Page 81 of Totally Off Limits

“Oh.” When she did, she laughed. And, although part of her felt ridiculously free, another part of herself felt darker than ever…

CHAPTER26

The next morning just as the sun was casting a soft glow over Winchester, Sierra sat at her kitchen table alone. She kept checking her phone, half expecting a text from Mickey…but maybe he was still asleep.

After her fourth cup of coffee a while later, she did what she’d been putting off since climbing out of bed following a night of little sleep.

She found Austin in her contacts and sent him a quick text before she changed her mind. Something simple just to test the waters.

Hey. Just wanted to see how the mine tour is going.

There. Done. That way, if her mother ever asked, Sierra could say she gave it the good old college try.

Except Austin texted right back.Refineries, actually. And it went far better than expected. I’m back here in Winchester.

Oh. And how long had he been back?

Holy shit. What if he’d been at the concert last night?

But, of course, he wouldn’t attend something like that. It wasn’t that Austin didn’t drink, but Sierra remembered from high school that he wasn’t into rock music. Hip hop was more his thing. And, like her family, his would frown if he’d been caught in a place like that.

Sierra held the phone in both hands and she kept typing words before deleting them, unsure of what to say or how to say it.

Fortunately, he beat her to the punch.

You free this afternoon?

Sierra stared at the blinking cursor in the text message box, almost frozen…because she knew this was therealfork in the road. Sleeping with Mickey had merely been a detour but here was where she’d have to really make her bed and lie in it. The question she grappled with was if she should choose to jump into bed with Austin and live the life her parents wanted for her or if she should go forward with her original plans of getting her master’s degree and running from Colorado, never to come back.

And her thoughts, as always, settled on Mia. What would be best for her daughter?

The child she loved with all that she was needed a father, even if that man wasn’t biologically related to her. And she needed safety and security. While Rebecca Hayden would never win a Mother of the Year award, she was a doting, caring grandmother. And, when Sierra tried to be objective about it, she knew that her parents only wanted what was best for her. Unlike Mickey’s dad, they didn’t physically or mentally abuse their children.

They just wanted to control their lives into perfection.

It was that realization that helped her find forgiveness in her heart.

And it helped her see the correct path more clearly.

How would being estranged from her loving grandparents—and aunts, uncle, and great grandmother—harm Mia in the long run? Sure, she’d survive, but at what cost? Even if Sierra chose to pursue school instead of marriage, ripping her child away from their family could scar Mia in ways Sierra couldn’t even imagine. If she decided to get the dream job, it would be better to move to Colorado Springs or Denver so they’d be just an hour or so away.

Following that train of thought allowed her to open her mind to all sorts of possibilities.

Not to mention there was still no text from Mickey.

Yes. What do you have in mind?

* * *

For their little adventure,both Sierra and Mia wore sundresses. Her daughter’s was a vibrant blue with big flowers and ruffles and matching panties. Sierra’s was white with tiny flowers and no back.

But at least her sandals were intact.

Twenty minutes earlier, Austin had picked them up but wouldn’t tell them where they were going. It was a surprise. He had driven up into the hills west of Winchester where the evergreen trees and aspens seemed to fight for dominance, and Sierra figured he was taking them for a picnic. Although she couldn’t remember a picnic area or even campground up this particular road, it was possible that he owned some land up here where they could have a private lunch.

Or maybe he was going to give them a tour of a new mine or something. She’d never seen their old mine or knew exactly where it was, hidden higher in the hills behind Winchester. Maybe he was going to show them his business.

Whatever the case, she was excited to see it—and Austin had kissed her with fervor upon greeting them…meaning it could and would be full steam ahead in the dating department.

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