“When you said you were coming home early, I thought we could eat together. I hope that’s okay?”
Feeling elated, he was sure his expression had responded way before the words came out of his mouth. “That’ll be great.” He tried to control his tone and not sound overexcited. After all, he didn’t want to scare her off on the first day. “I mean, it’ll be nice to eat with you all instead of eating alone.”
“I thought so too. I’ll have the children wash their hands, and I’ll come serve the food.”
“I can serve. You cooked. So that’s the least I can do. Please.”
“O…Okay,” she said, seemingly surprised by the gesture. “At least allow me to help serve.”
“No, this is your off time. Remember, when I’m home, I help out.”
“Thank you.” Leaning over, she smelled the flowers once more before putting them into the vase and turning to walk away.
That’s when he’d gotten a waft of her sweet powdery scent and closed his eyes to savor the fragrance she left of her comings and goings. He knew then, he wasn’t just infatuated with her. It was something more.
A Beautiful Life
Life was beautiful. For the first time in a long time, she was happy. Plus, being there with Adam, Chloe, and Hanna, had been a dream come true. Other than the time she’d gone to the school, she hadn’t given being a schoolmarm another thought. She was rather enjoying the relationship she had with the children. And she enjoyed seeing Austin every day as well.
Never had she imagined meeting a man as wonderful as him; a single, handsome, loving father who enjoyed taking care of others as much as she did. If men like him had existed back home, she never would have left.
Austin made her heart melt. But she knew nothing would ever come of it. He was far too busy to think about affairs of the heart. Yet, he found time to do nice things for her all the time.
There was a knock on her door. “Just a second,” she said, realizing it must have been Austin since the children were asleep. Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach fluttered with anticipation. Nervous, and probably out of habit, she grabbed her house coat, though she was still fully dressed.
“Come in.”
“Sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I wasn’t asleep.”
“Oh, good, or else I would have felt terrible. Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure,” she said, feeling both nervous and anxious as he took a seat in the chair across from where she was sitting on the bed.
“I really appreciate all that you do. You’ve changed my life, and I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable but you should know this. What you’ve done for these children, well…” He rubbed his hand across his face. “You really have changed their lives.”
“I love caring for them. And just as much as I’ve helped you and the children, you all have done the same for me.”
“If you need anything, just come to me and I mean that.”
“Thank you, Austin.” The way he regarded her with such sincerity, made her feel warm inside.
“I’ll let you go back to doing what you were doing before I knocked,” he said, getting up. “But I do have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“Moira is taking the kids to the movies next Friday night and will keep them until Saturday morning. If you didn’t have any plans, I would be honored if you’d allow me to take you out for dinner.”
“I would like that a lot.”
She rifled through one dress after the other, trying to decide what to wear. Up until now, she’d had it figured out but had changed her mind at the last minute.
It felt a bit daring but maybe she could wear the new dress she’d made with the material she’d found in the back of the closet. Austin had told her to take whatever she wanted from the stack and she had just finished sewing the dress two nights ago. She would have been finished sooner had it not taken so long to learn to use the sewing machine. Even so, she’d hand sewn the lace on the sleeves and down the middle. She only hoped Austin would like it. And it would be good for him to see that the material had been put to good use.
He knocked on the door. Giving herself a quick look over, she took in a deep breath before opening the door.
Austin stood with his hat in one hand and a single red rose in another. His arms dropped to his sides as he regarded her. His mouth had parted but no words came out.
That’s when Emma-Jean realized he could have very well not liked the dress she was wearing.
“I’ll change,” she said, backing away from the door.
“No. Wait,” he said, putting his hand up. “Don’t change. You’re absolutely beautiful.”
Now instead of being worried he didn’t like the dress, she became bashfully shy.
“Did you make this yourself?”
“I did,” she said, remembering something else she’d made. “And I made this for Hanna, and this for Chloe.” She sat the dresses on the bed.
Emma-Jean watched as he stared down at the dresses. “I’m sure they’ll look lovely in them.”
“I thought so too. They can even wear them to church. Don’t you think?”
He nodded. “That’ll work too.”
Maybe she was thinking about it too much but the expression he wore told a different story. Something was wrong.
“I’m sorry for asking again but are you sure you like them?” Emma-Jean asked.
By now, she’d become less enthusiastic about their night out. She just wanted to sink into a hole and disappear.
She sat on the bed and Austin sat next to her.
“Here’s the truth. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” Emma-Jean said.
“Everything about you seems so pure and innocent, and I adore it. The dress you have on is beautiful and so are the ones you made for the girls. It’s just that you’re different from any woman I’ve ever met. And when you opened the door and I saw, well…it left me speechless.”
He leaned closer to her. Their faces were inches apart as they stared into each other’s eyes. Though she’d never been kissed before by a man, she felt that he was about to do just that. And then, it happened. His lips made contact with her skin and her insides started to tingle. Although, it was only on her cheek, it was the most perfect kiss ever.
“I hope it was okay for me to do that?”
“It was.” She would never forget it.
“Now, I think I should tell you, you’re wearing my mother’s favorite tablecloth. And I don’t think anyone except you could have pulled it off.”
Emma-Jean covered her mouth with her hands. “Why did you say I could have it then?”
“Because it wasn’t like I was going to use it for anything. Just do me a favor, don’t turn the window curtains into dresses,” he said lightheartedly.
“Not without asking first.”
Mama’s Home
The evening had been beautiful, one of few relatively cool days in Heartsbridge, Texas during the month of September. It was almost as if greater forces were intervening to make sure everything was perfect.
This was Austin’s first date since Lana had left, and he’d been enjoying it a lot more than he thought he would. It was because of Emma-Jean. While the other women were all glammed up, wearing dresses that looked one size too small, and way too much makeup, Emma-Jean was makeup free and wearing a tablecloth. She looked one-hundred times better. And she didn’t seem to be bothered one bit, although she stood out like a sore thumb.
“So what do you think?” he asked, pulling out her chair and then seating himself.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Have you been here before?” He was almost certain she hadn’t. But suddenly being at a loss for words, he thought it was better to ask the question rather than say nothing at all.
“No. I haven’t.”
He hadn’t realized the place would be so intimate. It was called “The Canyon.” Austin had heard a
bout it from a patron who’d come in to get his car serviced and had been unable to get the place out his head. So when he finally built up the nerve to ask Emma-Jean out, he thought it would be perfect.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would be so dark in here.”
“I love it. Don’t worry.”
When the waiter came, Austin ordered a Coke and Emma-Jean requested a glass of water.
“So, do you know what you want?” he asked.
“Umm, no. I’m not familiar with anything on the menu.”
“It’s mostly just regular stuff, steak, chicken, pork, that they put fancy names on.”
“Well then, I’ll just have the chicken and vegetables,” Emma-Jean said, sitting the menu to the side.
She noticed he was looking at her with a questioning look on his face. “What is it?” she asked after placing the napkin in her lap and carefully arranging the utensils on the table.
“I just lo—, I mean, I really adore you. Can I ask, where are you from? Because I’m thinking you must be from another world or something.”
Emma-Jean was taking a sip of water and started to choke.
“Are you okay?”
Emma-Jean nodded and raised a finger.
“I’m fine. It must have gone down the wrong way.” Her face had turned red.
“Well, are you going to tell me or do I have to beg?”
“I’ll tell you, although you may not believe me. But maybe you should go first.”
“Well I was born and raised here. My parents are deceased. I had a brother but he died six-months ago.”
“Oh no.” Emma-Jean said, placing a hand on his. “I’m so sorry.”
He looked away, then back at Emma-Jean. “It’s okay. The kids and I are doing just fine. I was a Marine and just getting out.”
“A marine?”
“You know, in the military.”
“A leatherneck?”
He let out a short laugh. “I haven’t heard that term used since eight-grade history. How do you come up with these things?”
She shrugged.
“Anyway, I hadn’t been home more than a few weeks when it happened. It was terrible. His wife was drunk. They were arguing and he lost control of the vehicle. She lived and he died. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it but I have to live with it.”
She placed a hand to her heart. “Where’s his wife now?”
“I don’t know. And honestly, I don’t care. She’s always been nothing but trouble. For months, I wondered why him? We had the shop together and when he died, I just couldn’t cope, so I shut the doors.”
“I understand. You were upset and grieving.”
“I was but—”
“Austin, is that you,” a voice called out from across the room. Austin looked toward the direction the voice had come from and a lady nearly tumbled over. She was weaving his way wearing high heels and a dress two sizes too small. A familiar face was trailing behind her. It was his part-time stable worker. Or rather, his ex-worker. That explained a lot.
“Well, well, well, I see you finally found yourself someone,” she said, stumbling forward. His ex-worker grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. She curved her head and kissed him, then turned back to Austin.
“Are you going to introduce me to your lady friend?”
“No. Now, just leave.”
“You’re such a meanie. Anyway, I just want you to know, I’m coming for what’s mine real soon.”
Blood had rushed to his head and it took all he had not to say something he’d regret.
“Lana, leave now. Please.”
Emma-Jean darted looks between them. By now, he was feeling uncomfortable for Emma-Jean.
He raised a hand for the waiter. “Could you make that order to go, please?”
“I know you heard me. I’m coming for my children, my house, and my horses.”
Austin slammed the table and Emma-Jean jumped.
“Stay away from them. Do you hear me? If I find out you were near them on any day, I’ll make you pay.”
“Ooh. I’m scared,” she said, waving her hands in the air.
“I don’t think you are but you should be.”
The waiter came back with the orders. Austin paid the check and rose out of his seat.
“I’m sorry, Emma-Jean, but we really should leave. Nothing good will come from this.”
“I’m coming to see you soon,” Lana yelled as they left the restaurant.
Emma-Jean sat quietly most of the drive home. He knew she had to have questions and thought it was better that he just told her the full story in case she decided she didn’t want to go back with him.
“Emma-Jean, I’m sorry about tonight.”
“Are you still married to her?”
“What? No! I never was married to her.”
“So, you just have children with a woman you’re not married to?”
Needing to give the conversation his full attention, he pulled into a nearby gas station.
“Why are we stopping here?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest.
“Because I need to give you my full attention and I can’t do that while driving. Before she came up I was telling you about my brother and his accident. Well, she’s my brother’s wife or was his wife.”
Emma-Jean mouth dropped open.
“So, you had children with your brother’s wife?”
“No, no! Nothing like that. When my brother died, after about a week she just left one night. She still came around, mostly to make empty threats but never to see the children. Chloe, Adam, and Hanna are my brother Jacob’s biological children and Lana is their mother. Except, she never did act like one. The house belonged to my brother and me, along with the horses. She has no claim to anything but she thinks differently and tries to use that against me.
“She wants me to sell the ranch and give her half. Honestly, the only thing that makes her happy is gambling and drinking. A few weeks before he died, a loan was taken out against our land. I don’t know if she forged my brother’s signature or if he did it willingly, but I do know I have to pay it off to keep the ranch. I don’t think he would have done something so reckless but since he’s not here, I can’t ask him.
“He loved her but he loved Chloe, Adam, and Hanna more. Jacob spent most of his time outside work with the children while she was out drinking. He told me he suspected her of stealing the horses and money out of their account to pay off her gambling debt, though, he’d never caught her in the act. The night he died, she’d went into a rage because he told her he was leaving. She started messing with the steering wheel and he lost control of the vehicle. I know because I was on the phone when it happened. He was on the hands free, I’m not sure if he called me on purpose or if it was by mistake, but I heard the whole thing.”
“So now you’re raising the children.”
“I have to, we’re family and I love them.”
Revelations
Knowing the full story, Emma-Jean’s heart went out to Austin. Before, she’d thought he was an honorable man and now, she knew he was.
She lay in bed, considering everything she’d found out. The shop had been passed on to them after their father died. When Jacob died, Austin must have been overwhelmed. He had the children and the ranch to think about and that in itself would have taken up all of his time.
She wasn’t one for judging but she couldn’t believe their mother would just abandon her children. To be seen drunk in the public, with another man, six months after her husband died, just didn’t seem right. Maybe she didn’t need as much time to heal.
Austin on the other hand was hurting, she could tell. And he was afraid of losing the children and their home. The incident had left her unable to sleep. She sat in the bed with her knees drawn to her chest, rocking back and forth.
Hearing a faint sound coming from elsewhere in the house, she listened attentively. It sounded as if someone was moaning. Curious, she put on her house slippers and a robe, and quiet
ly opened the door.
She followed the sound that had led her to the family room. The television was on but there was no sound coming from it. That’s when she realized the sound was coming from the sofa. She walked closer and leaned over it.
Austin was balled up, sweating profusely, moaning and talking in his sleep.
“No, don’t,” he said, tossing and turning.
She went around and touched his shoulder but it didn’t help. So she knelt down in front of him and ran her fingers through his hair softly and rubbed his shoulder. She wasn’t sure if it would help but it had worked on the children at the orphanage.
He seemed to be calming.
Grabbing her waist, he held onto her tightly as he moaned again. Wrapping her arms around him, she embraced him snuggly, placing her chin on top of his head.
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”
“She can’t take them away from me. They’re all I have.”
“You have me too.”
They’d fallen asleep on the sofa. The sound of pounding on the door forced them abruptly awake.
“Just stay here,’ Austin said, getting up.
“I know you’re in there. Open the door.”
Emma-Jean recognized the voice.
“I know you hear me, Austin. Open the door. I want to see my children.”
Emma-Jean was grateful the children hadn’t been there to see what was going on and she knew Austin was as well.
Timeless Honor (Timeless Hearts #7) Page 7