Mr. Hyde’s Assets

by Sheridon Smythe

  Austin gripped the bench—hard—to keep from hitting Jack. “How could you be so careless?” he managed between clenched teeth.

  “I never thought someone would break in!” He lifted his slim shoulders in a helpless shrug. “I hate throwing things away. I always need them later.”

  “Shh! Keep your voice down, you idiot!” Austin rose braced his hands against the clammy wall, and took several deep breaths. It didn’t help.

  “Maybe they won’t use—” Jack’s words ended abruptly as Austin snapped his head up to face him.

  “They will, and you know it. Whoever broke into your office didn’t risk going to jail just to satisfy idle curiosity.”

  “Austin?”

  Both men froze at the sound of Candice’s muffled voice on the other side of the door.

  Finally, Austin found his tongue. “I’ll be right out!” he shouted. To Jack, he instructed in a low voice, “Make sure you’re home tomorrow night around eight o’clock. I’m going to bring Candice straight to your house, and we’re going to tell her everything before she hears it from someone else.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “I’ll see you back in Sacramento.” With a heavy heart, Austin gathered his toiletries and strode to the door. When he reached it, he turned to glance back at Jack. The sight of his little brother standing in the dim light, looking lost and guilt-ridden, did what it always did; it softened his heart and allowed a smidgen of forgiveness to creep in.

  “Thanks for warning me, Jack. Drive safely, and don’t worry.” Austin managed a wry smile. “Things can’t get any worse.”

  Jack groaned.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Slouched in the passenger seat of the motor home, Candice pulled the bill of Austins baseball cap low over her brow so that Austin wouldn’t see the tears she tried to stem.

  She didn’t want to leave.

  Did Austin feel the same? She slanted a glance at him as he drove the clumsy vehicle with an ease she admired. The past week had been incredible, almost dreamlike. They had nearly exhausted every topic under the sun, and she couldn’t remember a single awkward silence between them. When they weren’t talking or making love, they simply enjoyed each other’s company.

  She had fallen even more deeply in love with Austin, a realization that filled her with an odd mixture of elation and apprehension. He’d not mentioned love to her, not once, yet each tender gesture, each hot, possessive look, told her how much he cared. But did he believe their lives too different to allow for a more permanent relationship? she wondered. Was that the reason he didn’t mention love or talk about the future?

  God, she couldn’t imagine a future without this funny, loving, sexy man. Austin Hyde had helped her realize that she shouldn’t dwell in the past but instead look forward to a future she could control. Absently, she stroked the silky material of his football jersey. It was Austin who had insisted she disguise herself for the trip back to Sacramento. Not quite understanding his almost desperate concern, she had finally relented, digging into her suitcase for the football jersey she had packed to give back to him. She had stuffed her hair beneath a proffered cap bearing the logo support your local artists, and beneath his jersey she wore a pair of brand-new maternity jeans.

  Eyeing the grim set of his jaw and the bunched muscles in his arms, Candice frowned. As they’d cleaned the campsite before their departure, he’d been a little somber, but then, so had she. She had assumed their reasons were similar; they both hated to leave and return to the chaotic life of intrusive reporters and nasty in-laws.

  But as an hour stretched into two, she began to wonder if there was a more sinister reason for his withdrawal. Uptight might better describe how he looked. At first, she tried to dismiss the notion, but it kept creeping back for another insistent nudge.

  Finally she could stand the suspense no longer. She closed the outdated magazine she’d found beneath the seat and took a deep breath, waiting until he finished a skilled maneuver between lanes before asking, “Is something wrong?”

  The camper swerved slightly as he shot her a startled look. “No.”

  Candice sat straighter. For an instant, she saw a flash of fear in his eyes before he returned his gaze to the road. Once before—in the nursery—she had sensed the same fear but had shied from wanting to know the cause.

  But that was before she realized how much she loved Austin Hyde, painter and handyman, whose favorite color was every color. She loved his gentleness, his caring nature, his wonderful outlook on life, his strength… she loved everything about him. He could take her for a rocket ride to the moon with his zealous loving or soothe her nerves with the gentle reassurance of his voice or a touch of his hand.

  He could make her feel reckless and happy, safe and secure, wanted and needed. How could she not love him? And if he still kept secrets from her because he feared she’d reject him, then she wanted him to know that nothing he could tell her would stop her from loving him.

  Candice sighed wistfully, not for the first time wishing she was plain ol’ Candice instead of Mrs. Howard Vanausdale. But most of all, she wished she’d never married Howard, and that Austin was the father of her baby. It was an incredible fantasy, and a dangerous one to entertain, yet she couldn’t stop thinking about how simple, how wonderfully simple her life would be right now if she’d met Austin instead of Howard on that hot, tired day in July at the Burger Barn.

  If she had…

  Candice closed her eyes, bringing forth a hazy image of a white frame house complete with a picket fence, children, and a brown-and-white collie. She grinned, thinking she should at least try to be original.

  “A penny for your thoughts.”

  The low timbre of his voice snapped her eyes open, dispelling the fantasy. Her laugh was a little shaky. “They’re not worth repeating,” she lied, then wondered why she didn’t just blurt out the truth. Because he might laugh? Or because he might squirm like a fish on a hook?

  It was the thought of him squirming that sealed her lips. She didn’t think she was ready to find out that Austin was having second thoughts about their relationship. Instead, she said the first thing that popped to mind. “Actually, I was wondering why you insisted on this disguise.” She tucked a strand of windswept hair under the cap and adjusted the bill again so that she could see his face more clearly.

  “Do you want someone to recognize you?”

  “You didn’t seem to be concerned when we left, or during the trip down,” she pointed out.

  His lips tightened. “Your disappearance has probably caused a stir, don’t you think? They’ll be frothing at the mouth and hiding around every corner waiting for your return.”

  Candice couldn’t argue with his logic, so she remained silent. He was probably right, she thought gloomily. She might as well face the fact that her idyllic vacation was truly over.

  They made three more stops during the eight-hour drive, and each time Austin stuck to her like flypaper. He followed her to the rest rooms and waited for her to come out. He waited until she was safely inside the RV before he filled the tank, and, much to her exasperation, he wouldn’t let her buy a newspaper during one of her trips to the bathroom at a convenience store.

  “No,” Austin said, steering her away from the newstands and out into the parking lot so fast that she had to run to keep up with him.

  “Austin! What has gotten into you?” She tugged her arm from his hand and stopped in the middle of the lot, refusing to budge another inch until he gave her a reasonable explanation. He had taken this far beyond normal caution!

  He turned, his face set, his eyes expressionless. “Reading while riding will make you carsick.”

  Candice shook her head. She wasn’t buying it. No, something was wrong, and Austin didn’t want to tell her. “You saw me flipping through a magazine earlier and didn’t complain.”

  “If you want a magazine, I’ll get you one.” He started back in the direction of the store, but Candice caught his arm.

  �
�You don’t want me to see a newspaper.” When he simply stared at her, she knew she’d hit on the truth. “I’m right, aren’t I? You know something I don’t, and you’re trying to protect me.” She was close enough to see a muscle ticking in his jaw.

  “I need for you to trust me on this,” he said, reaching up to cup her face. His expression softened; the familiar glow he seemed to reserve just for her returned to his eyes. “I don’t want you hurt any more than you have to be.”

  Candice braced herself, finding strength where once upon a time there had been only resignation. “I’m not going to break, Austin. Whatever it is, believe me, I can handle it.” Gazing steadily into his eyes, she grasped his hands and lowered them from her face. “I’m going to get a newspaper.”

  “Candice…”

  She began walking toward the store, resisting the urge to turn around and forget it, to let Austin continue to shield and protect her. But that was the old Candice. The new Candice was strong; she could meet any challenge life threw her way. She would prove to Austin that she wasn’t as fragile as he believed.

  An hour later, she refolded the newspaper and laid it aside. To her relief—and confusion—she’d found nothing in it that would justify Austin’s sudden paranoia. “Would you like for me to drive so that you can read the paper?” she asked. When he began to shake his head, the devil in her prompted, “Or maybe you think a delicate creature like me couldn’t handle this tugboat.”

  Her taunt hit a nerve.

  Flipping the right blinker, Austin pulled the camper to the side of the road and got out. Candice silently cursed her wayward tongue as she climbed into the drivers seat. She’d never driven anything so big before. As she waited for Austin to buckle up, she looked over the controls. Everything seemed familiar, and it was an automatic. What could be so difficult about it?

  Trying to appear casual, she shifted the gear lever and checked her mirrors. She joined the flow of traffic so smoothly, she couldn’t help smiling. A piece of cake, she decided, relaxing and enjoying the drive. From the corner of her eye, she noted that Austin wasn’t watching her but flipping through the paper.

  “You’re not nervous with me driving?” she asked, darting a glance at him.

  He shrugged, keeping his gaze on the paper. “Should I be?”

  Unconvinced, she deliberately swerved.

  He didn’t even blink.

  Several moments ticked by before she relented. “All right, so maybe you’re not a sexist.”

  “Apology accepted.” Now he did look at her, his eyes brimming with laughter. “But I really think you should pull over.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that cop behind us thinks you’re ignoring him.”

  Candice gasped and checked her side mirror, then gasped again when she saw the flashing lights. Oh, Lord, it really was a cop! She glared at Austin as she directed the RV to the side of the road. “Stop laughing. It isn’t funny!”

  Austin burst into fresh laughter.

  Ignoring him, she found her purse and fished out her drivers license. A tapping at her window startled her. Seeing the uniform, she quickly rolled the window down. “Hello, officer.” She tried smiling at him.

  The state trooper remained stone-faced. “Can I see your license, ma’am?” His gaze narrowed in suspicion, he glanced beyond her to where Austin sat laughing and wiping his eyes.

  “Certainly.” Vowing to maim Austin the moment they were alone again, Candice handed the trooper her license.

  He studied the card a moment, then looked at her long enough to bring a guilty flush to her checks. “I noticed you swerving, ma’am. Have you been drinking?”

  For a moment, Candice was speechless. Austin hooted. She silenced him with a killing look before replying indignantly, “No, I have not been drinking.”

  “Would you step out of the vehicle, please?”

  “You’re joking, right?” Candice let out a shaky, disbelieving laugh. “Officer, I assure you that I have not been drinking. I’m going to have a baby!”

  The trooper pointed her driver’s license at Austin. “How about your husband, ma’am? Has he been drinking and driving?”

  “No.” Although she could certainly understand why he thought so! How could anyone breathe laughing so hard? As for the trooper assuming Austin was her husband, what else was he to think? Not only did they look like a happy couple on vacation, she had just declared she was pregnant. Imagine his shock if she blurted out, “He’s not my husband, he’s my handyman and my lover.”

  “You see, he wasn’t watching me, he was actually reading the newspaper, so I…” She faltered, realizing just how silly her explanation sounded. The trooper looked as if he thought so, too. With a sinking heart, she watched as he flipped open the ticket book. She’d never gotten a ticket in her life!

  “I’m going to give you a warning this time, ma’am.”

  Candice let out a breath of relief. “Oh, thank you, officer.”

  “But I’d advise you to save the fun and games until you’re in the safety and privacy of your home.”

  “G-games?” Her jaw fell. Austin snickered.

  “You do know it’s against the law to expose yourself in public?”

  Mortified, Candice began to shake her head vehemently. “You’ve got it all wrong, officer! I didn’t mean—”

  The trooper shoved the written warning into her hands and tipped his hat. “Drive carefully, ma’am.”

  She sat frozen in the seat, her face burning with embarrassment. To give Austin credit, his laughter had died to a ripple of chuckles interspersed with mirthful sighs. It wasn’t his fault anyway, and she knew it. But did he have to laugh so damned hard?

  It took a moment for her embarrassment to ease so that she could see the situation as he saw it. The trooper had actually believed she’d been flashing Austin, and all because of her stupid notion that Austin didn’t think she was capable of driving the camper.

  “Come here, woman.”

  Candice listened to the sound of his ludicrously deep drawl, her chagrin fading. A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. Wouldn’t she have laughed if their roles had been reversed? Yes, she would have. She would have laughed until she cried, just as Austin had done.

  She unfastened her seat belt and moved into his arms willingly, accepting his deep kiss and returning it with a fervor and desperation that matched his own. Finally, they came up for air.

  Austin’s gaze wandered over her face, all traces of amusement gone. In fact, he looked so serious, Candice felt her heart skip a beat.

  “No matter what happens, I want you to remember this moment, okay? And all the others we’ve shared.”

  “Austin—”

  He put a finger to her lips, then replaced it with a tiny, tender kiss that melted her bones. “Promise me that you’ll remember how good it is between us.”

  He wasn’t talking about making love, Candice realized. He was talking about the closeness they felt, the funny moments they shared, and everything in between.

  An icy shiver trailed down her spine as she stared into his somber eyes.

  She saw pain and regret, and it frightened her as nothing ever had.

  ———

  Candice let Austin drive the rest of the way to Sacramento. The incident with the trooper, followed by Austins mysterious appeal, had left her drained and shaky. Austin had turned so fiercely solemn, where only moments before he’d been laughing, a seesawing of emotions that not only confused her but concerned her as well.

  More than ever, she suspected that he was hiding something from her. Candice sighed and looked out her window, suddenly realizing Austin had taken a turn she didn’t recognize.

  She sat straighter as she asked, “Aren’t we going home?” It was getting late; Mrs. Merryweather would be worried if they didn’t arrive on schedule.

  Austin gave his brief answer without taking his eyes from the road. “We’ve got one stop to make.”

  Slightly piqued that he didn’t consult her a
bout the detour, Candice reminded him, “Mrs. Merryweather is expecting us.”

  “We won’t be too late.”

  As dusk fell subtly around them, he turned the camper left onto a residential street with the unlikely name of Jelly Bean Hill. Small, neat houses lined both sides of the streets. It was a middle-class neighborhood where children played and dogs barked and lawns were mowed every Saturday without fail.

  Intrigued, Candice leaned forward as Austin turned into a narrow driveway and parked in front of a closed garage. Light filtered through curtains in the windows of the house. Austin sat still, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel until Candice grew impatient.

  “Aren’t you going in?”

  “I want you to come with me.”

  He opened the door and came around to help her down before she had time to agree or disagree. With growing apprehension, she tried to catch his eye as he pulled her along the sidewalk to the front door.

  “Austin, what—” She was interrupted as the door was suddenly yanked open.

  To her amazement, Dr. Jack stood on the threshold. His gaze bounced off her. He doesn’t recognize me, she thought, mildly pleased with the effectiveness of her disguise.

  “Nice bone structure but a lousy dresser. Where’s Mrs. Vanausdale? Say, isn’t that your old football jersey she’s wearing?”

  “Jack, this—”

  “And your favorite cap? Good grief, doesn’t she have any hair? Is she clean? How many times have I warned you not to pick up hitchhikers?”

  “Jack—”

  Jack’s scornful gaze raked Candice from her worn sneakers to her capped head. “Honey, you’ll have to find something to do while big brother and I talk. We’ve got a situation on our hands here.”

  Candice gaped at Dr. Jack, her gaze darting between the two men. Austin Hyde, with his shaggy blond hair and beautifully muscled body; Jack Cruise, a dark-haired little man who looked forever crumpled but always wore dress slacks, shirt, and a tie.

  “You guys are brothers?” she breathed in disbelief.