Page 71 of Austin
“No, but I will.” Least he could do for the guy who was lending him his truck.
Austin made the sandwich, then joined his brother on the porch, where he set down the plate and picked up the full long neck waiting for him.
Ty propped his feet on the railing and started to eat. “Staying long?”
“I plan to spend some time with Kristen Alexander.”
“Ah.” Ty chewed in a thoughtful way. “So are you guys getting serious?”
A change of subject was in order, and Austin seized upon the topic most likely to distract his older brother. “When do I get to find out that I’m going to be an uncle?”
“At the twelve-week mark.”
“Which is…?”
“Four more weeks.”
“I’ll be the first to know…right?”
“Youarethe first to know, however…” he leveled a deadly look at him “…Les will be the ‘official’ first to know, and he’d better never find out otherwise.”
“My lips are sealed. Are you scared?”
“It doesn’t seem real yet, but yeah…I’d say I’m kind of intimidated. There’s a lot of room to screw up when you’re responsible for another life.”
Austin smiled to himself. “Are you going to be a stage-dad?” Like their dad.
“Oh, fuck yes. You know I am.” Ty tipped up his beer and took an overly long drink.
“Sorry.”
Ty snorted. “No, you’re not.”
He might not be sorry, but he had been successful in sidetracking his brother. Or so he thought until the rooster tail of dust from Shelby’s truck showed in the distance as it approached the ranch. “Where’s this thing going between you and Kristen?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I’m just kind of curious.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” Which was one-hundred-percent true. “I don’t have an answer.”
Ty gave a nod, then got up from the chair on the porch and stretched, his eyes on the dusty road as he waited for his wife and grandfather-in-law.
“I know we’re kind of an unlikely pair.”
“Kind of?” Ty gave his brother a slow look.
Austin sucked in a breath. “There’s more to her than meets the eye. A lot more.”
“All the same.” Ty wrinkled his forehead at him.
Austin’s stomach was starting to knot, and there was no reason for it. He’d never sought out his brother’s advice when it came to women, and he wasn’t about to start now.
Shelby drove into the yard and parked near the cedar fence that bordered the front yard and got out of the truck. Les got out of his side, looking none too happy about having to visit the sawbones again, but when he saw Austin he smiled.
“Got a chore list ready for you. How long are you staying?”
“A few days.”
“Excellent.” Les took a chair beside Austin as Shelby kissed Ty hello. She told Les she’d bring him ice tea and then she and Ty disappeared into the house. Once inside, Austin could hear them talking, their voices low, the tone intimate.
Shelby and Ty had a lot in common—background, interests, goals. He and Kristen did well together, but what did they have in common? Not too much when one considered lifestyles.
Maybe it isn’t about having things in common.
But deep down, he was fairly certain it was.
