"I'll think about everything, okay? I just … I need some time," she begged.
Austin knew the discussion was over. He couldn't hold her hostage all night in the janitor's closet. If she thought it was the last she'd hear from him, though, she was sadly mistaken.
"Fine, but we need to talk more about this after you've rested."
"Okay," she agreed too easily. He had a feeling once she marched out the door, the discussion would be over in her mind. Well, she thought he'd been persistent in pursuing her before. It was nothing compared to what he'd do to fight for his family – and if she carried his child, she was family.
Austin opened the door without another word, and Kinsey quickly skirted around him and made a beeline through it. He followed her out and watched as she rushed down the hallway. He let her go. She could blow off some steam and then they'd revisit the discussion later.
Kinsey stepped outside the hospital and kept on walking. She didn't dare look back. She couldn't. She was both afraid he was there, and he wasn't.
Really, what was wrong with her?
She couldn't get a handle on how she felt about Austin. When he was with her, he seemed to inspire her strongest emotions, whether it was happiness, lust, joy, or sorrow. She also had to admit that when he wasn't there, she missed him. Missed him past the point of rationality.
Why did she like him so much? Was sex really that important? There must be a switch in her brain that would allow her to turn off her attraction to him. If only she could figure out how to find it...
Her mind replayed the last year. Her best friend's wedding – where it all had begun. He'd made her burn that night, and she hadn't stopped since. She was fighting him each step of the way because he scared her. She knew she could easily fall in love, if she wasn't there already. She also knew he could walk away without a thought. That's who he was. She knew that, so she'd only have herself to blame if she were in love.
Her stomach dipped, and she felt tears burn behind her lids. What if they really had made a baby together? What would she do?
"Don't even go there right now, Kinsey," she muttered aloud, needing to hear the words spoken.
Life changed all the time. Sometimes it was for the better and sometimes for the worst, but no matter what, it was important to remain standing. She'd been through a few hard times in her life, she could make it through this.
Kinsey thought about her family. It was time to go home for a visit. Her mother would know something was wrong the moment she walked through the door, but that was the price she was willing to pay, because she needed her mom's shoulder to cry on. She needed her father's comforting hug. Heck, she even needed the harassment she'd receive from her brothers about her never visiting anymore.
She could deal with it all if she just went home and regrouped.
With a plan in motion, Kinsey picked up her pace. It was too far of a walk to her apartment, but she needed to burn some energy or she'd never be able to sleep once she got there. She decided she'd just walk until she was tired, then find the nearest bus stop.
After a half-hour she was ready for the warmth of the bus. She found a pick-up location and waited. Her luck was with her when it showed up five minutes later. She climbed on board, huddled in her seat and waited for her stop.
She smiled when she thought that by noon tomorrow she'd be with her mom, sitting in her big country kitchen, while chaos erupted all around her. It was exactly what the doctor would order.
Chapter Fourteen
Day Eighteen
"I can't seem to get a single second alone with you. I don't want to do this on the phone, but Esther Lyon, will -" George said into his phone.
"Don't you dare say it, George," Esther interrupted him.
George groaned in frustration. He felt like an errant teenager, hiding in a bathroom stall. He'd tried to get away from his kids, but something was always coming up. Every time he turned around, there they were. He had to speak to Esther – had to make her see they were meant to be together.
He missed her – missed her more than he thought possible. He knew, without a doubt, he loved her, and he was dang well going to get her to agree to be his bride.
"I miss you," he sighed.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line …
"I miss you, too, George."
"All you have to do is let me tell my family and then this is all over. We can quit hiding. I'll take you around the world where there won't be a chance of anyone interrupting us. Let me spoil you, Esther. Nothing would please me more."
"You're such a romantic, George. It's why I've fallen in love with you. But nothing has changed. I don't feel right about this with Joseph in the hospital. What if he doesn't make it? Then, our start would always be a moment of sadness," Esther explained.