Chapter Nineteen
Mia
“Hey, Mom. I’m glad you’re here.” I pull her into a hug, taking in the smell of home as I do.
We’re outside a cute bistro-style restaurant, one that Austin and Olivia love. It has over a hundred different tacos, so we’re going to be trying a lot of different flavors today.
My brother sweeps in, pulling me into a big bear hug before Annie clings to my leg.
“Hey honeybee, look at you! You’ve grown so much already, and I only saw you a month ago!”
“Daddy got mad.” She giggles.
I bend down so I can speak at her level, pushing her hair behind her ear, but not before looking at Levi's confused face.
“Why’s that?” I ask.
“He just bought me new clothes, and now none of them fit. My legs are too long. See!” She sticks her leg out to me, and her cute jeans are showing off way too much sock. I giggle too, holding her outstretched hand.
“I don’t think Daddy was really mad, was he?”
She shakes her head, her little curls bouncing around.
Levi swings down, picking her up. “Alright, little monster, let's go get you some lunch.”
She squeals with delight as he peppers kisses all over her face.
My mom gives Alfie a nod, and my brother shakes his hand. It’s a little tense, but the side-eye my mom gives me as Alfie puts his hand on my lower back tells me everything I need to know.
She saw it coming. I should be careful. Make sure he treats you right. Yaddah yaddah.
Alfie stands to my side, and his chin tilts up when he sees Austin and Olivia approach the restaurant.
Olivia’s eyes go wide when she sees Levi, and I wonder if it’s because she finds him attractive. In my experience, she only has eyes for Austin, so I’m kind of surprised to see her gawking.
“Well, hello again.” Levi bends down to hug Olivia, kissing her cheek. Austin scratches the back of his neck, looking to Alfie for support. It’s kind of cute when he does that.
“Hi, Levi, right?”
My brother nods.
“You’re Mia’s brother? Gosh, what a small world. Austin, this is the err…the cowboy that asked me out, you know, when I first moved here.”
She looks at him smiling, and it takes a second, but Austin launches himself at my brother. At first I panic, thinking these two six-foot-something muscle mad men were going to start wrestling right on the sidewalk but no. Austin pulls Levi into a bear hug, slapping his back the way that men do.
“Thank you, man, thank you. I was being such an ass, and when you asked her out, it sent a rocket up me. I got my shit together, excuse me—" He looks down at Annie, his face wincing.
“My dad says fuck all the time,” she announces, and I watch as Austin goes from wide eyed with guilt to biting his lip, holding in a chuckle.
“Annabelle Sinclair. You don’t use that word,” my brother chastises her as Alfie and I swiftly spin around to hide our laughter.
“Err…that’s okay, I have been known to say that one as well,” Austin adds.
“Well, you shouldn’t. My daddy says it’s a bad word.”
“Your dad is right. Very bad.” He nods seriously.
“Anyway, I came out here to Texas for my girl. We’re engaged now.
” He holds Olivia’s ring, which is humongous, in front of my brother's face. He smiles down at her like she was the reason flowers grew and birds sang in the morning. It was sickeningly cute. I couldn’t help but peer up at Alfie, who seems to be enjoying this interaction as much as me.
“Congratulations, both of you. I’m happy you made it back to each other and Texas got to keep both of you. I can’t believe you know my sister. It’s a small world. Oh, and this is my daughter, Annie. The potty-mouth.”
Annie walks right up and hugs Olivia’s legs before doing the same to Austin. He looks a little perplexed, but then he pats her head awkwardly, making Olivia chuckle.
Annie doesn’t seem to mind though, and she skips into the restaurant ready to take on some tacos.
Alfie
In the backyard at Austin and Olivia’s house, the four of us sip on some homemade sangria, courtesy of Olivia. The halogen string lights Austin hooked up around the yard and the fire pit, which is burning hot, create a perfect environment for some relaxed quality time.
“Alf, I need to ask you something.” He looks at Olivia, who gives him an encouraging nod.
“Sure, what do you need?” I ask.
“The wedding is coming up; we want it to happen sooner rather than later. I want to be tied to this one forever, and I would do it right now, if I could.”
“Except we’re going to have a planned wedding that we can savor,” Olivia reminds him gently.
“Right…we want to plan the best day for everyone and, obviously, whatever Olivia wants, she gets.”
Olivia rolls her eyes and Mia snickers. Austin truly is completely devoted to his fiancée.
She could ask him to dress up as a clown for the wedding and he’d do it.
In fact, he did actually dress up as a villain on the self defense series for her fitness channel.
It was humbling himself to her that made her realize what a great guy he was, that he was someone who wasn’t afraid to look silly.
“Of course.” I nod.
“So—" he huffs out a big puff of air, “—would you be my best man?”
I pause for a moment. It’s not often I’m shocked or left without a planned response.
Patients often say things that are shocking to most, but I’ve heard it all.
Except this. It’s completely inappropriate, of course.
Austin is technically still an active patient of mine.
We have regular catch-ups where we discuss his life and how best to proceed in situations that are unfamiliar to him. I should say it's unethical.
But then, I’m sitting in his backyard drinking sangria after discussing a business venture this afternoon.
I’m sitting with my office manager, who, for all intents and purposes, is currently my fake girlfriend.
I’ve followed patients without their knowledge or permission and intervened when I thought they were in danger.
All whilst involving Mia. Would I say no to Mia if she asked something so monumental of me?
Absolutely not. I’d dive straight in before she even gave me the details.
I feel my lips slant upward. Despite my logical brain running through the potential ethics of his request, I feel happy about it. I feel honored.
“Absolutely, I’d love to be your best man.”
I stand to shake his hand, but he puffs out another breath, deflating his chest like a balloon, and pulls me in for a bro hug.
This was monumental for him, a significant step in his journey.
Given that his oldest friend Luca betrayed him eighteen months ago, which ultimately led to Luca’s death—not by any fault of Austin’s—to allow himself to be close to someone again is an honor.
“I told you he would say yes,” Olivia teases, cupping his cheek and planting a chaste kiss on his lips.
He rolls his eyes. “You are the smartest woman in the world. I have no idea why I would doubt you.”
He kisses her again, cupping her cheek as she clings to his shirt. Another kiss…it’s finally when I see his tongue poking out to deepen their embrace that I cough. Mia chuckles beside me. Austin looks at me scowling, like I’d just interrupted a moment between him and his fiancée.
“I’m the one that said yes. If anyone should be getting this kind of attention, it’s me.” I laugh.
“Are you feeling left out, Dr. Adams?” Mia teases, but her tone has my blood soaring south to my pants.
“You talk the talk, love, but do you walk the walk?” I lean in, inhaling her lavender perfume like it’s a drug.
Her eyes dip to my lips. It’s been weeks since she asked me to back off, to remain friendly.
This is the first time she’s indicated we can resume our flirting, and the sangria is adding to the siren going off in my head to grab the horns with both hands.
“I think you know I can walk the walk.”
“Nope…no idea. We’re just friends, remember?” I murmur, quite enough that Austin and Oliva can’t hear us.
She twists in her chair, leaning toward me so our noses are almost touching. Her smirk is within kissing distance, and I’m desperate to close those final inches.
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Love, there is nothing you can make me say that would stop you showing me exactly what you can do. I’d lie, cheat and steal for it. Don’t doubt me.”
Her lips part, her eyes widening at my admission. I’m not just flirting; I’m outright propositioning her.
“Ahem, if I can’t flirt in my own home, then this—" Austin points his finger between Mia and me, “—can’t be happening right in front of me.”
“Shh. I was enjoying this development.” Olivia slaps his finger down before nodding enthusiastically at us.
Mia flushes and withdraws. Austin-fucking-Black is gonna hear my wrath later when I chew him out for ruining the first time Mia’s openly flirted with me in weeks.
“Champagne? To celebrate our best man.” Olivia slaps down on her thighs to stand.
“I’ll help,” Mia offers, following her across the patio.
We both watch our women link arms and flutter into the house, giggling as they lean into each other.
“I’m glad they’ve given us a moment because I want to tell you something,” Austin says, his brows knitting together. We’d had our weekly catch-up yesterday, so I figured this wasn’t something to do with him, but instead, me.
“Okay, let’s hear it.”
“Man, I’m fucking buzzing you two are finally admitting you like each other. It’s been a long time coming.”
I grin. “Yeah, it’s a slow process. Mia doesn’t want to risk her career, so she’s apprehensive.” I don’t mention her lack of trust in older men, especially her history. It’s no one’s business except hers.
He nods. “Listen, you know how I feel about girl code.”
“Yes, but I’d like to remind you that you are not a girl, and if this is about Mia, I want to know.” I use my therapist's voice, which only makes Austin scoff.
“I overheard the girls talking earlier. Mia mentioned you’d been leaving her notes.”
Notes?