“So, you’re not mad at me?”
“I can’t say I’m thrilled with your choice of man, but I'm not mad at you.” He swigs a mouthful of beer and then asks, “What do you see in him, anyway?”
My brows furrow in thought for a minute as I seek out an answer. A real answer, not some glib remark about Sam's outrageous good looks that I'd give one of my girlfriends. “He’s a good man. He’s got issues,” I say quickly when I see Tim about to comment, “but if my mother left me outside a police station when I was nine and took off with her boyfriend, I’d have issues too.”
Tim sucks in a breath. “Shit, really? His mother abandoned him?”
“Yeah. Dropped him outside a station, told him to go inside and ask for help, then jumped in a cab with her boyfriend and didn't look back. He was too scared to go inside and tried to follow the cab. He spent some time on the streets. One day he chased a stray kitten into an open garage and met a kind man in a wheelchair who took them both in.”
Tim looks stunned. “My searches didn't turn up any of this information.” As a detective with the Las Vegas PD, Tim has access to some really powerful search engines, and he is clearly affronted that they had failed him. Although I'm not sure if this information would have made much of an impression on him if he'd found it out on his own.
“I doubt it would,” I say, trying to sound gentle. “But his experience gave him first-hand insight into the lives of homeless people, and because of it, he genuinely cares about people.”
“Obviously not wealthy people,” Tim shoots back. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t steal from them.”
“He just feels like they should share their wealth a bit,” I say with a smile. “He only targets questionable characters. And it’s not like they can’t afford it.”
“That’s not the point. Being a tight-fisted asshole isn’t against the law. Stealing is. And I don’t see him sharing his wealth – the guy’s worth millions.”
“He’s actually really generous with his money. He supports local charities and soup kitchens. He takes food out to the homeless people in the parks. Beggars walk away with hundred-dollar bills when they ask for change.” I sigh. “But you’re right. Stealing is wrong.”
“Is he serious about retiring from his thieving ways and leaving town?” Tim asks.
“I think so. But he said he’s going to stick around for me. For us. To give us a real shot.” I know he wants to leave, but I’m just not ready to pick up my whole life for a man, even one as wonderful as Sam.
Tim frowns. “I can’t sit on this information forever. At most, I can give him a month.”
My expression falls. A month? That’s not enough time to figure anything out. And once he leaves, I might never see him again.
“I’m sorry, Arielle. I know you want more time with him, but I can’t put it off indefinitely,” he says.
I rub my palms over my eyes. I’m stressed and tired, and I’d really like someone else to make all these problems disappear. But that’s one piece of magic I don’t think even Atticus Colt could pull off. Tim’s question startles me from thoughts of Sam.
“Do you think you’ll go with Samuel if he leaves?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I want to be with him. But the thought of leaving everything I know, everything Austin knows… It’s scary. And the places Sam mentioned – India, Bali, the Philippines – I don’t know anything about them. What if I hate living there? Or worse, what if Sam and I don’t work out?” The words spill out of me in a rush, my fears voiced for the first time. There’s so much that I don’t know, and I’m not sure that the things I do know – that I love Sam and want to spend the rest of my life with him – are enough to justify uprooting Austin. “I’m scared that if I go, and things don’t work out, I’ll end up alone in a place that I don’t like.”
“You won’t,” Tim says. “You can always come back.” There’s sadness in his eyes; if I go, he’ll lose the last connection he has to Steve.
“You think I should go?”
“Hell no,” he says. “I think you should stay here, where your family and friends are. Where Austin is settled and doing well.” He takes a deep breath. “But I want you to be happy. I know that’s what Steve would want, too. So, if Samuel Foster makes you happy, you should go. And if you decide you don’t like living wherever you end up, you can always come home. I’ll even come and fetch you.”
I smile at the thought of Tim riding to my rescue. It’s immensely comforting to have an escape plan, just in case. And there’s still a bit of time. Tim’s giving us a month to figure out our future. I don’t have to make a firm decision right now. I let out a sigh of relief and feel myself relax slightly. “Thanks, Tim. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He smiles and raises his beer bottle in acknowledgment.
My newfound relaxation lasts no more than ten minutes. Suddenly there’s a crash from the TV room and Austin screams in panic. Tim and I both jump out of our seats and rush to check on him. He’s knocked a lamp over and the momentum of its fall rocks it from side to side on the floor. I follow Austin’s gaze and spot the reason for his terror. Two large men are peering into the window. I jump back in fright.
“What the hell is going on?” Tim gasps.
“I… I don’t know,” I stammer, my eyes wide with shock.
“Get Austin and come away from the window.”
I can see that Austin is gearing up for a panic attack, so I move as quickly as I can. “Hey buddy,” I say in a calm, soothing voice. “Let’s go wait in your room while Uncle Tim talks to these men.” I take his hand gently, and I’m relieved when he doesn’t fight me.
“Bathroom would be better,” Tim says quietly.
“He’ll go ballistic in there,” I say, just as quietly, not wanting to spook Austin.
