Then He Came Back (Love From Austin Book 2)

by Chris Campillo

  When the waiter arrived, she ordered a Scotch, neat. Trey went with a beer. She would’ve preferred a margarita—make that two margaritas—but tonight wasn’t about having a good time. This was business, and she always drank, or pretended to drink, Scotch during dinner meetings. She hated the stuff, but men seemed to respect it more than a Lemon Drop. Besides, she could only manage two sips at most, which kept her head clear while her associates sometimes drank themselves down the path of bad choices.

  They sat in silence for a moment. Most would’ve considered it awkward, but she didn’t care. It gave her a chance to get her bearings. If it made the man squirm, all the better. He definitely looked uneasy. She wondered if it was remorse that clouded his eyes. Finally, he spoke. “When did Wes decide he wanted to meet me?”

  “After Christmas. I gave him a week to reconsider, but when he didn’t, I contacted you.”

  He stared at the table. “I have to admit it caught me by surprise. Is this the first time he’s asked to meet me?” When he looked up, he reminded her of how they’d shared so many of their doubts and insecurities as kids. How they’d become one another’s confidante.

  But she nor Wes could afford the warm pull of nostalgia. She straightened her posture and nodded once.

  “Do you know . . . why now?” He searched her eyes, as if hoping she’d give him some wonderful news that Wes wanted to have a relationship with him.

  “Wes studied abroad in Germany last semester. He stayed with a family where the father was present.” She saw the guilt weigh his shoulders down and felt a sick moment of satisfaction, but hell, Trey had made the wrong decision. “He had a chance to see his friend’s and father’s similarities, differences. Likes, dislikes. He’s curious. That’s all.”

  That wasn’t all. Sure, that’s what Wes had told her, but she knew he wanted more. She could tell by the way he’d looked so guilty when he’d brought it up. Maybe he wouldn’t even admit it to himself, but she knew her boy. Wes had spent months watching a father-son relationship. Deep down, he wanted the same.

  The idea cut her deeply even though she’d never let Wes know. Granted, she wasn’t a man, but hadn’t she provided her boy everything he’d ever needed?

  Trey scanned the restaurant, swallowed several times, then cleared his throat. Her moment of satisfaction was buried with a desire to comfort him, but she bit her lip to hold it in.

  “I appreciate you calling.” He reached for her hand, clasping her fingers with the warmth of his. “Thank you for letting me know.”

  She ignored the sudden impulse to lace her fingers with his like she’d done so naturally years before. She couldn’t tolerate such a weakness, especially for this man. This man who’d received a pardon, an invitation from halfway around the globe to walk into Wes’s world. Would Trey win her boy over, even though the man had no clue about what it meant to love a child? Damn, she had to get him out of town for both her and Wes’s sanity.

  She pulled away, folding her hands together to stop the shaking. No more of this emotional shit. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Let’s get one thing straight. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t be here. The only reason you are is because Wes asked for this. I know my son. He goes after what he wants, whether it’s good for him or not. I’m here to make sure you don’t screw things up.”

  He stared at her, speechless, probably shocked that the Suz he’d known could talk to him with such an attitude. Good. She’d regained her power.

  “Here you go.” The waiter arrived with their drinks, and she moved back to let him set them on the table. After he left, she pushed hers aside and leaned back in.

  “You’re going to meet him, answer his questions, and then leave town. That’s all you get, understand? And you will not mention what happened ten years ago. That would only complicate things.” She sat back in her chair, then took a sip of her Scotch without wincing. Well played, sister.

  He turned away, glancing at the bar, then the lobby. The man couldn’t even look at her. After a minute, he took a drink of his beer, and then he leaned in, his face hard.

  “Now you understand this. Wes is seventeen and can make his own decisions. He asked to meet me, and I’ll stay in Austin as long as he wants. You don’t get a say anymore. I’ll keep your damn secret, but not to protect you. I’m not here to mess with Wes’s life.”

  He sat back and took a long pull of beer, staring at her with eyes full of pure challenge. She controlled her breathing, controlled her hands, controlled the urge to smack his smug face. It had been a hell of a long time since a man had had the balls to defy her. She had to nip this right now.

  She grabbed her purse. “I’ll be in touch when I think he’s ready.” Who’s got the power now?

  “No need. I’ve got his number. I’ll call him tomorrow.”

  What the fuck? He was going to fight her, huh? Fine, bring it on.

  “Hopefully, you can reach him. He has a tendency to lose his phone.” She cocked her brow. You don’t know who you’re messing with.

  “That’s okay. I have your address. I’ll stop by if I can’t reach him.” He winked, but there was nothing flirtatious about it.

  Her jaw dropped. Dammit. She quickly recovered, but she knew he’d seen the slip. She spoke softly, but her anger was loud and clear. “Don’t you dare come to my house, or so help me God, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

  She stood up so abruptly he had to hustle to join her. They may have declared war, but he had the audacity to be polite.

  “I’ll be in touch, Sue.”

  “We’ll see.” With that, she turned and stormed off. Not her best line, and she’d meant to strut away, but she was too riled up to pull off that act.

  That son of a bitch! What kind of insanity had her feeling anything sentimental toward that man? That son of a bitch! She should’ve never called him. He thought he’d get his hooks in Wes, huh? He had no clue. No man would ever outmaneuver Sue Brinkley.

  * * *

  Trey sat down and watched the mother of his child march off. He couldn’t think of her as Suz anymore. The girl with the long, blonde hair and fresh face was now a woman that could drop a man in his tracks. She’d always been beautiful, but now she was stunning. Her short hair emphasized those blue eyes full of life, full of fire. She’d immediately reignited the attraction he’d always had for her.

  But her looks were the least of the changes. This lioness was nothing like the girl he’d walked out on seventeen years ago. Think there’s a connection, idiot? The lingering hope he’d carried for renewing any kind of relationship with her was now six feet under. Hell, cremated. Another pull of beer didn’t bury the desolation.

  He did have a chance with Wes, though. The thought of seeing his son kicked up his heart rate. He was so close to finally meeting him. What was he like? How would a mom like Sue raise a boy? Was he as iron-willed as his mother? God knows, the woman was stubborn. She’d yet to touch the savings account he’d set up for them after Wes’s birth. The woman had made it clear she didn’t want him anywhere near, let alone in the picture.

  Fuck! He should’ve fought her ten years back when she’d refused to let him see his son. Should’ve ignored his guilt and come to Wes. He’d screwed up in so many ways, for so many years.

  But that was over. He’d be here for Wes as long as his son wanted. Ms. Brinkley’s monarchy was over.

  * * *

  Sue slammed her door shut, jerked her seatbelt on, and pushed the start button on her Lexus as if it were a nasty bug deserving death. Trey.

  “Folks, welcome to Financial Answers where’s it’s our goal to show you the mon—”

  “Dammit.” Sue jammed the power button on the radio, silencing the talk show. She made a point, every afternoon, to switch from local radio to satellite to avoid the show and that damn catchphrase. Tonight, she was off her game, in so many ways. Freakin’ Trey Harrison.

  All these years she’d created an image of an ugly, bitter man. Lonely as a result of his own
selfishness. But reality didn’t deliver. He was definitely a man now. Handsome, dammit. And he thought he was all full of power when it came to seeing Wes. Oh, he was full of it, all right.

  But, what the hell, she could still see a glimpse of that boy she’d loved. He’d been so easy to love back then.

  “Show me, baby!” Trey high-fived her as she returned to her seat with the rest of the debate team. Ever since they’d seen Jerry Maguire, it’d become his special phrase for her, whenever she’d rocked a debate or any challenge for that matter.

  “You owned him,” he whispered into her ear, causing her to wiggle as shivers rippled down her back.

  Trey owned her. Nothing felt better than to receive his admiration. Whether it was for her ability to kick ass in debate tournaments or her skill with Putt-Putt. Well, his kisses felt better. And the more they’d advanced with touches and caresses, she assumed it would only get better. But she fought to keep things contained, and he seemed to respect that, which gave her hope. From the first time Trey had picked her up, her father told her “that boy” was “crossing the tracks” for one thing, and it had nothing to do with her brain.

  But when she was with Trey, it didn’t feel like that. After he’d taken her to see Jerry Maguire and they’d laughed for hours about the famous phrase, he got serious over nachos at El Mexicana’s. “You could do that, you know. You’d be great at it.”

  “What?”

  “An agent. I can see you arguing a client’s case for more money. They’d be signing contracts before you were even finished.”

  Rolling her eyes, but thrilled with the thought, she ate another chip.

  “And it has nothing to do with you being beautiful.” He ran a finger down her cheek and grabbed her free hand, lacing their fingers together. “But that wouldn’t hurt your case.” He winked.

  She knew her face was red. But it had nothing on the tilt-a-whirl wreaking havoc in her chest. Did he have any idea how his compliments drugged her? Unlike any guy she’d been around, her father included, he made her feel like she really did have talents and could do great things. Thanks to Trey, she’d started imagining a life that could hold so much more than she’d ever envisioned.

  “That would be nice. Being in control of how much you could make. Granted, most sales jobs would give you commission, but can you imagine the cut on a professional sports contract?” She sipped her Coke, imagining the money. The freedom. “The travel would be great. Getting out of this town.”

  His smile faltered. “You want to leave Peoria?”

  “As soon as I can. My goal is to get enough scholarships to go to school out of state. Do you want to stay in Peoria?” The city itself was fine, but the idea of escaping the confinements of home was the primary reason she was driven to succeed. Distance meant freedom over her life choices. Then again, maybe he didn’t have a controlling father and a mother that went along with anything the patriarch said.

  “I’m going to Dartmouth for undergrad. I’ll be out of here until after med school.” He squeezed her hand, then pulled away. Maybe he also felt the dull ache, knowing they wouldn’t be together for long.

  “Where do you want to go after that? I mean to live.”

  He studied her, then stuffed another loaded nacho in his mouth.

  “I know that’s a long ways off, but when you think about it, where do you see yourself living?” This little speck of silliness that had taken up a place in her heart wanted him to say, “Wherever you are.”

  After a sip of his drink and wiping his mouth, he wadded his napkin. “I’ll be in Peoria. My dad’s practice is here, and he wants me to take it over eventually.”

  “You want to live here?”

  “Why does it matter?” His bitter tone sent her leaning back in the booth, killing off that stupid silliness in her heart. “Besides, it makes sense to go into an established practice with a solid reputation, instead of starting from scratch and spending years to create a successful one.”

  His argument was solid, but his eyes looked as if he were lost. He might not be sold on the plan, but the truth couldn’t be ignored. As much as she cared for him, there’d be no future once he left for college. He would stay local, and she would take on the world.

  A chime from her phone knocked her back to reality. She let out a sick laugh. Life makes us all eat crow. She checked the text:

  IS HE STILL ALIVE?

  God love her best friend. Just who she needed.

  Chapter 2

  “Look what the cat dragged in.” Jack Graham was no doubt surprised to see Sue at his front door, but like the good man she knew him to be, he welcomed her with a hug. As her best friend’s husband, he’d quickly learned that Sue was considered family and drop-ins were not only allowed but to be celebrated. This man gave her hope for the male gender. Unlike the one she’d just left.

  “How’d it go?”

  She shored up a breath, readying for the tirade, but she didn’t even know where to begin. And having no idea where the kids were, she went with easy—a miserable groan.

  “Sorry.” He squeezed her shoulder, then turned and hollered upstairs. “Kate, your evil twin needs you.” He winked at Sue and led her into the kitchen. Thank God, the man realized she was close to snapping and too much kindness on his part would send her over the edge. Two more points for Jack.

  Kate’s kids, Madeline and Charlie, were spooning cookie dough onto trays spread throughout the kitchen.

  “Hey, guys.” She tousled Charlie’s hair and wrapped her arm around Madeline’s shoulders. “My Lord, you all have grown a foot since last week.” She stole a ball of chocolate chip dough and popped it in her mouth. God, that was good. Calorie comfort. What she really needed was a whole damn tray. That or a bottle of Merlot. Seeing as she was driving, she grabbed another hunk of cookie.

  “Aunt Sue, we’re not supposed to eat these. They’re for the sale,” Charlie said, licking the spoon he was using to dig out the dough. Good thing she wasn’t the health inspector. “Are you opening a bakery or what?”

  Madeline looked at her, a glimmer in her eye. “We’re having a bake sale at school. Student council is raising money for furniture for the atrium.”

  Sue looked at Jack. The man could easily furnish any room of that school without putting a dent in his checkbook. He raised his hands up in defense. “Kate wants them to learn the value of hard work.”

  “It’s good for them,” Kate said, coming into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around Jack’s waist. “Everything shouldn’t come easy for kids.”

  Wouldn’t know that problem. Sue reached into her purse, fished out a twenty, and waved it in the air. “Consider me supporting the cause.” She put the bill on the counter and grabbed a tray of cookie balls waiting to go into the oven. “I’ll take mine now.”

  Silence settled over the group. Kate’s eyes were the widest. Everyone knew she watched sugar and carbs. Not tonight. She glared at Kate, daring her to say one word about her fall.

  “I think Sue and I will head out to the patio. You good in here?” She looked up at Jack, unable to stop a lazy smile.

  “We’re perfect.” Jack leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Gross,” Charlie moaned.

  No kidding. After her meeting with Trey, she wasn’t in the mood for newlywed bliss. She dropped her purse on a chair and headed toward the patio. Thank God for Texas’s mild winters. “Don’t forget the milk,” she called back to the kitchen.

  Within minutes and three more cookie globs, Kate joined her. “I take it from your consumption the meeting didn’t go well. Drink this.” She handed Sue a tall glass of milk.

  The cold milk was a balm to the bittersweet taste in her mouth. Sue finished half of it before she spoke. “Trey Harrison is a fucking asshole.”

  Kate looked back at the door, probably checking to see that her children’s sweet ears were properly protected. Sue was usually better about her language when the kids were nearby. “Sorry, but he is.”


  “Was he rude?”

  Sue remembered how he stood when she left, even when they had declared their sides. “No, the ass—jerk was polite, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is a fu—jerk.”

  Kate hunkered down in her chaise while Sue poked at another bite of dough. “So, was he one of those arrogant surgeons?”

  “No,” Sue huffed. He hadn’t even mentioned his globe-trotting, Mother Teresa work.

  “How did he look? I know you blew him out of the water. No way has he aged as well as you. Speaking of which.” Kate moved the tray of cookies out of Sue’s reach.

  “Are you implying I’m getting fat?”

  “No, I’m implying that if you don’t stop, you’re going to vomit on my patio.”

  Damn, she did feel nauseous. Probably from Trey. How did he look? Jeez—a perfect example of how a man should age. “He’s okay.”

  “Sue?” Kate must’ve heard the nasty lie in her voice.

  “He’s gorgeous, all right? But it’s wasted on his asshole self.”

  “So, what exactly was the asshole factor?” Kate grabbed two cookies and popped them both, suddenly in on the nervous feeding frenzy.

  “Well, first, he plays it all, ‘Good to see you. You look great. I’m so honored to be here.’”

  “Such an asshole.” Kate giggled and poured herself a tall milk.

  “It’s not funny. He doesn’t get to play that card.” And I can’t deal with that. “So, I set him straight. He’s to meet Wes, answer questions, then get the hell back to Iraq.”

  “Hm.” Kate nodded but said no more.

  “What are you hmmming?” Sue didn’t like her best friend’s hint of doubt. She needed the one hundred percent girlfriend affirmation. She leaned over Kate and grabbed two more dough balls, despite the protest of her stomach.

  “It’s just that, from what you’ve shared, I don’t see why you had to go all Sue Brinkley on him.”

  “Well, you weren’t there. He was pulling out all the humble gentleman shit, and I wasn’t going to be fooled with that.”

  “So when you shared your special charm with him, I take it he didn’t respond so well.”