For three days now, his unease had been growing. It’d started the moment Mia checked out of the hospital and returned home insisting that he stay with her rather than in a hotel. Eventually, he needed to get back. At least until Sherbrooke Enterprises took over management at the bed and breakfast, he remained responsible for all the maintenance. So far neither of them had mentioned how they’d handle their relationship in the long term. With his mother turning things over at The Victorian Rose there wasn’t anything holding him in North Salem. Yeah, he had friends there and the new house, but he’d leave it all behind if Mia asked. And there lay the problem. She hadn’t asked him to stay in California.
Sean turned the page of the magazine he held and focused on the next article in an effort to ignore the edginess. Next to him, Mia sat with her leg propped up, painting her fingernails as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
“We should talk,” Mia said next to him. “I know you need to get home, Sean. Your life is in North Salem.”
Sean closed his eyes as the fear and unease he’d held back for days boiled over. With slow deliberate motions, he closed the magazine and set it aside. “I don’t need to stay there though. Say the word and I’ll come back here once the new manager takes over.”
“No. You don’t have to do that.”
A twinge of pain shot through his cheek as he bit down on it. If she wanted to end things already before they even gave their relationship a fair shot, he wouldn’t argue. Obviously she had thought more about their relationship and decided she’d been wrong about how she felt.
“Okay, whatever. I’ll go back now if you want.”
She slapped his leg as he began to stand. “Sit back down, will you? Man, you’re impatient. You didn’t let me finish.”
“Go ahead,” he said as he remained seated on the edge of the couch.
“I can live anywhere. I spend most of my time here because it’s convenient, but that doesn’t mean I have to stay here. And honestly, being in North Salem made me realize how much I miss the East Coast and my family. Even before we met, I’d considered taking a little break from Hollywood.”
Her words seeped into his brain and rekindled hope in his chest despite his best effort to kept it away. She hadn’t actually said she’d come back to Massachusetts with him.
“I need to finish work on this movie. Thanks to this, I don’t know when.” She pointed to the cast on her leg. “But I have nothing else planned. I thought I’d come back with you. Maybe I can help you work on the house. Then when we’re ready for a change, we can come back here or go wherever we want.”
“Are you sure? You only spent a month in town. Compared to out here North Salem is as exciting as a graveyard.”
This time she slapped him hard enough to make his leg sting. “It’s not that bad,” she said with laughter in her voice. “Besides I’ll be closer to my Gram and Pop and you’ll be close to your mom and sister.”
Once again his emotions took a turn. “My sister lives in Virginia,” he said knowing full well Mia referred to his half-sister Taylor and not Charlie.
“That’s not who I meant and you know it, Sean.” Her voice took on a more serious tone. “Whatever mistakes your father made, they had nothing to do with Taylor. You don’t have to do it right now, but you should let her into your life.”
In the weeks since they’d first had this discussion, he’d wrangled with his decision. Part of him knew Mia was right. If he started a relationship with Taylor, though, wouldn’t that mean letting his father back into his life as well? While he now knew his father hadn’t been completely at fault for the end of his parents’ marriage, he couldn’t forgive him for the way he’d handled it. A divorce didn’t mean you abandoned your children and disappeared for almost eighteen years.
“I’m still considering it. For now, Mia, that’s all I can say.”
“Fair enough.” Mia leaned over and kissed him.
Using all his willpower, he kept the kiss tender or at least he tried. Mia had ideas of her own though. With her tongue she coaxed his lips apart and teased his tongue with hers. The combination of her kiss and the knowledge that she loved him sent all the blood in his body south. With a groan, he pulled away, his erection throbbing against the zipper of his jeans.
“Stop,” he said his voice full of regret. “You’re going to kill me if we keep this up.”
“I’m fine.” Mia reached up as if to wrap her arms around him and cringed in pain.
“I saw that.” He dropped his forehead against hers. “I want you more than anything, but you’re not ready.”
Mis sighed, and he laughed then pulled back. “I love you,” he said before kissing her forehead.
“I love you, too.”
His heart swelled at the words, but a tiny part of his brain held onto its doubts. He needed to hear it one more time. “Say it again.”
She locked her eyes on his. “I love you, Sean O’Brien.”
The love he saw reflected in her eyes buried the last doubt he had. As gently as he could he pulled her close, content to just hold her.