by Claire Adams
He set his book down and sat back as if he knew this question was coming at some point. “I must admit, I thought I would get this question a lot earlier than right now,” he teased. I shook my head and looked at him expectantly. “Is this referring to the woman I think it is?”
I nodded slowly, and he smiled at me with a soft shake of his head. “Yeah.”
“You dated a lot of beautiful women over there in New York. I saw the pictures, but you know what I didn’t see, Austin?” I looked at him with a frown. “The smile that you’ve always had with Rebecca. Even now, you just relax and let all your walls down with her. You look cold in the pictures that I’ve seen on television and in the magazines that your mother has brought home over the years. I’ve missed the Austin who I’ve seen here over the last few weeks.” He folded his hands on his lap and took a deep breath with a sweet smile on his face. “Your mom and I were high school sweethearts right here in North Reed. It feels like a hundred years ago, now. Anyway, I thought she was the most beautiful girl that I’d ever seen when I saw her my sophomore year. We began dating immediately, and while I was smitten, I made the mistake of thinking that I should date other girls a little later.” He chuckled. “We both dated other people during our breaks, Austin. It’s what people do when they’re trying to figure things out.”
“Nobody has ever turned me upside down like Rebecca before, Dad. I went to one of the best colleges in New York without a second thought. I’ve worked investment deals that involved hundreds of millions of dollars without breaking a sweat. I’m good at what I do. Why does a woman get me all twisted inside?”
He smiled. “That is what the best women do to us, son. I’ve thought the same thing about your mother repeatedly,” he admitted. We both laughed. “I was that way, and then I graduated high school. I got the job that I’d been dreaming of, as you know, and I was ready to be on the fast track. At some point, I realized that I needed Sally to be there with me, and we went out to dinner. We talked about everything and decided that we were going to make this work. I had to prove it to her, believe me. I’d taken off like a scared rabbit in the past but not this time. I bought this house for her and asked her to marry me the same day I brought her in here for the first time. She said yes, through a flurry of tears, and I’ve been working to prove how much I love her ever since. Now, look at us. Still in the same house years later and happy. I had the job and the family, and I wouldn’t trade any of that for the world, Austin.”
I nodded and tried to imagine my life working out that way. It wasn’t as easy for me, given that they already lived here and didn’t have to change that much. I thought how much Rebecca wanted to stay here, and I still wasn’t sure that I did, even though I loved being here with my family.
I felt like I was being pulled in two directions. I leaned my head back.
“You think too much, Austin. Always have. That works in some things, like business. You can control that a lot easier than you can something personal with a woman. That’s where you have to bend some. I understood why you left to go to that college, Austin. I understood why you stayed in New York, even if you didn’t always look happy. It was the thrill of the chase when it came to your work. I saw what you were missing, though, from the start. One thing about life is that we’re supposed to learn from the mistakes that we’ve made in the past. I can tell that you’re trying to turn things around with Rebecca, but you seem like you don’t think it’s enough.”
“What’s enough, Dad?” I asked.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “If you’re asking me that, you probably aren’t doing it.” He sipped his tea slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Everybody is different, but you know Rebecca well. Deep down, you know what to do.”
“That’s the thing. The women in New York all wanted the same thing: my money. They wanted the life that came with it, but I didn’t want to give that to any of them for too long. I just didn’t care about them.” A flush came over my face, knowing what my parents must have heard about me over the years. Something I was proud of back then faded into an intense dislike of myself sitting here in the living room with him. “I used them, Dad.”
“I’d say they used you too, Austin. They got a little bit of what they wanted, and they wanted more. It’s just a bigger scale than my dating in high school, is all. Nothing to worry about if you make everything right.” He shrugged.
I gave him a long look. “Rebecca doesn’t want my money, Dad. She seems to resent it most of the time.”
He considered my words and then smiled. “Compromise. Show her the good parts of it and how that can work for the two of you. Bigger scale. Remember?”
I nodded with an understanding smile. I could do that. We talked for a bit longer, about Mom and how he was handling the changes in his life. He appreciated all of Mom’s efforts, as well as mine, as hard as they were for him to accept at times. Dad knew that being alive and with us was the most important thing of all and reminded himself of that often.
“I know that I was a stubborn man to live with, Austin. I told you how it was, and now I have to listen to everyone else to get through this life. It’s crazy to me.”
“I understand that,” I replied, being a control freak just like he was. Hell, I was a lot like my father in many ways and respected the hell out of him. “I think we all have to eat a little crow occasionally.”
“That we do,” he laughed.
“I love you, Dad. I respect everything that you did for us. I don’t tell you that enough.”
He seemed to get serious for a moment before he cleared his throat. “I was always so damn proud of you, son. Even when I hated seeing you leaving us, you worked hard, and you made it.” Dad looked out of the window and smiled warmly. “Your mom is home, and she’s going to make us some lunch. She got this new bread that has the consistency of straw, but at least the turkey is edible.”
I laughed again, and Mom walked in to greet us both with hugs and kisses. She made the very sandwiches Dad told me she would, but I ate it without saying a word. It was the best thing for us.
I grabbed my tea and headed outside to make some phone calls. I wanted Rebecca, and I had the money to spoil her just a little bit. I was going to do just that, and I set up the following day with my usual precision. Even without Preston, everyone in my life listened to me.
After all my calls, I went inside and dropped back onto my bed with a smile.
Everything was set. I was going to take a nap before dinner since I knew Rebecca was at work for the evening. She’d traded a shift to get tomorrow off, and I smiled as I played it through my mind.
I thought about what Dad said as I drifted off to sleep, knowing that he was right. Dad was often right, and I felt ashamed of myself for taking off the way that I did and hurting them.
I vowed to make that up to them in the best way that I knew how, along with Rebecca, and not all with money. There was more to life than just money, and I wanted it. I just didn’t know what the perfect answer was yet and had to spend some time with Rebecca to work through that.
I got up in a couple of hours and helped Mom with the spaghetti that she made for dinner. It was different than the old recipe, and she served a crisp salad with it instead of the greasy garlic bread that Dad loved. But he thanked her for the meal and dug in.
I liked seeing him compromise for his health and to make Mom smile. She was a natural caretaker and seeing him allow it made her so happy. She beamed when he complimented her on her food and finished the plate. I saw what it was to make your significant other happy, and I hoped that I could do that, beginning tomorrow, with Rebecca.
Dad went to bed early. Mom and I enjoyed some cookies that she brought from town and watched a movie. He’d been warned to watch his sugar intake, and she was all over that but still enjoyed a treat herself every now and then. I knew that she had a whole arsenal of things that she could make for him.
The laptop was coming the next day, and I was upgrading their Wi-Fi for them so she
could find things in an instant. I hadn’t told them, wanting to surprise them with it.
I sent Rebecca a text that night from my bed, asking if she was going to be ready for me the following day.
Rebecca: What are we doing, Austin?
Me: Just be ready by two. And dress up.
Rebecca: Why? Where are we going?
Me: That is a surprise, my love. Relax. It’s good for you.
Rebecca: Who is texting me right now? The Austin who I know doesn’t know how to relax.
I chuckled and admitted she was right to myself, silently. I didn’t know how to relax, but I was going to take the cue from some of the people in my life and see how it worked for me.
Me: I love you, Rebecca. I wish I was there with you.
I knew that she had plans with Kim after work. So, I stayed home to give her some space. Plus, she was probably tired and needed to sleep for tomorrow, if she could at all.
Rebecca: Come over. Kim left already.
It was so tempting, but I told my eagerly responding body to calm down. There was time for all that tomorrow in my plans. I was going to give my girl some new experiences to enjoy.
We said good night, and I clicked on the television to watch some of the late shows before I fell asleep.
I was going to make this work.
Chapter Thirty
Rebecca
I pressed my hands down the dark purple dress that Kim loaned me when she heard about this date. She knew that I was insecure about where I stood with Austin and wanted to make me irresistible to him.
It was a sexy dress, with cap sleeves that draped down over my shoulders and a tight sweetheart neck line down to my waist where it flowed down to my knees. She got it on sale at the local thrift store when someone donated it from an estate. She’d snatched it up immediately just in case a special occasion every came up. It was unusual for anything this pretty to come into the tiny store in town that supported the high school. Kim hadn’t worn it yet and was thrilled to break it in on my date.
I looked at my eyes, done in a smoky style of dark gray and a little black with extra mascara. She’d finished the flawless look off with some gloss that had a slight pink tint to it.
When she was done, she stepped away from me and clapped her hands. “You look amazing,” my sister told me as I tilted my head to look in the mirror. “If that boy loved you before, this is going to push him over the edge.”
My hair was straight today, also thanks to Kim’s hard work, and I acknowledged that I looked a lot different. I smiled as I slipped the small, but shimmering, amethyst earrings on and looked down for the black heels waiting for me.
All I knew was that Austin told me to dress up. He knew how I felt about him going over the top for things like this, but I wasn’t sure that he would listen. He’d been a bit too excited all week about this.
I took a deep breath as I walked into the living room. Kim was watching something on television as she sipped a pop. I stumbled into the room on the high heels, and her eyes lit up. “Holy shit. He is going to die when he sees you.”
“I don’t think that’s the point,” I said.
She giggled and gestured for me to spin around. I rolled my eyes but humored her.
“Where are we going for me to look this fancy?” I asked. “The nicest restaurant in town is the steakhouse, and most everyone wears jeans there. I can’t imagine needing a dress like this.”
She shrugged with a wide smile on her face. “I am certain that Austin has something up his sleeve,” she assured me.
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” I replied as I went to look out the window. There had been a very light snowfall overnight, so the roads were great, and I’d be okay in my nice black coat. The sun was bright in the sky, making it truly a beautiful sight. I smiled. If Austin tried too much harder with me, I’d fall for him hopelessly and want to give in to anything that he wanted. I needed to have some leverage to hold onto. I thought about drinking some of the wine that was in the fridge. “What time is it?” I asked.
Kim glanced at her phone. “Five minutes to three. Didn’t he say he’d be here soon?”
I nodded and looked down at my dress again. Should I change? Was this too much?
I saw a vehicle that looked like an SUV with several feet added to it pull up in front of the house. “What in the ever-loving hell is that?”
Kim jumped up and ran to the window to look out. “Oh, my God. That’s one of those fancy limos. I’ve seen them in pictures before, but where would he be able to get one of those for tonight?” She buzzed with excitement.
I felt my stomach bottom out with a sickening twist inside of my body. “It’s Austin,” I said.
She reached for my hand and nodded. “It’s Austin.”
We both watched as he stepped out of the back, dressed to the nines in a black suit.
“Lord help me,” I murmured as butterflies started moving inside of me.
“You’ll need a lot more than that. This will be the talk of the town!” Kim moved to get my small purse with only the necessities in it. Kim also grabbed my jacket for me.
I sighed as I walked to the door and opened it with a shy smile.
“Good god, Rebecca,” Austin said. “You look beautiful.” Kim smiled at him. “Hi, Kim.”
He stepped inside and helped me into my jacket. Then he offered his arm to walk me out to the car. I told Kim goodbye, knowing that she’d be headed home soon so I’d have some alone time with Austin after the date if needed.
“Is this necessary?” I asked him, nodding towards the limousine. I paused at the door, giving him a dubious look. The driver stepped out to open the door for me.
“It’s just a limo. Live a little, Rebecca.” Austin slipped his hand down to mine, squeezing it as he kissed my hair. “We won’t even leave town if you don’t want to.”
I stared at him for a moment as he took me in with a slow, hungry gaze and then glanced at the driver. “Fine,” I muttered as I slipped inside of the car, looking around in shock. It had leather seats all around the back, with a colorful stereo system, and even a bar.
“Nice, isn’t it?” Austin asked as he moved in beside me with a hopeful smile. “Wealth has its perks, Rebecca. You need to enjoy them.” He moved over to the bar and poured something into two glasses before sitting beside me. “Wine?”
“I suppose that neither of us are driving.” I certainly needed the wine to even myself out, so I accepted the glass he offered and stared into his eyes for a moment. He picked something up, and I smiled as I heard the song that we considered “our song” playing over the speakers. It was one we danced to in high school. “You’re pulling out all the stops, aren’t you?” I asked him again as I lifted the glass to my lips. The wine was sharp as I tasted it, and I knew that it was an expensive bottle even with my limited knowledge.
This was Austin, after all.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Austin teased me with a smile as he lifted his glass. “A toast to you, Rebecca. To us.”
I clinked my glass against his, and we both drank the wine this time. I snuggled close to him, unable to stay away as I looked out of the windows. I noticed that we headed away from town, but there was nothing out in this direction that made sense with the way we were dressed. “Where are we going?” I asked him as I looked at him, taking in how handsome he was. “There’s nothing out this way.”
“There’s something,” he said vaguely.
The car braked and took a left turn. I gazed over at the little airport that some of the local guys used that was all but shut down. It only opened when needed, and today it looked as empty as ever, apart from a plane parked on the runway.
“The airport?” I asked.
He chuckled beside me. “I promised that I wouldn’t drive you out of town. I said nothing about flying.” Austin kissed my hair. The car slowed beside the small jet.
I looked at him, and he kissed my lips. “Only you, Austin Harris. Only you.” I clo
sed my eyes to lose myself in his kiss. “I can’t just fly away out of town. I have a job, you know?”
“We’re not going far,” he assured me as he grinned widely. “I have a restaurant in Dallas that I’m going to take you to. We’ll come home after.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “What kind of food is it? I can’t believe that you own a restaurant!”
“I invest in a lot of different things. I know how to keep my money working for me. This particular place is a French restaurant. I loved everything that I ate while I was there, so I bought it. I want you to try it, too.”
The driver opened the door on Austin’s side of the car, and he pulled me out into the cool air. I looked at the plane. It was safe to assume that it was Austin’s private jet and he kept it in good shape. I felt a shiver of excitement rush through me, even though I was not the biggest fan of Austin’s wealth and how he chose to use it.
I’d never been on a date like this and, more than likely, never would again. I might as well enjoy it. Austin led me to the plane straight away and up a small set of stairs to enter a surprisingly spacious cabin. “Oh, my God. This is beautiful,” I said in awe as I paused to look around.
“It makes all of my travel more enjoyable,” Austin agreed as he walked over to a set of four seats. He worked fast to adjust them, surprising me with a bed as he turned back to me with a wicked smile. “I can even sleep on long flights if I need to.”
“How long is this flight?” I asked him in a shaky voice, knowing what he was suggesting.
“About an hour or so. We won’t have time to sleep, but I’m guessing that we can find something else to do in that time.” He grinned suggestively. “Have you ever had sex on a plane?”
“What do you think?” I asked breathlessly as I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Where’s the pilot?”
“He leaves me alone during the flight when requested. He’ll announce the landing, but otherwise, we’re all on our own.” Austin raised his eyebrow before I kissed him, overwhelmed by everything I felt in this moment. Austin pulled me against him, deepening the kiss as I moaned into his mouth. This man was everything to me right now and for always, even if I didn’t know what our future might be.