He hadn’t intended to tell her the whole sordid story, but now he was glad he had. She hadn’t been put off by his bitterness or anger, nor had she treated him like a sulking baby who needed a good spanking for being so mean to his mother. Instead, she’d seemed to completely understand his reluctance to see his family, and her sympathy and compassion had aided in easing the pressure in his chest.
“I’m serious, Austin, you should talk to your mom again,” Mari said as he pulled up at the concrete roundabout that led to the entrance of the bus station. “If you two were as close as you say, it would be a shame to throw that away.”
Austin took another breath, wishing it could be that easy. Just talk to his mom again. Just forgive her.
Damn it. When had his life become so fucked up? Sometimes he wished he’d never gone through those fucking photographs. That old saying about ignorance being bliss was right on the money.
Reluctantly, he put the SUV in park and turned to Mari. “I’m planning on talking to her when I get to Paradise. That’s why I’m going home, so we can finally try to resolve everything.”
“Good.” Mari looked pleased, but then a shadow crossed her face as she glanced at the terminal. “Well. I guess this is goodbye.”
Austin knew he should offer to get her bags from the back, or hop out to open her car door for her, but all he could do was sit there in the driver’s seat as a crazy idea took form in his brain.
He stared at the woman beside him, for so long that she finally blew out a frustrated breath and said, “Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something stuck in my tee—”
“Come to Paradise with me,” he interrupted.
Mari’s mouth snapped shut midsentence, then fell open as Austin’s words registered. Despite the shock coursing through her, her heart actually skipped a beat at the preposterous request. And there was no mistaking the twinge of excitement that rippled through her.
You just met this guy!
Jeez, what was wrong with her? She had no business getting excited about the idea of going to Colorado with a total stranger.
“You’re kidding, right?” She met his eyes, but there was no trace of humor in those dark-green depths.
If anything, he looked vaguely embarrassed. “I mean it. I want you to come home with me.”
She shook her head in dismay. “Wow. You’re actually serious.”
“Yeah.” He offered the most adorable shrug she’d ever seen. “I mean, I could use the company, and I know you’re in no hurry to go home, so why not come along for the ride? I saw today how much you loved Haven—think of all the other small towns you’d get to visit. You can keep me sane while I take hundreds of photographs of Main Streets.”
Mari shot him a pointed look. “You do realize we’ve only known each other five hours, right?”
“I know.” A strangled laugh came out of his mouth. “This is pretty fucking crazy and I’m totally aware of that, but honestly? I had a great time with you today, and…well, like I said, I wouldn’t mind the company.” He hesitated. “And I could use a friend by my side when I go home to see my mom.”
Her jaw dropped again. “You want me to be there when you talk to your mother?”
“Yes. Well, no. I mean, I don’t expect you to hold my hand during the actual conversation, but I could use the moral support beforehand.” He paused, searched her face, then let out a soft curse, as if suddenly realizing something. “Oh for fuck’s sake, what am I saying? We just met and I’m asking you to take a road trip with me?” He sighed. “Feel free to hit me now.”
Laughter tickled her throat. “I’m not going to hit you. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted.”
The reply seemed to catch him off-guard. Same way it caught her off-guard. Because really, what was she saying now? How was she even considering this?
Austin Bishop was a stranger. Granted, he was a sexy, intelligent stranger whose company she was seriously enjoying, but that didn’t mean she should agree to be his traveling buddy.
So why aren’t you saying no?
“Why aren’t you saying no?”
Mari jerked in surprise when Austin voiced her thoughts. His expression conveyed both surprise and interest.
“I don’t know.” She began to feel frazzled. “We’ve known each other for five hours. Why aren’t I saying no?”
He tipped his head to the side, looking thoughtful. “Maybe you need the company too…” He flashed a crooked grin. “You have to admit, we had a blast today.”
Mari chewed on her bottom lip, trying to will away that spark of excitement, but it just got bigger. The last thing she wanted to do was go home. Her job interviews weren’t until the end of July, so really, she had no reason to hurry back. And what would she do in Des Moines? Sit around in her folks’ backyard and help her mother in the garden? Play golf with her dad?
Spending a couple of weeks with Austin exploring small towns sounded unbelievably fun, and if she were being honest, she wouldn’t mind meeting his family. He’d definitely triggered her curiosity with the whole baby-daddy drama, which kind of made her want to put faces to all the names in the tawdry tale.