Suddenly Last Summer (O'Neil Brothers 3)

“But he’s doing well because of you.” His grandfather’s tone was gruff and Sean gave a faint smile.

“Hell, Gramps, is that praise? Because it sounded almost like it.”

His grandfather bit into the almond cookie. “All I’m saying is that I’m glad you’ve put those hours of training and reading to good use. You didn’t waste your brain, which is good because I hate waste. I’m proud of you.”

It had been a week of shocks. First the revelations from Élise, then the near tragedy with Sam and now this.

Sean felt his throat thicken. “Gramps—”

He didn’t know what to say and it didn’t help that Élise chose that moment to walk onto the deck of the Boathouse. Her hair shone like polished oak and curved around her pretty face. For a moment he saw her with long hair and imagined her being dragged across a stark, gleaming kitchen by her ponytail.

His gut clamped in a tight knot.

Emotion slammed into him and all he could think was not now.

He couldn’t handle his feelings for her now, not when his grandfather was saying things he’d never said before.

“I didn’t save him.” He forced himself to concentrate. “The surgeons did that.”

“From what I’ve heard the only reason they had someone to save was because you’d saved him first. Of course, just because you’re a hotshot doctor doesn’t mean you couldn’t come home more often. It wouldn’t kill you to show up for family night once in a while.”

Family night? He squirmed. “You still do that?”

“Yes, as you’d know if you were here a bit more. Your grandmother would love to see you there.”

Élise was walking toward him, her eyes on his.

Her heels tapped on the deck.

His heart tapped against his chest.

He wondered if she was about to push him in the lake again. At this rate he was going to have to buy himself a whole new wardrobe.

“Good morning, Sean.” She gave him a cool look and then bent to give his grandfather a hug. “Walter. You are looking so much better. You have some color. How are you feeling?”

“I’m good. But I can’t walk five steps around this place without someone telling me my grandson is a hero.” Walter gave a grunt. “Load of fuss about nothing, I say. If he can’t save a boy after all that training, what is the point of it all I ask?” But he stood up and closed his hand over Sean’s shoulder. The strength in that wrinkled, weathered hand made it difficult for Sean to speak.

“It was lucky we arrived when we did.”

“Lucky you were home. You see? You don’t need to go back to Boston to save a life, you can do it right here at Snow Crystal.”

Sean laughed, relieved to have that hint of normality. “You never give up, do you?”

“Never. And neither do you. Which is why that boy is alive.” Walter turned away and kissed Élise on the cheek. “I’m going to leave the two of you. I can’t stomach all this medical talk.”

“I love you, Walter.”

Sean paused with his hand halfway to his coffee cup because now he understood. He understood why she lost no opportunity to say those words to the people who mattered in her life.

He reached for his cup and finished his coffee, noticing the way Élise’s hair curved around her jaw, drawing attention to her mouth.

The mouth he wanted to kiss again. And again.

He waited until his grandfather had moved away to talk to Poppy before meeting Élise’s gaze. “So did you come here so that you can push me in the lake again? Because if so I should probably move a little closer. I don’t want to splash that family of four over there.”

“I came to say I’m sorry.” She sat down in the seat vacated by Walter. “I accused you of breaking your promises. You should have told me I was wrong.”

“I tried. You weren’t listening and then I was inhaling lake water and after that—” he dropped his gaze to her mouth “—you wanted me to leave.”