One More Time

“I’ll be back.”

With that, Sean left me with the kids and drove into town to get the food. Tommy, Sarah, and I spent twenty minutes playing our game before Sean made it back home. We all sat down around the kitchen table, and again, I helped the kids get their plates settled. Sarah needed help cutting her chicken and Tommy was excited to learn how to use chopsticks.

I placed the sticks in Tommy’s hand and showed him how to pinch them together. After a few failed attempts and a lot of giggles, he finally managed to take a successful bite.

“I did it!”

His joy was infectious, and soon, we were all laughing. Even Sarah cheered for her brother’s success. Throughout the day, I’d noticed what Sean mentioned about their fighting, but it never grew out of control. With a few words of warning and a bit of a distraction, their bickering always subsided quickly.

We ate dinner and everyone seemed happy. Even Sean was smiling and laughing at times along with us. For the first time all day, I felt like he was okay with my presence.

“So,” I said as the kids finished eating. “What do you do for a living?”

The look of suspicion returned to his eyes before he answered. “I was a lawyer back in San Diego,” Sean said slowly. “But I left the firm when we moved here.”

“What do you do now?” I asked.

“Nothing yet.” He shrugged, unwilling to offer more.

I nodded.

“It’s good to take your time and go after what you’re really passionate about.”

Sean nodded but didn’t say anything. I knew then that I’d exhausted his conversational abilities for the night and didn’t want to press my luck. It was obvious that he wasn’t looking for a friend. As Tommy and Sarah finished dinner, I washed the dishes and took them upstairs for bath time. Tommy took a quick shower, and then he went to get his pajamas on. I helped Sarah take her bath and brush her teeth before she got on her own pajamas and climbed in bed.

“Good night,” I said. “I’ll send your daddy up.”

“Good night,” she said back with a wave.

I poked my head in to check on Tommy on my way downstairs, but he was already asleep. Smiling, I walked into the living room to say goodbye to Sean.

“They’re both in bed,” I said. “Sarah’s waiting for you, but Tommy’s already asleep.”

“I can handle bedtime by myself. There’s no need for you to do that part,” he said grudgingly.

I stifled a sigh. “Ok, I’ll be sure to leave that to you in the future.”

Sean nodded. “I’ll see you same time tomorrow.”

Yes sir. Is there anything else you need me to do? Like maybe take that stick out of your ass?

The guy needed a goo

d lesson in manners, but considering what he’d been through, I could give him a pass—for now.

“Good night,” I said, moving slowly toward the door.

As I stepped out onto the front porch, I couldn’t help but glance behind me. Sean was already making his way upstairs. With a sigh, I pulled the front door closed and walked to my car. Once inside, I let out a relieved breath and drove home.

My first day went better than I could have hoped. Tommy and Sarah both seemed to take to me easily, and even Sean had shown small glimpses of humanity at dinnertime. The kids were easy, but Sean had been my main concern. Some parents were nervous and had specific instructions for how to take care of their children. Sean wasn’t one of them.

As gruff and standoffish as he was, he let me take over effortlessly, and that only made my curiosity even stronger.

It didn’t help that he was exceptionally hot. Every time I looked over at Sean, my stomach filled with butterflies. He was gorgeous and incredibly sexy. I couldn’t keep my eyes from roaming over his biceps and obvious six-pack hidden just beneath the thin fabric of his T-shirt.

Sean’s body was on my mind the entire drive home.

CHAPTER FIVE - SEAN