Town With No Memory

SAMANTHA

The rest of our drive is quiet. We haven’t passed a house in the last ten minutes and I’ve only spotted one lonely mailbox on the way.

I’m half-jokingly wondering if he’s taking me to some remote spot to murder me, but that thought evaporates when we turn into a long driveway.

At the end of it, there’s a grand, gorgeous house with a sprawling vineyard stretching out before it. I’ve always imagined vineyard owners as pretentious, snooty types.

Folks who permanently have their pinkies extended, constantly checking their pocket watches like they have some grand, important event later.

But Austin doesn’t fit that mold.

Before we reach the massive house—or should I say mansion—we abruptly halt. Puzzled, I glance at Austin and see him staring ahead of the truck.

A little girl is running and shrieking right where we would have been if he hadn’t stopped. She’s a delightful mix of a floral dress and scraped knees.

Her blonde hair is tied back in pigtails and she can’t be more than nine. I’m about to get out and help her when I see what’s causing her screams.

A boy, about the same age, is chasing her. “Hey, watch out! I almost hit you!” Austin shouts from his window.

The boy skids to a stop in front of the truck, crossing his arms in a huff. “But she took my candy bar!”

“Well, in that case, go get her!” Austin yells, and they resume their chase. “That’s my brother, Braxton, and sister, Olivia. They’re nine,” he tells me as we pull up to the house.

“They’re adorable,” I comment.

“Don’t make up your mind until you meet them all.”

“There are more?” My question makes him smirk.

“Ready to meet the rest of the crew?” he asks, opening the door for me.

The entrance is stunning, with a grand staircase, marble floors, and a chandelier hanging in the center. “Mi casa, su casa,” he says nonchalantly.

I highly doubt that’s true. I don’t belong in beautiful places like this.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur, but he must have heard me.

“Goodness, it’s just a house,” he chuckles, “but thanks. My mom’s going to love you.” I can’t tell if he’s joking or not.

The next person I meet is presumably Austin’s younger brother. He’s lounging on the living room couch, engrossed in his phone, but stands up when he sees us.

“Well, who do we have here?” the younger version of Austin asks. It’s unsettling how his eyes sweep over my body.

Why do men think they have the right to do that? It’s not flattering, and I can’t understand how it ever could be.

Austin introduces us: “Jason, this is Samantha. She’s staying with us while her car’s being fixed. Samantha, this is Jason, my little brother.”

“Only by a year.” Jason smirks, stepping closer to me as I instinctively step back. “There’s something wrong with my eyes. I can’t take them off you.”

He delivers the cheesy line with the family’s signature smirk plastered on his smug face.

Somehow, when Austin smiles at me it feels more genuine than when Jason does. It’s almost like he’s trying too hard.

“I’m having the same problem with mine too! I can’t see you getting anywhere with me.” I retort, grinning triumphantly. I can hear Austin laughing beside me.

“Well, I was going to tell you a joke about my dick, but it’s too long,” Jason says, trying and failing to make me blush. It’s going to take a lot more than that to make me blush.

“Too bad. I’d tell you a joke about my pussy, but you’d never get it.” I see his smile widen; maybe he realizes he’s met his match.

“Is that all you got, Jason?” Austin teases his brother. Jason holds up a finger, silencing his older brother.

“Okay,” he says, “if I saw you naked, I’d die happy.”

“If I saw you naked I’d die laughing,” I retort, laughing at the end for emphasis. It’s all fun and games until he takes two steps towards me and places a hand on my waist.

Instinctively, I gasp and my breathing quickens. I try to move away but I’m trapped against a wall. Feeling cornered, I raise my hands defensively and squeeze my eyes shut.

“Jason! Back off!” Austin practically roars, yanking his brother away from me. I shoot him a grateful look but mostly keep my eyes on the floor, wishing I could disappear into the walls after that encounter.

Austin has seen me panic twice now. He’s definitely going to start asking questions. He gently pulls me closer to him and away from his brother.

Being held by Austin shouldn’t feel any different than being held by Jason, but it does. Jason’s touch was demanding and made me feel unsafe.

But Austin’s hold is protective and, as crazy as it sounds, I feel safe with him in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. “Don’t touch her again,” he warns Jason.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she would react like that!” Jason defends himself to his brother.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re not doing it again, got it?” Austin tells his brother, staring him down.

Despite being only a year apart, Austin takes his role as the “older brother” very seriously. Instead of acting his age, he’s acting like a parent.

This incident feels so routine that I’d bet this happens often. I can see that Jason resents being treated like a child, but something is stopping him from standing up to his older brother.

It could be love, or respect, or even pride.

Austin’s protective behavior is something I can’t help but notice. His hand has been steady on my back since he placed it there. His voice carries a warning tone. What surprises me most is that I haven’t tried to stop him. I can’t even explain why.

“I won’t,” Jason replies. With that, Austin guides me towards the kitchen.

The counter is laden with food—pasta, breadsticks, and a massive Caesar salad. An older woman is setting the table. She must be Austin’s mom. She’s strikingly beautiful, not like the other moms I know.

She has dark circles under her eyes, but her face isn’t marred by a permanent scowl. Instead, she’s sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth, her face crinkling into a playful expression. Instead of a wine glass, she’s balancing a toddler on her hip.

The cute baby grins at Austin and me, trying his best while also attempting to stuff both fists into his mouth. He has Austin’s black hair. I guess that’s from their dad, since their mom is blonde and all the Cooper kids I’ve seen have the same captivating black hair.

When she sees us, she’s startled and quickly adjusts her dress. “Oh hi! I’m Austin’s mom, Autumn,” she greets us, her smile wide.

“Hello, I’m Samantha. You have a lovely home,” I say, trying to remember my manners.

“Oh, thank you, Samantha! You’re a keeper.” She gives me a soft smile. “Austin told me someone was going to be staying here, so I got your room ready.

“But unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to clean anything else. You’re here just in time, because dinner’s ready once I get this little guy ready,” she says, freeing her hair from his tight grip.

“Sorry to rush off right as you arrive, but I’m sure you’re in good hands. You both go ahead and sit anywhere.” She smiles again and leaves.

Austin points to two seats at the long wooden dining table and we sit down, making small talk as his siblings join us, waiting for his dad to arrive.

Austin’s father is tall, an older version of his sons. His hair is graying at the sides, forming a gray halo through his signature black hair, but he’s not balding.

When he sees us, his eyes light up and he quickens his pace to sit at the head of the table, to the right of his eldest son.

“So, Austin, you brought home a girl.” He teases, wiggling his eyebrows. “How long have you two been going out?” he asks.

“Oh no, it’s not like that,” Austin gently corrects him.

“Oh, my apologies, how could I have read that wrong,” he quickly apologizes.

“This is Samantha. She’ll be staying here for a couple of days while her car is fixed,” Austin explains.

“Excellent. Did you ask your mother?” His father pauses in serving his food to look at his son.

“Yes, sir. She said it was more than fine.”

“Of course she did.” He chuckles. “Your mother would open our doors to murderers as long as they complimented her cooking,” he laughs.

“What were you saying about my cooking?” Austin’s mom asks as she walks into the kitchen. She must have put the baby to sleep because she’s not holding him now.

“Oh, I was saying how good it smells,” Austin’s dad tells her, smiling lovingly at his wife.

“Damn straight it does,” she says, bringing the food to the table. The whole family is laughing at some joke one of the twins made.

The family is undeniably happy and it takes my breath away. It’s like some kind of cliché daytime TV show. They all share about their days.

But it’s not corny. They all genuinely want to talk to each other. They even include me when I think they’re going to exclude me.

I’ve never met anyone like these people, it’s extraordinary. I can’t even remember the last time someone made dinner for me.

After dinner, the twins run off to take their bath. Austin’s mom, Autumn, goes to help them. His dad has some leftover work to do but promises to tuck the twins in.

(He doesn’t miss the chance to embarrass his older boys, saying he’ll come up and read them a story too). Jason goes to do whatever nineteen-year-old boys do.

This leaves me and Austin alone. It feels a little awkward to be left alone, because it is now quiet in the house, but if Austin feels it he doesn’t let it show.

“Well, you’re probably tired. Want me to show you your room?” he asks me after clearing the table.

“Yes, that’d be wonderful.”

“Okay, this one is yours. There should be a bathroom in there with fresh towels. If you need anything, I’m right across the hall,” Austin tells me as we get to my room.

“Thank you, Austin.”

“It’s no problem.” He brushes it off, about to go into his own room.

“No, I mean for everything. You’ve been amazing and you didn’t have to be. I didn’t even know there were still people like you and your family,” I tell him, losing confidence and looking down.

I guess he didn’t want me to feel bad, because he lifted my chin with his pointer finger and thumb. The contact shocks me but not in an altogether bad way.

“Maybe you weren’t looking hard enough.” He smiles. “Have a good night’s sleep, Sam.” And with that, he turns around to leave.