Page 8 of Forget Me Not
“Oh.” The realization hit me. This man was taking my son into consideration. I’d be lying if my heart didn’t skip a beat over that thought. “No, he’s at my in-laws for the night.”
“Your in-laws?”
“Danny’s parents. Really, they’re more like my parents, seeing as they’re all I have left. My own parents died when I was sixteen and they took me in. They always thought Danny and I would get married, but life had other plans.”
“You two were never married?”
I glanced out the window of his car, unable to answer.
“I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me.”
“No. It’s alright. Anyone would be curious. We never had the chance. Danny and I had decided to wait until after graduation to make it official, but he died during our senior year. A car accident.”
“So, your son never met his dad?”
“No. I didn’t find out I was pregnant until after his funeral. Danny died never knowing I was carrying his child.”
“That must have been hard.”
“It was gut-wrenching. At first, I was angry. How could God leave me to raise a child alone when all I wanted was Danny back? But Catherine, Danny’s mom, reminded me even with him gone I had a piece of him to hold on to forever. And when he was born, I forgot about my pain.”
“He’s a pretty great kid.” Austin squeezed my hand. “You’ve done an outstanding job with him.”
“Thanks. He’s the spitting image of his father. He definitely got his brains from him. It’s why he skipped a grade.” Austin listened as I told him about raising Danny with the help of my in-laws. It was the first time I had ever told anyone, besides Megan, how hard it had been. Between her, Catherine, and David, Danny had been raised knowing his father was a wonderful man taken too soon.
“We’re here.” Austin pulled into a space and killed the engine. He hurried out of the car and rushed around to my side, opening the door. “Let me help you.” He pulled me to my feet, causing my body to press against his. His eyes dipped to my lips and back up. “I’m going to kiss you again.”
“Okay,” I uttered into the evening air. I closed my eyes as his lips pressed against mine. His palm trailed down my back and cupped my ass, pulling me into him even harder. “Austin,” I spoke against his mouth.
“God. I’m sorry. I seem to lose my mind around you.” He pushed the door closed and led me toward the entrance.
I got the chance to hear all about Austin and how he had come to Barclay. He was an only child whose parents had passed away already. His mom had died from cancer and his father died shortly after her. His heart couldn’t take the loss. Austin grew up back east and longed for a change, making the move to Nevada an easy one. By the time the meal was over, I found myself not wanting the night to end.
“Would you like to come inside for a nightcap?” I grinned as he pulled into my driveway.
“Are you sure?”
“To drinks? Yes. I am enjoying your company and would like to continue to hear more.”
Austin nodded and turned off the engine. As he rounded the car, I took a breath. I never had a man inside my house that wasn’t Danny or David. As if sensing my unease, Austin stood beside the car.
“Look, if this is too fast, I can leave. I’ve enjoyed my night with you, but I feel you might regret inviting me inside.”
Processing his words, I doubted myself.Maybe this was moving too quickly?
“How about I walk you to the door, kiss you goodnight, and make plans to see you again?”
I slipped out of the car and sighed. “I’m sorry, Austin.”
“For what? I had a wonderful night and look forward to seeing you again. You said you needed slow, and I meant it when I said I could do that. Now let me be a gentleman and walk you to the door.”
Austin guided me up the steps to my front door. He tugged me against him as his fingers wound in my hair. His lips pressed to mine, demanding and needy. I parted my mouth, giving him access to slip his tongue inside. My body melted into his, a moan escaping as our kiss grew deeper.
Austin pulled away and pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I watched as he ambled down the steps and climbed into his car. My gaze fixed on his headlights, watching until they disappeared into the night. Tilting my head to the stars, I silently sent up a prayer. My heart was beating hard against my ribcage as I thought about my past and future colliding. I knew deep down why it was hard for me to move on. A part of me hoped Danny would come home.
His death had been hard to take, but not finding his body had been worse. His car had careened off a bridge and into the river below. The fire department searched for a week, before finally calling off the search. They tried to explain that the water could have carried his corpse miles away, or that he was at the bottom, wedged in rock. Either way, I never really accepted his death. His parents paid private divers to search, but like the fire department, they came up empty-handed. The crisp air brushed against my skin, reminding me I was still standing on the porch. I shook myself from the memories that still haunted me and went inside. My eyes found the picture of Danny on the mantle. Pulling it from its place, I ran my finger through the dust that gathered around it. I pressed the photo to my chest and curled up on the couch. I couldn’t stop feeling like I was making a mistake with Austin. Sure, I was attracted to him, but my heart just wouldn’t let go of Danny no matter how hard I tried.
