Austin saw Erin’s uneasiness, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Lilly had quieted down.
“Man, I’m glad we weren’t on the road.” The wind blew hard outside as hailstones pelted the glass doors. They tried to finish their meal, but the bad weather was too distracting. Finally Erin gathered the rest of the food, found a small refrigerator behind the bar and put the leftovers there.
Austin went over and closed the lined drapes at the sliding door, to protect them from any flying debris and because he was tired of watching the storm. It was getting dark, or was it just dark clouds?
They sat down on the sofa. Lilly had dozed off, and he turned down the sound on the television. He spread out the blankets and pillows on the floor and sat down in front of the fire. Suddenly the lights flashed overhead, and another crash of thunder rattled the house.
Erin sat down in front of a sleeping Lilly. “Darn, I wish this would just get over with and move on.”
The sudden piercing sound of an air-raid siren went off. “There’s a tornado sighting.” Austin got to his feet and looked around. Where was the safest place to be? “Come on—we need to find more cover. Grab some blankets and pillows.” He picked up the carrier and a flashlight. He headed to the small bathroom and motioned Erin into the double shower stall, then placed the carrier in with her.
“Come in here. There’s room for you, too,” Erin said. She pressed up against the tiled wall, making room for Austin beside her. After he lit a decorative candle by the sink to give them some light if the power went out, he stepped into the confined space. He eased in beside her, the baby at their feet. Blankets were spread out below them and all around the baby’s carrier, with the visor pulled down for added protection. Surprisingly there was enough room for all three.
Erin couldn’t help but shiver. She’d been in storms before, but nothing like this. And there was tiny Lilly. She had to protect the baby.
The storm seemed to intensify, and she felt Austin reach for her and pull her down to sit next to him. His mouth moved to her ear. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you or Lilly. I promise we’ll get out of this, Erin.”
He pulled her close against his chest. She could feel the strong beating of his heart, and it gave her solace as the storm raged on. His strong arms held her close, his hands stroking her arms.
“Sorry, I’m not usually such a baby about storms.”
“This is more than a storm. Just hang on to me.”
The house seemed to rattle with the force of the wind, but he held her tight. Suddenly the lights went out, and except for the candle, darkness blanketed them. They both sat up. Austin turned on the flashlight and shone it away from the still-sleeping baby.
“She seems to be fine,” Erin said as she peeked under the visor.
“Good.” Austin sighed and pulled Erin back into his arms, and they lay down on the blanket-covered shower floor. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “This is pretty cozy. All we need is a little wine and music.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re crazy.”
He shifted so he could look at her in the dim light. “I’m trying to distract you.”
The man did that all right. From the moment they’d met, Austin stirred something inside her. She didn’t want to explore it, knowing she could only get hurt if she let herself care about this man. Well, too late for that. She already cared, for the man and his daughter.
“Hey, you okay?” he breathed against her cheek.
“Yeah. I just wish this was over.”
“I’m not wild about the storm, either, but I like hanging out with my two favorite girls.”
“What a sweet talker you are, cowboy.” She had to lighten the mood. Being pressed against this man, it was hard not to react to him.
“It’s not a line, Erin. I mean it. You’ve come to mean a lot to me.” His hand cupped her face. “I think you feel it, too.”
She couldn’t speak, mostly because she was afraid. Afraid to care about someone else who might not return her feelings. “This isn’t a good idea, Austin.”
He paused. “Aren’t you curious about the sparks between us?”
Oh, yes. Her heart ached from wanting this man. “I’m not the right person to ask right now. It’s been a very long time since I’ve let anyone get this close.”
His hands moved over her back, then her shoulders. “It’s been a while for me, too. But it’s a different kind of wanting with you.” His head lowered, and his mouth brushed over hers.
She gasped, knowing she should stop him, but she couldn’t. Her arms came up his chest, feeling his strength, solid muscle and warm skin through his shirt, and dreams for happily-ever-after rose in her heart. His touch caused her to groan with a hunger she didn’t know existed.
Austin Brannigan made her dream again. And right at this moment she was ripe and ready to believe him, at least for one stormy night.
Chapter Eleven
By the next morning, the violent weather system had moved out of the area and traveled east. But the storm within Austin still raged on. Damn Cullen for interrupting them with his worried phone call.
Austin glanced at Erin in the living room as she fed Lilly her bottle. Being with her during the storm had only pushed the issue about how much he wanted her, and he would have shown her exactly how much.
Even though Austin had kept his brother’s call short, the mood between them had been broken. Maybe that was a good thing. The intimacy might scare her off. He didn’t want to lose Erin’s friendship over a quick hookup during a storm. For him, there wouldn’t be anything quick about it. He truly cared about her.
And this morning, without saying a word, she relayed to him she wanted to forget what almost happened between them. Okay, he understood that. His life came with a lot of complications, and even he didn’t know what the future held.
His cell phone rang. He looked down at the ID. It was his brother again. “What, Cullen?”
“Just wanted to know you guys survived. It would be nice if you’d called me back.”
“Sorry. By the time things calmed down, it was late and we were exhausted.” Hell, he hadn’t been in much of a mood to talk. “We’re all fine.”
“Thank God you found cover. The storm caused havoc here, too. We lost a roof off one of the outbuildings, but all the livestock seems to be accounted for.”
“Good. That was enough excitement for one night.”
A picture of Erin flashed in his head. The taste of her kisses, the feelings she caused in him. He’d never experienced anything like it before. His thoughts turned to Megan, and guilt hit him hard.
“Hey, bro, are you and Erin coming home today?”
Austin shook away the guilt. “Yes. We’ll be starting out in about an hour.”
“Drive safe, and take it slow.”
“Will do. See you soon.”
Austin hung up and walked into the living room to see Erin burping Lilly. The two together tugged at his heart.
“Hey, how about I fix you some breakfast?”
Erin looked at him, but her startling green eyes didn’t meet his. “No, thank you. I’m fine. I had a granola bar.”
Her pretty face was scrubbed clean of any makeup, and her red hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. “Look at me, Erin.”
She placed the baby back in the carrier, then turned to him. “What?”
“We need to talk,” he went on.
“If it’s about last night,” she began, “let me first apologize. And I think you should find a new therapist to work with.”
He blinked at her words. That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. “Stop right there.” He sat down beside her. “I should be the one to apologize to you. I took advantage of the situation. But the last thing I want is for you to leave. Lilly and I both
need you.” The next words were more difficult. “I promise I won’t approach you in any way but professionally. I was out of line, and it won’t happen again. Just don’t leave us yet. I need you and Lilly needs you. At least stay a few more weeks.”
“I don’t know, Austin.”
He held up a hand. “Okay, you said you wanted to start the IVF. We were going to wait, but why should you? You stay and I’ll pay for the treatment. Call it a bonus.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no, Austin. You can’t—it’s too much. What you’re paying me is plenty.”
“No price is too high for my daughter’s well-being. She needs you right now, Erin. We both need you.”
As if on cue, Lilly began to gurgle sounds at them. “See, she wants you to stay, too.”
Erin’s wary gaze locked on him. “We have to keep it business. I don’t want a relationship, Austin. And you have your recovery at stake and your daughter to think about.”
“I know that.” Then why couldn’t he think of anything else but how much he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her? “I’ll keep my distance. Promise.”
Lilly let out a loud squeal, and they both laughed at the baby’s antics.
“Okay, I’ll stay the next two weeks for your therapy and be Lilly’s nanny. But I should hold off starting my IVF until after that time.”
“I wish you’d reconsider that. There’s no reason to wait. You can stay with us as long as you need, through the shots and the transfer.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Look who’s been reading up on the procedure.”
He nodded. “If it’s important to you, Erin, it’s important to me. If you want, I’ll even put it in your contract.”
* * *
AFTER THE LONG three-hour drive, Erin was so happy to be back at the ranch. She brought Lilly into the house, fed her, then put her down for a nap. Then she let Austin know that they’d do therapy later, but now she went into her room and fell back onto the bed, exhausted.
She’d spent far too much personal time with Austin, and last night had nearly done her in. What had come over her? She’d nearly had sex with the man. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what kind of lover Austin would be.
She recalled the tenderness in his touch. The kiss that nearly drove her over the edge, that caused her to stop thinking and only feel. She closed her eyes and her heart rate increased as her breasts began to tingle with need.
There was a soft knock on the door. “Erin.”
She sat up. “What?”
Austin peeked in the door. “Sorry to disturb you, but Shelby is here and wants to know if we want to come over for supper tonight.”
She didn’t need to spend any more time with this man. As much as she wanted to turn down the invitation, she saw the flash of sadness on his face and changed her mind.
“Sure. Ask her what she wants me to bring.”
With a nod, Austin backed out of the room and closed the door as he made his way down the hall to the living area to his sister-in-law. “She wants to know what to bring.”
Shelby shook her head. “Nothing. You both have been through so much in the last twenty-four hours, I only want you all to relax tonight.”
Austin wasn’t sure if that was possible. He hated that things had changed between them. All he wanted was the old Erin back.
“Are you okay?” Shelby asked.
He shrugged and laughed. “Sure—why not. I just rode out a category-four tornado with an infant. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He’d been lucky that the tornado hadn’t been that close to them, but there were a lot of trees down around his town house. He was grateful the storm hadn’t been worse.
“Hey, at least you’re back on both legs.”
He glanced down at his walking cast. “It’ll probably be another month before I’m really free, but the doctor is happy with my progress. And I can drive now since it’s my left leg.”
“Good. Then you can walk down to the corral and watch the kids ride on Tuesday. I know Ryan would love that.”
He wanted to get out of the house more, but he wanted Erin to be with him. “I’ll try.”
Shelby studied him for a moment. “How is Erin doing?”
“She’s a little tired from the two-day ordeal.”
“And you. How is instant fatherhood?”
“It takes some getting used to, but Lilly is worth it.”
“You’re a lucky man, Austin.”
“I knew that the second Lilly came into my life.” He silently added, he was lucky to have Erin, too.
Shelby stood. “Well, I should go. I need to go into the bakery for a few hours today. See you tonight.” She walked out the door, leaving Austin standing there by himself.
After checking to see if Lilly was asleep, he went into the workout room and began doing arm curls with some light weights. He needed to focus on something besides the woman he’d nearly made love to last night. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to get things back to where they were before.
The way he felt about Erin Carlton, it might be an impossible feat.
* * *
THE EVENING WAS COOLER, and autumn was definitely in the air. Erin hugged her sweater closer to her body as she walked out to the car where Austin was waiting with Lilly fastened into her safety seat.
The drive across the compound only took a few minutes, and it was the first time Austin had driven a vehicle since his accident.
“Wow, I didn’t think it would feel this good to be behind the wheel. I won’t ever take it for granted again.”
“I’m not sure you should be driving at all. I didn’t hear the doctor tell you it was okay.”
He smiled at her across the car. “I guess you were out of the room.”
She liked the fact that they were able to banter back and forth again. She never wanted to lose that with him.
He pulled up in the driveway beside the large Victorian home, which had recently been painted gray with white trim. She could easily live in a home like this. Realistically, never in a million years could she afford it.
Austin parked at the back door and got out. Erin was out, too, and grabbed the diaper bag while he lifted Lilly out of the car.
The back door opened, and Shelby and Cullen greeted them. “Come inside,” Cullen said. “It’s too cold out there.”
The couples embraced, and Austin set the carrier down on the long trestle table. The kitchen was huge, with plenty of wooden cabinets and a large stove and refrigerator. It was so homey, and whatever was cooking smelled heavenly.
Quickly the attention went to the baby. “Move aside,” Shelby said. “I didn’t get to see her earlier.”
Lilly rewarded her aunt with a bright smile and started moving her arms and legs.
“Oh, she’s so precious.”
Cullen looked at Austin. “I’m a goner now. She’s been talking about nothing except babies since Lilly showed up.”
Five-year-old Ryan came racing into the room. “Hi, Erin and Uncle Austin.” He climbed on the chair and looked at the baby. “Can she talk yet?”
Shelby cradled the tiny girl. “Not yet, but soon.” She held the baby close. “She smells so good.”
Austin laughed. “Not always.”
Cullen spoke up. “Sorry, we’re being bad hosts. Can I get either of you something to drink? There’s wine, beer, iced tea, lemonade...”
“I’ll have some tea,” Erin said. “Maybe some wine with dinner.”
“I’ll have the same,” Austin said.
Cullen went and filled the orders. Then the men walked into the family room.
Erin watched the two handsome brothers leave, trying to ignore the feelings Austin had created in her. She shook away the thought and turned back to Shelby. “What
can I help with?”
Shelby shook her head. “Not a thing. This is a really simple pot roast. I can take it out of the oven whenever we’re ready to eat.” She sat down with Lilly and smiled. “I think I convinced Cullen to speed up our timeline to get pregnant. I don’t want to wait any longer.”
A painful ache centered in Erin’s chest. “I think that’s wonderful. You have a full load with Ryan and the shop.”
“I have a lot of good help, and if I need to, I’ll hire a manager to run the bakery. Some things are just too important to wait for.”
That struck Erin. Shelby was right. Maybe she shouldn’t wait, either. Wouldn’t it be easier for her to deal with the shots’ side effects while working for Austin, rather than working at the hospital?
Ten minutes later, Shelby handed the baby back to Erin and began to take the food into the dining room. There was a large green salad, pot roast with potatoes and carrots, and homemade crusty bread.
Austin took a bite and groaned in appreciation.
“Austin Brannigan,” Erin began, “if you make one complaint about my cooking, I’ll walk off the job.”
He gave her an innocent look. “Your cooking is great, Erin. But maybe you can get this recipe from Shelby.”
Shelby raised her hands in defense. “Hey, we all have our specialties. Erin is a very qualified nurse and therapist. Brooke raves about your care of her mother.”
“I do miss my patients, especially Hattie.”
“Who’s Hattie?” Ryan asked from across the table.
“She’s a sweet woman who lives at the center and I take care of. Sometimes she forgets things, so we have to watch her closely.” She glanced at Cullen. “Her husband was a decorated WWII pilot.” She looked back at Ryan. “He died and went to heaven a long time ago. Hattie misses him.”
Ryan spoke up. “Like when I miss my real mom and dad, but now I have a new mom and dad.” The boy smiled at Cullen and Shelby. “Maybe I can go see her and tell her that heaven is a good place to live.”
Erin blinked back tears. “That’s so sweet. I might take you up on that and have you come visit the center.” She realized how lucky she was to have these friends; she had to stop wishing that they were her family. It was time she got her own.
A Colorado Family Page 11