Page 9 of Chasing Sunrise

“Is that normal? Women throwing themselves at you?” Amanda asked.

He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve taken a vow of celibacy.”

“Becoming a priest?”

“Oh, hell no.”

She laughed, which made her eyes twinkle. He couldn’t tell the color in this lighting and didn’t remember from the last time they’d met. “So, why have you sworn off sex?”

“I need time to recalibrate.”

“I get it. I swore off sex following my divorce.”

“How long were you married?”

“Five years.” She flicked a speck of something off the table.

“Is he a prick? Do I need to kick his ass?”

“He’s a great guy. My first real boyfriend.”

“Your high school sweetheart?”

“Oh, no. High school came too early in my development. At least, as far as my body was concerned. I didn’t develop until my twenties.”

He held up his beer bottle like toasting. “Well, your twenties did a hell of a job.”

“Kind of you to say.” Even in the shadows, he noticed her skin brightened at his words. “Especially, since I didn’t get a chance to change and wash off the day. Right after school, we took Quinn out to dinner as camouflage and came straight here for the surprise party.”

He pointed at her shirt. “You teach?”

“I’m a counselor.”

Dr. Youst came to his mind. The morning after the gun fiasco, he’d been a wreck when he walked into her office. When he left three hours later, he’d felt worlds better, calmer. He’d met with her weekly until he left for college and drove in once a month for a couple of years. They still had sessions over Zoom every once in a while. With what happened yesterday, he should probably make an appointment with her and talk about it.

He cracked his neck.

Amanda studied him. “Which Jane Austen character are you?”

“You’ve heard about my mom’s obsession.”

“I’m in a book club with her. She told me how she named her boys after characters in Jane Austen’s books.”

“All except for me,” he clarified. “My name is Austen, spelled with an E as Jane spelled it. Austen Kastor Hunter.”

“Kastor?”

“My great grandfather’s name.”

“And your brothers?”

“Bennet James, Darcy Henry, Oliver Collins, and Ethan Knightly. Darcy and Bennet are the only ones who go by their Austen names.”

“It’s interesting.”

“It gives people something to talk about.” He’d lived with the oddity his whole life. “Why did you look miserable earlier?”

She leaned over and murmured, “Country music is not my favorite.”

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