Marriage On Demand (11 page)

Kyle planted his hands on his hips and glared at his friend.

"Yeah, sure. I'll find the right woman and get married right after I figure out the answer to world peace. Why are you
 
just now showing up here? It's nearly
two o'clock
."

Austin
glanced at David who was openly listening to their conversation. "This young man came to visit me. I'm bringing him back."

Kyle grinned and grabbed
Austin
's arm. "I don't think so," he said, hauling his friend toward the house. "You're going to help me paint."

Austin
glanced at Kyle's jeans and shirt, for the first time noticing they were covered with flecks of white. "I don't have the time."

"Bull—" Kyle glanced at the boy. "Uh, make that I don't believe you. You're the one who donated this house in the first place, so it's your fault we all had to come and do work. The way I see it, you don't have a choice about helping."

"I don't, do I?"
Austin
allowed himself to be pulled toward the front steps. He glanced behind and saw David standing uncertainly on the lawn. He pulled free of Kyle's grip and turned to the boy. "Looks like they're going to force me to paint. You want to help?"

David stared up at him, his big eyes wide and blue. He wanted to believe him,
Austin
could tell. He wanted to participate and have fun, but he was afraid.
Austin
felt as if someone had reached inside his chest and crushed his heart.

He knew exactly what David was thinking because he'd been there. The boy took a step closer. "Looks like you've made a friend," Kyle said. "I didn't know you liked kids."

David froze. Hope fled his expression. "My aunts and uncles don't like kids, either." His voice sounded wary and far too old.

Austin
told himself it would be easier just to walk away. David wasn't his problem. Rebecca or one of the other volunteers would take care of him. If they noticed one small boy standing on the sidelines. How would David grow up? Would he withdraw more into himself, or would he lash out, funneling his hurt into anger and rage, becoming a bully, hurting others before they hurt him?

Austin
shrugged. "Kids are okay," he said, knowing if he made more of it he would be
lying
and David would know. "But if I have to paint, I wouldn't mind some help."

David swallowed hard. "Okay," he said, trying his best to sound casual, but unable to hide the eagerness in his voice. He ran up the stairs and waited by the open front door.

Austin
glanced at Kyle. His friend grinned. "Isn't this interesting."

Austin
gave him the ice glare. "Don't say a word," he growled.

Kyle's grin got bigger. "Who me? Never."

* * *

Two hours later, they'd almost finished painting a small bedroom.
Austin
glanced at the floor, then at the boy standing next to him. There was more paint on the newspaper covering the carpet and on David than on the walls, but the job was getting done. While
Austin
worked the roller, David carefully painted the baseboards and outlined the window.
Austin
would finish up around the glass later.

He listened to the sounds of conversation in the other rooms. They'd only run into a few people as they'd come into the house and been assigned a room to paint. No one had said anything about his joining in uninvited or the fact that David was going to help. He wondered what Rebecca would make of the whole thing, but so far he hadn't seen her.

"My room was blue," David said as he bent over the door.
Austin
had taken it off the hinges and laid it over two sawhorses. The boy worked slowly and carefully, making his brush strokes all go in the same direction. If he
glopped
paint up occasionally,
Austin
didn't think whoever was going to stay in this room would mind too much.

"You must miss it,"
Austin
said.

"A lot. Sometimes when I first wake up in the morning, I forget. When I open my eyes, I can't remember where I am." David bit down on his lower lip.

Austin
panicked at the thought of having to deal with tears. He didn't mind the kid helping him, or their talking about the boy's past, but he wasn't equipped to deal with any kind of pain. "You got enough paint, there, sport?"

Momentarily distracted, David glanced down at the small tray
Austin
had given him. "I think I need a little more."

"Coming right up." He dropped the roller into the pan and bent over the paint can.

"Well, what have we got here? Two strong, handsome men painting a room. Be still my heart."

Austin
didn't have to turn around to recognize that voice. He knew the owner intimately. Without having to close his eyes, he could see Rebecca stretched out naked, her pale body contrasting with his black satin comforter. Her dark hair fanning out over her should en her eyes two parts welcoming and one part scared. He could taste her and feel her, and damn it all to hell, he was getting hard.

He picked up the paint can and held it in front of himself while he tried to think mundane, nonsexual thoughts.

"Hello, Rebecca."

"
Austin
, what a surprise."

Her smile was as sweet as he remembered. Despite the fact that everyone at the house was cleaning or painting, she wore a dress. Some floral-print gauzy thing that fluttered around her knees and left her arms bare. The thin fabric brushed over her slender curves, hiding rather than accentuating, but he didn't need to see them to remember how they'd felt in his hands and mouth. That train of thought wasn't helping his condition, so he forced himself to study her face instead.

Her only concessions to the cleanup was that she'd pulled her hair back into a braid and wasn't wearing a scrap of makeup. Her gaze met his bravely, then ducked away. She seemed calm and in control, but he could see the blush on her cheeks.

"What brings you here?" he asked, pouring paint into David's tray.

"I heard you were helping us. I confess I thought Kyle was joking, but I see he wasn't." They were standing closer now. The small room got smaller. She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. "I'm so pleased you decided to come over. I'd wanted to ask, but I didn't want to intrude."

"Kyle shanghaied me into it."

"I see." She turned to David. "It was good of you to pitch in. Are you doing that door all by yourself?"

For the first time since he'd met him, David smiled. Then he nodded vigorously. "I did the baseboards, too."

Rebecca glanced around at his handiwork. "I'm very impressed. I told everyone this morning that you children didn't have to work if you didn't want to. You're the only one who's helped us." She bent down and fluffed his bangs, then kissed his cheek. "Thank you, sweetie."

David mumbled something under his breath and ducked his head.

Rebecca took the brush from his hand and put it on the tray. "There's lemonade and cookies on the lawn. Why don't you take a break and have a snack? When you're done, I'm sure
Austin
would like you to bring him a glass of lemonade. "

David looked up at him. "That would be great, sport,"
Austin
said.

"Okay. I won't be long." The boy ran out of the room.

Rebecca straightened and stared at her hands. She had paint on her thumb and forefinger. "I really appreciate your taking the time to work with him." She rubbed at the paint while she spoke.

"No problem. He found his way up to my garage. I was walking him back when Kyle insisted I help with the paint."

"Oh, no. I told everyone to stay away from you. I'll remind them again after dinner. "

"I didn't mind."

She looked up at him then, her brown eyes wide with surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah, well, David's no bother."

"Oh,
Austin
."

He almost groaned aloud. That damned look was back in her eyes. The one that said she thought of him as a knight on a white charger. Women. He thought his behavior the other night would have chased away all her foolish illusions

It was the wrong thing to think about, because it made him remember her in his bed and how his body had felt next to her. It also made him remember that she'd been a virgin and that they hadn't used birth control.

"Rebecca, we have to talk."

She rubbed at the paint one more time, then dropped her arms to her sides. "I know. But not now, okay? There are lots of people around and I don't want them overhearing this."

"Fine. We can do it later, but soon."

"I'm sure there's no problem."

He wished she was right. Life was rarely that simple. He set the paint can on the floor and picked up the roller. He turned his back to her and started on the wall. "I'll finish this room before I leave."

"Oh, you don't have to run off." She'd moved closer. Even with the windows open paint fumes filled the house. Despite their acrid aroma, he could still smell the faint scent of her body. Vanilla. Why did she have to smell like vanilla? "There's going to be a potluck dinner in a couple of hours. You're welcome to join us."

"No, thanks." He felt her moving closer. If she touched him he would be lost.

"But I— Oh, David, you're back already."

"I
brung
you lemonade,
Austin
."

He glanced down at the boy. "I appreciate this." He took the glass and downed it in four long swallows. "That was great," he said, handing it back.

David looked from him to the empty glass, then giggled.
Austin
smiled. He made the mistake of raising his gaze to Rebecca's. The starry-eyed stare was back. He clamped his lips together and tried not to swear in front of the kid.

"Are you staying for dinner,
Austin
?" David asked. "They're already setting up the tables. There's a big barbecue and corn on the cob and everything."

"I don't think I can…"

David clutched the glass tightly in his small hands. "You can sit by me."

Austin
studied the youngster. "Two hours ago the boy had stood outside his garage, all solemn and far too clean for a normal seven-year-old on a spring Saturday. Now he was smiling, not a lot but still smiling, and covered with paint. He looked … better. Happier.
Austin
knew he was a bastard through to his soul, but he couldn't deliberately hurt the kid.

"Sure, I'll sit by you," he said, knowing this was going to make Rebecca want to canonize him. When he got her alone, he'd make sure she understood he was absolutely the last person in the world to qualify for sainthood. If she could read his mind and know that all he wanted was her naked, in his bed, legs spread and her woman's place wet and hot, she would change her mind real quick. Only he wasn't going to tell her what he was thinking. The way his luck had been running, she would want to act out his fantasy.

David grinned, then handed Rebecca the glass and started painting the door again.

Rebecca leaned close to
Austin
. Too close. "Looks like you've made a friend."

They were the same words Kyle had spoken, but this time he didn't mind them as much. "Maybe. He's a good kid."

She stared into his eyes. He tried not to read her emotions. After a moment she smiled. "See you at dinner."

"Yeah, sure."

She turned to leave, pausing only to ruffle David's hair. The boy looked up, seeming to like the physical contact.

They worked for another hour and finished the room, then made their way to the cleanup station in the empty utility room. An older man was taking the dirty brushes and sending people to wash at one of the various bathrooms in the house.

"What have we got here?" the man asked. "Two fine workers by the looks of things. The bathroom by the front of the house should be empty by now, if you two gents don't mind sharing."

"We don't mind," David said, before
Austin
could answer

As they turned away, the boy reached up and took his hand.
Austin
almost stumbled from surprise. He glanced down at David, seeing the child's hope and an expectation of rejection. His fingers were small and warm, sticky with paint.
Austin
squeezed them gently, then headed for the bathroom. As the boy chattered about the upcoming meal,
Austin
told himself the sudden tightness in his throat was from the paint fumes and nothing else.

Chapter 6

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^
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I
t was nearly eight in the evening when the last carload of volunteers pulled out of the makeshift parking lot and headed down the dirt driveway toward town. The setting sun caught the slightly rusted front fender of the old station wagon parked by the trees and reflected a single beam toward the wide front porch. Rebecca closed the front door of the mansion and dropped the key into her dress pocket, then moved to the stairs and took a seat next to
Austin
.