I set my feet on the floor and then struggle to get up just as Austin knocks again. I get to the door and jerk it open. “Really? Hold your horses, Austin. I’m a lot slower than I used to be, so take a chill. I mean, I know it’s a lot to ask for Austin Blaze to have a little patience, but you should try it just once.”
For just a second, it looks as if I’ve hurt his feelings, but he hides it quickly enough. “Hello to you, too. Can I come in?”
He’s gesturing to the grocery bags in his arms and to my house, and I pull the door a little to block his view. “Look, now is not a good time. I just got home, and I’m wanting to rest.”
He puts his boot out to block me from closing the door. “Nice try. Let me in. I’m not leaving, Ally.”
I lean my head back to look him in the face. “What are you even doing here, Austin? You never come to the trailer park.”
His jaw tightens. “First of all, you act like I avoid this place, and I don’t. You know I don’t care where you live, not like you’re meaning. And second of all, the reason I never come is because you’re not comfortable having me here, but that’s all changing right now.”
When I don’t budge, he lifts the bags in his arms a little higher. “Look, let me put these down in the kitchen. Then I have dinner in the car I need to bring in. Then we can talk, and if you demand I leave, I will.”
I blurt out a laugh. “Yeah, right. I know you, Austin Blaze, and you’re not going to leave just because I tell you to. Second of all, what kind of dinner do you have in the car?”
He shifts the bags in his arms again, but I don’t feel sorry for him because he can easily carry these bags while running a 5K and wouldn’t even lose his breath. He’s that in shape. He shakes his head side to side and smirks at me. “Really? You don’t know what I would bring you to eat?”
I try to hide the excitement on my face, but I know I’m not successful. “Did you bring me a chicken ranch wrap?”
He nods. “With extra pickles on the side.”
I groan and open the door, reaching for the bags in his arms. “Here, I’ll grab these. You go get my food.”
He pulls the bags back. “Really?” he says with a laugh.
I move to the side and gesture for him to come in. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I know Austin, and there’s no way he’s going to let me carry anything. Before I was pregnant, he never let me lift a finger when we hung out together. Since I got pregnant, I’m lucky he lets me walk on my own two feet. I shouldn’t be bothered with it, but I am. I can’t help but feel guilty because I know it’s not his place to take care of me, but every time I try to tell him that, he disagrees with me.
He walks into my small single-wide trailer, and I keep my eyes focused on him. It’s either that or I know I’m going to look around at the barely furnished living room, the peeling paint on the kitchen walls, or the cabinet doors that are hanging on their hinges.
He sets the bags down and then comes straight for me. “Have a seat.”
His hand goes to my lower back, and he walks with me to the couch. “Austin, what about my food?”
He laughs. “I’m going to get you situated and then I’m going to go get your food.”
He helps me onto the couch, and I shift to avoid the broken spring that is poking in my back. He puts a pillow on the coffee table and then picks my feet off the floor and gently lays them on the pillow. “All right, stay put. I’ll be right back.”
He gets to the door before I am able to collect myself. “I’m not a dog. You can’t just give me orders and expect me to do as you say.”
He has one hand on the door and stops to look at me. “That’s one of the reasons I’m here, Ally. From this point forward, things are going to be different between the two of us. I’m going to go get the food. I’m going to put the groceries away while you eat, and then we’re going to talk.”
He doesn’t wait for me to respond. He walks out the door, letting the screen door slam behind him. He’s gone less than a minute and he’s walking back in with a familiar bag from Red’s Diner. It’s big and stuffed with Styrofoam plates, and I know there’s more in it than just my wrap. I groan, “Please tell me you didn’t bring the cinnamon Blaze cake.”
He sets the bag down on the coffee table and starts pulling out food. “I didn’t bring the cinnamon Blaze cake. You said you had to quit eating sweets, so I didn’t get it. But I did get some fruit, a side salad, and some vegetable soup.”
He grabs the first plate with the chicken wrap and sets it easily on my belly. I can’t even be offended because for the last month, this is exactly how I’ve eaten every meal. I take a bite and chew it slowly. Austin is staring at me, and I lick my lips clean. “Uh, are you going to eat?”
He shakes his head. “I had a late lunch. I’m going to put away the groceries while you eat.”
He moves everything close to me so I won’t have trouble reaching it and then gets up and walks into the kitchen. I take a few bites before I take the time to ask him the question. “So what’s up with the food and the groceries? You know I can feed myself, right?”
He nods and keeps putting stuff away. “I know.”
When he doesn’t say anything else, I eat some more of the wrap, watching him work.
When he gets to the last of it, I force my eyes to the empty plate in front of me. “Want some fruit?”
He’s holding the fruit out to me, and I shake my head. “I’m done. I’m stuffed. Thank you, Austin. The wrap really hit the spot.”
“You want me to put this in the fridge so you can eat it later?”
I nod and put one hand over my belly as I lean my head back on the couch. “That would be great.”
When he finishes putting everything away, he comes to sit next to me. I try not to tense up, but there’s no fighting it. Things have never been awkward between us, but I can’t help but feel that our relationship has been strained since I got pregnant, and it hasn’t helped that I turned him down when he’s tried to convince me to marry him.
I pull my shirt down farther over my belly and try not to fidget. “Okay, so are you going to tell me what you’re doing here?”
He moves to the middle cushion to sit right next to me. All I can do is watch as he leans forward, undoes the laces on his boots, slides his shoes off, and then props his feet up on the coffee table next to mine. “I’m staying.”
I laugh because I think he’s joking, but when all he does is stare at me with that challenging look that he’s mastered the last six months, the smile drops from my face. “You’re not staying here.”
He doesn’t react. He just keeps staring at me with that knowing look on his face.
“Austin, you’re not staying here.”
He just laughs. “I am. I packed a bag. It’s in my SUV, but I’ll get it out in a minute. Do you want to watch some TV?”
He picks up the remote, and I pull it from his hands. “Austin, you’re not staying here.”
He nods. “Yes, I am.”
I sputter. “But why?”
He drops his feet to the floor and turns toward me as he puts a hand on my knee. “Because I’m going to take care of you.”