CHAPTER 15
“That was so cool!” Trevor shouted as he rode back to the B&B on Austin’s shoulders.
“Yeah, it was, bud.” Sara shifted her arms to better support Charlotte, who was fast asleep and resting her head on her mom’s shoulder.
The four of them had had quite a day. There was the summer program that Sara had volunteered to help out with the night before at the softball game and once Austin knew that she had, he’d followed suit. Then, they’d finally gone out on the paddle boats. Spent time at the festival and ended the night watching fireworks from the pier. Charlotte hadn’t been able to stay awake for the spectacular display. She’d fallen asleep while the four of them waited on a bench to see them. Sara had been sure the explosive sounds would’ve woken her little sleeping beauty, but they hadn’t.
“Austin, can you read my story tonight?” Trevor asked as they walked past the Drawbridge Diner.
Sara looked up to see Austin’s reaction. He’d made it clear the night before that he wanted to spend as much time with her and the kids as he could. But he’d also said he didn’t know how much longer he could go without kissing her… That had been almost twenty-four hours ago, and she had yet to be kissed. Of course, they hadn’t had a minute alone.
Austin raised his brow in a silent question. She nodded to indicate he could if he wanted to. He smiled as he answered, “Sure.”
Trevor cheered.
It continued to amaze her how in tune they were. Over the years, she’d witnessed couples that seemed to have their own private language. Couples who could communicate without saying a word. But those were people who’d been together for years, or sometimes decades. Not people who hadn’t even known each other a full week. Sara didn’t know how or why, but somehow she and Austin just understood one another. In one glance, they could communicate so much, which was handy when you had two little people around.
Although, starting tomorrow morning, the kids wouldn’t be around for a couple of days. Jack had called earlier and told her he’d be coming to pick them up the next morning, and that he’d bring them back on Friday evening. She’d have forty-eight kid-free hours.
Trevor was talking so fast she could only catch about every third word as he went over the pros and cons of each of his favorite books to decide which one Austin would read tonight.
She was only half listening as she ran through her mental list of everything that she needed to send with Jack when he picked Charlotte and Trevor up. This afternoon, before the fireworks, she’d packed their overnight bags. She’d made sure Charlotte’s favorite dress and Trevor’s favorite hat were in there. Her mind was racing, trying to come up with every possible scenario and what they might need.
Sara had no doubt Jack would take care of the kids and get them anything she forgot. He was a good father. But that didn’t change the fact she’d never been away from her kids before, and her nerves were popping like hot grease in a pan. The last few nights had been spent tossing and turning because of the sexy Marine sniper that was walking next to her, but tonight she predicted her sleepless night would be credited to her overprotective mom gene.
When they turned the corner onto Lakeview Lane the B&B came into sight, Sara heard her son call out just as her eyes registered what they were seeing.
“Look, that’s dad!”
Sure enough, leaning against a Jeep stood Jack and a stunning woman who Sara recognized as his fiancée, Valentina. She’d seen her in social media posts she’d tagged Jack in. The woman was taller than she’d expected, and the exact opposite of Sara in just about every way.
Sara stood five-foot-four and had dark hair and light blue eyes. Valentina had to be pushing five-ten, with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes. Where Sara was curvy, Valentina was thin and sleek. Sara was wearing cutoff jeans and a striped shirt. Valentina was dressed in black slacks and a silk halter top.
It had never crossed Sara’s mind that meeting Valentina would make her feel inferior or less than, and it actually shocked her that her first instinct was to kick herself for not dressing nicer to go to the fireworks.
“Hey.” Jack lifted his hand as he saw them approaching. “I got an early flight and wanted to surprise you.”
Mission accomplished.
“Great,” Sara replied perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Austin lifted Trevor off his shoulders, and before her son’s feet even hit the ground, he asked, “Can you come back after Austin reads me my story?”
Jack lifted his left brow and gave Sara a questioning glare at the same moment Charlotte started stirring awake.
“He can read it when you guys get back,” she answered and patted her baby girl’s back.
“But, Mom,” Trevor protested as Charlotte started whining that she had to go to the bathroom.
“Sorry,” Sara apologized to Jack. “We were watching the fireworks and they’re tired.”
“No problem,” her ex responded.
Sara couldn’t tell if he was upset or uncomfortable or what. That had always been their problem. She didn’t know how to read him, and he really didn’t know how to read her.
“Hi, I’m Sara.” Sara reached out to shake hands with Valentina.
Jack shook his head and blinked. “Oh, sorry, Valentina, this is Sara, Charlotte, Trevor and…”
“Austin,” Sara and Austin answered in unison.
“Austin,” Jack repeated.
Valentina smiled warmly as everyone shook hands and said hello.
“I gotta go,” Charlotte whined and twisted in Sara’s arms.
“I’m going to go grab their stuff and take her to the bathroom. Trev, you can stay here with Dad.” Sara instructed.
“I’ll go get their seats,” Austin offered, and Sara nodded as her heart took wings and flew right out of her chest.
If she’d been on the fence of falling for the man heading to her SUV to retrieve her kids’ booster seats, she was firmly on the grassy side of love now. Even in an awkward situation, Austin was still helping her. He hadn’t let Jack’s strange glances—or the fact that he’d shown up unannounced—rattle him in the least. He was still thinking of her.
“I want to go with Austin,” Trevor protested.
“Bud, why don’t you come with me to help me with your bags?” Sara prayed her son would go along with her proposal.
Trevor’s shoulders slumped as he sighed heavily. “Okay.”
“Be right back.” She smiled at both Jack and Valentina before heading into the B&B with the kids.
As Sara gathered the kids’ bags and instructed them both to remember to brush their teeth in the morning and at night, her mind was spinning like a top on a greased-up floor. Everything in her life seemed to be moving at turbo speed. The divorce. The move. Austin.
“I want to put on jammas.” Charlotte lifted the dress she had on over her head.
Knowing her daughter would probably be much more comfortable in pajamas for the car ride that Sara was praying she’d sleep through, she stepped to the dresser that held their clothes. After opening the drawer, she looked up and saw Jack and Austin talking through the window.
The two men were similar in size. Both were tall and muscular. Austin had maybe an inch or two on Jack. As Sara watched their interaction, it struck her that Jack seemed like a stranger compared to Austin. Sara had no idea what the man she’d been married to for the last eight years and had two children with was thinking. But one look at Austin and she knew he was not only sizing Jack up, but also that her ex was passing his scrutiny.
When the two shook hands and Austin walked away, she could see there was a genuine respect there, and she felt relieved. Somehow seeing that Austin thought Jack was a good guy made Sara happy.
“Mommy!” Charlotte’s demanding voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Sorry, coming.”
Sara quickly got Charlotte dressed and answered all the questions that Trev was shooting in rapid fire at her. He wanted to know everything from what they’d be eating the next two days to whether or not Valentina liked dogs. She knew she was going to miss her munchkins, but she was also looking forward to the break.
The break that, thanks to Austin, was full of possibilities.