She only limped a little as he led her to the family room where he plopped down on the couch. Thankfully, her ankle hadn’t been injured as badly as he’d feared. She sat next to him, much closer than he’d anticipated.
It had taken all of his self control this evening to keep his hands off her. In fact, when he only greeted her with a smile when he first arrived, instead of the kiss he wanted to give her, a flash of disappointment covered her face. She quickly hid it, but he still felt bad. He didn’t dare let himself touch her though.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and showed her the text he received from his ex-wife Sunday evening. “Cheyenne texted me last night. She promised not to get the lawyers involved if I agree to let her take the kids to Florida in three weeks.”
“She sounds desperate.”
“I don’t think Tucker is nearly as wealthy as Cheyenne lets on.”
“It doesn’t help that she enjoys spending money.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe she’s acting like she holds all of the cards.”
“She’s always been that way. It’s her way or the highway.”
Debbie squared her shoulders. “Not anymore. Let her call her lawyer. And I’ll call mine.”
“No, wait. I don’t want a custody battle.”
Austin had hardly slept last night because the thought of letting Debbie pay for a lawyer and court fees didn’t sit well with him. But more than that, he didn’t want to subject the children to the whole ordeal. Especially knowing Cheyenne didn’t really want them.
“I appreciate you being willing to pay the legal fees, but think about what a custody battle will do to the kids? Cheyenne threatened to request immediate custody. If she gets a hearing right away and the courts allow her visitation, she’ll likely end up with the kids in three weeks anyway. But then what?”
“What do you mean?”
“The next time Tucker takes a trip to Timbuktu, she’ll cancel on her weekend with the kids, inadvertently telling them they aren’t as important as the lifestyle she’s living.”
Debbie slumped back into the couch. “You’re right, but she shouldn’t be allowed to just use them for her own selfish purposes.”
“I agree. The thought of sticking them on an airplane and sending them thousands of miles away to spend the weekend with her makes me sick. She truly has no idea how to care for children.”
“I’ll say.” Debbie shook her head. “It makes me so angry the way she treats Savvy.”
Austin propped his elbows on his knees and shoved his hands into his hair. He felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard spot. No matter what decision he made, the children would suffer.
Debbie stroked his back in a comforting gesture, creating slow rhythmic circles.
He quickly became aware of the warmth of her hand seeping through his shirt. His nerve endings tingled and sent crazy messages to his brain to take his shirt off and pull her into his arms and pick up where they left off with Saturday’s kiss.
He sprang to his feet and began to pace the room. Now was not the time to give in to his crazy urges. But he couldn’t think straight with Debbie touching him.
“I’ve got it!” Debbie was on her feet now and right in front of him.
“What?” He took a step back. He used to like the fact that she didn’t have a bubble, but not anymore. She was too much of a temptation.
“We’ll fly to Florida with the kids. You can find out the name of the resort where Cheyenne and Tucker plan to take them, and I’ll book a suite for us. The kids can go to whatever activities they need to with their mom, but then they can come back to our rooms and stay with us.”
It was a great idea, but there was no way Austin could afford to stay in some fancy hotel, let alone buy airline tickets for five people. He knew Debbie wasn’t suggesting he pay for it, but letting her pay for him and his family to make such a trip somehow felt wrong.
“Debbie I can’t—“
“Stop it!” She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Set your pride aside for one minute. This isn’t about you and what you can and can’t afford. This is about your children. I know you love them and want to protect them, but you can’t do that if you’re thousands of miles away.” She slid her hands down his arms and clasped his hands. “This way, you can be right there if anything happens.”
She stared up at him with such an earnest expression, it took his breath away. Thanks to the baby blue blouse she wore, her eyes looked like the sky on a summer day. Hopeful and playful.
A mini vacation on the beaches of Florida could be fun. If they gave Cheyenne what she wanted, this fake engagement could be over in a few weeks.
Then what?
A large part of him never wanted it to end, but he couldn’t let go of that part that felt degraded every time he thought about how wealthy Debbie was.
