heard the shower stop running. Ruth was coming. From downstairs came the sound of Wilson returning from his surf. Mason could hear the sand squeak on the tiles and the thud of a surfboard being placed in its rack.
Ruth's scent reached him first. Her wet body pressed against his back. `Hey. You okay?'
`Like you would not believe,' he said, enjoying having her against him. `You okay? It was…intense.'
`Make-up sex is the best.' Ruth hugged him tight. `I'm not delicate anymore, Mason. I wanted you.' She slipped a hand down and cupped him, nails pinching slightly. `And if I wasn't so hungry now, we could christen the new balcony.'
`Careful, Mrs Douglas,' Mason said, smiling as he turned around. `Your actions say otherwise.'
He brushed wet strands of dark hair away from her blue eyes, wanting to love her again.
Ruth's grip tightened and hard nipples pressed against him.
`I want you so much,' she said, letting him go and stepping back. `But I'm starving and Wil won't wait any longer to see you.'
`Have you two got clothes on yet?' Wil shouted from downstairs.
`See?' Ruth said, waving her hand at him. Mason smiled and walked inside after her. `Here.'
Mason caught the shorts tossed at him and Ruth tied a sarong around her waist.
`Brekkie on the balcony, Wilson!' Ruth hollered, and Mason found himself grinning. This was just like it had been before. Ruth pushed him and Mason wandered on to the big balcony.
`Hey Dad.'
Mason turned, his smile fading a fraction. A tall, tanned young man stood before him. The scars on his chest and shoulder said he was Wilson.
`Hey Wil.' Mason blinked, surprised at how tall his son had grown. His boy had become a young man. `Holy crap, come here.' Mason took Wilson in his arms. A tremor went through Wilson and Mason hugged him tighter.
`Easy,' Wilson said, slowly breaking off the hug. `Don't want a cracked rib, do we now?'
`No.' Mason tried to not sniffle; everything felt so intense.
`How's Mum? I mean,' Wilson said, looking past him with worry on his face. `She's been different since…you came back, and last night…' His face went red.
`She's fine,' Mason said with a small nod. `But I know what you mean. She's a lot stronger but still her.'
`Oh.'
Mason stood watching Wilson shuffle, uncomfortable with the subject. Damn, the boy had grown.
`Sit down, you two.' Ruth appeared beside them with a platter of sliced fruit.
`Jeez, Mum,' Wilson moaned as Mason sat at the table with him. `I gotta be more specific about the clothes thing again, do I? The sarong is supposed to cover all of you, not just the bottom half.' He waved at her bare top. `I thought we'd worked it out about you not wearing clothes around the house?'
`You're the only one who complains,' Ruth said with a smile, glancing at Mason. `It never worried you before.'
`Yeah, well.' Wilson's ears coloured.
`It doesn't worry Sally when she stays here.' Ruth smiled.
`Sally?' Mason nearly choked on his slice of rockmelon. `The girl you met last time we were on the island?'
`Yeah.'
Mason understood then as he watched Wilson. `Sally stays here? You mean you're—'
`Dating for over a year now,' Ruth said. She nibbled on her watermelon. `She's been a big part of our life here. She came to see Wilson after we got back, even stayed in the hospital here when Wilson had surgery. I like her and she's part of the family. That's why Wilson is staying with her on the island for the next few weeks.'
`Family. Island?' Mason's head ached for a moment. Everything was moving so fast. He'd missed so much. `She knows about—?'
`No.' Wilson looked him in the eye. `And it's going to stay that way until the time is right, Dad. So you need to remember that when we go over today. If you're ready?'
`Ready?' Mason felt his mouth move. They had accepted him back without hesitation. Butcher didn't exist here.
`Mason.' Ruth took his hands. `We want to be a family again. We want you back, here with us.'
`We do.' Wilson's hand joined his mother's. `No matter what's happened, you're still my dad.'
`I… I'm not good at this.'
`We know. That's why you need us and…we need you. So, you up for two weeks on Wreck Island then? After all, it is your birthday.' Ruth stood up and Mason felt his heartbeat increase as he looked at her. He loved the island. It was their special place. He'd met her there.
`We leave today?'
`Yep. We've got our own villa and Wil is staying with Sally and her mum.'
Wilson stood up. `The morning ferry leaves in two hours and I need to let Sal know if we're coming over.' Mason could not miss the excitement in his voice.
`Sounds like a plan. A good one.' Mason sat back in his chair, relieved.
`Right, I'll call Sal and let her know. Good to have you back, Dad.' Wilson disappeared down the stairs.
`I've missed so much,' Mason muttered as Ruth hugged him.
`Yes, but now you're here.' Her sarong fell away and she sat on the table in front of him. A leg flicked over his head and she pulled him towards her. `I've already sent clothes over to the island and we've got two hours to kill. Take your pants off.'
Wilson pressed redial on his mobile. Sally was the only one he called. Sounds he didn't need to hear wafted down from the balcony.
`Christ,' he muttered, walking outside onto the lawn, away from the house.
`Hey. You've reached Sally, please leave a message.' Her voice always made him smile.
`It's me, Sal. We're coming over this morning. Dad's coming with us and it's all cool.' Wilson paused, thinking about her. `Sal, it means a lot that that you're doing this, being here now. See you soon.' He stared at the touch screen for a moment, and then looked up. Alert. The trees had fallen silent.
`You're shitting me!' he cursed, dropping the phone onto a garden seat. `You really aren't all that smart, are you? Coming here.' Wilson grabbed the small crowbar he'd left outside after training.
He could sense the intruder.
An Unnatural.
`Not smart at all,' he said, stopping at the edge of the lawn, well aware of the complex security system buried in the garden beds surrounding the house. `We're not afraid anymore.'
The silence thickened around him and Wilson smacked the crowbar in his hand, making sure the sound of iron on flesh echoed in the silence. `Yeah, that's right.
