A smile tipped up one corner of his lips. “Don’t you get it? I’d doanythingfor you. I love you.”
I was starting to think that maybe I loved him too.
Chapter 29
Arizona
SeeingthatIwaswrung out, emotionally drained, Levi agreed it would be best to take a day to recover before coming clean to Austin.
A quick call to Cole and Crew, and they were on our doorstep, ready for “teensitting”—Crew’s word, not mine—duty. Then Levi whisked me off to a luxury hotel for the night, where we shut out the rest of the world. Dressed in fluffy robes the entire time, my husband held me close, murmuring words of love that did wonders to heal the cracks of my fractured soul.
But as it often did, morning came too soon, and it was time to face reality.
With Levi’s hand in mine, we pushed through the front door to the sound of laughter spilling from the kitchen, and guilt slammed into my chest with the force of a sledgehammer.
I’d seen Austin smile more in these past few weeks than in all the rest of my guardianship of him combined. Now, here I was,ready to blow up his entire world because I’d been too much of a coward to let Mom tell him the truth before she got sick.
Honestly, if Levi had never come along, I would have taken this secret to my grave to protect Austin. That’s what parents did, right? Do everything in their power to keep their child from feeling any pain?
My steps faltered, and my husband’s head turned in my direction, concern alight in his eyes.
“You okay?”
“No,” I admitted truthfully.
He brought his free hand to my face, his thumb stroking my cheek. “You were brave enough to fight your way out of Hell. You are brave enough to do this too. And I think that you’re going to feel so much better once the secrets you’ve been carrying are no longer weighing you down.”
I wasn’t so sure. Not when coming clean had the potential to shatter the fragile relationship I had with Austin.
With a gentle tug on our joined hands, Levi pulled me toward where the kids and his teammates were making a ruckus.
We crossed the threshold to find the four of them tossing pieces of fruit across the kitchen to each other and trying to catch them in their open mouths.
Clearly, my assessment that hockey players were overgrown children wasn’t only limited to when they were on the ice.
“Hit me,” Levi announced our presence with those words, opening his mouth to participate in their game.
Austin lobbed a melon ball toward him, and Levi caught it expertly. He hummed in appreciation as he chewed, droplets of juice escaping past his sealed lips.
“You’re back!” Maisie ran to her dad, hugging him around the waist. “I missed you.”
Levi kissed the top of her head. “Missed you too, sweetheart. Did you have a fun night with Uncle Cole and Uncle Crew?”
She nodded. “They taught us how to play poker. And Uncle Crew said he’ll take us to Vegas when we turn twenty-one!”
He arched an eyebrow at his teammate. “Did he now?”
Crew held up both hands. “What? It’s a rite of passage.” He pointed a finger at Maisie. “But what did I make you promise?”
Maisie’s face grew serious. “No drunken Vegas weddings.”
“That’s right.” He tossed her a wink.
Giving his daughter a squeeze, Levi suggested, “Why don’t you show these guys where to find the best seashells? Arizona and I need a minute alone with Austin.”
She glanced at Austin, and he gave a small dip of his chin, letting her know it was okay before she agreed, “Sure.”
As soon as the door to the back deck closed behind them, Austin asked, “Did you find him? Did you find my dad?”
