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She nods and waves ahead of her. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. Just make a left right over there and everything in there should be perfect. You can try on five at a time. I’ll be over to help you in a moment, but I’ll let you browse through everything first.”
Bethany eagerly heads down the hall, leaving Savanna and me in a fit of giggles. I’m surprised Bethany isn’t more upset considering she isn’t able to have this moment with her mother. I feel like that’s why I was quick to make the plans because I highly doubt Easton would’ve been good company. It’s not hard to imagine how strict he’d be on what she wore, but she doesn’t have to worry about that with us.
While she sifts through the dresses, Savanna and I take a seat in front of the dressing rooms while still keeping our eyes on her. She’s already got three hanging on her arm to try on, so I can only imagine how long we’ll end up being here.
“You okay?” Savanna asks.
I jump at her question and smile as best I can. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
Savanna sighs. “I don’t know. There’s just this energy about you, it’s different today. Did you and my brother have another fight?”
“When don’t we have one?” I ask with a chuckle. It’s best right now if I just let her believe we had a fight, instead of the real reason which is the kiss we shared. The last thing I need is for her to blow it way out of proportion and think it’s going to end in hearts and flowers between us.
I need time to think about what’s going on myself.
Bethany is bouncing on the balls of her feet as she walks out with a garment bag containing her dress, which makes me feel much better about this job I’ve chosen to take.
“Autumn,” a voice says from behind us and I turn around quickly.
“Bastian, fancy seeing you here.”
“I could say the same to you,” he adds with a chuckle. “Still as beautiful as ever.”
Bastian was someone I used to date a couple of years ago and it was one of those relationships that I thought would grow into more, but it ended up fizzling out. I’m not sure if it was because I already had the idea in my head that I would be leaving, but I ended things before they really got started. “How are you?”
He nods. “I’m doing well, thanks. I was promoted at work recently. Hey, maybe we can catch up for dinner sometime?”
Savanna clears her throat beside me and gives me a smile before pulling Bethany toward the car. “I’d love that, actually. Let me give you my number,” I tell him as I pull my phone out of my purse.
“It’s okay, I’ve still got it. Unless you’ve changed it since we dated,” Bastian says with a smile.
I laugh and tell him it’s still the same, even if I’m curious as to why he would still have it. “Just let me know when you want to get together and I can try to swing it.”
We say our goodbyes, then I head to the car with doubt swirling in my mind. What if Easton comes back to tell me the kiss we shared was more than he expected and I’m going on a date with another man?
Chapter Five
Easton
I’m fuming.
I’m barely through the door when I overhear Autumn announce that she needs to get ready for a date. When I left to go out of town, I had hoped that it would get my mind off the kiss I planted on her, but it only seemed to make me think about it more. Most of my time was spent wondering what she thought about it and where we would go from there, but coming back and hearing that she has a date gave me the answer.
I’m not going to lie and say I’m thrilled for her – I’m not. There’s jealousy thumping through my veins that I’ve never experienced with anyone else and it’s irritating. I’ve gone years without paying attention to a woman. My focusing has been solely on Bethany and making sure she has everything she needs. Now that Autumn is here and staying in a room downstairs, I can’t seem to control myself.
My emotions are all over the place in a way I’ve never experienced before – not even with Elena.
Her heels click on the floorboards as she walks down the hall and my eyes nearly bug out my head when I see her. She’s wearing a beautiful red dress which accentuates her curves and her hair is curled and half pinned to the top of her head while the rest hangs down her back. Her eyes are bright as she looks at me and comes to a halt in front of me. We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity.
She jumps when there’s a loud knock on the door and I narrow my eyes. “You told him where I live?”
“Well, this is also where I live. So, yes. He wanted to pick me up.”
“You could’ve easily gone to your own house and got ready, then had him pick you up from there.” Who is this guy? What does she know about him? I’m vibrating with anger at the thought of a complete stranger coming to my home. “I hope you made the right choice by giving him my address.”
She sighs. “I didn’t realize it would upset you, Easton. And I can’t go to my house because my lease ended earlier this week and I didn’t renew it because I knew I’d be here.”
It shouldn’t surprise me that she didn’t renew her lease. Ever since she graduated high school, all Autumn has wanted to do was leave Maple Creek. For some reason I just never thought she’d actually go through with it, but I guess this is her way of saying she is.
