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Besides, she wasn't that broke that she needed to accept a pity proposal. She would be fine. She'd make the high monthly payments by working an extra shift every week. Everything would be okay.
She had no choice but to make it work.
They kept Austin for observation for a couple of hours. The burnt area on his back wasn't too bad, although it would need daily dressing changes with Silvadene cream applied.
When the emergency department doc finally released him, Lindsey realized he didn't have a way to get home.
“I’ll give you a ride,” she offered. “My shift is almost over anyway.”
“Thanks.” His voice was no longer hoarse, the oxygen with humidified air seemed to have done the trick.
She took Austin home and got him settled on the sofa. He preferred lying on his side to keep the pressure off the small burned area in the center of his back.
“Where’s Josh?”
She gasped in horror. How could she have forgotten her son? Thankfully, it wasn’t too late. “I’ll get him from Tai Kwon Do.” She hurried back outside to jump in her car, berating herself for the lapse. She really needed to pull herself together.
During the ride home she told him about Austin. “He was hurt during a fire, but he's home and will be fine.”
“He was hurt?” Josh's eyes widened and alarm. “What happened. Did he get burned?”
“No, he’s not burned,” she hastened to assure him, skating over the truth. She should have remembered Josh had lost his father to a fire. And she should have taken more care in explaining Austin’s injury. “He’s fine, I promise.”
The minute she pulled into the driveway, Josh rushed out of the car and ran into the house to see for himself.
She followed more slowly. She was grateful for Austin’s influence on Josh, but it was clear her son had grown extremely attached to him.
She needed to move back into her own house as soon as possible, to protect her son from being hurt worse in the long run. Because she knew this being together with Austin was temporary.
No matter how much she secretly wished for more.
Chapter Nine
Lindsey threw together a quick, early dinner, and then sat down to help Josh with his homework, fighting an insane need to check on Austin every three minutes.
Josh wasn't the only one who'd grown dependent on him. She'd grown accustomed to having Austin around as well. Despite her cheerful facade for Josh’s benefit, she'd been worried about him too.
“Can I go and talk to Austin now?” Josh asked the minute he finished his math homework. His fourth-grade math homework that was almost over her head. What was she going to do when he reached high school? She dreaded thinking about it.
“Don't wake him up if he's sleeping,” she cautioned. “He was up most of the night, working.”
She wasn't surprised when Josh returned a few minutes later, his shoulders slumped with disappointment. “He is sleeping, Mom. Are you sure he’s okay? He’s gonna wake up right?”
“Yes, Josh, of course he's going to wake up.” Aching for her son's obvious distress, she gave him a quick hug. “Please stop worrying. You know his shift requires him to work twenty-four hours straight. You would be tired too if you were up all night.”
“I guess.” Josh didn't look convinced. “Maybe I shouldn't go to Tony's house this weekend.”
Now she knew Josh was seriously concerned. There wasn't anything that would have caused him to consider giving up going to his friend's birthday party. She understood his reservation, but she thought it would be best for Josh to go to Tony’s. “Why don't you talk to Austin about it later?” She suggested, knowing he would encourage Josh to go and have fun. “Then you can decide what to do.”
Her plan worked. Austin awoke a few hours later and she asked Josh to carry in his dinner tray, giving the two of them a chance to talk alone.
Sort of alone. She hovered in the hallway, listening.
“I was worried you weren't ever going to wake up,” Josh said.
“Hey, I'm fine.” Austin injected confidence in his tone. He sounded a hundred percent better from when she’d first seen him in the hospital emergency department. “Just tired from being at work for so long.”
“That's what Mom said.” There was a brief pause and then Josh added, “I don't know if I want to go to Tony’s birthday party tomorrow.”
