Sean: A Stepbrother Romance (Coded for Love 3)

“Someone who thought he knew me.” Sean put an arm around her shoulder, welcoming her back. He smiled at her, as reassuringly as he could muster. “He didn’t.”

Her concerned expression morphed into a smile and she handed him an ice cream cone. She took a second over to Pixie who was still asleep, and gently woke her, offering her the treat.

“It’s getting cold,” he added, when she came back to his side. “Let’s eat this on the way.”

“Okay.” She licked her ice cream and gave him a cheeky smile. “Oh, and I want to go get some groceries on the way back. There’s a little shop near the house. I’ll pop in. I want to make us something special to eat tonight. We can chat some more after Pixie is in bed.”

He looked at her face and felt hollow inside. She was happier than he’d ever seen, and he could scarcely bring himself to respond. Reaching for the handle on the pushchair, he nodded.

They wandered back along the promenade, heading home. Sean kept one eye on the path behind them while he tried to figure out how to handle this, and what to say to Rowan. She seemed set on having a special evening. He couldn’t tell her, but he couldn’t risk her getting involved.

Occasionally he pulled out his phone to check the time. When they reached the shop, he nodded at her. “I’ll take Pixie home so she doesn’t get cold. You can catch us up.”

“Really?” Rowan laughed. “Most guys wouldn’t be seen dead on their own with a pushchair. Are you sure you don’t mind taking another turn?”

“I’m happy to do it.”

“In that case I’ll pick up a few other things as well, I’ll get us a bottle of wine and I better pick up some stuff for Nan and Gladys. I’ll be home in around fifteen minutes. Twenty, tops.” She hooked her hand around the back of his neck, and smiled while she stared up at him. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him.

Sean held onto the pushchair with one hand, his other arm slinking around her waist, pulling her hard against him. His mouth crushed hers, his gut turning because they’d come this far and he was going to have to leave immediately. She’d hate him for it. In fact he’d probably be shot down in flames by one of her looks if he tried to explain. But he couldn’t risk their safety.

“Hey, take it easy.” She laughed as she pulled back from his hungry kiss. “I won’t be gone long.”

Sean watched her regretfully. She was jogging to the shop.

He had a few minutes, if that. He dragged his attention back to the pushchair and headed off at speed toward the house.

Pixie leaned forward in her pram, reaching out.

Afraid he was frightening her, he slowed down a bit and took long slow strikes instead, reaching out to touch her head and keep her attention on him.

His gut tightened. It was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life, but he had to leave, he had to keep them safe.

He made a mental note: grab panniers, leave.

Couldn’t leave without writing a brief note, otherwise she would unleash every demon in hell to burn down his trail.

Write note. Grab panniers. Leave.

Chapter Eleven

O.M.G.

“Gone? What do you mean, he’s gone?” Rowan stared at her Nan, battling disbelief and denial. The most horrible cold, heart-wrenching feeling washed over her and it made her feel physically sick.

She dropped the bag of shopping she’d been carrying. Reaching out one hand, she gripped the back of a nearby chair. If she hadn’t, she probably would have keeled over on the spot. “Where has he gone?”

Nan looked worried. “We don’t know. At first, I thought maybe he’d gone to pick something up for you, but Gladys noticed he had his panniers with him.”

“He can’t have gone,” Rowan said, dizzy with denial and confusion, “he...he promised he wouldn’t go without saying goodbye.” Even as she said it, she doubted he’d made any such promise. He’d been clear he had to go to London, check out the job. But she’d been clear too, or so she thought. She needed notice of more heartbreak, at the very least.

This is why I shouldn’t have trusted him, she told herself, battling off the feeling of devastation threatening to overwhelm her.

Tears shone in Nan’s eyes. She was upset too, that proved it was true.

“Something must have happened,” Nan replied. “He came in and dashed about upstairs then Gladys saw him from the front window, taking off on the bike.”

Rowan could scarcely hear her now, her heart pounded in her ears, and her thoughts were rampaging all over the place, backtracking over the day and what had passed between them. All those things he’d sa