travel over my naked body and he tightens his grip on the paper bag. “You better hurry,” he says. “I’m not sure how much longer I can hold onto my self-control.”
I throw the dress on the bed, then make a show of walking over to the chair where I left my bag last night. I find my bra and panties and take my time getting dressed, like the opposite of a strip tease.
Mason sets his bag down on the desk, then leans against the wall and watches, his eyes devouring me. I love it when he looks at me like that. It’s raw and pure and real. There’s no room for lies or deception or misunderstanding. There’s just desire.
I finally end his agony by pulling the dress over my head. It’s a simple off-the-shoulder white dress with lace around the bottom and a skirt that’s gathered around the waist and poofs a little at the bottom. I adore it. After wearing nothing but the same dirty cutoffs and tank tops for nearly a month, it may as well be couture.
I pull my hair to the side and turn around in front of him. “Zip me up?”
He takes his time, slipping his warm hand inside and running his fingertips down my spine with one slow, deliberate movement that sends a fire through my body. When he gets to the bottom, he zips the dress up, then kisses my neck and pulls me close to him.
If I wasn’t anxious to see what he has planned for the night, I’d just tell him to unzip me and get back into bed.
But this is the first time he’s done something sneaky like this and made plans for us, so I want to know. I want to experience whatever it is that’s coming next.
“What’s in the other bag?” I ask.
He smiles and opens the brown bag. He pulls two scratched up pairs of boots out and hands one to me. “I hope they fit,” he says. “I thought we should at least try to look the part if we’re going out.”
I laugh and pull the brown leather boots on. They’re a perfect fit. I have no idea how he knew my size, but when I look in the mirror, I’m so excited about our date I can hardly stand it.
“How did we afford all this?”
A twinge of worry eats at the corners of my happiness. If we still have weeks to go on the trip, he wouldn’t be spending so much on the past couple of days.
“Don’t worry about that,” he says. “We saved so much in Little Lake that we can afford to live a little and have some fun while we’re here. I didn’t spend that much, really. I got all this stuff at a thrift shop around the corner. Besides, tonight is very special.”
“Oh?” I say, my heart fluttering. “Why is that?”
One side of his mouth lifts in a smile that has mischief written all over it. “You’ll see.”
I watch as he pulls a white button-up and a dusty black cowboy hat out of the bag. He dresses quickly, pulling on his boots and dusting off the hat before placing it perfectly on his head. Damn, he looks good as a cowboy, especially with that little bit of scruff on his face giving him a slightly rugged toughness.
I have never been so excited about a date in my life.
I just pray it’s a beginning and not an end.