“I met him once,” Austin told his sister. “Granddad was in town for a conference or something. He came to the house.”
Jadin smiled. “I’m not surprised. He was all about family.”
“I remember thinking that I was in trouble.” Pointing to the portrait, he added, “He had that same stern expression on his face. But then he smiled at me.”
“People used to think he was mean, but he wasn’t. He would do anything he could to help others. He even offered his services pro bono to those who couldn’t afford to pay.”
“He was a good man. I’m glad I had the chance to meet him.” Austin escorted Jadin to her car, then strolled down the next row to where his SUV was parked.
* * *
He drove the short distance to Holbrooke Boot Camp Gym, which was owned by his brother-in-law, Ethan.
He needed a strenuous workout to expend some of his pent-up energy. He’d been on edge ever since locating his son. Austin gathered his bag and navigated inside.
After a two-hour intense training, Austin still found himself wound tight, his frustration banked, but not eliminated.
When he arrived home, he pulled up his contact list on his phone. He stared at the names for a solid ten minutes before shutting it down. Austin considered calling a young woman he’d spent time with in the past, but changed his mind. She’d made it clear on several occasions that she wanted more than he was willing to offer.
Austin liked her, but she reminded him of Jasmine and that was a path he wasn’t willing to travel down again.
He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship now—his thoughts were consumed with his son. Austin’s heart ached with the knowledge that he had a child who was just beyond his reach.
Copyright © 2018 by Jacquelin Thomas
ISBN-13: 9781488081606
A San Diego Romance
Copyright © 2018 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Kianna Alexander for her contribution to the Millionaire Moguls miniseries.
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