Chapter Forty

Austin let out a deep breath as he looked up at the Miller mansion. He knew what he needed to do, and he needed to do this right, this time. He couldn't let her pull him back in like she'd done so many times before. His relationship with Vivian was complicated to say the least, but where he hadn't really felt like it mattered who he ended up with before, lately he'd been hoping for something better. Isabella coming back to town had reminded him of who he used to be, what he really wanted out of life. Even if he couldn't have it with her, since she was with David, he couldn't settle for anything less. He couldn't help but compare his relationship with Vivian with what he had had, and maybe even still wanted, with Isabella. Their summer together had been intense and seeing her again had reminded him of those feelings. No one had made him feel what he'd felt then. Sure, he had fun with Vivian, but it was nowhere close to the times he'd spent with the beautiful Colombian. He knew it wasn't fair to compare them, but he couldn't help himself.

"Hey, I didn't know you were comin' over?" her voice almost made him jump. She was walking his way, trying to sway her hips though she kept slipping in the gravel. He never understood why she wore those pumps in a small town that barely had any paved roads. She reached for him, trying to wrap her arms around him, but he held her at a distance.

"Yeah, we need to talk," he told her.

Vivian looked at him and instantly sighed when she recognised the look on his face. "Oh, not again, come on baby, you know we're supposed to be together." She tried to make her voice husky, pursing her lips a little so they'd look fuller.

"I'm sorry, Viv… It's just not workin' out," the sheriff said.

"But we're great together," she tried again.

"Yeah, when you feel like it," he couldn't help saying. "And we never really talk about anythin' meanin'ful. What's the basis of our relationship?" he added now.

"Well that's easy. I'm a Miller, with great connections, great clothes. And you're the youngest Sheriff in our town's history. We're a power couple," Vivian said with her best smile as she batted her eyelashes at him, trying to sidle up to him.

"Viv, god, do you hear yourself?" Austin said, almost disgusted that he had ever thought he could be happy with her. "That's not a relationship," he told her. "That's…. like havin' a trophy to show off. I ain't gonna be a part of that anymore," he finally felt able to say it out loud… and it felt good.

"What?!" she shrieked, finally realising that he was being serious. "You can't leave me! I'm the one who says when it's over. Not you!" she lost it at him, trying to shove him away. "Seriously, if you think I'm takin' this lyin' down, you got another thing comin', mister! I will make your life miserable," the skinny brunette shoved him again, giving him his final warning.

"Yeah, okay, glad we had this chat," he said now, wondering how on earth she thought this would make him want to stay with her.

"Sleep with one eye open, Sheriff!" Vivian screamed at him and, just about holding her angry tears in, almost ran inside. "Daddy!"

"When are you going to start telling people?" Isabella asked curiously as she passed her sister's phone back to her. She'd just taken this week's bumpdate picture, as Tatum called them, and her bump was steadily growing now; it wouldn't be long before she 'popped' as it were and there'd be no excusing it.

"Soon, I guess. Though there's not many people to tell really. Just Sue, maybe Austin…" Tatum started listing, "and Sean."

The brunette turned to her in surprise, not expecting her sister to name anyone else, let alone a Miller. "As in Sean Miller? Why would you need to tell him?" Isabella asked confused as she sat down on the bed, crossing her legs.

"Well," the redhead cleared her throat, as she did the same. "Sean and I have… kinda…. Been gettin' to know each other, just hangin' out and stuff," she admitted now, her gaze on the bedspread between them.

"That's great," her sister exclaimed, now being the one to take her by surprise. "Do you like him?" the brunette emphasised the word like, giving her a playful nudge.

"Ehm, well, yeah, kinda. Yeah, I think I do," Tatum blushed, thinking it was a little weird saying it out loud.

"Do you see it going anywhere?" Isabella asked curiously.

"Yeah, I do. If he can deal with this little one," the redhead said as she rubbed her belly, making her sister laugh briefly. "I'm worried though, what if he can't? Or what if, he thinks he can but then abandons us?" she now went off on a little tangent.

"Tate," the brunette stopped her by putting her hand on her knee. "Don't be puttin' words in his mouth. The only way you're gonna know is by tellin' him," she told her firmly.

"No, I know, you're right," Tatum said grudgingly, even as she knew her mind wouldn't stop asking those questions. "But…"

"No buts!" the Colombian stopped her again. "Have you guys kissed yet?" Isabella asked curiously. It felt a little like a gossiping session, as if they were back in high school, but she was asking for a different reason.

"No. But I so want to," the redhead said, with a hankering tone to her voice. Every time she saw him she wanted to kiss him more and more. 

"You or your hormones?" her sister asked, and it felt like she'd been busted.

"Both. I want to, so my hormones want to even more," Tatum admitted. It was a little bit awkward if she had to be honest. "They're out of control," she said so seriously it made her sister laugh. "It's not funny. We were walking back from town the other day and he took his jacket off to let me borrow it, his shirt lifted up a little… seriously did not need his jacket anymore, I felt so hot I had to try not to fan myself. I'm sure he thought I was mental," she told her now, and it only made the brunette laugh more.

"All the more reason to tell him before you add kissing and sex to the mix. You don't want things to get confusing because your hormones have the hots for him," Isabella advised her now, getting a laugh from her sister.

"They already do, but I'll try reigning them in," the redhead chuckled.

"Good," she nodded. "Let me know how it goes."

"Of course," Tatum nodded and reached over to give her a hug. "This was nice, we should catch up like this more," she said with a smile, hoping that the more they confided in each other like this, the more likely Isabella was to tell her if David did anything to hurt her.