“I know, big brother, but we can do this. One step at a time, Dad.”
Dad.
He ran his hands over his head. Dad? What the hell was he going to do? There was only one thing he could do.
“I need to call Sierra.”
Maya frowned. “You can just go over there.”
“No, I can’t see her right now. I can’t…I need to talk to her, but I need time.”
He knew he was messing this up, but he was floundering. He dialed her number and sighed when it went straight to voicemail. Maybe it was for the best. She had enough to deal with without his drama.
He had a kid.
Everything had been looking up, and now it had all crashed down. Life certainly knew how to throw punches, only Austin didn’t know if he’d be able to get back up after this one. Not this time.
Chapter Seventeen
Austin hadn’t called again. He’d left a weird message saying that he would see her later then hadn’t called back all night. Sierra didn’t want to think it was a bad sign, but she was certainly worried. It had now been over twelve hours since that phone call, and Sierra had a bad feeling about it.
Something had happened, she just knew it, but Austin hadn’t answered his phone when she called, so now she didn’t know what to think.
The day before, she’d spent almost all of her time either on her feet dealing with a mad rush that might have made her pocketbook happy but not the arches of her feet, or she’d been in the back, bent over her books.
Being a business owner was not for the weak.
Well, being a successful one anyway. And she wanted to be successful damn it.
By the time evening had come around, even though she’d need to work for another few hours, she’d gone home with the beginnings of a headache. She and Austin had tentative plans of him coming over, but they hadn’t finalized them because of her workload.
Then her migraine had hit, and she’d lain in bed moaning before finally falling asleep.
That was when she’d missed Austin’s call and odd message.
Now it was morning. While Jasinda and Becky handled the store, she was going to get some coffee from Hailey and bring it over to her man. Not only did she want to see him, she wanted to make sure he was okay.
Not speaking to him for almost a full day made her a little uneasy, and that, in turn, made her freak out a little. They’d gotten serious extremely quickly, but she couldn’t say she regretted it. Austin made her feel whole again. Not that she needed him to feel human. It was more that she’d been missing something in her life. He looked at her scars and saw strength and beauty, and she believed him. He got angry for her past and then helped her breathe through the steps she needed to take in order to overcome it.
He was there for her, and now she wanted to be there for him. She just prayed that whatever was going on with Austin wasn’t something serious. God, what if it was about his father? She knew the older Montgomery had his first full treatment the day before, and she prayed that there hadn’t been any complications.
Sierra let out a breath. That had to be it on some level. Maybe Austin was just freaking out over his father being sick. Damn it, and she hadn’t been there. She’d been in bed with a migraine and not by his side like she should have been.
Well, that wouldn’t be happening again. No, next time she’d help him through it, even if she had to rest her head on a cool compress the entire time.
He’d helped her through her pain, and she’d be damned if she let him go through this on his own.
Shoulders rolled back, she said goodbye to her girls then walked across the street to Hailey’s. She glanced over at Montgomery Ink, saw a young boy sitting on the front steps in the corner, and thought it must have been one of their clients’ kids. It was still early, but the cool air from the morning dew still stung a bit. She hoped the kid kept warm because she wouldn’t want to stay outside long. It didn’t matter if it was in the dead of summer in Colorado, once you were in the shade and before the sun really hit, the mountain drafts went to work on the air.
She’d just ask Austin who the boy was as soon as she made her way over. Maybe she’d go the long way around, rather than through the connecting doors between Taboo and Montgomery Ink like she’d grown accustomed to. That way she could see if the kid needed anything. Honestly, she didn’t know why she cared so much about this kid who probably had two parents inside waiting for him or watching out for him, but she couldn’t help it.
As soon as she stepped into Taboo, she smiled at Hailey, who was doing some sort of wiggle behind the counter, dancing to the beat of the music as she filled coffee orders.
There wasn’t too much of a line thankfully, so Sierra didn’t have to wait long. Normally she might have gone to the coffee shop next to Eden in the mornings because of the rush, but she’d wanted to see her friend, and the line was worth it.
“Hey, girlie, good morning,” Hailey said as she continued to wiggle.
Sierra couldn’t help but snort. “You’re in a chipper mood.”
Hailey shook her head then made the two lattes for Sierra and Austin. “Not really. I just happened to be highly caffeinated. I tried a new bean for our espresso, and it has a punch.”
Sierra’s eyes lit up. “Oh really? Are you keeping it then?”
Hailey nodded. “Yep. It’ll be good for the early morning drag-ins. Plus, it doesn’t taste like burnt tar like some of the coffee houses.”
Sierra had the grace to blush. “You know when I go to the other place, I only think of you. It’s just faster.”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “That’s what they all say, champ. Two lattes to go. Say hi to Austin for me.”
“How did you know I was seeing Austin?” Sierra asked, her best ice-princess face on. “I just ordered two drinks. One could have been for Jasinda or Becky.”
Hailey snorted. “It could have been, but you came here during your morning to work on inventory, books, and other admin things, so it must have been important. There’s only one person right now that comes to mind. So tell him I said hi.” Hailey stopped dancing and gave Sierra a look she couldn’t quite understand.
“What’s wrong?” Damn it. Something was up, and she couldn’t shake that feeling.
“I don’t know, hon. Something’s up over there. They closed up shop yesterday before closing hours, and Sloane looked even more solemn than usual.” Hailey’s cheeks pinked at the mention of Sloane, but Sierra couldn’t think about that right then.
“They closed up shop?” she asked, her heart racing. “They never do that, do they?”
Hailey shook her head and started making the customer sitting at the counter a cup of coffee. “No, they don’t. Maybe if they had a family emergency, but I don’t know.” Hailey blinked back tears and shook her head. “Go over there and make sure everything is okay with Harry, will you? I’m worried. I know I was dancing earlier, but I’m trying to keep my mind off it, you know? Since I’m stuck here.”
Sierra nodded, swallowing hard. She cleared her throat then picked up her lattes. “I’ll find out. I’m sure they’re all fine.”
Hailey gave her a sad smile. “Yeah. I’m sure we’re just freaking out over nothing. Now go see those Montgomerys.”
Sierra gave one last goodbye then walked toward the connecting door before stopping and turning back to the front door. Even if her mind whirled at whatever could be wrong with Austin, she hadn’t forgotten about that boy completely. She wanted to make sure he was okay as well. She would have ordered him a hot chocolate or something, but since he wasn’t her kid, she didn’t want to encroach. Plus the kid could be allergic to sugar or something. That was a thing. Right?
Damn it. How could getting two cups of coffee make her mind go as crazy as it had? Now she had a boy she didn’t know to worry about—who she probably didn’t need to worry about anyway—and a man she cared for in need. Well, at least that’s what she thought. For all she knew, she was blowing everything out of proportion and he’d just laugh and call he
r Crazy Legs when she asked him.
Yes, that was what was going to happen.
But they’d closed the store…
Nope. Not going to dwell on that. Not yet.
The boy still sat on the front step when she got there. His brown hair looked tousled, like he hadn’t brushed it in awhile, and he had on a thin jacket and holey jeans. For all she knew, that was the style of boys his age, but the utter sadness on his face wasn’t.
He had his arms wrapped around his legs, and his chin rested on his knees. Now that she got a good look at him, she saw that he wasn’t exactly sitting on the front step. He was more off to the side and under the full windows so whoever was in Montgomery Ink couldn’t see him.
While she hoped that his family was inside, she had a feeling this boy had slept out here or near here the night before. She couldn’t see evidence of a nest nearby or any other evidence, but it was a feeling she couldn’t shake off.
What was she supposed to do?
Well, calmly talking to him would be the first step. Though she was a stranger, and he probably shouldn’t talk to her in the first place, she couldn’t just walk past him.
She put on a smile and tried to not look like a murderer or whatever a little boy would think some woman on the street might look like.
“Good morning,” she said brightly.
The kid, who had been staring off into space, jolted then turned to her, his eyes wide. “Good…good morning,” he mumbled then shut his mouth quickly, as if scared to say anything else.
Oh, this poor boy. Something was surely up with him. Or she just scared the crap out of him. Either way, she had to fix it.
Sierra bit her lip then said to hell with it. Careful not to spill her lattes, she took a deep breath then sat on the stoop next to him. The boy looked startled for a moment then shrugged his shoulders like he didn’t care.
“So, what are you doing outside Montgomery Ink this morning?” Too pushy? God, she didn’t know how to deal with kids. The fact that this child looked to be the same age as the one she’d lost would have been…well she wasn’t going to think about that. She couldn’t think about that.
The boy sighed. “I came to see my dad.”
Came? As if he hadn’t come with his parents? Was he a runaway? Oh damn. This was so far out of her scope. She needed Austin and maybe the police.
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” He looked over his shoulder then the other way as if he were hiding. And damn it, he was hiding. “I don’t know if he’ll like me being here though, you know?”
No, she didn’t know, but she wasn’t about to leave this kid out on the stoop to find out. “Is…is he in the shop?” That had to be the only answer considering where the boy hid. An odd prickling sensation went up her spine as the boy thought over his answer.
No. Surely not. There had to be a customer in there. Or maybe even Sloane. Right?
“He’s in there. I think. That’s what the paper said.”
She’d ask about the paper later. Right then, he was at least talking. She didn’t want to spook him.
“Do you want to go in?” she asked, her throat closing.
He met her gaze and she swallowed hard. Blue eyes. She knew those eyes but she had to be wrong. A lot of people had blue eyes and dark hair. Tons of them in fact. It was just a coincidence.
“I guess I want to,” the boy mumbled. “It’s why I’m here.”
Sierra nodded, her mind going blank. “What…what’s your name?”
The boy licked his lips then ran a hand through his hair on a shrug. “Leif. Leif Montgomery.”
Montgomery.
Oh shit. She was going to be sick.
Austin had a son. That had to be the answer. Holy fuck. He wouldn’t have kept a secret from her, not something like this, she knew that. Meaning he either hadn’t known about his kid or she was wrong about this whole thing.
Yesterday.
Oh, God. He knew now.
He knew and he hadn’t told her.
At least not that night. That had to be why he’d left the odd message. Why he’d closed the shop the day before. Dear God. What was she supposed to do? How as she supposed to deal with this turn of events? What was Austin going to do?
He hadn’t talked to her, but honestly, if she was acting this out of sorts, he had to be doing the same. He’d called her right away if she was correct on the timeline, meaning he’d tried. That had to be something.
She took a deep breath. Freaking out over something she wasn’t a hundred percent sure about wasn’t helping anything. She’d find out what was really happening and then take the next step. Hadn’t she just thought that she needed to be by Austin’s side no matter what? This was a true test of what she felt for him, and running away or being angry at something out of her control wouldn’t help anyone.
It clearly wouldn’t help the boy who started at her with sadness in his eyes.
Questions like how he’d gotten there, where was his mother, who was his mother filled her brain, but she set them to the side. First she needed confirmation. Then she’d deal with the outcome.
“Oh. Well.” What the hell could she say? “You’re in front of Montgomery Ink, so you must be in the right place.” Unless it was all a mistake. A very large one.
The boy, Leif, nodded. “I’m in the right place. That’s what the paper said. My dad works here so now I’m here to see him.”
Sierra swallowed hard. “Okay then. Let’s go inside and see him. It’s a bit cold out this morning to sit on the stoop for too much longer, don’t you think?” It was true, but as a good as an excuse as any.
Leif shrugged. “I’ve been out here and in the alley all night, so it’s actually warmer. But sure, let’s go in. I’ve been trying to figure out what to say, but I told you, so that’s good. Right?”
“Right.” All night? An alley in the city of Denver? Leif was lucky to be there right then. Denver wasn’t one of the most dangerous cities, but it was still a metro area and Leif was still a young boy.
She held back a shudder at the thought of what could have happened to him. She’d ask the proper questions and get down to the heart of everything once they got inside. She just had to see Austin and everything would be fine.
Or everything would shatter around them but she wouldn’t know which until she stepped inside.
She stood on shaky legs, her cooling lattes in her hand. “Okay then. Let’s go inside.”
Leif nodded then stood beside her. His hands fisted at his side before he looked at her and the lattes. He scrambled to the door and opened it for her. Well, he had manners, that had to mean something.
Right?
Oh, God.
She stepped in first since he held the door open for her and looked around the shop, desperate to see Austin. Only he wasn’t in the front. Maya was in the corner, working on something on paper while Sloane had just walked out from behind the counter.
He froze at the sight of her…or maybe it was Leif behind her.
His eyes widened and Maya mumbled something under her breath.
It seemed Sierra’s guesses had been correct.
At least that’s what it looked like.
“Sierra,” Austin said from behind Sloane as he walked up from the back.
Her arms shook yet she couldn’t move. Sloane quickly came up to her and took the coffee from her hands, setting them down on the counter. She gave him a grateful smile. Well, at least she thought she did. From the look on his face, it had probably come out as more of a grimace.
“Austin,” she said after she cleared her throat. “Good morning.”
He frowned then looked behind her, his face draining of color. He saw it, too. He couldn’t miss it. What on earth were they going to do about this? What could be done about this?
“Who…who is your friend?” he asked, his voice level.
She turned around then did what was instinctual. She held out her hand and Leif took it quickly, surprising them both from the look on his face
. He leaned closer, as if she could help him.
Oh, buddy, if that were only true.
She met Austin’s gaze. The only people in the building other than her and Leif, were Austin, Maya and Sloane—they were his family, both by blood and by choice. From the look on the latter two’s faces, they had an inkling of what was going on.
She didn’t let that hurt her—or she tried not to as a little slice went across her heart. They must have been there when he’d found out or something. After all, he’d tried to call. Once. No, she wasn’t going to be petty. She would help. There was no other choice.
Sierra looked down at Leif who had his gaze on Austin, his eyes wide, his lips pressed together tightly in a thin line.
“This is Leif,” she said softly, her eyes on Austin. “He says he’s here to see his Dad.”
Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, but she didn’t cry. Not then. There would be time to wrestle her emotions later.
“Leif,” Austin grunted out, seeming to come out of whatever trance that he’d been in. “Leif.”
Sierra squeezed Leif’s shoulder. Time for her to buck up and be strong. “I think we all need to sit down and talk about what is going on here. I don’t know anything at all, but I think I can guess. What do you say?”
Leif pressed into her harder, his whole body shaking.
She quickly knelt so she was at eye level. “Tell me what’s happening, honey. I can’t help if you don’t help me.” She’d said it to Leif, but it was for Austin as well.
Leif met her gaze and nodded, speaking to her alone. “I ran away from the group home. They were mean there. I don’t want to live there anymore. I know Mom is…dead…but that doesn’t mean I have to live there. Right? I mean, my dad is right there.” He didn’t look at Austin, but his words were a punch to the gut.
“You ran away?” Austin asked, suddenly closer than he’d been before.
Sierra looked over only to find Austin kneeling beside the two of them.
Thank God.
Leif looked over hesitantly. “Yeah. So?”
Austin shook his head. They would have to deal with this. Deal with all of it. “You’re Maggie’s son?”
[Montgomery Ink 00.5 - 01.0] Box Set Page 33
