Since You've Been Gone Page 8

  Like Charlotte, Della was petite but carried herself in a way that made her seem taller. She vaguely resembled her son in terms of features, but while Austin’s hair was dark, Della’s was dark blond and threaded with silver, and her eyes were brown rather than green.

  The joy in those eyes dimmed slightly once Della reached them. “Nate said you wouldn’t be able to make it,” she told her youngest son, sounding nervous.

  “I wrapped up the job early.” He hesitated, then spoke in a gruff tone. “Happy birthday.”

  Della smiled. “Thank you, sweetie.”

  After a beat, Austin stepped forward and gave his mother a hug.

  From where she stood, Mari could see the shock that flooded Della’s face, followed by pure delight as she sank into her son’s embrace. But Austin didn’t maintain the hug for long—a brief moment later, he released Della, took a backward step and shifted in discomfort.

  “Ah, shit—I mean, shoot,” he corrected guiltily. “I forgot your gift in the car.”

  “That’s all right,” his mother said hastily. “You can get it later.”

  “No, I should get it now.”

  He backed toward the door as if dying to escape, but Mari cleared her throat before he could leave.

  As if he suddenly remembered her presence, Austin glanced over sheepishly. “Oh. Right. Mom, this is Mari Smith. She’s an artist from Chicago, and a good friend of mine. Mari, this is my mother, Della.” He blurted out the introduction, then said, “I’ll be back in a sec.”

  And then he hurried out the door like his ass was on fire.

  The second they were alone, Austin’s mother turned to Mari and began appraising her like she was an item up for auction.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bishop,” Mari said awkwardly. “And happy birthday.”

  “Thank you, Mari, and please, call me Della.” The visual examination continued. “How long have you known my son?”

  She was tempted to lie and say “oh, ages and ages!” but something about Della Bishop stopped her from lying. There was wisdom in those brown eyes, and Mari got the strangest sense that the woman could read her mind.

  “A couple of weeks,” she confessed. “We met when my car broke down on the side of the road. Austin stopped to help me out, and we ended up hitting it off.”

  Della pursed her lips, but whatever her opinion on the matter, she didn’t get a chance to voice it because Austin had returned.

  He clumsily held out a rectangular-shaped package wrapped in brown Kraft paper and secured with twine. “This is for you,” he told his mom.

  Mari eyed the gift in surprise, wondering when the heck he’d had time to buy it. He’d barely left her sight these past two weeks, which meant he must have had the present in his bag the entire time. Which meant he’d given prior thought to it. Which meant he still cared about his mother, no matter how upset he was with her.

  Emotion squeezed Mari’s heart, but it was nothing compared to the look on Della’s face. She was clearly touched by the gesture, and Mari noticed her fingers were shaking as she delicately undid the twine and opened the wrapping.

  When Austin’s mother saw the framed photograph inside, tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Austin.”

  Mari snuck a peek at the picture and experienced another rush of warmth. The photo showed Austin, Nate and a pair of identical dark-haired twins, all wearing black tuxes and smiling at the camera.

  Austin shifted his feet. “This was taken at Owen’s wedding, remember? You said you liked the shot because it’s so rare to get all four of us to smile, so I had it framed.”

  There was a second of silence, and then Della threw her arms around her son in a warm embrace that lacked the awkwardness of the first.

  But when then they pulled back, weariness lined Austin’s chiseled features. “Mom… We need to talk.” He paused ruefully. “It’s time we tried to actually make some headway here.”

  Della nodded, her chin trembling as if she were close to tears again. She gently set the frame down on the little table in the hall.

  “But not tonight,” he said roughly. “Tonight we’re celebrating.”

  She gave another shaky nod.

  “I’ll come by tomorrow morning.”

  A final nod, this one accompanied by two soft words. “Thank you.” Then Della tucked a strand of silvery-blond hair behind her ear and gave them both an awkward smile. “Are you hungry?” she asked. “There’s a ton of food out back. Why don’t we head out there.”

  As Mari and Austin trailed after her, Della continued to chatter on, her nervousness so evident that Mari’s own nerves eased. Her heart went out to Austin’s mother—she could tell how badly the woman wanted to reconnect with her son. But Austin had extended an olive branch tonight with that photograph, which was a start.

  “Everyone is already here,” Della was saying. “I wanted a small gathering, just family and close friends. You know how I feel about being the center of attention.”

  “You have a lovely home,” Mari said as they entered a country-style kitchen with yellow walls, cedar counters and pretty white cabinets.

  “Thank you,” Della said, sounding genuinely pleased. “Austin’s brother Owen designed it.”

  They strode through the glass sliding door across the room and emerged onto a large deck that overlooked the yard. Near the bottom of the deck steps was a refreshment table laden with various salads, side dishes and beverages. The scent of barbecued meat wafted in the air, directing Mari’s attention to a gray-haired man flipping burgers on the grill.

  “That’s Pastor Tom,” Della said when she followed Mari’s gaze. “He’s a lovely man. His wife passed away last year. It was very sad.”

  As the three of them descended the steps, Mari glanced around and was happy to find that everyone was dressed casually. She was wearing the only “fancy” outfit she’d packed in her duffel, a filmy yellow dress, and she’d been hoping she wouldn’t be too underdressed.

  The backyard was as pretty as the house itself, with perfectly manicured grass and flowerbeds overflowing with colorful bulbs. Chinese lanterns lined a little stone path that led to a small gazebo with a steepled roof at the very edge of the yard. Mari glimpsed a few shady figures inside the rustic structure, but couldn’t make out any details. She shifted her gaze and continued to admire her surroundings, which were quaint and homey and full of warmth that her own home had lacked thanks to her strict, rule-obsessed parents.

  As Della excused herself and went to help Pastor Tom with the barbeque, Mari took Austin’s hand and brought her lips close to his ear. “That was really sweet of you, giving her that photograph.”

  He seemed slightly embarrassed by the praise but didn’t get a chance to respond because someone had called out his name.

  “Austin!” Two seconds later, a pretty brunette in green Capris and a white tank top rushed up and hugged him tight.

  “Hey Maddie,” Austin greeted the woman. “It’s good to see yo—”

  He’d barely finished his sentence when another female hurried over, this one with jet-black hair and vivid blue eyes. Austin endured another long, chest-squeezing hug, then smiled wryly and introduced Mari to his sister-in-law, Maddie and his brother’s girlfriend, Bree.

  Mari had just finished saying hello when two more people wandered over—a stunning blonde in a white sundress, and a black-haired man who screamed bad boy.

  “Mari, this is Lexie and her boyfriend, Cooper,” Austin explained.

  “Fiancé,” the bad boy replied smugly. He leaned in to nuzzle the blonde’s graceful neck. “I finally convinced her to say yes.”

  Mari tried to hide her surprise, but inside she was wondering how the heck Lexie, who looked so prim and proper, had wound up with Cooper, who, with his messy hair, black muscle tee and faded jeans, seemed incredibly rough around the edges. She made a mental note to ask Charlotte about the odd coupling later.

  At the thought of Charlotte, Mari searched the yard for the singer and spotted
her engaged in conversation with a couple that looked like they’d dressed for a cocktail party. The white-haired man was in a gray wool suit with an honest-to-God handkerchief artfully sticking out of the breast pocket, while the woman by his side wore a halter-style blue dress that fell to her ankles and a diamond pendant that sparkled in the growing darkness. The woman’s black hair and blue eyes, combined with the man’s resemblance to Bree, told Mari that they must be related somehow. Bree’s parents maybe?

  “Owen’s pissed at you.”

  Maddie’s frank declaration recaptured Mari’s attention, and she didn’t miss the groove of irritation that dug into Austin’s forehead.

  “What else is new?” he said lightly, before shifting his head to examine the yard. “Where is he, anyway?”

  Maddie hooked a thumb at the gazebo. “The three of them have been huddled in there for the past twenty minutes.”

  Mari saw Austin’s shoulders tense. She didn’t need to be psychic to know that Nate must have divulged Austin’s confession to their twin brothers.

  “You wanna tell us what their hush-hush powwow is all about?” Maddie asked pointedly.

  Austin shot her a crooked grin. “Nope.”

  Bree rolled her eyes. “Shocking.”

  His gaze moved to the gazebo again, a frown marring his lips. “I should go over there,” he told Mari. “Will you be okay without me? I’m sure these ladies can entertain you with lots of colorful stories about me.”

  “We sure can,” Bree said wryly.

  “Yeah, get lost already, Austin,” Maddie cracked. “We want to gossip with your new girlfriend.”

  “I’ll be back soon,” Austin murmured as he leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek.

  “Take your time,” she murmured back.

  The moment Austin stepped into the gazebo, three heads snapped up to reveal three grave faces.

  “Is it true?” Jake asked without preamble. Just like Nate, Jake wasn’t one for pleasantries either.

  Jake’s twin, however, was not as curt. “I’m glad you’re home,” Owen said quietly. With a tentative smile, he came forward and gave Austin a quick hug.

  Jake, of course, stayed put. Mr. Military Man didn’t do hugs. Though Austin noticed that his brother did look more approachable than usual, thanks to his gray trousers, white button-down and clean-shaven face.

  A face that sported a scowl as Jake repeated the question. “Is it true?”

  “Yes,” Austin said simply.

  Jake ran a hand over his buzz cut. “When did you find out?”

  “Last year. Ironically, a few days before mom’s last birthday.”

  Sighing, Owen moved toward one of the support posts in the gazebo and leaned against it. “So Rice is your old man, huh?”

  Austin stared at him in shock.

  “It wasn’t hard to guess,” Nate spoke up, his voice wry. “All we had to do was ask ourselves, who’s the only other man aside from Dad that Mom spent more than five minutes with?”

  “How do you know she didn’t have a one-night stand?” he challenged.

  “Because that’s not her style,” Jake said gruffly. “Mom would never hook up with a random dude. She’d probably consider it immoral.”

  Austin shook his head in disbelief. “But having an affair with her husband’s brother is better?”

  The three of them exchanged a look, and then Owen let out another sigh, this one tinged with defeat. “Do you really blame her?”

  “Dad treated her like shit,” Jake said angrily. “If she found comfort somewhere else, I’m not sure I can hold that against her.”

  “God knows Dad found a shit-ton of comfort outside his marriage,” Nate added bitterly.

  “So that made it okay for her to cheat?” Austin demanded.

  Jake rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, little brother, you know you’re not pissed about the cheating thing. You’re mad that she lied to you.”

  “Let me guess,” he said sarcastically, “you guys are okay with that too.”

  “Not at all,” Owen replied calmly. “She shouldn’t have lied to you—to us—all these years. But…I understand why she did.”

  “Christ, can you imagine what would’ve happened if Dad found out his wife slept with Uncle Rice?” Jake whistled under his breath. “He would’ve freaked the fuck out.”

  Austin didn’t doubt it. Ironically, although Henry had cheated on Della constantly, he’d been oddly possessive of his wife, not to mention jealous as hell.

  “I don’t blame her for keeping the affair from Henry,” Austin said darkly. “I blame her for keeping it from me. She should have told me the truth.”

  Owen spoke up in a careful tone. “What difference would it have made? You would’ve needed to keep Dad in the dark, which means pretending he was still your father.”

  “Fine, then she should’ve just told Dad and let the chips fall where they may.” His jaw stiffened. “Or in the very least, she could’ve told me ten fucking years ago after he died. I was fifteen then, more than old enough to know the truth.”

  “She made a mistake,” Nate agreed. “And we get why you’re pissed, okay?”

  “And why you’ve been acting like a surly bastard lately,” Jake added.

  “You should have told us sooner,” Owen chimed in, frowning.

  He dragged a frustrated hand through his hair. “I needed time to process it.”

  “Well, you’ve had plenty of fucking time, Austin.” Nate donned a stern look. “The question is, what are you going to do now?”

  “How is that a question?” Jake argued. “Mom fucked up, but now he’s going to forgive her.”

  Austin arched a brow. “Oh, am I?”

  “Damn right you are,” Jake snapped. “She’s your mother. She loves you—hell, she probably loves you more than all of us combined. You’ve always been her favorite and you know it.”

  Yeah, because she probably felt guilty.

  He bit his tongue before the words could slip out. Ever since he’d learned the truth, he couldn’t help wondering why Della had always treated him like the favorite. Before, he’d figured it was because he was the youngest, the baby of the family, but now, the cynic in him suspected she’d lavished so much attention on him because she felt bad about lying to him.

  “Don’t push me on this,” he finally said, taking a moment to look each one of his brothers square in the eye. “I’ll work things out with her in my own time.”

  Nate didn’t look happy.

  Jake mumbled something less than complimentary under his breath.

  But Owen, as usual, tried to see the bright side. “Hey,” he told Nate and his twin, “he didn’t say he’s cutting her out of his life. They will work things out.” Owen shot Austin a stern glare. “Right?”

  “Right,” he answered vaguely.

  A short silence fell, the sounds of the party drifting into the gazebo and reminding Austin of the fact that they couldn’t hide out here all night.

  “We should go mingle,” he said, turning toward the steps.

  Nate cleared his throat. “This doesn’t change anything, by the way.”

  Austin bit the inside of his cheek and slowly turned back around. “No?”

  “Fuck no,” Nate declared. “You’re still our annoying little brother. You know, the pest who used to spy on me when I had girls over?”

  “And the asshole who put poison oak inside my pillowcase that one time?” Owen piped up.

  “I don’t give a shit whose sperm gave you life,” Jake said with a shrug. “You’re one of us, and we love you.”

  Austin’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Had Jake really just given a declaration of love? Wow. Clearly being with Bree had softened the guy.

  “So stop being a sulky motherfucker and be part of this family again,” Jake finished, proving that he was still as crass as ever.

  Austin took a breath. “I’ll try.”

  Chapter Eight

  It was official—Mari adored Austin’s family. She cou
ldn’t explain it, but as she wandered around the party and mingled, she felt like she’d known everyone her entire life. Maddie’s sarcasm made her laugh constantly, and listening to the brunette bicker with Austin’s brother Owen was insanely entertaining. Bree was super nice in a quiet, laidback way, which seemed to compliment Jake’s prickly nature. Charlotte, of course, was so easy to be with, but Mari spent quite a bit of time getting to know Nate too, who was gruff and intelligent and funnier than she’d expected.

  She also spent a good portion of the evening with Austin’s mother, and it didn’t take long for Mari to decide that Della Bishop was the sweetest woman in the world. Her love for her sons was undeniable, and she went out of her way to make sure every guest at the party had enough to eat and drink. As Della bustled around from person to person, Mari felt a flicker of admiration toward the woman.

  The best part of the night was that she could feel Austin softening toward his family. He was more talkative than she’d ever seen him, and though he tensed up whenever Della joined the conversation, he had actually smiled at his mother several times and even laughed at one of her jokes.

  And yet just when Mari decided that the party was a great success and a big step toward progress, a new arrival joined the fold and screwed it all up.

  She and Austin had been telling Bree and Jake about the towns they’d visited during the road trip, but when a tall dark-haired man appeared on the deck, Austin halted midsentence.

  Mari took one look at the newcomer and knew he was Austin’s uncle. Well, father. Rice Bishop shared Austin’s classically handsome features, but more importantly, he had the same striking moss-green eyes.

  Rice hadn’t seemed to notice Austin yet. He’d made a beeline for Della, who stood near the deck railing with Nate and Charlotte.

  “I’m so sorry I’m late,” they heard him say. “I got a flat tire on the way here, stopped to fix it, and turns out my spare was flat too! I had to wait two hours for Joe to drag his ass out of bed to tow my truck to his shop.”

  Mari didn’t catch what Della said in response—she was too busy watching Austin’s reaction to his father’s arrival. He had a stricken look on his face, and was already edging away from Bree and Jake as if planning his escape.