Page 104 of Chasing Dreams
“No one else has ever been here,” he replied.
“I’m fixing us some dinner. You didn’t have anything started.”
“Great.”
“It’s macaroni and cheese.”
“I haven’t had that for a while,” he replied.
She shrugged. “It’s Jack’s favorite. Jack, remember Austin?” Shaine walked into the living room.
Oh man, she looked great. She wore faded jeans with a slit in the knee, and that innocuous patch of skin gave him a pathetic thrill.
She perched on the edge of the sofa and rested her elbows on her knees.
Jack looked up at Austin.
“Hey, bud,” Austin said.
“You give-ded me these trucks?” Jack asked.
Austin glanced at the trucks and recognized the collector set he’d ordered from an on-line shopping site. “Yeah. Do you like ’em?”
Jack nodded.
“They’re his favorite toys.” Characteristically, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Those and Bear.”
“Bear’s in dat suitcase,” Jack clarified, stopping his play long enough to point. “Auntie Shaine will get him out in a minute.”
She rolled her eyes. “Everything’s ‘in a minute’ now. I didn’t realize I answered him that way so often until he started saying it all the time.”
Austin grinned at her obvious pleasure in her nephew. He couldn’t help his curiosity at her unannounced appearance. Why had she come? Did she plan to continue seeing him occasionally? “What day is this? Friday? Isn’t the inn busy?”
“Maya and Marge are taking care of the inn,” she replied simply. Her unhurried gaze moved over him.
Self-consciously he looked down at his damp undershirt. “I’m going to go—”
“Grab a shower,” she finished for him. “Supper will be ready when you are.”
He hurried through his shower, disbelieving she’d come. Wondering what was she thinking. They couldn’t continue a weekend affair with her bringing Jack along as he got older. He couldn’t turn her down. He loved her.
They ate, Shaine sharing stories about Jack, bringing Austin up-to-date on the Pruitts and their new son. Ignoring the dishes, Austin showed Jack the fish.
Shaine peered into the tank, the bright blue background reflected in her eyes. “Did you get these from Order-a-Tetra dot com?”
She loved his rusty chuckle. He hunkered down beside Jack. “No, I got them in Colorado Springs.”
She raised her winged brows. “You went shopping?”
“I have a friend who does woodcraft, and I wanted to pick out a couple of things.”
“A couple of things being two rocking horses?”
“You talked to Sam.”
“Yeah. She was so excited about getting into the university. Did she tell you someone paid a year’s tuition for her?”
“Really? Look at that big orange one, Jack.”
