moved into the house. Their house. That was a definite problem, one Austin wasn’t sure how to handle. And having that damn mutt sniffing around the place only complicated things.
At least right now the dog was inside with its owner. If either one of them came outside, he would have to make a fast run for his truck. He’d left it parked a short distance away on the dirt road that ran past the trees in back of the property.
For sure, he couldn’t risk another near miss like last night; the dog had caught his scent when they’d unexpectedly come strolling back from Callie’s place. The last thing he wanted to do was spook them into calling the police.
How was he going to tell his father about all this? The old man was still furious about the terms of Spence’s will. Everyone in town acted like Spence was a big deal for getting himself blown up over in Afghanistan. To Austin’s way of thinking, a real hero took care of his own. Instead, Spence had left everything to Callie.
Personally, Austin had never figured on seeing one penny of money from his cousin, but Vince Locke sure as hell hadn’t seen it that way. As far as the old man was concerned, the two of them should’ve been the rightful owners all along. Blood meant more than a piece of paper that some fancy-pants lawyer wielded like a magic wand to change Spence from a stray into an official member of their family.
Looking back, Austin realized it had taken balls for Spence to call in the police to toss him and his dad out on the street. Sure, he’d offered to let Austin stay on. It had been damn tempting, but Austin couldn’t turn his back on his own father like that.
All water under the bridge now. Now everything belonged to Callie, lock, stock, and barrel. Well, except for a few things Austin figured no one would miss. He’d had his eye on some more, but that plan had just gotten shot all to hell. He couldn’t hang out in these woods around the clock waiting for another chance to slip into the old place unseen.
Between his job and checking in on his old man, Austin didn’t have a lot of time to spare. With the job market like it was, he barely made enough flipping burgers to keep a roof over his own head, not to mention his father in cigarettes and liquor. Austin had considered cutting him off of both cold turkey, but that would only give the old man something else to bitch about.
It was time to get going. He’d told his boss he wouldn’t mind working third shift for a while. The extra money from the shift differential came in handy. As he started to back away, the new tenant stepped out onto the front porch carrying a handful of tools. What was he doing now?
“Oh, hell, I can’t believe it.”
Dollars to dimes he was changing the locks on the doors. Austin had wondered when Callie would get around to doing that. He’d been surprised she hadn’t done so first thing. He certainly would have. Maybe after all these years it wouldn’t have occurred to her that he might still have keys to the place.
He stayed long enough to make sure that was what the bastard was doing. Sure enough, he was busy dismantling the old lock on the door. Well, if he thought that would keep Austin out, he was wrong. There were always other ways to break into a house or sneak out of one. He’d learned every square inch of Spence’s place. It had been a matter of survival.
There was only a five-year difference in age between Austin and Spence, but Austin had spent his whole life with his old man, while his cousin had had to put up with the man only until Spence got old enough to throw them both out. Lucky bastard.
Austin had learned at an early age how to move quietly to avoid drawing the old man’s attention and, worse yet, his temper. Right now, he put that hard-learned skill to work as he slipped back through the trees. On the way to his truck, he wondered about the relationship between the newcomer and Callie. Was that guy simply a tenant? If so, why was he doing
At least right now the dog was inside with its owner. If either one of them came outside, he would have to make a fast run for his truck. He’d left it parked a short distance away on the dirt road that ran past the trees in back of the property.
For sure, he couldn’t risk another near miss like last night; the dog had caught his scent when they’d unexpectedly come strolling back from Callie’s place. The last thing he wanted to do was spook them into calling the police.
How was he going to tell his father about all this? The old man was still furious about the terms of Spence’s will. Everyone in town acted like Spence was a big deal for getting himself blown up over in Afghanistan. To Austin’s way of thinking, a real hero took care of his own. Instead, Spence had left everything to Callie.
Personally, Austin had never figured on seeing one penny of money from his cousin, but Vince Locke sure as hell hadn’t seen it that way. As far as the old man was concerned, the two of them should’ve been the rightful owners all along. Blood meant more than a piece of paper that some fancy-pants lawyer wielded like a magic wand to change Spence from a stray into an official member of their family.
Looking back, Austin realized it had taken balls for Spence to call in the police to toss him and his dad out on the street. Sure, he’d offered to let Austin stay on. It had been damn tempting, but Austin couldn’t turn his back on his own father like that.
All water under the bridge now. Now everything belonged to Callie, lock, stock, and barrel. Well, except for a few things Austin figured no one would miss. He’d had his eye on some more, but that plan had just gotten shot all to hell. He couldn’t hang out in these woods around the clock waiting for another chance to slip into the old place unseen.
Between his job and checking in on his old man, Austin didn’t have a lot of time to spare. With the job market like it was, he barely made enough flipping burgers to keep a roof over his own head, not to mention his father in cigarettes and liquor. Austin had considered cutting him off of both cold turkey, but that would only give the old man something else to bitch about.
It was time to get going. He’d told his boss he wouldn’t mind working third shift for a while. The extra money from the shift differential came in handy. As he started to back away, the new tenant stepped out onto the front porch carrying a handful of tools. What was he doing now?
“Oh, hell, I can’t believe it.”
Dollars to dimes he was changing the locks on the doors. Austin had wondered when Callie would get around to doing that. He’d been surprised she hadn’t done so first thing. He certainly would have. Maybe after all these years it wouldn’t have occurred to her that he might still have keys to the place.
He stayed long enough to make sure that was what the bastard was doing. Sure enough, he was busy dismantling the old lock on the door. Well, if he thought that would keep Austin out, he was wrong. There were always other ways to break into a house or sneak out of one. He’d learned every square inch of Spence’s place. It had been a matter of survival.
There was only a five-year difference in age between Austin and Spence, but Austin had spent his whole life with his old man, while his cousin had had to put up with the man only until Spence got old enough to throw them both out. Lucky bastard.
Austin had learned at an early age how to move quietly to avoid drawing the old man’s attention and, worse yet, his temper. Right now, he put that hard-learned skill to work as he slipped back through the trees. On the way to his truck, he wondered about the relationship between the newcomer and Callie. Was that guy simply a tenant? If so, why was he doing
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