Autumn closed the sliding glass door behind her. “I think your dad probably has better things to do.”
Sam glanced up at Autumn through his clear blue eyes.
“At home.”
His brows lowered a fraction, and he looked at Autumn for several long moments. “Yeah. I gotta get back.”
“No, Dad.” Conner hugged his wet leg. “You can sleep in my bed.”
“Thanks.” He placed his hand on Conner’s hair. “But I have some stuff to do.”
“Tel your dad good-bye, and I’l go run your bathwater.”
She moved toward the back of the house and walked into the bathroom. She was doing the right thing. Setting boundaries for Sam. Putting a protective distance between him and her. It was best for her. For Conner, too. Best not to confuse him because even though he said he wasn’t confused at the moment, he would be. She ran four inches of warm water, then shut off the faucets.
“Get in there and get the sand out of your ears,” she told Conner as she moved into the living room.
“Okay. Bye, Dad.”
“Bye, buddy.” Sam had changed into dry pants and a black polo and stood in front of the sofa, stuffing his duffel. He glanced up as Conner ran from the room. “You blow hot and cold faster than any woman I’ve ever known.”
“And you come on stronger and more intensely than any man I’ve ever known. But we both know that it doesn’t last with you, Sam.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“We’re talking about my fear that Conner wil wake up one morning, and you won’t be around.”
“Are you back to that?”
They were always back to that. And maybe it was a little bit about her, too.
“Conner is my son. I’m not going anywhere. I know I haven’t always been the best father, but I haven’t been as horrible as you paint me either.” He shoved the sweatshirt into the duffel. “But this isn’t about Conner. It’s about last night.”
Partly that was true. “It can’t happen again.”
He looked up, his brows lowered over his blue eyes. “Why not? I had a good time, and I know you did, too.”
She couldn’t deny that but… “There are consequences to that kind of fun.”
“You can’t keep using Vegas like a shield.”
“I’m not.”
He returned his gaze to the bag. “You are, and it’s getting old.”
“It’s not something a person just gets over.”
“It’s not something you can get over because you don’t want to. You want to hang onto the past. You want me to always be the bad guy.” He zipped the duffel and looked across at her. “And I admit, I’ve done some bad things, but I thought maybe we were getting past al that.”
How could she get past it? She’d patched around it. Sewn her life back together, but it was stil there. It didn’t hurt, but it couldn’t be forgotten like it had never happened. The little boy in the bathtub was a constant reminder.
“But now I see that you want me to pay for Vegas for the rest of my life.” He picked up his duffel. “Tel Conner I’l cal him in a few days.” He walked out of the house, and Autumn stared at the closed door. Was he right? Did she want him to pay for the past? Forever?
No. She wasn’t that sort of woman, but she also wasn’t the sort to whom forgiveness came easily. Not that he’d ever asked for it. The Tuesday after Moclips, Natalie picked Conner up from kindergarten and took him to the Key Arena to practice with Sam. Around five, the assistant returned him home. Several days later, Natalie picked up Conner and his little backpack to spend the weekend with his dad. That same Friday night, Autumn met with the Ross twins at a bridal store downtown so that Bo could try on dresses. Chelsea was stil waiting until after her breast reduction surgery to try hers on, but she had plenty of advice for her sister. One gown was too poofy, and yet another too plain. They bickered about everything, and Bo tried on at least ten dresses before she walked from the fitting room in a sleeveless gown with an Empire waist and beautiful draping.
“Oh, Bo,” Chelsea sighed. “That looks beautiful on you.”
And it did. Perfect for a woman of her build. There was enough built-in boning that the top kept her heavy breasts lifted and covered while the draping elongated her body.