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He was glad she'd have a day to recuperate. He was tempted to take over the task of driving but knew she would be irritated if he tried to take control, so he forced himself to hand her car keys over. She raised a brow, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, as if she knew what the small gesture had cost him. With this sigh he took off his bulky jacket and hat so he could slide into the passenger seat.
“You and Josh can stay with me as long as necessary,” he said in a low tone as she drove to his place, located not too far from the home she's shared with Sam.
“Thanks, but one night should be enough.” She barely glanced at him, her attention on the road. He didn't contradict her, hoping he could convince her to stay if her house needed repairs. At least for a while.
She fell silent, so he contented himself with watching her. She was beautiful, even with her long blonde hair mussed and not a speck of makeup on her face. He had a hard time tearing his gaze from her profile. Knock it off, he warned himself. This wasn't the time to think about Lindsey as a pretty woman he was attracted to. He'd promised Sam he'd take care of them. Lindsey needed a friend. A helping hand. A shoulder to lean on.
Not a man who fantasized about something more.
A fresh wave of guilt hit low in his belly. First, he'd caused his partner’s death, robbing Lindsey and Josh of a husband and father. Then he'd botched his attempt to help her. What was wrong with him that he was attracted to his best friend's widow?
Could he sink any lower?
He'd had girlfriends in the past, but nothing serious. He’d preferred being foot-loose and fancy free. He came from a large family with brothers and sisters and parents who had been married for over forty years. If he was to marry, he wanted a relationship like his parents. But since he hadn’t found anyone that remotely interested him, he’d decided he wasn’t the type to settle down.
So why was he so interested in the one woman who had marriage and family written all over her? A woman with a nine-year-old son who needed a father?
He gave himself a mental shake. He'd always admired Lindsey from afar, but she was strictly off limits.
The sooner his hormones figured that out, the better off he would be.
Chapter Two
When Lindsey awoke, the sun streaming in through the window was on the wrong side of the room. She blinked, disoriented by her strange surroundings, and then gradually realized where she was.
Austin’s house. She and Josh were sleeping in the two spare bedrooms of Austin’s home after their neighbor’s horrible house fire. Thankfully no one had been hurt.
The tantalizing aroma of bacon and eggs made her stomach growl, reminding her it had been way too many hours since her last meal.
If you could even call macaroni and cheese out of a box, a meal.
Scrambling from the wide bed, she headed for the shower. Sleeping in a regular bed rather than a sofa sleeper had her feeling more rested than ever. She hastily dressed and then took a few minutes to blow dry her hair. Not because she was vain and wanted to look nice for Austin, she told herself. But because she wanted to be ready so she could do whatever needed to be done to obtain permission to move back into her home.
When she emerged from her bedroom, feeling wide awake and ready to face the day, she noticed the door of Josh’s room was ajar and her son was nowhere in sight.
He was probably already in the kitchen helping himself to Austin’s breakfast. Good thing her son had always gotten along with Austin. The poor kid had been through enough trauma lately, between his problems at school and the recent move away from his friends.
If she had her way, they wouldn't impose on Austin’s hospitality for long.
She entered the kitchen trying not to feel self-conscious. “Good morning.”
“Hi.” Austin’s warm and appreciative gaze swept over her. Her mouth went dry as she stared at him. He stood in front of the stove, wearing a fitted paramedic a blue T-shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders and a pair of well-worn jeans that rode low on his hips. His mahogany-colored hair was long and a bit shaggy. Holding a spatula in his hand didn't come close to compromising his masculinity.
Liar. Who was she trying to kid? This was the reason she had taken time with her appearance. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she control this ridiculous attraction to Austin Monroe? Taking a deep breath, she glanced to where Josh was seated at the table, his mouth full of crunchy bacon. She kept her tone light. “Austin, you didn't have to cook for us. I'm sure we could have gotten by with cereal.”
He shrugged, dividing his attention between her and the eggs in the frying pan. “I cooked for myself but made enough for everyone. If you're hungry, have a seat.”
She was famished, so she pulled up a chair across from Josh and sat down. Less than a minute later, Austin set a plate in front of her with two eggs cooked over easy, wheat toast and two slices of bacon.
Everything made exactly the way she liked it.
His thoughtfulness made her throat close and for a moment she couldn't speak. This was why she'd avoided Austin in the months since Sam's death. Being this close to him was painful because every moment with him only magnified Sam's shortcomings as a husband. He and Sam may have been close friends, but they couldn't have been more different.
“Thanks,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze and turning her attention to her food. When he took a seat beside her, she was all too aware of his presence.
The cozy atmosphere in the kitchen was almost too much to bear. She couldn't remember the last time Sam had joined her and Josh for a family meal. For too long Sam had insisted on sitting in front of the television to eat, claiming he needed to relax after his long day at work. They'd grown so far apart over the years since Josh’s birth, she sometimes had looked at him and wondered how she'd fallen out of love with him so quickly.
Or if she ever really loved Sam the way he deserved to be loved at all?
