by Claire Adams
“I think the idea of a gorgeous, rich man spoiling you is beyond romantic. It is what half of the books here are written about, you know.” She waved a hand around, and I looked at all the shelves, knowing that she was right. “You’re living the fantasy, Becs.”
“What if he’s doing all of that just to turn around and ask me to move with him again?” My family were the only people in my life who knew he’d asked me to go to New York with him before he left. To the rest of the town, I played it like we’d separated because of distance and moving on. “What if he’s doing a little extra to try and make me want the life that he lives there?”
“Would that be so terrible? Mom and Dad are happy, and they moved.” Sadness flashed through her eyes for a fleeting second. She offered me a bright smile, and I pressed my lips together.
“I have seen hints of his life there, Kim. The women and the parties are just too much for me.”
Kim chuckled. “I think he’d give up the women if you moved with him,” she offered.
I laughed for a minute. “Yes, of course. I’m just not the girl to go to a club or a big party and enjoy it. I’m happy with simple food and an easy life. Besides, I have you here and my friends. I have my job and my house. I have my peace here. Why walk away from that when I could end up miserable in the end?” I shrugged. “I love him, but maybe that isn’t enough for us.”
“You are a small-town girl. I would love to visit you there, though. Think about how fun it would be to go to the theater and out to fancy dinners, or even shopping. Can you imagine the clothes they sell there?”
“No, I can’t. I struggled with the idea of a limo and a plane to go to dinner. I don’t want to be the woman who just goes about and spends his money while Austin works himself to death.” In my head, that’s what he did there, as opposed to enjoying life like he should. I didn’t want to fight with him about that, and I didn’t want a part of the city life. “I just know we’d drift apart, and all of my insecurities would settle in. I’d end up coming back home and feeling worse about the fact that we failed.”
“You are a pessimist, sis.” Kim smiled sadly at me.
“This isn’t Pretty Woman, Kim.”
Her eyes widened, and she laughed. “No, you’re definitely not a hooker with a heart of gold,” she assured me.
“I know that. I just want to follow my heart, and contrary to what people say about it, my life is not waiting for me in New York. I like it here. I want Austin to want to be with the real me and find the real him. I’ve seen more and more of the old Austin in the last few weeks, and I like it. At least, until he pulls up in a limo.”
“He picked a stubborn one when he picked you. I love that you want to stand up for yourself, though. Just try to enjoy the spoiling a tiny bit for me? I am so jealous.”
“I should ask him to bring a friend here for you,” I joked. She giggled. Preston left soon after any of us met him, but I didn’t think he was Kim’s type at all. Kim was as small-town as I was. “He’s taking me somewhere Saturday. It’s a surprise, and I don’t know whether to be excited or not.”
“Oh, be excited,” Kim urged me as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Look! We have enough time to stop by the coffee shop and get some dessert and coffee. I’ve been stumbling around here enough with this list tonight on our girl night. Let’s go watch a sickeningly romantic movie that will make you see what you deserve.”
We left the building, and she locked up before we walked to her car. Kim drove us over to the Grind and talked to the girls about her idea, who got excited over the new venture. They told Kim that they’d have the owner call her in the morning to talk about it, and even gave us our treats for free.
“Will the stand have these desserts?” I asked with a sigh as she drove.
“If so, I am going to gain one hundred pounds. The chocolate cake is to die for.” We’d gotten a slice of that, as well as cheesecake that the owner’s wife made for him, and both were amazing. “I might eat it for breakfast every single day. Maybe I should have a healthy, vegan truck or something instead. That’s healthy, right?”
“So, I hear, but yuck!” I groaned as we pulled into the driveway of my house. She got the desserts, and I grabbed the coffee, following her to the door as she unlocked it with her key. There were no secrets between Kim and me, though I didn’t tell her every detail about Austin. Some things a girl just needed to keep private, something that was much more of a presence in my life now that he was back.
I couldn’t stand the idea of not seeing her all the time. We were too close, and we’d only gotten closer when Mom and Dad left. It was unbreakable now. If it came down to it, Austin would have to deal with it.
We sat down on the couch and found a movie on Netflix. I was fine with romantic, but I insisted that it not be ridiculous. Kim offered up You’ve Got Mail. I liked Sleepless in Seattle, but that ended in New York, and I vetoed the very idea of the movie. We snuggled up on the couch and watched it, sharing our treats and sipping coffee as we recited every line from memory. Kim loved the idea of a small bookstore like that and cursed the male lead when he took over and closed her store.
“That’s why I don’t want to live in New York City,” I said. “I am all about the small businesses and not the chains taking over.” I took the last bite of cake.
We giggled and watched another movie about a cowboy in a small town a lot like ours who sweeps a new girl off her feet and saves her.
“Cowboys are so sexy,” Kim swooned as she reached for a handful of popcorn that I’d made in between movies.
“Did you know that Preston is still wearing that cowboy hat over in Singapore? Austin showed me a picture.”
She laughed at the idea. “An English cowboy. That’s new. You know, I saw Austin with his old hat on in town. There’s still a little cowboy under all that city boy yet.”
I’d noticed. I memorized every moment he slipped into the old Austin who I knew before he moved. I added them to the file in my head of memories from high school. We finished that movie, falling asleep on the couch as I reached for the blanket to cover us up.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Austin
It was gorgeous on Saturday. I’d be more excited about it if there weren’t several calls and messages from Mia on my phone by the time I was up for coffee. I left the phone in my room as I ate breakfast with my parents, enjoying the fruit salad that Mom prepared with the eggs and toast. She used to do that for me as a kid, but this had a lot more variety in it. I helped myself to a second serving. “Thanks, Mom, this is great,” I told her in too high of a voice.
She looked at me with concern in her eyes.
“Are you okay, son?” Dad asked.
I wiped my face with a napkin and nodded. My nerves were getting to me, and I needed to relax before the date today.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think that I had some trouble sleeping last night, and I feel kind of restless. I’ll relax.” I gave them both a reassuring smile.
“A date with a pretty woman will do that to a man,” my dad said softly, giving Mom a tender smile. “I think we should have one soon, don’t you? Maybe dinner at the steakhouse.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said. “Everyone is always asking how you are, and they’d love to see you.”
I leaned back and watched them with a smile. The town really had pulled through for my family. I thought about Rebecca, North Reed, and New York all over again. Damn it, this was hard.
They went for a walk outside after breakfast, and I went to take a shower. There was another call from Mia, and I threw the phone down on the bed. What the hell did she want?
I took my time in the shower, washing off and enjoying the feel of the hot water on a cold day. I had some time before I picked up Rebecca, in my rental this time since she insisted that the limo was way too much for her.
I agreed to that part, but I was still out to impress her this time. I just wish that my former life would stop trying to get in the way.
<
br /> I got out of the shower and used some of the product that Rebecca had given me to make my hair look perfectly messy. I shaved off the hair that had taken up residence on my chin over the last four days, annoyed at my laziness here. I was always shaved and ready for meetings in New York, even though I did let my hair go towards the end there. Girls seemed to like it, and it was the trend anyway. The only girl I wanted pulling on it now was Rebecca, and she did an excellent job cutting it for me. I went to some high-end places in New York, but nobody had her touch, looking back at my first day here in North Reed. She’d done an amazing job, even with the surprise of seeing me after all these years.
She hit me like a truck that day, still looking so beautiful. Now I was in love with her all over again, or maybe I never stopped feeling that way at all. It filled me with so much peace and fear as I finished shaving and looked in the mirror. Was I good enough for her? I’d messed up in New York in a few ways, one of which I was paying for now with the unwanted attention from Mia.
Mom and Dad were home when I walked back out in my favorite jeans and a button up shirt that brought out my eyes. Today’s date was more of a casual thing than Dallas, and I’d told Rebecca to dress for comfort as well. I wasn’t going to impress her with money, as I tried before. I was trying a completely different method today.
“Don’t you look nice today?” Mom said from the kitchen as she admired me. “What do you have planned for Rebecca, Austin?”
Dad chuckled. I’d already discussed the idea with him. “Our son is going to try and woo that girl the best that he can, Sally. Don’t you worry.”
“I’m not, as long as he keeps the both of them here in town,” she told me pointedly. I shrugged and looked at the clock before getting my jacket.
“We shall see, Mom.” I gave her a hug and a kiss before telling Dad to spoil her tonight. Sliding on my jacket, I walked to the rental car with the thought that Rebecca probably hated that as well. She’d be happy if I drove a pickup and lived here in a small house, but would I be content doing that? Life had been so different for me since the old days here.
I walked out to my car and went to pick her up. Rebecca was dressed in her favorite worn jeans and a pretty teal sweater when she opened the door and smiled at me. Damn, she was beautiful.
“Hey, you,” she said.
“Hi, gorgeous. Ready to go?”
She reached for her thick black jacket, and I helped her slide it on. I locked her door for her and led her by the hand to the car.
“What are we doing?” she asked as I opened the passenger door and gave her a long look. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
I chuckled as she slipped inside. Then I closed the door to walk around to the driver’s seat. I was going to shake things up a bit with my plans, and I hoped she’d be responsive to that. I drove her to the edge of town where a helicopter waited for us.
I felt Rebecca’s gaze on me. “Where are we going for dinner tonight?”
“Not dinner, my love. Today, I am going to show you Texas from a different point of view. Did you know that helicopters are one of the most popular ways to sightsee these days?”
I hopped out of the car and walked around to her side. Kyle was a friend of ours from high school, and while he lived in another part of Texas now, he agreed to do this for me. I waved to him as Rebecca got out of the car, a scared look on her face.
“Is that Kyle Turner?” she asked. I nodded, and he waved at us. “I haven’t seen him for years.”
“He does these tours now for one of his jobs. I hear it’s very safe.” I leaned down to kiss her lips gently, and she sighed.
“I don’t know,” she said as I pulled her toward the helicopter. “Are you sure about this? Have you been in one before?”
I had in New York, but I didn’t want to have to talk about how that was with Mia. I merely nodded, and she looked from Kyle to the helicopter a few times.
“Hi, Rebecca,” Kyle said warmly. “It’s been a while. How’s your family doing?”
“They’re great. I still see your mama at Grayson’s,” Rebecca replied politely. He laughed and nodded, telling her that his mom would never leave town. “So, how long have you been doing this?”
“I got my license right after graduation,” he said. “I take folks on tours in Texas and the surrounding states. There’s no view like the one from one of these. You’re not scared of heights, are you?” I knew for a fact that she wasn’t and grinned when Rebecca shook her head. “Let’s go then.”
Kyle took the front seat, and I helped her into the back, buckling her in as she looked at the mostly glass bottom of the massive bird. “I can see right through it.”
“It offers the best view, Rebecca,” Kyle said. “All you have to do it sit back and relax.”
She smiled at him, still not looking totally confident. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I frowned, knowing who it was.
Goddamn Mia.
Kyle made sure that we were secure before he turned on the engine. Rebecca grabbed my hand tightly.
“You’re okay,” I told her, kissing her cheek.
She watched us lift off the ground. She kept a tight hold as Kyle flew us over North Reed. She relaxed a little when she saw some of the places where we used to hang out from the air. Rebecca was delighted with the view of the meadow and all the creeks and ponds before we headed away from town to see more sights.
Though Rebecca had traveled some with her family, seeing Guadalupe Mountains National Park from the air took her breath away. You could see all of it, and it made me want to take a road tour of Texas with her where we could just stop wherever we wanted. Kyle pointed out some of the most famous parts of the park, and Rebecca seemed to forget her initial fear completely. She leaned forward to see everything that she could.
Kyle flew us over some more land and pointed down to Big Bend National Park after a little while. Rebecca grinned from ear to ear, and I loved seeing her smile like that.
My phone vibrated again. I frowned and ignored it. I slung my arm over Rebecca’s shoulders and looked down at the rocks and the water below them. This was going great, and I tried to be happy for her, but the look in Rebecca’s eyes told me that she was onto me.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Did you suddenly develop a fear of heights?”
“Not at all, baby. I am an adrenaline junkie. I’ve been parasailing over the ocean, and skydiving as well. This is great.” I added a laugh at the end of my sentence, even though she didn’t seem to believe me. “Look at that giant lake.”
I wasn’t about to admit that my ex was trying to get a hold of me. I was trying to move on, for fucks sake. I had moved on. I didn’t want Rebecca involved in any part of my past, and Mia threatened everything I wanted with Rebecca. I could see the uncertainty in Rebecca’s eyes when she spoke about New York and the women that I dated there, and crazy-ass Mia would only confirm Rebecca’s doubts.
I could tell that she was uncomfortable as Kyle continued the tour, which lasted two hours. I initially thought that it wouldn’t be enough time for us, but now, time dragged for me as I tried to figure out what to do. I needed to get Mia off my ass and convince her that moving on would be best for both of us. Rebecca tried to ask me one more time what I was nervous about as the tour continued, but I snapped that I was fine.
That really silenced her and dimmed her smile. We didn’t speak at all for the rest of the flight. Kyle seemed to pick up on that and headed back before we’d seen everything that I mentioned to him. Once we were back on the ground, I shook his hand and gave him a large tip for the trouble. Rebecca waited a few feet away. Kyle waved to her and told her that it was good to see her again before he gave me a concerned look.
I thanked him again and walked to the car with her beside me. “Did you enjoy yourself?” I asked her.
She looked at me for a moment, stopping by the door. “It was beautiful, Austin. I appreciate what you did, but I wish you had enjoyed yourself, too. What was bothering y
ou up there?”
I sighed. “Nothing, Rebecca. I was fine, but I was thinking about my dad. Why can’t you take what I do for you with grace and appreciate what I have to offer? I’ve worked hard, and my money gives me the chance to see things in a new way. What’s wrong with that? I am enjoying my life.” I opened her door.
She raised an eyebrow at me. “You work all the time. What are you enjoying, Austin? I didn’t see you wanting to run off at Christmas to leave your family and me behind for vacation. That was for a business deal.” There was anger in her voice, and I sensed that she’d been thinking more about this than she wanted to let on.
“Jesus, Rebecca. I let that deal go, and it was huge. I stayed here with Dad, and I have spent a lot of time with you. What do you want from me?” I saw something pass through her eyes before I cupped her face gently, pressing my lips to hers softly.
“I’m sorry. I know you walked away from it, and I appreciate that. I just wish…” Rebecca let her voice drift off and shrugged. “Forget I said anything.” She slipped into the car.
I sighed as I closed the door. I needed a break from this shit for a moment. My phone vibrated again, and I pulled it from my pocket. It was a text from Mia. I unlocked the screen to see a picture of her in a doorway holding a key to the hotel that Preston stayed at while he was in North Reed.
Fuck me. Mia was here? Another text came through telling me that she was in room 78 and wanted to see me Monday afternoon. She’d give up after that if it was what I wanted, but she just needed one more chance.
Austin: What the hell are you doing in North Reed, Mia?
Mia: I was passing through anyway and made an extra stop. I need to see you. Please, Austin?
She added a series of hearts and kissy faces after that, something that used to drive me nuts about Mia.
Austin: Fine. I’ll be there at two, but after this, I am done.
I shoved my phone in my pocket and looked at Rebecca staring at me through the glass. There was a look of disapproval on her face, and I walked around to get into my side of the car. “Sorry. That was a colleague from New York who has been trying to get a hold of me. I just wanted to deal with it once and for all. I didn’t mean for it to interrupt our date.”
