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She found Amber's husband, Nick and Alec in the now and newly created downstairs bedroom putting the bed frame together. “Where's Austin?” She asked.
“Upstairs with Adam, they’re working on the dresser.” Alec flashed a grin. “Take a right at this top of the stairs.”
“Thanks.” She followed his simple directions, but her steps slowed as she neared the top of the stairs.
“Give me a break, Adam. I know what I'm doing. I can handle a little responsibility. I promised Sam I would take care of Lindsey and Josh.”
She sucked in a harsh breath. Responsibility? Was that really how he viewed her and Josh—as a responsibility?
Because he'd promised Sam he would take care of them?
Dazed and nauseous, she turned away and stumbled into the nearest room, which happened to be the bathroom. She sank onto the commode before her knees gave out.
Why hadn't she put the pieces together before?
Austin had never been in a serious relationship. For years he'd hopped from one woman to the next, leaving a string of broken hearts in his wake. He could have any woman he wanted.
Why would a serious heartbreaker suddenly decide to settle down with a wife and son?
Only because he'd made a deathbed promise to his best friend.
It made so much sense now that she knew everything.
And the stark truth made her want to cry.
Lindsey could barely paste a smile on her face for Austin's family, but the chaos over lunch helped her hide her feelings.
But she knew she couldn't stay. Especially not when Austin had planned a special dinner for them. When he headed out to get a new elbow pipe for the kitchen sink, she took her chance and ran.
Not literally, but she did call a rideshare.
“Will you tell Austin I had to go back to the hotel for a while,” she said to Amber when she asked where they were going. “I'm not feeling well.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Amber asked with a worried frown. “I'm sure Andrea wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Josh if you want to catch a nap.
“No, I’ll be fine.” The last thing she wanted was to leave Josh with Andrea. Not when she had every intention of packing up their belongings and heading out to the airport to catch the first flight to Los Angeles. Thankfully, Austin had purchased tickets for them to fly standby, since they hadn’t known how long they’d be staying, so she didn't need anything from him.
Least of all a marriage proposal born of responsibility and a promise to her dead husband.
“Why are we leaving without Austin?” Josh asked, becoming obstinate when she told him to pack his bag.
“Because I need to get back home for work.” It was easier to stretch the truth than to explain the personal issues between them.
“You had a fight, didn’t you?” Josh demanded in a petulant tone. “I’m not going back. You can’t make me.”
Her temper flared. “Yes, you are! You are my son and I am telling you we are leaving. Now.”
The shocked expression on his face when she yelled at him haunted her on their sullen ride to the airport.
Her mother had always taken her frustrations about her failed relationships out on Lindsey, too.
She felt sick, knowing she was following in her mother’s footsteps in more ways than one.
Austin swallowed his frustration. After fighting to clear the clog, he tried to get the pipe apart, only to crack the stupid thing. That had required a trip to the closest hardware store. After what seemed like forever, he finally had it replaced and working properly,.
With a sigh of relief, he crawled out from under the sink. One project finished. Maybe his brothers had moved all the furniture down from his dad's room in the hours he'd played plumber.
He cleaned up the mess and looked around for Lindsey. It was later than he'd thought, almost four in the afternoon. She wasn't in the family room with the kids. And neither was Josh.
