Home with My Sisters by Mary Carter

sorry,” he said.
    â€œAre you?” She got the feeling he hadn’t liked Michael, so why let him get away with lying.
    â€œAm I what?”
    â€œSorry that we broke up?”
    Austin’s eyes didn’t leave the road. “Why wouldn’t I be?” His voice took on a deeper tone. Husky was the word that came to mind. He didn’t answer the question, and he wouldn’t look at her. Did that mean anything?
    â€œI didn’t think you liked Michael. That’s all.”
    Austin smiled. “Still have to work on my poker face.”
    â€œSo I was right.”
    â€œDoes it matter?”
    â€œYes, it kind of does.”
    â€œWhy?” Austin asked.
    â€œWhy?” The nerve of him. To ask why. Because she wanted to find out if he liked her, that’s why. “Forget it.”
    â€œIf you’re upset, then I’m sorry.” This time Austin did glance at her.
    God, he is gorgeous . He knew that, right? There was a definite jolt whenever they locked eyes. She looked away. “I’m not upset. At all. In fact I was just waiting until after the holidays to break up with him. Does that make me a bad person?”
    â€œNo, it makes you human.”
    â€œHe was a nice guy. Just not the guy for me.”
    â€œGlad I could help.”
    â€œI never said you helped.” Austin flashed his green eyes and smile on her. It wasn’t fair, giving a man eyes like that. She turned her attention to the dog.
    â€œWhat are you going to name him?” Austin asked.
    â€œOur grandmother can name him,” Hope said. She closed her eyes, just for a second, it had been such a long day. When she opened them again, her head was against some kind of soft material wadded up near the window. There was a little drool on it. She jerked up and a sweatshirt fell into her lap. It was his. Somehow Austin had made a makeshift pillow for her using one of his sweatshirts and placed it under her head. While driving or did he pull over to the side of the road? She didn’t want to know. And she wasn’t going to swoon over the fact that he wanted her head to have a soft place to land. Darn him.
    â€œGood nap?”
    Hope looked out the window and gasped. They were nearing Seattle; the Space Needle glowed ahead, with the skyline spreading out on either side of it. She glanced at her phone; it was nearly ten at night.
    â€œI can’t believe I slept the whole way.”
    â€œYou must have needed it.”
    â€œIt’s so late.”
    â€œDo you want to stay at a hotel and then roll up on her in the morning?” Austin asked. “We can pick up some takeaway as well.” Hope glanced at her purse she’d thrown down by her feet. She made enough money to barely pay her bills. That was the new American dream. “Your grandmother factored it into the budget,” Austin added when she didn’t answer.
    â€œShe did?”
    Austin nodded. “She insisted that this trip couldn’t set any of you back financially.”
    â€œDon’t tell Joy that,” Hope said. Then regretted it. Even if it was true that Joy was always scheming for money, Hope didn’t like complaining about her sisters with a total stranger. But Austin just laughed, a deep sound that filled the small cab with extra warmth. Even the dog looked up and seemed to be smiling.
    â€œYes, let’s do that,” Hope said. “Food and a good night’s sleep is just what I need.”
    â€œTell me where you want to pick up food, and where you want to stay, and your wish is my command.” Hope was silent for a while, hoping he’d never know that she was replaying the sound of him saying that to her over and over again. Your wish is my command. She’d never had a man say that to her before and might never again, and so she wanted to savor it.

CHAPTER 7
    We Three Kings motel was a low-budget, two-story affair located within walking distance to Pike’s Market