by Claire Adams
Ever.
I focused on the colors in the sky. They seemed to take every form possible. I heard his mom gasp a few times and glanced back to see Mel holding her against him as he smiled in the dim light. They looked so happy, and my mind fast-forwarded to the future that I might have with Austin.
I still wasn’t willing to move, at least not without a lot of consideration. Austin had not asked that of me yet, though. Giving up such a big deal made me think that he was willing to give up every part of that life. It gave me hope.
One particular display of several different explosions made me giggle against him, despite all my worries. Austin pulled me close, whispering that this was only the first of several finales. I pressed my lips to his cheek, feeling the dampness on my own cheeks as I did. I rested my head on his shoulder and watched the rest, pushing away my fears. We heard a few cheers from the houses around us, in between explosions.
Once the over-the-top, but impressive, show was over, people clapped and cheered. This was always a big thing in town, but this year, it was bigger than it had ever been before. For me in particular. Austin leaned down to kiss me as darkness settled around us again, and I felt the heat between my thighs.
“Want to go have some of that cake Mom made for a second dessert?” he asked me before kissing me again, deepening it with a tilt of his head. This lasted several minutes, and I was relieved to see that his parents had disappeared inside the house when I finally pulled away for a breath.
“You are ruthless,” I told him.
He claimed my lips one more time.
“I was thinking we could go inside and have the kind of sex where you have to be quiet so the parents don’t hear,” he murmured before taking a sip of his champagne. “I remember you used to get silly on too much of this stuff. Want another glass?”
“Austin James Harris, we cannot have sex in your parents’ house,” I chided him playfully, knowing that it wouldn’t be the first time in the house, even though I was always careful about them being home.
“We’re not in school any longer, Rebecca. My mom is fully aware of what we do when we sleep in a bed together and damn near encouraging in her own way.” I blushed instantly. “You knew she was setting us up with that dinner, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d be here on New Year’s Eve with me.”
He stood, holding out his hand to help me. We left the blanket behind. I carried the empty glasses carefully while he clutched the small bottle in his hand. We went inside the house and secured the doors. I always reminded Austin where I lived, but he said that after being in New York, it was just a habit of his.
We got some big slices of the decadent cake and sat down in the kitchen to eat. I looked around and thought about it being a new year now. I couldn’t believe that I was with Austin. I expected to be planning my sister’s move and trying to settle here without any family. Instead, she spent the evening with a former fling who asked her out again a few days ago. We always had dinner together the night after New Year’s Eve, and Austin would be joining us at my house for that.
But first, I had tonight with Austin. We sipped the champagne and ate the cake, laughing softly as we talked about the fireworks. I thanked him for them again. He kissed me gently, licking off a thick chunk of frosting from my mouth.
After we finished the cake and the bottle, Austin washed the dishes and led me down the hall to his old room. It was across the house from his parents’ room, something that we were relying on tonight as we closed the door. Austin paused before locking it and pulled me against him. “This is the best New Year’s Eve that I’ve ever had, Rebecca.”
“Even after all of those parties in New York and that thing that you have on the street?” I asked him, watching with a silly smile.
He nodded.
“I get to be inside of you tonight. That’s the best feeling I’ll ever experience.” Austin kissed me, backing me to the bed.
Before we fell asleep, Austin told me to take Thursday off for a surprise. I murmured something to him in response, too dizzy with exhaustion and champagne to think much of it.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Austin
I kissed Rebecca before she left for the afternoon shift at the salon. I was headed back to my parents’ house anyway, so I locked her door and walked out to my car.
There was still that light snow on the ground, but the original car that I rented seemed to handle it just fine. I glanced down at the fancy car, laughing as I realized that this just wasn’t my style anymore. Here, I’d prefer a sturdy SUV. It made me think about Rebecca’s car situation. She was driving her parents’ car around. She didn’t have one to herself, having gotten rid of the old Toyota she drove in high school.
I figured I should get her something else in town at some point. Something newer that I had more faith in and that suited her simple needs. Rebecca wasn’t into fancy stuff at all, but I’d find a way to spoil her.
I grinned as I thought back to her questions about Thursday this morning when we woke up. I wasn’t going to cave, though, because I wanted to fully surprise her with my plans. I was going to treat her like the queen that she was in my life, leaving no room for doubt. I thought about New York and the massive loose ends I had going on there right now. I really did need to make a trip back to deal with all of it, but I worried about bringing that up with anyone.
I pondered the idea as I made the short drive home and parked in the driveway. Getting out, I looked over the yard and thought about the company I was planning to hire to take care of all this for Dad. They were local and friends of mine from high school, and so thrilled at the money I offered them that I knew they would do a great job. I was surprised that Dad didn’t argue about that, but I think his latest heart attack was a wakeup call for all of us.
I walked inside and found Mom reading a book at the table and sipping coffee. “Hey, Mom. Where’s Dad?” I asked as I leaned down to kiss her cheek. I walked over to the coffee pot and poured myself some before I joined her.
“Sleeping. He’s so much better about that now and goes to bed without a fight.” She sounded relieved.
“I have been in touch with all of the doctors and the hospital. All of the bills are covered, and he will be getting his medications sent here regularly.” She smiled gratefully at me, and tears filled her eyes. “He just needs to take care of himself and follow all of the rules, and he will make a full recovery. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Thank you so much, Austin. I am grateful for all that you’ve done for us.” She reached up and I moved to hug her before returning to my seat.
“It’s nothing, Mom. I want Dad healthy and for you to stop worrying about him. He’s under good care here. I finally know that now.”
I talked to the cardiologist that I brought in, and he assured me that everything that could be done for my father was, indeed, being done here. He’d gone home just a couple of days after arriving, and everything seemed good here, meaning that I could head back to New York and deal with my own pressing issues.
“What are your long-term plans now, Austin?” Mom asked me. I met her curious gaze, filled with hope.
“I have a whole life in New York that I need to deal with, Mom. There’s the business and my place, and I have Preston on an extended vacation. I can do some things here on my laptop, but I need to meet with people to get other things done.” I saw the sadness in her eyes as she slowly nodded. “I need to get back there eventually, Mom. There’s no way around that.”
“You’ve seemed so happy here, Austin. Seeing you and Rebecca together again has been so nice, and I’ve gotten used to you being around all over again.” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “What are you planning to do about her?”
“I’ll bring her with me. She’d enjoy seeing the city while I’m tying up loose ends if I let her know she’s coming back here as often as she wants to.” Mom gave me a dubious look. “What?”
“Rebecca loves this town, an
d she won’t want to leave. Her sister is staying now, and that’s all the more reason that Rebecca won’t go anywhere. She’s going to want to help her sister with all the library plans as well as keeping her job. Rebecca doesn’t care about your money, Austin. She doesn’t want to be sitting in a house that you pay for, not doing anything. That goes for here or New York, unless you’re planning to give her what she wants for her future. Can you let go of your dreams enough to see hers?”
“Why can’t we combine our dreams into one? Why can’t we compromise?”
She shook her head. “Austin, you’ve made your money there. What more do you need? What can you have there that you don’t have here?”
There was no way I could describe to Mom what I had there. It was more than the business and the apartment to me. I enjoyed being home with everyone now, but I had to get back to reality. I could visit them as often as they wanted me to with Rebecca since she would want to see her sister as well. I could completely compromise with Rebecca on what we both wanted. I didn’t want to avoid North Reed any longer, or avoid my ties here. If anything, they were stronger now, and I’d be here a lot more than before.
I wasn’t worried about anything now. Rebecca would go with me. I was sure of that.
“I just need to deal with some things is all. I have a lot of financial matters to handle there,” I told her as she stared at me. “It’s hard to explain.”
“I think that you need to really think about life. Is money that important to you, Austin?” Mom looked at me with a serious gaze. “Seems to me that with all of the money that you have now, you’d be able to get someone to take care of this for you.”
I could, but I was a control freak. Maybe I needed to see the city again to make a final decision. I had to feel what it was like there again and compare it to now, but the idea of Rebecca saying no again broke my heart a little. There was no way that she would refuse to come with me again.
“I know that Rebecca loves North Reed, Mom. She loves me, too, though. She’ll come with me.”
We dropped the subject, and she asked if salad sounded good for dinner tonight. It was weird seeing Mom serving things like that, even if it was a loaded salad with plenty of vegetables. I knew she was going to have a blast buying fresh veggies from people in town, and I could even see her starting a vegetable garden of her own. I’d tell the guys about that and have them help her set it up.
“Perfect. I like that you’re embracing all of these new things, Mom.”
She beamed at me. “Anything for your dad,” she assured me.
I reminded myself to order her a new laptop so she could get a Pinterest account going and find new recipes. Nothing fancy, but something portable that she could carry around the house if she was cooking or relaxing on the couch. They had a computer in the office, but it was a dinosaur and way too slow for anyone to work with. She’d love something smaller. I mentioned the site to her, and Mom perked up at the idea of looking at so many different ideas to do. I knew that Rebecca and Kim would enjoy it, too, as some of the women I knew in New York were all over it. It wasn’t my thing at all since I wasn’t all that into decorating. I knew there were recipes, but I liked a few preferred dishes that I’d been taught to make in New York.
I’d surprise Mom with the computer. I thought that Dad might like it as well. He was relaxing a little more nowadays, and there was a lot of stuff on the internet.
After our talk, Mom asked me if I’d stick around the house while she went to town. I agreed and went to see if Dad was sleeping before I wandered over to the table. I went online and checked a site that I bought all my personal computers from, ordering a lightweight computer for them that would be here as soon as possible. That way I could set it up for them, and they would be set when I was gone. It would be a nice way to keep in touch with each other. I wandered outside once that was completed and sat on the porch with another cup of coffee to think.
It was beautiful here, with land for miles. Houses were scattered about, and the town was close by, but there was still a sense of privacy here that I’d never found in New York. Is this what I wanted from life, despite fighting that idea so hard for the last several years? Would I be content if Rebecca didn’t want to come along with me when I had to return? Could I stand the idea of missing her again, now that we were seeing each other once more?
I had no idea.
I dropped back into the chair, not that phased by the cold air. I’d lived in it since I left, so that wasn’t as new to me as the whole change in my life in general. I thought back to all the years in New York and played back the memories like a movie, knowing that I never let anybody in the way that I did Rebecca. How could I? I hadn’t met anyone who affected me the way that she did.
I heard the front door open and glanced over to see Dad. He stepped outside and grinned at me before taking a seat. “Did you mother want you to babysit me?”
“There’s no need to babysit a grown man, Dad. I was already here, so I stuck around for a while. How was the nap?”
He relaxed and took a deep breath. “Good, son. I reckon that you don’t get a chance to do a lot of that over in New York.”
I shook my head. I didn’t sleep a lot, much less nap. I’d learned to go without, but waking up here in Rebecca’s arms made me think twice about that lifestyle.
“No. There is always too much going on there.” I sipped my coffee again, taking in the relaxed lines of his face and the way he looked at me. “You look good, Dad. Keep taking care of yourself, and you won’t have to worry about anything like this again.”
“It’s a hard thing for a man to do when people start telling him to take it easy. I worked so hard all those years, and I was sure that retirement wouldn’t get the best of me.” Dad shrugged. “I suppose it might be nice to relax a little bit and enjoy the rest of my years here with Mom.” There was a question to his voice that made me wonder if he was hoping that I’d move back soon as well.
I could do anything with the amount of money that I had, but just where was it that I wanted to settle down?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rebecca
Austin took off for his parents’ after we enjoyed some breakfast at my house, along with a little extra time in my bed. I was deeply in love with him all over again and watched him drive away. Then, I looked at my phone sitting on the table.
I hadn’t spoken to my parents for longer than a few minutes at a time in a couple of weeks. Mom hated texts and said that they were too impersonal for her. So, I sat down with a fresh cup of coffee and made the call.
“Rebecca,” Mom greeted me with a smile in her voice. “How are you?”
“I am so sorry that I haven’t done much else besides text you the last few days. It has been a little chaotic around here.”
She chuckled at the other end. “I’ll say. How’s Mel doing now? You said that he’s home.”
I nodded, reminding myself that we were talking on the phone and not in person. I still missed them so much sometimes.
“He’s home and settled. I think the doctors finally got it into his head that he needs to ease up some.”
“How are Sally and Austin handling things?” Mom asked.
I thought about how much his mom had put into the changes needed for Mel. “She is doing everything he needs and then some. She tried before, but Mel wasn’t too thrilled about it. I think now that he’s gotten a second warning, he’s willing to let her do her thing. Sally loves it, though.” I paused and licked my lips. “Austin is still here. He had worked with the doctors and even had one come in from New York, Mom. Can you believe that? He didn’t think that a small-town hospital would be up to par with the city, but it turns out that Mel is under fine care here.”
“He is just doing the best that he knows how, sweetheart. Men aren’t always the emotional types, but he knows that he can do other things for his father. I remember how much Austin took care of you back when you were both in school. I know that Mel is in good hands with that b
oy.” She was right about Austin. He always did take the best care of me, and I used to call him overprotective most of the time. Dad was always right there, supporting him in that, making me miss the two of them at this moment.
“I suppose so. It’s just so much money, and he seems to always be working for more. He’s getting his parents some help with that big yard of theirs, though. Mel’s had a hard time not getting out there to work on things. And Austin took care of all of the medical bills and even the new prescription that is supposed to do wonders for his dad.”
“Maybe Austin worked so hard for his parents,” Mom said. “As well as all the other reasons. Maybe he wanted to take care of them the way his father did with him and his mom. They had a great life and look at how wonderful Austin turned out to be. They have to be so proud of him,” Mom gushed. I knew all too well how good he’d turned out because I was in love with him. “Have you seen a lot of him over the last few weeks?”
“Oh, Mama.” I sighed, feeling like an awkward teenager all over again. “I’m seeing him all the time. We’re back together now.”
“I knew that Kim was hiding something from me!” Mom told me. She spoke to Kim a lot more frequently than she did with me the last several days, especially with the news about the library. “She told me the basics but nothing about this. That’s wonderful. Are you guys anything like you used to be?”
“I think we’re better. I’m not sure, though, with everything going on. I don’t know what he wants from me.”
“What do you mean?” Mom asked.
I tried to think of the words to convey my feelings. “He still lives in New York, Mama. Austin even brought an assistant here with him to help work on stuff over the holidays. I know that Austin is here right now, but what if he goes back? I’m settled here.” I stopped and thought about something that I’d wanted to ask her for a long time. “Why did you leave North Reed with Daddy?”
“Oh, sweetie. You do things for love that you don’t always expect. When your dad retired and was told that he needed a warmer climate for his breathing issues, I listened. We found a place that we could love, and I came here for him. I can’t imagine life without that man at my side. It’s been an adjustment, and I miss you and your sister, but when he’s happy and healthy, then I am content. That’s what love is. Have you talked with Austin about this?”