Chapter 6

SIX

AUSTIN

I'd always known buying my truck was a wise decision, but seeing Jasper's reaction as we headed out of town and to the national park just a short hour's drive away made it quite possibly the best decision. His appreciation for my Ford's line, her engine, got me hot under the collar. Rupert had hated my vehicle. Had even described my spending so much time and money on doing her up as ridiculous.

In truth, I did wonder why it took my discovery of him cheating on me to finally end our relationship. The asshole in him was strong. And really, I was an intelligent guy, usually levelheaded, so I had no one to blame but myself.

Our relationship had become a farce. Though, I'd easily ignored the arguments, the demands, the lack of any affection simply for a quiet life. It wasn't even love that had kept me staying put. I was grateful for that in the end, as while his betrayal had hurt, it hadn't broken me.

But one thing Rupert had never been interested in was doing anything spontaneous, nor did he appreciate the restoration of my truck.

"Thank you so much for letting me drive her back." Jasper didn't seem like the kind of man who usually gushed, but that was exactly what he was doing. His eagerness was endearing, as were the wide eyes he threw my way as we pulled up outside my house.

"My pleasure." I gave a small shrug. "And how could I not? Thought it may prevent the drool from escaping, so less of a cleanup." I laughed, loving his quirked brow aimed at me.

"Wish I could call bullshit, but you're absolutely right." A grin stretched over his face. "But seriously, thank you. I've had a great afternoon, and driving your Ford was a treat I didn't expect." Sincerity laced his words.

Flicking my gaze at his eyes, then his mouth, want pooled in my stomach. I wanted nothing more than to kiss Jasper, press our lips together, get the chance to taste him. I shifted a little, angling more in his direction as I unclipped my seat belt .

When his eyes widened a fraction, I watched his reaction carefully, hoping I was reading him correctly. I edged a little closer, and when he remained still, his breaths noticeably picking up a little, resolve slammed into me.

I couldn't not kiss the man.

I moved my arm, placing it on the backrest. Despite wanting to jump in headfirst, I needed to know he was on board. While yesterday we'd admitted our attraction, that didn't mean he wanted to act on it. There was no escaping our working relationship, so it was important to be clear.

My voice dropped low, my words coming out at just above a whisper as I said, "Can I—" Penny's loud bark startled the both of us, and I jerked back, my gaze turning to the rear window.

Jasper's quiet laugh brought my attention back to him. "Someone's impatient." The "someone" he referenced to had me wondering if he was referring to me or Penny. "Maybe we should get her unstrapped before you finish that question," he said.

I grinned. His words didn't indicate he'd be shooting me down.

With a quick nod, I focused on doing just that, getting Penny sorted out, and a fresh bowl of water after her long walk at the park .

It didn't take long before Penny was snoozing by my feet, and I'd made coffee for Jasper and me. While the intense moment in the car had passed, it didn't mean I didn't still want my mouth on his. For the time being, I was content laughing at an anecdote he was telling me about his time in teacher training.

"It was the absolute worst. Who thought it would be a good idea to allow a trainee to take the sex-ed lesson? But it was when one of the boys was asking about condoms and being prepared, and whether he should sheathe himself before going out for the night in case he got lucky that almost did me in." He wiped away a tear as he continued to laugh hard. "It was epic." He shook his head, trying to control his laughter while I simply chortled louder. "I can only imagine how many stories you have."

I quirked my brow and said, amused, "Are you implying I'm old?"

His grin remained in place, and he shrugged one shoulder. "I wouldn't dare." But I also saw the curiosity in his eyes.

I sobered a little, more than aware of the age gap between us. "I turned forty in November last year." I searched his eyes for a reaction, relieved when horror didn't overtake his features. Not only that, but his next words also took me by pleasant surprise.

"Wow, you've achieved so much in such a short time. You must be so proud of yourself and all you've managed to do." Admiration filled his gaze, causing a rush of heat to flush through me.

"Thank you," I answered quietly. My ego wasn't exactly lacking, but all things work-related was about playing the part and doing my best. Putting on my principal's head and ensuring I worked my ass off for my staff and our students were part of that. But compliments when they mattered, received when out of the realm of work, tended to leave me flustered and embarrassed.

"Seriously, I heard that when you came into the school, it was failing and had a whole bunch of problems." Wide-eyed wonder was directed my way. And this time, the heat lit my cheeks.

I lightly cleared my throat. "It was hard work, and I didn't do it all by myself. The school had potential, and I invested my all in it."

Jasper nodded. "That must have been exhausting."

I relaxed my shoulders a little. "It really was," I admitted. "Truth be told, I sacrificed a lot."

"Is that what happened between you and your ex?" Pink swept over his cheeks. "Sorry, you don't need to—"

"No, it's okay." I stopped him. A heavy sigh slipped past my lips. "There was a lot wrong in our relationship, and to be honest, we didn't have that much in common beyond our initial attraction. But investing so much time and energy into work didn't help." Yeah, Rupert was a prize asshole, but I'd also had my part to play, and late nights and canceled plans had exacerbated our already waning relationship.

"Yesterday," he started tentatively, maybe giving me the opportunity to stop him continuing. I didn't. "He seemed really angry. I know you said there were Penny issues." He cast a smile in Penny's direction. "Any chance of resolving that? It must be hard with things so unsettled."

I leaned forward and scratched behind Penny's ear. She groaned happily in response. "The difficulty with Rupert is he's full of self-entitlement." I grimaced. "He's finally moving next week, heading to New Jersey, and has backed down about his ridiculous pretense of wanting to battle it out for Penny. When we split, he did everything he could to make things awkward, and so deliberately wanted to keep a foot in the proverbial door."

Confusion marred Jasper's forehead. "Why? If he was cheating, why would he do that? What was he hoping to achieve?"

"Rupert hasn't really settled on one profession, continuously changes his mind, and has new, ‘bright' ideas." The truth was, Rupert was a fifteen-year-old kid in the body of a thirty-seven-year-old. I had known wiser and more focused students than him. At first, I'd found his whimsy endearing. But that had quickly turned to frustration. "Us being together meant he didn't have to worry about a roof over his head or paying bills," I admitted. Jasper's brows rose high at that. A humorless laugh escaped before I said, "I've been helping him pay his rent since our split, and with him moving away, he still thinks I should be doing that."

"For real?" His tone was incredulous. "I'm assuming you said no, and that's why he was so mad?"

"Yeah. As you saw, it didn't go down well." Mad didn't come close to Rupert's reaction. He was venomous in the spew he shot my way. And even though I'd been tempted to give in—just to get him away faster—I couldn't continue letting him take me for a ride.

"You weren't married? The house?"

I shook my head, certain my relief was obvious on my face. "I'd bought the house before we'd met, and honestly, marriage was never on the cards." I was so relieved about both.

"And he's definitely leaving next week?"

"Yes. Apparently, a friend of his has a spare room and has organized for him to take on an admin position or something. He wasn't too pleased about having to take the job, but I think he's realized he has no choice. "

"I can't even imagine how stressful that's all been." A smile curved his lips. "What day does he leave?"

Curiosity colored my words when I answered, "Thursday."

He bobbed his head, remaining quiet a moment before saying, "I'd like to take you out on a date on Thursday. We can celebrate." His eyes were bright when he spoke, and the slightest hint of color rose in his cheeks.

My grin was immediate. "I'd really like that." Excitement bubbled in my stomach, even more so that he'd been the one to do the asking.

"Great." He mirrored my smile. "Is five thirty too early? I thought we could start with a walk with Penny, and then we'll have dinner."

I barely kept my happy sigh to myself that he was ensuring Penny wouldn't be missing out. I racked my brain for any after school appointments but wasn't a hundred percent sure. "Let me just check," I said as I tugged out my phone and opened up my schedule. I scrolled ahead to Thursday, happy to see my afternoon was clear. "Five thirty is very doable."

"Excellent." He then stood. "I'd better be off. I have planning to do and homework to mark."

Immediately, I stood, and we both turned toward the staircase of the porch. The last thing I wanted to happen was him to leave right now, but I certainly wouldn't stop him. "I'll see you Monday at work?" I asked, holding back my desire to see what his plans were tomorrow.

He paused at his car and faced me. "Absolutely." The sweetest of eyes gazed at me, entrancing and drawing me in. "You can ask that question now before I leave if you want." His words were soft, yet clear, reflecting the confidence in him I really liked.

As I swallowed, I glanced at his lips before returning my attention to his eyes. "I'd really like to kiss you goodbye. That okay?"

He was nodding before I finished and tipping his chin a little as I stepped into his space, so he was looking up at me. I reached out and cupped his cheek, lightly brushing my thumb over his lip. His eyes flared at the gesture, and my heart galloped wildly. Easing toward him, I leaned down and pressed my lips against his.

Opening my mouth just slightly, I moved my lips. Slow and gentle, soft, and the barest of caresses, rightness settled in me. A moment later, I pulled away, missing the touch of him against my mouth. It would be so easy to take this further, push to a heat that would have me sweet-talking him into not leaving, but there was no rush.

Jasper's eyes remained closed for a beat before he opened them. The dreamy expression on his face had me reconsidering going so slow, but the gentle smile that lifted his pink lips was the perfect image to get me through to Thursday.

"I'll see you Thursday for more of that," he said. For a moment, I was sure he was about to start the kiss anew, but instead, I swallowed my desire and disappointment when he pulled away completely and opened his car door.

I also smiled, liking the sound of the direction our date would go. "I look forward to it." Pushing the door closed once he was inside, I tapped the top before stepping away, glancing behind me to check Penny remained on the porch. She sat there obediently, maybe looking a little forlorn at Jasper leaving.

"I get it, girl," I mumbled as I focused on Jasper starting the engine and pressing the horn before pulling away. "I really, really get it."

With Jasper gone and it only being early, I headed back to the house, considering what to do with my time. I didn't have it in me to focus on work, nor did I have it in me to head out for a drink. Instead, I picked up my phone to call my dad.

It had been a couple of weeks since I'd spoken to him. And while I wasn't going to be in the running for a son of the year award, I loved the old fool enough to want to check in .

It rang a few times before he picked up, the crackling line making me roll my eyes. "Hello," he answered.

"Hey, Dad, it's Austin. Can you talk?" Two of my siblings lived close by and both had kids, so I never knew if he had a houseful or not. The quiet should have given it away, but then there was that static that made it hard.

"Austin, my boy, yeah, all good. Debbie and Keith just left. Just picking up after Georgie. That kid sure does know how to cause a mess." A chuckle followed. "I told Debbie today that I think she's got her hands full, as you were exactly the same." The chuckle turned into a full-on belly laugh.

I snorted and shook my head. "Thanks a lot, Dad. I think you'll find it was Frankie who was the pain in the ass, though, not me."

"That he was, still is in fact."

And didn't we all know it.

Frankie was the youngest of us all, with me being the oldest. Ten years separated us, so while we hadn't always been close, me having left for college when he was just eight, I got along with him well enough. When he was in the country long enough for us to touch base. "You heard from Frankie recently?" The last I'd heard he was in the UK recovering from a ski season in Italy.

"Not since we last spoke, no." Concern laced his words, making me frown .

"It's not that unusual. Why are you worried?"

I could visualize his shrug before he said, "He didn't seem himself last time I did speak to him."

My brows drew together. "You didn't mention anything."

"There was no point." He sighed. "You know what your brother is like. The free spirit he is."

It was something I admired about Frankie. Even though I rarely knew what he was getting up to or even what continent he was on, which admittedly made me worry a little too often, I loved that he had the guts to go off and explore, be his own person. He'd gone to college, surprising us all, and had been successful in gaining his degree. We all knew he'd done it because Mom had been ill, and he'd been keeping the peace, trying to make her happy. She'd died of breast cancer when he'd been in his final year, devastating us all. But rather than quitting, which I'd expected, he'd seen it through. The ink had barely dried on his degree before he'd packed his rucksack, bought a one-way ticket to Australia, and left. In the past eight years, I'd seen him in person once when I took a trip to Japan, where he'd done a season, and once when he'd ventured home for Debbie's wedding.

"I'll reach out to him and make sure he's okay."

"Thanks. I can never get through. And this phone's acting up again. "

"Dad," I said, sighing heavily. "We all bought you that cell phone to use. We even pay the monthly fee. Use it, please." Dad was only sixty-five, so he was far from ancient, but was beyond stubborn.

"It's in the car. I keep it charged and in there in case I need it when I'm out. It's the only reason I didn't return it to the store."

I laughed, knowing he spoke the truth. "I suppose that's something," I begrudgingly admitted.

"And how are things with you? Rupert finally stopped being a weasel and left you to it?"

It was no surprise that Dad, Debbie, and my youngest sister, Robin, didn't like Rupert. Robin, the brat, had cheered when I'd told her we'd split. "Yes. He's leaving town in a few days." My grin spread wide, and a lightness that I hadn't experienced in a long time settled on my chest. Roll on Thursday. My heart tumbled over itself when I thought of Jasper and our date. "I can't wait till he's long gone," I admitted.

"That's good to hear, son. He was never good enough for you, always looking out for himself."

I exhaled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Urgh…."

"You all right?"

"Jesus Christ. Just stood on a Lego."

I laughed as he continued to grumble .

"Laugh it up, boy. Your time of stepping on Legos will come."

My eyes widened in surprise. It had been a long time since I'd talked or even thought about kids. "You think so?" I asked, not quite sure why my stomach flipped and my heart rate spiked. I'd always imagined having kids, ideally adopting once I'd fallen for the man I would spend the rest of my life with, but I wasn't getting any younger.

His voice softened. "Austin, you can do anything you set your mind to. Be anyone you choose to be. If that includes wanting to be a dad, you'll make it happen when the time is right."

Emotion clogged my throat, taking me unaware. As I swallowed hard, I winced and huffed out a breath. "Yeah, thanks, Dad. Love you. I had better go, and I'll let you know when I've spoken to Frankie."

"Thanks. Love you too."

I ended the call and flopped back on the couch.

Kids?

I shook my head, unable to dislodge the thought of Jasper running around with a toddler in my mind.

Oh, boy. I needed a beer.