“Forgive us, I thought I taught my granddaughter better manners.”
“Not at all. Your granddaughter was kind enough to let me come in and dry off. She probably shouldn’t have after what I said.” Those eyes of his cut through me, and I nearly lost my breath.
My grandmother wasn’t sure what to make of that, but she had a knack for knowing when to excuse herself and make an exit.
“You’re brooding again,” I said softly.
He took a step closer. “Am I?”
“Yes.” I leaned against the door. “And it’s really disconcerting.”
He looked down and ran a hand through his dark hair. “I won’t keep you from your… boyfriend.”
“Austin?” I huffed. “He is not now, nor willheeverbe my boyfriend.”
He smiled genuinely this time, that light beginning to shine out of him, but just as quickly, his usual scowl returned.
“Your clothes are ready.” Lainey came up beside Lucas, and he thanked her as he took the folded shirt and pants from her.
“We’re about to have some tea and dessert,” Lainey said. “You’re welcome to stay and join us.”
“Thank you for the invitation, but I should go.” He looked down at his clothes. “Is it alright if I…”
“Oh, yes. Feel free to use the guest bedroom to change.”
“Thank you.”
Lucas nodded to me before he headed up the stairs. I turned toward the door and sucked in a deep breath, preparing myself for thirty minutes with Austin Young.
* * *
Austin sat on the porch railing, his shoulder against the post. He nodded toward the Mercedes. “So, who’s your fancy guest?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
He hopped off and walked towards me, his eyes narrowing. “You invited strange out-of-towners to your house after your shift?”
Heat bubbled in my chest. “I don’t see why you or anyone else should have a problem with that.”
“When you wear a dress like that, I do.”
“A dress like what?” I challenged.
“Do you like him?”
“That’s none of your business. We’re not together anymore and haven’t been for five years, so remind me again why I need to explain myself to you.”
His head fell forward in defeat, and he tucked his hands inside his jean pockets. “You’re right, it’s not my business. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted, for now.”
He gestured toward the steps. “Can we sit and talk?”
There were many nights Austin and I had sat on those steps. He would lean against the post, and I would sit between his legs with his massive arms around me and look up into the night sky. We’d listen to nothing but the sound of crickets and our voices.
It was the best summer of my life. But all summers come to an end eventually.
The anger in my chest soon turned into an ache that I hadn’t felt in years. I headed to one of the porch chairs and sat down. “You have twenty minutes left, so you best get on with it.”
