Then He Came Back (Love From Austin Book 2)

by Chris Campillo

  After several minutes, she finally faced him. Her eyes were red, and she hadn’t bothered to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. “He’s safe.”

  He nodded, already aware of the fact, but letting her move at her own pace.

  “He doesn’t want to talk. He’s staying at Mimi’s.”

  “That’s good.” She looked at him, confused and hurt. “I mean, it’s good he’s with Mimi. He’s still cooling off, but at least he’s in a safe place. That’s all that matters right now.”

  He held his breath, waiting for the attack that was sure to follow. But instead of yelling, she pushed herself off the sofa. “I need a drink. Want one?”

  “Sure.” He was grateful for the offer. His nerves and muscles were still a mess from the hours of worrying about his son. He could use something to take the edge off. He followed her into the kitchen where she pulled a bottle of Qui Tequila out of a cabinet.

  With shaky hands, she poured a double for both of them, then sat at the kitchen bar. He joined her and watched her take a hefty drink. He tasted the tequila. It was smooth, but he wasn’t in the mood to enjoy the flavor. He matched her pace, and soon he was pouring them another. She rolled the glass between her hands, her face drawn and defeated.

  Looking at her, so beaten down, he couldn’t stop himself from trying to comfort her. “It’s not as bad as you think. He’ll cool off, and then you’ll talk.”

  A sick laugh escaped her mouth. “You don’t get it. This is not some argument over losing his car for a week.” She took another sip. “He’s never been this angry. This hurt.”

  “Wes is levelheaded. Give him time, he’ll listen.”

  “You really think so?” Her eyes were full of misery, but he could sense her desperation to believe him. The same look she’d had that terrible night eighteen years earlier in the back of his Cherokee.

  He grabbed her hand without thinking about it. She tensed, and he waited for her to jerk away, but she didn’t. He took advantage and stroked his thumb over her fingers, feeling a charge that surprised him. She must have felt something, because she studied him, looking taken aback and confused, then pulled her hand into her lap. He was tempted to grasp it again, but God knows, he didn’t want to crack this fragile shell of peace.

  She wiped away another tear, took a drink, and lifted her glass. “To mother of the year.” Her voice broke over the sarcasm.

  “Stop it.” He set her glass away. “You’re an amazing mother. Wes is a great kid, and it’s all because of you.”

  “But he hates me for keeping—”

  “He’s hurt. He’s mad right now. But this will pass, and he’ll remember all you’ve done for him. The hard choices you’ve made.” Oh, how he wished he could go back and do the same. “He loves you, Sue. That never ends.”

  She blew out a shaky breath, searching his eyes for the truth.

  He wiped her tears, then cradled her face in his hands. “Believe me. I know.” He’d carried the girl, now woman in his heart all this time. It’d been crammed down with guilt and remorse but never fully extinguished. Damn, he was tempted to kiss her. To taste that tender girl he’d remembered all these years. To comfort the mother of his child who was raw with grief.

  She didn’t move, just ran her eyes over his face, landing on his lips. He moved forward but stopped. He couldn’t be that selfish. Not tonight when she was so vulnerable. Better to leave on a decent note for once.

  “I’m going to call a cab,” he said, standing up. “Can I leave my car here tonight?”

  “Oh.” She shook her head, as if to clear it. “Yeah. That’s the smart thing to do.”

  “Okay, then.” He headed out of the kitchen.

  “Where are you going? It’ll take a while for the cab to get here.” She almost looked disappointed he was leaving. Then again, tequila could make you see things that weren’t there. Things you wanted to believe. He was tempted to stay, to touch her again, but had enough sense to know that would be a stupid move.

  “I’ll wait outside. I could use some fresh air.”

  She started to get off her stool, but he held up his hand to stop her. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll check with you tomorrow.”

  “Trey.” Her voice was weak, her eyes so fragile. He fought the need to go to her. “Thank you.”

  He managed a nod, then left.

  Chapter 14

  A hot shower and four cups of coffee hadn’t helped Sue’s pounding head. She popped two Tylenol but knew it was a waste of time. It had nothing to do with the tequila she and Trey had shared. Hell, OxyContin couldn’t eliminate the effects of crying all night and worrying about Wes. And Trey. Why she would waste her sleep on that man, she had no idea. It wasn’t a big deal. He’d been kind when she needed a friend. He’d held her hand, so what? He almost kissed you. And you would’ve let him.

  As she leaned down to clean up yet another hair ball—Lily was stressed as well—the throbbing at her temples pushed all Harrison thoughts away. She didn’t have the energy for such ridiculous what-ifs. The only thing that could help her was Wes. Hugging Wes, hearing him say he’d forgiven her.

  But that wasn’t going to happen.

  Mimi had made that real clear when Sue had called her just after dawn. She’d told Sue to stay put, that she’d come to her house, claiming she didn’t want to wake Wes. That was bull. They both knew Wes slept like the dead.

  God, how bad was it? Would Wes run out of the house if he saw her?

  She checked the clock again. Mimi would be here any minute, but every second waiting to hear about her son was pure hell. She stopped pacing and sat down by Lily who was licking what had become a bald spot on her side.

  “I know, girl. What are we going to do?”

  The cat looked up at her with big, green eyes, offering no answers, but in a rare act, she let Sue cradle her in her arms. Good Lord, things were bad. Even the animals could sense it.

  Lily jumped down when the doorbell rang. Sue rushed to the door to find Mimi looking as tired as she felt. Her aunt didn’t say a word but grabbed her and hugged her tight. Sue couldn’t keep the tears from falling.

  “Oh, baby.” Mimi stroked her hair.

  The words, spoken with such love, drew sobs from Sue. Mimi led her over to the couch and took her back into a hug. It was minutes before she gathered herself enough to pull away. Mimi got up and came back with a box of tissue.

  “This may be my worse screwup ever,” she said, wiping her nose.

  Mimi smiled at her, love radiating from her clear, blue eyes, and patted Sue’s hand. “Don’t be silly. You’re still young. You’ll screw up a lot more before you get to be my age.”

  A wobbly smile escaped, surprising her. She didn’t think she had it in her. Leave it to the woman who’d served as her mother and rock through the toughest years of her life to bring some hope.

  “How’s Wes?” She searched Mimi’s eyes, hoping for a good report though she knew she dreamed in vain.

  Mimi sighed, then handed her another tissue. “As good as you could expect. He’s confused . . . and mad as hell at you.” Mimi never sugarcoated the truth, but in this instance, she could’ve used some Splenda.

  “But besides scaring the wits out of us last night, he hasn’t done anything stupid, like drinking and driving.” She wiped a tear off Sue’s cheek. “We stayed up most of the night talking. He’s got a lot of questions.”

  Sue sat up straight. “That’s why I need to see him, to explain. If I could just talk to him, I could make him understand.”

  Mimi shook her head. “Honey, he’s not going to talk to you right now. He’s too angry. Too hurt.”

  Throwing herself against the back of the couch, she let out a deep sigh and stared at the ceiling. “So what do I do? How am I going to fix this if I can’t explain?”

  “We’ll figure something out. But first, let’s get you something to eat. I know you, and you’re probably strung out on coffee with nothing in your stomach.” Mimi stood up and headed to the kitc
hen.

  Sue followed but didn’t have any interest in food. Despite that, Mimi forced her to eat a few bites of toast and drink some chamomile tea while she talked about everything under the sun, except Wes.

  At her breaking point, Sue pushed away her plate. “Okay, I’ve eaten. Thank you for breakfast. Now, can we talk about Wes?”

  Mimi joined her at the kitchen bar and squeezed her hand. “First, you have to tell me what you’ve done. What you did. I’ve only heard Wes’s version, and it sounds unbelievable. If you want me to help, I need to know the truth.”

  Sue nodded, knowing her aunt was right. She’d never told anyone what she’d done. For years, she’d wanted to say something to Mimi, but in the back of her mind, she feared her aunt would’ve told her she’d messed up. Guess she’d find out today.

  Pulling apart the remnants of her toast, she tried to gather her thoughts. “Ten years ago, Trey contacted me. He wanted to meet Wes, claimed he wanted to build a relationship with his son.” She glanced at her aunt. Surprisingly, Mimi looked calm, making it easier for her to continue. “I told him no. That he couldn’t come anywhere near my son.”

  Mimi nodded, looking unaffected, but after a moment, she asked, “Why did you do that?” Her voice was relaxed, but she sensed disapproval in the woman’s words.

  “Why do you think? Hell, Mimi, he’d walked out on Wes and hadn’t given him a second thought for seven years. He didn’t deserve to meet his son.”

  Mimi shrugged. “Maybe. But maybe he’d changed, grown up. Maybe he wanted to take responsibility.”

  Good Lord. When had the Trey Harrison fan club formed? This was ridiculous. “So you’re saying I should’ve gambled my son’s emotional stability on the off chance that Trey had experienced some miraculous reformation and was ready to be a father?”

  “Calm down. That’s not what I’m saying. But what would’ve been the harm in them meeting, just once?”

  Sue grabbed her plate and took it to the sink, using a Brillo pad to wash off the breadcrumbs. It took her a minute to swallow all the angry words that were fighting to jump out in her defense. Eventually, she won the battle and returned to her seat.

  “It would’ve only confused Wes. By then, Luke had moved back to Austin. He was the best father figure Wes could’ve hoped for. He took him to the campouts and coached his little league. He did all the stuff a father should do. Hell, Luke was a better dad than most of those biological fathers. Wes didn’t need Trey.”

  Mimi looked down and let out a heavy sigh. When she raised her head, Sue saw a sadness that hurt her more than any disapproval her aunt could’ve spoken. “So, what did Trey say when you told him no?”

  “He tried to change my mind. Said he’d made a major mistake walking away from Wes and his responsibilities. He wanted to make things right.” He’d never once mentioned remorse for leaving her.

  “You didn’t believe him?”

  She stared at Mimi. Had the woman forgotten about Trey’s grand exit seventeen years ago? “No, I didn’t believe him. He might have thought he felt that way, but I wasn’t going to chance upsetting Wes’s world just because the man had some urge to play daddy. What if he tried it for a while, then decided he didn’t want the responsibility after all?”

  Mimi shook her head and sighed. The sound reeked of judgment. Her aunt walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. After a sip, she leaned against the counter and studied Sue. “So Trey just walked away, didn’t pursue it?”

  “God no. He got righteous and said he’d file for joint custody. Told me I couldn’t keep him from his son.” She choked out a laugh. “Can you believe the audacity?”

  “How’d you stop him?”

  “I told him I’d fight him to the death before I’d let him see my son and asked him if he really wanted to put Wes through all that, when the boy was happy and well-adjusted.” She walked to the sink, pitched the calming tea, and poured herself some coffee, adding three sweeteners. “I think what really got him was when I pointed out he wasn’t worthy of Wes. That he’d proven himself unfit when he’d walked away without a backward glance. That seemed to be the final blow. He didn’t call after that, which just goes to show how serious he was about fatherhood.”

  Staring into her coffee, Mimi stayed quiet. Each second made Sue’s stomach churn. She couldn’t stand the silence and all the condemnation it represented. “I take it you don’t approve of my decision.”

  Mimi glanced up at her and plucked her chin. “Don’t go making assumptions.” Wrapping Sue’s hand with her warm, soft fingers, Mimi gave her a gentle smile. “I understand why you did what you did. I’m right behind you when it comes to protecting Wes.”

  “But?”

  “But I think the man had a right to meet his son. And I’m not so sure it would’ve been a terrible thing for Wes to meet him.”

  Sue pulled her hand free. “How can you say that? Don’t you see how confusing that would’ve been for Wes?”

  “But at least he would’ve known his father had thought about him. I’m not sure confusion is any worse than the pain of thinking his father never wanted him.”

  Sue’s stomach dropped. In her wildest dreams, she’d never thought her decision would’ve hurt Wes. He’d always seemed so well-adjusted. He’d never been curious about Trey, at least he’d never shown it if he was. God, had he felt rejected all his life? Had she perpetuated ten years of him needlessly suffering? A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she had to swallow several times to keep from being sick.

  “Sit down.” Mimi pushed her toward a chair, then brought her a damp towel. “Close your eyes and take some deep breaths.”

  Slumping down into her chair, she did as she was told. It helped the nausea but didn’t take away the blinding pain of hurting her son. She fought for something, anything that could fix the mess she’d created.

  “But I got in touch with Trey. I let him meet Wes.”

  “Yes,” Mimi said, nodding. “But ten years later. That’s more than half of Wes’s life. He says he’s angry that you didn’t tell him, but I guarantee that boy is thinking he and Trey could’ve had some special relationship all these years.”

  “So, what? You’re saying I’ve screwed up so royally that Wes will never forgive me?”

  Mimi leaned over and squeezed her tight. “Honey, don’t think like that. Wes loves you, and you’re his momma. Of course, he’ll forgive you.”

  An image of her own mother jumped to mind. Fuck. I’m screwed.

  It wasn’t a surprise that her parents hadn’t come for Wes’s birth. Secretly, Sue had hoped her mother would be there, but she knew her father would’ve never allowed it. And God knows, Peggy Brinkley never argued with her husband, the almighty Jim Brinkley.

  At least her mom had called. It was the morning after her delivery, while Jim was at work, of course. Knowing her mom, the woman probably stood at the window, making sure he didn’t come home unexpectedly.

  Sue didn’t care. She couldn’t stop talking about Wes, about his fingers, his bowed lips, his sighs, and the way he clung to her. How he needed her. For a time, her mom actually sounded happy about the baby.

  But when she told her mom she was keeping Wes, the phone went silent. True to form, Peggy panicked, more likely about her husband’s reaction than having a baby in their home.

  “Oh, Susan. I . . . you . . . your father won’t allow it. Honey, I don’t think—”

  “Mom, he’s your grandson. He needs to be with me. With us.”

  “But this is not what your father agreed to. You have to come home and go back to school.”

  She gripped the phone, scrambling for the words to convince her mother. She was pleading for Wes’s life. For her life.

  “I can still go to school. We can get daycare. Some schools even have it for students’ babies. I could look into it. I’ll figure something out.”

  “Your father won’t want that.”

  “But when he sees Wes, I know he’ll change his mind. He’s
so beautiful. Wait until you see him, Mom.”

  Her mother’s shaky breath jumped through the phone. “Honey, I . . . can’t.”

  “Please, Mom!” She couldn’t hide her sobs. “Just talk to Dad. Can’t you just talk to him?”

  There was a long silence before her mom finally said, “I’ll try.”

  Jim Brinkley called during his lunch break, obviously not taking any time to consider her plea. He didn’t bother with a greeting or ask about her or the baby’s health. As always, he only cared about his needs.

  “No bastard is going to live in my house. It’s bad enough everyone knows you’re a tramp.”

  He’d always been blunt and crude. When she’d first told her parents about the pregnancy, he’d called her a slut, a whore, a stupid fool who’d given it away to the rich prick. She didn’t think he could’ve made her feel any lower or hopeless. But calling Wes—his grandson, her precious, innocent baby—a bastard hurt more than anything he’d ever done to her, which said a lot, considering the seventeen years she’d received his loving parenting.

  “You’ll give that kid away, like we planned, if you want back in my house.” With that, her father hung up, slamming the receiver.

  Her heart raced as she listened for the dial tone. Hope rushed over her when it didn’t come. “Mom? Are you there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please, Mom. Please! Make him understand. You know what it’s like. I can’t give him away.”

  The long silence was her answer, but the woman finally spoke in a broken voice. “Susan, you need to do what your father says.” With that, she hung up.

  She never spoke to her family again.

  Chapter 15

  Sue slammed on her brakes. Trey’s SUV was parked in Mimi’s driveway. What was he doing here? A live wire shot up her chest; her shoulders knotted instantly. She parked on the street but stayed in the car for a while. She didn’t want Wes to see her this uptight.