by Natalie Ann
“Okay, now you sound just like me. I tell my mom that all the time when she says she is going to send me food and I don’t want her to.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” Crap, so much for keeping up the teasing. “Of course I’d love to come to dinner. I just thought homemade bread is a lot of work. I’ve tried it a few times and it’s one of the few fails I’ve had. I can’t seem to master it.”
“Really? Then I guess you can try mine, and if you like it, I can show you how to make it.”
“I’d like that.” She breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t take offense to what she had said.
Dinner went off without a hitch. Why she was nervous, she didn’t have a clue. He was just so easy to talk to. So easy to be around—and so easy to fall for.
She had to remind herself to step back. She was crazy to be having those thoughts this soon. She normally didn’t have them much when she was dating someone.
Never had she wanted to let her mind drift that way until she knew the guy was someone she could feel completely comfortable around. For some reason, Sean knocked down the wall she always put up in the beginning. Walls that most people didn’t even know she had.
There was a smoothness to the way Sean talked, dressed and acted. Not in a creepy way, and not in a fake way either. He was open, honest, and simple, for lack of a better explanation. Nothing about him seemed a pretense. Almost like what you saw was what you got, no holds barred.
He was funny and sweet, tender even. Most men wouldn’t like to be described that way, she knew. But she’d bet he didn’t mind either.
Considerate, that was another thing about Sean that she liked. He was always trying to put her at ease and she appreciated that quality in him. More than anyone could understand. More than she ever wanted to tell people. She’d lived too much of her life in fear, and she didn’t want to do it anymore.
She’d worked so hard to put it all behind and help others do the same. At the first sign that someone might pull her back into that world, she broke it off, and fled fast without a backward glance.
But Sean didn’t show any signs of anything to tip her off. Nothing to lead her to be fearful. Of course they hadn’t known each other that long. But still, he’d worked for the Harpers for years, and that alone said something. They didn’t tolerate shadiness from anyone.
So at the end of the night when he drove her home, then walked her to her door, she didn’t hesitate to ask him in for coffee. His ready agreement didn’t shock her in the least. “Just coffee,” she clarified. She didn’t want to lead him on or give him any false hope of anything else, because coffee was all he was getting.
“I didn’t think otherwise.”
“Seriously? Or are you just saying that?”
“I’m serious. Really, Carly, I don’t picture you as the type of girl to bring a man home on the first or second date. Even though you actually did.”
He was joking, she knew that, and laughed right along with him. “True. I’m not that way. I’m not even the third-date type of girl.” She tossed that out there too, just to see his reaction. There had to be something wrong with him. He almost seemed too good to be true.
“Thank God for that, because my mother told me never to get involved with a third-date girl.”
She couldn’t help smiling. It was just the thing to say, and the right time to say it. She wasn’t stupid. She knew if she offered to bring him upstairs, he wouldn’t turn her down. Just the same, she replied with, “Good. I wouldn’t want to get on your mother’s bad side.”
“Oh, I’m not sure that is even possible.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by that—and was afraid to ask.
Shoe To Drop
Sean lay in bed hours later, wide awake and thinking about his date with Carly. He was right when he said she couldn’t get on his mother’s bad side. Nope, if Claire Callahan had a chance to meet Carly, she would have a wedding date planned already. He knew that without a doubt. So there would be no meeting of the parents anytime in the near future. Not until he figured out his next move.
He needed to think it through. There was no doubt Carly was tugging at him like no one else. Her vulnerability pulled him. Her sweet and tender side made him want to shelter her.
He cringed when those thoughts popped into his head.
His sisters always told him those exact things. He’d been sweet and tender as a kid. Now he knew why his sisters were the way they were with him. As a teenage boy, he’d hated being thought of as sweet and tender.
And he hadn’t wanted them to treat him as such, but being the baby, maybe they felt they had to be that way with him. Maybe it was a hard habit to break out of over the years. Still, he hated to think he had any of those same qualities as his mother and sisters. But he thought wrong, because he wanted to do all those things to Carly that the women in his family did to him growing up, and even now as an adult.
That was a problem for him. He knew how much he hated being treated that way. So as much as he wanted to protect Carly, he had to fight the urge. He didn’t want to push her away.
He was keeping Brynn’s words in his mind at all times. How Carly was a throwback and wanted someone she could care for. He didn’t see it that way though. Not the way his mother and sisters did it, which was good in his mind.
He could see Carly cared about people, cared about her students also. But he didn’t get the impression that she cared for them. It seemed more to him that she helped people learn to care for themselves. That was a world of difference from what his family did.
Carly had talked about her students tonight. Surprisingly, he was interested in the stories too. He liked hearing how she helped one student learn his math. Not the way other kids were learning but a different way, a way that this one student could grasp and move forward with.
Not to mention all the volunteering Carly did. Brynn had always said Carly was active in the community and helped out, but he hadn’t realized how much. “So let me get this straight. You spend time in a woman’s shelter, a literacy program for adults, an assisted living facility, and now you’re going to Albany Med to tutor kids?” he’d asked.
“Yes. I like giving back.”
“Where do you find the time to do all of that?” He knew she spent more time at the school than most teachers probably did, too.
“I make it work.”
None of those things spoke of a woman trying to care for people. Rather, exactly what he thought, she was trying to help people care for themselves.
The one thing he didn’t understand was why. Why do that? Why spend so much of your life doing for others? Something had to be a driving force for it, but what?
***
“How was your date last night?”
“It was fine, thank you for asking,” Carly replied politely to Brynn as she sat at the kitchen island waiting for the men to start to arrive with Alec and Brynn’s belongings.
“Cute. Don’t be a wise guy.”
Carly giggled. “It was good though.”
“And that’s it. Nothing else.”
“What more do you want to know?” She wasn’t sure where Brynn was going with her questioning.
“I want to know how he makes you feel.”
“Then you should have asked that,” Carly instructed Brynn patiently, the same way she did with her students when they weren’t clear with their questioning.
Brynn wrinkled her nose and pressed on. “So. Tell me.”
“Since you asked so nicely…” Carly dodged the hand that Brynn tried to swat her with.
“Just one word, then, off the top of your head. How about that?”
“Safe.”
“Safe? That’s the one word off the top of your head,” Brynn said, astonished.
Carly started to blush. That probably wasn’t the best word to use, but it really was the first thing that came to her mind. She actually didn’t even realize it until it was out of her mouth. “Sorry. How about…he makes me
feel good. Good about myself.”
“That’s better,” Brynn said. Reaching over, Brynn clasped Carly’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Safe is good too, Carly. You know that. We both do.”
Brynn knew better than anyone. “Yeah. It’s not a bad feeling.” Trying to lighten the mood, she switched back to the other word she used to describe Sean. “He really does make me feel good. In a different way.”
“How so?”
“He’s sweet and funny…considerate. I’m almost waiting for the shoe to drop. He is almost too perfect. Something has to be wrong with him.”
“Why does something have to be wrong?”
“He’s been single for a long time. Why isn’t he married by now?”
“Carly, he’s younger than Alec and Phil and they both just got married. Are you thinking there is something wrong with my husband and brother-in-law?”
“No. I guess not. How old is Sean?”
If Brynn found that question funny, she didn’t let on. “You didn’t ask him?”
“I was afraid to. I don’t know; it just seemed odd.”
“He’s thirty-five. Not so old really,” Brynn said knowingly. “So what else is the problem?”
“What do you mean?”
“This is me you’re talking to. You’re hedging for some reason. Just tell me.”
“I really like him. A lot. And he is totally not the type I would be drawn to, so I’m fighting that and not doing a good job at it.”
Brynn shook her head. “Why isn’t he your type? I don’t get that.”
“Well, for one, he’s bigger than most of the men I’ve dated.”
“That’s true,” Brynn replied almost sadly. Brynn was smart; she knew the reason why. “Maybe it’s time to change that.”
“I am. I’ve thought about it, and like I said, I feel safe with him.”
“So what else?”
Carly shrugged her shoulders, tried to form her words, and finally just blurted it out. “I don’t want to smother him.”
“You’ve been on two dates in ten days and you’re worried about smothering him? That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s not that. He’s told me about his sisters and mother and how they do everything for him. They’re always calling him and sending him food, butting into his life, giving him advice. He makes light of it, but he said it bothered him growing up. I think it still does. He’s made some comments about being a grown man and not needing everyone to do everything for him.”
“And you like to do things for people.”
“Exactly,” Carly said.
“It’s not the same and you know it,” Brynn argued. “Because you don’t do things for people, you help people do things for themselves. There’s a big difference.”
Carly thought of that for a moment. Brynn was right, and she never realized that before, or fully put it that way in her mind. “But still. What if he doesn’t see it that way?”
“He’s a pretty smart guy. Don’t worry about it.”
“He’s been with Harper’s for a long time, hasn’t he?”
“Almost from the beginning. Alec and Phil think of him like family. He gets along well with everyone and they trust him completely. They would never employ anyone they had any worries over.”
“I know.” Carly leaned back on the stool, stretched her arms over her head, then suddenly dropped them and eyed Brynn carefully. She didn’t like the tone of voice Brynn just used, or the look in her eye. “What did you say to him?”
“What?” Brynn asked, looking anywhere but Carly’s face, and not doing a good job of hiding any guilt.
“I know a liar when I see one.”
Brynn rolled her eyes. “I’m not one of your students.”
“Then don’t act like one.”
“Really, Carly, when did you get so smart?” Brynn said.
“I’ve always been smart; you just don’t see it. So tell me, what did you say to him?”
“Not much.” Brynn held her hand up when Carly glared at her. “Really, I didn’t. I just told him to be careful.”
“Why? What aren’t you telling me about him?”
“Nothing. I told you, he’s a standup guy. I’m just protective of you.”
“I know you are and I appreciate it, but I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”
“You have, but I still worry about it. So I’ll be honest, I told him you were tender and to be careful.”
“Tender?” Carly sputtered. Tender. She’d been called fragile before, and she thought that was insulting, but tender was worse. “Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I’m tender.” There were parts of Carly’s past that people only heard about on the news. The evening news when you wished you didn’t hear it. She thought she was pretty damn tough when it came down to it. Even protective.
“Your heart is tender. That is what I said, your heart. You know it is,” Brynn insisted.
Okay, that was true. “Fine. I’ll let it slide. What did he say?”
“Nothing really. Just assured me that he would be careful with it.”
“Great, a guy who worries I might crack.”
“I don’t think he worries about that. Really, Carly, you are making more out of it. It was all good.”
“If you say so,” Carly said, frowning.
“I do. Now let’s change the subject before the guys get here. Give me something juicy.”
“I don’t think so,” Carly said stubbornly. Brynn didn’t deserve it after telling Sean she was tender. Geez, that was a hard pill to swallow.
“Oh, stop acting like one of your students.” It was true, but Carly didn’t care, if she wanted to pout she would. “Please, one little piece of something before the guys get here. I need some ammo in case he starts to pick on me.”
Carly shook her head then. Sean did like to pick on Brynn, in a brotherly way. He actually started doing it once Brynn got engaged to Alec, and Carly knew Brynn was just fine with it. “I don’t have anything that would be considered ammo, sorry. Not coming from you, that is.”
She’d love to tell Brynn how she felt when Sean kissed her last night after he dropped her off. How he pulled her close and held her tight, stroking his hand up and down her back. The way her body swayed into his and how she hoped he’d never stop. How, for the first time in her life, she’d wished she had the courage to invite him up to her room after the second date after all.
But she couldn’t. Not after their discussion about her not being a third-date type of girl. It was for the best though, she knew that. Better to wait it out and make sure she really did feel for him what she told Brynn. Deep down she knew she did, but waiting a little longer wouldn’t hurt anything, would it?
And as much as she wanted to tell Brynn all of that, she was glad she didn’t, because the last thing she needed was Brynn busting on Sean about something personal like kissing.
Teaching
“Darn it, I forgot the ice,” Isabel Harper said.
Sean looked over at her as she voiced those words, the same moment that Carly returned to the kitchen after helping Brynn put clothes away upstairs.
“Carly, would you be a darling and run to the store for me to grab some more ice for the drinks?”
“Ah, sure, no problem. I’ll just run up and let Brynn know.”
“No, no, sweetie. I’ll do it for you. You know what? We need a lot of ice. Why don’t you take Sean with you? He can carry it. You don’t mind, do you, Sean?”
“Not at all,” he replied, grinning and catching her wink. He was on to her and would find time to thank her later, in private.
He’d been trying to get Carly alone for two hours, but the girls were going through clothes and arranging everything in the perfect OCD fashion that Brynn was famous for.
If Sean wasn’t carrying in furniture, then he was rearranging it when Brynn passed through a room and explained how she wanted everything. Alec all but begged everyone to stay until every last piece was the way Brynn wanted it so he d
idn’t have to move it all by himself after they left.
Since Isabel offered to cook for the group of men, with their wives and children on the way, Sean didn’t mind staying so long. Especially if that meant he got to spend time with Carly.
“What was that all about?” Carly asked the minute she started her car.
Sean shrugged. “She needed ice?”
“Please. I didn’t miss her wink at you.”
Carly was more savvy than she looked. He guessed teaching a bunch of kids taught her to have eyes in the back of her head, just like all the teachers used to say when he was in school. “Guess she knew I wanted to be alone with you.”
“Did you now?” she asked, her face having grown all soft.
Of course he did. He had all he could do to leave her house last night after she finally let go of him. Damn, he was turned on and he knew she had to have known. He never expected her to be so aggressive with her kissing. Not that he was complaining, because he wasn’t. “Maybe I wouldn’t mind picking up where we left off last night,” he tossed out there to see what her reaction would be.
She didn’t disappoint when she flushed. So innocent looking, though he suspected she might not actually be as naive as Brynn insisted, or how he originally thought. “It’s a little crowded at Brynn’s right now,” she said.
He nodded, then smiled at her, reached his hand over and grasped hers, threading their fingers together. He needed to touch at least a part of her. Any part would satisfy him for the moment. “I know this is out of the blue, but I keep meaning to ask what grade you teach.”
“Oh.” She looked startled by the question. He had meant to ask the last two times they were together, but whenever he thought to bring it up, they got sidetracked on another topic. They always seemed to just flow in their conversations. “Fourth grade this year.”
“What did you teach last year?”
“I taught first grade for years, but they did some rearranging and I ended up with fourth grade. I’ve found I really love this age.”
“How so?” He wasn’t sure he would enjoy that many kids of any age, all day long, every day of the week. Just the thought of it made him shudder. He worked with Alec and Phil all day, and when the two of them went at it, throwing things at each other and joking in meetings, it was like being in school all over again.