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Chapter 59: Austin
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2022-10-26 14:22:02Related chapters
The Journey Collection Chapter 60: Miranda
Eason followed me into the elevator. I noticed his snicker and then tracked his line of sight down my legs. Seeing nothing to gawk at, I glowered. "What are you giggling about?""You have something under your stockings."Alone with Eason, I craned my neck and contorted my body. Finally, I found the pair of red panties bunched behind my thigh, beneath my pantyhose. My cheeks flamed. Quickly, I tried to figure out the best way to remove the offending lingerie before the doors opened. I wasn't even sure how he'd seen it. There was only the slightest bit of fabric showing past the hem of my skirt."Here, hold this." I shoved my bag at him.Eason clutched my purse against his chest. His laughter increased with every second that passed. "Did you just pluck a pair off the floor?"A pointed scowl in his direction did nothing to deter him. "I was in a hurry. Hush." Right as I was about to hike up my skirt to reach beneath the fabric and grab my misplaced thong, I noticed he hadn't sto
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 61: Miranda
His hand slinked into the pocket of his suit jacket with graceful ease. In what seemed like slow motion, he seductively dragged out the blood-red satin and lace. I was mesmerized by his movements. Eason exuded sexuality and masculinity. If I weren't careful, I'd get swept up in the façade and forget what I was doing. And right now, I needed my underwear back. I grabbed them right before he used them as a slingshot.I shook my head in disbelief at his childish antics. "Seriously? Do men ever grow up?"He shrugged. "Not if we're lucky.""You have an uncanny ability to make people believe you're all kinds of put together. When in reality, you're no more mature than a five-year-old in a sandbox sticking his tongue out at a grody girl.""Girls are still grody. I'm convinced they all have cooties."His tone was playful, and his eyes danced with amusement. The man before me was an anomaly. At work and in the courtroom, he was no nonsense and all business. There was never a hair out
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 62: Miranda
I'd tried to stay at work yesterday, but after talking to Sarah, I was pretty much useless. Eason had brought me home about an hour after we'd gotten to the office, and he hadn't let me out of his sight since. I drew the line when he followed me into the bathroom. I wasn't suicidal. I was just a basket case. Worried about my daddy, dreading stepping foot in Mason Belle, fearful of what the next twenty-four hours would bring-it made for an emotional mess that Eason wasn't accustomed to seeing.The sound of the zipper on my suitcase echoed around me. There was finality around that noise. I wasn't in the same room, nor were these the same circumstances, yet the low-frequency zing of metal combining with metal brought on the same anxiety as it had the day I'd left Texas. But Eason didn't let me linger in it.He grabbed the handle of my luggage and pulled it off the mattress. "Are you ready?"I nodded, uncertain of what I had said yes to. With my inability to function, Eason had taken
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 63: Miranda
The sound of boots on the gravel driveway should have alarmed me or, at the very least, gotten my attention. Instead, I watched Eason's interest shift from talking to the driver unloading our bags to the person approaching."You folks lost?" Even though it was deeper, more mature, I'd recognize that voice anywhere.I couldn't bring myself to move. Suspended in time, my heels remained firmly planted right where I stood. My mind screamed for me to stop Eason. My heart let him go."Hey, man. I'm Eason McNabb."The sound of palms clasping together in what I could only assume was a friendly handshake made me jump...and I nearly fell over when my ankle rolled in my stilettos. As fast as it always was, Eason's arm snaked around me. In one swift move, he spun me into his side to keep me from busting my tail in front of Austin Burin.Mother Nature decided to give our reunion a moment of silence while I took in the boy I once knew and had always loved.Except now, he was a man.His
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 64: Austin
Randi didn't argue. She didn't fight back. Any other time, she would have put me in my place. Reminded me of whose property I currently stood on. It wouldn't have surprised me if she'd gotten in my face and barked at me. Instead, she let some man speak for her and then cowered.I'd watched her sulk into the house, while I stood in the same spot, staring at the front door that she'd closed behind her. Nothing about her was right. Everything was wrong. Off. I could have dealt with that awful haircut and the uppity clothes. Hell, even I had to admit, the heels were hot. That was where the heat ended. The fire that had lit her up like the sun in high school had burned out. Her eyes were sad and lifeless, and it wasn't just because of her dad. I didn't have a clue where the girl I loved had gone, but she sure wasn't the person who had walked inside that house.A part of me wanted to march up the steps, fling the door open, and demand answers...right after I tossed that preppy, suit-wear
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 65: Austin
Attempting to sleep was pointless. Every time my lids drifted shut, images of Randi popped into my head. Memories from years ago. Except it was the version of her I'd seen today, not the one who'd actually created the stories my mind held onto. No matter how hard I tried to push her from my thoughts, my resentment prevented me from letting her go.A lack of rest on a cattle ranch was never a good thing, much less after the week we'd had. The work was physical, and the days were long. Add to that an ache of resentment that settled into my gut the second I pulled into Cross Acres, and I had been less than pleasant to the other guys all day. For the most part, they'd all given me a wide girth and let me be. They'd been around long enough to know not to ask questions. There was plenty to do without making conversation, so I kept my hands busy with it. I'd also managed to stay as far away from the farmhouse as possible since the first light had come on.Maybe it was immature, and I shou
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 66: Austin
By the time I arrived at the hospital, it was a little after six, leaving me about two hours with Jack to myself. The parking lot was relatively empty. I didn't see Sarah's SUV or Charlie's truck. And thankfully, there wasn't a limo in sight. Thinking about Randi having the audacity to traipse through town in that showboat did nothing other than irritate me."Good evening, Mr. Burin," the receptionist greeted. That was the great thing about small towns. It didn't take long for the locals to learn your name.I tipped my head and gave her a bit of a smile without saying anything. She was young and cute, and there was no need for me to encourage anything beyond being polite. A few strides later and I was in the elevator, on my way to the third floor. Jack's door was down the hall on the right past the nurses' station.Rapping my knuckles on the door didn't get a response from the other side. I breathed out a heavy sigh of relief when I realized Jack was alone. He was also asleep. Th
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 67: Austin-Past
"Austin, son, don't forget Miranda's present," my mother called out to me when I was halfway up the Adams' front steps.It wasn't like she couldn't grab it from the back seat, but I knew better than to make that statement with my father rounding the bed of the truck. He'd backhand me into next week for sassin' my mom."Yes, ma'am." My shoulders slumped as I gave in and went to retrieve the bag.Staring at the mounds of pink tissue that spilled out of the top, and the sparkly polka dots on the paper, I groaned as I took hold of the strings. Sure, Randi was a girl, but there was enough pink on this bag to make Pepto puke. And I wasn't terribly interested in being seen carrying it into my best friend's birthday party. It was bad enough my mom made me get her a doll that she would never play with. I ran as fast as I could back up the steps and into the house to find the first place I could to dump the stupid thing.Luckily, the gift table was right inside the front door. I promptly
Last Updated : 2022-10-26
Latest chapter
The Journey Collection Chapter 105: Jack-Epilogue-Five years later
I threw the truck in park, glanced at the clock, and then jumped out, slamming the door behind me. It had been over an hour since I'd gotten the call, and I hadn't been able to reach Austin since. My feet refused to carry me as fast as I wanted them to move, and the second I made it inside the emergency room, I came to a halt. A flood of memories hit me, and they weren't the good kind.The last time I'd stood in this room, I was blind with rage. It was also the day Austin became a man, and I lost my little girl to the person who owned her heart. It took guts for him to step in front of her that day. Almost as much as it took for him to confront me when he got back from New York. I'd hoped that day would never come, but I prayed for it all the same. In order to atone for a sin, I had to confess it...and then deal with the punishment. Austin had made damn certain I understood that if I ever raised a hand to Randi again, there wouldn't be a hound in the world who'd sniff out my remains.
The Journey Collection Chapter 104: Austin
My phone rang for the fourth time since I'd left for work this morning. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face seeing Randi's name flash across my screen. Her calls came at inconvenient times, but damn if it didn't make my day. I slid my hand from the glove I was wearing to swipe my finger across the screen. "Hey, sweetheart." "What are you doing?" The boredom in her voice was palpable, and it caused me to snicker when I responded."I'm working. The same thing I was doing the other three times you called.""Oh... I'm sorry. I'll let you go."I tucked the phone between my shoulder and my ear so I could talk to her and at least make it appear like I was working to anyone who might see me. "Everything okay?" "Yeah, I'm just bored."We'd had this conversation several times in the last few days. "Why don't you get out of the house? Go into town. If nothing else, go grocery shopping." She was afraid of the reactions she'd get without me, Sarah, or Jack at he
The Journey Collection Chapter 103: Austin
There'd never been a day in all the years I'd been coming to Cross Acres that I'd dreaded it. Even when Randi had shown up unexpectedly, it was never the ranch I didn't want to be near. For years, this place had been my solace. Today, however, I had to have a conversation I wasn't keen on having with a man I'd respected my entire life. Not even the sound of the gravel under my tires soothed the ache in my chest.I'd debated on whether or not to go straight to the farmhouse or get the guys out working before I pulled Jack aside. I'd opted for the second. If there were a scene, no one needed to be around to witness it. I didn't care if Jack had deeded the ranch over to me; this was still his home, and these men respected him.It had taken me a little over an hour to get everyone out of earshot, and once I had, I climbed the steps to the front porch. At a little after six, there was no doubt in my mind Jack was awake-it was in his blood. He'd get up when the rooster crowed for the res
The Journey Collection Chapter 102: Miranda
The four-day drive back to Mason Belle turned into seven. Austin and I used the time to catch up; although, not a lot had gone on in either of our lives. Our greatest sticking point had been my relationship with Eason. It took a FaceTime call to him and Garrett to get Austin to relax about the security of our friendships. By the time we'd hung up, Garrett had Austin howling with laughter and Eason shaking his head in the background. Austin and Eason would need to get to know each other, and that could happen over time. For now, they seemed to appreciate what the other brought to my life and left the mutual understanding at that.After stopping at the airport to pick up his truck, we arrived at Austin's house before lunch, and he'd insisted we go inside to eat before he went to Cross Acres. Unable to convince him that food and a nervous stomach didn't make a happy union, I gave in. It dawned on me that it wasn't his refrigerator he wanted to show off. Austin was proud of the two-story
The Journey Collection Chapter 101: Miranda
Every inch of my body coiled, and each step I took required more effort than the last. I'd left Austin to explore New York-well, the bagel shop at the corner-while I went to have a conversation with my best friend and boss. My stiletto-clad foot slipped on the marble floors in the lobby, and an older gentleman kindly prevented my fall. Heat rose in my cheeks, and embarrassment gripped what little hold I had on reality. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Happens to me all the time." He lifted his hand, and a nervous giggle passed my lips. Even at his age, he was spry, and I found humor in the cane he showed off with pride. I wondered if women found that attractive later in life, although I didn't ask. Instead, I patted his hand and thanked him. He then shooed off my apology. "A girl as pretty as you, the pleasure was all mine." Yeah, this guy definitely played the geriatric field. The man straightened his suit jacket, tipped his cane to the up arrow, and then pressed the button to ca
The Journey Collection Chapter 100: Miranda
It took me a moment to recognize the arms wrapped around me and realize the heat behind me wasn't a blazing inferno I needed to escape before the house burned to the ground. In the haze of waking, last night was more like a dream than reality, and his embrace reminded me that life didn't always follow an expected path. I wiggled free without rousing him and rolled to my side. As soon as I did, I regretted losing the comfort that being close to him provided. Although, the view made up for the loss of contact. Austin's disheveled hair gave him a boyish appeal in direct contrast to the maturity that age had given his body. My heart swelled, knowing I could think about him and not feel like a dagger had pierced my chest. He had the capacity to forgive, and despite the unknowns, that trait had the power to heal. Couple it with devotion and love, and somehow, we would get through this together. Austin stirred in front of me, and my picture of perfection came to life when he moved. His
The Journey Collection Chapter 99: Austin
We had talked late into the night. I didn't know where her roommate was, but I was glad he hadn't interrupted. Eason would throw a monkey wrench into any progress I made once she realized she hadn't factored him into the equation. By the time she had convinced me to spend the night, I didn't have a commitment from her to come home with me. She had, however, admitted that she wanted to be together. If that meant I needed to sell my house in Mason Belle and relocate to New York, then I'd do what I had to do. Life without Randi was no longer an option.She held my hand and led me down a dark hallway and up a flight of stairs. Randi didn't bother flicking on a light until we stepped into her room. Her life had changed drastically while she'd been in New York. Her family had money by Mason Belle standards-at least they had while she lived there-but she lived in luxury here. Her bedroom was the size of my den and kitchen combined, her king-sized bed overflowed with pillows, and while I did
The Journey Collection Chapter 98: Austin
I'd made it this far without nerves taking over or second-guessing my trip, not even on the flight from hell where I swore the masks were going to fall out of the overhead compartment at any given moment. Oddly, I'd been most apprehensive over leaving my truck in an uncovered parking lot at the airport. Now, standing on Miranda and Eason's doorstep, I hesitated to lift my fist to knock.For two days, I'd tried to reach Miranda, and for two days her phone went to voicemail, even after I assumed she'd gone back to work. That same lost feeling I'd experienced when she left the first time had returned, except this time, I wasn't willing to accept her decision as my fate. I didn't ask Sarah where she lived. I didn't talk to Jack about where I was going when I told him I needed a couple of days off. Not even my parents were aware I'd left the state. I made the choice to chase her, and no outside influence would alter my plans, so there was no point in discussing it. It proved a tad diff
The Journey Collection Chapter 97: Austin
I'd expected her to call. After the things Miranda had admitted, I thought she'd use my number when she got up. The minutes and hours barely moved on the clock. Exhausted wasn't a good way to spend a day on a ranch. The work was physical, the sun was brutal, and I needed it to end. Hearing from Miranda would have broken up the monotony, and I'd hoped the two of us could sit down to talk. The few hours of rest I'd had last night were spent mulling over every word she'd said. The things she had confessed brought on more questions than answers. I doubted I wanted the answers, but in the end, I'd need them. Since she hadn't called, it was clear, I would have to force the conversation. She needed to get her rental car from The Hut which gave me an excuse to be alone with her without making an issue out of it.But when I got back to the barn, the only vehicles there were mine and Brock's. I'd successfully avoided him all day, and if I played my cards right, I'd get out unnoticed. I didn
