Page 90 of One Kind Hand

“What do you want to do?” Austin asked as they made their way through falling snow toward Charlie’s SUV. He held his hands out for her keys and she dropped them into his palm.

They hopped into the vehicle and Austin immediately turned on the engine to fire up the heat.

Charlie held her hands to the vents then rubbed them together. “We should spring him if we can. With my mom still in the hospital then going directly to the care facility, he’s not a danger to her. I honestly think the police were being cautious on that front anyway. He wouldn’t hurt my mother intentionally.”

“Okay. Tell me where to go.” He left the hospital’s parking lot and followed Charlie’s directions to the police station. Inside they met Jackson’s brother, Detective Donovan Henley, who made Gerald Moyen’s release a quick and painless experience. Apparently while they’d been at the hospital, Charlie’s dad had recounted the evening’s events in a satisfactory manner. He’d never been arrested before and because Charlie’s mother wouldn’t be pressing any charges against the man, he was allowed to leave with Charlie and Austin. He’d gaped at Austin for a few awkward moments after Charlie had introduced him.

“You’re seriously dating a movie star, Charlie?” he’d asked. When Charlie replied in the affirmative, he’d shaken his head. “Tonight is a weird night.”

Austin had to agree.

“So she’s not coming home?” Mr. Moyen asked now from the back seat of Charlie’s SUV as Austin drove through the snow toward her parents’ house.

“No, Dad. I’ll give you all the details about where she’ll be and how you can visit her tomorrow,” Charlie said.

“You better have picked a place I can afford,” he grumbled.

“Don’t worry about it,” Charlie said, her hand resting on Austin’s forearm and giving a little squeeze. “It’s all settled.”

“Settled?” he barked. “I’ll bet. You know these places drain your funds dry, right?”

“There will be no drying of funds, Mr. Moyen,” Austin said when he could feel Charlie’s frustration travel from her hand to his forearm. “Your wife’s care is being paid from a separate account.”

“With a generous donation to the facility overall,” Charlie added, patting Austin’s hand.

“You mean this movie star is paying for it all?”

Charlie sighed. “Yes, Dad, so say thank you, will you?”

The back seat grew quiet and Austin glanced in the rearview mirror. Charlie’s father met his gaze, a look of pure bewilderment on his face.

“Thank you,” he finally said. “That was right nice of you, son.” Then he sniffed and fell apart a little, crying quietly.

“It’s all going to be okay, Dad,” Charlie said, reaching a hand back.

“I’m so sorry your mother got hurt tonight,” he said, snuffling. “I should have gotten on board when you wanted to make a better ramp, when you wanted to get her help. I never should have yelled at you like I did when you showed up tonight.”

The sobbing broke Austin’s heart as he quietly pulled into the Moyen’s driveway. He knew it wasn’t despair from just tonight’s situation, but for the years the man had been managing his wife’s condition.

“It’s okay, Dad. We’re all going to move forward now and Mom’s in a location better than either of us could provide. She’ll be safe and you can visit her whenever you want.”

The man sucked in a breath then got out of the SUV. Charlie and Austin followed to clean up the few things Mr. Moyen had broken in his angered state that evening.

“Go take a shower, Dad, while we do this,” Charlie suggested, nudging her father toward the hallway.

After the man left, Charlie faced Austin. She didn’t say anything, but the anguished look on her pretty face let him know she needed to be held. He stepped over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She slumped into his hold and they breathed together. In and out, in and out. Synchronicity.

“The only thing that makes right now better,” she said into his shoulder as she hugged him, “is having you here.”

Austin kissed the top of her head. “Let’s finish up and end this day better than it began.” He stepped back, brushed his lips to hers, then grabbed a roll of paper towels to clean up the spilled booze on the kitchen table.

About fifteen minutes later, they had the place in decent shape and Mr. Moyen was seated on his couch in comfortable clothes.

“I’ll come by tomorrow.” Charlie appeared to struggle with whether or not to hug or kiss her father goodbye and ultimately went for a shoulder squeeze.

It was a short drive to Charlie’s house, and the first thing Charlie did when they entered was peel off her jacket then Austin’s. She didn’t say anything as they removed their shoes, then she took his hand and led him to her bedroom. She flicked on a lamp, casting the room in a soft, golden glow and grabbed a condom from the bedside table’s drawer. After tossing the packet onto the bed, she pulled off her thermal T-shirt. When she went for the button and zipper on her cargo pants, Austin started taking off his own clothes. No sexy striptease tonight. They both needed a more direct approach—a more get-naked-now approach—so they could lose themselves in each other.

“I wasn’t sure we’d get to do this again,” Charlie said when they were both free of their clothes and standing in front of each other, mere inches between them. “I thought my daredevil stunt this morning had ruined us.”