Page 78 of Just Business

He flashes me a grin and I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist, kissing between his shoulder blades.

“Good morning to the man I’m in love with,” I say, my voice muffled as I speak into his back muscles.

“So I need to warn you of something,” Austin starts, turning to face me. His voice is careful and measured, and a spike of fear hits me in the chest. “There’s nothing to panic about,” he says, obviously seeing it on my face. “But the paparazzi did show up. Earlier this morning there were more, but now there’s only a few left.” He jerks his head toward the window. “Go take a look. I think you’ll wanna see it, but be careful. I closed the blinds so they can’t see in.”

Honey is already stretched up onto her hind legs, trying to see what the noise is outside, so I crack open a slat of the blinds. It takes a second for the sight in front of me to register, but when it does, I clap a hand over my mouth. I laugh quietly, shaking my head in disbelief.

Men and women holding cameras and phones are spread out on the road separating my house and the studio, but they can’t get close to my house because standing in their way like an immovable force, are my people.My family.

Greg and Lisa. Ed and Carol. Liam and Cassie. Jackson is there standing between Henry from the barber shop and Sheila from the bar. And in front of them all, waving a broom around like it’s her sword, is Josie.

That telling burn pricks behind my eyes and my heart squeezes tight. Why did I ever think I had to face things alone? The sight before me is overwhelming in all the best ways. I watch for a few minutes and my ears catch snippets of Josie’s voice yelling at them.

“Not in my town! Get!” She stabs the broom their way and they stumble backward out of reach.

Austin comes up behind me and I drop the blinds. Turning, I shake my head with a grin. “Josie Thomas is not one to be messed with.”

“She sure isn’t.” He chuckles. “She’s making damn sure we have this time together with no interruptions.”

Austin’s fingers find mine and he guides me toward the kitchen table. “C’mon, let's eat before it gets cold.”

Once he’s plated our food and poured two cups of coffee, we take our usual seats. He’s made eggs, bacon, buttery golden biscuits, and he’s even sliced up some fresh fruit. My stomach rumbles at the sight of it all.

"You're too good to me," I say around a mouthful of food. "This is amazing. What am I supposed to eat when you're gone? Nothing will taste this good."

"What did you eat before I came?" he asks, stabbing his own bite of food, his gaze flicking up to mine.

I scrunch up my face and squint one eye, embarrassed for him to know how unhealthy my diet was. "Mostly crap. Frozen pizzas, ramen, Uncrustables. I told you, I have the palate of a five-year-old."

He drops his fork, staring at me with abject horror. "Baby, please take care of yourself while I'm gone. Eat some vegetables. Hell, at least drink more water, for God’s sake."

His tone is teasing, but the mention of him leaving feels like I’m being doused in cold water. There’s no way to express how much I’ll miss him while he’s away. Neither of us know what the next few weeks will bring, and uncertainty clenches low in my bed.

Austin must sense the shift because he drops his fork and takes my hands in his. "I want to warn you—when I get to Nashville there’s a good chance I’ll have long stretches of time away from my phone. Try not to overthink it, okay?” He taps my temple lightly, a soft smile on his face. “Don’t get in that gorgeous head of yours. Can you do that for me?”

I give him a tiny smile and nod.

"I'll try really hard to talk to you as much as I possibly can,” he continues, “but also you have this next studio session, and I’ve seen first-hand how you lose track of time during those."

The upcoming studio session is something I’m really proud of. It’s a band that’s already huge in Norway, but they don’t yet have an American following. I’ve worked hard to get the studio back on the map for international musicians and I’m thrilled they’re recording here.

We talk for a while longer, discussing what we expect the next several weeks to be like, and before we know it, it’s time to head to the airport. Cassie’s driving us since the G-Wagon has enough room for all of Austin’s luggage.

My friends did their job well, because when we step outside not a single paparazzi remains. I’m still feeling edgy about it, but after double checking that none are still lurking around my house, we load everything into the back and climb in.

It’s only a fifteen-minute drive to the airport, but we fill the time with light, mindless chatter, all of us avoiding the inevitable goodbyes we’re about to face. I’m sure we’re all thinking about how much has changed since Austin first landed here. Just four short weeks ago his life was falling apart, and Cassie was stuck in a toxic relationship in Dallas.

We pull up to the airport, and Austin jumps out at the gate, flashing his ID to the security guard. He waves us through and we drive around to where a private plane waits.

Cassie and Austin say their goodbyes first, and I try to stand off to the side giving them space, but I can’t help but overhear them.

"You’ll keep on with therapy, right?” Cassie asks. “Don’t get busy and let it slide.”

Austin chuckles. “I swear it, Cass. I already have another session booked. I’ll be okay this time.” He gathers her into a hug, his voice thick with emotion.

Cassie steps away and heads to sit in the G-Wagon to let us have some privacy.

He walks over, his steps purposeful, and wraps his arms around my waist, tugging me against him. We stand like that for several seconds, but finally he loosens his grip just enough to look at me. His eyes are soft and full of barely contained emotion. Tears are swimming in mine, threatening to spill over, as he cups my face in his hands.

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