"You're so..tall!" Blair said with a laugh as she reached out to give him a hug. Mason laughed out loud as he said
"Yeah that seems to happen."
As she pulled away she added "So I guess you should have no trouble telling me where to go then huh?"
Mason turned to Johnny and Jen. "Yeah, um, I'm gonna head out. See yawl later." Johnny was grinning from ear to ear. "Ok Mason, yawl have a good night now." Jenny on the other hand looked somewhat sullen and turned her back on them to finish putting away the glasses.
Mason and Blair walked out into the somewhat cooler evening air. "So, what do you do here? I didn't expect to find you still in this little town. You were the one with big dreams. A huge police department somewhere like Atlanta? Mason took her hand to help her up the bank to the public parking. "Well, I am a cop, just not in Atlanta. My parents died while I was in college so I came back here. Been here ever since, at the same department Dad was. So I guess it's kind of fitting. What about you? Not a word since that summer. Your grandparents never even mention yawl any more." By now they were standing beside a shiny black Beemer that Mason assumed was hers. Blair looked down at her strapy sandals "Mom and Dad don't even know I'm here Mason. I'm supposed to be going on a cruise for the summer with my friends from school. Two weeks ago Mamma got a letter from Grandma Anne telling her that Gramps is really sick. Mamma threw it away without even opening it. I saw it in the trash while I was home visiting and read it. It was the first word I had had from here since I was 8. So, I packed up, charged Daddy's credit card with a cruise and sent one of my friends in my stead. And here I am, not really sure what I'm doing here. They are not expecting me so I don't know how I'll be welcomed."
Mason leaned his lithe body against the hood of the car as he listened. Mesmerized by the silky tones in her voice, the glint of the moonlight on her hair. The fluid motion she used to run her fingers through her hair as she brushed it off her forehead. He was overwhelmed with the surprising desire to reach out and touch her face. To be sure she was real. That she could really be this beautiful. "Do you want me to go with you? It's next door to my place. May be better if I knocked and spoke to Mrs.Ann first. Soften the shock."
"That would be great Mason, I'll admit that I'm more than a little nervous about all this. I don't know what made me decide to come. I guess It just scared me to think that my grandfather could die, without me ever seeing him again. Smelling the pipe tobacco on his cloths. I have so many little memories….." she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts.
"Lets get moving then" Macon pushed off the car and headed to his own pickup truck. "If we wait to long they will be asleep, and that doesn't sound like a good idea".
Mason led the way to the edge of town. The Streets were dimly lit with street lamps scattered here and there getting farther apart as they left main street. The lights disappeared completely when they turned onto Walkers Drive. Without the street lights in the way, the stars were radiant against the dark sky. A full moon shed a brilliance across the pastures on either side of the road. Mason turned into the drive way and dimmed his head lights.
The Walkers house sat bout 200ft off the road nestled underneath two big oak trees. The wrap around porch had green ferns hanging between the white railing post, making a stark and cooling contrast to the white house. In the moonlight, Mason couldn't help but think how beautiful the old place was.
Blair pulled the now slightly dusty car in beside him and turned of the ignition. They slowly approached the house together, the moon lighting the path ahead. They were walking close enough to touch shoulders. "Are you scared?" Mason asked in hushed tones. "Pretty nervous." She replied, looking up at him. Her nose turned up ever so slightly on the end. Little features reminded Mason of the little girl he had known so long ago. "There are still lights on in the den, so they're still up. I'll go up first and knock on the door." With that Macon took the steps, two at a time and taped lightly on the screen door. The faint sound of shuffling feet came closer behind the door. Macon tried to organize his thoughts on what to say to the old couple. How would they react? He knew there was a lot of bad blood between the family, but surely that didn't extend to their only granddaughter.
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