5. Sean
FIVE
SEAN
Growing up, Aaron’s house had been my second home. My mom and I had been invited to every Thanksgiving and Christmas event at their place for three years before she died, and those were the happiest holiday memories I had. As I sat on the couch and listened to Kyle and Aaron talk about the game, along with the chatter of a couple of aunts, uncles, cousins, and the pleasant small talk Emily made, some of the tension that had crept back into my body over the course of the week dissolved.
“Grant’s a good guy,” Aaron told me when he heard who I was working with. “His wife co-owns the Four Cups Café with a few other women. Great pastries there.”
“Jen, the baker, was on TV!” Emily cut in, beaming.
“I remember that,” I said. “Couldn’t believe Heart’s Cove got put on the map.”
The conversation shifted to football, and when a commercial break came on and I tipped my empty beer bottle to my lips for the third time, I heaved myself off the sofa.
“Oh, someone can get that for you,” Aaron said, glancing around. “Where’s… Babe, would you mind?”
“Sure,” Emily replied, but I waved her away.
“I should check where Mikey’s gone,” I told her.
“Oh, he’s probably fine,” Aaron said.
“I’m sure Lizzie’s keeping an eye on the kids,” Emily added.
A frown tugged at my brows. Lizzie hadn’t seemed bothered by the way her family treated her, but something didn’t sit quite right with me. I’d been a single dad for a few years now, and I knew how much work it was to look after one kid, let alone half a dozen. Besides, Mikey was my responsibility. The kid was the best thing I’d done with my life, and I wanted to make sure he was doing all right on his own. The past couple of weeks had been full of change for both of us.
I brought my empty bottle to the kitchen and slowed when I saw Lizzie standing by the back window. The sunlight glistened over her lips and highlighted the generous curves of her body. She had a soft look on her face as she looked out the window, and it struck me for the first time that she was a truly beautiful woman.
I’d never seen it before. Or at least, I hadn’t seen it like this.
Her features were soft and rounded. Her cheeks were full and her lips were plush. Her hair had been pulled back to reveal the small gold hoops dangling from her ears. Everything about her was ethereal and soft, like she’d been made for a different time—a different world—and transported here by mistake.
It stopped me in my tracks. Staggered me. She was soft as an unfurling flower, and I hadn’t even bothered to notice until that exact moment. Seeing it now made me want to slow down and see what else I’d missed. It made me want to delve into this thumping in my chest and figure out exactly why that calm, peaceful look on her face filled me with such yearning. It made me want her to look at me like that—like I was everything she needed to be happy in life.
Hearing me, Lizzie blinked away from the window and turned to face me. Her usual smile returned to her lips, although I thought it looked a little strained.
“Here for a refill?” She moved to the fridge.
“Checking on my spawn,” I said, and glanced out the window. The kids had set up a game and were running around and laughing. Mikey had a wide, beaming smile on his face that I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“He’s doing all right without you,” she answered with a wry grin, exchanging my empty bottle for a full one. “It always stings when that happens.”
I huffed a laugh, gaze catching on the darkness of her eyes. I wondered if she knew how pretty they were, those endless pools of brown. Wondered if she’d worn that lipstick because she knew it made her mouth look so kissable. “Smells good in here,” I said, tearing my gaze away from her.
She was Aaron’s sibling. There was no way I could lust after her, even though something about her had caught my attention. My oldest friend would murder me if I sniffed around his little sister. I’d come here to gain a community, not blow it up.
“Turkey’s going well,” she said, leaning over to peek through the oven window. Because I couldn’t help myself, I watched the way her jeans revealed the lush curves of her ass. She stood up, and my gaze was dragged up her body to the curve of her neck. I wanted to taste her. “I’ll pop the extra stuffing into the oven in…” She checked her watch. Her tongue poked out the corner of her lips as she tilted her head back and forth for a few moments, and I found myself caught up in the sight of her again. Cute. And pretty. And sensual in a way that seemed completely effortless. “Twenty-five minutes,” she finally said, and I snapped out of my daze.
“Anything I can do to help?”
“Very kind of you to offer,” she said, “but all you have to do is enjoy yourself. I know Aaron is thrilled to have you back in town.”
I found myself not wanting to leave Lizzie on her own in the kitchen to do all the work. Hanging with Aaron and the rest of the family had made me feel at home for the first time in years, but being with Lizzie was like entering a calm, peaceful oasis. Besides, the light that came through the back window kept showing me new facets of her face that I wanted to study.
There was that slight dimple that appeared in her cheek when she tried to hold back a smile. Or the way her dark-brown hair curled around her nape, making my fingers itch to brush that patch of skin. Or how her sweater dipped down between her breasts, giving me the barest hint of what lay beneath.
I wasn’t breaking any bro code. I wasn’t chasing after my best friend’s little sister. I was just keeping the host company while I made sure my son was doing okay. That was all. And if I enjoyed what I saw, what was the problem?
“It’s been weird being back,” I admitted.
“Oh?” Lizzie grabbed a neglected glass of wine from beside the stove. “How so?”
“Everything is different and also the same.”
Lizzie lifted her glass. “I think that’s called life.” She took a sip and tilted her head. “So you’re settling in with Mikey okay. And your wife…?”
A familiar pain pierced my breastbone. It frustrated me that even years later, the mere mention of Melody made my body tense. I wanted to move on. I’d gotten custody of our son and made a life with him. She’d chased the career she’d always wanted. We were both happier apart than we’d ever been together.
But still…
“Divorced,” I told Lizzie. “Just over three years.”
“Sorry,” she said with an understanding smile. “For me, it’s been five and a half…nearly six, actually. Still feels like I’m trying to pick up the pieces.”
I huffed and took a sip of my beer. Not wanting to get caught up in those dark eyes of hers, I let my gaze drift out to watch my son chase after another boy as they both cackled. In the corner of the yard, a girl twirled in a red dress while another did the same in her jeans.
“Mine’s the one your kid is chasing,” Lizzie said, moving closer to point. “And that’s my daughter. Zach and Hazel. Eleven and nine years old.”
Her body pressed into mine as she gestured to the children, all soft and giving. I wondered if her skin was as silky as it looked, if her body would feel as good to touch and hold as I imagined.
Clearing my throat, I pulled away a couple of inches. “Beautiful kids.”
She stiffened for a moment, her smile losing its tenderness, then gave me a beaming smile. “They’re the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said, then turned at the sound of the front door opening. She didn’t touch me again.
“Hello! Happy Thanksgiving!” a voice called from the foyer.
“In here!” Aaron’s voice called out, and a moment later an older woman marched into the kitchen. When she saw me, her face brightened.
“Sean! Aaron told us you were in town.” Sandra, Lizzie’s mom, came to give me a tight hug. She was a short woman who’d always treated me like one of her own, and I didn’t hesitate to hug her back.
“Hey, Mrs. B.”
“So good to see you,” she said, patting my cheek. Her face was more lined than I remembered, but she had the same vivacity as years ago.
The older woman turned to Liz and placed a peck on her daughter’s cheek. “Smells good, honey.”
“Thanks, Mom. You brought the green beans?”
“Of course. How long until we eat?”
“Probably just over an hour.”
“Perfect.” Sandra dropped the foil-covered green beans on the counter. “So, Sean, how are you settling in?”
“Just fine, thanks,” I answered, moving out of the way as the two women bustled around the kitchen. “Mikey seems to like the new school.”
“Wonderful. Allan and I were so sad to hear that things didn’t work out with you and Melody.” She came over and squeezed my arms. “But don’t you worry. We’ll get Lizzie on it, and you’ll find someone new in no time.”
“Mom,” Lizzie protested.
“‘Get Lizzie on it?’” I repeated.
“Hey, Mom,” Aaron said as he wandered into the kitchen. He kissed Sandra’s cheek then went to the fridge to grab himself a fresh drink. “That’s a good idea, actually,” he said as he pulled a fresh bottle from the bottom shelf. He twisted off the top and turned to face me. “Lizzie can set you up.”
“She’s a born matchmaker,” Sandra added.
I glanced at the woman in question, who seemed very interested in the state of the extra stuffing. “I don’t know if I’d go that far,” she said.
“Oh, don’t be silly!” Sandra said.
“You set me and Emily up,” Aaron cut in. He glanced at me. “And Lizzie found the perfect woman for Kyle, but she ended up moving overseas and it didn’t work out. And then there was that mom at the school that you set up with your dentist.”
“If only she had such good taste for herself,” Sandra added with a laugh.
Lizzie’s red cheeks had gone even redder. She didn’t meet my eye.
I cleared my throat. “I’m not looking for someone to date,” I said. “I’m just trying to settle in with Mikey.”
“Sure,” Sandra said, “but if there was someone…” She turned to Lizzie. “You must have someone in mind. You can always tell within minutes of meeting people who they’d pair up with.” Sandra shot me a smile. “She’s really good at it.”
It seemed to take a lot of effort for Lizzie to meet my gaze. Her smile was bright as ever, but it didn’t quite seem to reach her eyes. The dimple was nowhere in sight. “I can think of a couple of candidates,” she said. “But only if you’re interested.”
“Of course he’s interested!” Aaron slapped me on the back. “Sean has always been a ladies’ man.”
I snorted. “In high school, maybe.”
“Everyone deserves to go out on a date once in a while,” Sandra said, patting my cheek. Her face brightened. “And everyone deserves a New Year’s kiss!”
“Haven’t had one of those in a while,” I admitted.
Lizzie snorted sympathetically, but no one else seemed to notice. Both Aaron’s and Sandra’s eyes were on me.
Sandra smiled. “You just let Lizzie work her magic. Now to New Year’s is more than enough time. Isn’t it, honey?”
“Sure,” Lizzie said, inspecting the green beans. She squared her shoulders and turned to face us. Her smile was wide but almost brittle. “What do you say?”
I couldn’t say what I really wanted to say, which was that the most attractive solution to this proposal was for Lizzie and me to be each other’s New Year’s kiss. Which obviously would be like taking a torpedo and firing it at the fresh foundations of my new home. Instead, I shrugged. “I’m intrigued by these matchmaking skills of yours.”
“Game’s back on,” Aaron said. “How long until dinner?”
“Hour or so,” Lizzie answered.
“Cool.” Aaron towed me out of the room and Sandra followed with a fresh tray of snacks for the den. Before I turned the corner, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Lizzie standing in the kitchen, looking lost.