Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 121083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“Kitt! Mom won’t let me get my belly button pierced!” A voice bellowed from above their heads. “Talk to her! Tell her everyone’s doin’ it.”
Kitt took a couple of steps back down off the porch and looked up. “Bryanne, you know I’m not gonna do that. Get your head back in that window and do your homework.”
“Gawd, Kitt! You act like you’re ninety!” The window slammed shut and it took a second, but everyone chuckled at the exchange.
Kitt resumed walking up the steps, brought his head back down and his gaze landed on Austin as a smile spread across his lips. The sight caused Austin to stop his fork midway to his mouth and just stare. Kitt’s firm square jaw and strong chin all eased when those full lips smiled, and that was definitely another first.
“Smells good,” Kitt muttered coming to stand in front of his stepmother. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek as she met him at the back door with a plate full of food.
“I made you a plate, but don’t get used to it, young man!” She teased with a wink.
“Never! And you didn’t have to do that, but thank you.” He took the plate and utensils she offered. Kitt pivoted on his heel looking around. He spotted Mike and began to walk toward their table. His eyes collided again with Austin’s, and at the last minute, he took a seat at another table with his back to Austin.
“Mike, you want seconds?” Mrs. Kelly asked with the pot in her hand, already scooping seconds on his plate before he could answer.
“Yes ma’am! I love your homemade spaghetti.” He smiled and dug straight in.
“Mr. Grainger?” She didn’t just automatically fill his plate but paused, waiting for him to answer.
“Please call me Austin, and I think I’m done. I haven’t worked this hard in years.” Austin patted his belly. Funny, since Kitt walked up, all the aches and pains in his body seemed to have magically disappeared.
“How about another beer?” She offered.
“I’ll get it.” He rose from his seat, and just like that, the magic disappeared. A pain filled groan escaped his lips, and they all laughed. He even got a sideways glance from Kitt, showing him that beautiful smile again.
Austin sidestepped Mrs. Kelly, determined to get another look at Kitt. He grabbed a beer for himself, one for Mike, and then one for Kitt. He walked the long way around the tables to stand right in front of Kitt as he walked by, and handed him the beer. He could tell the offering caught Kitt off guard. He looked up startled, taking the can. There was a pause when their eyes connected. Kitt finally gave him a nod seemingly unable to break the eye contact. Austin held it as long as he could; until he was forced to avert his gaze when the image of Kitt nude popped into his head. Austin got warm all over and his dick stirred a little, hardening as he walked back to his side of the table.
“Mr. Grainger, how is it that no one knows you’re here?” Mrs. Kelly asked. Most of the guys were done eating, and she doled out pieces of homemade chocolate pie. No one turned it away.
“I honestly don’t know how I pulled it off. I bought land in Montana in my name and bought this place in the name of a company I own together with my family. I’m guessing they just haven’t figured it out yet,” Austin said, taking a big bite of his pie, moaning as the delicious dessert hit his taste buds.
“You’re still a hot topic on the news. Everyone wants to know where you went,” Mrs. Kelly said easily, finally taking a seat at Kitt’s empty table.
“Still?” Austin asked between bites.
“Oh yeah,” Mike confirmed before Mrs. Kelly could.
“Huh. I’m not that interesting. They think I’m something I’m not. They just don’t know me.”
“Is Cara comin’ here?” Mrs. Kelly’s next question came out of the blue, and it took Austin a minute. He weighed his answer as he feigned he had his mouth full. He was so sick of lying. These people were good to him. On a whim, he decided honesty might be the best bet, at least there would be less to apologize for later.
“Probably not.” He left it right there, not acknowledging the silence the answer brought.
“How’re you likin’ it here?” Austin could have told Lily he loved her for how graciously she changed the subject.
“Ah, now that I have a ready answer for. I love it here. It’s great! I love the solitude, the quiet. Everyone I’ve met has been great. Mike’s got all my muscles sore, working me hard, getting me back in shape. I really like it,” Austin said easily, taking the last bite of pie.
“Mike, you shouldn’t work him so hard.” Mrs. Kelly scolded his foreman.
“Mrs. Kelly, poor people gotta work for a livin’,” Mike replied with his mouth full of pie, making everyone laugh. All of Austin’s crew on the back porch turned toward them, listening to the conversation. After Kitt polished off his plate, he got up and grabbed all the pie plates around him as he walked back into the kitchen.
“Kitt, I’ll get ’em.”
“No, sit. I need to wash my hands anyway. I’ll just put them on the counter,” Kitt said, and she let him do it. He grabbed a couple more plates as he made his way inside. Austin didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his and Mike’s plates. Mrs. Kelly tried to stop him.
“No Ma’am, I need to go to the bathroom.” Could he have sounded more lame had he tried? But, there was no way he wanted to miss this moment alone with Kitt. The way things had worked today, it might not ever happen again.
Austin pulled open the screen door and walked inside, shutting the sliding glass door behind him. He saw Kitt at the sink, rinsing the food off the plates as he stacked them to the side.
“Don’t tell me to stop. I see your leg’s hurtin’ you. It won’t take me but a minute,” Kitt said never looking back at Austin.