Since You've Been Gone Read online

  “Um. Okay. Didn’t realize this was a Kodak moment.”

  “It’s just in case you murder me,” she said frankly, before sweeping her fingers over the touch screen of her phone. “I’m emailing your name and photo to my folks. So if I turn up dead, they’ll know who did it.”

  Rather than look insulted, Austin threw his head back and laughed. The deep rumble of a sound was so sexy her pulse sped up again.

  “Want to take a picture of my license too?” he offered. “That way they can also have my address and measurements?”

  She was about to roll her eyes in response, but her jaw fell open as she watched Austin reach into his back pocket for a brown leather wallet. To her shock, he handed her his driver’s license and urged her to photograph it. Which she did, because hey, stranger danger was real, even if that stranger happened to be a sex god.

  She emailed her dad again, then put away the phone and glanced up to find Austin nodding his approval. For some silly reason, it pleased her that he hadn’t balked at the precautions she’d taken.

  “You’ve gotta be careful these days,” he told her.

  “You could photograph my license too,” she said helpfully. “For all you know, I’m the serial killer.”

  The dimple in his chin appeared. “I think I’m safe. Besides, I can totally take you.”

  Oh yes, you can…

  She silenced the naughty voice in her head and headed for the SUV’s passenger side, but Austin beat her to it. To her sheer amusement, he opened the door for her.

  “What?” he said when he caught sight of her expression.

  “You know, I think that’s the first time anyone has opened a car door for me.” She shook her head in bewilderment. “I always thought chivalry was dead.”

  “Nope, it’s alive and kicking.” His smile was self-deprecating. “Maybe I was a knight in a past life.”

  Laughing, Mari slid into the car. A few seconds later, Austin was in the driver’s seat and starting the engine.

  She shot him a sidelong look, admiring his chiseled profile. She couldn’t quit staring at his stubble. She wanted to drag her fingers over those razor-sharp whiskers, explore the texture, trace the strong line of his jaw. Her art tended to stray toward abstract and conceptual, but for the first time in her life, she found herself wanting to paint a portrait.

  Or a nude…

  Again, she silenced the dirty voice.

  “So you said you’re from Colorado? Whereabouts?” she asked, figuring that if she kept the conversation going her thoughts wouldn’t keep drifting into dirty territory.

  “Paradise,” he answered as he steered the SUV off the gravel shoulder. “It’s a small mountain town about forty minutes north of Denver.”

  “And what do you do in Paradise?”

  “In Paradise? Not much. I’m a photojournalist, so I spend most of my time traveling.”

  Mari’s eyes brightened. “That’s amazing. Are your photos featured in magazines? Newspapers?”

  “Both, but mostly magazines. The last spread I did was for Harper’s. Before that, it was National Geographic. Really depends on what the assignment is.”

  “Are you on assignment now?”

  He nodded, but she noticed he didn’t look enthused. “I’m photographing small towns. Main Streets, in particular.”

  “That’s cool. Sort of like The Bridges of Madison County?”

  Austin glanced over. “Is that a movie?”

  “Um, yes!” Mari gaped at him. “Only one of the best movies ever.”

  His face remained blank.

  “Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood?” she prompted. When he shrugged noncommittally, she gave an exaggerated sigh. “Clint plays a photographer for National Geographic. That makes him your kinsman! How could you not know that movie?”

  “I don’t watch many movies,” he confessed.

  “Not even those shoot-’em-up action movies?”

  “Not even those.” He grinned. “My sister-in-law Maddie is a huge action nut, though. She owns every action movie ever made. Last time I was home, she made me sit through a Jason Statham marathon.”

  “That sounds like a blast. Jason Statham is hot.”

  Austin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking the whole time, how hot Statham is.”

  “So you have a sister-in-law—your brother’s wife?”

  “Yup.”

  “Older brother or younger?”

  “Older.” His tone grew vague.

  “I always wanted a sibling,” Mari said glumly, “but my parents didn’t want to have any more kids. Do you have just the one brother?”

  “Three, actually.”

  Three more hotties who looked like Austin? Yummy, she almost blurted out.

  “And before you ask, Owen and Jake are four years older. Nate is eight years older—he turned thirty-three last month. Another birthday I got shit about for missing.”

  His bitter tone gave her pause, but before she could press for details, he abruptly changed the subject. “So what do you do for a living? And how’d you lose your job, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I don’t mind.” She sighed. “I was a teacher at a public school in Chicago, but there were a bunch of cutbacks and layoffs, and the art department let go of half its staff. I was the last one hired, therefore the first one fired.”

  Austin turned with a quick look of sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that. You were an art teacher then?”

  She nodded. “Grades five to nine. I work on my own practice in my spare time. I mostly sell my stuff online, but I had a lot of paintings on consignment at a few galleries in Chicago.”

  “That’s awesome.” The praise sounded genuine, a contrast to the response she usually got from her parents when it came to her career choices.

  “Everyone I knew in college decided to take a more ‘practical’ path,” Austin went on. “According to them, art and photography and other creative fields are dead ends. That’s why I love meeting fellow creative types. You know, the ones who’ve decided that practical sucks.”

  She grinned. “Well, since you appreciate my field so much, I’m sure you’ll be A-okay with me sketching you.”

  Without letting him respond, she whipped her sketchbook out of her backpack, then fished a drawing pencil from the front pocket.

  Next to her, Austin chuckled. “Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.” She shot him a grave look. “I’m sorry to inform you, but I’ve become obsessed with your jawline. I must draw it.”

  Chuckling again, he dragged a hand over his tantalizing stubble, then gave a little shrug. “Knock yourself out.”

  Almost immediately, Mari’s pencil started moving across the blank page, while her eyes stayed glued to Austin’s sexy-as-sin face.

  “Wait, are you going to be staring at me like that the entire time?” He sounded dismayed.

  “Uh-huh. But don’t worry, just pretend you’re Kate Winslet.” She paused. “Oh wait, that reference is probably lost on you since you don’t watch movies.”

  Austin wagged a finger at her. “Hey, I know that one. And as I recall, Kate Winslet is lying there naked while DiCaprio draws her.”

  Mari pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “Not totally naked,” she protested. “She’s wearing the Heart of the Ocean.”

  “Just keep it PG,” he warned, but she could tell from his expression that he was just joking around.

  “How about PG-13?” she countered.

  “Deal.”

  Smiling to herself, Mari settled back in her seat, got comfy and started to sketch.

  Austin couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so at ease with a woman. He and Mari had been driving for forty minutes, but the time had passed so fast it felt more like forty seconds. He was seriously enjoying the redhead’s company, and knowing that the bus terminal was only twenty minutes away sent an odd feeling of reluctance through him.

  He wasn’t sure he wanted to say goodbye to he
r yet. Not only was she smart, funny and utterly entertaining, but her presence was a much-needed distraction. For the first time in forever, he wasn’t thinking about his family troubles. He felt centered and relaxed, and the quirky woman beside him was definitely responsible for that blessed state of being.

  Which was why he found himself slowing down when a bright-blue sign came into view.

  Welcome to Haven!

  Haven, Iowa. That was one of the towns on his list, wasn’t it?

  “Can you do me a favor?” he said to Mari, who’d fallen silent and was diligently scribbling in her sketchbook.

  She lifted her head. “What’s up?”

  “Grab that messenger bag from the backseat? There’s some papers in the front pocket, a long list of locations. Can you check if Haven, Iowa is on the list?”

  Nodding, Mari closed the sketchpad and twisted around in her seat. A minute later, she confirmed what his photographic memory had told him. Haven was on the list.

  “Do you mind if we stop?” he asked. “I’m not obligated to do every town on the list—it’s more of a guideline—but I remember liking the look of this one when I researched them all online.”

  Okay, that was a lie. He didn’t remember Haven one bit, but he’d photographed enough Main Streets these last few days that he was fairly confident he could conjure up an accurate description if Mari pressed for details.

  Luckily, she didn’t. Instead, she smiled broadly. “Sure, it sounds like fun.”

  He tried to hide his surprise, but clearly some of it showed on his face, because she furrowed her delicate reddish eyebrows. “What, you don’t believe me?”

  “No, I believe you,” he answered. “I’m just not used to women looking so enthusiastic about taking a spontaneous detour so I can snap some pictures. The ones I dated in the past griped and complained about how impulsive I am.”

  “Like I said, I’m in no hurry,” Mari replied with a shrug. “Besides, I’m all about spontaneity.”

  Less than ten minutes later, they drove along the picturesque Main Street of Haven, Iowa, quickly finding parking in front of a small café with an outdoor patio. Not surprisingly, Haven’s Main Street was similar to the half-dozen streets he’d already visited, boasting the same cobblestone sidewalks, old-fashioned lampposts, and wrought-iron everything. But this one had a lot more charm than he’d expected. The storefronts lining the street were colorful, and the random residents ambling down the sidewalk didn’t hesitate to smile and say hello to the newcomers. Austin knew small-towners tended to be friendlier than city folk, but he hadn’t been greeted by this many people in the previous towns he’d gone to.

  It took a few minutes to realize that most of the smiling, hello-chirping people were greeting Mari, who beamed and waved at everyone who walked by.

  “Oh my God, this is the cutest town,” she gushed. “I wish I’d grown up in a place like this.”

  As she stopped to admire the gleaming window of an antique shop at the corner of the row, Austin scanned the street, his photographer’s eye taking in his surroundings. His camera bag was slung over his shoulder, but he wasn’t ready to start shooting yet.

  “Aren’t you going to take pictures?” Mari asked, noticing that his bag was still closed.

  “Not yet. I’m absorbing first.”

  Rather than question him, she simply nodded, as if she understood exactly where he was coming from.

  “I’m serious, this place is incredible,” she said, smiling at two little girls who rushed by holding ice-cream cones. “It’s so…gosh, the only word I can think of is innocent. Do you know what I mean?”

  Austin nodded in agreement, then turned to study the beautiful limestone fountain in the middle of the square. The little girls with the ice cream had flopped down on one of the old-fashioned benches near the fountain, bringing to life that vision of innocence Mari had mused about.

  “That would make a great shot,” Mari said, reading his thoughts as she gestured to the girls in the square.

  “Yeah, but I’d have to get their parents to sign a release if I wanted to use the shots, and that’s too much of a hassle for a quick detour. I can still shoot the fountain, though.”

  They crossed the little walkway that led to the town square and stopped at an unoccupied bench, Austin unsnapping the padded bag that held his digital SLR. After he’d adjusted the settings and investigated the lighting situation, he got to work, snapping frame after frame, while Mari wandered around the perfectly manicured lawn.

  It didn’t take long for him to get the shots he needed, and soon he was swinging his camera in Mari’s direction, the shutter clicking as he admired his new subject. Her strawberry-blond hair gleamed in the sunlight like coppery gold that had been polished until it shone, and her petite body looked amazing in those little shorts and tight top. And man, her face was so expressive it amazed him. Those light-blue eyes advertised her every emotion, whether it was delight, joy or the annoyance she now flashed the camera.

  “Hey, the spread isn’t called Mari of the Midwest,” she called out. “Get back to work, buddy.”

  “I’m all done,” he replied as he headed toward the big elm tree she was leaning against. “Besides, you make a better subject than some boring old street.”

  She glared at him. “This place is not boring. It’s beautiful and I never want to leave.”

  Austin laughed. “Yeah, I don’t want to leave, either.”

  “Good, so let’s stay a little while longer. Buy me an ice-cream cone?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  They left the square and walked back to the row of shops, taking their time as they made their way to the ice-cream parlor.

  “I’m serious, I want to move here,” Mari announced. “This town is perfect.”

  “It actually reminds me a lot of Paradise,” he admitted. “It’s got the same vibe.”

  “Really? And yet you’re delaying going home? What’s wrong with you?”

  As discomfort climbed up his spine, he swiftly turned the tables on her. “What about you? Des Moines can’t be as bad as you make it out to be. I’ve been there before, and it’s not a total hellhole.”

  “No, but I still hated every minute of living there.”

  Mari moved aside to let a trio of teenage boys on mountain bikes cycle by, and Austin noticed that all three males twisted their heads to check out the curvy redhead. The ogling even caused one of the cyclists to swerve and nearly hit a trashcan, which made Austin snicker.

  “You’re drawing a lot of attention,” he informed her.

  “It’s the short-shorts. I think I’m the only female in this town who’s willing to show her thighs.”

  She was right—as Austin glanced around, he noticed that every woman in their vicinity was covered at least to the knees, if not all the way to the ankles. Mari’s little denim shorts were by far the most revealing item of clothing he could see.

  Mari let out a sigh. “I guess I’m not wholesome enough for this place.”

  They reached the ice-cream parlor and ducked inside, emerging a few minutes later with their prizes. Mari had ordered a large waffle cone with two scoops of rocky road, and as she tackled her treat, Austin all but forgot about his own chocolate cone.

  She looked so sexy, her tongue darting in and out to lap at the ice cream until his cock was rock-hard beneath his jeans. Shit. He hoped nobody noticed the hard-on, but he couldn’t seem to control the rising arousal.

  Trying not to focus on the pressure down below, he led her away from the ice-cream shop. “Let’s walk for a bit.”

  As they set off down the sidewalk again, he impulsively took her hand, which caused her eyebrows to soar.

  “Are you holding my hand?” she demanded.

  Heat flooded his cheeks. Oh for fuck’s sake, he was blushing. He never blushed. Not only that, but he was usually damn smooth when it came to women, and yet when he opened his mouth, he stammered a bit in response. “Uh, yeah, I guess I am. It just, uh, felt right. Probabl
y because this place looks like the set of a romantic comedy.”

  Rather than yank her hand away, Mari just laced their fingers together and brought the ice-cream cone back to her lips. “You’re right, I feel like I’m in a romcom. Of course, if I was, I’d totally be working there—” She gestured across the street.

  Austin followed her gaze to the bright pink sign of a flower shop called Lucille’s Petals.

  “I’d be Lucille,” Mari went on, “and you’d probably be the big-city lawyer whose BMW crashes in Haven and he has to stay in town until his car is fixed.” Then she paused, her blue eyes still fixed on the sign. “Okay, I’m just going to say it. Doesn’t ‘Lucille’s Petals’ sound like the dirtiest thing ever?”

  Austin choked out a laugh. “Yup. I was just thinking the same thing.”

  They took off walking again, their strides slow and relaxed, the conversation moving easily and without a single beat of awkwardness. Mari told him a few teaching stories about her favorite students in Chicago, he spoke about some of his past photography jobs, and by the time they returned to the SUV, he was even more reluctant to part ways with his pretty companion.

  But what was he going to do? Hold her hostage and force her to hang out with him indefinitely? Right, and then that driver’s license of his that she’d photographed would definitely come in handy when she was filing the restraining order.

  “That was a lot of fun,” Mari said as she slid into the passenger seat. “It’s been so long since I’ve spent an afternoon just wandering around and doing nothing.”

  Austin started the engine, then checked the side mirror to make sure it was safe to pull out of the spot. “I know what you mean.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, right. You don’t have a nine-to-five job. You can wander around all the time.”

  “True.” He couldn’t deny that he was pretty lucky. Not a lot of folks got to set their own hours, let alone live out their dreams.

  As he drove back in the direction of the interstate, he expected the conversation to remain fun and easy, but his passenger threw him for a loop.

  “So seriously, Austin, why are you dilly-dallying about going home? Does your family hate you or something?”