Page 25 of Legacy of Smoke
A sound escaped him. I peered over my shoulder. Sure as shit, he’d snuck up on me while my back was turned. “I hate your brother.”
A laugh barked out of him. “Join the club.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For?”
Now it was my turn. “For not believing you.”
“Well, it looked awful. I think that was the point.”
“I’m sorry for yelling at you.”
“And?”
And what?
“The boots?”
Right. “I’m sorry I threw your boots at you.”
“Luckily you missed.” His grin was hesitant. “I accept the apologies and know why you were mad. You love your sister. It’s not hard to see you went full mama bear on me.”
“Why would he do this to you?”
Austin shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t do it to me on purpose. Maybe he’s just a fucking jerk who doesn’t want anyone coming to his house when he ghosts them?”
He was right. I didn’t even know I was going to sleep with Austin, so there’s no way Andrew could have orchestrated this.
Sprout popped his head in, “Hey, you two good? I’ve got to get to the job site.”
Austin spoke first. “We’re good.”
“I need to get ready.”
Sprout heard me. “You have the day off. And you,” he sighed as he addressed Austin, “I’ll tell the guys you’re seeing your parole officer. Be back in tomorrow. And no fucking. I want a ring on her finger before you guys start breeding like rabbits. No fucking way you’re beating me to a baby, dude.”
“No one said anything about a baby.” Austin yelled at Sprout’s retreat.
Austin was right. Absolutely not, at least not until I had my dream house built. This place was too small for a family of more than two. And a ring? Was he for real? We’d had sexonce. Okay, twice, but that didn’t make a relationship. Besides, it wouldn’t work between us. Eventually, Lily would need me again. And then she’d see Austin and run.
“I can’t.”
“Poppy?”
I searched Austin’s eyes. “I love my sister. She hates you. I can’t … I can’t see you. Not like that.”
His face fell. And then it got darker. “I didn’t sleep with her. She needs help.”
“Which is me.”
Austin’s nostrils flared. “What’s that going to get you? A lifetime of loneliness? Poverty from always bailing her out? How long before she accuses you of something else you didn’t do. You didn’t sleep with her boyfriend. You didn’t, Poppy. You slept with me.”
“She truly thinks Andrew is you.”
He shut his mouth and thought hard. The creases between his eyebrows got deeper the longer he was silent. “You’re right. We can’t do this. I can’t do this. You picked me out of all the men in this town, why? Because I’m a charity case like your father? Because I’m like your sister, needing help? I don’t need help fromyou. I don’twanthelp from you.”
“That’s not how it was.” But it was. I’d built him up in my head and acted on it because he was a poor substitute to replace the love I had for my father, which I couldn’t give.
