Watch What Burns

by Kirsty-Anne Still

  “You’ll see,” Robert spoke back, keeping his answer extremely blasé. “Now scurry home, and tell that lovely wife of yours I said hi,” Robert mocked Tyler with his comment.

  Just like that, Tyler went to go for Robert, readying to pummel his face with his already clenched fists, but Dean and Tom stepped up, grabbing him. He fought against their strength, but between them they overpowered him. “Get off me!”

  “No,” Dean muttered into Tyler’s ear, using a calmer tone to try and keep Tyler calm.

  Watching Robert walk off smugly, Tyler shrugged the two off, and quickly found his way out of the building. He was livid beyond words, and couldn’t believe that Robert was not even a little terrified by Tyler.

  Tom ran out, catching up to him half way across the parking lot. “You alright, Ty?” Tom asked as he caught up with Tyler’s pacing strides.

  “Yeah, course I am. He’s just trying to wind me up, that’s all,” Tyler waved the concern, trying to keep his tone jokey and casual. Even with Austin’s brothers buying his facade, he didn’t. He couldn’t stop feeling like there was more happening here than met the eye.

  Swallowing the feeling of foreboding, Tyler decided to go home to his family.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “OH thank fuck,” Austin muttered as she heard the door open and the sound of the men coming back into the house. She left the kitchen just in time to see Tom leading Tyler towards the couch. “You were gone hours.”

  “Yeah, we got caught up,” Danny told her honestly, moving out of the way so she could see her husband. He now sat emotionless, his fists clenched.

  “We took him to a bar,” Tom commented, sitting Tyler down. “He’s not wasted; he’s just still trying to calm down.”

  “What happened?” Austin asked, trying to suss a plan to help her husband.

  “Are we alone?” Tom asked cautiously. “We need to talk about this.”

  Austin felt the fear rumble through her and she swallowed the doubt. “No, mom and dad are here,” Austin commented nodding towards the den where Grace was playing dress-up with her grandfather. She smiled and looked back. “Tanya’s in the kitchen with Sienna and Cassie. Ty’s dad should be here soon too.”

  “I’ll get dad, mom can keep Grace occupied,” Danny commented, leaving the room quickly to tell them the plan.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen,” Austin responded and led the way. By the time she took a spot and turned around her brother and father were with them now. “What the hell has him like that?”

  “Robert,” Dean alerted her, watching her face drop of all visible emotions. “He made a few rash comments, all of which hit the wrong nerve with Tyler.”

  “Dean had to cool him off before letting him go in, and well, if he hadn’t he would have gone in there and only left when one of us posted bail,” Tom admitted to them all and watched the women’s expression turn to visible shock. “He was more than prepared to kill Robert.”

  “We had to drag him out in the end,” Danny relayed another fact of the day’s events.

  “What the hell,” Cassie gasped. “Why?”

  “Robert used Austin against him,” Tom stated, looking between Tyler’s mother and sister to his own sister. “He knows Tyler’s weaknesses. He knows how to get him to react.”

  “Oh for Christ sake, half the town knows that!” Austin exclaimed, throwing her hands up onto her head. “This town has no secrets, everyone knows everyone’s business.”

  “But not enough to use it against one another,” Dean stated, his tone darkened a little as if to add the somber note to this conversation. “He was goading Tyler to the point he wanted him at and he succeeded.”

  “So what’s he going to do by doing that?” Austin asked rhetorically, her own last nerve beginning to fray under the tension of her frustration. “Just rile my husband up to get a reaction?”

  “No, he did it to try and scare me, and I have to admit, he did it,” Tyler confessed, looking his wife in the eyes, allowing his brother-in-laws to all watch him falter a little before them. He had shown strength, now he was with Austin, he didn’t want to hold back with how he was feeling over the entire situation. “Call it a bad vibe, but something in my gut is telling me we need to keep a careful eye on everything.” Tyler shook his head, disappointed in himself for letting a leech like Robert get into his head. “It was more or less the way he spoke. The look in his eyes just seemed to scream a thousand words he didn’t need to say.”

  “It has been a long couple of days,” Tom stepped up, trying to make a justification for Tyler seeming so worried and doubtful. “He’s trying to scare you on purpose, and right now, you’re letting him win.”

  “But why?” Austin asked, throwing her hands out in a questioning gesture. “Yes, his daughter is in prison for a crime she committed, and lets face it, I’m the reason.” She saw them all go to argue with her, but she continued before they could fight her on the matter. “Look, it is what it is. Natasha got what she deserved, but I have nothing to give that family now. I paid my dues, I got over it. It’s time they stopped living in the past. We’re grownups; we should be capable of it by now.” She looked to her husband, and continued, “Ty, don’t let him get into your head. You’re better than that. I know you are. So please, baby,” she stepped forward, going to her husband’s aid by placing her hands on either side of his face, “Please, just stop letting him win.”

  “I will,” Tyler agreed, listening to his wife’s strength.

  “Good,” she murmured softly to him. She then stole a kiss the moment he neared her and then pulled away, “You taste like too many beers. You know what will happen if Grace gets a kiss off you like that,” she joked and pulled away laughing, happy for seeing her husband less tense. “Now I say we order in and have us a movie night, because I am not prepared to stop living my life right now.”

  “Aussie Mozzie has spoken!” Dean agreed loudly and with added enthusiasm. He then pushed Danny and their father from the room, calling out to Grace and Jane.

  Tyler, knowing how Austin reacted before when he kissed her, pulled her into his arms quickly. “I’m going to run and brush my teeth, but all I need is you, our daughter, a little bit of fun, and I’ll be back and fighting strong.”

  “I know you will.” Austin smiled up at him, her eyes gazing into his. “I wouldn’t allow you to be anything else but that.”

  “Thank you,” he said and kissed her forehead, lingering his kiss for a second longer. “I love you, Austin.”

  “I love you too,” Austin whispered and pushed him towards the doorway, hearing Tom’s phone ring from behind her as she finished her sentence. “Now go, and hurry yourself. Your daughter has missed you like crazy today.”

  “I’ll be quick,” he said and disappeared from the room.

  Tom had long since answered the call, and when he saw Tyler leave, he had stopped, giving his sister the go ahead to leave, but Austin hung around in the doorway. He had his back to her, but she could tell from his body language he was excitable and happy over something. She watched him leave the kitchen and head into the back yard, and her curiosity peaked a little more than it already had.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Austin said. She had waited on him to finish his call before stepping out into the garden with him. Watching Tom turn around, she gave him an all knowing smirk, “What’s going on with you and Alice? There’s a lot of secrecy there.” She watched her brother become coy before her eyes. “Tell me,” she pushed, her excitement growing within her. “C’mon, Tom,” she pushed with a subtle sigh. “We tell each other everything.”

  Tom’s face began to light up as he caved. “Alice is pregnant,” Tom smirked, watching Austin’s face light up. “I couldn’t keep it in anymore. She wants to tell everyone tonight, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

  “We needed this news!” Austin exclaimed as she flung her arms around her brother’s neck. “You’re going to be an amazing father. You love Gracie so much; your o
wn child will be spoiled by you.”

  “No one will take Gracie’s spot,” Tom argued back with her. His niece had been his entire world from the moment he knew about her, to this very moment.

  Letting her brother go, Austin looked at him. “I expect my niece or nephew to do that. When you have your own child, Tom, it’s out of this world. I still can’t explain what it is that Gracie makes me feel, but nothing eclipses her. She’s everything, and I’m lucky every day to be able to say she’s mine. You wait until you have the same.”

  Austin couldn’t deny the swell of happiness that began to engulf her. Alice had been a massive support just after the fire, and it wasn’t just as Austin’s main nurse. She had been the one to treat Tom’s minor burns and make sure he keep fed and rested while they dealt with rebuilding the house, looking after Austin, and living every-day life.

  Since then, Tom and Alice’s relationship transcended and within the following year, their love developed and soon Tom proposed, forming his own life with a woman who loved him unequivocally.

  “I can’t wait for the others to find out!” she almost shouted and slammed her hand firmly over her mouth when Tom hissed at her to be quiet. “Sorry, we haven’t had a baby in the family since Gracie, and this is just too big!”

  “Well you have to keep it quiet until Alice is here,” Tom scolded her, taking her hand and drawing her back inside the house. “She’s only just turned thirteen weeks, so she wanted you all to know.”

  Austin made an excitable noise and then began to calm herself. “Right I’m going to get some composure until she arrives.”

  “You won’t have to wait long,” Tom joked putting his hands to her shoulders, turning her on the spot and leading her from the room. “She’s just coming from our house and she’ll be here.” He didn’t say anymore, just went into the living room with Austin where all their family was waiting.

  “Mommy!” Grace shouted out, immediately standing up on the couch. “I saved you and daddy a spot!”

  “Aww, thank you, baby,” Austin spoke softly going to her daughter, picking her up and taking her seat. “What have I told you about standing on the couch?”

  “Not to do it,” Grace pouted in response, knowing she had done wrong.

  Austin pulled her daughter into her arms. “I think I can forgive you, Sweetheart.” She then tickled Grace and allowed her little girl’s giggles to just swim into her conscious mind and soothe her a little more. “You ready for a movie night?”

  “Only if we get loads of food!” Grace shouted, making them all laugh. “We don’t do movie nights without food.”

  “Don’t worry, Princess, I’m going to order lots of food,” Tyler commented as he came into the room. “Tom, I let Alice in, she’s just taking her shoes off.” He then looked to Austin. “Normal?” he asked her in regards to dinner and she grinned and nodded her head to him. “What’s everyone else having?” he asked, and immediately found orders thrown at him. “Whoa, whoa, let me get some paper and a pen. Otherwise I’m going to buy the whole menu.”

  “I know what Dean and Danny will have,” Tom said, settling their order. “I’ll go and find out what Alice wants and meet you in the kitchen.”

  “Sounds good,” Tyler agreed, and went into the kitchen.

  Tom, however, wanted to get Alice so he could tell everyone the news. It might not have been long ago that he had divulged the news to Austin, but now he couldn’t find himself keeping the secret. The day he had first kissed Alice had been a dream come true, the day he married had been one of the happiest, but the day she showed him the positive pregnancy test, he was overcome with immense pride.

  Like all the other times, he wanted to share with his family.

  “Hey babe,” Alice grinned at him as she kicked her shoes off. “How’s my man?” she asked as he waltzed to her, putting his arms on her waist to pull her closer to him. “Not here,” she giggled.

  “You’re too beautiful to just leave alone,” Tom spoke huskily to her. His eyes rose to hers, the sparkle of happiness hitting them as his lips began to curl up into a smile. “I told Aussie,” he admitted sheepishly.

  Alice giggled at him, and shook her head. “I’m amazed you held off this long actually. You and that sister of yours are thick as thieves.”

  “I know,” he chuckled back. “We just need to tell the others now.”

  “Tell us what?” Dean asked curiously. He had been heading to the kitchen to grab a drink when he heard the pair. He always watched his brother and sister with their spouses, and as the oldest Pearson sibling, he envied them for what they had. He was yet to find the one woman that sated him enough to imagine forever with.

  “Busted,” Austin joked as she stepped out behind Dean. She watched Tom look at his wife and she just laughed. “C’mon, you know he won’t shut up now if you don’t tell people, and you know me,” she shrugged without finishing her sentence properly.

  “Yeah, she’s right, Tom,” Alice laughed, knowing Austin just as well as anyone else. “Let’s go and tell them. It’s time we did.”

  “C’mon then,” he said grabbing her hand, forgetting about anything else but sharing the news with his family. Once they did, they could make it public and enjoy Alice’s pregnancy openly. Entering into the living room, Tom watched as conversation fizzled out and everyone’s eyes became transfixed on him and his wife. “We have some news,” Tom spoke up, reaching for Alice’s hand to bring her to his side. “We’ve known a few weeks now, but we wanted to wait.”

  “She’s pregnant,” Sienna jumped in assumingly, her eyes going wide, her hope sky rocketing, but as the silence settled, shock took over she panicked she had been wrong. “Well?” she asked, desperate for an answer. “Put me out of my misery here?”

  “I’m pregnant!” Alice exclaimed excitedly, and found herself once again welcomed into the family with an abundance of love.

  Austin stepped in, giving Alice a tight squeeze before pulling back, “This is so amazing to hear. We needed this right now.”

  “Well I’m glad I could supply,” Alice told Austin back, grateful she could offer some respite. She had heard about everything from her husband when he had called her earlier in the day, and now she was glad to feel the tense air dispersing.

  “Does that mean that I’ll have a friend to play with?” Grace piped up, threading through everyone so she could go and begin tugging on her uncle’s shirt.

  Tom laughed, picking Grace up in his arms. “You have friends already,” Tom chided Grace, looking at her little face frown. “You’ve got Emily down the street, and there’s Samantha right around the corner.”

  “But this one will be here! Like right here!” Grace exclaimed, her voice going louder on her.

  “Yes, they will,” Tom told her back, with heavy agreement. “But you have to wait for them to arrive. Can you do that for me, Gracie?” he asked her, waiting to gauge her reaction. He laughed again when Grace nodded her head happily.

  “I say celebrations are in order!” Tyler announced, everyone quickly agreeing. It didn’t matter what went on hours earlier, now it was all forgotten.

  ***

  Hours later, Austin relaxed back, her legs over her husband’s lap, her daughter curled up on her own lap, snuggled in against her mother sleeping. She had never expected her and Tyler’s house to be the center point to everyone’s life, but it appeared that everyone always seemed to gravitate back here. It was a reason that they found themselves needing bigger couches, and seating for everyone.

  Now with the family growing, she only dreaded to think how many people they would be able to fit into the house.

  Turning her attention away from the television, she found Tyler staring at her and she giggled a little impishly. “What?” she asked him, keeping the volume of her voice low so not disturbed anyone around her.

  “Nothing,” Tyler remarked in a similar manner. “I’m just watching my two favorite girls.”

  Austin couldn’t help but smile at him; she loved it
when she caught him watching Grace when she napped in the living room. It was one of the reasons why she was completely settled with knowing how high she was in Tyler’s list of priorities. She never felt needy, or forgotten, and she never had to worry about Grace feeling the same. There was no room for her to be loved any less than she was.

  “Well, the movie’s that way,” she jokingly said, nodding towards the screen. “It’s nearly over as well so we can get her down and watch something more adult friendly,” she giggled, knowing that her brothers would go straight for a horror.

  He winked at her, knowing that if they put on another movie, he would have his wife huddled into his side, just how he liked her. Hearing his phone go off, he quickly reached for it. “It’s work,” he groaned as he saw the number on the screen. Getting up slowly, he left the group and headed to another room to take the call.

  Austin took that as her cue to move. “I’m going to get her to bed,” Austin whispered at Dean as he watched her begin to get up. “Don’t bother stopping it. I won’t be long, and Tyler won’t want to deal with work for long either.”

  Dean laughed, sharing the sentiment. “Do you want me to carry her?”

  “How do you think I cope when you’re not here?” Austin joked at her brother, finally able to get up carefully. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Austin walked over to the kitchen doorway, carrying her daughter’s limp body in her arms. She was aiming to take Grace to bed, but she needed to know why Tyler was getting a work call this late in the evening. Rubbing her hand over her daughter’s back, she kept her eyes on her husband and just waited. As he put the phone down, the manner he did so thrust icy cold panic throughout her body.

  “Tyler?” she questioned, her voice remaining steady. “Ty, who was it?” she asked as he began to turn around to final face her.

  “That was Steve on the phone,” Tyler turned around, his face contorted with horror and confusion. “Natasha escaped a little over two hours ago.” He looked to his wife, her face now washed of any color, her eyes growing in terror. “There’s a search on for her, but they can’t find her. She’s out there somewhere.”