“What?” Austin shook his head. “No. I just meant I don’t plan on getting involved with someone right now. My kids need to be my focus.”
Debbie folded her arms. “Are you sure you don’t want to get involved withsomeone like mebecause I might be a bad example to you kids? Or maybe you don’t want to get involved withsomeone like mebecause it might hurt your pride?”
“No.” Austin shuffled his feet. “Okay, yes. Do you have any idea how intimidating it is to be attracted to someone so wealthy when I’m struggling to make ends meet because I’m still trying to pay off my ex-wife’s debts.”
“Stop it,” Debbie said.
“Stop what?”
“Stop saying you’re attracted to me and then turning around and telling me what a turn off my money is.”
“I didn’t say it was a turn off, it’s just—”
Debbie held up a hand. “Look, I don’t want to argue with you anymore. Not about money. Not about the kiss.” She definitely didn’t want to hear that he regretted the kiss.
This was probably the worst possible time to bring up what she had to say, but she took a deep breath and forged on. “There’s something I need to discuss with you concerning Savannah.”
* * *
Austin’s heart stopped.“What about Savannah?”
So help me, if she wants to fire Savvy because the painting—that’s turning out amazing—isn’t up to her standards, I’ll blow a gasket.
Debbie would prove to be just as bad as he had first suspected.
“First, I need to apologize.” Debbie put a hand on his arm, and his traitorous heart started racing.
“For what?” His voice came out tight, his words clipped.
“When I bought the boys the trucks this morning, I bought Savannah an art kit as a gift.”
Relief shot through Austin. “You bought Sav—”
Debbie held up a hand. “I’ll make her work it off, like the boys, if you want me to. I actually have some other projects I’d like her help with when she’s done with the mural.”
More projects?The thought both discouraged and excited him.
He’d hate to see this time with Debbie come to an end when the mural was done, but he wasn’t sure he could continue to have dinner with her every night without wanting to pull her into the pantry and kiss her senseless.
“And I promise, from now on, I will ask your permission before I buy your kids anything else.”
Knowing Debbie, she probably paid hundreds of dollars for the art kit. It still rankled him that she didn’t even think twice about dropping that kind of money on his kids. But now that she understood where he was coming from, he needed to let it go.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
She grinned. “You might want to take one more deep breath, before I mention the next thing I need to discuss with you.”
Austin’s whole body tensed. “What do you mean?”
“I’d like to ask your permission to buy Savannah—or hire her to do additional work, if you’d rather—so she can buy her own—”
“Her own what?” the words came out louder than he intended.
“Calm down, or the kids will come lock us in the pantry again.”
A car horn honked, reminding him his kids were just outside.
Austin took another deep breath. Heaven knows what would happen if he got locked in the pantry with Debbie again.
