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“I'll see if I can talk Josh out of a pizza place on the way home,” he added with a quick grin.
“Good luck with that.” She laughed as he left, thinking how odd it was that Austin, the guy who had never been married or had children of his own, managed to share the parenting duties more fairly than her husband ever had.
A trait that made him twice as attractive.
Austin had not been able to talk Josh out of a pizza celebration, but he did agree to Josh’s request to bring Tony along for dinner.
He'd wanted to take Lindsey to a nice restaurant for a change. Instead, they were destined to eat at popular pizza place with a small arcade attached.
When he saw Lindsey in the kitchen wearing a gauzy skirt that swept her ankles, with a matching spaghetti strap camisole tap, he fought a surge of desire.
She was so beautiful. Alluring, without even trying.
Okay, then. Maybe it was a good thing they were going to a noisy pizza place. Anything more intimate and he might make a total fool out of himself.
The need to kiss Lindsey, to hold her close would not leave him alone. He wanted her more than ever. Despite overhearing her comment about his reputation, he still longed to hold her. And kiss her.
Would she look at him differently if she knew his playboy days were over? Would she be willing to give him a chance if she knew how much he cared for her?
How he was falling in love with her?
Thirty minutes later, after both boys had finished their homework, they headed out. Josh and Tony kept up a steady stream of conversation in the back seat as he drove to the restaurant. Once inside, they placed their order for large pizzas loaded with everything Josh and Tony liked to eat. Then the boys disappeared into the arcade, leaving him and Lindsey alone.
“How was your day?” He asked when the boys had left.
She shrugged. “Mostly uneventful, although one of my patients was a drunk driver who crashed into a streetlight.”
He levered his brow. “Drinking at noon?”
Her smile was strained. “Yeah, well, it seems he was trying to drown his sorrows as his wife had just announced she was leaving him.”
“I see.” Her pensive gaze tugged at him. Something about this patient seemed to have gotten to her.
“Austin, have you given up smoke jumping?”
Her abrupt question surprised him. He sipped his soft drink, trying to figure out how to answer her. “I'm not sure. I went back right after our—ah, argument, but all I could think about was how Sam had died. I went back too soon.” He lifted a shoulder and grimaced. “To be honest, I don't know if I'll ever be ready to go back.”
She frowned, drawing imaginary patterns on the table with her fingertip. “It was my fault, you know.”
Was she talking about Sam's death? “What? Lindsey how could you possibly be at fault? You were hundreds of miles away when he died.” Austin knew he was the one who'd caused Sam's death. Not her.
She stared at the tabletop, her voice so quiet he had to strain to hear. “I'm sure Sam mentioned we were having a few—problems.”
“No, actually, he didn't.” He frowned. Why hadn't Sam mentioned their problems? Maybe because, like most guys, talking about all that personal stuff wasn't easy. He tried to reassure her. “Hey, most marriages have their ups and downs. I'm sure your problems were similar to those in many other marriages.”
She sat back, rubbing her hands over her arms as if she were cold and slowly shook her head. “No. They were far more serious than that.”
Serious? He didn't know what to say. Sam had never breathed a word about any of this. Then a coldness swept over him. “What happened? Did he do something to you? Hurt you in some way?” The idea of Sam lifting a hand to his wife and to his son filled him with anger.
“No, he never hurt us, not physically.” Her expression turned even more grim. “Sam spent so much time away from home it seemed there was nothing left. No marriage. No companionship. Nothing.”
He blew out a breath, realizing what she was saying. The competition to become a smoke jumper was fierce. Only the best of the best made the crew. He and Sam had both been honored to be chosen. But the lengthy stints away from home, up to three months at a time, could create havoc on a relationship. And suddenly he was upset with Sam. What had his buddy been thinking, to put a stupid job ahead of his wife and son?
He across the table, capturing her small hands in his. “I understand. It’s not your fault.”
“No, you don't understand.” She tried to tug her hands from his. “Don't you see? His death was really my fault. I filed for divorce, right before you guys were called up for that fire. I filed for divorce and told Sam he needed to move out.” Her gaze clung to his. “And that’s why he died that day.”
Chapter Seven
