Then He Came Back (Love From Austin Book 2)

by Chris Campillo

  “Yes. Uncle Trey said we had to save the one with sprinkles for you.”

  Sue jerked her head up and gazed at him. Yeah, I remembered. After their first time, the only time they’d made love, they’d stopped for donuts, and he’d ordered her one with pink sprinkles.

  It was stupid, really. As if a pastry could undo the nightmare of what had happened. Despite his best efforts and their shared desire, the act itself had been horrible for her. And then afterwards . . . God, it still made his stomach clench. But then he thought of Wes. Something that had been so terrifying at the time had given him the greatest gift.

  “Uncle Trey said you liked pink sprinkles, but they only had chocolate.” Sue didn’t seem to hear Emma’s words because she continued to look at him. There was a tenderness in her eyes, a shedding of defenses that he craved.

  With all the etiquette of a three-year-old, Emma opened the box and grabbed Sue’s donut with her chubby, chocolate-covered fingers. “Here. Eat it.”

  “Thank you.” She lifted the mangled mess and took a tiny bite. “Hmm. Very good.” He had to give the woman credit. She was playing a good game for Emma, but she looked as if she could barely swallow.

  She stood up, taking her coffee and donut. “If you two will excuse me, I’m going to take my very yummy treat into the study. I need to do some work before the others wake up.”

  He didn’t want her to leave. He grabbed her elbow. “Can’t you do it later?”

  “Please.” She looked desperate. “I need to go now.”

  Chapter 29

  Later that night, Sue stood in the great room, taking in the scene before her. Wes and Trey were side-by-side at the stove, Trey saying something about flavor as he squeezed a lemon over a pot. Wes hung on his words as if the man were sharing a secret never before revealed to mankind. Emma and Dave sat at the table playing . . . yep, Candy Land. Patty was sitting at the kitchen bar, a blanket draped over her shoulder, with tiny Noah nestled in, obviously nursing.

  The perfect family.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so out of place. The worst part was watching Wes, her Wes. He’d become a full-fledged member of the Harrison clan. She wanted to grab him and pull him to her side, claiming him as her own. Better yet, grab him and run out of this house of all-too-friendly biological relatives. She wished Mimi were here.

  “Hey. Take a load off.” Patty nodded toward the stool next to hers. Sue took a fortifying breath and joined her.

  “Would you like a glass of wine?” She looked up to see Trey peering into her eyes, much too intensely for a casual offer of vino. Of course, it seemed anytime they looked at each other lately it was too intense. Donuts and sprinkles and haunting memories had sent her on an emotional roller coaster for most of the day.

  But it wasn’t just that. The chemistry building between them was palpable. The landscape was covered in snow, but she hadn’t been cold since he’d taken her out of that fleabag motel.

  “Yes, please.” She watched him pour a glass of the merlot.

  “I think you’ll like this,” he said, handing her the wine. Their hands brushed in the passing, pulling their eyes back to one another. This was ridiculous. Must be a side effect of the altitude.

  “Thank you.” She turned to Wes. “So, what’s for dinner?”

  “Paella.” He looked so proud.

  “But we’re not going to eat until midnight if we don’t pick up the pace.” Trey set a green pepper on a cutting board. “Cut this into thin strips.” Wes seeded the pepper and began slicing.

  “Whoa!” Trey motioned for Wes to step aside, then picked up the knife. “Watch me. Fold your fingers under when you’re holding the pepper. Minimizes the chances of cutting yourself.”

  Wes nodded and took over. At one point, he looked up at Sue. Jeez, it was like all those times when he was little, wanting his mom to see him trying something new. She couldn’t help but wink at him. He smiled, and for a minute, all the craziness of the Tahoe zone melted away. Wes was happy, happier than she’d seen him in weeks. Still, the correlation between his joy and being with Trey’s family was a hard pill to swallow.

  “You tired?” Patty asked, adjusting her shirt. She propped the lump of Noah on her shoulder to burp him.

  She shrugged. “I’m fine. I didn’t ski all day like these guys,” she said, waving to Dave, Wes, and Trey. No, she’d come back early with Emma after having way too much up-close time with Trey while he coached her on the bunny hill. He was definitely a hands-on teacher.

  “You have a beautiful home.” She swiveled her stool to look out the three plate glass windows that overlooked a large backyard, bordered by a wooded area all blanketed in white. “The view is spectacular.”

  It was snowing again. She stared out the window for a long time, comforted by the fat flakes reflected in the moonlight. When she turned back around, Patty was standing at the kitchen table, holding Noah in one arm, resting her other hand on Dave’s shoulder. Sue had to swallow to keep in the tears that threatened to fall.

  “I’m going outside for a bit,” she said, needing to get away. “I want to enjoy the snow.” She quickly donned her coat and snow boots and walked out to the backyard. The temperature had dropped dramatically. She was freezing her ass off, but the cold helped her concentrate on something besides the pain in her chest.

  “Mind if I join you?” Patty walked out, not waiting for an answer.

  Yes. Please leave me alone. Despite her mood, she wouldn’t be that rude. “Not at all.”

  They stood in silence for a while before Patty spoke. “I love the quiet. I think that’s my favorite part of snow. When it’s deep like this, every sound is muffled . . . Listen to that—you can hear the flakes hitting the ground.”

  Sue nodded. “I love Austin, but it’s nice to see snow again.”

  “Do you ever miss Peoria?”

  “Never.” She lifted her face, focusing on the icy flakes landing on her cheeks, trying to push down all the terrible memories of that city. The home from which she’d been banished eighteen years earlier.

  Patty went on, unaware of Sue’s scars. “Do you remember that time you and Trey took me sledding in the dark?”

  Sue turned to her and smiled. “I do.” That memory didn’t hurt.

  “Mom made Trey babysit me. I don’t know why. I think I was twelve. As soon as they’d gone, we picked you up. He tried to convince me we were going on some great adventure, but I knew he just wanted to be with you.”

  “Sorry about that.” Her heart fluttered for a second.

  “I didn’t care. I loved hanging out with you guys . . . the big kids.”

  His little sister had barely spent a minute with them that night. Trey had convinced Patty to build a ramp. While she’d been busy packing snow, he and Sue had hid behind a tree, kissing. God, they’d been so innocent. She shivered remembering those warm kisses.

  “I knew what you two were doing.” Patty gave her a sly look.

  “Thanks for not embarrassing us.”

  “Are you kidding? I thought you were so cool. I wanted to be just like you.”

  “Bet that stopped when I ended up pregnant.” Ouch. That was harsh. So much for sharing a special moment.

  Patty used the heel of her boot to write Emma’s name in the snow. “My parents didn’t talk about it, but Trey told me. He wanted me to know before I heard it from someone else.”

  “Nothing spreads faster than news about a pregnant teen. I hope it scared you into celibacy.”

  “It definitely stayed with me.” Patty carved out Noah. “At the time, I couldn’t believe you kept Wes. But when I had Emma, I understood.”

  Sue locked eyes with the woman. “Only a mother knows that connection.”

  Patty nodded. “Your focus completely changes. It’s all about protecting your child, doing what’s best for them.” She chuckled. “Of course, even with that goal, I still mess up.”

  The words set off live wires in her chest. She tried to block out all
the choices she’d made and later regretted. She couldn’t face those now, not with the mountain of melancholy ready to crash over her. “I’m freezing,” she said, and headed toward the house.

  “Wait.” Patty grabbed onto her coat.

  She turned around, eager to wrap this chat and find some solitude.

  “Thank you for letting Trey be a part of Wes’s life. For letting us be a part. I’ve never seen my brother so happy, and needless to say, we’re thrilled. Wes is an exceptional young man.”

  “He is.” She smiled at Patty. “The best.”

  “Time for dinner,” Dave yelled from the back door. As they walked to the house, she took shallow breaths to keep the tears from falling. She’d need all her strength to watch Wes breaking bread with his new family.

  Chapter 30

  Trey sat up in bed. Despite a long day on the slopes, he couldn’t sleep. Thoughts of Sue flooded his brain. Watching her with Noah had triggered a longing in him that he couldn’t shake. The remorse was just as strong. What-ifs had haunted him all day, and his hunger for her body sure as hell didn’t help matters.

  He walked over to Noah’s crib and gazed at his nephew, his little legs bunched up under his stomach, sweet lips parted, out to the world and all its dramas. Trey was tempted to pick him up, just to feel his warm, trusting body. There was comfort in a baby. Comfort in bringing them peace when they were upset or hurt.

  How many times had Wes needed comfort? Sure, he’d had Sue and Mimi, but they weren’t the father. He should’ve been there. The familiar vise tightened around his chest. He needed a drink.

  After throwing on some sweats and a T-shirt, he headed to the kitchen to grab a beer. That’s when he noticed Sue standing in front of the window, staring out into the backyard. She hadn’t heard him, or if she had, she wasn’t acknowledging him, so he took advantage of the moment and watched her. She was illuminated by the moonlight, brighter than normal as it reflected off the snow. When he saw the tears on her cheek, he couldn’t stay away.

  He walked to her, but she immediately turned her back to him. She lifted her hands to her face, likely wiping away the tears. He could feel her pain from two feet away and couldn’t stop himself from caressing her shoulder. She jerked away and walked closer to the windows.

  “Sue, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d come out here and look at the snow. Sorry if I woke you.” She may have been going for light, but he could tell the words were forced. She wrapped her hands around her arms, as if she were cold, but she was wearing her thick robe and big, fuzzy slippers. She might as well have worn armor. Her walls were up. She wasn’t going to share anything with him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t stay. Maybe two miserable souls could help each other out.

  “Like the shoes,” he teased, trying to lift her spirit.

  She looked down. “Wes gave them to me last Christmas.” Her voice cracked on the last word, and her shoulders started to shake. To hell with what she wanted. Trey spun her around, but she tucked her chin in, blocking her face.

  “Tell me what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head, trying to break free from his hold, still not looking at him. “Please, Trey. Go back to bed.”

  “No.” He forced her chin up to find her lip trembling and her eyes watering. She must have accepted he wasn’t going to let it go because she didn’t fight him when he led her to the couch and pulled her down beside him. “What is it?”

  She didn’t say anything. Would she refuse to talk to him? Then, he noticed she was biting her lip. When she finally faced him, he saw the fat tears rolling down her face.

  “It’s this. All of this,” she said, waving her arm toward the living room and kitchen.

  “Are you really that uncomfortable here? Did Patty say—?”

  “No! No. Everyone’s been friendly, welcoming me into the . . . family.” A small sob escaped.

  “So, what’s the problem?”

  “God, Trey. Doesn’t this get to you?” Her tears fell freely now, and she didn’t try to stop the sobs. “Don’t you see this family and wonder what it would’ve been like? What it could’ve been like for Wes? He deserved this. All of this.” Anguish filled her face. “Doesn’t it bother you?”

  He wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight, and had to swallow several times before he could speak. “I think about it every day.” Her sobs grew, and she clung to his shirt, crying on his chest.

  “I watch you holding Noah, and I remember you with Wes, alone at seventeen. You were a kid yourself, left alone to raise a baby. I hate myself for walking out on you two. Walking out on you.” He sucked in a deep breath. “God, Sue. I’m sorry.”

  He pulled her in even closer, scared she would pull away. But she didn’t.

  “But Wes had you, and that made all the difference. He’s a great kid.” He cupped her cheeks with his hands and lifted her face so they were eye to eye, only a breath apart. “Despite all you faced, you hit a home run. Every day I thank God he has you.”

  His words stilled her crying, and she searched his eyes as if she couldn’t believe what he said.

  “How can you say that? I kept you two apart. I kept Wes from you.” She pulled away. “I thought you’d hurt him, but look how he is with you, with your family. God, he worships you, Trey. And the worst part of it is, you are good to him. Good for him. Look what he’s missed because of my choice.”

  His breath caught. Her words fell over him, soothing wounds he didn’t know were still open. But he held no grudge, just a sense of relief. The woman he’d deserted saw something worthy in him. Something that was actually good for their son.

  “You did what you thought was best for Wes. Hell, I’ve only known him a few months, and already I know I’d give my life to protect him. I can’t imagine what that was like after raising him for seven years.”

  He gazed over the face of his child’s mother, thinking of all she’d sacrificed. He traced her cheek with his finger. “Thank you. For what you’ve done for Wes. For what you’ve done for me. Thank you for raising my son. Our son.”

  She took a ragged breath and stared at him as if surprised by his words. He wanted to repeat them, tell her they were the truth, make sure she believed him.

  Instead, he kissed her.

  It was light. A kiss of gratitude, but it felt so right he did it again. This time his lips stayed longer, and gratitude turned into a chemical reaction. That could only explain the heat that swept over him. He had to force himself to break the connection. When he pulled back, he waited for her to run away, but she didn’t. Instead, she gazed at his mouth and her breath caught.

  He didn’t give her another chance and took her lips fiercely this time. He couldn’t stop now. His hunger for her wouldn’t let him. He tilted her head to get closer, and she moaned, parting her lips. He accepted the invitation and deepened the kiss. When she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, like she’d done all those years ago, he lost control.

  He pulled her closer, but it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t a kid, willing to accept hours of kissing. He wanted her body. Under him. Surrounding him. He lowered her back on the couch, and thankfully, she didn’t resist. In fact, she seemed to be right there with him, as she parted her legs and pressed against his erection.

  They continued their hungry kisses, her moans speaking her willingness.

  “God . . . Sue.” He ran his lips over her neck, remembering her taste, her feel.

  She pulled his T-shirt flat against his back, her forceful grasp speaking her need. He couldn’t get enough of her as he ran his hand over her hip, under her shirt. “Feels so good.” Stroking her taut nipples eliminated all chances of a slow seduction. He pushed up her top and sucked a bud, licking and biting, desperate for every part of her body. She moaned and bucked against him, grabbing his hair and pulling him closer. She wasn’t an innocent virgin anymore. He knew she wanted him as much as he needed her.

  He slowed for one second. Through a r
ough breath, he whispered, “Tell me you’re protected.” When she nodded, he’d never been more grateful, yet there was a part of him that burned with jealousy, knowing she was prepared to be with another man.

  Her hooded eyes opened for just a moment of reality. “Are you safe?”

  “Clean. Tested,” he groaned against her neck.

  “Me, too.” Again, jealousy reared its head. But it only fueled his need to possess her, make her his.

  He yanked on her bottoms, pulling the baggy pants and panties off as easily as a sheet. He ran his hand up her thigh, grabbing her ass as she pushed his sweats down. She was a woman now and knew what she wanted. Thank God, they were on the same page.

  Noah’s wail hit them like a bucket of cold water.

  “Shit,” she hissed, her body as stiff as his hard-on.

  From upstairs, he heard footsteps. No doubt, Patty was coming down to check on the baby.

  “Don’t move.” With that, he jumped up, pulled up his sweats, and walked to the bottom of the stairs just as Patty opened the door. “I got it, sis.” Hopefully, the dark hid his tent.

  “Are you sure?” She sounded exhausted, so he knew she wouldn’t fight him.

  “I’m sure. I’ll heat him up a bottle. You go back to bed.”

  “God bless you.” She let out a big yawn. “Don’t forget to test it on your arm.” With another yawn, she went back into her room and shut the door.

  He went back to the couch and found Sue pulling up her pj’s. Her face no longer spoke of need, but irritation. She shook her head. “I can’t believe this.” She stood up and headed to her room.

  “Hang on.” He grabbed her hand. “I’ll get the baby down, then we can go to my room and lock the door.”

  “No way in hell.” She pulled free. “Your sister just stopped us from doing something unbelievably stupid.” With that, she walked to her room and shut the door. Despite Noah’s crying, Trey could hear her push in the lock.

  He went in and picked up the baby. After a few pats on the back, the baby quieted. He knew it was only temporary, so he headed back to the kitchen for the bottle. “It’s okay, buddy. Uncle Trey will take care of you.” Sue had made it loud and clear he didn’t have anything better to do. At least for the night.