“So you see, violent tendencies were already in Henry’s blood. Della and I didn’t know how he would react, so I agreed it would be best to keep the truth from everyone. And I never touched my brother’s wife again.”
Mari felt awkward, but she had to ask, “Not even after he died?”
“Not even then. Della made it clear that it was over between us and I promised her that I would never make another move on her, not unless she asked me to.” He cleared his throat again, uncomfortable. “I’m still waiting for her to ask, even after all these years. I think what always held her back was the thought that Austin might suspect something if we got together after Henry passed. But he knows the truth now.”
She had to smile. “Which means Della is free to be with you without worrying about your dirty little secret coming out?”
He sighed. “You make it sound like a soap opera.”
“You have to admit, this whole situation is exactly like a soap opera.” Her smile faded. “Complete with the plot twist of the hero sneaking away without a word.”
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” Rice shifted in his chair. “Della called me after Austin left her place. He’d mentioned to her that he asked you to go with him and you said no.”
“I said I’d think about it,” she protested. “He didn’t even give me a chance to answer!”
“The boy’s smart. He must have known there was no chance you’d go, otherwise he never would’ve taken off like that.” The older man raised an eyebrow. “Would you have said yes?”
Mari bit her bottom lip. Then she slowly shook her head.
“Well, I came here this morning to try and change your mind.”
“You did? Why?”
“Because my boy needs you. This whole year, he’d been going through this identity crisis alone. Each time he came home, he looked even more lost than before. But this time, he was…different. I think it’s because of you. I think you helped him.”
Bitterness rose in her throat. “Clearly not, seeing as he left me without batting an eye.”
“He didn’t leave you. He left Paradise,” Rice corrected. “He still hasn’t come to terms with any of this, and I understand that he needs more time. But I hate to think of him dealing with it alone again.”
“So you want me to go to Malaysia.”
“Do you love him?”
The question caught her off-guard. “I…I think so,” she said, her voice wobbling slightly. She paused, then lifted her chin. “Scratch that—I know so.”
“Well, he loves you too, or at least that’s what Della insists. And when you love someone, you make sacrifices,” Rice said gruffly. “Della told me about the job offer you got, and I know it’s real selfish of me to ask you to give it up, but I’m doing just that. I’m asking you to help my son through this tough time, so he can eventually find his way back to his family.”
Mari’s chest tightened with emotion, a lump obstructing her throat as she suddenly pictured Austin getting on that plane alone. Feeling lost again.
God, she knew what it was like to feel lost. Out of place. Yet from the moment she’d stepped foot in Paradise, she was overcome by a sense of belonging.
But Austin had misplaced that feeling. He thought he’d lost himself, but maybe he simply needed someone to remind him that he did belong.
And who better to do that than the woman who’d fallen in love with him?
Swallowing hard, Mari met Rice’s eyes and said, “Can you drive me to the airport?”
In the shadows of Nate’s hallway, Austin felt the sting of tears in his eyes. He’d been standing outside the kitchen door listening to Mari and Rice’s conversation, and every word they’d said sliced right into his heart. His chest was tight, hot, as if someone had released a flood of emotions inside him.
It was the same way he’d felt back at the airport. Clutching his boarding pass in his hand and watching the passengers at the gate line up to board the plane, he’d been rooted in place. Unable to move. Unable to breathe.
Last night he’d been so certain of his decision to leave. This morning, too. He’d left messages for his family, he’d gone to see his mother, he’d written Mari that note.
And yet he hadn’t been able to get on the goddamn plane. Something had stopped him. Something had propelled him to make the thirty-minute drive back to Nate’s house.
Now, as he stood there eavesdropping, he knew what that something was.
It was Mari.
Mari was the reason he couldn’t go.
He’d fallen for her, head over fucking heels, and the thought of not seeing her for who knew how long had been like a dull blade straight to the heart. The woman had been there for him since the moment they’d met, and she deserved more than a hastily written note and a man who skipped town whenever life got a little too painful for his liking.
So when she voiced that soft request to Rice—“Can you drive me to the airport?”—Austin swiftly took a step forward and marched into the kitchen.
“She’s not going to need that ride,” he announced, his voice so hoarse his throat actually hurt.