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Bernadette is walking over to our table with a smile and I give her a nod in greeting before turning my attention to Autumn with a chuckle. “I think we’ll need a few more minutes.”
“Take your time,” she says before heading over to another table. I lean back in my chair and look over at Autumn. “How’s it going over there? Decided on anything yet?”
Autumn groans. “Not even close. They have so many options, how am I only supposed to choose one?”
I raise a brow and shrug. “Order whatever you want, Red.”
The use of my nickname for her causes her to blush and her mouth parts as if she wants to say something, but she just shakes her head. “I will not.”
“I’ll get you whatever you want,” I laugh. “My stomach is eating itself at this rate. I didn’t eat lunch today and I’m starving.”
She stares at me for a few moments before smiling at me. “I did warn you!”
When Bernadette comes over for the third time, Autumn orders Spaghetti Alfredo and I order a serving of lasagna and a salad. While waiting for our food to arrive, both of us get a refill on our drinks and I clear my throat. “So, what made you choose to interview for the position with Bethany?”
Autumn shrugs. “I’d been looking for a job and yours landed in my lap.”
“Gee, that makes me feel so much better.”
She chokes on her wine and shakes her head. “Not that there’s anything wrong with Bethany, but this job wouldn’t have been my first choice. I love her to death, but kids aren’t my strong suit.”
“You could’ve fooled me,” I say softly. “You’ve handled Bethany extremely well.”
“You think so?”
I smile at her and nod. “Did you not hear how excited she was when you helped her get ready for the dance? She smiled brighter than I’ve ever seen before.”
That’s one of the main reasons I finally decided going out with Autumn was a good idea. Seeing the happiness radiating off Bethany not only the night of her dance, but the morning after, made me see things a little differently than before.
She needs Autumn in her life.
Autumn’s cheeks heat at my compliment and the front of my jeans tightens at the memory of what they look like as she lays bare beneath me. I mentally picture her fingers clawing down my back as I sink into her heat, shuddering as her walls clench around me.
A throat clears and I push the dirty thoughts away to find Autumn staring at me curiously.
This is not the time to be thinking like that, Easton.
Get it together.
“What was that? Sorry, I was daydreaming.” Which I was.
She smiles. “I said I enjoy spending time with Bethany, Easton. You’ve done well raising her and I’m sure her mother would be proud.”
The mention of Elena doesn’t make me as angry or hurt as it normally would. Instead I feel a strong sense of pride at hearing those words spill from Autumn’s lips. I’ve heard it from many people over the years, especially my family, but for some reason it doesn’t feel as great as it does coming from Autumn.
“I try my best, although I know failing is inevitable at times.”
She frowns. “You could never fail, Easton. It might get hard, but you will never fail that little girl no matter how much your mind tries to convince you of that.”
The conversation’s getting too deep so I clear my throat and ask, “So, what do you have planned for your future?”
She gets a longing look in her eyes and sighs. “As a little girl dancing was my life, and that would’ve been where my future was going,” her voice trails off and she blinks, tears visible in her eyes as she does, then she shakes her head. “At this age, I would’ve wanted to own a dance studio. Money isn’t always on your side though, so that was a dream I squashed a while ago. The most I’ve got figured out now is that I want to get out of here and even that doesn’t seem as thrilling as it used to. I’m just living life day by day, going with the flow and all that.”
Autumn’s been best friends with Savanna for as long as I can remember, yet she’s so easily going to walk away from this town?
“Doesn’t that get frustrating, not knowing where your life is headed?”
Autumn’s eyebrows dip into concentration and she shrugs. “Thinking about it now? Yeah, I guess it does.”
