Page 66 of Thinking It Over

I felt helpless.

Penny was looking after me rather than the other way around. And I’d deny it if asked, but I’d all but dragged her to sleep on the bed with me that first night. Since then, she happily jumped up each evening to keep me company.

But my worry for Austin was visceral. His sadness seeped into my bones, his anger and frustration kept me up at night, and what he’d told me just over twenty-four hours ago chilled my bones.

And I still struggled to process his words.

Frankie was the dad of a three-year-old boy called Tyler.

A child no one had known about, not even Frankie until a few weeks ago, when he’d still been out of the country.

But Delila, Tyler’s mom, had died in the motorbike accident.

I pushed around the food on my plate, not feeling hungry.

“Haven’t you got a job interview tomorrow?”

Billy’s voice startled me. When I looked up and remembered he’d stayed for dinner, which made me a crappy host, I bobbed my head and apologized. “I’m sorry for being shitty company.”

He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Not a worry to me. I usually eat by myself, so I’m used to the quiet.” Hefollowed up with a wink and a grin, drawing a small laugh out of me. “So, interview, are you prepared?”

I picked up my wine and took a sip before answering. “I suppose so, yes.”

“Be sure to keep up with that enthusiasm tomorrow.” Amusement laced his words. “That’ll do the trick perfectly for you not being offered the position.”

I laughed. “Am I that obvious?”

“You could say that.” He angled his head, studying me. “If you don’t want the job, just cancel.”

“I want to, seriously, but there’s no guarantee there’s a job here for me, and I can’t not have a job for next year.”

“When did you say the cutoff date was for the guy handing in his notice?”

“Literally the last day of term, which is shitty.”

He nodded, sympathy shining through his eyes. “It is.”

“I didn’t make it to interview for the other jobs I applied for,” I admitted, which made me feel even more pitiful. “It means if this job tomorrow is the only one in the pipeline, I have to go for it.”

“And it’s in Bornford, right?”

“Yeah.”

“It could be worse. At least you’ll be able to seeAustin easy enough on weekends. It’s what, just over three hours?”

I nodded. “I know, and we’ll make it work.” Determination threaded my voice, but then the reality of everything that was happening with Frankie slammed into me. I put my fork down, no longer able to even pretend to eat. I picked up my wineglass instead and took a big gulp.

Billy’s hand reaching out and landing on my forearm had me jerking my attention to his. “Getting wasted probably isn’t the best, though, right?”

He pulled his hand away, and I reluctantly agreed.

“Have you spoken to him today?” he asked, standing and collecting our plates.

“Only briefly. He’s spent time with the social worker and has been in touch with a family lawyer, trying to ensure he’s granted emergency custody. It’s just a relief that Robin’s been there and has an understanding of the system.” Making my way to the dishwasher, I struggled to get my head around everything. But if I felt this lost, then I could only imagine how Austin and his family were feeling. And then there was poor Frankie, who had a hell of a recovery ahead.

Billy shook his head, wide-eyed expression on his face. “It’s all fucked-up.”

I snorted. “It really is.”

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