4. Chapter Four
My lips are still tingling from that kiss when I rush into the guest bedroom I’m now calling home for the time being. What the hell was he thinking? I’m blaming it on the alcohol even though he only had a few beers. Bethany has music blaring from her room and it echoes beneath the crack of my door, giving me the opportunity to groan loudly without anyone being able to hear me.
I’m sure Savanna would have a field day with this turn of events, which is exactly why I’m keeping my lips sealed. It wasn’t a serious moment between him and me and I’m sure he’ll act like it never happened come morning. Luckily he goes out of town tomorrow, so it gives me ample time to get the moment out of my system and focus on getting the hell out of town at some point in the future.
Bethany was talking about a dance she has for school that she’s excited for, so I figured tomorrow could be a good bonding opportunity. If I’m going to be here all the time, she and I will be spending a lot of time together so we may as well make the most of it.
I bring a finger to my lips, my mind going right back to the moment on the patio, and I shut my eyes slowly. What could’ve possibly given him the idea to kiss me? We were talking about Bethany and how he closes himself off, then he plants his lips on mine?
I’m not going to deny how good the kiss felt, though. It was exactly like I had pictured it for years, and it only made my attraction to him increase.
How am I supposed to live here, even if it’s temporary, when all I can think about is how it would feel to brush my fingers over the stubble along Easton’s jaw, or to have his hands on my body?
When I walk out into the kitchen the next morning, Easton is already standing at the counter with a large helping of scrambled eggs sitting on his plate along with two slices of toast and bacon. He glances up at me, but otherwise makes no move to say anything about what happened last night. I had already prepared myself for this reaction before I went to bed, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
That’s not the kind of girl I am. I’m not going to be the one a guy makes moves on, only to treat me as if I’m nothing the next time we see each other. No, thank you. I lift my head up, pretending that his attitude toward me isn’t bothering me and grab the orange juice from the fridge.
“I’ve got everything you need written down here,” he says before grabbing the sheet of paper sitting in front of him on the counter. “Instructions for homework and after school activities, as well as emergency numbers for while I’m away.” When I don’t take the paper from him, he simply places it in front of me before silently going back to his plate of food.
It’s awkward and filled with so much tension that I want to rip my hair out.
Bethanys footsteps echo down the stairs as she makes her appearance. Her hair is piled high on her head and she looks between us with tired eyes. “Morning,” I greet her with a smile. “We’re going out today after your dad leaves, does that sound good to you?”
She nods. “Will Aunt Savvy be with us?”
To this day she still hasn’t let go of the nickname she gave Savanna when she was a little girl and it fills my heart with such longing. I want this with someone – the kids and the domestic life – and I hate that it’s so hard to find here.
“She sure will. I gave her a call earlier and told her the plan. She’s more than excited to tag along.”
It’s been so long since we were going to dances of our own, I’m just as giddy as Sav to be taking Bethany dress shopping today. “Why don’t you go get ready, then we’ll head out for breakfast?” The shopping spree is going to jeopardize the money I’m trying to save, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.
Bethany nods excitedly and hurries back upstairs while I turn to Easton with a smile. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?” I’m just hoping it’s long enough for me to get that kiss out of my head.
Yeah, right. Like that will happen.
“Probably no more than a few days.” He rinses his empty plate before putting it in the dishwasher, then brushes his hands over his thighs and walks out of the kitchen. Looks like we’re going for the avoidance route today, which is more irritating than I had expected it to be.
Bethany comes down a few minutes later, which is when Easton chooses to come back into the kitchen with a smile aimed at her. “I’m heading out, sweetheart. You be good for Autumn while I’m gone, okay?”
“Yeah, Dad. You know I’m twelve, right?” I’m sensing a little bit of tension there still, which tells me that Easton still hasn’t apologized to her. Maybe he needs a little time away to figure out what he’s going to say.
Easton ignores his daughter’s sarcastic comment and goes over to her to give her a hug and press a kiss to the top of her head. “Love you, Bethy. I’ll be back soon.”
He turns to me and takes a deep breath. “Please get in touch with me if you need to. All the numbers are on that paper.” I’m sure this is hard for him considering he has barely left Bethany alone since she’s been born, so I’m going to try and cut him some slack.
“You got it; have a safe trip.”
Bethany and I stand next to each other as Easton picks up his duffel bag which is sitting by the door, then heads out with a small wave in our direction. As soon as he’s out the door, Bethany turns to me with a smile. “Can we go now?” Excitement is vibrating off of her and it causes me to chuckle.
I send Savanna a text as we walk out the door, letting her know we’re on our way to pick her up. My music blares loudly when I start the engine and I quickly turn it down. “Where do you want to go for breakfast? We can stay in town, or go into the city if you want.”
Bethany sighs. “I need to get out of this place so let’s go to the city.”
Even though she won’t admit it, I’ve got a sneaking feeling that she already misses her dad. He’s not the only one who’s never been away from her for days at a time. She’s never been away from him for that long either and I know it’s affecting her.
It only takes a few minutes before we’re pulling into Savanna and Dawson’s driveway. The absence of Dawson’s car doesn’t surprise me as he works more days than not. Savanna immediately hurries down the steps with a bright smile and Bethany squeals in the back. “Bethy! I’m so excited for today,” Savanna says as soon as she gets in the car. “Where are we heading?”
“Bethany wants to go into the city, so that’s where we’re going,” I reply.
The smile I give her doesn’t reach my eyes and she studies me curiously for a moment before clicking her seatbelt into place. “Well, let’s get on the road then. We’ve got an exciting day ahead of us.”
She knows that Bethany is in the dark about our plans today and I’m excited to see what her reaction will be when we get to the boutique. All Bethany could talk about last night was the upcoming dance and the boy she hoped would ask her to go with him. I figured a good way to get him on her side was a stunning dress.
We’re walking along the sidewalk and stop outside a boutique and when Bethany sees the mannequins in the window, she lets out a squeal. “Are you serious?” she asks, her gaze darting between Savanna and me with excitement.
I shrug. “It seemed like a no-brainer when I heard you talking to your dad about not having a dress for the dance. Are you ready to find one?” We’re obviously not going to go too crazy, but there’s nothing like a formal dress and she deserves to feel beautiful for her special night.
“Yes!” She skips into the shop and waves to the staff when the bell dings, alerting them of our arrival.
One of the women walks up to us with an easy smile and waves us inside. “Good afternoon, ladies; dress shopping today I see. How can I help you?”
“We’re looking for something for a middle school dance,” I tell her. “Something that will make this beauty here stand out without being too over the top.” I put my arm around Bethany’s shoulder as I say this, causing her to grin.
She nods and waves ahead of her. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. Just make a left right over there and everything in there should be perfect. You can try on five at a time. I’ll be over to help you in a moment, but I’ll let you browse through everything first.”
Bethany eagerly heads down the hall, leaving Savanna and me in a fit of giggles. I’m surprised Bethany isn’t more upset considering she isn’t able to have this moment with her mother. I feel like that’s why I was quick to make the plans because I highly doubt Easton would’ve been good company. It’s not hard to imagine how strict he’d be on what she wore, but she doesn’t have to worry about that with us.
While she sifts through the dresses, Savanna and I take a seat in front of the dressing rooms while still keeping our eyes on her. She’s already got three hanging on her arm to try on, so I can only imagine how long we’ll end up being here.
“You okay?” Savanna asks.
I jump at her question and smile as best I can. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
Savanna sighs. “I don’t know. There’s just this energy about you, it’s different today. Did you and my brother have another fight?”
“When don’t we have one?” I ask with a chuckle. It’s best right now if I just let her believe we had a fight, instead of the real reason which is the kiss we shared. The last thing I need is for her to blow it way out of proportion and think it’s going to end in hearts and flowers between us.
I need time to think about what’s going on myself.
Bethany is bouncing on the balls of her feet as she walks out with a garment bag containing her dress, which makes me feel much better about this job I’ve chosen to take.
“Autumn,” a voice says from behind us and I turn around quickly.
“Bastian, fancy seeing you here.”
“I could say the same to you,” he adds with a chuckle. “Still as beautiful as ever.”
Bastian was someone I used to date a couple of years ago and it was one of those relationships that I thought would grow into more, but it ended up fizzling out. I’m not sure if it was because I already had the idea in my head that I would be leaving, but I ended things before they really got started. “How are you?”
He nods. “I’m doing well, thanks. I was promoted at work recently. Hey, maybe we can catch up for dinner sometime?”
Savanna clears her throat beside me and gives me a smile before pulling Bethany toward the car. “I’d love that, actually. Let me give you my number,” I tell him as I pull my phone out of my purse.
“It’s okay, I’ve still got it. Unless you’ve changed it since we dated,” Bastian says with a smile.
I laugh and tell him it’s still the same, even if I’m curious as to why he would still have it. “Just let me know when you want to get together and I can try to swing it.”
We say our goodbyes, then I head to the car with doubt swirling in my mind. What if Easton comes back to tell me the kiss we shared was more than he expected and I’m going on a date with another man?