A Fire That Burns (26 page)

“Oh I had every photo possible out of you guys,” Austin said as she
shifted a little to find a comfortable spot. “She was the one that beat
everything out of me the first month I was on the team after she saw the
photos. Then Jessica quickly followed.”

“Been thick as thieves ever since,” Emma said almost proudly. “I know
right away you’re Tyler,” She said and eyed him over, “So you let my girl back
in?”

“
Erm
, yeah,” Tyler said a little nervous as he
felt on the hot seat all of a sudden.

“That wasn’t at all convincing,” she scoffed, “Has she told you
everything?”

“I presume she has,” he then swung around to look at Austin, “Is there
anything else I should know, Aussie?”

She shrugged, “It can wait for another day.” She told him and watched as
he tried to stare her out, “Really, I’m tired and it’s a rather long story.”
She then looked to Emma, “The four on either side of you are my brothers and
that’s my mom. So you can be happy that you now know everyone.”

“Extremely,” she commented and put her hands on the frame of the end of
the bed, “Now what the hell happened?”

“House fire,” Austin told her truthfully, “But
its
all dandy!”

“Is that you being honest or just trying to move the attention off of
you?” Emma retorted sarcastically as she crossed over her chest.

“Do I really need to give an answer for that?” Austin asked with a
smirk.

Emma shook her head.

“Now get a chair or something, you’re making the place look messy.”
Austin finalized, proving that she wanted the conversation to really move on.

It was as the banter became unleashed, that Tyler stalled for a moment
and looked over at the three new people in the room. “
Don’t
talk
much do you, Kid?” Tyler teased as he narrowed his vision onto
Archie as he sat in the corner out of the way. Chuckling, he shrugged, “I
wouldn’t blame
ya
either if I was stuck with these
three. I can barely keep up with one, let alone three. They must be a handful.”

“Is it okay to hit him?” Emma asked, her eyes darting from person to
person.

“Feel free,
Em
,” Austin replied sweetly.

“
Ow
!” Tyler said as Emma swatted him and then
watched as Tom gave up his seat for Emma. “I was merely commenting! I know that
when Austin gets started she just can’t stop talking.”

“That is true,” Jane dropped in.

“And I wonder who I learned that from?” Austin quipped at her mother
with a knowing smile. “So, why have you really arrived out of the blue?” Austin
questioned as she laid back to get completely comfortable. She had wanted to
know why they had surprised her with a visit since Jessica and Archie walked into
the room.

“We just missed you,” Jessica responded with a smile.

    
“Is that
all?” she continued and watched them nod; cocking an eyebrow, she accepted
that. “Okay then,” She replied and watched as everyone took part in the
conversation around. As she watched them all interact, Austin couldn’t stop
herself
from feeling like there was more to the trio’s
arrival than met the eye. She guessed she would have to wait and see.

Chapter Forty-Five

AS
they walked up the
corridor they saw a sight to behold. Austin was sitting up in the bed, cross
legged as Tyler sat opposite her, his back to them, and she was full of smiles
as she picked apart a croissant.

“I don’t know how you manage it, but you do it every time,” Austin
chimed away
happily,
“I wished I’d changed a little so
I wasn’t so predictable.”

“
Ahh
, I love that I know you,” Tyler told her
in a low tone and leaned right in to her. “Just like I love how your weak spot
is still behind your ear.”

“You can’t change where you’re ticklish, Ty!” Austin told him, “It
doesn’t work quite like that.”

“I know that, Sunny, but it means that I know where to get you
vulnerable to my will,” Tyler quipped and waggled his eyebrows at her, making
her giggle even more.

“Oh yeah, vulnerable to your will am I?” she questioned him amused and
felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter as she remembered just how
vulnerable he could get her.

“Not interrupting are we?” Jane asked as she stood in the doorway
watching her daughter and Tyler intently.

Looking over his shoulder, Tyler quickly chewed and swallowed before
speaking, “Not at all. I got breakfast for everyone so I hope you’re hungry.”

“We already ate,” Jane commented, “I made sure everyone was fed before
we left.”

“I’m still hungry,” Archie commented much to Jane’s dismay.

Having already seen the boy indulge in two helpings of breakfast and
pick for more she was amazed at how skinny he was. He seemed to be an eating
machine with the fastest metabolism she had ever seen.

“I knew you would be, Sweetie,” Austin commented lovingly as she looked
at Archie. “Just tuck in. I’ve nearly had enough.”

“Has she eaten a lot this morning?” Jane asked Tyler caringly. She took
her jacket off and went to grab a chair to take a seat next to her daughter’s
bed.

“I can answer my own questions, Mom,” Austin groaned a little, as she
looked at her mother smiling teasingly at her. “I’ve eaten the right amount
needed for a small army.”

“Is that true?” she asked Tyler and caught Austin’s death glare. “What?
I have to get secondary back up with you, Aussie.”

Tyler winked at Austin before looking to Jane, “She’s eaten her body
weight three times over in food.” He told the older woman with smirk, “I don’t
even kid, I couldn’t get her to slow down.”

“Someone’s trying to get home,” Jessica pointed out as she looked away
from Archie
shoveling
his second helping of
breakfast.

“Of course I am!” Austin chirped happily and smiled brightly. She was
ready to get back to some semblance of normal life. She was anxious to heal and
start working again. Austin was ready to take back her life completely and work
towards her new future with Tyler, and being stuck in this hospital room did
not enable her to do that.

“Well she does have a surprise waiting at home too,” Tyler teased as he
casually looked at Austin. He
Watched
as her face
filled with awed shock.

“What surprise?” Austin quickly asked, her mind a buzz with
possibilities.

“You’ll just have to wait and see, Aussie,” Tyler teased her a little
more with a smirk.

Austin looked to her mom, “Mom?”

“I’m not saying,” she said with a smile. “Like Tyler said, Baby, you’re
going to have to wait and see.”

“C’mon, what is it?” she asked Tyler again trying not to be excited and
huffed at the only thing filled the room.

    
Silence
.
 
She knew she wasn’t getting that answer for
another two days.

Chapter Forty-Six

SCRUNCHING
her face up, Austin
tried to ignore the pain in her body. She didn’t want to admit defeat and that
getting changed was a hassle. When she finally caved and let Tyler help her,
she was more than a little grateful.

“Thanks,” she grunted as he helped her stand steady on her feet which
allowed her to drop her
pajama
bottoms and step out
of them. She reached around for her bottoms and found Tyler beating her to it. She
knew her legs were working, but the idea of bending and stretching was painful
at the thought, let alone the action. Looking at what Tyler had for her to
wear, she felt a little emotional as she recognized a pair of his tracksuit
bottoms. “Your clothes?” she asked innocently. It had been years, but she still
loved the idea of wearing his clothes when she wasn’t feeling one hundred
percent herself.

“I know how you like being in them and I just think they won’t pull as
much so you should be more comfortable,” Tyler commented as he waited for her
to step into them so he could pull them up. As he did so, his phone rang and he
grumbled something incoherent.

“I’ve got it from here,” Austin told him and smiled. “Take the call.”

Tyler grabbed his phone out of his pocket and quickly answered it,
pacing as he did so. From the look on his face and the way he was talking –
work was calling. Not that she was shocked, he had really let his personal life
overrun a little, and his presence here had been more than his appearance at
the station.

Putting the phone down, he turned to Austin with a sad, remorseful look.

“Go,” she told him with an understanding grin. “I’m dressed, well
almost, but mom and dad are here. I’ll see you when I’m home later.”

Tyler approached her, “My
hoodie’s
in the bag
over there, I expect you to wear it.” He told her and kissed her selfishly and
ashamedly. He kissed her like this was going to be a long goodbye, when it
would be a couple of hours at the most. “I’ll see you later for dinner, baby.”

“I know you will,” she told him with a smirk. “I’ll save a seat for you
next to me.” She then stole a kiss and pushed him away from her, “Now go and
let my parents and brother in so I can escape.”

“Will do.
Love you,” he told her, stole one more kiss and left.

She grabbed the bag, ready to take the
hoodie
out and replace it with her dirty clothes and toiletries. After nearly three
weeks, she was finally getting to go home and could sleep in a big, soft bed
with her
favorite
sheets and quilts. She could sit and
watch endless decent TV and enjoy the space of Tom’s house. She put her hand on
the
hoodie
and smiled, she knew that the majority of
that – the TV watching, the enjoyment of pure silence, the sleeping – was going
to be done with Tyler by her side.

It would be like nothing had ever changed between them. They would have
some form of domesticated bliss surrounding them. It would be like she finally
had the one thing she had sought out for six years.

“You almost ready?”
Jane asked as she came into the room and stopped her daughter from
bending over to pick up her
pajamas
that were on the
floor. “Well?”

“I am more than ready, Mom,” Austin replied with a bright smile. “I just
want to be home now.”

“Your surprise is waiting,” Tom said as he stood with his hands flanked
on the end of the bed. “Tyler’s gutted he’s going to miss it.”

“Duty calls,” Austin pointed out and praised
herself
for hiding the disappointment that Tyler wasn’t going to be around for it. She
knew it was selfish, but every moment she had with Tyler she wanted that to
remain like it for an eternity, just so she could just have him with her that
much longer. “So, this surprise?” she pushed on, trying in vain to get answers.

“Needs this,” Tom said holding up a
colorful
scarf. “When we get to the car you’re getting blindfolded for the entire
journey.”

Austin’s mouth fell open, “Oh no! We are not blindfolding, Aussie!”
Austin objected in the third person, “We know how that ended last time!”

“You are not going to be taken advantage of,” Tom protested back,
remembering the trick Dean and Daniel pulled at her thirteenth birthday.

“
I
 
-
don’t – care,” she stated, not allowing this to happen. After all, she couldn’t
be forced into being blindfolded, especially with her parents here. “The last
time you did that you set a clown on me!”

“Discharge papers are signed and dated,” Nicolas said as he came into
the room. “Kiddo you ready to go home?”

“Without the blindfold, yes,” Austin chirped back happily as she finally
saw her way out. She was left just standing there as her mother took over
packing up the rest of her clothes.

“
Ahh
, Kiddo, that blindfold is your only way
out of this,” Nicolas told his daughter with a smirk, “But believe me, you will
love what you’re getting.”

For her parents to be pushing it, Austin knew this must be something
worth the torture. Austin groaned as she relented, “
Fine
,” she groaned
at them, “Can we just go home now?”

“Course we can, Sweetheart,” Nicolas told her and stepped in taking her
bag while Tom took his sister’s hand and pulled her out of the room.

“Let’s go,” he teased her and watched her give him a daring glare.
“Sorry, sis, but I’m going to enjoy this.” He continued as they walked behind
their parents.

    
“Payback is
gonna
be mine,” Austin muttered as she prepared
herself for the unexpected
.

***

Once the journey home began, Austin found it
particularly quiet and she had to admit it made her uncomfortable. Mostly on
her part, as she was starting to feel the effects of her last round of intravenous
drugs, but also because she couldn’t look out the windows and wondered what
scrutiny she would get from the town. She just listened to the conversations
between three of her family members as they occurred, and allowed
herself
to relax a little before her surprise was bestowed
upon her.

Putting one hand to her stomach, she fumbled with the other to find the
button for the window so she could get a little air.

“You okay, Austin?” her father asked as he continued to drive on.

Nodding, she lavished the cool breeze, “Being a blind passenger is
making me feel a little icky,” Austin alerted everyone in the car and scrunched
her nose up, “And the blindfold’s a little tight.”

“I said we should have gone with an elastic one but no one listened to
me!” Tom exclaimed jokingly as he moved a little to reach around to the front
to help make Austin comfortable. “I’ll loosen it for you, Aust.”

“Thanks,” she said and felt a little bit of sunlight invade the moment
between the blindfold loosening and then being tied up. “But can we just lose
it altogether?”

“And ruin the surprise?” Jane called out over her shoulder from the back
seat. “Not likely.”

Austin huffed as Tom fell back to his seat, “I hope you get pulled over
for kidnapping.”

“Seeing as we’re in Point Arena now, Aussie, the police know,” Nicolas
told his daughter as he looked over to her from the driver’s seat. He had to
laugh as he could see the shock wash over her entire face. “You didn’t think we
wouldn’t make this plan full proof did you?”

“No, but I’d hoped for a loop hole!” Austin almost shouted as she felt
like a lost cause for a moment. She hated it when everyone was in on something
and she wasn’t allowed in on it, and this moment was a clear reminder of
surprise parties and surprises her father had done when he went away on
business.

She settled into the silence, she knew she was moments away from getting
home and away from the half-light the blindfold offered her. However, she
didn’t expect to doze off between that last conversation and the current one,
only to be woken up when the car pulled to a stop and her brother spoke loudly
from behind her.

“We’re here!” Tom said, and the moment he did that, Dean was at Austin’s
door opening it ready to pull her out.

“Welcome home, Aussie
Mozzie
!” Dean said excitedly
as he guided her out. He watched her giggle at the nickname he had always used
on her annoyingly when she was little, “I see they managed to get you to keep
the blindfold on?” He teased her, “And without using a muzzle as well!”

“Hey!” Austin exclaimed and hit him hard, then smirked at him. “I might
be blind, but I still have four other senses and a foot I can kick you with!”

“We could’ve just given you dad’s reading glasses and had the same
effect,” he continued to tease and laughed as she lashed out again playfully.
“Don’t hurt yourself, sis.”

“Stop teasing your poor sister and guide her!” James called out and had
to laugh as Austin’s expression cast more confusion than before.

Putting her hands to her eyes, Austin felt the blindfold and felt her nerves
gather in her system. Was this a surprise party? She sure hoped it was anything
but that! She didn’t want to deal with the masses of Point Arena. Hell, had
Tyler gone and fast tracked their blossoming romance? Sure, she wanted to
recapture her life with him, but she wanted to heal and find her independence
again before she handed it over to co-share with Tyler’s.

“Ready, Sunny?”
Tyler’s voice drifted into her ear as he stood directly behind her, his
hand on her good shoulder. He had had to leave the hospital and rush to work;
she wasn’t expecting him here, so his presence surprised her enough to make her
jump.

“Been ready since we left the hospital grounds, Hot Stuff,” Austin
chirped back with a smile knowing she could ask questions later. “Now take this
blindfold off before I do it for you.”

“Okay, okay,” he said and began to untie it. He pulled it away and
stepped around to her side to watch her expression.

Blinking a few times, Austin felt the brightness of the afternoon sun
overwhelm her senses. Then, as if all at once, reality caught up with her
senses and knocked her for a loop.

Austin felt
herself
physically weaken as she
looked to where she expected burnt remains or a clean plane of space. Gone were
the memories, the old the structure of the house; now sat the new framework of
a house that was destined to be far grander, and more memorable, than any other
that sat around it.

“Whoa!” Tyler exclaimed as he felt her falter a little, “Easy there,
Sweetheart.”

“First, you’re supposed to be at work,” Austin said confused as she
turned from the wooden framework to face him. It was almost like she had
forgotten he was here. “And secondly, that was-” she paused exasperatedly,
“That burnt down-” she looked around at everyone. “How the-”

“Let me explain,” Tyler said and took her hand and led her towards the
house. “When we weren’t at the hospital, we all pulled together to get it
cleaned up, sorted the insurance payout, and using my share of it, we started
to rebuild.”

“What about my half? Why not just use that?” Austin asked as she was
taken up the steps to the decking that formed the foundation for the new house.
“I mean, there’s enough.”

“You put a lot of your money into this, Aus. I respected that, and took advantage,
so I wanted to give you it back,” Tyler told her honestly. “I earned a lot from
the renovations I’ve done before and I just put that money into this.”

“Tyler,” Austin stopped him, her hand dropping from the wooden framework
so she could face him. “I don’t care about the money. I put all that money, and
all that time, into that house, because for six years, it was the house that
was in my dreams.” She looked away for a moment, “It was our house.”

“It will be our house again,” Tyler vowed to her and lifted her head to
look up at him. “This time it’s going to match your wildest dreams entirely.”

Austin bit her lip, wanting to kiss him for making her one of the
happiest women ever, but instead, she ended up crying as the emotions all
rivaled
within her. “God, I knew there was a reason I loved
you enough to come back to this pokey little town.”

“Destiny, Baby,” Tyler prompted her with a wink and then took her hand,
“Now, would you like a tour?”

Looking around at her family she smiled, “Lead the way, Stud.”

“I do need help for this,” Tyler told her as he called all of her
brothers over. He saw her confused look gather across her features and he
chuckled, “Dean and Tom laid the blueprints down from what I told them. The
rest of us set about building the framework together.”

“So while I was lying in a hospital bed, you all started this?” Austin
asked as she felt herself lose control and her eyes watered, “For me?”

Tom saw his sister’s demise and was amused by her emotional side and how
vulnerable it had made her in the last few months. “Show her the house before
she cries a river!”