“Eve?” Brock said. He was the only one who’d ever called her that, and the host of memories it brought twisted uncomfortably in her belly.
“Hi, Brock,” she said, knowing her tone sounded breathless.
“How are you?”
This was not what she expected. Why didn’t he get right to the point? “I’m fine.”
“Still a night owl?” he said with increasing familiarity, as if it were their own inside joke.
“I actually just woke up,” she said. “I took a late nap, I guess.” Why was she telling him any of this? And where was Brandy? She was probably snuggled next to him, listening in. “What are you and Brandy up to?”
“Brandy’s home,” Brock said. “I couldn’t sleep.” His voice was lower now, and it sent a shiver of warning through her. Why, she had no idea.
“Oh, are you sick or something?”
His chuckle was low. “I’m fine, Eve. I wanted to ask you more about this guy you’re dating. I mean, what do you really know about him?”
Everly was too surprised to answer at first.
“I could come over for a few, if you want,” Brock offered. “You know, if it’s easier to talk in person. I’m kind of concerned about you jumping into this. He has a kid and everything. That’s a huge commitment.”
She sat straight up in bed. First of all, she had no problem with commitment. She was twenty-seven, and dating a guy who had a kid was probably going to be a common thing, even if she and Austin didn’t stay together.
“Is that why you’re calling, Brock?” she asked, feeling annoyed and hot at the same time. “To warn me off dating Austin?”
“Look,” he soothed, which only felt condescending to her. “You’re a smart woman, Eve. I think that you’ve been through a lot of things, and changes, so you might not be thinking straight. In this case anyway.”
“Did Brandy ask you to call me?”
“No,” Brock said quickly. “And I prefer to keep this conversation between ourselves.”
Well, that sent up a red flag, and Everly wasn’t going to play whatever game Brock thought he could talk her into playing. “I don’t keep secrets from Brandy, so you’d better get used to that, especially if you’re going to be my brother-in-law. Besides, why would it be a secret in the first place?”
He didn’t answer for a moment, then he said in slow voice, “Did you ever wonder what might have happened if we’d stayed together?”
Everly was dumbfounded. He’d broken up with her. “Not anymore,” she said. “Maybe I did a while ago, but I can honestly say that I’m glad we parted ways. You and Brandy are perfect together.”
Another silence on his end, then he said, “I wouldn’t say perfect.”
“Don’t be that guy, Brock Hayes,” she said in a voice probably too sharp, but she no longer cared. She couldn’t even sit anymore. She paced her small apartment. “You’re engaged to the most amazing woman in the world. My sister deserves the best, and if you can’t be the best, then—”
“Whoa, Eve, calm down.”
Which of course only made her madder. “And stay out of my business. I don’t care if you’re going to be my brother-in-law soon, you have no right to tell me what to do or who to date. And calling me without Brandy knowing is inappropriate. So I’m hanging up now, and I’ll also be letting my sister know about this call—”
“Eve, wait, please,” Brock said, his tone pleading. “Whether or not you tell Brandy won’t change the fact that I called to warn you off Austin. You don’t know the guy. He’s an outsider, and he comes with a lot of baggage.”
Everly closed her eyes against Brock’s words. He had no right . . .
“Come on, Eve,” Brock continued. “Do you think I’d call you up if I wasn’t truly concerned? I mean, I know you . . . you know me. We used to be best friends, and I thought we were pretty good together.”
Everly’s laugh was bitter. “I don’t even know your point, Brock. You broke up with me, remember?”
“I know,” he said. “But it wasn’t because I didn’t care about you. It was because I knew you were the real deal, and I guess that I wasn’t ready to be serious with anyone. To fully commit. And I knew that you wanted to settle down, and I didn’t want to lead you on.”
This was not at all what she expected to hear.
“But you jumped in with two feet with Brandy,” she said. “You proposed to her, and you’re getting married now.”
“I finally grew up,” he said in a low tone. “Decided to be a man.”
Everly rubbed at her temples, wondering if her headache would ever go away. “Well, congratulations, and I hope you do the right thing for once.”
“The thing is, Eve . . .” he said.
Her heartrate spiked. Don’t say it, Brock. Don’t you dare.
“I miss you.”
Everly’s breath stalled. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that, Brock. And I’m going to hope to all that is holy that you pull your head out of the gutter and realize how amazing Brandy is and how much she loves you.”
Tears streaked Everly’s cheeks now, but she wasn’t finished. “If you ever call me again, for any reason, I’ll tell Brandy about every single word you said tonight. As of now, I’m telling her that you called and warned me against Austin, and that I didn’t appreciate it. The rest is between the two of you. I’ve moved on, Brock. With or without Austin, I’ve moved on.”
Before he could answer, she hung up. She composed a long text to Brandy because she knew if she called her instead, she’d only cry. Then she pressed send. If Brandy was asleep, then she’d see it in the morning. She and Brock would have to work out their own relationship.
Then she sent a text Austin. Are you awake?
He wrote back instantly. Yes.
She pushed send on his number. When he answered, the tears started full force again. Embarrassment shot through her, but she managed to drag in a full breath and talk semi-normally. The warm depths of his voice were a soothing balm. “Sorry I didn’t answer earlier. I took a nap.”
“I’m sure you needed that nap,” he said.
She closed her eyes, letting his low tones wash over her. “I think I did.”
“Do you feel better now?”
“Um, yes, and no.” And then she told him about Brock’s phone call and how Brock had said he missed her.
Austin’s response wasn’t what she expected. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him to never contact me again.” She exhaled. “I also sent a text to my sister about his call. Brock is so far in my past, that I barely remember us together. And even if I wasn’t dating you, I would never go back to him.”
“I think he needs to figure out his life,” Austin said. “But clearly he still likes you.”
“He has cold feet,” Everly said. “He and Brandy . . . they’re like two peas in a pod.”
“Maybe,” he agreed, “But I’m glad you told Brandy about the call. If there are potential issues, she needs to know as well.”
“Yeah,” Everly said, her mind still spinning.
“Do you want me to talk to him?”
“No, I think that would just make it into a bigger deal,” she said. “And I want it to be over on my end.”
“Okay,” he said. “Are you going to be okay, or do you need some company?”
When Brock had asked her that, she’d been repulsed, but with Austin . . . She was tempted. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I wouldn’t let you leave.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” he teased.
And she found herself smiling.
“Or you could come over here,” he said. “I have leftover snacks from Jessica’s visit.”
“So tempting.” She laughed. “How was the drive, by the way? Did you manage to keep her awake?”
“I did,” Austin said. “She was happy to see her grandparents, that’s for sure, but it didn’t curb her begging to come back next weekend for the Fourth.”
Everly settled back onto her b
ed and pulled one of her pillows against her chest. “So, are you going to bring her?” Say yes.
“I hope so,” he said. “I brought it up with my parents—my mom more specifically. I invited them as well.”
Everly raised her brows. “Oh, really? That would be great.” Her heart was hammering for some reason. If Austin had his parents visiting Hidden Hollows, she’d meet them for sure. And then she wondered what his motivation was in all of this . . . She could only dare to hope it might have something to do with going to the next level in their relationship.
“So, what are you doing tomorrow night?”
“Hanging out with you?”
“Good answer.”
She grinned and burrowed into her covers. She could listen to Austin’s voice all night. “What are we doing tomorrow night, Mr. Architect?”
“I thought I’d come by your place, pick you up, and take you to the movies.”
“It’s Monday tomorrow,” she said. “My movie night is Wednesday.”
“Maybe you could try something different,” he said. “With me.”
Warm tingles spread across her arms. “Hmm, what’s playing?”
“I don’t even know.”
Everly laughed. “All right, I’m in.”
“Perfect answer,” he said again, and she heard the smile in his voice. “I’m glad you called, Everly.”
She exhaled. “I’m glad you answered.”
“Good night,” he said. “See you soon.”
Everly didn’t sleep for a while after that. Nope. With the combination of a rather long day, a late nap, Brock’s annoying call, then the butterfly-inducing one to Austin, her thoughts were all over the place.
It was only when Snatches decided to reappear at the window and leap onto her bed, that Everly finally drifted off to sleep.
18
Austin
“My sister’s not even speaking to me right now,” Everly told Austin over the phone.
He was on his way to pick her up for their movie night. They’d texted a couple of times throughout the day, but he sensed that Everly was being reserved, and now he knew why.
“What did your mom say?” he asked, wondering if this had become a family issue.
“I haven’t said anything to her,” Everly said. “But Brandy might have. I don’t know. She called me this morning and basically accused me of making up the scenario of Brock’s intentions when he called. I guess he told her a different version, and she’s going to believe him.”
“I’m not surprised that Brock has a different version, but the question is what are you going to do about it?”
“Nothing,” Everly said with a sigh. “I mean, I told Brandy what I needed to. And now I’m going to stay out of it. Except her wedding is in ten days, and I feel bad about this all happening right now.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Austin said. “Unless dating me is the real issue here, or maybe Brock is getting cold feet about his wedding and realizing what he gave up in you.”
Everly groaned. “I really, really hope that’s not true. And, Austin, my sister is going to have to get used to me dating a real person.”
Austin chuckled as he turned into the parking lot and pulled around to the back of the craft store. The sun had set, but there was still plenty of light coming from the gold and orange horizon. “Good.” His tone sobered. “And your sister should know that starting off a marriage with regrets is the wrong thing to do. Believe me, I know.”
Her tone was curious when she asked, “Did that happen with Rachel?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Hey, I’m at the shop. Do you want me to come up?”
“No, I’m ready,” she said, “I’ll come down.”
He climbed out of the truck anyway, and walked to the back entrance to wait for her. When the door opened, he smiled at Everly.
She was wearing a green blouse with white jeans. Her hair was down tonight, settling about her shoulders in tawny-gold waves. She looked as pretty as a summer morning.
“Hi,” she said, her lips curving into a smile, lips that looked extra pink.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said.
“Oh really?” She stepped into his arms.
“Really.” He slipped his hands about her waist and pulled her close. Then he buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her in for a moment. Her body fit against his like a dream, and she smelled like heaven.
After a long moment, in which he made no move to release her, she said against his ear, “You know, I saw you yesterday.”
“I know.”
He felt her smile as she softly threaded her fingers through his hair. When she drew away, her hazel eyes were filled with warmth as she gazed at him. Warmth and questions. “Tell me about what you regretted, Austin.”
He should have known she’d ask this. Reaching for her hand, he drew her to the truck, then opened the door for her. She climbed in, and when he settled into the driver’s seat, he said, “We’d had a lot of ups and downs, and we’d completely broken up twice. I pretty much proposed because she gave me an ultimatum. Well, technically it was her parents.”
“Wow, that’s kind of crazy,” Everly said as they pulled out of the parking lot. “And you felt stuck?”
“More than stuck,” he said. “She’d had a pregnancy scare that turned out to not be positive, but her parents were adamant that we tie the knot. I loved her, sure, but I wasn’t ready to commit to something so big and permanent. And it turned out later that she wasn’t either.”
He felt Everly’s sympathetic gaze on him. He wasn’t looking for sympathy though. Reaching for Everly’s hand, he loved how it felt so natural, so easy, to hold her hand. It was like they’d known each other much longer than a few weeks. In fact, it was hard to remember his life before Everly was in it.
“Did you ever suspect Rachel was unfaithful?” she asked.
“Oh, the signs were there, but I didn’t want to recognize them,” he said. “I mean, we had a kid together, one we both adored. To me, being unfaithful would have been an insult to my daughter as well.”
Everly rubbed her thumb slowly over his knuckles. “You’re a good man, Austin Hayes.”
He slowed the truck at the final light before the theater and leaned over to give her a barely-there kiss.
She smiled against his lips, and when he lifted his head, she added, “See, you just proved my point.”
The light turned green, and he accelerated the truck. “Well, you’re a good sister, daughter, and girlfriend.”
“Oh, is that what I am now, your girlfriend?” she teased.
He glanced over at her. “You’d better be.”
She leaned across the seat and kissed his cheek. “I’m good with that.”
“Good, because that’s what Jessica told my parents.”
He felt her surprise rather than saw it.
“So, if they come out this weekend, they’ll think I’ve already stolen you from them?”
She didn’t know how close to the truth she was hitting with that statement. “They’re going to love you. Trust me.”
Everly said nothing, but leaned her head against his shoulder. He decided he liked her sitting this close to him. As they pulled into the parking lot, there were about a half dozen cars there.
“See,” she said. “Wednesday nights are better.”
Austin only grinned. They walked into the theater, and he bought the popcorn and drinks. Since there was only one theater open right now, they only had one movie choice.
“What if my favorite seats are taken?” she asked as they walked into the theater room. The lights had already dimmed.
“I saved the row.”
“The entire row?”
“Shh, the movie’s about to start.”
Everly gave a soft laugh as they entered the main part of the theater. By the light of the preview they made their way to the center row, where it was sectioned off with yellow construction tape.
Austin snapped the
tape in half, then motioned for her to step into the row first. He followed, and sure enough she picked the very center seat, so his seat next to her was one off center.
The movie started after the next preview, and Everly slid down in her seat.
“What are you doing?” Austin whispered.
“Getting comfortable,” she said. “Also, you can only eat one piece of popcorn at a time.”
“Good thing I’m not hungry then.”
She smirked, and he slid down in his seat, matching her posture, then he took out one piece of popcorn from her tub and ate it.
“So fulfilling.”
“Shh,” she said. “The movie’s started.”
He only grinned, then leaned close and pressed his mouth against her neck.
She squirmed, then giggled.
“That tickles,” she whispered. “Haven’t you shaved recently?”
“No,” he whispered back, then he kissed her earlobe.
“Stop, I can’t focus.”
“I’ll stop when the movie starts.”
She set the popcorn tub on the floor, then turned toward him. Lifting her hand to his jaw, she slowly traced her fingers along his stubble. “Okay, you can kiss me until the movie starts. But then you have to stop.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He closed the distance and pressed his mouth against hers.
Her hand slid around his neck as she kissed him back. She tasted warm and smelled of buttery popcorn.
“I feel like a teenager,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Me too.” He wanted to tug her onto his lap, to pull her closer, to get lost in their kissing.
But the opening notes of the movie’s music score played, and Everly drew back. She set the popcorn between them. He groaned, but she only smiled and turned her attention to the giant movie screen.
Austin couldn’t exactly say he was watching the action flick, because he was so aware of each movement and reaction from Everly. He loved how invested she became in the movie; it reminded him of his daughter. It was like she became part of the movie, reacting to all the ups and downs of the film.
At the end of it, when all the good guys prevailed over the bad guys, she clapped along with the others in the audience.
Loving Her Fling Page 13