by Claire Adams
It was suspicious that his mom called me last night to invite me to dinner. I suspected she was holding onto a little of the past and trying to keep Austin here. I couldn’t blame her for that. He was her son and he left here so suddenly, without any kind of return until now. She was likely desperate to lock him in his room and throw away the key.
I walked into the living room and made sure everything I needed was in my purse. My puffy black jacket hung by the door. I could grab that when I left. I walked nervously to the kitchen to sip the glass of wine that I’d poured earlier to calm my nerves. I wasn’t driving tonight, under strict orders that Austin was picking me up like any gentleman should do. I just thought that was part of the ploy that she had going, even though I knew it wouldn’t work. It was cute, though. She was a sweet woman.
Between the dinner tonight and my sister’s potential move, knots twisted in my stomach. Everything seemed uncertain to me at this point. The very thing I loved about North Reed was that it was comfortable and predictable. I didn’t have drama here, no issues. There were no big surprises, but life seemed to be throwing me a curve ball these days. I couldn’t do a thing to change anything that was happening though. All I could do was force my way through it. I finished the wine and heard a knock at the door. My stomach jumped into my throat.
Good grief. This was NOT a date.
I walked over and looked through the peephole to seeing Austin waiting. I opened the door and smiled at him, noting that he was wearing nice black slacks and a blue sweater. Even he looked like this was a date, and I licked my lips as I took him in. “You look good. Let me just get my jacket,” I said as I reached over for it.
I felt his eyes on me as Austin stepped forward to help me with it, just like he used to do. I shivered as his hand brushed against my neck and looked around for my purse. Was it the wine making me feel dizzy or him?
I walked over to get my purse and returned to the door. Austin took my keys and locked it for me before he guided me to the rental car with his hand on my lower back. He hadn’t changed at all in some ways, and I smiled as I looked at the car. “Why did you rent this?” I asked.
He chuckled. “I liked it. I guess I forgot where I was driving.” Austin opened my door. “I have an SUV in New York. I should have gotten one of those at the airport.” He laughed and looked at me for a long moment. “I use Dad’s if the weather is too bad.”
Austin closed the door, and I watched him walk around the front. Warmth rushed through me, and I pressed my lips together. Austin was so handsome, even more than before. Pictures that I’d seen didn’t do him justice. A lump formed in my throat, and I pushed the feelings I had for him down. I hated that he lived in New York, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“I hope you don’t mind, but Mom wanted me to get some stuff at the store for dinner. It will be quick.” Austin looked at me as he started the car.
I frowned. “She had this planned since last night without being prepared? That doesn’t sound like your mom at all.”
His eyes narrowed in the dim light from the street lamp. “Last night?” Austin asked. I nodded. “She suggested it this morning as if it just popped in her head.” He shook his head.
“What’s for dinner?” I asked.
“Steak and potatoes. Does that sound familiar?” Austin glanced over, our eyes locking.
“That’s her specialty, and one of your favorites. Do you miss home-cooked meals living in the city?”
He pulled away from the curb and headed to the local grocery store. “I certainly don’t cook. There’s a wide array of food available at any given time of night in New York, so I’ve expanded my tastes. I don’t think any of it tastes as good as Mom’s food though. There’s just something so comforting about it. Some likes and feelings don’t ever go away, you know?”
I did know. I felt the same way.
Austin parked in the lot and walked around the car to let me out. I loved this little market and the way that everyone greeted us when we walked in.
I knew they looked at us together and assumed it was more than it really was. That didn’t matter. This was just dinner. Austin went to the butcher and asked for the best cuts of steak he had. My eyes widened at the price that Barney quoted. I told Austin I’d go across the store and grab some baking potatoes while he waited. He nodded, and I started across the store.
Christmas music played over the speakers as I walked, feeling Austin’s eyes on me the entire time. It made me wonder how my ass looked in the dress after eating so much junk with Kim lately. I wasn’t a small girl by any means, but I wasn’t fat. I had curves, and Austin liked them in the past. Did he now?
I ran into Mrs. Grandy and asked her how she was. I bagged four large potatoes in a plastic bag before tying it off. I walked over to the salad area and grabbed a couple of bags of the Caesar, since that was also a favorite of Austin’s. I imagined that he ate as much as he used to, so I made sure there were large servings of everything.
I was feeling hungry as well. I didn’t cook for one too often, and a home-cooked meal sounded perfect tonight. I turned to go back to where Austin was getting the steaks, but he was already walking toward me.
“Need anything else?” he asked, looking at the salad with a smile.
“I know that you like it,” I said. Austin eyed the potatoes and lifted his eyes to meet mine. “Do we need to get wine or anything else?”
“Mom made some fresh sweet tea for dinner. My parents aren’t drinkers to begin with, but after Dad’s heart attack… Mom keeps everything out of the house.” He shrugged as a shadow crossed his face. “I hope that’s okay with you.”
“Of course, it is. I barely drink myself.” I smiled, longing to stroke his cheek gently. I wanted him to smile again, the way he used to with me. The moments seemed to drag before I blinked. “Shall we? I’m getting hungry.”
Austin led me to the front of the store and paid for everything, not even phased by the total cost. There was a reason I didn’t eat like this all the time. He handed the cashier a large bill. It would only confirm all the local gossip about his wealth, but I remained quiet as the manager asked him all kinds of questions about New York. Austin answered politely as he was given change. Then he took the bag of food and looked at me. “Are you ready, Rebecca?”
I felt everyone’s eyes on me as I nodded with a fake smile. “Sure am.”
I could hear it now. Since we were seen together at the store, Chelsea would tell her friends, and we would suddenly be back together. Austin would sweep me off my feet and take me back to New York, and we’d live happily ever after.
Even though none of that would happen. His mom invited me to dinner, and more than likely, he didn’t want her to. He didn’t look happy when I mentioned her call last night. We told them all good night and walked back out to the car, where he let me in first again.
We continued to his parents’ house, and I looked around at the many places that reminded me of Austin. That was the bad part about staying in a town where your high school sweetheart used to live; all the memories. I leaned back against the comfortable seat and wondered if they’d hit him all since he returned. I wanted to ask him if he missed it here, missed me, but I didn’t want to go back there. We’d talked, and it was what it was. It was over, and tonight was just some lingering nonsense.
Maybe it was the wine I had before leaving my house. I was feeling too nostalgic tonight. I took a deep breath as we turned down his parents’ street. It was one of the quietest parts of town, and I cursed my memory as so many nights played through my mind. Damn it.
This wasn’t a date.
I looked over at him and saw him staring at me. “I haven’t been here since you left town,” I said.
“Yeah, they miss you. Mom mentions it from time to time.” Austin smiled gently, and our eyes locked. My breath caught in my throat.
“She does?” I asked, wanting to know if he did as well. He mentioned feelings not going away earlier. I wondered if he’d b
een thinking of me.
He leaned over and kissed me. My mind spun as I felt his lips on mine. I hadn’t been kissed for a long time, and I was surprised at how natural it felt to be kissed by Austin again. I tilted my head, and he deepened it slowly. I let out a soft moan.
Heat rushed through my veins as our tongues danced together. I felt the ache in my breasts and the throbbing between my legs. I moved closer to Austin, needing more. I was ready to crawl across the seat when he pulled away gently, breathing heavily.
“I’m sorry, Rebecca. I don’t know what came over me.”
I heard the regret in his voice and frowned as the bubble burst between us. I moved away, assuring him that no apology was necessary. I liked it and didn’t push him away, but I felt the ache in my heart as he slowly made his way to the side of the car.
Chapter Thirteen
Austin
We brought the food inside, and Mom hugged Rebecca tightly. I still felt fuzzy from the kiss and wondered what the fuck I was thinking doing that. It just happened, like everything always did where Rebecca was concerned. Our first kiss was quick, too, and damn it all if her lips didn’t feel just as good as back then.
Rebecca rushed into the living room to greet my father with a big hug, conscientiously leaning down to do so. Dad always had a soft spot for Rebecca. I stared at her ass while he asked her how her family was doing. She chatted with him, laughing most of the time before she asked Mom if she needed help cooking.
“I got it, sweetheart. It’s easy to cook these steaks up in my pan, and I’ll bake the potatoes in the process.” Mom gave me a happy smile and hurried into the kitchen.
I joined Rebecca and Dad in the living room. It came to my attention that he was a little more enthusiastic about this meal with Rebecca here. They were always close. She smiled brightly as she described her parents’ house in Arizona.
I knew she missed her family a lot. It was obvious in the way she talked about them. Still, she seemed happy sharing stories about them with a family friend. Our parents always got along well.
Mom came in to talk while the potatoes baked, and she looked as thrilled as Dad about this situation.
I could only think about how badly I wanted to kiss Rebecca again. Hell, I wanted more. My body was still reacting to what happened between us. I shifted in my seat, and Mom glanced at me. I leaned back. Rebecca laughed and looked sideways at me.
Fuck me. I was worse than a teenager right now.
Mom stood up to finish dinner after about forty-five minutes, by which time I was both aroused and starving. Rebecca went in to help her finish and set the table. I listened to them laughing together. I shook my head with a chuckle.
Dad gave me a smile. “I’ve missed this sound,” he told me.
I nodded in agreement, feeling painfully sentimental. Nothing in New York felt like this.
They called us to the table. Dad sat down and stared at the thick ribeye steak on his plate. “Did you buy these, Sally?”
“I asked Austin to grab them for me. I didn’t specify the cuts I wanted, but he took the liberty of buying these.” She reached over to grab my arm for a moment. Rebecca smiled at us. “Thank you, son. It was a pleasure to cook these for you tonight, as well as you.” She glanced at Rebecca and seemed to be on the verge of getting emotional for a moment.
I took that moment to cut into my steak, giving Mom some privacy. She was so happy tonight, and I hated all the sentimental shit I was feeling for a second before I looked around the table. I appreciated all this right now.
“Has there been any news about the library?” Mom asked Rebecca kindly.
Rebecca’s face fell. “It doesn’t look good. Kim’s talking about moving a few hours away to work at another library.” Rebecca shook her head sadly, and I wanted to jump across the table and pull her into my arms. “I can’t believe it.”
“The factory closing was a bad thing for the town,” Dad said sadly. “It shifted everything around, and folks started moving.”
“I know,” Rebecca said. “Kim told me all of this, but I still don’t want to believe it.” Rebecca looked like she was going to cry now, making me realize that all her family would be gone. She’d be alone.
I knew a lot about business living in New York, and what they were discussing wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Creative economic destruction did as much good as it did bad, but I knew that tonight would not be a good time to point that out. This wasn’t New York, and it was affecting a town that was near and dear to my heart. It was affecting Rebecca. I chose to remain quiet and not sound like an insensitive asshole.
I also realized that New York was far bigger than North Reed and perhaps some of the damage was harder to see.
I didn’t feel like the guy who lived in New York tonight. I felt like I was the kid in elementary school who loved his small town and his extended family here. That boy was reacting to people having to move away from a place that they loved due to the economy. He felt sad.
I took a bite of steak and chewed it slowly as I thought back to my childhood.
I’d been happy growing up, and I learned a lot from my parents. Mom taught me the true meaning of compassion, and Dad showed me what it was to work hard every day for his family. Despite our differences, I was the man that I was today because of both of them. I might be cold in business, but that was the way it worked sometimes. The people who were close to me knew I would do anything for them, though those were hard to find if I looked closely at my life right now.
Out of all the people in the city, Preston made that list, and here he was, working his ass off at a hotel across town for me. This deal took a lot more time than I ever thought it would. I felt kind of bad for Preston and had shut off work since I left to get Rebecca a few hours ago. My phone was in the car, more than likely dying.
“Austin, are you with us?” Mom asked.
I blinked and returned my attention to the table.
“Yeah. I was just thinking back to being a kid here. It is all because of both of you that I made it.” I looked at her for a long moment and then Dad. “I’m the man I am today because of you. Thank you.”
“Oh, honey,” Mom said as tears slid down her cheeks. “Here I miss you so much, and you tell me something like that.” She wiped a tear from her eye.
She came over to hug me, and Rebecca smiled tenderly at us. I held Mom tight as she clung to me, giving into her emotions.
I was turning into a girl tonight. I appreciated when Dad merely cleared his throat and told me how proud he was of me.
We finished the meal, and Mom poured coffee for her and Dad. Rebecca filled our glasses with some tea. A freshly baked apple pie rested in the kitchen, but we’d wait for that.
We settled in the living room to keep talking. Rebecca told Mom some of the salon gossip, rolling her gorgeous eyes at some of the more outlandish rumors. For a small town, news traveled like wildfire. I knew people would already be talking about seeing us at the store together. And if word got out that Rebecca was here, I was sure there would be marriage rumors. Second chance romance was big with women, and I couldn’t see the ones who lived here passing up on that.
It was going to be an interesting few weeks.
We ended up watching some of the local news together and enjoying dessert. The night felt so right, and it seemed like time flew by. I hadn’t relaxed like this in a long time, even though I could feel the current of electricity buzzing between Rebecca and me. I enjoyed it since there was nothing like this with the other women I’d been with over the years.
The initial thrill of beautiful women wanting me faded quickly once I realized they were after my money and connections, making me just use them for casual sex. That’s what they did with me most of the time, though women like Mia got their claws in and wanted me to give them everything. They still didn’t know the real me.
I realized that many of my so-called friends in New York barely knew which state I was from, much less the town. It popped up in articles he
re and there since it was so impressive that a small-town boy made it so big, but people forgot details most of the time.
People didn’t care about my past too much, just my success. Didn’t they realize that my past played a huge role in all of that?
Dad yawned first, signaling the end of the evening. Mom got him settled in bed after a long hug from Rebecca. The two of us did the dishes for Mom since she cooked so much food. We talked about dinner and my family. Rebecca looked happy tonight, but I sensed something more in her as she handed me dishes to dry. I wondered what would happen to her if she was left alone here.
Would Rebecca move with Kim? Would she spend time with my parents even after I left?
Something about that bothered me. Wasn’t I bitching about being here for so long just a few weeks ago, almost hoping for a reason to leave early?
We told my mother goodnight before leaving, and she gave us each a long hug goodbye. I led Rebecca out to the driveway, pausing as I looked around the land. It was cold, but I’d grabbed a jacket before leaving. Rebecca was bundled up as well, and I glanced at her. “Are you cold?”
“A little, but I like the fresh winter air.” She smiled as she glanced at me. “Is it like this in New York?”
The name of my home left a bad taste in my mouth for a moment. “It’s frigid sometimes in the winter. Beautiful, though. Mom liked it when she first came to visit me because it was so different. There was always somewhere to go and something new to see. I spoiled them every trip, but I could tell she missed the things we did here after a while.” I smiled at her. “The Christmas tree there is beautiful and so big. I think you’d like ice skating as well. We used to do that at the mall in Dallas. Remember?”
“How could I ever forget all of you boys tearing around it with pucks and sticks like y’all were going to join the pros the next day?” Rebecca laughed and shook her head.
“There is a team there now. I wonder if any of the kids from here made it.”
