Trust In Love (A McCord Family Novel Book 2)

by Amanda Siegrist

  "Okay, wrong choice of words. Will you pretty please stay with me so I know this woman will not hurt you?"

  "No."

  He ran another frustrated hand through his hair. "Can I please stay with you in your house so I know you'll be safe with an unknown woman who could possibly hurt you? We don't know anything about her."

  Sophie glanced down at his chest. Could she see the way his heart beat madly at the fear he held for her? Could she feel his worry as he held her in his arms?

  "I can't sleep with you."

  He lifted her head gently, her soft cheek falling into his hand. "I don't expect anything to happen. I enjoy having you in my arms, but I would never force you. I can sleep on the floor if it makes you feel better. Until we get to know her better, we need to be safe about this. Please, Sophie. Pretty please."

  She giggled at his goofy grin when he said the last part. "Why do you make me laugh so?"

  "Because I'm adorable, irresistible, and all so charming. And because I love your smile and your sweet, sweet laugh."

  "I'm scared, Austin. I do trust you, but I'm also apprehensive. Everything you say is valid and I should be smart about letting her in my home. I honestly don't fear her."

  "But you fear me?" he asked, the pain lacing his voice again.

  "No, I don't." She bit her lip, silent for a moment. "Okay. Until we get to know her better, you can stay with me. I feel better being in my own home. I can ply the floor with blankets so it's not uncomfortable."

  Austin sighed inside. She took his offer for the floor to heart. He instantly felt better knowing he would be there if this woman tried anything. "Then it's settled. I'll sleep on the floor in your bedroom just to make sure she tries nothing. And about us? Just so we are clear because I found with Zane and Ava, well, they never were very clear about their feelings in the beginning. Is there an us? Will you give me a chance at a real relationship? You can set the pace."

  "Yes. I would like that very much," Sophie said with a shy smile, blushing slightly as he grabbed another quick kiss.

  "Good. I thought this night was going to end horribly. It's starting to look up now. Let's go meet this woman," Austin said, apprehension mingling in his tone.

  She nodded, stepping out of his embrace and grabbed a deep breath as she opened the front door. He decided he needed a deep breath as well.

  He wanted to make Sophie happy as much as possible, but trusting this woman—not really something he wanted to do. Twenty minutes later, he still didn't want to trust her.

  "I really am sorry. I've never done anything like that before. I'm not proud of it either," Deja said, avoiding eye contact like the plague as she sat at the kitchen table across from Austin and Sophie. The pizza had arrived, but it sat in the middle, getting cooler by the minute as they tried clearing the air.

  "Sophie seems to have a very kind, trusting heart, but I can't say mine is that great. If you hurt her in any way, I will not hesitate to report you. My sister-in-law, Ava, works for the police department and she's quite a shark when it comes to her work. She'll take care of you with a snap of her fingers. That all being said, I'll give you the chance Sophie asked of me. I expect to be paid four hundred dollars. How do you imagine you're going to do that?" Austin asked, trying to keep his anger in check. He could feel Sophie tremble next to him and he hated that it was because of him. But he couldn't help it. He wasn't about to trust this woman because of a few heartfelt words and apologies.

  "I'm not sure. I guess I'll look at the ads tomorrow for any jobs around town," Deja said quietly.

  "I'll help you. I told you Austin would understand. Everything will be okay," Sophie replied, glancing at Austin when he grabbed her hand, squeezing it in reassurance.

  "What kinds of jobs have you had? Maybe I can help, too," Austin said begrudgingly.

  For the first time, Deja whipped her head to him, her bright blue eyes searing into him. "Jobs I refuse to do anymore. I'll find something and pay you back. I can tell you don't like me, not like Sophie does. I'm still a little leery myself here. I've never met anyone so nice. But I'm taking her for her word, just as I hope you take my word for what it is. I'll pay you back."

  Austin stared for a moment, letting her eyes bore into him. He finally saw what Sophie did. "Okay. I believe you."

  Austin felt Sophie's hand tremble within his, wondering why the concern still lingered. He raised her hand to his mouth, lightly kissing it, hoping to take the pain away. "Let's eat, huh? I'm starving and I imagine so are you two.

  ***

  Sophie felt the change in him, the acceptance mingle in with the distrust. It was Deja's eyes that did it. She knew that. She glanced back over at Deja, appreciating her beauty for the first time. Long blond hair that ran down to the middle of her back. An oval face with fine dainty lips, and the bluest, deepest eyes imaginable.

  A gorgeous woman sat across from her, a woman like so many that had crossed the threshold of Austin's door. Deja was exactly his normal type. Nothing like plain Sophie. Suddenly she worried his change in demeanor was attraction and not trust as she first thought. What would she do when he left her for Deja? Would he do that to her?

  Sophie glanced at him, treasuring his comforting touch, the tingling pleasure his soft kisses did to her. The more he touched her, sat near her, held her in his arms; she became that much more comfortable with him. She wanted this man so much. Even as she wanted him, the thought of letting him in her bed, in her heart, scared her.

  She grabbed a piece of pizza to move the conversation away from Deja. The less he paid attention to her, the better. He crinkled his mouth into a smile at her and took a bite of his pizza. They ate in silence, everyone leery of where to take the conversation.

  Sophie had grabbed a second slice when she decided the silence needed to end. "I can help you look through ads tomorrow, Deja. Austin goes to the farm quite early, so I tend to get up just as early to take Axel. Whenever you want to get started is good with me."

  Deja had gobbled down three slices already. She wiped her mouth from the frenzied pace. "Okay. That's really nice of you. I suppose I'll look for waitressing or something simple like that."

  "Oh, actually, did you have plans tonight?" Sophie cleared her throat, looking down at her plate. She didn't want to see Austin's face when he broke the news of his plans. "Normally you go out on Fridays and sleep in on Saturdays. Not that I watch what you do or anything. I mean, that one Saturday I knocked on your door for the lawn mower and that woman was—"

  "Sophie, stop," Austin interrupted her, pulling her hand to his chest that had been wobbling horribly holding the pizza. "Yes, I have plans tonight. They're hanging out with you. Yes, I plan to sleep in tomorrow. With you. The only woman for me is you. Remember what we talked about outside? I meant every word. I only want you. My plans are your plans or your plans are my plans. I've been wanting you to come to the farm and Ava even asked if you would come. I was hoping you'd want to come tomorrow. I can help look at the ads with you both. And if Deja wants, she can also come with to the farm as well. Do you want to see it?"

  Sophie's hand still rested on his chest, the rapid beating of his heart plain and clear to the touch. Nervous. It surprised her to think he was nervous of her. She raised her eyes to his and gave a small smile. "I would love to see the farm."

  Deja sat quietly through it all until Austin glanced at her. "Does that sound like a plan, Deja?"

  "Oh, I don't think you want me at this farm you're talking about, especially since I heard you mention the name Ava. Isn't she your sister-in-law who works for the police?" Deja replied, suddenly nervous.

  "Yes, she is, but she won't do anything to you unless I ask her to. She'll understand...for the most part. You're welcome to come with."

  "Because you want to be around me, or you don't trust me in Sophie's house alone?" Deja asked, unable to resist.

  Austin chuckled. "I suppose the latter. What can I say? I don't know you and you did break into my house. I can't learn to trust yo
u if I don't get to know you either, now can I? So the former applies as well."

  "Nonetheless, I'll pass. Sophie's kind enough to offer help and I'm gonna use it. I'll be finding a job tomorrow if it takes all day," Deja replied, grabbing another slice of pizza.

  "That's fine," Sophie said before Austin could say anything else. She wanted Austin to trust her, but she also didn't want him to want to spend time with her.

  Austin squeezed her hand again, perhaps knowing instinctively that she needed some sort of reassurance from him and stood up from the table. "Well, I'm full. I'm going to go grab some things from my house and I'll be right back. I'll let Ava know that we'll be there tomorrow. She really is looking forward to hanging out with you, Sophie."

  "Well, I hope I don't disappoint," Sophie replied with a stiff laugh.

  Austin set his plate down on the counter, turning to her with annoyed anger. "Sophie, please don't put yourself down like that. Don't be nervous about anything. No one blames you for the house and no one will pry into your background. Just be your beautiful self. Just please, don't put yourself down. I hate it."

  Sophie nodded, hating the self-doubt that always entered. A lifetime of put-downs, hatred, jealousy, and constant fear made it difficult to change how she reacted.

  Austin nodded back, then left the kitchen.

  "He cares for you. In a positive way. That's rare to find, Sophie," Deja said, filling the silence within the room. "Does he normally stay with you, or does he just not trust me with you alone?"

  "I'm slowly coming to see that, but a lifetime of otherwise unsavory incidents makes it difficult to transform overnight. The reality is, I don't know you that well, and yes, he doesn't trust you. He's a good man, and for some crazy reason wants me, not any other woman. Trust me when I say, he could have any woman he wants and has had them. He wants to stay here until we get to know you better. I hope I'm not hurting your feelings or seeming insensitive," Sophie replied, staring at her last piece of uneaten pizza.

  "I don't believe you have a mean bone in your body, Sophie. You would be dumb to trust someone like me and you don't strike me as the dumb type. I swear I mean no harm, but those are just words. I'll prove to you what kind of person I am. I won't disappoint either of you. I'll give you your space and I'm really looking forward to a real bed now anyway," Deja said, standing up from the table. "Is that okay?"

  "That's perfectly fine. I hope you sleep well."

  "You too."

  Sophie sighed as Deja walked out. Would she sleep well? Her sleeping patterns ranged from a nice restful sleep to nightmares plaguing her every waking minute. Would she feel comfortable with him in the room? Or would the mere presence of a man twist her tighter than a coiled snake feasting on its prey?

  ***

  True to her word, Sophie had plied the floor with blankets, creating a makeshift bed for Austin. He graciously accepted her homemade bed, even though deep inside he craved to dive into her bed with her warm body pressed against his. He was a man true to his word, though. He wouldn't push her or press her. Letting her set the pace, an utmost importance when it came to her. He might die of starvation and thirst of the lust running rampantly through his veins, but patience was his new virtue. He wouldn't do anything that could ruin his chances.

  She shyly said goodnight, tensing at first when he locked the bedroom door. He gingerly smiled, saying, "I don't trust her yet, Sophie. At least she'd have to break a barrier before getting in. I swear I'll stay on the floor." She must have believed him because she simply nodded and rolled away to her side.

  He sensed Sophie's movements all night, her tossing and turning, creating an agitation inside him. He remembered his brother speaking about Ava and her nightmares, how he would comfort her, bring her back to a peaceful sleep. Not that Sophie was having a nightmare, but he could feel her tension, her fear, her restlessness. He ached to climb over to her and calm her down with one sweet touch. Clamping down his urge kept him awake most of the night. He prayed that this moment in time would end swiftly and she would happily accept him into her bed. He wasn't positive how many torturous nights he would be able to endure. But he would stay nicely on the floor if that's what it would take to make Sophie trust and believe in him.

  ***

  "Beautiful, aren't they," Ava commented as she joined Sophie by the corral.

  Sophie smiled at the horses, breathing in the fresh farm air, and nodded softly. "They are. I've never been on a horse. I was apprehensive the whole time we were riding earlier. Austin was very patient with me, so was the horse."

  "Sophie, Austin told me about that woman and I'm not too sure I like what's going on," Ava said without warning.

  Sophie looked over at Ava. "Please don't have her arrested. Austin's willing to give her a chance, can't you, too?"

  "I wouldn't necessarily say he's willing. He's only doing it for you. He's concerned, just as I am. We don't know this woman."

  "You don't know me either."

  "Austin knows you and that's enough for me."

  "But does he really know me? He knows what's on the surface, not what's inside of me. I haven't gone down that path, and who knows, maybe I'll never be ready for it. He wants to see where we can go, and that terrifies me. I don't know her, you're right. I see something in her that I can't ignore. Nobody was there for me, Ava...nobody. I refuse to turn my back if I can help her. Don't you believe in reform?"

  Ava sighed, pulling her hair out of her face as a slight breeze swept in. "He knows enough to be willing to give his heart to you. Make no mistake. He's never given it to any woman before. I insisted that woman be arrested and he put his foot down—for you. Because you asked him to give her a chance. Of course, I like to think people can be reformed. Do I think they should be doing it in your house? Absolutely not. If anything happened to you, Austin would go crazy."

  "Nothing's going to happen. Deja means no harm. I know I'm probably crazy, but it's not something I can explain. She'll pay him back. She'll hopefully have a job today. She found an ad in the papers for a waitressing job at some diner," Sophie said, glancing away from Ava's piercing stare.

  "I still don't like it. I'm glad you're at least letting Austin stay with you. He'll be a perfect gentleman, I swear. I'll have his hide if he isn't. You just let me know."

  Sophie swung her head back at her. "He was a perfect gentleman last night. He slept on the floor in my room, and I couldn't help it, but I was worried he wouldn't stay on the floor. I've never met a man I could trust. This isn't easy for me. Strangely, I do trust him. He's wormed his way inside me and…I don't know what he sees in me. Thank you, Ava, for giving Deja a chance. You'll be the first to know if she does anything."

  Ava grabbed Sophie's hand, squeezing reassuringly. "He sees a beautiful woman, a strong woman. Don't sell yourself short. If you're even trying to compare yourself with any other woman you saw walk into his house, don't. They were all trash, and trust me, I let him know that on numerous occasions. I also let him know how much I approve of you."

  Ava looked embarrassed. "That came out wrong. My approval is not a requirement." Ava gave a small smile to mend that mishap of words. "He's just as nervous as you. He's never given a relationship a chance, so give him leeway if he acts like an idiot sometimes."

  Sophie smiled slightly. "I can't imagine him acting like that. And your approval means a great deal to me. I saw the same trash walk out of his house as you did."

  Ava laughed with Sophie as a small chuckled escaped her lips. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one to think so."

  "Oh no, I gave them a few glares I think you would be proud of," Sophie said, laughing a bit more.

  Ava busted out laughing. "I bet you did. Thank you."

  Ava let go of her hand, casually swiping her hair behind her ear as the wind whipped around them again. "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

  "Austin always says I don't hold back when I speak to him. You don't either."

  Ava laughed lightly. "No, I don't h
old back. New Yorker in me, I guess. I would say, maybe that's why you don't either, the New Yorker in you."

  Sophie glanced away, suddenly focusing intently on the horses. "I guess Austin told you I moved from there. That's territory I won't be speaking about, Ava. So don't bother. I know how to hold back my words. The things that can happ—" Sophie abruptly stopped, refusing to finish what had been on the tip of her tongue.

  "We just bought our tickets to New York for next week. We'll be gone for five days. I'm worried—Austin's worried about leaving you with Deja alone. We bought the tickets before he told me about Deja."

  "I'll be fine. Neither of you should worry."

  "Fat chance on that. You could come—"

  "If you're about to suggest that I come with to New York, I'll be leaving this farm right here, right now," Sophie exclaimed.

  Ava held her hands up. "I'm sorry, I won't say it. Don't leave because Austin would kill me. Who are you afraid of? What cops—because I'm assuming that's where your first bad experience came from—made you hate cops? I want names."

  "You're from New York, but not anymore. You work for the police department here. You have no influence there. He would crush you," Sophie said with a tremor. "He nearly crushed me."

  "Who?" Ava demanded. "Don't think I can be easily crushed. I can't stand bad cops and I want them punished for whatever they did. I want this man who hurt you. Tell me."

  Sophie met Ava's penetrating stare head on and then just as suddenly, caved, looking away. She had enough. She turned to walk away when Ava stepped in front of her.

  "I can help you. I'll take care of it while I'm there. I want to," Ava pleaded.

  "I don't want help. I want to disappear. I want to live in peace, not fear. If you dredge things up, he could find me," Sophie said, shivering from the thought.

  "Who is he?"

  "I want to like you, Ava, but you're making it difficult. If Austin had you come out here and—"

  "Stop. Austin has no idea I'm talking to you about this. He'll probably be just as pissed as you are right now." Ava sighed heavily. "Look, Sophie. I can't begin to imagine what horror you've lived. Unless you tell me. But that doesn't seem like it's going to happen. My dad's the police commissioner. I imagine you can't get much more authority than that within the police department."