Seb

by Cheryl Douglas

  I shuddered at the mention of death. That was the last thing I wanted to think about today, when I was feeling more alive and excited than I had in a long time. I checked my watch. “I should go. I have to meet a friend for coffee.”

  “This friend wouldn’t happen to be—”

  “It’s not Seb,” I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Actually, he was one of the first responders when you called for help the other day. He’s a police officer.”

  “Two men?” She grinned. “My, my, aren’t we a lucky lady?”

  “It’s not like that,” I said, rolling my eyes at her teasing. “I told him I’m only interested in being friends. I figure it can’t hurt me to get out a little more.”

  “Amen to that,” Mrs. Ryan said, walking me to the door. “Do you want to take my van to dinner tonight?”

  “Let’s see how Uncle Charlie is feeling. If he feels he can get away with the walker, we’ll use my car. If he needs the wheelchair, we can use your van.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Thanks for the coffee and tea biscuit. You don’t need anything at the store?”

  “No, I’m good, honey. Thanks for the offer though, and the dinner invitation. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “My pleasure,” I said, walking toward the elevator with a wave over my shoulder. Truth be told, the pleasure would be in seeing Seb again. I was already counting down the hours.

  ***

  Since I was little late getting to the café, Jarod was already waiting for me.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said, slipping into the chair across from him. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

  “No, I just got here a few minutes ago.” He grinned. “You look gorgeous, by the way.”

  I hadn’t put much effort into my appearance that morning: a chambray shirt and white skinny jeans paired with my UGG flats. My hair was up in a messy bun, and I’d made do with a sweep of mascara and lip gloss, but I appreciated that he wasn’t hard to please. Not that I was trying to impress him. I’d save that for Seb.

  “Thanks. You look nice too.”

  He was dressed casually, in a pair of well-worn jeans and a T-shirt with loafers. Jarod was a nice-looking man. Not a head-turner like Seb, but the kind of man I was used to dating. Not so good-looking he was arrogant but not so plain he was insecure and needed constant reassurance.

  “I’m glad you were able to make it.”

  “Me too,” I said, smiling brightly. “Thanks for inviting me.”

  “Would you like a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, maybe?”

  I hadn’t realized it was almost lunchtime. My chat with Mrs. Ryan had run a little longer than I’d planned, putting me behind schedule, but thanks to her tea biscuit and a big breakfast, I could delay lunch until I got home. “Just a green tea for me, but feel free to have lunch if you’re hungry.”

  “I had a protein shake after my run, so I’m good for a while,” he said, standing. “Let me just grab your tea and maybe a coffee for myself.” I reached for my wallet, but he winked, waving me off. “My treat.”

  I pulled my phone out of my purse when it buzzed, and I smiled when I saw Seb’s text letting me know it shouldn’t be too hard to get the parts he’d need for my uncle’s car.

  My hero, I texted back, grinning.

  You know it, he replied almost immediately. What’s up?

  I hesitated, my fingers hovering over my phone before I finally settled on Coffee with a friend.

  My cake?

  I was amused that he was still thinking about that chocolate fudge cake I’d promised. Don’t worry. You’ll get it. Btw, Mrs. R is in.

  Cool. Later, sexy.

  Sexy? I was still trying to decide how to respond when Jarod set my tea in front of me, forcing me to put my phone away. “Thanks.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “You’re not working today?” I asked, peeling back the lid. I didn’t have a lot of time, but I didn’t want to bail on him until I’d at least finished the drink, so at the risk of burning my mouth, I took a tentative sip.

  “Tonight,” he explained, adding cream and sugar to his coffee. “I know you said you work from home. What do you do exactly?”

  “I’m a graphic designer. I do freelance work now, but since I sold my house to help care for my uncle, I don’t have a lot of extra expenses. Everything goes into the kitty to cover his care.”

  “I think I said this before, but I really admire what you’re doing, taking care of your uncle like that.”

  “Thanks.” I didn’t know why I couldn’t open up to him the way I had with Seb, but it just didn’t feel right. “But you know how it is. When you love someone, you’ll do anything you can to help them.”

  “My wife didn’t get that,” he said, clenching his stir stick between his teeth. “That was a real bone of contention between us. She was pissed that I moved my mother in with us and—” He shook his head. “I’m not going to ruin our time together talking about her. I want to hear more about you.”

  I wasn’t used to talking about myself, and it usually took some time for me to open up about myself. I was much more comfortable being labeled “the good listener.” I sipped my tea. “There’s not much to tell. I’m single, twenty-eight, never been married or engaged.”

  “Why is that? A beautiful woman like you must get plenty of offers.”

  “Truth is I liked living alone. I always figured if I met the right person, great. If I didn’t, I was okay with that too. I made a good living, had my own house. I was doing a pretty good job looking after myself, so I didn’t need someone to take care of me.” I realized that probably made me sound averse to a relationship, which I wasn’t. I was open to the possibility—when my life was more stable and my time was my own again. Not that I was looking forward to that day if it meant losing my uncle.

  “But things don’t always work out the way we plan, right?” He regarded me carefully, leaning back in his seat. “I mean, what if you met the right person when you least expected it?”

  I thought of Seb. The timing couldn’t have been any worse, but that didn’t diminish my attraction to him. “I guess I’d have to deal with it. I’d just hope that he understood I have other commitments. Family comes first with me, and my uncle needs me right now.”

  He smiled. “I get that. I felt the same way about my mom. In fact, my ex actually threw that in my face when she walked out on me if you can believe it. She said if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my mother’s illness, she wouldn’t have turned to another man.”

  I winced. “Ouch, that’s just nasty.”

  “I know, right?” He shook his head, his broad shoulders tense. “Damn it, I did it again, didn’t I?”

  “Have you dated much since your divorce?”

  “My friend’s wife talked me into using one of those online dating services,” he said, rolling his eyes.

  “I assume it didn’t go well?”

  “I only tried it a couple of times to be honest. Both girls were nice enough, but there was just no spark, ya know what I mean?”

  “I do.” It was the difference between the way I’d felt with Seb last night and the way I felt with Jarod today. “Without a spark, there’s no point in pursuing it, unless you agree you’re not expecting anything to come from it.”

  “Like us, you mean?” he asked, grinning.

  “Uh, yeah, like us.” I didn’t want to offend him. I genuinely enjoyed his company and would have been open to seeing him again, but I couldn’t afford any misunderstandings, especially now that Seb was in the picture. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s fine,” he said, reaching across the table to grab my hand. “You didn’t offend me. I just like hanging out with you, Sky. You seem like a great girl, and I’d much rather go out to dinner or a movie with you than waste an evening with someone who’s planning our future by the time they serve the entrée.”

  I giggled, wondering how many times he’d had an experience like that.<
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  “I’m serious,” he said, leaning back. “There’s nothing worse than going out for a casual dinner with a girl you just met and having her grill you about how many kids you want to have and whether you would consider converting to a different religion if you met the right woman.”

  “That does sound pretty bad,” I admitted. It was kind of sad I’d never been serious enough with a guy to want to plan our future. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to date.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to date,” he said. “I wouldn’t hesitate if I found someone who interested me. That’s why I asked you out, because I was intrigued. I got the feeling you’re different than most of the girls I’ve been out with.”

  “How so?” I asked before draining my cup.

  “I don’t know. I guess it’s like you said. You’re not looking for anything serious and could take or leave a relationship. I’m not gonna lie—that’s a real turn-on for most guys.”

  I wondered if Seb felt the same way, not that I was interested in playing games with him. “I guess I’ve always thought most people put way too much pressure on themselves to find that one special person. We don’t give ourselves enough time to figure things out. When I was in college, most of my girlfriends were talking about marrying their boyfriends after graduation. I couldn’t imagine doing that.”

  “Why not?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want to be tied down. I was looking forward to traveling, seeing a bit of the world.”

  “Did you?”

  “No, I got a great job offer right out of school, so I took it.”

  “Any regrets?”

  I’d often wondered if I should have done things differently and focused on having some fun before settling into adult responsibilities like a mortgage, but I assumed things worked out the way they were supposed to. If I hadn’t had equity in a home, I wouldn’t have been able to help my uncle when he needed it most.

  “No, no regrets.” I propped my chin in my hand. “I know this may sound crazy since my life isn’t very stable at the moment, but I’m happy.”

  “That doesn’t sound crazy at all,” he said softly. “I like that you don’t need things to make you happy.”

  “If my uncle’s illness has taught me one thing, it’s to appreciate the little things. So that’s what I try to do. Sometimes I wake up before he does and watch the sunrise or go for a walk just to listen to a great piece of music and be by myself.” I laughed, feeling a little self-conscious. “The other day, I sat in the park for half an hour watching a kid throw a ball to her two little puppies. I wouldn’t have had time for those kinds of things when I was working sixty hours a week, trying to get ahead.”

  “I know what you mean,” Jarod said, shaking his head. “Sometimes I feel like I’m on a damn treadmill that just won’t stop.”

  “Simplifying your life, giving up all the stuff that you thought was important, forces you to get clear about what really does matter.” I thought about how unencumbered I’d felt when I sold my house furnished instead of putting everything in storage. For the first time in a long time, I’d felt free to start fresh whenever and wherever I chose to.

  “Yeah, my ex and I got into some nasty fights about stuff, dragging the divorce out and paying the lawyers a hell of a lot more than we should have just out of spite.”

  “I can see how that could happen. I’m sure you were hurting; you wanted her to hurt too.”

  “Yeah, that’s it exactly,” he said, looking at me as though he was surprised I’d been able to sum up his feelings so easily.

  “Well, I hate to cut this short, but I have a dinner party tonight and I promised to bring dessert, so I have to go home and bake a cake.”

  He stood to walk me out. “This was fun, Sky. You think we could do it again sometime?”

  “Sure.” I was confident I’d reiterated my point about establishing a friendship and nothing more, so I didn’t feel I had to continue driving the point home.

  “Great, I’ll give you a call next week.” He gave me a quick hug. “Enjoy your dinner party.”

  “Thanks, stay safe out there.”

  “I will.” He held up both hands, his fingers crossed. “I have a date tomorrow night. Wish me luck.”

  I laughed as I reached for the door handle. “How’d you find this one?”

  “One of the new guys on the force has a sister. She spotted me at the station when she stopped by to see him yesterday. We got to talking. One thing led to another…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes.”

  “Well, good luck. I can’t wait to hear about it.” I settled into my car with a smile as I watched him walk away. How about that? Looks as if I’d made a new friend.

  Chapter Six

  Seb

  I was ready for a beer break when my brother Brody wandered into the garage. Brody was a world-class poker player who was always traveling, and he routinely won or lost millions in a single night. He loved living the high life and had the toys to prove it, including the ’66 Alfa Romeo Spider he’d had me restore for him a few years ago.

  “Hey, man,” I said, reaching into the mini fridge. “When’d you get back in town?”

  Brody caught the can of beer I tossed his way and popped the seal. “I’m just passing through. Can only stay a day or two, but the car’s running a little rough. I was hoping you could take a look at it for me.”

  “You still keeping your stuff over at Ryker’s?” I thought it was crazy that Brody was keeping millions of dollars’ worth of cars at our brother’s shop just because he’d sold his house and still wasn’t ready to put down new roots.

  “Yeah, for now.”

  “Still haven’t decided what you’re going to do?” I walked over to the sink to wash the grease off my hands. I’d started taking Skylar’s car apart, preparing for some of the parts I expected to arrive next week. Time was of the essence, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.

  “I went to look at a few houses earlier,” Brody said, shrugging. “I don’t know. I’ll probably buy something else here. The nomadic life gets old.”

  “You wanna tell me the real reason you haven’t been able to find another house?” I knew Brody was selective, but I had a feeling his reluctance to commit to a house had more to do with his ex-girlfriend than how many bedrooms and baths a place had.

  “I know our big-mouth brother told you Riley has a new boyfriend, so don’t even try to pretend he didn’t.”

  “Nex may have mentioned something about it.” Normally Brody and I shared everything, so the fact that he’d been tight-lipped about Riley told me she had him really messed up. Riley wasn’t the kind of girl who would sleep with two guys at the same time, so if she had a new man in her life, she definitely wasn’t still seeing my brother. “I know you two were seeing each other whenever you blew through town. When did she cut you off?”

  “A few months back,” he said bitterly. “She told me she was tired of wasting her time with me when she could be looking for a man who was ready to grow up.”

  Brody’s reckless lifestyle had always been a bone of contention in their relationship. She didn’t want a gambling man. She wanted a husband and father for the children she wanted to have, and everyone knew Brody couldn’t be either. His mind was always on the next big game.

  “I’m sorry.” I knew how much Brody loved Riley. He’d messed around with a lot of women over the years, when he and Riley were taking one of their many breaks, but she was it for him, the only girl he’d ever love. “Are things serious with her and this doctor?”

  He walked around the finished garage, looking at the framed photos of some of my favorite car restorations. “It’s killing me to think of her sleeping with someone else, man. I can’t get that goddamn image out of my head.”

  I’d never felt about a woman the way Brody did about Riley, so I couldn’t pretend to understand, but I could sympathize. “Must be rough. Have you tried talking to her?”

  �
��What’s the point?” He tipped back his beer. “She’s already made it clear she’s done with me. She doesn’t want any part of my lifestyle, and I can’t give that up. It’s a part of me.”

  Gambling was to Brody what drugs were to other men. It was an addiction like any other, only his had made him obscenely wealthy. I knew it was time for some tough love, to make Brody realize that it was time for him to man up or shut up. “Then you need to let her go.”

  “You don’t think I’ve tried that?” he shouted, turning on me. “I’ve downed more bottles of scotch and had more women than I care to count trying to forget about her. Nothing helps.”

  “You think this guy is the one?” I couldn’t meet his gaze when I asked the one question I knew would slay him. “She gonna marry him?”

  His breaths came in short gasps as he paced the concrete floor. He downed the rest of his beer before tossing his can in the trash. “That’s what I’m afraid of. And you tell me, how the hell am I supposed to deal with that?”

  “I don’t know.” My brother was in an impossible situation. He couldn’t give up the life he loved any more than he could give up the woman he loved. But the two weren’t compatible, so something had to give. Seeing one of my brothers in pain and knowing there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to help killed me. “I wish I knew what to tell you.”

  “Enough about me,” he said, scrubbing his hands over his face. “I can’t talk about this shit anymore. Tell me what’s goin’ on with you. You still out of the game?”

  I thought of Skylar. What I was developing with her didn’t feel like a game, but I would have said the same thing about Amy. I had been so sure Amy was the real deal—until she blindsided me. “I don’t know.”

  “You ready to talk about what happened?” Brody asked, sitting on a stool at a workbench, facing me. “And don’t tell me nothing. You hooked up with that chick a few months back, and it was like you were a different person after you ended it.”