 
The Courage To Love

Love On The North Shore Book 1

Christina Tetreault
_The Courage to Love_ , © 2014 Christina Tetreault

Published by Christina Tetreault

Cover design by: Leah Kaye Suttle

Digital ISBN: 978-0-9883089-7-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems--except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews--without permission in writing from the author at cgtetreault@gmail.com. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author's imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

For more information on the author and her works, please see www.christinatetreault.com.
Table of Contents

Welcome Letter

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Excerpt

Other Books By Christina Tetreault
Dear Reader,

Welcome to North Salem, Massachusetts, the setting for my new series. Some of you may remember the town from _The Billionaire Playboy_ , book 2 in _The Sherbrookes of Newport Series_. However, if this is your first time visiting, please let me tell you a little about it.

Located forty minutes outside of Boston, it is in a part of the state referred to as The North Shore. North Salem is a close-knit New England town that few people leave. While such camaraderie can be wonderful, especially in times of need, it also means everyone knows each other's business, and squabbles that pop up in high school sometimes continue for years.

Despite the occasional gossip and minor squabbles, North Salem is a wonderful place. I hope you come to love the town and its citizens as much as I do.

Happy Reading.

Christina

# Chapter 1

Mia Troy took the off ramp to Longmeadow Road toward North Salem and tapped her hand against her thigh in time to the music playing on the rental car's speakers. She was glad to be leaving the city behind. So far no snags had affected her low-key mini vacation. She'd managed to leave her Beverly Hills home and board a plane in Los Angeles without an entourage of paparazzi in tow. Once in Boston, she got through Logan International Airport and to her rental car unnoticed, thanks to a little luck and a disguise. With a Boston Red Sox hat covering her auburn hair, a pair of well-worn capris, flip flops, and a Harvard T-shirt, she looked like any other traveler returning home. And to reinforce the look she'd skipped the makeup.

As she passed through the airport not a single person showed any sign of recognition, which said a lot because reporters and photographers from several magazines lurked inside the terminal. By chance she'd picked the same day Black, a popular boy band, arrived in town. Yet even with the heavy media presence not a single photographer swung a camera her way.

Turning up the radio, she allowed herself to enjoy the breeze and scenery as any leftover tension eased from her body. Relaxing and enjoying herself were the only two things she planned to do for the next few weeks. Over the past six months she'd worked nonstop on her latest film--her first suspense thriller. She'd loved the challenge of something new, but the director had been impossible and the material emotionally draining. With a solid month off before filming started on her next movie, she wanted time to recharge. A trip back to her home state of Massachusetts fit the bill, as did the small town of North Salem.

She'd first heard of the town after her friend's brother provided aid following a hurricane. Later, during a visit with Sara, she heard more about the picturesque New England town located on the North Shore about forty minutes from Boston. Since her first day of filming for her new movie would be in Boston, North Salem seemed like an ideal spot for her mini vacation.

"In one mile turn right onto Fender Drive," the GPS on the dashboard ordered.

Following the GPS directions, Mia pulled onto a narrow two-lane road. Historic homes lined both sides of the street, a vivid reminder of centuries gone by. Halfway down the road a welcome sign stood informing visitors that the town of North Salem had been founded in 1680. Alongside the sign stood a rock pillar with two arrows engraved into it. The topmost arrow pointed straight along with the words _Town Center_ , and a few inches under it another one pointed to the left with the words _Schools._

"Continue on this road for another three miles," the GPS dictated as she passed through the stop sign.

Satisfied with making it this far, Mia turned off the GPS. North Salem couldn't be that big. Even without the detailed step-by-step directions, she'd find The Victorian Rose, the bed and breakfast where she had reservations.

Shortly after passing a large hardware store, she pulled into the driveway of The Victorian Rose. From the outside, the well maintained Queen Anne style home looked just as it did on the website. Painted a dark cherry red with white trim, it looked as if it had been built yesterday rather than over a hundred years ago. Only one other car was parked in the parking lot behind the house, but a _No Vacancy_ sign hung out front.

A ringing bell announced her entrance into the main foyer. On either side of her were tastefully decorated rooms, and in front of her a wide gleaming staircase led to the upper floors. She saw no one around and, unlike a hotel, there was no check-in desk. Should she go in search of someone? Although open to guests, the home reminded her too much of a private residence to wander around, but then again what if no one heard the bell?

"Sorry to keep you waiting." A petite woman, with red hair sprinkled with silver, entered from the far end of the dining room.

"I just walked in. You must be Mrs. O'Brien. You look just like Charlie." Mia smiled and extended her hand.

"Please call me Maureen. You know my daughter?"

"We've met. Her husband's sister, Sara, and I are good friends."

Maureen's eyebrows pinched together in confusion. Judging by the woman's expression, she didn't recognize her.

"Mia Troy," she explained. "I have a reservation for a month. My assistant booked it under Amelia Troy." She'd told her assistant to book the room under her given first name, something she often did to keep her identity a secret even if only for a short time. No one aside from her family and closest friends knew that her legal name was Amelia and that Mia, her stage name, was actually a nickname her grandmother had given her as a toddler.

Recognition dawned on the older woman's face. "I wondered when you'd arrive. I expected you earlier today. Please follow me and we can get you all settled." The woman led her to a small office tucked away near the back of the house.

"I can take care of this for you, Ma. If you don't leave soon, you'll be late."

At the sound of the deep timbered voice, Mia turned. This had to be Sean O'Brien. He fit the description Charlie gave her to a T. Standing several inches over six feet and muscular with short dirty blond hair and intense green eyes, he looked like he belonged on a football field rather than inside a bed and breakfast.

"Are you sure?" Maureen asked.

Sean gave a slight nod. "Tonight's the one night you go out, and I don't want to hear it from Ray because his bridge partner was late." Without waiting for a reply he walked in, all but swallowing up the space in the room, and plucked the paperwork from his mom's hands.

Since Sean didn't strike her as the type to care what someone said to him, she guessed he was more concerned with his mom taking some time for herself.

"I'll see you in the morning then, Mia. I start serving breakfast at six thirty." Maureen disappeared with no further argument.

"If you could just fill these out, I'll show you upstairs. Ma put you in the Longfellow room. Do you need help with your bags?"

As she accepted the papers her hand brushed against his, and an electric tingle shot up her arm. Instantly she met his gaze, curious as to whether or not he sensed it. If he had, he showed no signs. His face remained a stoic mask his full lips neither smiling nor frowning. "That would be great. I have two in the car."

She filled out the paperwork and waited for Sean to ask for an autograph or a picture. Nine out of ten times, when someone recognized who she was, they asked. Not that it bothered her too much; after all, it went with the territory. Yet, sometimes it'd be nice if people realized she was just a person like them. To her surprise, the request never came. In fact when she looked up again to hand him the papers, he was looking at the calendar on the computer screen.

"All set," she said, as she held out the papers.

So this was who had booked a room for a month straight. He should've known it was not an ordinary guest. Not that he was complaining. Every room in the bed and breakfast was booked for the next two months. Thanks to his sister's marriage, The Victorian Rose had a steady stream of guests. Rarely did a weekend go by with a single empty room, which was great for business. In fact, he'd started to consider expanding. The grand house next door remained for sale. While it needed some cosmetic work, the structure appeared sound.

Sean watched as Mia filled out the paperwork. What type of guest would she turn out to be? Over the past year, numerous celebrities and other wealthy socialites had stayed with them. So far they all fell into one of two groups. Many were pleasant and undemanding, content to go about their own business, just wanting to be left alone. Some, however, were impossible to satisfy. They walked in the door as if they owned the place and expected you to bend over backward to please them. In their minds they were the only guests, and his mother and he were there to serve only them.

He had nothing to base his opinion on, but something told him Mia would fall into the first group. Maybe it was her appearance. While there was no denying she was beautiful, he never would've guessed she was Mia Troy, the world famous movie actress. Her outfit reminded him of something his sister or Jessica Quinn, the manager of the hardware store in town, would wear. She looked nothing like the glamorous celebrity on the cover of magazines every month.

"If you give me the keys to your car, I'll show you to your room and then get your bags."

Mia readjusted her hat. "Why don't we go outside first? I'll help you. I left a few other things in there besides my bags that I want to grab."

Never argue with a paying guest; that was his motto. Maybe that was why he left much of the customer service stuff to his mom while he kept things running smoothly from the background. He just didn't have the temperament to put up with their demands.

"Fine with me." Sean grabbed the keys to the Longfellow room from the key box in the desk drawer and held them out. "Here's your room key and a key to the front door. Ma locks the front door at eight o'clock every night."

She flashed him a smile as she accepted the keys, then stepped back into the hallway.

Sean followed her outside to the dark green Mercedes convertible in the parking lot, surprised by the woman. While the convertible wasn't your run-of-the-mill average car, it also wasn't one that would draw a lot of attention around town. The last television celebrity that had stayed with them had arrived in a brand-new, bright yellow Italian sports car that screamed "look at me" and had driven it around town with the music blaring.

"Thanks for the help. My bags are heavy, especially that one." Mia pointed to one of the suitcases in the trunk. "I tend to over-pack."

"Not a problem," he answered as he pulled out the first of the matching suitcases.

Mia disappeared inside the car and then reemerged with a large leather shoulder bag. "Any suggestions on things to do while I'm here?" She slammed the door closed and started walking away from the car.

"A lot of people like to visit Salem when they come. Others go to Boston. Ma put together a binder of things to do and places to visit. There should be one in your room. If not, let me know; she keeps extras in the office." He followed her back toward the entrance.

"I might put off Boston for now, but Salem will be a definite stop. The last time I visited I was about nine. I remember visiting the witch museum." She started up the main staircase and his eyes traveled up her long legs with pure male appreciation.

Other than the fact she starred in movies, he knew next to nothing about her. Once he'd made a quick assessment of her legs, he locked his eyes on the back of her head. "Family vacation?" Maybe it was because he'd lived his whole life in Massachusetts, but he couldn't imagine taking a family trip to his tiny corner of the world.

"More like a day trip during school vacation. I lived in Massachusetts until I was ten. During every school vacation my mom took us on day trips to places like Boston and Salem. Once or twice we went down to Mystic, Connecticut. Another time we went up to Portland, Maine."

Sean opened the door to her room, then took a step back and allowed her to enter first. "Where would you like these?" He nodded down to the suitcases he still carried.

"The bed is fine, thanks."

After placing the bags on the bed, he stepped back into the hall. "If you need anything, just let one of us know. Like Ma said, she starts serving breakfast at six thirty in the dining room. And she makes sure there are snacks in there throughout the day. If you want coffee or tea, feel free to stop in the kitchen."

"Great. Thanks."

With their newest guest settled, Sean returned to the office. With his mom gone for the next several hours, he needed to keep himself available in case one of the guests required help.

Since his mom started meeting her friends once a week, he'd gotten in the habit of working in the downstairs office. Most of the time he used the time to handle bills or place orders. On the rare occasion when no pressing office work required his attention, he'd work on his thesis. He'd submitted it for review last month. If all went well, he'd receive his master's degree by the end of next month, although no one outside the university knew that.

He'd started work on his bachelor's degree twelve years earlier, but with a full time job he'd only been able to take a few courses a semester. In fact, a few times he'd only squeezed in one course at a time.

It hadn't been his original intention to go on once he obtained his bachelor's degree. After all, it wasn't like he'd ever use it. After a semester away from course work, however, he'd found he'd missed it, so he applied and was accepted into a master's program at MIT.

Before he opened the file containing this month's expenses, he logged into the bed and breakfast's email account. Some days they received only one or two messages, while other days they received over a dozen inquiries. Today five messages popped up. Starting with the first one, he worked his way down the list, able to often cut and paste a prepared response to most of them.

When he hit the last one, the subject line grabbed his attention. Unlike the others that said something like "booking a room" or "thank you for a great stay," this one read "hello Sean." He never received personal emails on this account. He kept a separate email account, which he used for friends and classmates.

For a moment he considered deleting the message. More than likely it was a spam message or some other kind of phishing email. If he opened it, he would probably find a message telling him he'd won a million dollars; all he needed to do was transfer a hundred dollars to some account in Africa. Both his personal email and The Victorian Rose's email got those messages from time to time, despite the filters he'd set up.

Prepared to hit the tiny trash can icon next to the message, he moved the cursor toward it, but at the last minute changed his mind. Just to be on the safe side, he double clicked it.

He scanned the brief message once and then again, unable to accept the words. It had to be a mistake. The guy hadn't contacted him in eighteen years. Pulling his eyes away from the screen, he focused on the picture on the wall, a photo of the town common at sunset. This email had to be some kind of joke from one of his buddies. A few of them had a sick sense of humor and would find something like this humorous.

He dropped his gaze back to the screen. As he read the message again, his temper inched a little farther toward the ceiling and his fingernails dug into his palms as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Excuse me do you--" a female voice started from the doorway but came to an abrupt halt.

Slowly he registered the voice nearby, but it sounded far away.

"Are you okay?"

She sounded a little closer this time. Or maybe it just seemed closer, he wasn't sure. Forcing his eyes to leave the screen and the message there, he turned and saw Mia in the doorway, concern on her face.

"Can I help you?" With his attention distracted from the email, his brain registered the pain in his gritted teeth.

"It can wait until later," Mia answered as she took another step into the office. "Are you okay? You look upset."

He paused, surprised by her question. Other than his mother and sister, no one ever inquired about his well-being. If others never asked, why would their newest guest? "I'm fine. Do you need something?"

The needs of the guests came first. He'd deal with this email later.

Mia stopped next to the desk, and rested her fingertips on the top, her pink nail polish extra bright next to the dark wood. "You don't look fine. You're white as a sheet. You look as if you saw a ghost."

_Not saw, heard from_. Sean forced his shoulders to relax and unclenched his fists. "I got a message from someone I didn't expect. It's nothing."

He watched Mia's eyes move as she looked at him. With her baseball hat gone, he could clearly see that they were not plain brown but rather the color of whiskey with tiny specs of gold, and at the moment they seemed to be studying him as if she could see into his soul. "Is something wrong with your room?" He met her gaze and waited.

"The room is perfect. I hoped you could recommend a place for dinner."

"Sure. Masterson's has American food--things like chicken and steak. It's on the other side of town near the schools. If you want Italian food, Tuscany is good. It's down by the river. There's also The Jade Orient. They serve both Japanese and Chinese food. They're next door to Quinn's Hardware." The answers rolled off his tongue without any thought required.

Mia nodded. "Thanks."

When she left, he swung his eyes back to the message that remained unchanged on the screen, the signature at the bottom taunting him. The man had some massive balls to think he could reach out like this now. After eighteen years, his father was the last person he wanted to reconnect with. He prepared to delete the message but then changed his mind and typed out a short message that made his feelings crystal clear.

***

The image of Sean O'Brien seated at his desk, stark white with his fists clenched, remained etched in her mind as she drove toward Masterson's. Even before she'd gone downstairs in search of him, he'd been on her mind. From the moment he'd greeted her in the office, he intrigued her, although she couldn't pinpoint why. While handsome in a rugged, masculine sort of way, he wasn't drop-dead movie star gorgeous. In fact, if not for his height, she imagined he could walk through a crowd and not draw any attention to himself. But there was something about him.

Maybe her interest stemmed from how he'd reacted to her. He hadn't blinked an eye when he saw her. As he helped her with her bags, he treated her like any other guest. Not once did he try to impress her or ask for an autograph. Come to think of it, neither had his mother. She appreciated that more than either of them would ever know. Some days she couldn't even grab a coffee without being followed by either an overzealous photographer or a fan wanting to say hello. Granted, that went with the territory, but sometimes she just wanted to fly under the radar and go about her business like everyone else. Perhaps even worse than the people who treated her special were those who pretended to treat her like everyone else, then, the minute she turned her back, they bragged about how they'd met her on some social networking site.

Mia turned onto Lyman Road, and her thoughts went back to how she had found Sean. For anyone to have a reaction like that, it had to be quite a message. She hoped it wasn't bad news. An email message was a cold way to share bad news.

Halfway down the road, she hit the center of town, which looked as if someone had just plucked it off a movie set. A large grassy common with a bandstand sat at the center of the horseshoe-shaped road. A well-maintained clapboard building painted bright white stood at the top of the horseshoe. It had a clock mounted at its highest point and the words _Town Hall_ hung over a set of double doors. To the left of the town hall was a much smaller building with the words _North Salem Public Library_ attached to it. Several feet to the right was a sprawling joint fire and police station with a few police cars parked in front.

As she drove by the area, a sign announcing performances that would be held on the common over the coming weeks caught her eye. Already four young men were at work, probably preparing for this weekend's performance. In addition to the musicians, a few families enjoyed early picnic dinners while several children played on the small playground at the far corner of the common.

The entire setting was far removed from what she saw at home, and a sense of peace came over her. At one time she loved the excitement and everything else that went along with living in Beverly Hills, but lately it had been too much. In many ways she remained the small town girl she'd been before she landed her first television role at the age of ten. Back then her family had lived in a town similar to this one. After a talent agent noticed her at the beach one day and invited her to audition for a role in a new family sitcom, her entire family relocated to California. Since that day she'd considered California her home. The only time she'd lived in Massachusetts after that had been during the two years she spent at Harvard before returning to her acting career.

Following the arrow that pointed toward the schools, she turned again and drove another two miles before the family restaurant appeared. Thanks to the early hour, the parking lot remained relatively empty. Hopefully, that meant she could get in and out quickly tonight. Despite the short nap she'd taken on the plane, she was tired and eager to call it a day.

# Chapter 2

Showered and dressed after her morning run, Mia stepped out into the hallway and immediately caught the scent of freshly baked bread. Her stomach gave an unladylike growl as she closed and locked the door behind her. One of the things mentioned in the reviews of the bed and breakfast was the fabulous breakfasts Maureen O'Brien set out every day, and if the smells coming from downstairs were any indication, all the reviews were justified.

Only Maureen, busy arranging a tray of muffins on the sideboard, stood in the dining room when she entered. She jumped slightly when Mia greeted her.

"Good morning. You're up early. Please help yourself." Maureen swept her arm toward the mini-feast set out.

"I never sleep late," Mia admitted, as she grabbed a coffee mug. "I wish I could. My sisters and parents are the same way."

"Neither does my son. He never has. Not like my daughter. If not for her alarm, she'd never wake up in the morning." Maureen turned up the flame beneath a chafing dish. "There are pancakes and French toast in here and breakfast meat in that one. But if you'd like, I can prepare an omelet or some scrambled eggs. I don't like to put eggs out in the chafing dishes. They never taste quite right."

"No need. This is wonderful." Large breakfasts were not part of Mia's routine. In fact, some mornings she still had to force herself to eat at all. Even after all this time, some habits were hard to break.

"If you change your mind, let me know. I need to check on the second batch of muffins in the oven," Maureen said before she disappeared through the swinging door, leaving Mia alone.

Everything looked and smelled heavenly. Lifting the cover of one chafing dish, she contemplated one of the golden brown pancakes. The one next to it held sausage links and bacon. Two trays of banana nut muffins, still warm from the oven, beckoned as did the homemade donuts. Her mouth watered just looking at the sugar donuts. Tapping into her willpower, she passed by all the rich foods and added some fresh cut fruit and a yogurt to her plate.

"That's not all you're having is it?" Maureen entered the room with a basket of assorted bagels and breads which she set down next to jars of homemade jams.

"I don't like a big breakfast after a run." The excuse rolled off her tongue.

"Not even a muffin? I baked the banana nut this morning."

The muffins had been silently tormenting her since she walked in. "Just one. They do smell great." She took a warm muffin and added it to her plate.

"I don't know if Sean mentioned it to you, but, if you're interested, I can prepare a picnic or bag lunch for you any day during your stay. Usually only the couples are interested in the picnic meals, but I'll prepare them for anyone."

The mention of Sean brought back his anguished face when she had come upon him the day before. Had he answered the message he received?

"I usually take care of checking in guests, so he sometimes forgets to tell them."

"Great, thanks. I don't think I'll need anything today." She cut her muffin in half as she spoke. "Is it supposed to be a nice day? I thought I might check out the block party on the town common tonight. I saw them setting up when I drove by yesterday."

"It's supposed to be nice all week. If you do go tonight, get there early. It's the first party of the season and Ray's nephew's band is scheduled for tonight. They always draw a large crowd."

Mia knew she hadn't imagined the change in Maureen's voice when she mentioned Ray. If this was the same Ray she played bridge with, perhaps he was more than just a card partner.

Storing away Maureen's advice, she started on her breakfast. She planned to drive out to Woodlawn and visit her grandparents today. They still lived in the same house they had lived in for the last fifty years. She hadn't seen them since Christmas when they'd spent the holiday with her in California. In fact they always came to her, or at least it seemed that way. She couldn't recall the last time she had visited them.

Once finished with breakfast, she grabbed her bag off the floor and headed outside. When she arrived yesterday there'd been only one other car in the parking lot. Now four vehicles from as far away as Nevada crowded into the space. Farther down, away from the guests' cars, a black pickup piled high with boxes sat in front of the two-car garage next to a motorcycle. Mia stood by her car and waited. The pickup must belong to Sean. His mother mentioned he was an early riser, yet she hadn't seen him inside.

She didn't have to wait long before he appeared from around the corner of the house. Without stopping to consider her actions, she left her bag on the hood of her car and headed toward his truck.

"Good morning," she called out as she waved at him.

Sean pulled out a box and rested the corner of it on the truck bed before giving her a little nod. "Morning. Can I help you with something?"

"Nope. Just wanted to say hello." She smiled and waited for him to return the gesture. Instead, his brows dipped and his eyes flickered across her face.

Yesterday she thought his eyes were a light green, but today they appeared almost emerald, perhaps because of the forest green T-shirt he wore.

"Are you heading out already?"

"My grandparents live in Woodlawn. I'm heading out there to visit them. What about you? Any big plans for today?"

Sean ran a hand through his short hair. "Install a new sink in Ma's bathroom." He patted the box he'd started to pull out of the truck.

She waited for him to continue the conversation, but he remained silent. He must have more planned than that. It couldn't take all day to install a sink.

"That's it?" She should let him get back to work and head out herself but, although she had no idea why, she was curious about his day.

"I need to do a supply run, too."

Once again he kept his answers short, but his eyes remained locked on her face. Not once had she noticed him give her the once-over she usually got from the opposite sex. Maybe that was why he intrigued her and had managed to invade her dreams last night. He didn't act like most men she dealt with. He didn't go out of his way to impress her, but at the same time he remained polite and professional. When was the last time she'd talked with a man she just met and had not felt like a piece of meat dangling from stick?

"What about tonight? Do you have any plans?" Mia asked before she thought twice. When she'd walked outside a date hadn't been on her mind. Now that she'd asked though, she hoped he didn't have anything already planned for the night.

Sean's eyebrows dipped farther and his forehead creased. "Nothing right now."

She allowed her smile to grow a little wider. "I thought I'd go to the common for tonight's block party. I'd love some company. What do you say?"

Sean blinked and, judging by his expression, he was wondering if he'd heard her right. "Okay," he said with a hint of uncertainty.

"Your mother said we should get there early. I'll make sure I'm ready by five o'clock."

He gave her a curt nod. "Sounds good. I'll be here."

"Have a great day. See you tonight." With another wave, she walked back to her rental car, a new spark of excitement putting a bounce in her step.

Sean remained frozen in place as he watched the tiny convertible pull out of the parking lot. What had just happened? Had Mia just asked him out on a date? He didn't date often. Between his responsibilities around here, his part-time work with the town, and his coursework, there never remained much free time. When he did take a woman out, he always did the asking. Never in his life had a woman approached him and asked him. Yet Mia Troy, an A-list celebrity, had just done that, and he'd agreed. Talk about a disaster waiting to happen. He knew how to handle the women he asked out. Some he'd known all his life, in fact. People in North Salem had a tendency to never leave. A woman like Mia Troy, well, she was in a league all her own. The woman had been acting since she was a kid, owned houses all over the world, and dated guys with private jets. Other than not wanting to be alone tonight, he couldn't think of a good reason for her invitation. After all, other than him and his mother she didn't know anyone else in town. Yeah, that had to be it. She didn't want to be alone and he was the damn lucky SOB in town that she knew. He sure as hell wasn't going to complain about that.

Dismissing Mia from his thoughts, he picked up the box containing the basin for his mother's new pedestal sink and headed toward the loft above the garage. The sink was the last thing the bathroom needed before he could call the remodeling project complete. It'd taken him over two weeks, and he'd be glad to have it finished. Then he could start on the bathroom in the attic.

***

"I saw you talking to Mia this morning." Maureen took a seat across from Sean at the kitchen table. He'd carried in the supplies he picked up at the wholesaler and stopped in for a quick lunch before starting the next project.

"She seems so down to earth," Maureen said as she stirred sugar into her tea, feigning indifference, but seeming really curious. "Nothing like that Rosa Steinbeck who stayed here in March."

From the little interaction he had with Mia so far, he had to agree. Rosa Steinbeck, another A-list movie star, had stayed with them for three days back in March. From the moment the annoying woman entered The Victorian Rose, she'd been difficult. She made unreasonable demands at all times of the day and had been just plain old rude. They'd both breathed a sigh of relief when she left.

"Let's hope she stays that way." More than once he had almost lost his patience with Rosa. The only thing that kept him from telling her off was the knowledge of how terrible that would be for business. But sometimes... well, sometime it might be worth it to kick out a guest.

"I finished your bathroom this morning," Sean said, dismissing thoughts of Rosa as he reached for the second half of his turkey sandwich.

"Oh great. No more using your bathroom."

She said it innocently enough, but a minor pang of guilt still struck him. When he'd started the project he had anticipated a quick job. Instead it turned into something much longer, forcing his mother to use his shower in the attic in the morning and lugging her things over from the loft and up two flights of stairs. He'd offered to let her use his room so she didn't have to carry things back and forth, but she'd refused, insisting that she didn't mind.

Sean polished off his sandwich and started on a piece of blueberry pie. "When I'm done here I'm going to Quinn's for floor tiles. Anything you need while I'm out?"

Maureen shook her head. "Not that I can think of. If Jessie is in there, say hello to her for me." Turning her attention to her own lunch, Maureen remained silent for a few minutes, but then she looked up at him again, a twinkle in her eye. "I saw her a few weeks ago when I got my hair done. Have you seen her recently? She cut off about eight inches of her hair and got rid of her glasses. And I don't know how much weight she's lost, but she looks great. I almost didn't recognize her."

He'd noticed something different about her when he'd seen her last but hadn't known exactly what it was. "I saw her on Monday when I stopped in the store." It was hard not to see her regularly. She'd become a permanent fixture in her grandfather's hardware store since taking over as manager.

"She's such a nice girl," Maureen said tentatively. "If she's there, why don't you ask her to the block party tonight or maybe to a movie this weekend? You two would make a cute couple."

From time to time his mom tried to play matchmaker. She seemed to have an endless supply of friends who had single daughters, and Jessica Quinn was her favorite. He should've known another attempt was on its way. It had been over two months since her last attempt at finding him a girlfriend. "We've been through this. Jessie's a friend, Ma." Regardless of any hairstyle changes, he'd always see Jessica as a friend. He'd known her forever. She'd been close friends with his sister all through school. "Besides, I have plans for tonight."

Maureen sighed and her shoulders sagged. "Joining Tony Bates and his brothers for the baseball game?"

"Heading to the block party."

Maureen perked up in her chair. "Really? You don't do that often."

"Mia asked me, and I figured she might need someone around to keep the town jerks away. You know how some of them get when anyone of consequence visits--especially if alcohol is around." He fabricated the answer as he went along. In truth when Mia invited him, thoughts of how other people might react to her hadn't entered his mind. Instead he'd assumed she merely didn't want to be alone. But now that he thought about it, his excuse held merit.

"Really?" His mother's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Well, that's great."

He knew that look on his mom's face and needed to squash any grand ideas, here and now. "Don't, Ma. She just didn't want to show up alone and, other than you, I'm the only person in town she's met." Sean pushed back his chair and stood. He towered over his mother anyway, but with her seated it was even more evident. "I mean it, Ma. Don't try to make any more out of it."

***

She'd spent the first ten years of her life in Woodlawn, Massachusetts. Located about half an hour from Boxborough, the town itself covered a lot of square miles with very few people. In fact, people often joked that Woodlawn had more cows than people. Even so, her grandparents had never felt any need to leave. While she'd never admit it to anyone, she sometimes missed the town and wondered how her life might have been different if her parents hadn't allowed her to follow her dream. Would she and her sisters still be living here? Maybe she'd be married with a few children running around.

Before taking the turn onto her grandparents' street, Mia pulled up in front of her old elementary school. From the outside it appeared unchanged. Did any of her old teachers still work there? Some must have retired by now. They'd seemed ancient when she had them, but that might have been because she'd been so young at the time. Maybe one weekday before filming started she'd take a drive back and visit during school hours.

After her parents relocated the family to California, she'd never stepped foot in the school again. In fact she had never attended a regular school after that-- until college. Instead she had private tutors, and because of that she missed out on so much. There had been no school football games on weekends or proms like her cousins attended. She hadn't been able to play sports or work on a high school yearbook. Part of her resented all that. Growing up was about more than learning material out of a textbook. It was also about friends and experiences. Another part of her, however, recognized how fortunate she'd been. Her career had been launched at the age of ten and was still going strong. So many young people moved to California with the dream to make it big, but for most it never happened. Instead they ended up waiting tables between auditions, barely making enough to live on.

The two-story brick home appeared just as she remembered it. Even the wooden swing still hung on the front porch. So many times as a little girl she sat on that swing while her grandmother read her a story. In the beginning, her grandmother had done all the reading. As she got older and learned to read, they took turns reading the books from her grandmother's bookshelves. On that very swing they'd read all the books in the _Anne of Green Gables_ series as well as _Little Women_ and _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_.

Mia ran a hand across the swing as she passed by it and smiled. She had become an avid reader because of that swing. Now her grandmother probably sat here and read with one of her many great-grandchildren.

Before she had a chance to ring the bell, the front door opened and her grandmother appeared.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Sandra Troy stepped outside, her arms spread wide and a smile on her well-lined face.

"I wanted to surprise you, Gram." Mia closed the gap between them and hugged the older woman.

"I'm so happy to see you." Sandra pulled back and looked Mia over. "But I wish you would've called. I would've made something special for lunch." Sandra wrapped an arm around Mia's shoulders and led her inside. "Come in. Your grandfather's going to have a heart attack when he sees you here. He should be back soon. He went to get a new blade for his table saw. He's building a bookcase for Karen's birthday."

The familiar scent of lemon wood polish wrapped around Mia, and contentment settled over her. For as long as she could remember, her grandmother had polished all the furniture every Monday using the same furniture polish. Then every Tuesday and Thursday she scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom floors, using the same lemon-scented floor cleaner. And even though it had been a few years since her last visit, she was immediately comforted by the familiar scents.

"Karen's turning seven this year, right?" Mia had not seen her cousin's daughter in at least two years.

"Eight."

Sandra grabbed a framed photo off the mantle and handed it to her. A little redhead with freckles and two front teeth missing smiled up at her.

"And Rae Anne is pregnant again. She's due in December--around Christmas."

The last time she talked to her cousin had been in October, before she flew out to location in Australia. At the time her cousin hadn't mentioned she and her husband were trying for another child. "I'm surprised. She swore, after all the problems she had during Karen's pregnancy, she was done."

Mia placed the photo back on the crowded shelf that contained pictures of Sandra Troy's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The shelf wasn't the only place with photos. Framed collections hung all round the living room. Several were new, and Mia didn't recognize some faces. It looked like her cousins were still adding to their families.

In fact, Mia and her sisters were the only Troy grandchildren who had not yet married and started families of their own.

"Did Avery come with you?" Sandra called from the kitchen as she prepared tea for them.

"No, she's meeting me in Boston in a few weeks when filming starts." Two years older than Mia, her sister Avery acted as her personal assistant and travel companion. When Mia announced her plan to stay in North Salem for a few weeks, Avery had chosen to stay in California. Unlike Mia, Avery thrived on city life. The only time she left was when absolutely necessary.

"You're filming in Boston? Then you'll be around for a while."

Her grandmother filled a plate with peanut butter blossom cookies, her grandfather's favorite. Before moving to California, Mia, her sisters, and her cousins had spent one entire weekend each month at their grandparents' house. It had been her grandparents' way of giving their children some time alone. During those weekends all the kids would go through several batches of the homemade cookies. Mia didn't eat cookies often anymore, but she might have to have one or two today. She couldn't remember the last time she had her grandmother's homemade cookies.

"I should be. A good portion of the movie is being shot here in Massachusetts." Mia took a seat at the ancient kitchen table.

"When Avery gets here, you'll both have to come over. We'll have a big family get-together. I know everyone would love to see you." Sandra spooned sugar into her tea and handed the sugar bowl to Mia.

"All set." Mia loved sugar in her tea but stopped using it more than a year ago, around the time she put on a few extra pounds. In true Hollywood manner, the media had immediately hopped on her after a photographer snapped a picture of her in a bikini at the beach. Right away rumors started, many claiming she was pregnant by her then boyfriend, running back Eric Perry.

"But I will have one of these." Mia snagged a cookie off the plate. Just one wouldn't hurt, and who knew when she might have the opportunity again.

Sandra pushed the dish a little closer. "Have as many as you want. I can make more later. Now how have you been? Are you seeing anyone?"

Before she could answer, a vision of Sean popped into her head. Both yesterday and today he'd been polite and professional, which spoke volumes about his character. And the way he'd insisted his mom leave the night before indicated he cared a lot about her happiness. Most of the men she dated considered their own happiness first; she wanted someone more like Sean. Someone who put others first even if it inconvenienced him. Someone who wasn't impressed by her career or the balance in her bank account. And she liked his face. He was handsome, in that rugged hardworking way.

"No, not right now." Even as she said the words she remembered the spark she'd felt when Sean's hand brushed against hers the day before. Would that happen again? 

# Chapter 3

"Sean." Ray Larson walked out the door of Quinn's Hardware as Sean approached. "How have you been?"

In his early fifties, Ray still had a full head of brown hair with just a bit of gray near his temples, and unlike his younger brother Phil, he managed to keep himself in good shape despite his sedentary job. Like so many other residents in North Salem, Ray had grown up in town and gone to school with Sean's parents. Despite the years Ray had spent living out of state before coming back to Massachusetts, Sean had known the man most of his life, thanks to his regular visits home. "Good, you?"

"Can't complain. I'm on vacation this week."

Sean nodded toward the rolls of wallpaper and light fixtures Ray juggled. "Big project?"

"Something like that. I offered to help Carol wallpaper her kitchen and change the light fixtures," Ray answered, referring to his older sister. "Stan might be a great accountant, but he doesn't know the difference between a flathead screwdriver and a Phillips head."

Sean knew Carol's husband, a quiet mild-mannered man, and in all honesty he doubted if Stan knew the difference between a screw and a nail. "Do you want help getting all that to your car?"

"All set, thanks." Ray continued walking. "See you later."

Inside the familiar store, three more men stopped Sean before he even got past the registers just inside the door. That was the down side of living your whole life in a small town. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing someone you knew. For that reason he sometimes headed into Lowell, a good forty minutes away, for supplies rather than use the stores in town.

"Hey, Sean, are you here for the tiles you ordered?" Jessica Quinn called from in front of a display of duct tape.

Jessica was a permanent fixture in the hardware store owned by her grandparents, and he'd never paid attention to her appearance. Despite his mother's insistence that he ask Jessica out, he didn't view her as a potential girlfriend. Rather he saw her as almost a kid sister. A good friend of his sister Charlie, Jessica had spent a lot of time at their house over the years, and even now she stopped by and visited with his mother.

That afternoon though, thanks to his conversation with his mom, he noticed the changes his mom had pointed out. The long ponytail she'd worn all her life was gone, and her hair hung loose just shy of her shoulders. The wire-rimmed glasses she'd worn for as long as he could remember were gone, too.

"Yeah, finished Ma's bathroom this morning. Time to start on the one in the attic."

"The tiles are in the back. I'll show you." Jessica pushed the case of duct tape off to the side. "Are you going to the block party tonight?"

"Maybe." Despite Mia's request that morning, he wouldn't be surprised if the actress changed her mind. A small town block party couldn't compare to the Hollywood parties she was accustomed to. Once she had a chance to consider the type of event she'd agreed to, she'd probably drive into Boston and hit a few clubs instead.

"Have you talked to Charlie recently? She called me about a week ago and invited me down for the Fourth of July. She mentioned she wanted to get up here this month but wasn't sure that would work out."

"No, I haven't talked to her this week. I don't know what her plans are." Actually, the last time they'd spoken she'd invited him to Virginia for the Fourth of July weekend as well. He turned her down because The Victorian Rose was booked solid for that weekend. He'd thought she'd just invited him because they had not seen each other in a while. Jessie's admission that Charlie had invited her as well made him wonder. Was his sister trying to fix him up with her friend, too?

"Oh well, hopefully she gets up here soon." Jessica stopped in front of several cases stacked in the back room. "Do you want help with these?"

"I've got it."

"Okay. Maybe I'll see you tonight at the party. Gage's band is playing, so I'm going for a little while with Maryann. She asked me to keep her company while he performs," Jessica explained. Maryann was Gage's long-time girlfriend.

He watched Jessica walk away and shook his head. How had he missed the changes in her? She must have lost at least twenty pounds. Something like that didn't happen overnight. Had his life become so mundane and repetitive that he no longer paid attention to those around him? He hoped not. Lifting the boxes from the floor, he headed back through the store.

Sean added the last box of tiles to the stack in the bathroom closet and entered the other room in the attic. At one time the room had belonged to his sister. After his parents' divorce both he and his sister had moved into the attic bedrooms so his mom could rent their rooms to local college students to bring in money. When they turned the house into a bed and breakfast, he finished the loft over the garage for his mom and then moved into her bedroom on the second floor. After his sister's marriage into the Sherbrooke family, business exploded. To accommodate more guests he'd moved back into his old bedroom in the attic and turned his sister's old room into his own personal living room.

He went to the office area he'd set up in this room and sat at the computer. Before his mom logged into the bed and breakfast email, he wanted to go through the messages and delete any from his father. He'd deleted the first one after sending a short message stating that this email address was only for business purposes. That didn't mean his father wouldn't send another one, and Sean couldn't let his mom see it. Who knew how she might react to a message from the man who'd walked out on her and her children?

He cut and pasted his way through replies to the first ten messages. Then his progress came to a screeching halt. Once again his father's email address showed up. _Damn it._ Sean pushed his chair away from the desk, stood and walked to the window. He thought he'd made his feelings clear in his last email. Leaning his hands on the window sill, he took in a deep breath and exhaled. It would be a cold day in hell before he met with his father. Turning around he marched back to the desk and sat down again. Then, rather than read the message, he hit reply, typed a curt answer similar to his last one, and hit send.

Although his father's first message claimed he wanted to reconnect with him and Charlie, Sean doubted that was the real reason behind the messages. After all, the guy had not made any attempt to contact them for more than eighteen years. After walking out on the family, he never looked back. Sean understood not wanting frequent contact with an ex-wife, but not wanting anything to do with your children was unacceptable. A few of his friends were divorced, some even hated their ex-wives, but they saw their children every week. The way he saw it, his dad could only have one reason for contacting him now and that reason had dollar signs attached to it.

Should he warn Charlie? If his father had started sending emails to him, he may try to contact Charlie, too. Then again, he didn't see how his father could get her address, unless he contacted her through the hospital. It was no secret where she worked. Since her marriage, very little about her life wasn't common knowledge.

Yeah, Charlie needed a heads-up, just in case. Pulling out his phone, he dialed his sister and waited. When her voice mail picked up, he left a message asking her to call him back and then turned back to the computer. Before he changed out of his work clothes, he'd finish answering the emails.

***

Darn it. The only thing she hated more than other people being late, was being late herself. Without heading up to her room first to change, Mia dashed to the back office where she'd found Sean the night before. The clock read quarter of six and she'd told him to be ready by five.

Mia found the office door open and the room empty. The rooms off the front foyer had been empty as well when she came in. The truck he'd been unloading that morning remained outside, as did the motorcycle she'd spotted near the garage. So unless he had another vehicle, he was here somewhere.

Following the unique combination of rosemary and cinnamon, she headed for the kitchen. Both Sean and Maureen sat at the table with a platter of chicken and roasted potatoes in the middle. On the counter she spotted an apple pie with the steam still coming off the top.

"Hi, sorry I'm so late." Mia stopped next to the table. "I can be ready to go in ten minutes, Sean."

"Why don't you sit and eat before you go," Maureen said as she stood. "I'll get you a plate."

"I'm still stuffed from lunch, but thank you. Sean, I'll be right back."

He glanced up at her. "Come and get me when you're ready," he answered.

Mia jogged up the stairs and into her room. Peeling off the top her cousin's baby spit up on, she grabbed another from the closet. After touching up her lipstick, she gathered her hair up in a ponytail and pulled on her baseball cap. If anyone looked closely they'd more than likely recognize her, but since no one knew she was here, she might be able to blend into the crowd tonight.

Eight minutes later, she returned to the kitchen where Sean remained at the table, eating a large slice of pie topped with vanilla ice cream.

"All set."

Sean grabbed his napkin. The movement drew her eyes to his large hands. One nail on his left hand was a deep purple and his ring finger was covered with a bandage. A long white scar stretched across the top of his right hand. They were the hands of someone who worked hard. Just looking at them, she could imagine how they might feel on her skin and a tiny shiver went down her spine.

"Thanks for dinner, Ma." He pushed back his chair and came to his feet. "After you," he said as he gestured toward the kitchen door.

"I really am sorry about being late. I lost track of time." Mia closed the truck door as he slid behind the wheel.

Sean shrugged and started the truck. "No big deal. I figured you changed your mind and went into Boston for the night," he said matter-of-factly.

"I'm still sorry. I hate being late and don't like to keep people waiting for me. But I haven't seen my grandparents since Christmas, and then a few of my cousins stopped by after lunch."

"I understand. Don't worry about it," he said as his shoulder visibly relaxed and his voice softened in an unspoken forgiveness. "You still have family around here?" Sean shot her a quick look as he backed out of the driveway.

"In Woodlawn. Out near Boxborough. That's where I lived until I moved to California."

"Never heard of it."

Mia smiled. "That's no big surprise. Not many people have. It's a small town, and I think half its population is made up of my relatives. Both my mom and dad were born there."

"Big family?"

"More like gigantic. My mom is one of six and my dad is one of five. I think I have about thirty first cousins and many of them have children now. As far as I know only a few of them have moved out of town."

The corner of Sean's mouth curved up. "Yeah, I'd call that big." He pulled to the curb in front of a small deli with a closed sign in the window and looked over at her. "This is as close as we're going to get. They close off the roads near the common for the party."

"I don't mind walking."

The town common she'd passed the day before was now crowded with people. On the far end several games had been set up for the children to play, including a dunking machine, and from here she saw several teens lined up to dunk the adult, perhaps one of their teachers or coaches, seated inside. Tables covered with food lined the grass in front of the Town Hall while farther down, residents manned several grills. The smoke from the charcoal drifted into the night air, mingling with the smell of cooking meat and making her mouth water. There was just something about the smell of food cooking on a grill that she'd always loved. On the stage a band played something that was a cross between rock and country music, as people in the audience danced and sang along with the lead singer, a twenty-something guy dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with his long hair tied back in a ponytail.

"This is it." Sean stopped at the edge of the green, his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets. "There will be fireworks later. They always have them for the first and last block parties of the season."

She'd never seen anything like it. Intent on joining the crowd near the stage, she took a step forward. When Sean remained still, she looked back at him. "Is something wrong?"

"I didn't think you'd want to stick around once you got here and saw what it's all about."

"Why wouldn't I?" She turned on her heel and faced him, puzzled by his statement. After all, she had asked him to the party.

Sean nodded toward the scene in front of him. "This isn't exactly a Hollywood party. It's all right if you want to go. I understand."

No, this was no Hollywood party, but then again as of late she'd grown tired of those parties and their usual crowd. "I want to dance." She grabbed his arm and pulled him.

"I don't dance," he answered as he followed her toward the makeshift dance floor.

_I knew you were going to say that._ Despite his protest, she weaved her way through the crowd, her hand latched onto his arm. She couldn't figure the guy out, and the more time she spent with him the more she wanted to. He was never rude, but he kept to himself. He didn't go out of his way to impress her and not once had he made any comment on her appearance. Not even a simple, you look nice had passed through his lips. Did he treat all women like that or just her?

On stage Gage Larson launched into another song. Sean had never liked Ray's youngest nephew, yet he was a damn good musician. Whenever his band played on the common, they drew the biggest crowds. He'd heard they drew big crowds when they played the clubs in Boston and Providence, but he'd never cared enough to find out if it was true.

Leaning back against the large oak, his eyes wandered over the crowd. There wasn't a single face he didn't recognize. Slowly, his gaze returned to the tall slim figure swaying with the music in front of him. She hadn't stopped moving since she pulled him to the dance floor and tried to coax him into dancing, but when he refused a second time she joined the edge of the crowd, leaving him to watch her. Something he found quite enjoyable--maybe too enjoyable. Dressed in short denim shorts and a bright red top, every one of her curves were on display, especially her glorious legs. The damn things went on forever. And he wasn't the only one to notice. Every male that walked by, regardless of age, slowed to admire her.

As he continued to watch her, he let his mind think back to earlier that evening. When five o'clock had come and gone and she hadn't appeared, he'd assumed she'd changed her mind. While he didn't care if she had (actually he had assumed she would), he was still annoyed and had found it rude of her not to at least let him know. But when she had apologized and explained her tardiness, he had been excited and surprised to discover that he'd actually been looking forward to seeing her again. He hadn't even minded that they were going to the town block party, something he had skipped most of the time. In fact, he had been proud to take her there.

On the stage, Gage stopped singing and announced, "We're taking a break. We'll be back in thirty minutes. While you're waiting, why not head over to the dunk tank and see if you can get Mr. Rizzo." A cheer went up from the teens on the dance floor and several headed in that direction.

Mia turned and walked back toward him, her long legs quickly eating up the couple of yards between them. As she walked his eyes zeroed in on the way her hips swayed, reminding him more of a lingerie model making her way down the runway at a fashion show than someone crossing the town common. Red hot desire ignited something inside him, and every part of his body went on high alert. Sean wasn't a monk, but he'd never gotten this turned on by simply watching a woman walk toward him. Then again, North Salem didn't have any women who looked like Mia Troy walking around.

"I saw someone pass by with some fried dough. I can't remember the last time I had that." Mia stopped in front of him, her hands shoved in her back pockets.

"Food is this way." Sean pushed off the tree and started toward the top of the common. "The church always sells fried dough and homemade apple cider donuts." As they crossed the common, they received a few glances from other people and several called out hellos, but no one seemed to recognize Mia. Since she'd dressed casually and put all her hair under a baseball cap, he guessed she wanted it that way. Not that he blamed her. On the one occasion he'd visited his sister and brother in-law in Virginia he'd had his own run in with the paparazzi. It had been enough to last him a couple lifetimes.

Several tables and carts lined the top of the common, selling everything from fried dough to burgers and sausage subs. The smells all mixed together, creating a unique carnival aroma.

Sean stopped next to a cart where an elderly widow kept an eye on several electric skillets filled with hot oil. "Two fried doughs, please, Mrs. Mitchell." Without a second thought, he pulled a five dollar bill from his wallet and handed it over.

"I'm glad you made it out tonight, Sean." Mrs. Mitchell handed him two paper plates. "There's powdered sugar as well as cinnamon and cocoa down there." She glanced at Mia for a moment and then looked back at Sean and smiled. "Tell your mom I'll see her on Thursday."

"I will." Sean handed one plate to Mia as they walked away. "It's still very hot."

"Thanks. You didn't have to buy it."

Sean shrugged and loaded his snack with powdered sugar. Across from him, Mia added a dusting of sugar and then cinnamon to her own before she tore off a tiny piece and popped it in her mouth.

"Come on. There's a table over there." Sean pointed with his paper plate and Mia fell into step next to him, her arm brushing against his every now and then, heating his blood.

"I'd forgotten how good this is." Once seated, she tore off another piece and popped it in her mouth. When she darted her tongue out to lick the sugar from her fingers, his eyes followed, unable to look away.

"So who's the man in the tank over there? A lot of kids seemed excited about dunking him." Mia's voice invaded the wayward thought he'd started having, which involved her long slender fingers and his naked body.

Sean glanced down and tore a piece off his own fried treat. "Mr. Rizzo is the high school principal. He lost a bet with one of his classes his first year teaching here, and he's gone into the dunk tank once a year ever since. He always does it at the first block party of the year."

Mia leaned her forearms on the table, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Really. What was the bet?"

"He taught math, and his first year here he had one class where more than half the students were failing. He said if everyone passed for the year, he'd get in the tank for the night. If even one student failed, they all had to take a turn in the tank before the end of the summer."

"And everyone passed?"

With a mouthful of food, Sean nodded. "After that he made the same bet with one class each year at the start of the school year. And every year he ended up in the tank. When he became principal about five years ago, he just kept volunteering. By then it had become a tradition."

"You seem to know everyone," she said when Sean waved to Lee Beverly as he walked by them.

"That's what happens when you live in a small town all your life."

"I think it's nice." She tore off another piece of dough, but this time he maintained eye contact. He couldn't watch her tongue licking sugar off her fingers again. His body could only take so much torture at one time.

Before he offered his opinion, Brendan Michaels plopped down next to Mia, and the whole picnic table shook. Immediately the stench of stale beer reached him from across the table. Two years younger than Sean, they'd played sports together in high school and even back then the guy had been an ass. Age had not improved him. If anything it had made him more of a jerk.

"Hey there, darlin'," Brendan drawled. Despite living in Massachusetts for over twenty years now, he still spoke with a southern accent, especially when drunk. "How about we have a drink together?"

Mia inched away. "No, thanks."

"Then what do you say we ditch O'Brien here and go have some fun? I promise you won't be disappointed, babe." Brendan threw an arm around Mia's shoulders and pulled her close.

"She already said no, Brendan. Beat it."

Brendan looked over at him, his arm still across Mia's shoulders. "Get lost, O'Brien. This is between me and the lady," he said before he looked back over at Mia. "Come on. Say yes. We'll have fun, I promise."

Mia removed Brendan's arm and stood. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not interested." Her voice remained remarkably polite considering the ass next to her.

Over the years he'd seen this particular scene play out and had been forced to intervene on more than one occasion. So it came as no surprise when Brendan stood and reached for Mia's hand, unwilling to take no for an answer.

"Come on, darlin', is that any way to be?"

Sean shot up and inserted himself between Brendan and Mia. "She said no."

Narrowing his eyes, Brendan took a step closer. "I don't remember asking you," he said, the stench of beer on his breath enough to get someone drunk.

"Let's just go, Sean," Mia said from behind him, her voice containing a hint of unease.

Prepared to tell her not to worry, he began to turn, when Brendan's fist connected with his jaw. Pain shot up through his face, and he spun back around as Brendan swung at him again. Prepared this time, he stepped to the right all the while keeping Mia behind him, safe from Brendan's swing.

When Brendan's fist connected with nothing but air, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

"Leave her alone, Brendan. She's not interested," Sean said. His voice contained a clear warning of what would happen if Brendan bothered Mia again while she was in town. While he never sought out fights, he had the skills to decimate an opponent if the need arose.

From the ground, Brendan glared up at him but didn't get back up. Instead he studied Mia, who now stood next to Sean, her arm brushing against his.

"You should mind your own business, O'Brien," Brendan said, as a small group formed around them.

"Let's go, Sean." A soft hand touched his forearm, and he looked over at Mia who watched the growing crowd with alarm.

"Get off your ass, Brendan."

Sean looked back as Brendan's older brother, Liam, helped him up. Sean and Liam had graduated together, and Liam knew what a jerk his brother could be.

"I suggest you get him home and make sure you keep him away from my friend," Sean said, before taking Mia by the hand and leading her away from the crowd.

He kept her hand in his as they crossed the common. On the stage the band started back up, but Mia didn't mention dancing again. In fact, she remained silent until they climbed in his truck.

He started up the truck but kept it in park. "I'm sorry about that scene back there. Not everyone in town is like that." He looked over at her as he spoke. Her carefree attitude from earlier no longer lit up her face, but at the same time she appeared calm.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. It wasn't your fault." Mia met his gaze. "And thank you for your help."

Heat climbed up his neck and he looked out the windshield. "Don't mention it. Brendan gets like that when he's drunk. He always has, even in high school."

"Does it hurt?" she asked with genuine concern.

He almost asked what she referred to when her fingers slid across his jaw and the heat he'd felt a moment before spread.

"There's already a bruise there."

Uncomfortable with the concern he heard, he cleared his throat. "I'm fine." From the corner of his eye, he saw Mia fold her hands in her lap, but his skin still burned where her fingers had been. "Are you okay?" he asked to fill the silence. Normally, he liked the quiet. Tonight, seated in the cab of his truck with this beautiful woman, he found it oppressive.

"Great. I had fun, well, until that anyway. It's been a long time since I went to an event like that."

Neither spoke again until they walked inside The Victorian Rose. The entire first floor appeared empty, but all the lights remained on.

"Thank you again for everything tonight." Mia pulled the baseball cap off her head. "If you're not busy, maybe we can go out again while I'm here."

The overhead lights bounced off her hair, picking up the golden highlights, and he focused on that as his brain registered her words. He'd assumed that morning's invitation came because she didn't want to attend the town block party alone. This invitation didn't fit with that assumption.

"Tomorrow I'm having dinner in Boston with an old friend, but maybe another night this week?"

"Yeah, sure." No single straight man alive would turn down Mia Troy.

Mia's famous smile spread across her face, making her look more like the movie star that graced the covers of magazines than the woman he'd eaten fried dough with at the party. Using all his will power he forced himself not to move closer and kiss her.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow." Without any warning, Mia took a step closer and dropped a kiss on the developing bruise. "Goodnight. Thank you again."

The simple kiss sent all the blood in his body south. "Goodnight." Confused, he watched her climb the stairs, then with a slight shake of his head, he turned and went toward the kitchen. He needed something ice cold to cool him off before he set the entire house on fire.

# Chapter 4

"So are you ready to leave yet?" Avery asked a few days later. "I can book you a room in Boston. Or maybe you can meet me in New York. I planned to stop there for a few days before coming to Boston. I can push up my plans. We could go shopping, maybe catch a show on Broadway."

Mia stood next to her bedroom window. Facing the back of the house, she saw the white gazebo surrounded by colorful flowers. The day before she'd taken a book out there and read for hours. Today the gazebo remained empty, and ominous dark clouds hung low in the sky.

"No, I'm good. I went to visit Gram and Pop a few days ago, and the other night I went to a town block party." Outside, Sean's huge Irish Wolfhound, Max, crossed the yard. She'd never realized how big the breed was until the dog had joined her in the gazebo while she read. "I had dinner with Casey this week, too. She works at a law office in Boston."

"Seriously, Mia, a town block party? It's worse than I thought."

Even when they'd lived in Woodlawn before Mia landed her first TV role, Avery had disliked small town life. She constantly bugged her mom to take her into Boston or New York. After moving to California and spending most of her time in cities, her disdain for small towns only grew.

"How boring was that?"

"Knock it off, Avery. I had fun." The memory of eating fried dough covered with cinnamon and sugar came to the forefront of her mind. Quickly that memory faded and was replaced by the image of Sean protecting her from the drunk guy. She'd never had a guy intervene on her behalf like that. Sure she'd had a bodyguard to keep over-zealous fans or photographers away, but she paid them to do that. If not for the fat paychecks they received, she doubted most would lift a finger for her. Sean had stepped in because he wanted to, and she found that incredibly sexy.

"If you say so. How's Gram and Pop?" Avery asked, sounding unconvinced.

"They're fine. They want us to come by when you get here." From the other side of the yard, Sean appeared, walking the same path his dog had a moment earlier, a toolbox in his hand. She'd only seen him once since Saturday night. Sunday she spent most of the day in Boston with Casey, one of the few friends she'd stayed in contact with after leaving Harvard, and the day before his truck had been gone most of the day.

"Hello, Mia. Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, what?" Mia asked as Sean disappeared from her line of sight.

"Did you see Rae Ann? She called me the other day, but I was out." Born a month apart, Avery and their cousin Rae Ann had always been close despite the distance between them.

"She stopped by for a little while. Did you know she's pregnant again? She's due in December."

For another twenty minutes or so Avery bombarded her with questions about the family.

"Maybe you should skip New York and come here and visit everyone. Gram and Pop would love to see you. You could stay here with me for a few days. I can check with Sean and see if he has any vacancies soon."

"Sean?"

"The owner, well, one of the owners here. He and his mom run the bed and breakfast." Outside a huge flash of light erupted across the sky followed by a clap of thunder.

"I know all about The Victorian Rose. I just didn't realize you were on a first name basis with the owners."

Mia didn't miss the curiosity in her sister's voice.

"Are you having a little extra fun while you're out there? Is that why you are so eager to stick around?"

Another flash of light lit up the dark afternoon sky and a deluge of rain hit the window. "Knock it off, Avery. I'm not doing anything but relaxing. Seriously, why don't you fly out here early and stay with me? I can pick you up in Boston. It'll be fun."

"I'll think about it. And before I forget, I ran into Brad St. Pierre at Club 20 last weekend. He asked about you."

Mia rolled her eyes. She'd first met Brad when she'd gone back to acting after an attempt at college. They'd dated on and off for years, but after their last break up she'd promised herself no more. Brad was a nice guy, but they'd tried it enough times now to know it didn't work between them. "If you see him again tell him I said hello. I don't think I've seen him since last November."

When her sister started with the usual questions about her failed attempts at romance with Brad, Mia brought the conversation to an end. For whatever reason, her sister never understood why they couldn't work things out.

Outside, Sean appeared again, this time heading back toward the house. Tossing her phone down, she headed downstairs in the hopes of intercepting him. They still hadn't agreed on another date and, man, if she didn't want to do that. The man occupied way too many of her thoughts for her not get to know him better before she left North Salem.

Sean came around the corner into the back hallway just as she reached the bottom step. Drenched from head to toe, water dripped down his face and his dark gray T-shirt was plastered to his body, clearly outlining the hard, well-formed muscles it covered. Living and working in Hollywood, she'd come in contact with plenty of drop-dead sexy men, yet for some reason the sight of Sean stopped her short. Was it because he'd refined his body through real hard work rather than a combination of steroids and hours with a personal trainer? Or maybe it was the combination of the ugly purple bruise on his face and the thin scar near his right eye that gave him that bad boy look so many men strived for but most never quite achieved. Whatever it was, Sean had it.

"Sean, I hoped to see you today," Mia said, acting as if she hadn't used the back stairway knowing he was on his way inside.

"Is something wrong?" He met and held her gaze, not once looking anywhere but her face.

She stepped off the bottom step and smiled at him. "No. I wondered if you were busy tonight. If you're free, I thought we could go out."

When he stared at her, she wondered if perhaps she had food from lunch stuck in her teeth or something. She didn't ask men out often, but when she did, they said yes without blinking an eye. It had always been that way, so Sean's continued silence surprised her.

"What did you have in mind? I need to stick around here until Ma gets back. She drove a friend to a doctor's appointment in Boston."

"Honestly, I thought maybe a ghost tour in Salem, but now it's raining so maybe just dinner." The attraction booklet in her room listed the ghost tours as a popular event held every night from mid-spring until Thanksgiving.

"She's supposed to be home around six, but with traffic you never know."

How awful it must be to always have every minute of your life dictated by others. "I don't mind waiting. Find me when she gets home."

"Will do." Sean moved closer to the staircase. "I need to change."

"See you later." She smiled again and watched him head up the stairs. When she'd decided on a little vacation before work started on the movie, dating hadn't been on her agenda. Regardless, it was there now. Humming to herself she considered what outfit she should wear tonight as she popped into the kitchen. Then after grabbing an iced tea, she returned to her room and the script on her nightstand. Over the years she'd developed the reputation of always being well-prepared for scenes. Right now she didn't consider herself even close to prepared for her upcoming role.

After a few hours of reading over the script, Mia tossed the pages down and pulled off the glasses she only used for reading. So focused on the script, she had lost track of time, and now the clock next to her bed read six thirty. Since Sean hadn't come up looking for her, his mother must not be home yet. Rather than sit around and wait for him, she checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror, then went in search of him.

She'd just reached the bottom steps to the front foyer when the door opened and a man, perhaps in his early fifties, walked in. Well over six feet tall, the man had a full head of dark blond hair streaked with gray, and his face was covered by a well-trimmed beard. She'd never laid eyes on him before, yet somehow he looked familiar. He wasn't a guest. She'd met all of them over the past few days. Perhaps this was Ray, the man Maureen played bridge with.

Mia smiled and wondered if she should say something. On the day she'd arrived, Maureen had appeared just moments after she walked in. Right now, though, the seconds ticked by and Maureen wasn't here. Neither was Sean.

"Do you know if Sean O'Brien is around?" the man at the door asked as he glanced around.

"He should be. He's probably in the office, I can go check for you."

The man's gaze focused on her face, and she knew he was trying to place her. "Yeah. I'll wait here. Thanks."

She considered asking him for his name, but then thought better of it. The man didn't seem interested in talking to her, and she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself.

Seated in front of the computer, Sean's hands danced across the keyboard, his eyes glued to the screen. He'd exchanged his wet clothes from earlier for a dark blue Harley-Davidson T-shirt and well-worn jeans.

She remained in the doorway unable to draw her eyes away from his work-worn hands as an image of them moving across her body materialized. "Hi, Sean. There's someone here asking for you."

Sean's hands stilled but hovered over the keyboard as he turned his gaze toward her. "Now? We're not expecting any guests today."

She shrugged. She'd seen the no vacancy sign out front, so she knew there were no rooms available tonight. Then again, the guy in the foyer hadn't said he was checking in and he didn't have any luggage. "He didn't say he wanted a room, but he did ask for you by name."

Sean stood and rubbed his forehead. "Thanks. I'll take care of it."

With her message delivered, Mia wandered toward the kitchen. While Sean handled the visitor, she'd make coffee and then maybe visit with him for a while. She'd had enough solitude for the day. Besides, Maureen was due home at any time, and then they could go out. Now that she realized how late it was, she was starving. She'd just popped an individual coffee packet in the single cup machine when she heard Sean's raised voice.

"Get out of here. _Now_." Controlled anger radiated from his voice.

Curiosity piqued, she left the coffee behind and went through the swinging door into the dining room. The visitor looked unaffected by Sean's command. Sean on the other hand appeared ready for battle. His legs were braced apart, his hands formed fists by his sides, and his jaw was working overtime on grinding his teeth to dust.

When the visitor took a few steps closer to Sean, Mia figured he was either stupid or blind. If someone who looked like Sean glared at her that way, she'd run the other way and not look back.

"I just want to talk, son." The man stopped only an arm's length away from Sean, his voice calm.

Mia now realized why he'd looked so familiar: he was an older version of Sean.

Sean had walked into the foyer expecting a solicitor or maybe even a reporter. Even now, a year after his sister's marriage into the Sherbrooke family, they stopped by from time to time. When he spotted the man waiting for him, though, rage consumed him. Although much older than he remembered, Sean recognized him immediately.

"I said leave." He tensed the muscles in his upper arm and forced himself not to take a swing at his father. At any moment a guest could walk in; finding him in a fight would be disastrous.

"A son should show his father a little more respect."

His head filled with red, his body and brain stopped communicating with each other and he took a step forward. From somewhere outside his body he registered that he'd raised his fist, prepared to do the one thing he'd dreamed of doing for the past eighteen years. Through the boiling rage in his head, he felt something warm and soft on his forearm. Slowly, his brain identified the object as a hand on his arm and he stopped in mid-swing toward his father's face.

"You're not welcome here." He'd like nothing more than to open the door and kick his father's ass out, but the last thing the bed and breakfast needed was a lawsuit.

His father glanced over at Mia who stood next to him, her hand still on his arm was a reminder that he was running a business.

"I'll leave, but, Sean, all I want to do is talk." His father nodded toward Mia. "Maybe your girlfriend can convince you to listen."

A swear-laden retort sat on his tongue, but he kept it from spilling out. Instead he stood frozen as his father walked out of the door, taking him back eighteen years to the last time he'd seen his father walk out the very same door.

It had been the morning of the homecoming football game his senior year. His mother and sister were already in the kitchen eating breakfast, but he'd just come downstairs. Although his father occasionally worked Saturdays, Sean thought he would come to his game that afternoon. Not only was he the captain and starting quarterback, but the team had been undefeated so far that season. Rumor had it that recruiters from the University of Florida would be there today. Already Boston College had shown interest in him and his fellow teammate, Tony Bates. While Tony planned to accept a scholarship from Boston College if they offered, he'd been more interested in the University of Florida. More than anything, he longed to get away from North Salem.

When he questioned his father that morning, he'd only gotten a "can't make it today maybe next week." Although disappointed, he brushed it off. That afternoon his team crushed the team from Danvers, and recruiters from the University of Florida had spoken to him right before he and Amy Osborne, the captain of the cheerleading squad, were crowned homecoming king and queen.

He went to the dance that night with Amy glued to his side. They'd snuck out of the dance early and had their own little homecoming celebration inside the refreshment stand near the football field. Sometime well after midnight he came home, and his mother's car was the only one in the driveway. Both his mom and sister were asleep, but a snack sat on the kitchen table for him. It wasn't the first time he'd come home late and his father wasn't around. If the rumors were true, his father was seeing a waitress from The Oyster Box, a restaurant in the next town over.

Sean had been hearing rumors about his father and two uncles since he was fifteen. Deep down, he knew they were true, but he always pushed them into the deep recesses of his mind. Whenever he let them come up, guilt plagued him. If the rumors were true, his mother had the right to know. At the same time, he told himself it wasn't his place to tell her. Besides, more than likely she heard the rumors around town, too. Gossip spread like wildfire around North Salem. If she had heard them and chose to stay with her husband anyway, it wasn't any of his business, so he kept his mouth shut.

The next morning when he came down to breakfast, his father's car was still absent--and that day his life had been altered forever. A whole week passed before anyone heard from Seamus O'Brien again. Via a short phone call, he informed his family that he'd moved to Florida and wanted a divorce. He hadn't asked to speak with either of his children. Instead he'd asked for some of his possessions to be shipped to him. Since then, Sean had seen his father once. The day he'd accompanied his mother to the courthouse for the divorce proceedings.

"Are you okay?"

Mia's voice pulled Sean back to the present. He roughly scrubbed a hand across his face and shoved the memories back into their little box. "Yeah. Thank you. You kept that scene from getting ugly."

Mia gave him a small shrug. "Don't mention it. I'm just glad I could help." She smiled at him and his heart all but flipped in his chest.

"I can't--" Sean began to say but paused when he heard footsteps.

"Sean, are you done with the computer in the office?"

"Don't tell her about that. She doesn't need to know." He kept his voice low as the swinging door between the kitchen and dining room opened. "All set, Ma. Do whatever you need."

"Have you two already eaten? If not, I can make you something." His mother stopped in the dining room entrance.

The rage that had overwhelmed him when he saw his father increased another few notches when he thought of how easily his mom could have walked in on all that. Biting back another curse, he shook his head. In his current state, eating was out of the question. "I--"

"We might go out later," Mia said before he could finish. She slid her hand down his forearm and wrapped her fingers around his fist. "We were just waiting for you to come home."

He knew he didn't imagine the spark of pleasure he saw on his mom's face. Mia's earlier invitation had evaporated from his mind with the appearance of his father.

"If you do, have fun. I'll see you both later." She didn't ask any more questions. Instead she disappeared the way she'd come in.

"Excuse me." If Mia said anything he didn't hear her. He pulled away and headed for the basement and the punching bag hanging down there.

His right fist hit the bag and the beam holding it up creaked. Immediately he swung his left arm, making contact with the bag before it swung back toward him. Focused on his fists hitting the stand-in for his father, he didn't realize anyone had followed him down until he heard the creak of the bottom step. That step had creaked for as long as he could remember, no matter what he did to it.

"Does that help?" She kept a good distance away from the swinging punching bag.

_Not one damn bit._ "I'm sorry about the scene up there." He didn't want her or any other guest leaving a bad review on some website because his deadbeat dad decided now was a good time to make an appearance.

"It wasn't your fault. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about it."

She moved a few steps closer, and the slightest hint of perfume, or maybe her shampoo, tickled his nose. He noticed it upstairs in the foyer as well. It reminded him of the beach and the ocean.

"I'm ready to go, unless you changed your mind."

Sean raked his hand through his hair as the bag continued to swing. "You don't want to be around me tonight." Hell, he didn't want to be around himself. "I'm sorry. Maybe some other time." If his buddies ever learned he turned down a night out with Mia Troy, they'd think he'd gone nuts, and probably at some point in the future he'd be kicking himself in the ass for doing it. Right now, however, it seemed like the right thing.

He waited for her to tell him it was now or never and march back up the stairs. Instead she took a seat on the bench near his free weights.

"When I'm angry, I call my older sister, Avery, and we have a bitch fest. Doesn't usually solve anything, but it makes me feel better."

Sean smirked. "A bitch fest? I doubt that will help here."

"You never know. Why don't you have a seat and give it a try." Mia patted bench next to her. "I promise I won't bite, and I'm a good listener."

A little of the anger in his chest dissolved as he laughed at Mia's comment. The woman was like none of the other celebrities that had stayed at The Victorian Rose. "I think a beer would be more helpful than a bitch fest. Do you want one?"

When she nodded, he led her over to the finished portion of the basement where he kept his pool table and refrigerator as well as a card table and several folding chairs. Grabbing two bottles from the refrigerator, he popped off the tops and handed her one. "Sorry, I don't keep any glasses down here."

Accepting the bottle, she walked over to the pool table and ran a hand along its side. "You were hitting that bag pretty hard. Do you box or something?"

He leaned against one of the columns that braced the ceiling. "No. But I have always found the bag a good way to get rid of anger."

Mia nodded before she took a tiny sip. "You could have done some serious damage to that guy at the block party."

"I had a sensei who drilled into us the importance of avoiding fights whenever possible. He said we should only use physical violence as a last resort. I try to remember that . . ." He raised the bottle toward his mouth. "But if you hadn't stopped me tonight, I wouldn't have cared."

"Have your parents been divorced long?"

Sean took a long swallow from his beer before he answered. "About eighteen years now." He watched as Mia lifted the bottle to her mouth and took a sip. The celebrity actress he'd seen on countless magazine covers looked like someone who would sit sipping fruity cocktails with tiny umbrellas. Yet the woman standing in front of him, wearing jeans, looked natural holding a bottle of his favorite beer.

"My parents almost got a divorce when I was fifteen. They were separated for six months before they went to couple's therapy." She picked up one of the solid balls on the pool table. "I was so angry at them. Especially my mom. I didn't talk to her for a month."

He listened, waiting for her to get to her point.

"How long have you been fighting with your dad?" she asked, letting the ball slide out of her hand.

"We're not fighting." To say they were fighting, insinuated they had some kind of father-son relationship.

"You yelled at him to leave. Sounds like fighting to me."

"That's the first time I've spoken to the as--" Sean caught himself just in time "--guy in about eighteen years."

"Oh," Mia said, her eyes growing wide. "I'm . . ." Her voice trailed off.

"Ma doesn't need to know he was here." His mother never mentioned her ex-husband and Sean didn't know how she would react if she knew he'd been there. After Seamus O'Brien walked out on them, she'd changed, and it had taken years for her to become more like the mother he remembered from his childhood. He didn't want some unexpected visit from the no good bastard to upset her and destroy all the progress she'd made.

"I promise she won't hear anything from me, Sean."

Perhaps it was the sincerity in Mia's voice, but he believed her. If somehow his mother heard his father was in town, it wouldn't be from the woman in front of him. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Mia took another sip of her beer and then placed the nearly full bottle on the card table. "Do you play often?" She inclined her head toward the pool table.

He wished she would stop jumping from topic to topic like that. "Not as much as I used to."

"I've always wanted to try." She walked over to where the pool sticks hung on the wall and took one off the rack. "What do you say? Can you give me a lesson?"

Remarkably, the rage that had ruled his entire body was more like a simmering anger now. In its place was rampant curiosity and a physical attraction to the beautiful woman on the other side of the pool table. The one he wanted to pull into his arms and kiss.

She accepted the square of chalk he held out to her and applied it to the end of the pool stick as Sean instructed her while he arranged the balls in the triangle on the table. She could still see the tension in his shoulders, but he no longer looked about to explode. His face had returned to its normal shade, and she no longer feared he might crush his teeth. She wondered what the story was between Sean and his father. She'd never seen anyone react to a parent like that before. Sure she'd been known to get into disagreements with her parents, especially her mom, but she'd never toss either of them out of her house.

"You want to hold the stick like this," Sean said grabbing her attention. His left hand rested on the pool table while his right held the wider end of the stick. "Then line everything up." Sean demonstrated by hitting the white cue ball. It instantly broke apart the neat triangle in the center of the table, causing a purple striped ball to roll into a corner pocket. "Give it a try."

_That looked easy_. Mia positioned the stick, pulled back her arm, and managed to send the cue ball up into the air before it landed on the felt top with a thud. "What the heck? Why did it do that?"

"Your hold on the stick is wrong and you made contact with the cue ball at the wrong angle." He came around from the other side and stepped behind her. "Put you left hand more like this."

His hand covered hers as he repositioned it higher on the pool stick. The calluses on his hands were rough against her skin. His warm breath brushed against her cheek, driving home just how close Sean stood next to her.

"And your right hand needs to be lower." He placed his hand over hers.

Mia took a step back toward him as he moved her hand down. His strong solid body pressed against her back and the memory of him earlier, drenched to the bone, his T-shirt glued to him, formed in her mind and heat collected in her belly.

"Pool is all about geometry," he explained in his no nonsense tone.

Her eyes followed his hands as he guided the pool stick for her, and his words fell into the background as the desire to kiss him engulfed her.

"Once you line up the shot, make sure you keep the movements smooth and controlled," he said, helping her finish the shot. On the table, the cue ball struck a striped yellow ball that rolled into a side pocket.

Sean began to move his hand, but Mia grabbed it and spun around to face him before she thought better of it.

"Do you want--" Sean began, meeting her gaze.

Mia leaned closer cutting off the rest of the sentence with a kiss. He remained rigid against her even when she released his hand so she could circle her arms around his neck. She tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth, frustrated when he made no move to intensify the kiss. The only response she got was a set of hands on her hips. While his reaction should have discouraged Mia, it had the opposite effect on her. Men always responded to her and she planned to get Sean to as well.

Pressing her body against his until no space remained, she smiled to herself when she felt his breathing change. Then she pulled her mouth away and switched her attention to his ear. In response Sean groaned, dug his fingers into her waist and then pushed her away from him.

Mia's eyes popped open. "What's the matter?"

Sean studied her, his eyes a deeper shade of green now. "You're a guest. That shouldn't have happened."

"Why?" She took a step closer again and laid a hand on his cheek, not far from the bruise he'd earned at the block party.

Reaching up he pulled her hand away, but he held onto it. "It's unprofessional and bad for business."

With a laugh she took another step closer. "It's only bad for business if you kiss everyone who stays here. I don't see anyone else around." She saw the indecision in his eyes, and by the way he kept looking at her lips, she knew he wanted to kiss her again. "I promise not to tell anyone about this either," she said, her voice low and seductive. She kissed him again before he could argue.

Unlike the first kiss, Sean didn't hold anything back this time. He took control of the kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips as his hands dug into her hair.

"Sean, I need your help. The pipes under the sink are leaking." Maureen's voice, along with the sound of footsteps on the basement stairs, reached through the desire filling her brain.

Sean's hands paused in her hair and he kissed her one more time before pulling away. "Be right up, Ma." He dropped his hands to her shoulders.

The footsteps stopped. "Thank you," Maureen called down.

Sean's chest rose and fell against her as he took a deep breath, the effort to regain his composure evident.

"Are you busy tomorrow night?" Mia asked. "I still want to take one of those ghost tours in Salem."

Sean didn't answer, so she took a step away to look at his face. His eyes were locked on the far wall and his lips were pressed together tightly. "What do you say?"

"Sure. I need to stick around here until five o'clock, but after that is fine."

"Great. I'll make dinner reservations for around six. Is there any type of food you don't like?" Sean struck her as a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but appearances could be deceiving.

His hands dropped from her shoulders. "I'll eat anything but sushi. Pick someplace you'll enjoy."

She'd never acquired a taste for sushi either, despite her younger sister, Angelina's, best efforts at broadening her palate.

"Feel free to stay down here and practice if you want. I don't know how long this will take."

Mia picked up the pool stick again. "Thanks, I think I will."

With nothing more than a nod, he walked away. When she heard the basement door close, she took another sip from her beer, then attempted to line up a shot. Careful to follow Sean's instructions, she drew the stick back and made contact with the white cue ball. Unlike her first attempt, the ball stayed on the table and rolled a few inches before knocking into a solid orange ball.

_Not perfect, but better._ Determined to at least get one ball in a pocket on her own, she walked to the other side of the table and tried again. After two more tries the solid red ball dropped into the left side pocket. With one enemy down, she turned her sights on the solid orange one again.

# Chapter 5

"Our dinner reservations are all set for six o'clock at The Scarlet Letter and the ghost tour starts at eight," Mia said from the doorway.

Surprised by her voice, Sean turned away from the woodwork he'd started to cover with painter's tape. He'd already moved all the small pieces of furniture out of the room and covered the large antique bureau and wardrobe with drop cloths. He needed to get the first coat of paint on today. Already his project was behind schedule. The Emerson room was the only guest room he hadn't yet painted. He'd finished all the others that winter, and he'd planned to paint this one the week before, but thanks to the complications in his mother's bathroom all his projects were behind schedule. Tomorrow he'd get the second coat of paint on the walls. The room was reserved for that weekend so it had to be back in order before then.

Mia walked into the room and stopped near him. "Does that work for you?"

Today she wore a pair of faded jeans that melded to her body as if they'd been made just for her and a cotton candy blue T-shirt with a deep V-neck. At the sight of her his pulse quickened as the head below his belt came to life, and he took a step forward as he contemplated how wise it would be to pick up where their kiss the night before had left off. The door was wide open and anyone could walk by. At the same time, it was early afternoon and more than likely most of the guests were out.

In the end, he reached out and brushed her cheek with his fingers lingering at the corner of her mouth. "Should be fine."

Her lips curved upward to meet his fingers in a real smile, much like the one she'd given him at the block party. "Good. You look busy so I'll see you later," she said, her voice hinting at what may happen later that night.

Before he answered, she turned and walked out, leaving him to watch her. With a shake of his head, he went back to the window. Once he had all the trim around the windows covered, he pried open the can on the floor and stirred the paint inside. For the first time his mother had stayed away from the pale colors she preferred and picked a rich burgundy for the walls.

As he rolled the paint onto the wall, his mind wandered. Unlike some of the other jobs he did around The Victorian Rose, painting didn't require much brainpower. And while he should be concentrating on his meeting with Phil, the contractor who inspected the old Victorian next door that he wanted to buy, his mind kept going back to Mia. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't physically attracted to her. The woman was a perfect ten and after just talking to her his body was hard and aching for release. And while half the men in the world would hand over their life savings for the opportunity before him, doing anything other than admiring her from a distance crossed the line in his mind. He strived to maintain a professional atmosphere at The Victorian Rose even more so now than ever before. His mom's as well as his own entire livelihood depended on its success. He couldn't let his personal wants and desires jeopardize all their hard work. And that very thing might happen if somehow the media got wind that Mia Troy had even a brief fling with him.

He'd seen firsthand the spin the media could put on things when his sister first met her husband. Who knew what kind of obscene story they might invent if it ever came out that he'd slept with Mia while she stayed with them? Guests might decide The Victorian Rose was not the type of establishment they wanted to visit. Then all their hard work would have been for nothing.

He dipped the roller into the paint again. Yep, the smart thing would be to cancel his night out with Mia and then avoid this celebrity guest for the remainder of her stay. The work in his bathroom alone could fill any of his free time with no problem. While the physical labor would not take care of the sexual frustration, he'd felt ever since watching Mia dance at the block party, it would almost guarantee he wouldn't see her. "You're not going to cancel and you know it," Sean said as he applied the roller to the wall. He was a man, not a saint.

It wasn't only the physical attraction that pulled him toward her either. Since her first night here she'd proven to be a kind and compassionate person. The night before, she'd followed him downstairs after the scene with his father, knowing he was in foul mood, but rather than complain that he canceled their plans, she'd offered to listen. Other than perhaps his sister, he didn't know anyone who would have done that for him. And he'd liked it. And she seemed to like him.

_The room isn't going to paint itself. Get back to work. S_ ean shut out his thoughts of Mia and applied the paint to the wall. The dark burgundy stood in stark contrast to the pale cream on the walls. Oddly, the two colors side-by-side brought back memories of his father's pride and joy: a white 1973 Mustang with a red leather interior. During the winter months his father had kept the car hidden away in the garage, but once the warm weather arrived, he'd drive it every weekend. As a kid Sean had looked forward to the day he could drive the car, but before that happened, his father just up and sold it. He'd never said why, but Sean had always wondered.

Thoughts of his father's old car immediately brought back thoughts of his unexpected visit the night before. Much like then, anger flared to life and the overpowering urge to hit something came back. Okay, not just anything but Seamus O'Brien's face. If it had not been for Mia's calming presence, he would've done just that last night. While he hated that Mia, a guest, had witnessed the exchange, he was glad it had been her and not his mother. Who knew what kind of reaction she would've had?

He moved farther down the wall. What the hell could the asshole want? Sean had made it clear in his email that he wanted nothing to do with him, and he figured his mother felt the same way. After the divorce she never spoke his name, and that had not changed over the years. Even when his Uncle Rory appeared in town a few years earlier, she didn't say anything. Sean liked to think a sudden appearance by his father wouldn't bother his mother after all this time, but he just didn't know. His father's departure and the divorce had changed his mother so much. Only in the past few years had he started to see more and more glimpses of the mom he remembered. She no longer worried over every little thing like she had right after divorce. She spent more time with her friends and overall seemed happy again. Heaven help his father if he somehow changed all that for his mother.

"I really like how the color looks," Maureen said, as she stepped inside the room. "I was afraid it would be too dark, but it looks good."

He paused with the roller halfway up the wall. "It'll need another coat tomorrow, but it shouldn't be much different than it is now." He brought the roller down the wall. "Did you need me?"

During the day his mother left him to his work unless she needed help. Over the years they'd developed a good working relationship. She took care of food preparation and regular interaction with guests while he took care of maintenance and supply needs.

"Phil Larson is on the phone. He said he tried your cell but didn't get an answer."

Sean reached into his back pocket where he kept his cell phone only to find it empty. "Thanks, I'll be right down."

***

With his graying beard and beer belly, Phil Larson resembled a young Santa Claus. Maybe that was why for the past several years he'd dressed up in the red suit and handed out gifts to the children on the town common. It was a tradition that had been going on since Sean was a kid, though he figured Phil had not always been the man in the red suit. At one time Phil had been a fit and active man. He'd worked as the assistant high school football coach the whole time Sean had played and for a few years afterward. He only stopped coaching and started to gain weight after a car accident had broken both legs and he'd ended up bedridden for several months.

"I wrote everything up even though I know you want to do some of the work yourself." Phil handed him a spiral-bound booklet.

"What did you find?" Sean asked.

"The old girl has good bones. She's structurally sound, but she needs more than just simple cosmetic work." Phil flipped open his own copy of the booklet. "For starters, the house needs a new roof and the electrical needs updating. The house is still using fuses."

Neither of Phil's statements surprised him. The house next door had been built around the same time as The Victorian Rose. Unlike The Victorian Rose, though, the house had been empty for almost five years, and before that the family that owned it rented it out after they sent their elderly parents to a nursing home.

"Downstairs everywhere but the kitchen has been updated. However, the second floor needs an overhaul. New windows would be high on my priority list, and the upstairs bathrooms only have tubs--no showers anywhere in the house except for the full bathroom on the first floor."

He followed along in the booklet as Phil listed each need in order of importance as well as his estimated cost for each thing. So far nothing shocked him, and everything fell into his proposed expense budget.

"She has potential if you want to sink the time and money into her." Phil reached the last page of his proposal. "Any questions I can answer for you?"

"I'm good for now. Just gathering everything the bank needs." Sean closed the proposal. "Thanks for doing this up for me. I'll let you know what I decide."

After his meeting with the contractor, Sean deposited the proposal on his desk. Tomorrow he'd sit down and go through it again in more detail. Now he needed to get changed for his night out with Mia. As he showered, he again questioned his sanity. Going anywhere with a temporary guest felt inherently wrong, like he was crossing some invisible line, which, if he was honest, he'd already done the night before when they kissed.

The hot-blooded male in him said something entirely different. With her unforgettable smile and killer curves, Mia Troy was every man's fantasy, and she wanted to spend time with him. Hell, if her kiss the night before was anything to go by, she wanted to do more than just have dinner with him. And damn if the idea of doing so much more than kiss didn't thrill him.

He pulled on the only pair of khakis he owned and a dark blue polo shirt. Tonight he'd go out and have fun. If things went a little further than a kiss or two, fine. If not, he'd be okay with that too. Either way she'd leave in a few weeks and life at The Victorian Rose would go on as usual. Or at least he hoped so. If his father made another unexpected visit, who knew what might happen?

Sean entered the foyer just as the front door opened and a middle-aged couple spending a few nights entered. He'd overheard them tell his mother that they were celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary that weekend.

"I have to tell you I was worried when Charles said he booked our stay at a bed and breakfast. We stayed at one years ago up in Maine and it was terrible. But I love it here," the woman said, coming up to him.

Just what he wanted to hear. "I'm glad. If there's anything you need, just let us know."

"I'll definitely be telling my friends about this place," the woman said before she started up the stairs, her husband right behind her.

Once the couple disappeared up the stairs, Sean glanced at his watch. He'd knocked on Mia's door on his way down. She said she'd meet him downstairs in five minutes. According to his watch, though, that had been almost ten minutes ago.

"Sorry. My assistant called." Mia's voice brought him to attention as she descended the stairs. Unlike the night they'd gone to the block party, she'd taken no steps to disguise herself. Her hair hung loose, tumbling over her shoulders. She'd expertly applied eye makeup, emphasizing her whiskey brown eyes, and bright red lipstick drew his eyes to her lips. His pulse pounded at the memory of how they felt against his. She'd paired her skintight black pants with an animal print sleeveless top. The combination of the two put all her curves on display once again.

"I would've blown off the call, but she's also my sister."

Unlike the night before, they were the same height when she stood next to him, causing Sean to glance down at her high-heeled black boots. "Are you sure you want to wear those?" He pointed at the black boots with their skinny heel. "The tour is about two hours of walking."

"I'll be fine," Mia reassured him, slipping her arm around his. "Come on, let's go have some fun."

Located on the corner of Washington Square and Derby Street, the Hamilton Hotel, built in 1920, held three claims to fame. The hotel had been used in 1975 to film a horror movie and then again in 1978 to film its sequel. Its third claim was the legend that the hotel's library in the basement was haunted by Lizzie Scranton. Yet neither of those things was the reason Mia had made dinner reservations for them there that night. Rather, she just liked the way the place had looked when she did an Internet search for restaurants in Salem. Certainly not the oldest building in the famous town, something about the grand hotel and The Scarlet Letter restaurant located inside had called to the historian in her. For as long as she could remember, she'd loved history. While her sisters had loved watching cartoons and movies with princesses, she'd enjoyed shows about the Middle Ages and the Roman Empire. When other kids her age had begged for trips to Disney, she'd pleaded with her parents to take her to the Aztec ruins. She'd finally made it there the year before.

"Have you ever been on one of these ghost tours?" Mia looked away from the oil painting mounted over the fireplace in the restaurant. It depicted a famous sea battle during the war of 1812, judging by the flags flown from each ship, but from her seat she couldn't read the name of the battle.

"Never. You?" Sean asked, his full attention on her.

"Once in Gettysburg and once in Philadelphia. They were fun."

Sean frowned ever so slightly. "So you believe in all that ghost sh--" Sean stopped for half a breath "--stuff?"

"No, not really, but I find the idea fascinating. Think about it. What if there was a way to communicate with people from the past? Imagine the things they could tell us. It's one thing to read the journal of a soldier who fought in the Civil War, but imagine if you could actually sit down and have a conversation with him. Or maybe discuss what life was like on board the Mayflower when it crossed the Atlantic. I think that would be incredible."

Sean shrugged. "It might be interesting, but I don't see how any of that would be useful."

"History and all the events that have happened since man first appeared are what make us what we are today."

"Evolution made us what we are today," Sean said as a waiter approached.

After introducing himself and taking the drink order, the waiter turned as if about to leave, but then walked closer to the table again. "People must tell you this all the time, but you look just like Mia Troy."

Mia gave the waiter her magazine smile. "Actually, that's who I am."

The young waiter's jaw dropped. "Wow. Really? My girlfriend loves your movies. She's never going to believe you're here," he gushed, his voice louder now than it had been before. "Do you think I could get your autograph for her?"

Maybe she should have lied. Since her arrival in Massachusetts, she'd managed to stay under everyone's radar. By admitting who she was to the waiter she risked drawing attention to not only herself but Sean as well.

"Sure, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone else." She accepted the slip of paper the waiter held out. "Who should I make it out to?"

Across the table Sean remained silent during the exchange, only speaking once the waiter left. "Does that happen all the time?"

"Depends," Mia admitted as she dismissed the incident from her thoughts. "Now where were we?"

"About to disagree on the subjects of evolution and history," Sean answered, as the corners of his mouth inched upward, and for the first time she noticed his dimples. They gave him the look of a carefree rascal.

Leaning forward, she placed her palms on the table, eager to dive into the conversation. When was the last time she'd had an intellectual debate with anyone, let alone on a date? Most of her dates preferred to talk about their latest movie roles or which luxury sports car they'd added to their collection. The fact that they were having such a conversation was not only intellectually stimulating but hot, too.

"I don't disagree that evolution is behind who humans are physically, but history, all the experiences and events over thousands of years, is what shapes mankind. Kind of like the way events in our own pasts make us the people we are at this very moment."

A look she couldn't label passed over Sean's face and he looked away for a moment.

"When you put it that way, I guess you're right. It sounds like you really enjoy history."

Sean's normal stoic expression fell back into place. What thought or emotion had he just experienced?

"Love it. I majored in history at Harvard."

This time there was no mistaking the surprised look on his face. "I didn't know you had a degree from Harvard," Sean said, sounding impressed.

"I don't. I left after sophomore year and went back to acting." Sometimes she wished she'd finished her degree, but at the time it had felt like the right decision.

Sean held back any further comments when the waiter reappeared and placed their dinner salads on the table. He spoke again as soon as the waiter left. "Why did you do that? Do you know how many people would kill for a chance at an education from Harvard?"

As he dug into his salad, Mia left her fork on the table. "I loved the material, I hated the exams and deadlines."

"You left because you hated the exams?" His voice indicated that he thought that was the most ludicrous reason in the world. "Must be nice," he muttered loud enough that it reached her ears, although she doubted he'd meant for her to hear him.

"Not everyone handles academic life well." A strong urge to explain her decision kept her talking. "I missed acting. From the age of ten until I started college, it had been a key part of my life. When I stopped acting and went to Harvard, it felt like something was missing. Like I wasn't whole anymore." Mia reached for her drink and took a sip. "It probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but no matter what I studied or who I spent time with, my life felt like it was missing something back then. So when I was offered a role in _Love Always and Forever,_ I accepted it and left school."

Sean remained tight-lipped. Nothing in his expression gave her any indication of his thoughts. Finally, just when she decided they needed a new topic, he spoke again.

"I can understand that. Have you ever regretted your decision?"

"Sometimes," she answered. "I often take online history courses. I'll never earn a degree because I don't bother with anything else. But I don't need the degree so I'm fine with that."

The combination of sweet tomatoes, oregano and another spice she couldn't identify wafted upward when the waiter set down her meal, and she took in a deep breath. The roast chicken with oven-dried heirloom tomatoes smelled divine. With the precision of a surgeon, she sliced a corner of the chicken breast and pushed the rest to the edge of her plate next to the jasmine rice she had no intention of eating. As empty as her stomach felt, she'd be kicking herself later if she ate the entire meal on her plate. She'd eat the amount she'd separated and no more. Across the table Sean started on his own meal, a steak so large it covered the plate beneath it, with a loaded baked potato and vegetables on the side.

"I'm guessing you don't enjoy history." Mia stabbed a piece of steamed broccoli.

"It's done and gone. You can't change it," Sean said curtly. "Why worry about it?"

Mia suspected he wasn't thinking about the history in textbooks. For a moment she considered the scene between Sean and his father. No doubt some serious history existed between them.

For the remainder of dinner neither spoke much, an unusual occurrence on a date. She'd never been out with someone not in the spotlight. On most of her dates she could discuss industry-related topics. Sometimes celebrity gossip even snuck into conversations. In the case of athletes, they loved to share performance reports from their most recent games. But tonight, she had no burning desire to fill the silence.

"Is that all you're eating?" Sean placed his fork next to his empty plate.

He'd managed to finish everything including the steamed vegetables. Just thinking about all the food he'd consumed made her stomach ache.

"I'm all set. I had a late lunch." She'd missed lunch actually, but he didn't need to know that.

Sean cocked an eyebrow. "Let me guess--you're on a diet." He made the word diet sound like a vile thing.

She shifted in her seat. Other men never questioned her eating habits. "Not exactly. I just need to be careful, especially with filming around the corner."

Sean shook his head, his opinion clearly displayed on his face. "Careful of what? Those people in Hollywood are nuts."

He wouldn't get an argument from her. People who lived and worked in the industry had their own distinct ideas. "Last year I gained about eight pounds or so. The media had a field day with it. They claimed everything from a pregnancy to compulsive overeating because I was depressed. I'll skip that again, thank you very much."

This time Sean outright laughed at her statement. "You're friggin' gorgeous. Most men would give their left n--" Sean stopped "--hand to be in my seat right now. Even if you gained twenty pounds, you'd have a line of men waiting to be with you."

She heard people call her gorgeous all the time. The word meant little to her anymore. Or at least it had up until now. When the word rolled off Sean's tongue, it reached the person she was inside. "Thank you." Warmth flooded her cheeks. _I never blush. What the heck?_ "Unfortunately, people expect me to be a certain way and that doesn't include an extra twenty pounds."

***

The ghost tour began in the hotel's basement library. With its low ceiling, wood-paneled walls, and nautical decorations the entire area reminded him of an old ship captain's quarters. He'd once toured several old ships at Mystic Seaport. Intended to allow visitors to see and experience life in an old New England seaport during the height of whaling, the living museum contained several preserved ships. Unlike the quarters on those ships, the library had electricity powering the lanterns on the walls rather than oil, and thick wall-to-wall carpeting covered the floor.

"Thank you for joining me this evening. My name is Missy Carr, and I will be your guide tonight." A middle-aged woman with long gray hair stood at the front of the room. Dressed in a black dress with long flowing sleeves, the tour guide looked ready to mount a broomstick and fly into the night sky.

"Tonight we'll begin our tour here, where the spirit of ten-year-old Lizzie Scranton resides."

The lights in the room dimmed, and Sean held back a snort of laughter.

"Long before this hotel was built, a prominent sea captain's home stood here. On his last trip across the Atlantic, he took his wife with him, and they left Lizzie behind with her nanny. On their return trip, their ship sank during a storm. After that Lizzie bounced between relatives until she died from pneumonia at the age of ten."

An extra cold blast of air blew down on him from the air conditioning vent in the wall. In front of him a few people shivered and whispered to their neighbors.

"Countless people have seen Lizzie down here and on the third floor waiting for her parents to return. Maybe before we leave tonight, she'll make an appearance."

_Yeah, right_ . . . _and the earth is going to stop spinning._

"The rest of tonight's tour will last approximately two hours and will take us all around Salem. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If at any point you become too tired to finish, I completely understand. I can radio back to have a hotel shuttle come pick you up. All you need to do is let me know. Does anyone have any questions before we head out?" Missy looked around the room, her eyes moving past him and Mia only to swing back in their direction.

The tour guide took a few steps toward them but stopped short when a teenager in the front called out. "I just saw her. She was right next to that door." The teen with purple hair pointed to a door marked "staff only." The entire group, with the exception of Mia and Sean, looked at the empty space.

"Let's hope our other stops are just as active tonight." Missy smiled around at the group. "Everyone please follow me."

"I bet she saw her own shadow, if she saw anything at all," Mia whispered in his ear as she took his hand and joined the line going up the stairs.

Her hands were as smooth and soft as his were rough and callused. The stark contrast turned him on. Not that his body needed any further encouragement. Ever since she'd walked down the stairs in her ridiculous boots, he'd wanted to push her against a wall and taste her lips again before peeling her clothes away and losing himself inside her.

So far he'd managed to keep the caveman inside him from bursting out and doing exactly what he pleased. If fighting with his father was bad for business, then groping a guest was even worse.

"I don't believe that little girl's spirit haunts the hotel, but it was a sad story. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to lose both parents at the same time," Mia said as they walked outside, the warm night air a pleasant change from the chilly basement.

Her voice pulled him from his daydream of them together. When had he last fantasized like that? Damned if he knew. "Yeah," he said as he tried to discreetly readjust himself. The partial erection he'd had all night now strained against his zipper. If he had any hope of surviving the night, he needed something other than Mia Troy in his thoughts.

Up ahead, the tour guide stopped in front of a cemetery. Like obedient children, the group stopped and fell silent, waiting for whatever story Missy Carr had prepared for them.

"Now this cemetery dates back to 1779 and many spirits have been seen wandering between the headstones. The most frequent sightings, though, are of a young man and woman dressed in Civil War clothing. Residents believe they are the spirits of Fitzgerald Wilson and Anne Montgomery."

Next to him Mia moved, her hip brushing up against him, sending more heat through his body.

"The young couple fell in love despite the fact that Anne came from a wealthy prominent family in Salem while Fitzgerald worked as a footman in a nearby mansion. When the Civil War broke out, Fitzgerald joined the Union Army and died during the battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863. When Anne learned of his death weeks later, she committed suicide. Anne was buried here in her family plot. Fitzgerald's grave is unknown. The first sightings of Anne and Fitzgerald began a year after her death and have continued ever since."

"That's kind of romantic," Mia said, as the group crossed into the cemetery.

"Suicide, romantic? More like insane."

Her thumb rubbed across his hand. "I don't mean the suicide." Together they passed through the rows of gravestones, some so old and weathered they appeared almost blank. "I meant romantic because they didn't let anything stand between them and their love. Not even death kept them apart."

The whole story sounded stupid. Killing herself hadn't brought the boyfriend back and probably devastated her family. "Whatever you say." He might not have as much experience with women as some men, but he knew better than to argue with one over something so trivial.

The tour guide led them out through a back entrance. "Our next stop will be The House of Seven Gables."

The guide led them to Turner street and toward the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, better known as The House of Seven Gables thanks to Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel. When the group arrived at the house, Missy stopped and faced them all again. "Before we go inside, I'd like to give you a little history about the home. It was originally built in 1668 by the Turner family and is the oldest surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New England. It was purchased by the Ingersoll family in 1782. Many visitors have reported seeing Susanna Ingersoll, Nathaniel Hawthorne's cousin, roaming the halls. There have also been reports of a boy running and playing in the attic." Missy let the crowd digest the information. "Unless someone has a question, let's head inside."

An older woman next to Mia raised her hand. "Is this where the author was born?"

Sean tapped his fingers against his leg as the tour guide answered the question. On a field trip one year, his class had toured the house, so much of what the guide said he'd already heard.

"I'm surprised she didn't mention the theory that the house was part of the underground railroad." Mia's breath tickled his ear.

"Maybe she forgot."

"Okay, everyone, lets head inside," Missy said from the front as she opened the door.

When they left the house ten minutes later, Sean and Mia remained at the back of the group.

"Our next stop is the Cinema Salem," Missy announced, leading them down the sidewalk like a mother duck leading her ducklings.

When they approached a bench outside a McDonald's, Mia's pace slowed. "I need to sit. My feet are killing me," she grumbled as she dropped down onto the wooden bench.

Told-you-so sat on the tip of his tongue, and if it had been his sister next to him, he wouldn't have hesitated. Instead, he pressed his lips together and sat down next to her. Tipping back his head, Sean searched the night sky for constellations. A night like this was perfect for locating familiar patterns, something he had not done in a long time.

"Thanks for not saying, 'I told you so.' "

Sean turned his gaze away from the stars above to the one seated next to him. "I don't know you well enough." Bathed in the moonlight, she took on an incandescent look, a living angel on earth.

"I'd like to do something about that." Mia ran her finger along the side of his face starting with the scar and ending below his lower lip. "I'll be in North Salem for a little longer."

Her touch remained feather light, yet it reached inside him and pulled at something more than pure physical desire. Before he could answer, she leaned in and kissed him. A soft sweet kiss. She pulled away before he could fully enjoy the feel of her lips against his.

"What do you say?"

What did he say? He'd be a goddamn idiot if he said no. One of the world's sexiest women sat next to him and she wanted to start something up. "I'm game." Only after answering did he realize how crass he sounded, but it was too late to take back the words.

"Good." With that simple reply, she leaned in to kiss him again.

"Are you up for finishing the tour?" he asked when he pulled back for air. "If not, I can go get the truck while you wait inside, and we can go."

Mia slipped her hand in his again. "I'll never make another hour walking, but I can make it to the truck. Let's head back."

"You got it." He stood and pulled her up behind him.

They walked in silence for a bit until he couldn't shake the feeling that he should say something. "What kind of movie are you doing in Boston?"

"It's not a pure romance, but it's not a heavy drama either." She paused for a moment. "I guess it's a beauty and the beast story without the singing clock and talking tea cup, although it'll never be promoted that way. Mark Walden plays this super successful lawyer from Boston whose family owns a chain of restaurants. Dan Burns plays an army vet who was injured in the war. The poor guy will be in makeup for hours every day as they get his facial injuries just right."

"Let me guess, he's the beast." They turned onto Washington Square. "And the guy you end up with?"

Mia gave him a tiny nudge in the side. "You'll just have to see the movie like everyone else."

He bit back the first words that popped into his head. He stayed away from romantic movies. He preferred films with either lots of action or suspense. "Fair enough."

"I'm guessing my films aren't the type you enjoy," Mia said, as if she'd read his thoughts. "That's okay."

"The one that comes out in the fall looked good. I saw a preview the last time I went to the movies." When the short clip for the thriller played, he'd been surprised to see both Mia Troy and Anderson Brady in the scene. Neither were known for such movies.

"That movie is like nothing I've ever done before," she said as they approached his truck in the hotel parking lot.

Once they were both seated, Sean pulled out of his parking spot and waited for an opening in the traffic. "What made you pick something so different?"

"A few things. One of the real biggies was because it was so different. With the exception of my role on _Family Life,_ I've more or less always played the same character. There have been small differences, but you could take the character from one movie and pop it into another and it would still make sense."

Since he didn't know if she wanted him to agree or not, he kept his mouth shut and instead reached for her hand.

"I don't want to be known as a character actor. That movie seemed like the perfect opportunity to branch out."

She fell silent, and he glanced over at her when they stopped at a red light. With her face cast in shadows he couldn't clearly make out her expression, but she looked deep in thought.

"And I hoped something different would give me back that spark. When I first started acting, it was fun and exciting. I loved everything about it. Lately it hasn't been like that. I don't hate it, but it's gotten mundane, I guess. Sounds silly doesn't it?" she asked, and he heard the insecurity in her voice.

He didn't have a glamorous acting career, but he understood how she felt. "Not at all," he said as they entered town. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mia adjust her position in her seat.

"Sometimes I feel like something is missing, you know. I thought it was because my career needed a change, but while I enjoyed the challenge of the different role, it didn't help."

How should he reply to that? Neither his friends nor family shared such intimate emotions with him. "Maybe you need a break from acting instead." He pulled into the driveway of The Victorian Rose. If she no longer enjoyed acting, then finding something else to do made sense to him.

"I've thought about that."

He heard the sound of fabric against leather as she undid her seat belt and slid closer to him. Then her hand rested on his arm, gently rubbing his wrist and playing with his fingers. "Thank you for a nice night. I had a lot of fun."

Sean slipped a hand under her hair and cradled her head as he lowered his lips toward hers. "Me, too," he whispered just before he took possession of her mouth.

With no hesitation, Mia slid the rest of the way across the bench seat and her hand dropped on his shoulder as she leaned toward him.

Fueled by her response, he slipped a hand under her top. At first he let it rest on her waist, her skin hot and soft under his fingers. When she didn't protest or pull away, his fingers found their way up her firm torso until they hit lace. Again he paused until he felt a tug on the back of his shirt as she pulled it from his pants. Not needing any further encouragement, he let his fingers slip inside her bra and rub against her taut nipple.

With a moan, she tore her mouth away and looked at him. "Now might be a good time to go up to your room," she said.

Reluctantly withdrawing his hand from her bra, he nodded and opened his door. Then in silence they crossed to the back kitchen door and up the old servants' staircase to the attic and his bedroom.

# Chapter 6

He'd always been able to compartmentalize and put work first when need be. Since his father's first email, that ability had started to diminish. Now every time Sean walked into the main foyer he expected to see his father there again. Each time he logged into the bed and breakfast email account he kept an eye out for a message from him. As far as he could see, his father had only one reason for contacting him now and that reason was green with giant dollar signs.

Unless the SOB had been living under a rock for the past few years, he had to know Charlie had married into the Sherbrooke family. More than likely he'd also heard how well The Victorian Rose was doing since Jake Sherbrooke's visit following the hurricane. But if money was Seamus O'Brien's main objective why wait until now? His sister and Jake had been married for over a year. Why wait that long? It made no sense to him, no matter what angle he looked at it from.

Sean pried the wooden baseboard away from the wall. Before he could retile the bathroom floor, the old flooring needed to come up, including the baseboard along the wall. He would've been even further along if he could stay focused. Each time his mind drifted he managed to either make a mistake or injure himself. Already today he'd cut his finger while opening cases of paper towels with a box knife. Thankfully a few butterfly strips took care of the problem, making a trip to the emergency room unnecessary. He'd come upstairs when he'd finished that task, hoping some physical labor would keep his mind occupied. So far, though, it hadn't worked. To make matters worse, when his head wasn't consumed with thoughts of his father, Mia took center stage.

Only one word could describe their night of sex when they came back from the ghost tour: incredible. Even before that night of passion, she'd occupied his thoughts. Now she all but consumed them. She'd said she wanted to get to know him better and they'd certainly accomplished that in his bed. More than fourteen hours later he wondered if there would be a repeat performance or if it had been a one time deal.

Rather than waste his energy on thoughts of his father, or sex for that matter, he should've been focused on convincing his mother to agree with his plans for expansion. When he'd first proposed the idea, she brushed it off saying they could discuss it later. Since then he'd tried to sit down and review his proposal with her, but she kept putting it off. Her reluctance irritated him. It wasn't like her to brush off anything business related. Moving on to the next wall, Sean slipped the crowbar behind the wooden baseboard and applied pressure. So far everywhere else the wood had come loose easily; here it didn't budge. Readjusting his grip on the handle, he applied more pressure, only to be rewarded with the sound of splintering wood.

"Son of a bitch." He'd managed to not ruin a single piece of wood until now, which meant he could sand them down and use them again. He couldn't do that with this one.

"Sean," Mia's voice carried in to him from the other room.

"In here." He tossed the broken wood off to the side.

"Your mom said you might be up here." Mia appeared in the doorway that connected his personal living room to the bathroom. "I hope you don't mind that I came up."

Mind wasn't the right word, although an appropriate word eluded him. "No, it's fine. What's up?" Coming to his feet, he moved closer.

"Unless you have plans, I thought we could do something tonight."

He'd planned on ripping out the old tiles on the floor, but that could wait until tomorrow. "I'm free. Did you have something in mind?"

Mia shrugged and the thin strap of her top slid from her shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe another pool lesson, or a movie at the Edgemore. I've never been to a drive-in and the weather is supposed to be nice."

Unable to stop himself, he slid the strap back into place. Tiny nuclear explosions detonated in his body as his fingers brushed across her skin. "How about we see how we feel later and decide? I'll meet you downstairs around six?" Loath to remove his hands, he let his fingers wander up her neck and under her chin.

Mia took a step closer and kissed him. Then she pulled away and smiled, causing his heart to pound erratically.

"Sounds good," she said in a silky voice before she walked away.

Kneeling down, he attacked the wood trim again, hoping the physical activity would diminish the desire now heating his blood.

***

Unsure of their exact plans, she stuck with casual clothes. Despite her choice of dress, she took her time getting ready, although she figured she could show up downstairs wearing yesterday's clothes, no makeup, hair unwashed and Sean wouldn't care. That wasn't to say he wouldn't notice, just that those things didn't seem important to him. Unlike the guy at the store today when she'd stopped for a Diet Coke, Sean didn't go out of his way complimenting her. While a compliment was nice from time to time, she didn't need or want to hear it 24/7. In fact for the most part, Sean treated her like a regular plain Jane, and she loved that. She found it refreshing, almost exciting.

Later, as Mia leaned against one of the posts inside the gazebo behind the house, she said, "I don't think I'll ever get the hang of that game." They'd played, or attempted to play, two games of pool before grabbing a little dinner from the kitchen and taking it outside. During her lesson she'd only managed to sink three balls on her own.

"You'll get it. It takes practice." Sean sat next to her, his long legs stretched out and his Irish Wolfhound, Max, not far away. "It took my sister a long time to learn, but she can hold her own now. Every once in a while she'll even beat me."

He grabbed a blueberry tart from the basket of food and offered it to her. "Have you tried one yet?"

"I'm good, thanks." She gestured toward the carrot sticks on her plate. "Are you and your sister close?"

"More now than a few years ago." Sean popped the tart in his mouth.

Mia watched as the end of his scar moved as he chewed. The thin white line started up near the end of his eyebrow and ended just above his cheekbone. Reaching out she traced it with her finger. "How did you get this?"

Beneath her hand, Sean became still. "A fight with Bruce Austen. He had a big class ring on."

"What were you fighting about?" Considering Sean's size she doubted many people picked fights with him and she remembered his comment from the other night about learning to avoid fights.

"My sister and a friend of hers."

She waited for more details, when they never came she spoke again. "About? There's got to be more."

"My sister turned Bruce down, which he didn't like. As payback he started a rumor that he'd had a threesome with her and her best friend, Jessica, after the homecoming dance their sophomore year. I'd picked them both up that night before the dance even ended, so there was no way that happened. I confronted him, and he got in a punch."

She could picture the scene well. "Just one? How did he fare?"

The corners of Sean's mouth turned upward in a tiny smile. "Lets just say he looked much worse than me, and by the end of the week the whole school knew he'd lied about Charlie and Jessica."

Mia leaned in and kissed the scar. "And you said you two weren't close."

"After the divorce I acted more like a father than a brother to her." His voice took on a gruff tone. "Charlie was twelve when it happened." The bottle in his hand crackled as his grip on the plastic tightened.

She ran a hand down his forearm, the muscles under her fingertips tight. Gently she caressed his hand until his grip loosened, then she slid the water bottle from his hand. "She was lucky to have an older brother like you. I could've used one from time to time."

"She might disagree with you. She used to love to remind me I wasn't her father." The way he said father made her think he referred to some vile devil.

"You really hate him, don't you?" She could understand being upset with your parents, but not outright hating them. "What happened?"

Sean stared forward for a long time, so long in fact that she assumed he didn't plan to answer. Finally he blew out a long breath and began. "In the fall of my senior year, he left. He claimed he had to work and couldn't make my football game. He never came back. About a week later, he called from Florida and demanded a divorce. After that we never saw or heard from him again except the one day at the courthouse."

"I'm sorry." She couldn't imagine what Sean and his family must have gone through. "What did your mom do?"

Sean cleared his throat, and when he spoke again the emotion she'd heard before was gone. "She started renting rooms to college students from Salem State. She'd never worked outside the home. I took a part time job at Quinn's Hardware until graduation. Then a friend's father got me a job with the town highway department. I did that full time until we turned this place into a bed and breakfast."

The selfishness of some people never ceased to amaze her. How could a father do that to his family? "You didn't want to go to college?" Most people she knew would've run from town if faced with the same situation.

"I got a football scholarship to the University of Florida but turned it down. Ma and Charlie needed me here."

The little she'd already learned about him intrigued her, drew her to him, but this new information strengthened that attraction. Family had always been important to her and for the most part she met few men who felt the same, at least up until now.

"Then both your mom and sister were lucky to have you." Moving away from the side of the gazebo, she swung a leg over his outstretched legs and straddled him. Then she silenced him with a kiss. His strong arms encircled her waist as she wrapped her own arms around his neck. The kiss started off gentle, just the barest movement against his lips. Ready for the kiss to intensify, she opened her mouth, an invitation for him and he took it. Sliding his hands up her back he pulled her closer, crushing her against him as his tongue tangled with hers.

Thoughts of their previous conversation evaporated and she lost herself in the kiss. A kiss that not only had her body wanting, but also made her feel special. Two emotions she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Something moved against her leg and a few seconds later she heard someone clearing her throat.

"Sean," Maureen said, her voice laced with embarrassment.

Mia broke away and noticed that the dog that had been near them now stood next to Maureen.

"I really hate to bother you, but the bathroom sink in the Hawthorne room is not draining and the guests are not at all happy."

Sean's chest moved against hers as he took in a deep breath, and Mia's cheeks burned with heat as she recalled where she sat.

"Give me a minute and I'll take care of it, Ma."

"Thank you." Maureen turned back toward the house, Sean's dog beside her.

"Will it take you long?" She slid her hands down over his shoulders and to his biceps.

Sean brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Shouldn't, but you never know."

"How about I wait for you upstairs? The Sox game starts soon." Only after getting his agreement and one more kiss did she stand. "Go on in. I'll bring the rest of this food in," she said.

His mother possessed perhaps the worst timing in the world, and that was just one reason he almost never brought his dates home. Somehow the idea of having sex while his mother, who until just recently slept only one floor down, was around doused his desire better than a fire hose. Even now with her living in the loft over the garage, he preferred to go to his date's place rather than bring them back here.

His habit of keeping his dates away from The Victorian Rose wouldn't work this time. Unless he and Mia checked into a motel somewhere, they had nowhere else to go.

Sean worked quickly. He'd taken apart every drain and sink in the bed and breakfast at some point. In fact, he figured he could do it blindfolded. A wad of dark brown hair stopped the water from leaving the sink today. Short of actually cutting your hair over the sink, he had no idea how that much hair had made it into the sink, and honestly he didn't care. In the past few years he'd found everything from contact lenses and jewelry to gum in the drains. Each time he simply removed the foreign objects and moved on, which he planned to do now.

With the offending object gone, he reassembled the drain and let the guests--a dark-haired woman about his own age and her husband--know he was done.

***

"That didn't take long." Mia sat with her legs, tucked under her on the couch, a magazine in her hands.

Seated in his makeshift living room with its mismatched furniture, she looked out of place. Like something he'd dreamed up. "It was an easy problem to solve."

"Do you really enjoy reading this?" She held up the scientific magazine in her hands.

Sean grabbed the remote from his desk before sitting next to her. "Yeah, why?"

Mia glanced down at the magazine as if it were an alien object. "I got a headache trying to figure out what the first article was talking about. Something called string theory. Whatever that is." She tossed the magazine onto the side end table causing a paper to float down.

He grabbed the paper from the floor and stuck it under a stack of magazines. "In very simple terms it's a mathematical model of theoretical physics. According to it everything in the universe including energy can be constructed by hypothetical one dimensional strings." He stopped when he saw the glazed over look in her eyes.

"Okay, if you say so. Where the heck did you learn about that anyway?"

"MIT. I finished my master's degree in physics this semester. I should get my diploma in the mail in a month or two."

"You won't get that at the graduation ceremony?"

He switched on the television and searched for the baseball game. "I'm not going."

"What do you mean you're not going? Not everyone earns a master's degree from MIT. I bet your mom wants you to go."

"She doesn't know." Not for a second had he considered attending the graduation ceremony. He had better things to do with his time than listen to speeches and wait for someone to call out his name.

Mia yanked the remote from his hand and turned off the TV. "What do you mean she doesn't know?"

The outrage he heard in her voice seemed out of place. Why should she care?

"She doesn't know when the graduation is?" She eyed him with suspicion. "Or she doesn't know you earned a degree?"

"Ma knows I take classes. She doesn't know I've been working on a degree." It had never crossed his mind to tell her. It didn't affect their day to day life.

Mia grabbed his chin and turned his face toward her. "Are you serious?"

"What? Do you tell your family everything?" The way she acted one might think he'd kept proof aliens existed from the entire world.

Her hand dropped away. "Well, no, but something like this is impressive. If I'd earned a master's degree from MIT, I'd make sure the whole world knew it. That's one of the top schools in the world."

"And you went to Harvard. Do you broadcast that to everyone?"

"I studied history and that's not exactly the same thing. Besides, I didn't graduate, remember?"

"It's a waste of a whole afternoon. I'll get my diploma in the mail." Finished with the discussion he took the remote back and turned on the television. "Looks like the Sox are down by four runs already."

Mia leaned against him and turned her attention to the game. From time to time though he caught her throwing looks his way. At any moment he anticipated another argument from her regarding his graduation. He had no clue why it mattered so much to her. They'd known each other less than two full weeks and in about one more she'd check out of The Victorian Rose anyway.

"My dad would have given anything to see me graduate from college. Even now he urges me to go back and earn a degree." Mia reached for his hand.

In the short time they'd known each other, he noticed how much she liked physical contact. Never one to be outwardly affectionate, the constant contact threw him off kilter.

"What about your mom?" He followed the movement of her fingers over the tops of his hands. Next to his, her hands, with their perfectly manicured pink nails, looked small and feminine.

"My mom never saw any reason for me to go. She said if I took time off from acting it might hurt my career." She traced a path from his knuckles across his wrist and up his forearms. "She encouraged my sisters to go and would have had a fit it they hadn't gone to their graduations."

Single-minded determination came in handy in some situations, but in this case it wouldn't change his mind. Rather than state his reasons again, he latched onto something else she said. "What about you? Did you go because you wanted to or because your father wanted you to?" In his opinion far too many people attended college because their parents' expected it rather than because they had a clue as to what they wanted out of life.

Mia's hand stilled on his arm and she tilted her head to one side. "A little of both. By the time _Family Life_ ended I was eighteen. I'd been on the show for eight years and had done two movies. I needed a break from Hollywood. Don't get me wrong, I loved doing the show, but growing up on television was hell. I wanted something normal again. College seemed like the logical choice, but it just wasn't for me."

"How could growing up while making more money per episode than most people make in a year be hell? Compared to what some people deal with, it seems like a walk in the park."

"Most people only see the fame and fortune associated with Hollywood. Unless they've experienced it, they don't know about the pressure and the abuses. Drugs and alcohol are everywhere. A lot of the friends I made early in my career got addicted and their careers tanked. One really good friend from the show overdosed and died halfway through season six."

Though not a huge fan of _Family Life,_ he remembered when the actress she referred to died. The media had portrayed her as a party girl who had let her fame go to her head. "You survived it though." He couldn't recall any negative media attention attached to Mia. Rather, the media portrayed her as the perfect Hollywood sweetheart.

"I had my own struggles, trust me, just not with drugs," Mia answered. "In Hollywood there is no such thing as too thin. When I turned thirteen, I had this birthday bash. Some photographer took a picture of me eating this huge slice of cake and it appeared on the cover of _The Inquisitor_ with the headline 'Someone's going to need a new swimsuit soon.' After that I started dieting like crazy. Eventually, I only thought about food and exercising. I weighed myself every day. The writers had to make up a new storyline for several episodes because I ended up in the hospital. That was my first bout with anorexia." Mia paused to take in a breath. "I kept it together for three years. When I turned sixteen, I had a sudden growth spurt. The media swooped in and I became obsessed with how I looked again. I spent three weeks in the hospital and months in therapy after that. Somehow it all stayed out of the media. Outside of my family and a few other people, and now you, no one knew about any of that."

Her willingness to share such personal information touched him. In fact he'd only had one relationship develop enough that he'd even considered sharing such intimate details. At the time he'd thought he'd met "the one." She'd been a woman he'd met while taking a college night course. He'd discovered just how wrong he'd been when she let him know she could never make a permanent commitment to someone still living with his mother. She'd given him the ultimatum: either her or his mom. After all his mom had been through, he couldn't up and leave her. She depended on him, and with his sister in the Navy, he was all she had. So ever since that one relationship, he only dated women from the area. Women that knew up front that his life would always be in North Salem and at The Victorian Rose.

"I have kept a handle on it since then, but it's hard sometimes even now. Every once in a while I catch myself starting to slip into old habits, like when that magazine claimed I was pregnant."

"You have nothing to worry about. You're gorgeous. You know that, don't you?" Society's obsession with image baffled him.

Mia shrugged, her eyes back on the game. "Sometimes demons are hard to keep under lock and key."

# Chapter 7

The barest scent of pumpkin and nutmeg drew Mia down the stairs and through the empty dining room. A coffee urn already stood on the sideboard, but the lights remained dim. Through the windows the first rays of sunlight changed the sky from an inky black to a dove gray. Stopping by the sideboard, Mia poured a cup of coffee before she continued on.

The oven door closed with a thump, and Maureen turned toward the table with the muffin pan she'd pulled from the oven. Steam rose from the golden brown treats, and the rich aroma of pumpkin that had teased Mia before now hit her full force.

"Good morning." Maureen added the muffin pan to those already cooling on the table. "I'll have breakfast out in about half an hour, but feel free to help yourself to a muffin now." She pointed to the ones she'd put down. "These are pumpkin, but the ones on the counter are blueberry, and I'm about to mix up some banana."

Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled. "Both smell delicious, but if you're making banana, I'll hold out for one of those." Mia took a long sip of her coffee and watched Maureen pull out a clean mixing bowl. For a brief moment the sight reminded her of her grandmother. Mia had always loved baking cookies and before moving to California, she'd done it all the time with her grandmother.

"Can I help?" The question popped out with no conscious thought on her part.

Maureen blinked a few times. "Uh, well, I guess. I've never had a guest help in the kitchen, but then again you're not just a guest." Plucking the extra apron off the hook by the door, she handed it to Mia. "Have you ever made muffins before?"

Mia tied the apron decorated with pink and purple cupcakes around her waist. "No, but just tell me what to do."

Maureen slid the measuring cup toward her. "You can start by measuring out three cups of flour."

Mia scooped up the flour, then used a knife edge to level off the top. Next to her, Maureen peeled and mashed the overripe bananas. Neither spoke, but Maureen's comment nagged at her. She'd said she wasn't just a guest. What did she mean by that?

"You've done this before."

"I used to make cookies all the time with my grandmother before we moved." Mia poured the first cup of flour into the deep bowl and scooped up a second.

With a brief nod Maureen said, "Once you get the flour measured out you can add the baking powder. And the sugar is next to the muffin pans." With the banana mashed, she cracked some eggs into an empty bowl. "I'm glad you and Sean have been spending time together. It seems like every time I turn around he's working. He needs to enjoy himself more."

"Have you told him that?" With all the dry ingredients measured out, Mia slid the bowl over to Maureen.

"More times than I can count. A few times I even suggested he join one of those online dating services. I'd love for him to get married like his sister. He brushes my suggestions off."

The timer buzzed on the second oven mounted in the wall. "Do you mind getting those out?" Maureen asked as she beat the eggs.

A blast of hot air hit her in the face when she pulled open the oven door and took out the muffins. After she placed the hot pan on a cooling rack, she went back to where Maureen worked on the batter.

"Did you enjoy the ghost tour the other night?"

"I found it interesting. We didn't finish though. My feet started to kill me."

"I've been trying to convince the town to start up one here in North Salem. There are several spots that are reported to be haunted." Maureen paused, stopped mixing, and looked over at her. "Has Sean said anything to you? He seems bothered by something. When I ask him, he insists he's fine."

Mia heard the concern in the older woman's voice. Even though Sean was an adult his mom still worried about him, unlike her own mother. Not to say her mom didn't care, but it had been a long time since she'd displayed any concern over Mia's emotional life. Rather she was only concerned about her career.

She suspected the appearance of his father was Sean's problem. "No, he hasn't said anything." While lying to Maureen pricked her conscience, she'd promised Sean. For whatever reason, he wanted the truth kept from his mom.

Maureen sighed as she turned back to her muffin batter. "I figured as much. He's not big on sharing. He never has been, but I thought I'd ask anyway, just in case he said something to you."

While she couldn't tell Maureen the truth, she could suggest Sean tell his mom next time they were together. "I can ask him. I can be very persuasive."

With no warning Maureen gave her a hug. "I'm glad you're here. I think you're just what Sean needs in his life."

Maureen's statement stayed with her for the remainder of the day. Before her arrival in North Salem, she'd decided to put her love life on hold. Her last few relationships had been fun, but not the type she wanted. Each of them had lacked any deep emotions or thoughts of the future. They'd been more about furthering careers or plain old fun between movies.

She wanted a relationship with so much more. Someday she'd like a marriage and a family similar to her cousins or grandparents. A marriage built on affection and mutual respect. Since she seemed unlikely to find anything like that in Hollywood, she'd decided to focus on her career for now and put dating on a back burner.

Then she met Sean, and something about him had her reassessing her decision. From the way he treated his mom and talked about his sister, she knew family meant a lot to him. The night of the town block party, he'd protected her without a second thought. At least a few of her past boyfriends wouldn't have done that unless a camera was around to capture the scene.

Now that she'd started this thing with him, she wished she had more time in North Salem. In about another week, she'd be in Boston. Although she'd yet to say anything, she wanted to keep seeing him while she stayed in the city. Depending on traffic, the trip from North Salem to Boston only took forty minutes. Then when her time in Massachusetts ended, they could see where they stood.

Of course she had to get Sean to agree. So far he hadn't mentioned continuing their relationship after she left The Victorian Rose. Maybe he assumed once she left that was it. She hadn't made any indications otherwise at least not yet. Before she did she'd like to have some idea of how he might respond. She knew he desired her physically. He'd more than proven that in bed the night before, but emotionally he was difficult to read. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to drop some subtle hints and see if he picked up on them.

***

After he picked up supplies at the wholesale warehouse, Sean took the long way back to town. For days his mother had been driving him nuts. Every time she saw him, she asked if something was bothering him. In the past she'd done the same thing, but it hadn't annoyed him like this. He'd never been one to share his concerns or problems. He solved them himself, as well as all the problems that had effected his family since his father's desertion.

But he'd never had a worry like this one. His mom's reaction to finding out his dad was in town worried him more than anything. She seemed so content these days. She saw friends again and occasionally visited Charlie and her husband in Virginia. It had taken a long time, but she was more like the mom he remembered. Under no circumstances did he want to risk all the progress his mom had made.

Which brought him back every time to whether or not he should confront his father and find out what he wanted before he reappeared at the house.

Sean pulled into the parking lot at Quinn's Hardware. He recognized a few cars and guessed Mr. Quinn must be in the store today. Rex Bryan and George Dahl only came in the store to bullshit with Mr. Quinn. More than likely they'd be gathered around the back table where the Quinn's kept donuts and coffee.

The bell over the door rang when he pulled it open. From the register, Jessica waved hello as she rang up a customer.

"Sean." Tony Bates, a good friend and the town administrator's son, greeted him when he stopped in aisle six. They'd both lived in town their entire lives and had graduated together.

"Tony. How have you been?"

"Good, but apparently not as good as you. Who's that hot little number you've been escorting around? Heard you and Brendan got into a fight over her at the block party."

He'd all but forgotten about the incident at the block party. He should've known that everyone else hadn't.

Sean grabbed the bag of grout he needed off the shelf. "Her name is Amelia and she's a guest."

"Where she's from?" Tony followed him toward the register, his own supplies in hand.

He didn't miss that Tony hadn't even asked if she was from town. Not a single person moved into town that the Bates family didn't know about, especially if the newcomer was a young beautiful woman. "California."

Tony handed over his credit card as he spoke. "I hope you're showing her some North Salem hospitality."

Sean understood Tony's sexual innuendo loud and clear and, judging by the way Jessica rolled her eyes, so did she.

"He never does subtle," Jessica commented once Tony left.

"Tony doesn't know that word." He placed his own supplies on the counter. "Is your grandfather here today?"

Jessica nodded. "In the back with Rex and George. He's been trying to come in two days a week now. I still think it's too much for him, but you know him. He won't listen to anyone."

Two years earlier, Mr. Quinn took a fall from a ladder and broke his hip. He'd spent months in a wheelchair. Now he was able to walk with only a cane, but the accident had slowed him down. "Tell him I said hello." Sean knew better than to get involved in one of their conversations. The last time the three older men had dragged him into one, it had taken him an hour to extricate himself.

Jessica's smile confirmed his decision. "Will do." Her smile faded as she handed him back his credit card. "Um, Sean..." Jessica rolled her lips together.

Sean waited. Thanks to their shared past, Jessica sometimes sought him out for advice much the way a younger sister would a brother.

"Yesterday your father came in." Jessica naturally had a soft voice, but now it came out more like a whisper as she leaned forward.

The credit card cut into his palm.

"He talked to Grandpa for ten or fifteen minutes, and he asked me about you and Charlie before he left." Jessica's voice stayed low and her eyes reflected the concern he heard. "I didn't tell him anything that everyone doesn't already know, but I thought you should know."

"Thanks for the heads up. Don't tell my mother, Jessie. She doesn't need to know."

"I won't, and I'll ask Grandpa not to say anything either, if he sees her."

Sean grabbed the bag off the counter. "Thanks."

Outside he slammed his truck door closed. What the fuck? First the no good bastard showed up at the house, and now he was visiting the Quinns. Who else had he talked to? News spread through town like wildfire. If his father kept making stops into town, it was only a matter of time before his mother found out. Whether he wanted to or not, he'd needed to confront his father and put an end to his visits.

***

"I feel like I'm eating dinner with a tree."

Sean dropped his slice of pizza. Next to him Mia sat and picked at her grilled chicken salad as a new action movie played on the flat screen television.

"Sorry, I just have stuff on my mind tonight."

"When something bothers me, I find talking helps. I'm a good listener, Sean." Mia put her salad down on the table.

"Good to know. Do you like the movie?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "Let me guess: this has something to do with your father?"

The muscle in Sean's jaw twitched.

"Did you hear from him again?"

"No," he answered through clenched teeth.

"Did your mom?" She knew that remained his number one concern.

"He's been visiting town. He stopped in to see the Quinns yesterday."

Sean's voice remained unchanged, but she felt the anger emanating from him as if it were a tangible thing. She turned and swung a leg over his so she straddled his lap and began massaging his shoulders. Underneath her hands, his shoulders stayed tight as she worked to undo the knots.

"What did he want?"

The muscle in his jaw twitched again. "Who the hell knows?"

She rubbed harder, determined to help him relax. "Maybe you should just talk to him. Find out what he wants and then maybe he'll go away."

His shoulders sagged a little. "I reached that conclusion today, too," he answered, sounding more resigned than angry now. "I emailed him earlier. Got an email back before you came up."

She heard the snap when Sean rolled his neck to the side and slid her hands up his neck to continue the massage there. "And?" Pulling teeth would be easier than getting info from Sean.

"I agreed to meet with him next Saturday night in Boston."

She danced her fingers up and down his neck. "If we're done filming for the day, I'll go with you if you want." She remembered his reaction when his father appeared the other night. A friend might be a handy thing to have around, especially afterward if things didn't go so well.

Sean pulled back, causing her hands to fall away. His brows dipped down as he digested her statement. "I thought you were out of here on Sunday?"

His tone of voice told her so much more than his words alone. He knew she would be checking into her hotel in Boston that Sunday and would start filming on Monday, so he'd associated those events with the end of their time together. That was her fault. Evidently she hadn't dropped enough hints about continuing their relationship. "I check into The Regency on Sunday, but I don't see why we can't keep seeing each other. Even if everything goes according to schedule, I'll be in Boston for a month." She leaned in, cupped his face with her hands and dropped the barest of kisses on his mouth.

"I like spending time with you, and Boston isn't far." She kissed him again, this time with more pressure as she dropped her hands and looped them over his shoulders. "If you really don't want to, I'll accept that but--" She kissed him again, this time she traced the seam between his lips with her tongue until he opened to her, then she plunged inside. She let the kiss continue until Sean's fingers tangled in her hair and then she pulled back. "I hope that's not the case."

Sean pulled her mouth back toward his. "It's not." Without any further explanation, he took possession of her mouth again.

Heat unlike anything she'd ever experienced before with a man exploded deep inside her. They were both still fully dressed and already her body quivered from the memory of his rough hands on her skin. It remembered every stroke and pet from the previous night. The rough pads of his fingers had teased her nipples before they sank inside her. During the entire experience he had once again been so gentle it had shocked her. She'd never expected a man of his size could be that gentle, yet he'd treated her as if she might break with one wrong move. Tonight, though, she'd make sure he knew that wasn't the case.

Breaking away from their kiss, she grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it over her head. She curved her lips into a seductive smile all the while watching Sean's face. Reaching behind herself, she undid the clasp of her bra and tossed it onto the floor with her top. In front of her Sean swallowed and his erection grew harder against her.

"We need to do something about this," she whispered as she rubbed her hand across his bulging jeans before pulling at the hem of his T-shirt.

Sean's eyes swept across her bare skin. Then he grabbed his shirt by the neck and yanked it over his head. Circling his arms around her waist, he tried to pull her against him again.

Placing a hand on his chest, she pushed him back. "These too." She hooked a finger from her other hand under the waistband of his jeans and tugged.

"You first," he said, his voice low and husky.

With a nod she slid off his lap. Slowly and deliberately, she undid the button of her cotton shorts, teasing him as her gaze locked on his. She inched them down over her hips before letting them hit the floor. Kicking them away, she stood, her hands on her hips, and watched his eyes travel across her body. With each sweep of his eyes, her breathing quickened and the anticipation inside her built.

"It's your turn, Sean," Mia said, surprised by how breathless she sounded.

The corners of Sean's mouth went up as he leaned toward her. Without a warning he dropped a kiss just above her navel. "You're not done." He hooked two fingers under the string holding up her thong and tugged.

She allowed the strip of fabric to fall, then stepped out of it when it landed around her ankles.

"Mmm, much better." His hands skimmed down her sides before his right hand dipped between her legs. A shiver went through her and she grabbed onto his shoulders.

Sean heard Mia moan and the lust raging in his body went from hot to all out inferno. The questions in his head about their relationship from a moment ago evaporated and he stood. Locking his lips on hers he started them toward the bathroom and his bedroom on the other side. His calf banged into the pizza box on the coffee table, but he didn't pause to pick up the mess it created when it landed on the floor.

The cool tiles beneath his bare feet sent a shiver through him as he led them through his bathroom. When they crossed into his room, the texture under his feet changed again. Without stopping, he continued until they hit the side of his bed. Gently, he pushed Mia onto the bed and then took a step back. Something akin to awe flashed through his head as he looked down at the woman on his bed waiting for him. His eyes never left her as he discarded the rest of his clothes and joined her.

Content to just feel her naked body against his for a moment, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her. Much to his surprise she pushed him onto his back and rolled on top of him. Then she looked down at him. "Right now I'm in charge," she said, grabbing a condom from his nightstand drawer and sliding it over him. "Maybe next time you can have control," she whispered before taking him inside her. "But just maybe," she said with a wicked smile on her lips.

***

Afterward, Sean watched her hand move up and down his stomach, and although it tickled a little, he remained silent. With the lust in his body sated, at least for the moment, his mind moved back to his original thoughts. He'd expected that when Mia checked out on Sunday they would end their little...Sean's thoughts paused. What should he call this thing between them? It wasn't a relationship, at least not a romantic one. Maybe the term fling described it. Whatever you called it, he figured the expiration date on it to be Sunday. Her proposal to continue it surprised him, and he wasn't dumb enough to say no. Any red-blooded male would give anything to be with Mia Troy, voted two years in a row as the world's sexiest woman.

That said, something nagged him, made him wonder if letting things continue was wise. For the most part, he didn't seek out relationships that remained purely physical. When he dated, which wasn't often, he sought out women who wanted the ring and white picket fence. Someday he'd like the perfect marriage much like his friend Tony's parents had, but so far he hadn't met the right woman. And while he enjoyed his time with Mia, he knew she wasn't marriage material. Even he recognized that Hollywood relationships didn't last. Despite this knowledge, ever since the block party Mia had managed to evoke a gambit of emotions inside him that no other woman he'd ever met had. He'd experienced everything from protectiveness to embarrassment. Even now with her just resting next to him, she caused unfamiliar emotions.

The constant feeling that he was dreaming made perfect sense. After all, men everywhere dreamed of finding Mia Troy naked in their beds, and he, Sean O'Brien, a nobody from North Salem, Massachusetts, had her. The ever present desire made sense as well. But the contentment and peace he experienced when they spent time together perplexed him. Over the years he'd accepted his situation in life and, while not how he'd once pictured his life, he'd been happy with it. Or at least he thought so. Now as he went about his day, a restlessness plagued him, this sense that he belonged somewhere else, doing something else. Yet once he and Mia got together, whether for dinner or a game of pool, the restlessness disappeared. Over the past two weeks, he'd come to look forward to sharing his day with her. No matter how boring or mundane, she listened and then shared her own day. He'd never done that with anyone he'd dated, nor had he wanted to.

_Don't get used to it. Once she's done here, she'll be off to California again. All she wants is some fun while she's here to pass the time._

"What are you thinking about?" Mia asked, her hand still moving across his skin.

Sean grabbed her hand as it ventured close to the bottom of his rib cage, one of the most ticklish spots on his body. "You."

Mia propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him. Her disheveled hair hung in a loose mass around her shoulders. When they'd come upstairs, the only makeup she'd had on was lipstick, but now that was gone. With makeup she looked glamorous, but he preferred her like this.

"What about me?"

Her hair brushed against his shoulder when she moved her head. The scent of her shampoo reached him and visions of the beach sprang to mind. "You baking." He used the first thing he thought of. "Ma said you helped make muffins yesterday." He'd cut off his left hand before he told her what thoughts had been going through his head. "I can't picture you measuring out flour and beating eggs."

"I used to do it all the time before I moved to California and loved it. Well, the baking part at least. I hate the clean up."

When she mentioned clean up, he remembered the pizza mess in the other room. He should clean it up before Max came in and polished it off. The dog was known to eat anything and everything regardless of whether it was edible or not.

"I'm getting hungry again. What about you?" More than half Mia's salad should still be in the other room, too.

"Me, too, but not for food." Mia sucked on his earlobe as she freed her hand from Sean's and let it disappear under the blankets.

When her warm hand wrapped around him, he groaned as raw heat shot through him once again. Food could wait.

# Chapter 8

"Would you like your bags in the bedroom?" the bellhop asked, carrying her luggage into the hotel suite late Sunday afternoon.

"That's fine. Thank you." Mia dropped her shoulder bag and room card on the kitchen table as the young man disappeared into the bedroom.

"If you need anything else, please call the front desk." The young man smiled, accepted a tip, and left.

Kicking off her sandals, Mia made herself comfortable on the sofa before dialing her sister, who'd arrived in Boston Thursday afternoon. When they'd talked that night, Avery had asked her to come to Boston then. She'd insisted they could have some fun before filming started on Monday, shopping as they usually did when arriving early on location. A month or so earlier, she would've joined Avery, but not this time. She wanted to spend her last few free days with Sean. Once the production got underway, her days would be booked solid. There wouldn't be much time for anything personal, even visits with her family.

But with North Salem and Sean miles away, it was time to check in with Avery. If for no other reason than to let her know she'd arrived. Later tonight she'd call Sean. Before she'd left that morning, she'd promised to call him after her dinner with the movie's director.

"It's about time you got here, Mia," Avery said as she gave her a hug when she walked into the suite later. "I thought you'd be here before lunch."

Mia returned the hug and kissed her sister's cheek. "I figured there was no need to rush. Bob isn't expecting us until seven, or did that change?"

Avery shook her head, her large gold hoop earrings swinging back and forth. Even before she'd adopted her new pixie hair cut the earrings looked big, but now with the super short style, they looked huge.

"No, dinner is still at seven. The limo will be here at six thirty." Avery grabbed a mineral water from the refrigerator. "Did you read over the schedule for the week?"

"I glanced over it," Mia answered, not meeting her sister's eyes. In truth, she'd opened the email, saw it was the upcoming week's schedule, and then closed it again.

Avery rolled her eyes. "What the heck kept you so busy up in North Salem anyway? You never called, and you blew off my emails and texts."

"I started seeing someone." Mia played with the fringe on a throw pillow.

"From around here?"

"Yes, well, North Salem. Do you remember me mentioning Sean, the owner of the bed and breakfast?" At the mention of his name, she thought about their time together that morning in his bed. Soon heat warmed her face.

"How did he take it when you ended things?" Avery asked cautiously

"Why do you think I ended it?"

"Ah, because in about a month you'll be back in California," Avery answered as she opened her water bottle.

Sean had expected an end to their relationship, too. She didn't get it. People did long distance relationships all the time, so why couldn't they? "You make it sound like I live on the Moon, Avery."

"No, but why do the whole long distance thing, especially with someone not in the industry? You tried it with Luke Mull when he was on location in New Zealand. Do you remember how hard that was for both of you? You said you would never do it again."

Sure, long distance relationships involved difficulties, but they could work. After the failed relationship with Luke, she never tried it again because she'd never met someone that meant enough to her. However, something kept telling her that Sean was worth the risk, that somehow they could make it work despite the thousands of miles between them.

"Do you think this guy will be able to handle it when you leave Boston? What about the next time you're in Europe? Or you have a love scene with a co-star?" Avery used her know-everything big sister tone. The very one that drove Mia up the wall.

"Even with the negatives, I've already made up my mind. And when he comes here on Friday, I'd like you to meet him."

"Can't wait," Avery said her voice full of curiosity. "He must be interesting if you're willing to keep it going when you leave."

_Time to change the subject_. "Why don't we look at this week's schedule?" Mia said as she pulled out her laptop and brought up her email account.

Sure enough her in-box contained more than half a dozen emails. Several were from Avery, but she also had one from her cousin Sydney and another from her sister Angelina. "Which schedule is the correct one?" Two different emails claimed to be schedules for the upcoming week.

Avery glanced over at the screen. "That one." She pointed to the second of the two.

Opening the email, she read through it. Ugh, makeup at four on Monday morning.

"So what is so special about him anyway?"

Mia finished the sentence she'd started to read and met her sister's gaze. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Nope," she answered with a shake of her head for added emphasis.

How did she best answer? There was no one word that explained what made him special. No simple answer to why she wanted to risk heartbreak with a long distance relationship.

A hand passed in front of her face.

"You still awake over there?" Avery asked.

"I don't know how to explain it. When you meet him, maybe you'll understand." She looked back at the schedule. "Tell me this means one o'clock in the afternoon on Wednesday and not in the morning."

"It does." Avery closed the laptop on her sister. "At least tell me what he looks like."

***

Sean shoved all the necessary paperwork in an envelope. It had taken a few days to gather everything required by the bank, but now he had all of it. Tomorrow he'd drop it off for review. The mortgage counselor had all but assured him that he'd get approved. As soon as he did, he would put in his offer. The only thing he needed to do now was convince his mom. A few times that weekend he'd tried broaching the subject, but each time she told him they could discuss it later. Well, later had arrived.

Closing the attic door behind him, he jogged down the stairs but paused when he passed the Longfellow room. They'd woken up together in his room and had made love one last time before she had checked out that morning. Before she had climbed into her car, she'd promised to call tonight. He'd warned her that he hated long phone conversations, but she'd insisted anyway. And now, damn if he wasn't looking forward to her call. He'd grown used to her presences around the house. He already missed her and only a few hours had passed. He'd never expected that.

_She's only around for another month. Enjoy it._

He pushed the image of her that morning from his head and followed the sound of the vacuum cleaner down into the living room.

"Ma," he called, his voice louder than normal. "I need to talk to you."

Maureen switched off the vacuum. "Just let me finish in here. I'm almost done. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

A few minutes later Maureen joined him. "Did you try the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? It's a new recipe." Maureen poured herself a cup of coffee before she sat down and placed a plate of cookies on the table.

"No, not yet. Maybe later." Everything his mother made tasted great. He saw no reason these cookies would be any different.

"Do you plan to visit Mia in Boston?" she asked as she added sugar to her coffee. "I really like her."

His mom never missed an opportunity to bring up his love life. Ever since his sister's wedding she'd been focused on him getting married, too.

"Friday," he answered, folding his hand on the table. "Ma, I have an appointment with the bank tomorrow about a mortgage." If he didn't take control of the conversation from the beginning, he'd never get a word in.

Maureen's shoulder's slumped as she wrapped her hands around her coffee. "I'm not thrilled with this idea of yours. You've got enough work around here already not counting the hours you put in for the town."

"I've already decided to give up my part time work with the town if this goes through."

"I still don't know, Sean. I wish you'd start thinking about yourself more, and about this place less. You need your own life. I want to see you get married and have children." Maureen placed her hand over his. "If you're a slave to this place, that'll never happen."

Sean bit back a swear. His mother hated when he swore. "Is that your only objection? If so I plan to proceed."

Sadness clouded his mother's eyes. "You do what you have to and I'll do what I have to."

Icy fingers skated down his back at his mother's statement. "What do you mean, Ma?" As far as he knew his mother never kept secrets from him, and he didn't hide things from her. Well, under normal circumstances he didn't hide things. The appearance of his father and their upcoming meeting was another matter all together.

"Nothing you need to worry about." She patted his hand and then lifted her coffee mug. "If you talk to Mia, tell her I said hello." Without another word she stood and left the room.

Sean remained in the kitchen as his mom went back to vacuuming. She hadn't told him not to proceed with his plan, but she'd let him know how she felt. And, man, if her last statement didn't make him uneasy.

The business was just as important to her as him. It was the primary source of their income and she'd never do anything to jeopardize that. Still, from the sound of it, she had something big planned that he wasn't going to like. But what?

He snagged a cookie from the plate on the table, more for something to do as he considered his mom's words than because he was hungry. Should he interrupt her again and demand an answer? Or should he leave it and see how things played out? Either way, he planned to keep his meeting tomorrow, so why risk the aggravation now? If need be, they could battle about it later.

#

# Chapter 9

Sean climbed off his motorcycle and secured his helmet. It'd been a last minute decision to take his bike into the city rather than his truck. He didn't get many opportunities to ride and the weather today was ideal--sunny and warm but not sticky and humid. Besides, he'd promised Mia a ride, and who knew how many more opportunities they would have? Already almost a week of filming had passed. His chest tightened at the thought of her leaving.

_You've got bigger problems this weekend than Mia leaving._ Anger flared at both himself and his father. Meeting with him was the only way to keep him away from the bed and breakfast, but he wished he'd never agreed to see him. After all this time he had nothing nice to say, and regardless, he'd never forgive the guy. In his opinion tomorrow afternoon was one giant waste of time.

Deep in thought, he walked the few short blocks from the garage at Mia's hotel to The Kettle, a coffee shop at Quincy Market, where filming was taking place that day. An entire area near the coffee shop had been closed off, but that didn't stop people from hanging around on the outside of the barricades. Earlier in the week she'd sent him a pass to get through security and promised to find him when she finished up. Breaking free from the gathered crowd, he reached the barricade and the stone-faced security guard stationed on the other side.

"Ms. Troy informed us you'd be arriving," the guard said when Sean showed him his pass. "Come on through." The guard announced into his radio that Mia's guest had arrived and then pulled apart the barricade.

"Who's he?" Sean heard someone call out as he entered the restricted area, but he didn't turn to look.

Almost as soon as he walked in, a fashionably dressed woman with short dark hair and an earpiece approached. "I'm Avery, Mia's assistant," the woman said as she extended her hand.

He remembered that Mia's older sister worked as her personal assistant, but there was nothing visual to indicate the two were related. Where Mia was tall, her sister didn't even reach his shoulder despite the heels she wore. Her eyes were more hazel than brown and her nose was a tad too large for her face.

"She's in the middle of a scene right now. The last one of the day. You can wait anywhere in this area." She nodded around them. "If you need anything, have someone get me," she said before walking away, speaking into the microphone attached to the earpiece.

Sean watched Mia and a male actor speak on the steps. He stood just far enough away that he only caught every other word or so, but judging by her hand gestures and facial expression the scene depicted a heated exchange between the characters.

Mia wiped something from her cheek and then turned on her heel. Sadness filled her face as she started to walk away. At first the other actor remained still. Then just when Mia was about out of reach, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"You know you want to stay," the male actor said, pulling her against him. Lowering his head, the actor claimed her mouth.

Something primal rose up inside Sean at the sight. Grinding his teeth together, he struggled to stay back when everything inside him urged him forward. In his mind he envisioned pulling Mia away and then knocking her co-star onto the sidewalk. As the kiss continued, Mia wrapped her arms around her co-star's neck as his hands traveled lower and cupped her ass. Ruled by emotion, Sean took a step forward.

"Cut," a voice called out.

In front of the camera, Mia dropped her arms and pulled her mouth away. He co-star, though, kept his hands on her body and his eyes locked on her face as if the rest of the world didn't exist.

"You two nailed that scene. Let's call it a day," a man announced, walking closer to the couple.

Mia took a step back and her co-star's hands fell away. When she spotted Sean, her lips curved into a smile and she started toward him, leaving her co-star to stare after her.

When she reached Sean, she slid her arms around him and kissed him without even a hello first. The familiar scent of her favorite shampoo washed over him and rather than diminish the primal urge to throw her over his shoulder and lock her away, it grew stronger, and he tightened his hold around her waist.

"I've missed you," Mia said as she pulled back.

Over her shoulder he caught her co-star watching them. "Really? Could've fooled me." The words spilled out before he fully considered them.

Mia took a step back forcing him to let go. "What's the matter?"

"What the hell was all that?" His temper and not logic now ruled his brain.

"Do you mean the kiss?" Mia asked. "It's called acting, Sean. It's what I do."

"The hell it was. Maybe you were acting, but he wasn't."

Mia shook her head and smiled. "You're jealous."

Sean crossed his arms and glared at her. "I just didn't come here to watch you get groped by some other guy."

"There's nothing between Mark and me. He's engaged." Mia's breath blew across his ear as she leaned in toward him and wrapped his arms around her waist again. "Besides, you're the one who will be in my bed tonight, not Mark."

Her admission pushed away some of his anger. Regardless of how her co-star felt, Mia stood in his arms right now. Next month another guy may be in the very same spot, but for now he had Mia all to himself.

She placed another kiss on his mouth. "Let me tell Avery we're leaving, then we can go."

He allowed her to lead him through the many people on the set.

"Did you park around here or at my hotel?" She navigated her way around several pieces of equipment.

"At your hotel." He spotted her co-star coming toward them before Mia did. "Someone's looking for you."

The actor she'd kissed moments earlier stopped in front of them. "Is this the friend you were expecting?"

In one motion, Sean tossed his arm over Mia's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Mark, I'd like you to meet Sean. He's staying with me this weekend."

Mark's eyes were hard and full of dislike, as he looked at Sean and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too." Sean stuck out his hand and gripped Mark's. The other man's hands were as soft as Mia's and he half-expected to look down and see nail polish on his fingernails.

"Have you seen my sister? We're leaving, and I want to let her know."

"I saw her with Brent Stockbridge," Mark answered as his hand fell back against his side.

"Great. Thanks. See you later, Mark."

***

Down below, vehicles traveled up and down the street as pedestrians hurried along on the sidewalk. To most it was another Saturday in the city, but not for him. In another hour he'd sit down with the man who'd killed so many of his teenage dreams without ever looking back. If not for his father's desertion who knew how his life might be now? Perhaps he would've played college football. Instead of running a bed and breakfast with his mother maybe he'd have a successful career in the NFL. Or maybe he would've earned his degree debt-free and gone on to do research.

Sean turned his back on the window. The national news replaced the political talk show on the television screen mounted on the wall and the news anchor droned on about a special election in Mississippi. More than a month earlier a long-serving senator had passed away and both parties wanted control of his seat. The entire subject held about as much interest for him as the opera. The way he saw it, politicians were nothing more than well-spoken actors. They said what they needed to say to get elected and then did whatever they pleased once in office. Like everything else, some politicians had more ethics than others, but they all played the system for their own benefit.

Mia disagreed with him, a fact he'd discovered during a conversation about public education. Not only did she strongly support President Warren Sherbrooke, his sister's father-in-law, but she supported several others from his party including Henry Lewis, one of the candidates in the Mississippi special election.

Before Mia came out of the bedroom and heard the latest report on the polls, he started flipping through the channels. When he came across a classic sci-fi movie on a premium cable channel, he tossed the remote down. He should be surprised they got such a channel, but wasn't. Granted, he'd stayed in only a few hotels, but in his experience the choice of television channels was always limited to the most basic. That wasn't the case here. The television in Mia's suite received more stations than his did at home. Then again, Mia's suite at The Regency made The Victorian Rose look like a shack. One-of-a-kind works of art decorated the walls, expensive furniture filled the sitting area and bedroom. A fully stocked gourmet kitchen provided Mia with the ability to cook if she desired. Gold fixtures graced the sink and shower in the bathroom, which contained not only a glass shower stall but also an extra-large bath tub and a separate hot tub.

Why Mia picked The Victorian Rose for her short vacation when she could've stayed in a place like this escaped him. Given the choice, he knew which he'd pick for a getaway.

"Do you want to walk or call a taxi?"

Sean turned at the sound of Mia's voice. Like when she'd stayed in North Salem, she'd gone light on the makeup today, unlike when she'd been on the set the day before.

"I planned on walking. The Hilltop hotel isn't far."

"I'm ready whenever you are then."

In an attempt to free up some of the tension, he rolled his neck. "I don't expect this to be pleasant. You might be better off here."

Mia slipped her arms around his waist and met his gaze. "Unless you don't want me there, I'm coming. If it gets unpleasant, oh well."

He held her gaze, awed by the compassion in her eyes. Leaning forward, he covered her lips with his, the only way he knew to show his appreciation. "Let's go then and get this over with," he said when he pulled back.

They walked the few blocks from The Regency to the Hilltop in silence. Mia held his hand for the entire walk, her constant touch a reminder of her support and friendship. Regardless of whatever else existed between them, he recognized the friendship that now existed. Having lived in the same town his entire life, he'd developed a few close friends. Considering the size of the town and the fact that so many people never left North Salem that was expected. However, all of those close friendships were with guys he'd spent years playing sports with. He'd never before considered a woman a close friend. Somehow Mia had managed to change that. In fact, she now knew things about him that no one else knew. And while he realized their romantic relationship had an expiration date stamped on it, he wondered if the same applied to their friendship. He sincerely hoped not, yet he recognized the possibility.

"Where are you meeting him?" Mia asked when they stopped in front of his father's hotel.

Sean stepped in front of the automatic doors. "The restaurant inside." An ache shot through his jaw as they crossed the lobby and he forced himself to relax his mouth before he cracked all his teeth.

When he paused outside the door into the restaurant, Mia squeezed his hand. Her tiny show of encouragement sent a whirlwind of emotions through his chest. "Let's get this over with," he said, his voice gruff.

A young hostesses led them through the restaurant to a table in the back where his father already sat with a cup of coffee. As the hostess handed out menus, everyone remained silent. Only when the woman asked if Mia was the actress did any of the table's occupants speak.

With the same grace she'd used before with fans, Mia signed an autograph for the woman but asked her not to say anything until they left. Although the woman promised, Sean wondered if she'd be able to keep it to herself, and as the hostess left, he figured he could use that as an excuse to cut out early.

"Thanks for coming tonight, Sean." Seamus O'Brien said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Let's get one thing straight. I'm only here because I didn't want you at The Victorian Rose or anywhere else in North Salem again. Ma doesn't need to know you're around." Sean allowed his anger to flow into his voice.

Across the table, his father nodded and a shadow passed through his eyes.

"Now that I'm here, what do you want?" The sooner they got to the point the better.

His father's hand shook slightly when he reached for his coffee, drawing Sean's attention to the gold wedding band on his left hand.

"First to apologize, Sean. What I did to you and Charlie was wrong," Seamus said with remorse in his voice. "When I left the two of you, I was in a bad place. I didn't recognize it then, but alcohol was controlling my life."

His father fingered the wedding band and took a deep breath. "Last year my drinking got my wife Betty killed in a car accident." His father's voice cracked. "After that I got myself into a program, and I haven't touched a drink since."

Never once had Sean suspected his father had a drinking problem. How had he missed that?

"Over the past year, I've realized how many people I've hurt, including you and Charlie."

Once again his father only mentioned him and Charlie. What about his mother? Sean's temper inched higher. Did his father have even the slightest idea how his actions devastated her all those years ago? Did he even care? "What about Ma? When you left it nearly killed her."

An unexpected bitter laugh erupted from his father. "I'm sure Ray Larson did a great job of comforting your mother when I left. He did a fantastic job that summer."

Sean's hands clenched into tight fists and he pushed his chair back. Prepared to either walk out or punch his father, he stood. Then Mia's hand settled on his forearm.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked as he struggled to keep his voice low.

"Do you remember the fishing trip we went on the summer before your senior year with Scott Card and his son?" Seamus asked. "Your mother cheated on me with Ray while we were gone."

Pure rage and hate burst inside him. "Bullshit." Several people stared in their direction at his outburst. "This meeting is over." He took a step away from the table.

"Don't go yet, please."

His father's voice somehow reached him through the blood pounding in his ears.

"There's someone I need you to meet," Seamus said.

As far as he cared, his father could climb back into whatever hole he'd crawled out of. Without a word he took another step away from the table. "Let's get out of here, Mia."

Mia glanced between him and his father as she stood, too. "Let him finish. Whatever happened between your mom and him is really between them, Sean." She reached for his hand, her voice calm.

"I'm not going to listen to him spew lies about my mother," he snapped.

Mia looked over at his father. "Can you leave Maureen out of this?"

Seamus nodded. "Before he leaves I just want Sean to meet Taylor. Give me another ten minutes." Seamus pulled out his phone and made a call before Sean even agreed.

"Come on, Sean. Ten minutes, then you never need to see him again," Mia whispered in his ear.

"Ten minutes, that's it." Sean took his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. For the next several minutes no one spoke. Instead, his father frowned at him as Mia laid a hand on his thigh. Then out of the blue his father smiled and waved someone over.

"Sean, I'd like you to meet Taylor." A young girl about eleven or twelve took the seat next to his father. The girl gave his father a kiss on the cheek before looking at Sean, her green eyes meeting his.

"Taylor, this is Sean, your brother."

All the air left his lungs and his jaw went slack as he stared at the girl across the table who gave him a shy smile.

"Two years after your mother and I divorced, I met Betty and we got married."

Sean remained speechless. The girl bore a striking resemblance to his father and himself. It looked as if Seamus had even passed his height onto the young girl like he had to Sean and Charlie. "With Betty gone, you and Charlie are the only family Taylor has besides me, and your Aunt Bridget and Uncle Rory. Your Uncle Aiden passed away six months ago," Seamus explained, referring to his brothers and sister.

A pink blush climbed up Taylor's cheeks, and Sean pulled his eyes away from her and looked back at his father.

"You might not want me in your life, but I hope you can let Taylor in."

His mouth opened and then closed. _A sister. Christ._ "Does Charlie know?"

Seamus shook his head. "I haven't contacted her yet."

"Good. Keep it that way." Slowly his shock morphed into protectiveness. "She doesn't want you in her life."

Slipping an arm around his daughter's shoulder's his father didn't agree or disagree. "Taylor and I are moving back to Massachusetts. Your aunt moved back here a few years ago, so it makes sense to come back up here. I'd like you two to get to know each other."

Ignoring the comment about moving back to New England, he glanced at the young girl again. As soon as Sean made eye contact, she looked down at her folded hands.

"I don't know. I need time to digest all this." He hated the uncertainty he heard in his own voice.

Taylor's bottom lip quivered.

_Damn, it._ _Please don't cry_. "I'll think about it. That's all I can say right now."

His father frowned in obvious disappointment. "Taylor and I fly back to Florida on Monday. We won't be back until the closing on the house in Danvers. I expect that to be in late July or August."

_Couldn't find something a little farther away?_ Danvers was practically in his backyard. "When I figure it out, I'll let you know."

Mia glanced at Sean's profile as they walked back to her hotel. Since leaving the restaurant, he hadn't said a word. Instead he walked at a clipped pace, his eyes forward and his mouth set in a grim frown. Considering all his father shared, she could only imagine the emotions that he felt.

As they turned the corner, Mia reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. As if just remembering she was there, he looked over at her. She'd heard that the eyes were mirrors into the soul, and looking at Sean's eyes she believed it. Everything from confusion to anger was reflected in his green eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Sean walked past the main entrance into the hotel and continued to the underground parking garage.

Sean gave her a curt nod. "I just need to get out of the city." He passed by the rows of parked vehicles, then stopped next to his Harley. He removed one of the helmets attached to the bike. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Do you want some company?"

He gave her a nonchalant shrug, but when he handed her the other helmet she caught a glimpse of appreciation on his face.

In theory a ride on a motorcycle sounded fabulous. As she settled herself behind Sean on the metal beast, she realized just how little protection existed between her and the ground. With a powerful roar, the motorcycle came to life, and Mia tightened her arms around Sean's waist. Beneath her the bike rumbled as he slowly drove through the garage and up the ramp to the street above. As they broke out onto the street, she started to relax.

_This isn't too bad._ With ease, Sean maneuvered the bike through the stop-and-go traffic and she loosened her death grip just as he merged onto the highway. With no one in front of them, Sean tapped into all the power the bike possessed, and Mia closed her eyes and reestablished the death grip around his waist.

After a while she cracked open her eyes again. They'd left the city behind and she looked for any indication of where they were headed. As an exit approached, Sean changed lanes. They passed a sign indicating how many miles remained to Wachusett Mountain just before he took the off ramp.

Soon the Wachusett Dam appeared on their right, the late afternoon sun reflecting off the water making it look like glass. For a moment Sean slowed down, but after they passed several cars already parked, he again sped up. When he brought the bike to a complete stop later on, they sat at the top of Wachusett Mountain. In the winter, the mountain functioned as a ski resort. Although not as large as its counterparts farther north, the resort on the mountain provided the perfect place for local skiers who didn't have the time to travel. During the other seasons, hikers and nature enthusiasts used the mountain for all kinds of recreational activities..

"Are you okay?" Sean asked after he pulled off his helmet.

Mia handed him her helmet and hoped he didn't notice how her hands shook. "Great."

Despite the beautiful day, the parking area at the summit was empty. "It's beautiful up here," she said as they sat down at a picnic table.

Sean nodded but remained quiet, his eyes on the vista before them.

Winding her arm through his, she rested her head on his shoulder. "You might feel better if you talk about it."

At first he remained tight-lipped and she didn't push.

"Christ, does he expect me to just forgive him? Accept that alcohol controlled his actions?" He raked a hand through his hair. "He made the decisions he did, no one else."

Over the years she'd seen enough of her friends struggle with drugs and alcohol to know how it changed people. "He did," she began as she picked each word. "But sometimes things like alcohol make us act in ways we wouldn't normally. You'd be surprised how much it can alter a person's decisions."

"That's no excuse for abandoning your family," he said with anger.

She squeezed his hand, her heart breaking for the teenage Sean. "I know it's not the same, but when my anorexia was at its worse no one and nothing mattered to me. The only thing I cared about was avoiding food and losing weight. It controlled my every action. Alcoholism can be the same way. And if what he said about your mom is true that might have been the very thing to send him over the edge."

Without warning Sean stood and took a few steps away before whirling back around. "That whole story about Ma and Ray is bullshit."

She didn't agree. People liked to think only husbands strayed. In reality, wives did sometimes as well. While she liked Maureen, that didn't mean Sean's father was lying.

The vein in Sean's temple twitched and he pressed his lips together, his hands planted on his hips.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Sean. Even our parents." Heaven knew she'd learned that about her own parents a long time ago. "Even if you can't forgive him now, you should think about everything he said. Maybe with time you could let him in your life again. Or at least Taylor. Whatever your father did wasn't her fault, and she is your sister."

"I know that," Sean snapped then he blew out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mia. I shouldn't take this out on you." He came closer and kissed her. "This whole thing sucks. How do you deal with someone dropping a sister in your lap?"

She shrugged as he continued. "If I get to know her, she'll be a constant reminder of him. I don't need that."

"She's also just a child who lost her mom and you're her big brother." Mia kept her voice gentle.

Sean looked up at the sky as if he'd find the answers in the clouds. "Fuck."

"You don't have to make any decisions now." Mia stood and placed her arms around his waist. "Take your time and think about everything. They won't be up here again for a while. Maybe talk to Charlie. See what she thinks." When he looked down at her, she met his eyes. "And I'm here if you want to talk."

In response Sean frowned. "Thanks, but I'm not sure I want to bother you with this."

She bit down on the inside of her cheek at his response. A true friend was there for you no matter what and although she hadn't said it, she considered Sean a true friend and then some. His actions hinted that he felt the same way, even if he hadn't said it either. Now wasn't the time to pressure him about it. He already had enough fuel to keep his emotional fire going. "Well, if you change your mind, I'm here."

Rather than answer, he kissed her. When he broke away, he touched his forehead to hers. "We should get going. Are you ready?"

She glanced over at the Harley. Part of her didn't want to climb back on. While part of her had enjoyed the ride, fear had coursed through her body for much of it. But Sean enjoyed it, so if their relationship progressed past her time here in Massachusetts, this wouldn't be her last ride on the metal beast. "Good to go." She pasted a smile on her face. Maybe she just needed time to get used it, like when she learned to ski.

# Chapter 10

Mia poured herself a cup of coffee and started toward the balcony. With Sean in the shower, she figured she'd enjoy her coffee outside. Halfway to the balcony, she stopped when someone knocked on the door.

"Good, you're up," Avery said as she walked inside. "I grabbed you a latte from the cafe downstairs." Avery exchanged the cup of black coffee in Mia's hand with the latte. "Are you alone?" Avery looked around the suite as she took a sip from her own cup.

Before she answered, Mia took a long sip from her cup, the warm liquid sliding down her throat. "Mmm, that's good," she said. "Sean's still in the shower. Are you hungry? There is a ton of fruit in the kitchen."

Avery pulled a paper bag with the same logo as the cup from her shoulder bag. "Grabbed a muffin when I bought the lattes."

"Let's sit outside then." Although still early, all indications pointed toward a picture perfect early summer day. Not a single cloud dotted the blue sky and a mild breeze was blowing off Boston Harbor.

"The media is going nuts. Everyone has been trying to identify Sean ever since he showed up on the set Friday afternoon," Avery said as she pulled out a chair at the table.

She'd expected it to happen at some point. Not once since she'd begun dating had she been able to keep a relationship secret for long. While they'd never discussed it, she assumed Sean expected it, too. His own sister's relationship had fascinated the media for quite a while, so he must have a general idea of how things worked. Hopefully, he could handle the attention. While the men she usually dated were used to the media interference, Sean wasn't. Before she realized it, she sighed.

"What was that for? You had to know it would happen." Across from her Avery broke her muffin into smaller pieces. "I mean you were kissing him on the middle of the set."

Mia snagged a chunk of her sister's muffin and popped it into her mouth. "Just thinking, that's all. So are you going to Gram's today for lunch? Sean and I will probably leave here around eleven."

Avery's eyes grew wide. "You're taking him to Gram's?" she asked, her voice a few octaves higher than usual.

"Is there an echo in here?" Mia asked as she reached for her latte. "What's wrong with that?"

For a moment Avery remained silent as if formulating an answer. "Nothing, but you've never taken anyone to meet Gram and Pop. Not even Anderson, and you two were together for over a year." Avery leaned forward and held her gaze. "Sean must be important to you."

She considered her sister's words. She'd never dated anyone she wanted her family to meet until now.

"You've only known him about a month, but you're taking him to Gram's," Avery continued before Mia said a word. "What's so special about him?"

She considered all the time they'd spent together. Nothing they'd done together had been overly exciting or exotic, yet she'd enjoyed every minute With him she felt like Mia Troy, the woman, not the Hollywood celebrity. Not to mention that to him family was everything and not only because it provided him with money and homes around the world, like her mother.

She pushed the last thought from her mind. Her mom loved her in her own way. Unfortunately, she let Mia's early fame and money influence many of her decisions.

"I don't know how to explain it. When I'm with him it's like Hollywood doesn't exist. I think..." Mia looked toward the French doors that led back inside, then leaned forward. "I think I love him," she said, her voice low. Before that moment she hadn't entertained the idea. Now that she said it aloud, she realized it was the truth.

The shocked expression returned to her sister's face. "Has he said--" Avery stopped when Sean appeared at the doorway, followed by Mark Walden, Mia's co-star.

Dressed in khaki cargo pants and a plain white T-shirt, Sean held a cup of coffee in his large hands, and memories of his hands on her the night before sent warmth through her body.

"Good morning. You've got a visitor," he said, his voice chilly as he took a seat next to her.

"Morning." She leaned over and kissed him before even glancing in Mark's direction. "Hi, Mark."

"What, no kiss for me?" Mark asked moving closer, his intentions clear.

Mia turned her head just in time, and Mark's kiss landed on her cheek. Next to her, the muscle in Sean's forearm flexed as he gripped his coffee cup tighter, and she remembered Sean's words when he'd seen them kiss on the set.

"I thought I'd see if you ladies were busy tonight." Mark took the last seat at the table. "Rafe told me about a club called Diamond. I thought I'd check it out. What do you say? Care to join me?"

Over the last year or so, clubs had started to hold less and less interest for Mia. Even still, a month or two earlier she would've thought about going. Today she didn't even consider the invitation. "I'll pass, but go ahead, Avery, if you want," she answered as she squeezed Sean's arm. "Sean and I plan to hang around here when we get back from Gram's."

"I'm in," Avery said. "What time works for you, Mark?"

Sean rested his arm across her shoulders, and she rested her head against his shoulder. She could sit there all day just like this. Everything about it felt natural, as if it were meant to be.

***

Sean didn't know what he expected, but the modest colonial with the front porch swing took him by surprise as did Mia's large family gathered inside. All of her aunts and uncles had come for lunch, as had many of her cousins and their children. Activity and lively conversation filled the house. When they first arrived, he'd felt out of place, but within moments her grandmother and Aunt Nicole drew him into conversation.

"Have you always lived in North Salem?" Mia's grandmother asked as she handed him a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade.

"Isn't that where the President's son met his wife?" Mia's aunt asked from the counter where she prepared a salad.

Everyone in town knew his sister had married the President's son, Jake Sherbrooke. Since he rarely went far from town, he wasn't accustomed to telling people who is brother-in-law was. "He married my sister, Charlie."

"Your family owns the bed and breakfast," Mia's aunt said, recognition on her face. "I saw the episode when they featured it on the Travel Channel. It looked beautiful. So is that how you and Mia met?" The woman crossed to the stove as she spoke. "I was surprised when I heard she was bringing someone today. Mia has never brought anyone to a family gathering," Mia's aunt said, not pausing for him to get a word in.

Sean looked over at Mia. Almost as soon as she walked in the door, she'd been pulled aside by two women who must've been her cousins, judging by their age and physical resemblance. Now she sat with them while holding a baby in her arms. As if sensing his gaze, she looked up from the baby she held and smiled. Instantly, the corners of his mouth turned upward.

"I've never met any of her boyfriends. Have you, Mom?"

Although the woman addressed the question to Mia's grandmother, it grabbed his attention. Mia hadn't introduced him as her boyfriend, but he understood how her family might make the assumption. While he wasn't sure the term fit him, a part of him liked the sound of it.

"No, Sean's the first," the older woman answered as she headed outside with a platter of sandwiches.

He opened his mouth prepared to correct them, but stopped. Soon enough he and Mia would part ways, so what did it matter if her family thought they were a couple? After today he'd never see them again anyway. "Do you need any help?" he asked as he tried to ignore the sharp pain that went through his heart at the thought of Mia leaving.

"We're all set. Besides you're a guest," Mia's aunt answered before carrying a salad outside.

Food covered both tables outside when he and Mia joined everyone in the backyard, and he'd seen several platters of cookies and brownies on the kitchen table. Drawn by the sweet smell of barbecue sauce, he made his way to the end of a table and the chicken.

"Make sure you try the pasta salad," Mia said as she added mixed greens to her own plate. "I don't know what Gram puts in it, but it's delicious."

Not a huge fan of pasta salad, he added some to his plate anyway. "Your grandmother would give Ma a run for her money when it comes to cooking. I thought Ma went overboard, but this is crazy."

"Gram didn't make everything. My Aunt Nicole helped. She loves cooking. Aunt Patty probably helped, too," she said as they moved toward some empty seats. "Both Gram and Aunt Nicole told me how much they like you by the way. I'm sorry I deserted you back there. I haven't seen Andrea and Sydney since Andrea's wedding."

"Cousins?"

"Yep. I warned you that I had a huge family."

"Must be fun at the holidays." It required little effort to picture the house crowded with happy relatives while they celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas. His own holiday celebrations had always been small even before the divorce. Once his sister joined the Navy, they'd often only included him and Ma. Since his sister's retirement from the Navy, she'd begun to join them again, but even then there were only four seated around the dining room table. Growing up, his buddy Tony had always had a packed house for the holidays and although he'd never say it aloud, he'd envied Tony for that.

"More like insane. I'm hoping to get here for Thanksgiving this year. I've missed the last few."

The ball left his hand and sailed through the air before her cousin James caught it and took off. When James crossed into the imaginary end zone, scoring a touchdown, Sean gave her cousin Cooper a high-five. For the first time since his conversation with his father, Sean appeared relaxed and carefree. Or at least as carefree as he ever looked. All too often, Sean carried himself as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

Farther down the yard, Sean and her cousins lined up again for the next play in their backyard football game. He stood between her cousins James and Cooper. Before the play started James said something and Sean burst out laughing. At the rare sound Mia smiled.

"How long have you two been together?" Sydney asked as she stopped next to her.

"About a month." Her eyes followed Sean as he took off after Sydney's husband, who now carried the ball. In the blink of an eye George hit the ground, his shorter legs no match for Sean.

"He's no Mark Walden, but he's cute." Sydney switched her baby to her other hip as she spoke.

The word cute and Sean didn't belong in the same sentence, but she kept the thought to herself.

"Speaking of Mark Walden, I don't know how you manage to work with him every day. The guy is gorgeous. How do you kiss him and remember your lines?"

"Easy. It's just a job when I kiss him." In fact, when she'd kissed him on the set Friday, thoughts of her weekend with Sean filled her head. "It's kind of like when you take a patient's blood pressure. It's just another part of the job."

"I've worked at the hospital for ten years and never had a patient look like Mark Walden," Sydney said. "My God, you'd think they were ten years old." On the grass George did some kind of dance move in the end zone, then spiked the ball into the ground.

"You married him." Mia laughed and elbowed her cousin in the side.

Sydney sighed dramatically. "Don't remind me," she said before smiling. "What about you? Do you think he's the one?"

Mia bit down on her lip and considered the question. Was he the one? She didn't know. What she felt for him was unlike anything she'd experienced in previous relationships. Did that mean he was _the one_? "I don't know. Maybe."

Before leaving town that afternoon, Mia drove by the house she grew up in, which her cousin Sydney now owned, and then headed for the highway. In the passenger seat, Sean remained quiet. The carefree guy who played football with her family was gone. In fact the closer they got to the city, the more withdrawn he became. By the time they took the exit off the highway, he'd clammed up altogether, his mouth set in a severe frown and his eyes locked on the road. Without even asking, she knew what occupied his thoughts, and more than anything she wished she could help.

"Can you stay for a little while?" She slid her room key into the slot and pushed open the door.

Sean focused his eyes on her and she caught a glimpse of indecision. Then he pulled her close, kissing her as he pushed the door closed behind them.

The calluses on his palms scratched her skin as his hands disappeared under her shirt and rubbed her back. Grabbing at the back of his shirt, she pulled it free from his waistband and ran her hands underneath. Slowly, she trailed her hand up and down his warm flesh as Sean's kiss became more intense. When his tongue slipped inside and touched hers, the low burning flame inside her ignited. Not in the mood to take things slowly, she pulled back, grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and yanked it over her head. Before the top hit the floor, she'd unclasped her bra and tossed it away, too. She stood there as his eyes made a slow inspection. As they traveled from her face, down to her breasts, and across her stomach they left a trail of heat behind.

She grabbed at the front of his shirt and tugged it up. "This has to go." Her voice came out so breathless, she almost didn't recognize it.

Without breaking eye contact he grabbed the fabric from her hands and pulled it off. Eager to have her skin against his, she moved closer, prepared to wrap her arms around him again.

"Not yet." He placed a hand on her waist to keep her away. "There's something I need to do first," he said as he lowered his head.

Before she registered his intent, he wrapped his lips around her nipple and sucked. Pure pleasure radiated outward, setting every part of her body on fire. As he continued to tease, she leaned against the wall afraid her legs would give out.

"Sean," she said as a moan when he gave the other nipple its fair share.

Threading her fingers into his short hair, she opened her eyes and looked down at him. The sight of him suckling her sent some wild animalistic desire straight to her core and she ached to have him inside her. Reaching between their bodies she stripped off her shorts and underwear before reaching for his jeans. Once she had them pushed down, she wrapped one hand around him and rubbed the soft skin while her other hand settled on his butt and urged him closer.

"No more teasing," she ordered, as she continued to run a hand up and down the flesh in her hand.

Stopping his assault on her breast, he switched to her mouth as he picked her up. On cue she wrapped her legs around his waist and in one smooth motion he slid inside.

Sean swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. "I need to go, it's almost ten o'clock."

"I wish you could stay tonight." She watched him pull his jeans on as she sat up. "But I need to be in makeup at three." That ungodly hour would be there in no time.

Sean leaned down and kissed her. "I've got work at home anyway."

She climbed out of bed and walked to the chest of drawers. "I'm stuck in the city all week, but I should be free all weekend unless the schedule changes." Mia pulled on an old T-shirt, the well-worn cotton soft against her skin. "You can stay here again, or I can come up to North Salem and stay with you."

Dragging a hand through his hair, Sean met her gaze. "We can figure it out later."

Something about his voice caused a seed of uncertainty to take root in her stomach. "Okay, I'll call you tomorrow."

Not even ten minutes after he left, Mia climbed back into bed. The alarm would be waking her soon, yet even knowing that, she stared at the ceiling. Her cousin's question played over and over in her head. Was he the one? How long did you need to know someone before you knew? Her cousin, Sydney, dated her husband for eight years before they got engaged, and then their engagement lasted another two years before they walked down the aisle. True, they were a rare case, but still, logic told her it was too soon to know if Sean was the one. Her heart said other things. Being with Sean just felt right, pure and simple. And the idea of not seeing him again once she left Boston made her chest physically ache.

Mia sighed and rolled onto her side. She'd never been in love before, but this was how she imagined it. She hoped he shared her feelings. So far he'd shown that he cared for her and desired her, but nothing pointed to definite love. Then again, Sean wasn't the type to put his feelings on display, unless it involved his father. He did have a difficult time hiding his dislike for the man. Not that she blamed him, considering their past.

She pushed away thoughts of Sean's dad. Whatever happened between him and his father was between them.

Maybe there was a different way to learn the extent of Sean's feelings. Perhaps he dropped hints in the way he acted or spoke. From now on she'd need to pay closer attention to the minute details, just in case. With that last thought, she closed her eyes and shut out the world.

# Chapter 11

The elevator doors closed in front of her and she hit the button for the tenth floor. Even though she'd remained on set longer than planned, she should have enough time to take a nice long bath before Sean arrived. On the past few occasions when he'd come to Boston, he'd never gotten there before six, and it wasn't even five yet.

The numbers on the elevator lit up as it carried her to her floor. What should they do this weekend? The weekend before they'd caught a Red Sox game at Fenway on Friday night, and on Saturday they'd sat down by the Charles River and watched the Dragon Boat Festival. Sunday, at her request, they'd stayed in all day and just been plain old lazy.

There was no shortage of things to do in the city, but at the moment nothing jumped out at her. In fact if they spent the night in, she'd be okay with that. Tomorrow they could go out and do something fun.

Mia pushed opened her hotel room door and kicked off her sandals before the door even closed behind her. The fragrance of fresh flowers and hazelnut greeted her, and she stopped short. A gigantic arrangement of summer flowers sat on the table next to a picnic basket and an extra-large latte from the Boston cafe she'd fallen in love with.

"You're here already," she said when Sean appeared from the kitchen with a black iced coffee in his hands.

Sean took the latte off the table and walked toward her. "I wanted to get here before you got back and surprise you, so I left earlier than usual." He handed her the large drink. "I hope I got this right. It's hazelnut made with nonfat milk minus the whip cream and sugar."

Her heart sang with delight. He'd remembered how she liked her drink. "Thank you. It's perfect." She took a long sip from the latte, the cold beverage a great treat after the heat outside. Not quite the end of June, the heat in the city had already hit some record highs that week. Today at least a nice breeze helped provide some relief despite the humidity.

"These are gorgeous." She leaned toward the flowers and took in a deep breath. "What's this?" Mia pointed at the picnic basket.

"Dinner. I read that the Boston Pops is doing a concert at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade. I've never been to a concert over there, and I thought you might enjoy it." He gathered her up in his arms and hugged her. "If you don't like that idea we--"

"No. It sounds great."

Located on the Boston side of the Charles River, the Esplanade was used by city residents for everything from running and cycling to picnics and sunbathing. The city also used the Hatch Memorial Shell for free outdoor concerts all summer long, with the annual Fourth of July concert by the Boston Pops being one of the most popular shows. In fact, every year that concert and the fireworks that followed it drew upward of 500,000 guests into the park, or at least that was what she'd read. She'd never attended the event herself.

Tonight the park was nowhere near that crowded, and after several people stopped them for her autograph, they found an empty area on the grass not far from the stage.

Once Sean spread out the blanket he'd packed, Mia sat down and stretched out her legs. Kicking off her sandals again, she dug her feet into the thick green grass, loving the way it felt between her toes. Next to her, Sean unpacked the basket. "Did you bring enough food?" she asked. He just kept pulling out containers.

Sean placed some paper plates next to the food and then moved the basket away. "When I stopped at Quincy Market, I didn't know what we'd be in the mood for, so I got a little of whatever looked good." He picked one container and handed it to her. "This is for you. A grilled chicken salad minus the dressing and cheese. You can eat anything else you want, too."

Another piece of her heart slipped away, as she accepted the salad. "Thanks. What else did you get? Something smells good."

He went down the line, naming each dish as he opened the containers. There was everything from a Thai chicken and curry dish, to traditional Indian naan bread, and lasagna. To top if off, he'd grabbed some double chocolate chip cookies that were the size of plates and two chocolate hazelnut tortes.

"I'm tempted to skip the food and go right for the cookies." She stabbed the lettuce in her salad, but her eyes never left the cookies. Man did they look good.

"Go ahead. I won't stop you." He picked up one and held it out. "I ate one on my way back to the hotel after I got the food."

The darn thing all but called her name, but she raised her forkful of salad to her mouth. "Maybe later."

Sean put the cookie off to the side again and began a plate for himself. "If there are none left later, don't say I didn't offer."

After their meal, Sean sat next to her eating a cookie as she sipped her water. She'd caved and had a quarter of a cookie once she finished her salad and then wrapped the rest up and returned it to the picnic basket. "Those cookies are almost as good as your mom's."

"I know. The rest of yours might not make it through the night."

"Be my guest." She rested her head on his shoulder and watched the musicians file onto the stage. All dressed in black and white, they resembled a bunch of penguins with musical instruments. "This was a great idea tonight." She took his hand and entwined their fingers. "Thank you."

***

"Have you heard back from the bank yet?" Mia asked as the swan boat completed its journey around the lagoon. Once again she'd hidden her hair under her baseball hat and skipped any makeup in an attempt to blend in. The night before when they'd returned from their picnic lunch, they'd been ambushed by photographers waiting outside her hotel.

Sean shifted his legs in an attempt to get more comfortable. Whoever designed the boats hadn't considered tall people. Thankfully the boat ride only lasted fifteen minutes. "No, not yet. I expect to hear back in another week or two."

The driver maneuvered the boat back to the dock and as soon as he gave them the green light, Sean got out with Mia right behind him.

"Has your mom come around yet?"

Hand in hand they started down the pathway through the park and toward the Commonwealth Avenue Mall which would take them right into Back Bay where they planned to have a late lunch.

"We--" Sean began to answer as an elderly couple holding hands approached them.

"You two look so happy and in love. You remind me of us when we came here on our honeymoon." The thin gray-haired woman stopped in front of them. "Don't they, Will?"

"What?" the older man asked, his voice louder than necessary as he inclined his head toward his wife.

"I said they remind me of us," the woman shouted louder this time and her husband nodded. "It goes by fast. We're here celebrating our fiftieth anniversary this weekend," she said, her voice back to a normal volume now. "Enjoy every minute together." With her final words of wisdom, the couple shuffled off again.

Happy and in love? Evidently, the elderly woman assumed they were newlyweds. Something he knew would never happen with Mia. If he ever got married, it would be to someone who lived in or near North Salem. A woman that would be content to live either at The Victorian Rose or near it. While the woman got that part wrong, she had gotten the happy part right. Since spending time with Mia, he had been happier and having more fun than he'd had in a long time. When she left in another few weeks, he'd miss their time together.

"I love seeing older couples who still look in love like that. So many people I know get married and divorced, then married again, as if it's a game. My friend Becca Kent--she played my older sister on _Family Life_ --is only three years older than me and on her fourth marriage." Mia looked back over her shoulder at the couple that stopped them. "I forget sometimes that not everyone is like that. That people can stay married to the same person for the rest of their lives."

Something in the tone of her voice caused the hairs on his neck to stand up. She hadn't said it, but her message got through loud and clear. She wanted what that couple had someday.

_She doesn't mean with me._ His brain pushed aside his emotions. Right now she was having some fun, a way to pass her free time until she went back to California, nothing more, nothing less. If she wanted someone who was husband material, she'd look toward men like her co-star, not to him. His words of logic wiped away his unease, but at the thought of her co-star a burning started in his chest. Then the image of Mia and Mark naked in bed, wrapped in each other's arms, formed and bile surged upward. _Tonight I'll be the one naked with her._ He forced himself to replace the image of her and Mark together with the memory of them together that morning.

"You never did answer me," Mia said, when they hit the edge of the park.

He glanced over at her. The sun danced across the highlights in her hair and for a moment he could only stare. Damn, she was beautiful. Then with a mental shake, he cleared his throat. "We have not talked about it again, but Ma will come around."

***

He finished the chocolate hazelnut torte left over from the night before and flipped through the television channels. Not long after they returned from their late afternoon lunch, Mia's cell had rung and she'd disappeared into her room to discuss something Avery insisted couldn't wait until later. Bored and a little hungry, he'd grabbed the few things left over from their picnic dinner the night before and started channeling surfing. When he came across the first _Lord of the Rings_ movie, he tossed the remote control off to the side and put his feet up. The movie was a couple of hours long; that should be enough time for Mia and Avery to talk. At least he hoped so.

"I told Avery we're busy tonight," Mia appeared in the room wrapped in a white bath towel.

Sean unwrapped the rest of the cookie Mia hadn't finished the night before and broke off a piece, as the main character on the screen woke up after being helped by the elves. "It took that long to tell her that?"

Mia walked farther into the room but stopped a few feet from where he sat. "No. My agent contacted her this afternoon when she couldn't reach me. Avery wanted to fill me in on the details of a possible new project. Then she invited us out, but like I said I turned her down." Lifting one hand, she slipped her fingers under the knot in her towel. Once undone, the towel slipped down her body and landed in a pool at her feet. "After all that walking today, I thought I'd soak in the hot tub." She turned on her heel rewarding him with an unobstructed view of her perfect butt. She took a step away, then looked back over her shoulder. "You're more than welcome to join me," she said, her voice low and purposefully seductive.

Heat flared through him, overwhelming every one of his senses, and he stood, pulling his shirt out of his jeans as he followed her into the bathroom. With slow deliberate movements, she turned on the hot tub jets and the water began to bubble and swirl much like the blood pounding through his body. He paused in his undressing, transfixed as she stepped into the frothy water and slowly lowered herself. When her breasts disappeared under the water, he snapped out of whatever trance he'd been in. In one movement he rid himself of his jeans and underwear.

"The water is perfect. All that is missing is you," she said, her voice silky and more sensual then he'd ever heard it.

Sean stepped into the water and pulled her onto his lap as he sat. "Better?" Before she could answer he set his lips against hers, intent on giving her a kiss she'd not soon forget.

"It's getting there," she teased when she pulled back for air.

So that was how she wanted to play it. "How about now?" He slipped a hand under her breast and lifted it out of the water then took her nipple in his mouth. Mia gasped and he smiled before sucking again. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders, and he pulled back letting her breast dip back into the water. "Does this help?" He brought the other one to his mouth and circled the nipple with his tongue. In response her nails dug into his shoulders even more as she moaned.

Thanks to the feel of her wet slick body against his and her responses to his touch, his body had almost reached its breaking point. Digging down deep inside himself, he wrestled with the last of his self-control. He wanted to make this moment unforgettable for her. Give her a memory that she'd carry back home with her. Switching his mouth back to her lips, he let his hand travel down her ribcage and across her taut stomach before dipping lower. He let one finger slip inside.

"Stop teasing," she said, her voice a sensual order as she squirmed on his lap.

He let his other hand tease her nipple. "I will, but not until I'm ready." He didn't give her a chance to argue. Instead he kissed her again, his tongue slipping inside and mimicking the same movements his finger made inside her.

Only when he sensed her climax did he shift her position on his lap and slide inside. _Damn._ Every one of his senses went on overload and his brain slowly tuned out as pleasure took over. _Perfect._ The simple word flashed in his head before he lost himself completely to the woman in his arms.

# Chapter 12

Light spilled out from the windows above the garage Monday night. Climbing out of his truck, he left his pool stick behind and headed for the stairs. As he climbed, the stairs creaked, and Sean made a mental note to check them in the morning.

"I heard you pull in," Maureen said as she pulled open the door before he even reached the main landing.

His eyes swept across his mom, looking for any indication that something was wrong. Why else would she appear so eager to see him? Yet everything from her neat bun to her pink fuzzy slippers looked the same as usual. "Are you okay?" he asked as he walked inside.

Maureen's eyes danced with joy, and his initial unease faded away.

"I have some wonderful news." Maureen perched herself on the edge of her sofa.

"Charlie's pregnant?" Aside from becoming a grandmother, he couldn't imagine what else would make her so happy.

"No. At least I don't think so. Did she say something to you?" she asked her eyebrows coming together.

"Not me." Sean dropped into the arm chair. "It's been at least two weeks since we talked. I was just guessing." The last time he and Charlie spoke, they'd discussed the reappearance of their father. So if Charlie wasn't pregnant what other news could excite his mother like this?

"Oh. Well, hopefully that will happen soon, too." Maureen waved a hand in the air. "But this is almost as exciting. Sean, Ray asked me to marry him." A voice too young and giddy to belong to his mother reached his ears.

"And I said yes." The breathless carefree voice sang out again.

Goosebumps formed on his arm despite the warm temperature. "Ray who?"

"Ray Larson. How many other Rays do we know?" His mother's face glowed as she answered.

His father's words three weeks earlier repeated in his head. "You see him once a week for card games. How does that add up to marriage?" Okay, maybe they'd gone out a few times, too. He really didn't know, he never considered his mother's social life his responsibility.

Pink crept up his mom's cheeks, and she looked down for a moment. "That's not entirely true. We've been spending a lot of time together again." The giddiness in her voice disappeared and she sounded more like his mom again.

His brain locked on the word _again_ and icy fingers wrapped around his heart and squeezed. "What do you mean _again_ , Ma?"

The pink in her cheeks changed to bright scarlet. "Ray and I dated in high school. He graduated the year before me and when he went to college we broke up."

Pain shot up his jaw and into his temple.

"Right after I graduated high school I married your father, and Ray moved out to Seattle after college."

A throbbing began at the base of his skull. Although Ray had only moved back to North Salem a few years ago, he'd visited several times a year before that since most of his family lived in town.

"We reconnected again when we started playing cards last year." His mom looked down at her hands.

"The bastard was telling the truth," Sean whispered. He had no evidence, but his gut told him what his father said about Ma and Ray was true.

"What did you say?" Maureen asked with an audible note of concern.

The pain in his head increased. Like snippets from a movie, memories passed through his mind. The fishing trip he'd gone on with his father, and the fights that became commonplace after their return. Sure his parents had argued before that, but not like after the fishing trip. They'd been different, more intense and so much more frequent.

"Christ, Dad didn't lie. You did cheat on him with Ray." This time Sean didn't keep his voice lowered.

All the color drained from his mother's face. "You spoke with your father? When?" Her voice cracked and guilt flickered for a moment in his chest.

Then his father's words rushed forward again. "Three weeks ago. We met in Boston." His anger threatened to choke him. He'd given up so much when his father split, the whole time believing his mother was the victim of his dad's callous behavior, only now to find out she'd set it in motion and turned his life upside down. "He explained everything. It's your fault he walked out on us."

"I doubt he told you everything, Sean." Tears glistened in her eyes as she spoke. Normally such a sight would pull at his heart, tonight it did nothing.

"He told me enough. He only left after you and Ray hooked up. If you hadn't done that he wouldn't have left, and I wouldn't still be stuck here!" He all but shouted the last of his sentence as he stood.

From the sofa his mother stared wide-eyed at him. He'd never in his life raised his voice to her.

"Sean, please let me give you my side of the story. Then maybe you'll understand." Tears slipped down her face. "I started dating your father at the beginning of our senior year. Ray and I had broken up around the 4th of July, right before he went off to college." She wiped a tear away and the diamond on her left hand caught the light.

"The first several months together were wonderful. He was always thoughtful. He acted the perfect gentleman. My parents loved him. But after a while he changed and that April right before Easter we broke up. We probably never would've gotten back together if I hadn't found out in May that I was two months pregnant. No one took the news well, including your father. Our parents insisted we marry right after graduation, so we did. Our graduation was on a Friday night, and the following weekend we got married. Then we moved into a tiny two bedroom apartment in one of those old apartment buildings they tore down after the hurricane."

The buffalo wings he ate at the bar rolled in his stomach. How could everything he'd ever believed have been a lie?

"From the beginning our marriage was rocky, but we tried to make it work. Or at least I did. Your father started drinking heavily not long after you were born. I don't know if it was the stress of supporting a family while in college or what. By the time you turned four he was coming home a couple of nights a week drunk. After your grandfather died, we moved in here with my mom. I thought that would help ease some of his stress."

Other memories, ones he hadn't thought about in years surfaced. Many times he'd come downstairs on a Saturday morning to watch television only to find his father asleep on the couch, dressed in the clothes he'd left in the day before. The trash can over flowing with empty beer cans when he dragged it to the curb on Thursday mornings.

"When I got pregnant with Charlie, I thought it would help our relationship, but the longer we were married the more he controlled my life. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without his permission. That fishing trip you two went on was the first time he left me home alone for even a night."

Sean laughed. "And you just had to sleep with the first guy that came around," he said, his voice cold.

Red spread across his mother's face. "What I did was wrong, but your father was no saint. Maybe you didn't hear them, but there were always rumors flying around about his affairs."

Sean ignored her comment about his father's affairs. If they'd bothered her that much, she could have asked for a divorce. "I gave up everything and stayed here to help you, Ma, but all along it was your fault he left."

"Sean, I know how much you sacrificed. And--"

"No, Ma, you don't. I gave up a full scholarship to play football at the University of Florida." If only time could be turned back. "Instead of working my ass off and taking night classes I could have gone to college debt-free." The woman before him was suddenly a stranger. How could he have missed so much of the truth?

"And what about Charlie, Ma?" After the divorce she'd changed, too. "She was devastated when Dad left. She shut people out for years because of it."

More tears welled up in his mother's eyes. "All I can say is, I'm sorry."

"It's a little late." Sean stalked across the room. He needed to get away from her before he said something he would regret later. "Congratulations. I'm sure you and Ray will be happy," he added sarcastically as he yanked open the door.

"Please, Sean wait." Maureen's voice came out as a desperate plea.

"Not now, Ma." The door slammed closed behind him.

***

Removing her makeup in record time, she glanced at the clock. Sean should be here any minute now, assuming he still planned to come. When he'd left on Sunday night, they'd agreed he'd come back again for the weekend. So far he'd come and stayed with her every weekend since she checked into The Regency. Since Monday, though, they'd spoken only twice and both conversations had not been quite right. Something about the tone of his voice set off alarms in her head. He'd denied anything bothered him, but the warning bells continued to ring. In fact, their last conversation had only lasted ten minutes, and she'd talked the whole time. Other than hello and goodbye Sean hadn't added a single word, which even for him was strange. Tonight maybe he'd open up a little.

Warm water trickled down her face and she grabbed the towel. For the first time all day her skin felt clean. Sometimes the makeup artists piled on so much makeup it felt like a mask sat on her face. Scrubbed clean, she pulled on a Patriots T-shirt and a pair of cut-offs. In the past, she'd always felt a need to dress up for her boyfriends, but not with Sean. Around him she could be herself. If she wanted to dress casually she did. If she wanted to leave her hair in a ponytail and stay in her pajamas, that was fine, too. The only other time she felt that free was when she was alone. She loved it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

With nothing else to do but wait, Mia switched off the bedroom light and wandered into the living room. Considering all the channels on her television, she should be able to find something to watch while she passed the time.

The door opened with a click fifteen minutes later and relief blossomed. "I've missed you," Mia said as she stood. "I thought maybe you changed you mind about coming today."

Sean dropped his bag on an armchair. "Traffic was bad this afternoon. The Red Sox have a home game."

"Well, you're here now and don't have to think about traffic again until Sunday night." She pressed her body against his and kissed his cheek.

Sean remained rigid next to her. "Yeah, I guess."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sean turned his head. "How about we go out? You mentioned those duck boat tours. I checked before I left home. They run until dusk. If we go now we can still catch one. I know there is a stop at the Prudential Building."

In his current mood she'd get nothing out of him and she'd wanted to take one of Boston's duck tours for a long time. Maybe when they got back, he'd open up and share whatever bothered him. "Okay," she said. "Let me grab my sneakers." She'd learned her lesson on the ghost tour in Salem.

Fifteen minutes later, they stood outside the Prudential Building located in Boston's Back Bay section, tickets in hand.

"We have some time to kill. Do you want to go up to the Skywalk?" Sean asked.

Mia glanced down at her watch. They did have almost twenty minutes until the next duck boat departed. "Sure. What is it?"

Sean shot her a look of surprise. "You went to Harvard and never heard of the Skywalk? It's a 360- degree observatory up on the fiftieth floor. On a clear day like this you get an excellent view of the city."

He hadn't exaggerated. Mia gazed out of the glass windows. From up here she had an excellent view of what the city referred to as the Emerald Necklace, a ring of parks that included the Boston Common, the Public Garden and several other parks in the city. "This is fantastic. I could stay up here for hours and look at this view."

"After the tour we can get a drink in the Hub upstairs if you want. The bar windows face the west so you can watch the sunset." He took her hand and tugged her closer. "Right now we need to get back downstairs if we're going to catch the next tour."

The open-air amphibious vehicle referred to as a Duck Boat sat at the curb. As passengers climbed on board, a tour guide handed out a duck-beak-shaped whistle for them to use during the trip.

The first time she saw the vehicles on the city streets, she'd been seven, and it had been her first trip to Boston with her family. When the silly looking vehicle passed by, passengers on board started quacking at them with the whistles. Later that same day she'd seen another one pass by, and she'd watched in wonder as it drove right off the street and into the Charles River. After that she'd begged her mom to buy them tickets, but she refused, insisting they'd already spent enough money to get into the aquarium and eat lunch.

Once all the passengers including Sean and her were seated, the duck boat pulled away from the curb and down Boylston street.

"And coming up on our left is the Public Garden and the Boston Common," the tour guide said from the front of the vehicle. "The Boston Common encompasses forty-eight acres and for over two centuries it has served as everything from a common pasture to a site for the city gallows. During the 1775-1776 military occupation, it even served as a camp for the British troops. The Public Garden next door covers twenty-four acres and was designed by William G. Preston in 1869. If you visit the Public Garden later, stop by the lagoon and rent a swan boat."

Next to her Sean shifted his position. "Why didn't you ever do this while at Harvard?" he asked when the tour guide stopped talking.

"My freshman year I didn't leave campus much and when I did I was usually with either my roommate, Casey, or Sara Sherbrooke. Neither had any interest in going. I did get them to walk the Freedom Trail with me once though."

"You were living in the heart of the city and stayed on campus?"

"Believe it or not, it was the first time I had ever been away from both my parents. Even when I shot my second movie in London, my mother came with me. So I was a little nervous about being in the city by myself."

"What about your sophomore year?"

"I landed an internship at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Between that and my courses, I didn't have a lot of free time. And after the second semester I left Harvard."

The microphone on the vehicle crackled to life again. "If you look to your right, you'll see Saint Paul's Cathedral," the tour guide said as the vehicle turned onto Tremont street. "It was consecrated in 1820 and designed by Alexander Parris, who also designed the Quincy Market Hall."

Happy to just listen to the tour guide, Mia kept silent as the vehicle passed down Tremont street toward the Old Granary Burying Ground. Every once in a while, she'd shoot a look at Sean. Compared to when he first walked into her hotel room he looked relaxed, almost bored in fact. Even with the change she sensed something bothered him. Had he spoken with his father again? Or did what his father shared during their last meeting still weigh on his mind? Either way, he'd feel better if he got it off his chest; at least she usually did. When they got back, she'd try to get him talking again.

***

Sean dropped down on the couch next to her and placed a soda on the end table. They'd just returned from The Hub where they'd stopped for a drink after the duck boat tour ended and watched the sunset. As Sean had promised, the sight had been spectacular.

"What's bothering you?" She placed her hands on either side of his face, the stubble on his cheeks scratching her palms, and turned his face toward her.

"Nothing."

Under her hands, his jaw tensed. "Something is wrong. Come on, Sean, talk to me. I want to help. Did you talk with your dad again?"

"No. Did you enjoy the tour?" He leaned forward as if to kiss her.

She turned her head just in time and his lips landed on her cheek. If he kissed her now, they'd not finish this conversation. "Then what's wrong? You've been upset all week. And even now you're grumpy."

"You're not going to give up are you?" Sean stood and crossed his arms. "Fine. Whatever. My father wasn't lying about my mother's affair, and to top it off Ray proposed to Ma on Monday."

No helpful words came to mind. No wonder he'd been acting odd all week.

"When my father left, Ma was a mess, so I ditched all my plans. I didn't even stop to think about it. I took care of her and Charlie. And all of it was her own fault." The muscle in his cheek twitched as he spoke.

Pain filled her own chest. She wanted to hug him and somehow take the pain away from him. "I'm sorry." The words seemed inadequate to the pain and anger he must feel. "Did your mom say why?"

"Some half-cocked excuse about their parents forcing them to marry and my father controlling her life." Sean dropped his hands by his sides. "The why doesn't matter. She still did it."

Going on what Sean's father told them and the little bit Sean shared now, it sounded to Mia like both his parents were to blame. "Sean maybe you're being a little harsh on your mom." She took his hand and tugged him back toward the couch. "Parents make mistakes, too. They're human like us. It sounds like both your mom and dad messed up their marriage."

Sean glared at her, his lips drawn tight. _Okay, wrong thing to say._ "Come on, Sean. Try to think of it from their points of view before you put all the blame on your mom. Yes, what she did was wrong, but your father had other ways of handling it. And maybe if alcohol hadn't been involved he wouldn't have cut you out of his life. Staying angry at both of them solves nothing. Trust me."

"So you think we should all just kiss and makeup? Not happening."

"Maybe not just like that, but come on, Sean, they're your family." She squeezed his hand. "My parents almost got a divorce because of my mom's control over my career. My dad wanted my life to stay as normal as possible. He expected me to go on to college and stuff. Mom got all wrapped up in Hollywood and the money. It took a separation and counseling for them to work through it." Unpleasant memories of the time tried to sneak up. "I know it's different, but like your parents they both made some mistakes, and I forgave them." She tucked a piece of hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear and considered her next words."If you make a mistake do you want your children holding it against you forever?"

Even though he never mentioned children, considering the way he viewed family, someday he'd have some.

"If I had kids, I wouldn't make the mistakes my parents made," Sean answered with extra emphasis on the if.

"Oh. Well, hypothetically then," she asked as she fought back the disappointment that swept through her heart when he said if.

"Some mistakes are not forgivable, Mia."

The tone of his voice suggested she drop it, but something deep down kept her going. "And what about your sister Taylor? None of this is her fault. Are you going to ignore her because of your parents' actions?"

"Really, you want to spend our last weekend together talking about my family problems?"

A tiny nugget of unease planted itself deep inside her chest. They'd not discussed how they'd keep their relationship going once she left Boston, but she assumed they'd find a way once they talked about it.

She swallowed down the panic growing inside her. "Since I am not needed in California until Thursday, I'm not flying out until Wednesday afternoon."

"I'm sorry, but I can't stick around here until then. I have another appointment with the bank on Monday."

The seed in her chest sprouted a stem. "That's okay. I can go back to North Salem for a few days. Once I finish filming in California, I can come back. Or maybe you can come out and visit me while I continue work on the movie. You could stay with me."

Sean rubbed his forehead. "I think we're on two different pages, Mia. I thought we were just having some fun together while you were here. I thought you wanted a way to pass your downtime. I didn't know you were looking for something long-term."

A lump lodged itself in her throat. "At first that was it, but now I thought we could see where things went. I l--" the word _love_ sat on her lips. "I like spending time with you," Mia said improvising, not sure if she should drop the big L-word just yet.

"Mia, I've enjoyed our time together. It's been fantastic, but after this weekend that's it. We'll both go back to our everyday lives," he explained, his tone calm and cool.

"It doesn't have to be that way." She heard her voice wobble.

Sean gave her a stiff nod. "Yeah, it does, Mia."

"Why?" she snapped, anger replacing the unease from before. "What are you afraid of?" He wasn't a player. Over the years she'd dated enough of them to recognize one, so something else fueled his actions now.

Color climbed up the back of his neck. "People like you and me don't belong together. Your life is in California and mine is here."

"I think you're wrong, and unless you're afraid, let's give it a try. What's the worst that could happen?" She crossed her arms as her own anger gained momentum.

"Let it go." His tone contained a hint of anger now, too. "Why does it matter anyway? You've got men lining up at your door ready to step in. You'll find someone else in no time."

"Because I love you." The words tumbled from her mouth this time.

Sean's jaw dropped and he stared at her as if she'd announced she came from Mars. "No, you don't. You just think that now. Once you get home, you'll realize I'm right." He stood and took a few steps toward the door. "I'm going to head home."

"Sean, can't we talk about this? Please."

Stopping, he turned around. "I'm sorry, Mia, really. But we're just too different for it to work." Grabbing his overnight bag, he turned toward the door again. "Have a safe trip home," he said before walking out.

With the air conditioner cranked up all the way, he eased out of the parking garage and joined the heavy city traffic. Thanks to a concert at the Boston Garden and a ball game at Fenway Park, the traffic rivaled that of rush hour during the week. With no destination in mind, he headed for the highway and considered his options. Home made the most sense. The idea of returning there tonight held about as much appeal as a root canal. Ever since the truth came out, he'd avoided his mother and her constant attempts to talk.

At the same time, though, finding a room in the city for the night at a reasonable price was improbable. Even on a night with nothing going on, the task of finding a decent room under two hundred dollars would be difficult.

Merging onto the highway, he turned up the music. Even with the heavy base resonating through his body, Mia's sudden declaration rattled around. She didn't love him. Somehow she confused fun with love. Once she returned home, she'd reach the same conclusion herself. In another month or so she'd not even remember his name. Instead she'd spend time with another A-list actor or musician. Then she'd fly off to some exotic location for a vacation with him.

In the distance he caught site of the exit for downtown Salem. On autopilot he changed lanes. Salem would do for tonight. Tomorrow he'd go home and deal with his mother. After exiting the highway, he pulled into the parking lot for the first hotel he saw.

"Can I help you?" the woman behind the reservation desk asked when he approached.

"A room for one." Sean pulled out his wallet and handed over his driver's license and credit card.

"Do you prefer a king bed or two queens?" The woman looked down at the license and then her head snapped back up. "I thought you looked familiar. You were on the cover of _The Star Report_ with Mia Troy last week."

"If you say so," Sean said with a shrug. "A king bed is fine."

The woman pulled open a side drawer, the room reservation put on hold. "I have a copy right here." She passed him the magazine. "The article inside mentions the two of you had dinner at Rialto in Boston last weekend and were seen on a swan boat together."

Sure enough, a colored photo of them the day they'd had a picnic at the Esplanade along the Charles River took up most of the cover.

"You can keep that if you want. I've already read it. What's she like?"

He handed back the magazine. He didn't need pictures to remind him of their time together. He had plenty of memories stored away. "Nice. Do you have a room or not?"

The woman put the magazine away and glanced at her computer screen. In silence she typed away, then glanced up again. "You're all set. The room number is on the card," she said as she handed him a key card. "The elevator is right around the corner. A continental breakfast is served in the morning until 10:30. Enjoy your stay."

Compared to Mia's suite in Boston, room 403 looked like a closet; not that it mattered. It contained a bed and a television, the only two things he required tonight. Tomorrow he'd return to The Victorian Rose and his normal routine.

If everything went as planned on Monday he'd sign the papers for the old Victorian next door. Once the old house belonged to him, he'd start renovations. With some luck, next year at this time they'd open up their second bed and breakfast and he might just move in there himself.

Yeah, he'd made the right move tonight. Picking up the phone, he dialed room service. Once he placed an order for a double cheeseburger with french fries and a beer, he turned on the television and forced his thoughts to the future. Unlike Mia, he had no use or love for the past. Only the future mattered.

# Chapter 13

Light from the uncovered bulb bounced off the dust floating in the air. A thin layer of dirt and grime covered every surface. Some of the spindles on the main staircase appeared cracked, yet Sean didn't see any of it. Rather, the beauty and possibilities stood out.

With a groan and click, the door closed behind him. As he crossed the main entryway into what had been the sitting room, he pulled out his cell phone and punched in Mia's number. They'd talked about this project a lot, so sharing the news with her made sense.

_Stop._ His finger hovered over the final digit. Their short relationship was over. He'd taken care of that over the weekend.

His chest tightened as he shoved the phone back into his pocket. Calling it quits had been the right thing. Mia evidently thought more existed between them than he did. If they kept seeing each other, it'd be giving her the wrong impression and that wasn't fair. Besides, they lived in two different worlds. She made out with guys in front of millions of people, while he retiled bathroom floors and kept the pipes from leaking. People that different didn't belong together anyway. She belonged with someone like his brother-in-law or her co-star Mark. At the thought of her co-star, the memory of them kissing on the set flashed up. Much like it had that day, the green-eyed monster raised its head. Mia might deny it, but the guy wanted her regardless of whether or not he was engaged to someone else.

_It's none of my business_. Whatever Mia did from now on didn't concern him, just like nothing he did affected her anymore.

After one quick walk through the house, Sean switched off the lights and crossed the yard back to The Victorian Rose. Accustomed to entering through the back kitchen door, he didn't even consider that his mother would be in there working.

"You're home." His mother stood at the counter rolling out a pie crust. "I thought you'd be in the city. Doesn't Mia leave in the morning? She called today to say congratulations. I really like her. I'm glad you two have been spending time together."

"I had business with the bank today." Sean grabbed a can of soda from the refrigerator. "Besides, we ended things this weekend."

The rolling pin stopped. "Why? You were having so much fun together. You were happier than I've seen you in a long time with her."

With a snap, the can opened, and he took a long swig before he spoke. "We had fun; now it's over. End of story."

His mom picked up the rolling pin and pointed it at him. "Sean O'Brien you're as bad as your sister was. Look how much happier she is since she met Jake."

Counting to ten, he pushed down his aggravation. "Ma, Charlie was afraid of relationships. I'm not afraid. I'm just not interested in continuing things with Mia. We're too different. I don't want to talk about it anymore. It's done."

"You're making a mistake," she said with a deep sigh and a shake of her head.

"Are Charlie and Jake still coming up next month?" Sean snagged an oatmeal cookie off a plate.

"As far as I know," she answered as she went back to rolling out her pie crust. "I saw some lights on next door. Do you think I should call the police or did they finally sell that house?"

He took another swig from his soda. "It was just me over there."

The rolling pin stopped again. "What?" Maureen asked, her voice several octaves higher than normal.

"I told you my plans, Ma. I signed the official paperwork today. It's officially ours."

A loud whack on the counter caused him to miss his cookie altogether and his teeth sank into his tongue. The salty taste of blood mixed with oatmeal in his mouth and he swallowed.

"You knew my feeling about that." His mom planted both her fists on her hips and glared up at him.

"It'll be good for business, Ma. You'll see. As it is, we turn away guests because we're booked. Now that won't happen."

Maureen advanced closer. "You're not the only one who has been making plans for the business. I wanted to tell you before, but you've been ignoring me lately."

_Can you blame me?_ Even now anger simmered at the mere thought of their last conversation.

"Sherbrooke Enterprises is trying something new and Dylan contacted me. The Victorian Rose and another bed and breakfast in Newport are going to be the pilot locations."

A desert contained more moisture than his mouth at the moment and he couldn't speak as he waited for her to continue.

"Starting in the fall The Victorian Rose will be officially run by Sherbrooke Enterprises."

All the air in his lungs rushed out. "You sold the house?" No, she wouldn't do that. She'd grown up in this house, raised her children in this house. The bed and breakfast was their bread and butter so to speak.

"No, I joined in a partnership. They will handle the maintenance and the day-to-day operations in return for part of the profits. But I maintain ownership."

Sean dropped into a chair. "Ma, we talked about expanding. You knew I was working with the bank."

A frown appeared on his mom's face. "We never agreed on it. I told you I was against it from the start, but you ignored me."

"I can't believe you did this. You'll have to pull out of the deal. Let them find another place. Maybe one of the bed and breakfasts in Salem instead. There are several over there they can pick from."

Taking a seat across from him, she patted his fist. "It's done Sean. And it'll be good for all of us. Especially you."

_Bullshit._ "You mean good for you and Ray." Once again his mother's involvement with Ray Larson upset his life.

"True. I plan to move into Ray's house soon. The manager Sherbrooke Enterprises hires will live in my apartment. But I did this more for you. Now you can do anything you want. You won't be stuck here with me. You can make the house next door yours, or move out of North Salem and start over somewhere else. Use that degree you earned."

Surprise must have appeared on his face because his mom smiled at him. "I know about the master's degree you earned and the graduation ceremony you skipped. I saw the letter on your desk when I dusted a few weeks ago. You should have gone to the graduation. I would have loved to see you walk across the stage."

The weight of his mom's hand over his grew heavy. "You shouldn't have done this Ma. I could have run things alone while you moved in with Ray."

Leaning forward she placed both hands on his face. "I did this for you more than anyone else. Sean, it's time you start your life. I know you put your life on hold after your father left. Without you I don't know how I would've survived, and you'll never know how much that means to me. But now I'm taking charge and being the parent I should've been back then."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. "Your sister is happy and settled. I want the same thing for you. It may not seem like it now, but this is the best thing for you. You'll see."

With a jerk he pulled away and stood. "Whatever, Ma." He needed space from his mother before he exploded. Already his frustration approached a boiling point, a few more words out of his mother's mouth and he might not be able to control his temper.

The purple sky from earlier now contained stars and a large full moon. Mounting his Harley, he revved the engine, then pulled onto the road. With no destination in mind, he drove the familiar roads through town until he hit the highway.

Sean drove out toward the western part of the state and then south into Connecticut. After he crossed into Connecticut, he drove along the northern most part of the state until he hit Interstate 84 which took him back onto the Mass pike.

By the time he reached the base of Wachusett Mountain, the first rays of sunlight filled the sky. Confident police wouldn't be in the area, he accelerated and followed the road to the summit. Once at the top, he parked and pulled off his helmet. A breeze blew across his face, the cool air a welcome treat after wearing the helmet for so long.

From the woods at the edge of the parking lot, leaves rustled and a few twigs snapped as everything came awake with the rising sun. Parking his butt on a large flat boulder, he stared out over the lush green vista.

How had his life turned to crap so fast? First his father's reappearance followed by his mother's confession. And now this. The only bright spot in all of it had been Mia.

_Don't go there._ Ever since he had walked out of her hotel room, he'd repeated the same thing over and over. Their worlds were too different for it to ever work. Even so, he missed their conversations and her compassion. Right now he could use some of her understanding and willingness to listen.

At the moment he didn't know who he was more furious at--his mother or father. Both played with his life to suit their own needs and wants. Maybe he liked his life the way it was. For years now it'd worked for him. Why mess with it? A tiny voice in the back of his head inched out of the dark place where he kept it. _You don't love running the bed and breakfast_ , it whispered. _So what?_

Grabbing a rock, he chucked it toward the woods. Okay, he didn't love it. Most people didn't love their jobs. Rather, they made the best of them. Did what they had to. Why should he be any different? Picking up another rock, he tossed it harder this time. Maybe he should see about managing The Victorian Rose for Sherbrooke Enterprises. No one knew the place better than him. Life would stay much the same if he did that. At the same time, he'd fix up the house next door as planned and maybe put it up for sale.

Rather than lift his black mood, his plan sent his spirits plummeting even further.

_Grow a set already, O'Brien._ Maybe now was the time to take a page out of his parents' playbook and think of only himself.

***

Pressure pushed her into the leather seat. Outside the window, the airport and runway grew smaller and smaller as the jet climbed toward the sky. Soon Boston would be little more than a pleasant memory, and she'd start work on another set for her current movie.

When the city below became a dot on the landscape, she picked up her e-reader. She'd started a biography about Cleopatra on Monday as a way to pass the time at night and keep her mind occupied. So far she'd made little progress on the book.

"I expected to see Sean here today," Avery said. She had her own e-reader out. "Did he stop by yesterday?"

"We said our goodbyes on Saturday night." Had she already read this page? It sounded familiar.

"Goodbye as in for good? I thought you planned on inviting him to California. What happened?" Avery dropped her e-reader into her carry-on.

Mia turned off hers, too. Between her lack of concentration and her sister's questions, she'd never make any progress right now "I wanted to, but I didn't get the chance. Sean ended things on Saturday."

Tears began to build up again. This time she refused to let them come. Already that week she'd wasted enough tears on Sean.

"I thought this one might work for you. You seemed so happy, and he got along so well with everyone at Gram's. Was it because of the distance?"

Mia looked out the window again. She'd shared the same view at one time. In fact, even up until they boarded the jet, she thought after he had time to think he'd show up with a change of heart. "Something like that." Her voice cracked as she spoke, but somehow she kept the tears back.

A warm hand slipped over hers. "I'm sorry. I know you cared a lot about him," Avery said, her voice kind and sympathetic. "But it's for the best. With you living on different coasts it would've been hard."

Yeah, she'd told herself the same arguments. Not that they helped. Her heart insisted on doing its own thing. "Avery, I don't want to discuss this right now. Can we talk about something else?"

"You know I'm right though."

Her sister loved to have the last word. "Not now, Avery." Mia allowed her aggravation to creep into her voice. "Maybe some other time."

"Fine." Avery pulled her hand away. "Did you know Mark ended his engagement?"

Avery always did know the gossip on every set. "Where did that rumor start?" Gossip like that came and went with the wind.

"From Mark. I overheard him on the phone with Shauna. When he got off, he told me he'd asked her to move out of his LA apartment before he returned. He didn't come right out and say it, but I think you're part of the reason. I've seen the way he looks at you."

Her sister's comment warranted an eyeball roll even if the behavior was childish. "Mark and I are friends. And he looks at every woman like that. Even you."

"No, it's different when he looks at you. Since his engagement is off maybe you should see about starting something with him. Who knows where things will go? If nothing else it'll help get your mind off Sean."

Mia turned her e-reader back on. "I'm going to read now."

***

Sean jotted down the cell number, then deleted the message from his father. Since their meeting in Boston weeks earlier, his father hadn't reached out again until today. Even without the contact, his father and Taylor hadn't been far from his thoughts. Neither had the conversations with Mia about the situation.

It wasn't only those conversations with Mia that haunted him. Every second they'd spent together slipped into his day-to-day thoughts. Each time they did, his resolve about ending things took a beating. He missed her. If he said any different, he'd be lying. At the same time, if he'd kept things going with her, it would only turn out this way at some point. Thanks to the media, everyone knew celebrities like Mia never stayed in one relationship for long.

_Forget about her. Get back to work_. His footsteps echoed as he crossed the empty dining room. Tomorrow the electrician started work updating the house. Once Tom was finished, he'd come in and tackle the work he planned to do himself. The swinging door between the dining room and butler's pantry squeaked when he pushed on it, and only three of the light bulbs gave off light in the tiny room located between the dining room and kitchen. There was no point in replacing those now. At some point all new light fixtures would be put in. The other door in the pantry, which went into the kitchen, hung at an odd angle, the hinges at the top half-pulled out of the wall. After unscrewing the bottom hinge, he removed the door and entered the kitchen. Similar in size and layout to the kitchen in The Victorian Rose, the room contained a thick layer of grime and ancient appliances.

It made sense to remodel the kitchen first. If he planned to live here, he'd need a working kitchen. Once his mother moved in with Ray, he'd be responsible for his own meals. And as of right now he planned to move in here as soon as possible. Before his mother's decision, he hadn't considered owning his own home. He'd accepted that he'd spend his life next door, running things with his mother. Now the idea held his full attention, and while he completed work here maybe he'd go back to working full time for the town. He knew everyone over at Town Hall. His first job after high school, with the highway department, had provided him with benefits and good pay. He'd given up the benefits to work part-time while starting the bed and breakfast. If he applied for his old position, he'd get it in a heartbeat. But that job held no surprises--unlike another option dangling in front of him.

Earlier in the week one of his former professors at MIT contacted him about an opening at MIT's Lincoln Labs in Lexington. A position there would be challenging, to say the least. Never in his life had he imagined he might work at such a place. Yet even with the stellar recommendations he had from several professors, there was no guarantee he'd get the job. Positions at the facility didn't come up every day and when they did, the lab only hired the best of the best. At least he had an interview. It was a start.

Dropping his toolbox on the floor, he pushed his future plans out of his head and got to work. If he was going to start renovating in the kitchen, it needed to be gutted first.

Footsteps in another room echoed through the house. "Sean, you here?" Tony's voice reached him from the dining room.

"In the kitchen," he answered as he opened his toolbox.

"I've always wondered what it looked like in here," Tony said as he entered the kitchen. "Reminds me of your house."

"A little. What's up?"

"Dropped my mother off at your house. She wanted to congratulate your mom."

"She's still not driving?"

"No. Doc says she has another week in the cast." Several weeks earlier Tony's mom fell down the stairs and broke her right leg. "Never would've guessed your mom and Ray would hook up."

Sean gritted his teeth.

"My mom said they dated in high school. She thinks the whole thing is romantic," Tony said.

"She would." Sean wedged a crowbar between a bottom cabinet and the wall. A satisfying crack reached his ears as the cabinet separated from the wall.

"Yeah, at least the engagement got her to stop talking about you. Since that picture of you and Mia Troy showed up on the cover of _The Star Report_ , she hasn't stopped speculating." Tony leaned against the door jamb. "Your family's got some luck. First Charlie marries into the Sherbrooke family, and now you've got Mia Troy panting after you. I don't know how you managed that. I always thought you'd end up with Jessica." Tony paused to check his smart phone when it beeped. "Speaking of Jessica, have you taken a good look at her lately? I saw her at the gym yesterday. She'd just finished swimming. Christ, I never would've guessed she had a body like that under the clothes she wears at the store. Next time I see her, I might see if she wants to grab dinner."

Red flags went up and his mind went into big brother protective mode. "Stay away from her, Tony. She's not your type."

Tony gave him an innocent look. "What, you're the only one around here who can have fun?"

Sean narrowed his eyes and glared at his friend. "You can have all the fun you want, but stay away from Jessie."

"Fine. So when will Mia be back in town?" Tony asked. "Ma would love to meet her."

"She won't be. I ended it." Sean grabbed the sides of the cabinet and pulled it away from the wall.

Tony straightened up, his hands falling to his sides. "Are you crazy or something? Last year she was named the sexiest woman alive."

A discussion about relationships with Tony Bates made about as much sense as talking sports with his mother. No, that wasn't true. What his mother knew about sports far surpassed what Tony knew about relationships. He dated women for one reason and it had nothing to do with feelings.

"Instead of flapping your gums over there, how about you give me a hand?"

Tony grabbed a screwdriver from the toolbox and started on the metal hooks above the stove. "If you let that one get away, you're dumber than I thought. Most men would give up their left nut to be with her."

"Good, then she won't be lonely for long." The memory of her kissing her co-star in Boston rose up again and his stomach curled into a knot. "We still meeting up at Steve's for the ball game Sunday?"

"As far as I know. He didn't say otherwise when I saw him yesterday." Tony tossed the first set of hooks on the floor, then tackled the second. "Steve told me your father stopped by his dad's karate school last week. Did you know your old man was back? He signed his daughter up for karate lessons. I didn't know you have a half-sister?"

Sean's knuckles turned white as he gripped the crowbar in his hands.

"Steve taught her class. He said she's good. One of the best he's seen in a long time."

"You're worse than the grim reaper, do you know that?" The cabinet he'd attacked let go of its hold on the wall. "Do you think you can work without talking?

Tony tossed the second set of metal hooks onto the floor. "I'll do even better. I'll go." He threw the screwdriver back into the toolbox. "See you on Sunday for the game."

"Yeah. See ya," Sean called without looking up.

Alone again, he doubled his efforts attacking the cabinets along the floor. Before Tony's visit, frustration and anger had made his mood bleak. Now it'd turned black. He didn't need or appreciate everyone's opinion on the decisions he made. Especially not from his friend who considered a woman a play toy. No matter what his mother and Tony said, he'd made the right decision. And as for his father and half-sister, well the jury was still out.

# Chapter 14

It felt as if bricks weighed down on her eyes and she fought the urge to rub them as Mark pulled out of the parking lot. The night before, they'd filmed until eight, then she'd let her sister talk her into a night out. A new club had opened and Avery insisted it'd be just the thing to cheer her up. After several hours of dancing, she returned home for a few hours of sleep before reporting to makeup that morning at five o'clock.

If she'd only gone out that one night, she'd be fine now, but since her return to California Avery had dragged her out almost every other night. While she appreciated her sister's efforts to cheer her up, she couldn't keep up the pace. Especially considering that even on the nights she stayed home she didn't get much sleep. Every time she closed her eyes Sean infiltrated her thoughts. Some nights she didn't sleep at all, while on other nights she got a few hours before she woke up from a dream and realized Sean wasn't there. Despite the weeks that had passed since he walked out of her hotel room, the pain was still fresh.

"Are you sure you don't want to get dinner?" Mark asked.

"The only place I want to go is bed. I'm beat." She hated to ask Mark for a ride home, but her sister had plans and she was too tired to drive. "I'd hoped we'd finish earlier than this today. I lost count of how many times Dan and I filmed that restaurant scene."

Mia turned her head and the cool leather pressed against her cheek as heavy weights pulled her eyes closed. This time she didn't fight it.

"Bob's tough to work with. At least we nailed that last scene today." Mark's voice kept her from falling asleep as he hit stop and go traffic.

"If you say so," Mia mumbled, her eyes closed. "I was just glad he didn't make us re-do it. If he had, I might have walked off the set."

"What do you think was wrong with it?"

The car stopped and Mia cracked her eyes open. "Dan seemed--" Pain exploded along her entire right side, and the world spun as the car flipped. Shattering glass and a scream echoed in her ears as something wet dripped down her face. An object bit into her chest, and it took several seconds before she recognized the seatbelt holding her into her seat. The honking of horns and shouts echoed outside and then everything went black.

***

He pulled at the tie around his neck as he headed back home. The damn thing felt like a noose. Yet today the noose had been necessary. As tempting as it was, he couldn't show up for an interview at MIT's Lincoln Lab in his favorite Harley-Davidson T-shirt and jeans. Thankfully, the position didn't require a tie. Only one guy he'd met with today wore one. Tie or no tie he wanted this position with a team that developed systems for chemical-sensing robots. At the moment it was out of his hands. He'd given his best possible interview and all he could do now was sit and wait for a decision.

Once again Ray's car sat in front of the garage when he pulled into the driveway a little later. With the exception of one day that week, Ray had shown up for dinner every night. Today, though, the sight of his car didn't bother him. For the first time since Sean had learned of their relationship, anger didn't cloud his mind. Instead only excitement and optimism filled it. For the first time in years he had complete control over his life.

"Sean, you're home." His mother reached him just as he entered the kitchen. "I tried your cell several times, but you never answered it."

"I turned it off before the interview. I guess I forgot to turn it back on when I left." He pulled the phone from his pocket and turned the device back on. Sure enough he'd missed five calls, all from his mom.

"What's wrong? Is the kitchen sink leaking again?" If it was, she should've asked Ray to fix it.

His mom shot a glance over at Ray, then reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Mia was in a bad car accident last night. I saw it on _Good Morning America_ this morning."

An invisible hand squeezed his heart and suddenly he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. "Is she okay?"

Maureen bit down on her lip and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I don't know. They didn't give a lot of details. They just said Mia and her co-star Mark Walden were at a red light when their car was struck. Both were rushed to the hospital."

Visions of Mia covered in blood sent a chill through him. "Did they say what hospital?" Not that it mattered. Even if he called, they wouldn't tell him anything.

"No, they just said a local hospital." His mother's voice cracked, and he fought back his own tears.

As he stepped away from his mom, he replayed their last conversation in his head. She'd told him she loved him and what had he done? Turned around and walked out on her. He'd ignored his own feelings. Pushed them down deep and hoped they'd go away. Now those same feelings as well as new ones mingled, threatening to choke him.

He needed to see her. Needed to make sure she was okay. But how? The only number he had was her cell. He doubted she'd answer that from a hospital bed. If only he had Avery's number, but he'd never seen a need for it.

_Think._ "There's got to be a way," he said, his voice not much above a whisper.

"Sara. Isn't Mia friends with Charlie's sister in-law?" Lost in his own thoughts, his mom's voice reminded him she still stood there. "Maybe she can help."

In less than an hour, he had the name of Mia's hospital and a plane ticket to Los Angeles. He'd never cared that his sister married into one of the wealthiest families in America. Only her happiness had mattered, and Jake made her happy. Today, however, he considered his association with the Sherbrookes a huge plus. Not only had Sara gotten him the info he wanted, she'd made arrangements for him at a Sherbrooke hotel not far from the hospital and arranged a car to pick him up at the airport. The only thing he'd done was get himself to the airport in Boston.

A squat man dressed in a black suit approached him as he exited the tarmac connecting the plane to the airport in Los Angles. "Mr. O'Brien?" the man asked.

Sean nodded.

"Once we get your luggage, we can leave. I have instructions to take you directly to Los Angeles Memorial unless you want to check into your hotel first."

He patted the duffel bag he'd carried on board. "This is all I've got. Let's go." The hotel would still be there in a few hours. He could check in then.

Rivers of water streamed down the window of the car, and dark clouds blocked out any sunshine. The palm tree leaves swayed violently back and forth. The whole scene mimicked his mood. Ever since he'd walked out of Mia's hotel room, a heavy cloud had hung over his heart. He'd tolerated it because he'd known she was safe, back in her own world surrounded by her glamorous friends. The minute his mother dropped the news on him about her accident the heavy cloud crashed down on him, setting off a storm of emotions he'd never experienced before. Now those feelings battered his mind and heart a bit like the way the wind battered the trees outside.

As the car turned off the highway, the-high pitched wail of an ambulance shook him from his thoughts. The hospital had to be close now. Soon he'd see her and assure himself she was okay. According to Sara, Mia's injuries weren't life threatening. Until he saw her with his own eyes, though, the unrelenting fear filling him wouldn't go away.

"I was instructed to be available for you all day. When you are ready to leave just call me," the driver said before handing him a business card with a phone number.

"Thanks." Oblivious to the rain, Sean opened the door and jumped out before the driver could get around to open it.

A line of people stood in front of the information desk inside the lobby, but he bypassed it, again thankful for how resourceful Charlie's sister-in-law was. Sara had provided him with Mia's floor and room number.

Leaving the lobby behind, he followed the arrows to the appropriate elevator. As he went deeper into the hospital, the pleasant smell of flowers he had noticed in the lobby disappeared. By the time he stepped off the elevator the pungent smell of industrial cleaner and death, or at least a smell that reminded him of death, surrounded him. The last time he'd stepped foot in a hospital was when his grandmother died. He'd been fifteen, and she'd experienced a stroke the day before Valentine's Day while helping his mom in the kitchen. Per his grandmother's wishes his mom had made the decision to remove her from life support, so both he and Charlie had made one last visit to see her before they removed the various devices keeping her alive.

_Mia's not going to die._ He repeated the words in his head as he headed for Room 127.

A bald man with no apparent neck, dressed in a dark suit, stood outside Mia's door, his arms crossed. "Only family, hospital employees, and listed friends are allowed inside," the guard said in a cool professional voice. "I'll need your name and an ID." The guard pulled a small notepad from his breast pocket.

"Sean O'Brien. I'm a close friend. She'll see me." _At least I hope so._ She'd been with her co-star at the time of the accident. Maybe she'd already found his replacement.

The guard scanned his notepad and then looked up. "You're not on the list, so I can not let you in."

He hadn't come this far to be turned away. "Talk to her assistant. She'll verify that I'm a friend."

"When Ms. Troy returns, I'll speak to her," the guard recrossed his arms and moved so that he blocked the door.

"Listen, I get it. You're doing your job, but I need to see Mia now."

The guard's nostrils flared, and he took a step toward him. "Not happening, buddy."

For a moment he considered rushing the guard. While the man was muscular, Sean had several inches on him as well as a few pounds, but causing a scene in a hospital could get him arrested. A police record was something he didn't want.

"Joseph, is there a problem?" Avery's voice came from behind him and he turned around.

"Sean? What are you doing here?"

"He wants to go inside, Ms. Troy, but he's not on the list you left me." The guard spoke to Avery, but his eyes never left Sean.

Avery's eyes searched his face as he waited, then she looked over at the guard. "It's okay, Joseph. He's a close friend of my sister. He can go in. Add him to your list."

After giving the guard instructions, she looked back at Sean, and he saw the questions in her eyes. "The pain medicine they're giving her makes her tired. She's probably still sleeping."

If it meant he'd be near her, he'd sit by her bed all day and watch her sleep. "I won't wake her."

Avery gave him a small knowing smile. "Stay as long as you want."

A lump formed in his throat and his hands shook as he pushed open the door. He made a quick sweep of the room. There were no monitors or beeping machines, only a single hospital bed.

Ungluing his feet from the floor, he crossed to the bed. Mia's skin matched the color of her pillowcase and a gauze bandage covered part of her forehead. Her right arm rested on top of the sheets and a bandage covered it. Judging by the way the sheets fell against her legs, a cast covered part of her right leg.

One last step put him close enough to touch her. As gently as he could, he put his hand over hers. Beneath his fingers her skin was warm and some of his fear slipped away. She appeared banged up, but okay otherwise. If she was in any real danger beeping machines would fill the room, wouldn't they?

He let go of her hand just long enough to pull a chair alongside her bed. Then he sat and waited. After the way he walked out on her, she might tell him to get lost as soon as she opened her eyes, but he planned to be there when she did.

The group of construction workers in her head cranked up their jack hammers again. How she wished they'd leave and take the elephants dancing on her body with them. Maybe if she remained still all the pain would stop, or at least fade a little.

Keeping her eyes tight to keep the light out, she reached for the call button. With any luck it was time for more pain medicine. When her hand wrapped around something warm instead of the cold plastic she sought, she opened her eyes. For a moment she gazed at the arm on her bed. Although it hurt, she moved her head, following the arm up to the body connected to it. When she spotted the dark blond hair on the head resting on her bed, she stopped breathing.

_It's the medicine making me hallucinate. Sean is back in North Salem, not in my hospital room._

Afraid he'd disappear into thin air, she trailed a finger down his cheek. Warm flesh and stubble registered against her skin. "Sean?" she whispered, her voice coming out hoarse. "Sean," she said again when he didn't respond.

This time his head shot up and he met her gaze. "You're--"

"What are you doing here?" she asked before he could finish his sentence. Back in Boston he'd made his feelings known so his presence here now went against all logic. Unless, had he changed his mind? No, that didn't make sense either. Men like Sean didn't change their minds. Once they made a decision, they stuck with it.

"How did you know where I was? Did Avery call you?" Her sister loved butting into her life.

"No. I got the information from Charlie's sister in-law, Sara." He leaned forward, his eyes sweeping over her face. "How are you? Do you need anything?"

She ignored his questions. Right now she planned on getting her own answers. "Why are you here, Sean?"

"I needed to make sure you were okay."

His words sent a jolt of hope through her heart. "Sara could've told you that." Most likely Sara had called Avery for her status and thus knew the extent of her injuries. "You didn't need to come here."

"When Ma told me about the accident, all that mattered was getting to you." Sean's voice cracked and he paused to clear his throat. "Even when Sara reassured me your injuries weren't life threatening, I had to see you for myself."

For the moment reassuring him meant more than getting her own answers. Despite the pain, she gave him a smile. "I'm in pain, but I should be out of here soon."

Rather than relax, Sean's brows came together as he frowned.

"Smile, will you? I'm fine."

Sean stood and took a few steps away from the bed, his head bent as if deep in thought. When he turned back around determination replaced his frown. "What I said in Boston, I meant."

The hope from a moment ago disappeared and her heart plummeted.

"Or at least I thought I did. When Ma told me about your accident, my heart stopped. The thought of you hurt or worse scared the shit out of me and I realized how much I need you." Sean rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. "Since I walked out on you in Boston life has sucked, Mia. I never planned on it, but I love you."

His eyes once again met hers and the uncertainty she spotted pulled at her heart. "Sean, I--"

"Let me finish," he said, holding her gaze. "I know I was an ass in Boston and I know you could have any man you want. But if you give me another chance I promise to do everything I can to make you happy."

Hope again bloomed. "You don't need to do anything. Like I told you that night, I love you. Nothing has changed that."

His shoulders dipped as he relaxed a little. "You mean the world to me." He crossed back to her side. "I love you Mia." Then, as if she were a fragile butterfly, he leaned over and kissed her lips.

"I won't break."

The rough skin on his fingertips trailed down the side of her face. "You're in pain already. I don't want to do anything to add to it."

"At least sit next to me." She patted the empty space on the bed. "There's plenty of room."

In all the time they'd spent together, she'd never seen him move with such slow careful movements. Despite her best efforts, she laughed at him.

"What?" He settled himself next to her, his hand wrapped around hers.

She touched his cheek again. "Nothing. I've just missed you. I still can't believe you're here." Content for the first time since leaving Boston, she rested her head against him.

For a long while, neither spoke or moved. Only when a nurse came in to check Mia's vitals did Sean release her hand.

"It's time for your pain medicine." The nurse in light pink scrubs handed Mia water and a cup containing pills. "I'm leaving in half an hour and Kate will be your nurse again tonight."

Mia took the medicine and waited for the nurse to leave. "Go back to your room for a little while and get some rest. You look tired. Maybe get something to eat, too," she said as the door closed. "This medicine knocks me out."

Sean shook his head. "No, I--"

"That wasn't a suggestion. You look about ready to fall asleep. I'm not going anywhere. Get some rest and come back in a few hours."

He clenched his jaw tight, a telltale sign he wanted to argue. "Fine, but I'll be back with dinner. What do you want?"

"Pizza." To hell with counting calories today.

When Sean finally left, she stopped fighting gravity and let her eyelids close. Darn, the pain medicine kicked in fast. Taking in a slow deep breath, she let her mind wander as it drifted toward sleep. Never in a million years had she expected Sean at her bedside, but he'd been there. Happiness started around her heart and spread outward. He'd dropped everything and traveled across the country because he loved her. That action alone reinforced how different he was from other men she'd dated in the past. That difference was only one of the reasons she loved him.

_Somehow it'll work._ "We'll figure it out," she said as she turned onto her good side and let sleep take her.

***

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 keep 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."

Mia 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.

# Chapter 15

With another tug, the carpet finally released its hold on the floor. Once he got the first section loose, the rest followed with ease, revealing dull hardwood beneath. Inch by inch he ripped up the carpet, which was stained by god knew what. He couldn't think of a worse covering for a kitchen floor.

In the distance he heard his cell phone ring, but he didn't budge. He wasn't expecting any calls, and he needed this carpet out of here. It was the only remnant left behind in the kitchen. Already he'd scrapped the ancient appliances as well as the cabinets and old countertops. Tom had finished updating the electrical earlier that week, and by some small miracle the plumbing in the kitchen had already been updated by the previous owners. So once this carpet joined the rest of the trash in the dumpster outside, he could put the kitchen back together.

"Sean, phone." Mia appeared in the doorway balanced on a pair of crutches.

Coming to his feet he walked over to her, he grabbed the phone from her shorts pocket and kissed her. Rather than return to the living room where she'd been sorting through paint samples, she leaned against the door jamb.

"Hello."

"Sean, it's your father."

_Damn._ Mia's continued presence in the kitchen made sense now. "Hi." A month or two earlier and he would've hung up without a second thought. Now he waited.

"Today is Taylor's birthday. I'm having a cake for her tonight. I hoped you would come." His father's voice sounded hopeful. "Your Aunt Bridget is coming, too."

Now there was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. Even before his parents' divorce, he rarely saw her. After getting married she'd moved out to Colorado. On the rare occasion she made a trip to Massachusetts, her visits to his house had been short. Even as a kid he could tell his Aunt and mom didn't get along.

"I can't tonight."

"I see. Taylor will be disappointed." His father's disappointment echoed in his voice.

"Mia and I have a party to go to," Sean added. He wanted his father to know he wasn't making up an excuse, but at the same time he left out the part about it being an engagement party for his mom and Ray. Some things were just better kept private.

"We're free on Sunday," Sean said. Thanks to Mia's insistence and his own conscience, he'd made up his mind to get to know Taylor even before this phone call. Regardless of his father's actions, Taylor was his little sister and he felt for her. Not only had she lost her mom, but now she found herself living in a new place. All that would be tough enough for a kid, but to top it off she had no one but her father. "Does that work?"

"Yeah, we're around all day." His father's voice turned upbeat.

Arrangements made, he tossed his cell phone onto his toolbox.

"I think you made the right decision." Mia came farther into the room and leaned on her crutches.

"What you said about her needing family was true." Sean wrapped his arms around her. Once again the sense of being just where he belonged washed over him. "I'll need your help buying a birthday present. I have no clue what a twelve-year-old girl would like."

"Leave that to me," she said with a gleam in her eye.

***

Except for the ugly cast, the reflection in the mirror pleased her. Free of the heavy makeup she wore before the summer, her tanned skin glowed. Since her return to North Salem with Sean, she'd stopped blow drying her hair straight every morning and tonight it hung loosely around her shoulders a thick mass of natural curls.

In addition to the changes in her appearance, the changes she felt on the inside pleased her too. Career obligations and Hollywood nonsense no longer filled her days. Best of all the constant sense that something was missing from her life no longer plagued her every day. Now she woke up filled with love and eagerness. She had one person to thank for that.

She watched Sean in the mirror as he buttoned up his dress shirt. Unaware she watched him in the mirror, he reached for the tie on the bed. "It's too bad your sister didn't make it up here for the party tonight," Mia said, watching his face for a reaction.

The topic of his mother's engagement hadn't come up much and she suspected he liked it that way. She guessed he was still uncomfortable with the situation, which she understood. If not for his mother's involvement with Ray all those years ago maybe his parents would have stayed together, and so many lives would be different today.

"Carol should have asked if this date worked for everyone," Sean said, referring to Ray's sister. "Or given more of a heads up. Charlie would've made sure she had the time off."

Mia caught the displeasure in his voice. "We can always have our own little party when Charlie and Jake come up next week."

He gave her a casual shrug, a frown on his face, and went back to work on his tie.

"Are you going to be okay tonight?" She'd noticed that Sean spent as little time as possible in Ray's company. Now used to the crutches, she crossed to him with ease.

"Yeah, of course." The frown on his face remained.

His arm slid around her waist and he kissed her. A sense of true acceptance and love once again rushed forward and she smiled.

"You're a terrible liar, Sean." She wanted him to know she was there to listen, but at the same time she didn't want to push. "I know you're still not crazy about Ray."

Sean looked toward the ceiling, then after a few seconds he looked at her. Conflict raged in his green eyes. "If this happened a year ago before my father showed up, I'd be happy for them. I always liked Ray. Now, I'm... I don't know what. But it doesn't matter. Ma can make her own decisions." Sean cleared his throat and looked away. "If you're ready let's go."

It wasn't easy but she held back her laugh. He got so uncomfortable when he talked about his feelings. "I love you." When he met her eyes again, she leaned in and kissed him. "Lets go."

Mia wondered how many hours Carol, Ray's sister, had spent on the party. The new banquet room at Masterson's Restaurant was elaborately decorated with flowers. Matching centerpieces sat on every table and, judging by the number of people gathered inside, she'd invited the entire town. Mia should have suspected as much. Both Ray and Maureen had grown up in North Salem and both were well liked. In fact, most the women in town around Maureen's age had stopped by The Victorian Rose at some point to congratulate her, according to Sean. Having known both Ray and Maureen in high school when they'd dated, most found their recent engagement romantic. Even many of the younger women had stopped by and offered their congratulations in the past few weeks.

"Carol did a great job," Jessica said.

"She did." Since returning to North Salem, she was slowly getting to know everyone in town better including Jessica.

"When I talked to Charlie she was disappointed she and Jake couldn't come."

Mia nodded. She still wondered about Jessica and Charlie's friendship. Sean insisted they'd been almost inseparable as children, but she couldn't picture it. The two women seemed so different. "Sean mentioned that, too. But she'll be here next week."

Jessica reached for her water glass. "She told me. We're going to get together while she and Jake are here." She took a sip from her water. "Where are they staying anyway? Is there room at the Victorian Rose? I never see that No Vacancy come down."

"They'll use the attic room. Sean and I have moved next door. It's not perfect. The kitchen isn't done and our bedroom is in the living room, but we're making do."

Jessica glanced off toward the bar where Sean was talking to Tony Bates. "Sean is different now that he's with you," she said, her voice low. "He's, I don't know, happier I guess. I can't explain it exactly." Jessica paused as if in thought. "He was always so serious before. He seems more relaxed. I'm really glad he met you." Jessica sounded a lot like a sister to her.

Mia watched Sean at the bar. She'd also noticed the change in him. "I am, too."

Even dressed simply, she stood out as the most beautiful woman in the crowded room, and she loved him. Sometimes he still struggled with that. She could have her choice of men anywhere, yet she'd left her grand life in California and moved in with him. He had no clue how he'd gotten so lucky, but he wasn't going to complain.

"Still can't believe you landed Mia Troy," Tony said next to him. "You're one lucky SOB."

_Damn, right._

"If she'd met me first you wouldn't have stood a chance, you know," Tony joked as he slapped him on the back.

For the first time that night, he broke into a smile. "In your dreams, Bates. She wouldn't have given you the time of day." Sean accepted the two strawberry margaritas the bartender handed him. "I'll talk to you later."

He didn't wait for a response, instead he started back to his table. Before he made it, his mother stepped in front of him.

"Thank you for coming tonight," she said. "It means a lot to Ray and me that you're here."

Sean looked down at his mom. She looked so youthful tonight. Excitement practically buzzed around her, yet a small frown sat on her face.

"I never thought about not coming." Okay, so it was a tiny lie. He'd considered it for about ten minutes.

His mom's head tilted off to the side and her eyes met his. "I know you don't like Ray, Sean."

He looked over at Ray seated with his sister Carol and brother Phil. "It's not that, Ma," he said, his voice resigned. "I just see him differently now. It's no big deal. As long as you're happy that's all that matters." When his mother first dropped the news on him, he'd balked at the idea. Now, though, he understood a little better, thanks to his love for Mia. His mother had been wrong in her actions, yet she shouldn't have been forced to marry someone she didn't love all those years ago even if she was pregnant. If she now had the opportunity to be with someone she loved, he shouldn't hold it against either of them.

"I'll get used to you being together. Don't worry about it. Just be happy."

Maureen's smile extended to her eyes. "You too, honey. If anyone deserves it, you do. And Mia's a wonderful woman." Stretching up on her tip toes, she kissed his cheek.

No one needed to tell him that about Mia.

"Ray and I picked October third for the wedding. I'd like you to walk me down the aisle. Charlie's already agreed to be my Maid of Honor."

His jaw went slack, but he didn't hesitate to answer. "I'd be honored, Ma."

His mom's eyes filled with tears. Then after one more kiss she rejoined Ray, and he went back to Mia, who was deep in conversation with Jessica. He'd noticed that over the past few weeks she was trying to get to know everyone in town better. She'd even gone out with his mom and a few of her friends once or twice for lunch.

"Here you go." Sean placed the drinks in front of Mia as the conversation at the table stopped and Jessica's cheeks turned pink.

Mia smiled at him. "I saw you talking to your mom. Everything okay?"

They'd either been talking about him or something they didn't want him to hear. Either way it didn't matter. "She asked me to give her away."

Mia gasped and Jessica squealed at his words.

"And?" Mia asked.

"And what?"

"What did you say?" Mia asked.

"He said yes; why wouldn't he?" Jessica glanced between them.

"I said yes."

Under the table Mia pinched his leg and leaned closer. "Will you tell me everything you two said later?"

Sean nodded.

"So when is the wedding?" Jessica asked. "Do you think it'll be big?"

"October third," Sean answered.

Jessica and Mia shared their ideas of perfect weddings, but Sean blocked most of their conversation out. Wedding plans were best left to women. Instead he turned his thoughts to the following day and his meeting with his half-sister. With some luck the afternoon wouldn't turn into a complete disaster. And if it did, Mia and Charlie couldn't say he hadn't tried.

Not long after his return from California he'd spoken in depth with Charlie about the entire situation and how to handle Taylor. The fact that their father left because of their mother's infidelity hadn't surprised his sister. Evidently, she'd learned that fact a while ago as well as the fact that their parents had been forced to marry. She hadn't known about their father's drinking problem though. Once he told her about it, she remembered bits and pieces that should've alerted them.

As of yet, she hadn't met with their father face-to-face, but she had spoken to him on the phone. When she came up next weekend she planned to visit him and Taylor. He'd offered to accompany her, but she'd declined. At least for this visit she planned to go alone.

The elevator music that had played all through dinner stopped, then Gage Larson and his band took the stage as couples filled the dance floor.

"Why don't you ask Jessie to dance?" Mia whispered in his ear, her voice almost inaudible.

He peeked around Mia and saw that Jessica watched the dancers with envy.

"I know you don't dance but just this once for me. She really looks like she wants to."

"Once." He kept his voice low so Jessie wouldn't hear him. Then he leaned forward. "How about a dance, Jessie?"

Jessica turned toward him. "As long as Mia doesn't mind." She pushed her chair back.

"I can't dance anyway. Go ahead. Have fun," Mia answered.

# Chapter 16

The one-story brown house, with the huge oak tree in the front yard, looked just like every other house on the street. Yet the mere sight of the house sent his gut into a tailspin, and his breakfast threatened to make a reappearance. What did you say to a twelve-year-old anyway? The last time he'd had a conversation with a twelve-year-old he hadn't been much older himself.

"It's going to be fine," Mia said from the passenger seat of the truck.

"What am I supposed to say to her?"

"She's a girl not an alien, Sean. Ask her about the kind of music she likes or if she plays sports. Didn't you say she takes karate? Ask her about that." Mia reached over and pulled the keys from the ignition. "Come on let's go." She dropped the keys in his hand.

The keys dug into his palm, but he fought to keep himself from using them to start the truck back up. Exiting the truck, he walked around to help Mia down.

A dog's bark sounded after he rang the bell. Through the open window, Sean heard his father command the dog to stop before the door swung open.

"Come on in. Ignore Duchess, she's harmless." His father gestured toward the medium-sized dog seated near his feet.

The two times Sean had seen his father, anger had ruled his emotions. Today the anger was more of a dull noise in the background. Knowing the full story lessened the hatred he'd carried around for years and replaced it with something bordering on sympathy.

"Taylor's in her room changing her outfit again." Seamus gestured toward the bedroom off to the left. "She's been talking about this since we last spoke. Have a seat, and I'll get her."

"See, I told you this would be okay." Mia's breath skimmed across his skin as she whispered in his ear.

A knock reached them from down the hall, followed by his father's voice. _Mia's right, she's just a kid._ His fingers tapped against his thigh.

"Relax, will you?" Mia's hand covered his as the young girl appeared in the doorway.

Once again he noticed how much she resembled him and his father. All three of them possessed the same green eyes and dirty blond hair. And like both of them, she was tall. A sharp elbow in his side reminded him he'd yet to speak. Clearing his throat he stood and took a few steps toward Taylor, who fidgeted from one foot to the other in the doorway.

"Happy birthday," he said as he held out the wrapped gift. "I'm sorry we missed the party yesterday."

A small smile spread across Taylor's face. "That's okay. Dad said you had another party." She accepted the gift he held out. "Thank you."

Dead silence again reigned. What now? He ran a hand through his hair. "Mia picked it out, but if you don't like it we can get something else." He didn't even know what the gift was. Mia had not only picked it out but wrapped it, too.

The smile on Taylor's face grew a little wider revealing a mouth full of metal. "I can't believe you know Mia Troy. I watch the old episodes of _Family Life_ all the time. Is she your girlfriend?"

Before now he'd not used that label on Mia, but he liked it, for now at least. Someday he'd like to make her more. "Yeah." His gaze locked with Mia's and her eyes told him she was thinking the exact same thing as him.

"I have a new boyfriend." Taylor sat down in the armchair across from the couch, but remained perched on the edge.

An unexpected surge of protectiveness jabbed him in the chest. "You just turned twelve. You're not old enough for a boyfriend."

"I had my first boyfriend when I was ten," Mia said. "His name was Eric Devlin."

"You're not helping," Sean muttered, as he took a seat next to her again.

When Mia just laughed, he couldn't contain his smile.

"I heard you take karate," Sean said. He'd leave the issue of boyfriends and dating to his father for now. "I did it for a long time, too."

Taylor eased back against the chair. "Really? I earned my blue belt right before we left Florida and I just started classes again at a new school. My Sensei, Steve, said he knows you."

"Steve and I graduated together and his father taught us both at that karate school." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his dad pause by the doorway, but he didn't enter. When he'd thought about this visit he'd envisioned his father with them, yet Seamus held back as if to give them time to get to know each other without raising any negative feelings with his presence.

"Let me know when you're hungry. I thought I would order pizza for lunch," Seamus said with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Sounds good," Mia answered before anyone else.

His father disappeared into the kitchen and the last of Sean's tension disappeared.

"What belt did you get to?"

He looked back over at Taylor, she'd folded her legs up on the chair and sat leaning forward with her elbows on her legs.

"Third degree black. I had to quit before I got any further because--" Just in time he stopped. Whatever existed between him and his father didn't apply to Taylor. "I got a job."

"Dad said you played a lot of sports. Charlie, too."

Her statement surprised him. What other information had their father shared with Taylor? "Um, yeah."

"Me, too. My mom wanted me to dance, but I hated it. My favorites are football and basketball. Dad just signed me up for town football. They told him I'll be the only girl. I was the only girl last year when I played, too."

He'd played town football before middle school and not one girl had ever played. When Charlie was about seven she'd asked to play, but their mom refused to let her. "What position do you play?" Sean asked.

The next hour or so disappeared in the blink of an eye as they discussed sports and shared information about each other. The amount that they had in common floored him. Before that afternoon he'd expected Taylor to be like the young girls he saw on the rare occasion he went to the local mall. With the exception of perhaps her outfit, she wasn't anything like the giggling girls who hung out with their friends.

"I really want to learn to hike and ski," Taylor said, once they'd finished talking about their favorite professional sports teams. "Dad said there are some great places in New Hampshire to do both."

He'd not considered any future meetings with Taylor before today, now, after getting to know her and connecting with her, he wanted to include her in his life. "There are some decent places here, too. I'll show you if you want."

"You will? Really?"

Her excitement and enthusiasm fueled his own. "Of course. What are brothers for? Next weekend I'm busy, but the one after that we can go for a hike if Dad says it's okay."

Seamus appeared in the doorway a few pizza boxes in his hands. "If what's okay?"

Taylor bounced out of her seat and jumped in front of their father. "Sean said he'll take me on a hike in a few weeks. Can I go?"

His father's eyes met his as he nodded. "Fine with me," he said with his mouth while his eyes said thank you.

"Thank you." She hugged her dad, then turned toward Sean again. "I can't wait," she said as she hit him like a high speed train.

Caught off guard, only shock registered at first, but once it wore off he embraced her. "Me either," he admitted.

"The pizzas are here. Let's eat and you can talk more about your plans," Seamus said.

Taylor followed their father into the kitchen, her mouth going the whole time. "Colton, that's my boyfriend, goes hiking all the time with his dad. Last time he went he saw a rattlesnake. And once he said their dog got sprayed by a skunk. They had to give him a bath in tomato juice."

Even after Taylor disappeared from sight, her voice reached him as she rattled off all Colton had told her about hiking.

"Want some help up?" Sean asked as he extended his hand toward Mia.

Mia's hand disappeared in his and he pulled her up. "I'm proud of you," she said as she kissed him. "You've done great today. I think you just made her day."

Sean planted a light kiss on her lips. "She's a good kid. Besides, you were right. She's family."

"I'd love to go with you," Mia said with a pout.

"Next time."

"I cannot wait to get this stupid cast off."

Uneasiness raised its ugly head when he thought about her return to California to complete her movie once the cast came off. "I can." The words slipped out before he caught himself.

"You could always quit and come with me."

As tempting as it sounded, he couldn't do that. For the first time in his life he had a job doing something he loved. The work at the lab challenged him every day and he got along well with the people he worked with. Even if he hadn't loved his new career at the lab, he couldn't let his girlfriend support him. "We talked about that. You know why I can't."

"I know, but I expect to see you every weekend. No excuses. Once filming is done, I'll be home. Then you'll never get rid of me."

"Sounds perfect." Just the way he wanted it.

# Epilogue

Squeezed in between Mia and her sister Angelina, Sean took in the organized chaos around him. He'd never seen anything like it. Tables and people filled every possible space in the Troy house.

"Before we eat, I want to say something," Sandra Troy, Mia's grandmother, stood at the head of the dining room table, but her voice carried into the great room where four additional folding tables had been set up.

"Today is the first time, in I don't know how long, that we have not only all our children here for Thanksgiving but also all of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We just want to say thank you. You'll never know what it means to have all of you here today with us."

Even from the other room he heard the catch in her voice.

"That's all. Now let's enjoy this wonderful meal."

No sooner did the words leave her mouth and dishes began to be passed around the tables. From what he'd seen, everyone had contributed to the meal, including those that had traveled from out of town like him. In fact, even he'd shown up with pies that his mom prepared.

"Can you pass the stuffing, please?" Angelina, Mia's younger sister, asked from his left side.

Unlike Avery, Angelina looked a lot like Mia and many of their cousins, though Angelina's hair was much darker, almost black. Avery, on the other hand, looked more like their mother, whom he'd met for the first time today.

He picked up the casserole dish filled with stuffing. "I'll trade you the stuffing for the carrots."

"So what do you think? I warned you it'd be a bit of a zoo today," Mia said from his other side.

Before he drove out to Woodlawn that afternoon, he'd picked her up at the airport in Boston, making today the first time he'd seen her in almost two weeks. Since the first week in September, she'd been living in California again completing the movie she'd started in Boston. With the exception of his mom's wedding in October and one weekend near the end of September, she hadn't made it back to the East Coast again until today. Instead he'd traveled out to her almost every weekend. However, yesterday she completed the film and then caught a red eye back to Boston.

"It's incredible." He accepted the platter of turkey she held out to him, and after adding some to his own meal, he handed it to Angelina. Across the table another platter of turkey meat was making its way down that side. "Is it like this every year?"

"More or less. Some of my cousins switch between here and their in-laws so the numbers vary a little every year. It'll be similar again next year if we come."

After so many years celebrating with just his mom, the idea of huge family feasts like this one appealed to him. Still, he would like to spend the holiday with his sister and mom, too. Charlie had invited him to join her and her in-laws in Newport for dinner. Since Mia had her heart set on Thanksgiving with her grandparents and the rest of her family in Woodlawn, he'd declined. He had promised they'd join her in Newport for her in-laws annual New Year's Eve party at Cliff House.

"Christmas Eve won't be as crazy."

Sean leaned closer and kissed her on the cheek. "As long as I'm with you, I don't care." It was the truth. Since their reconciliation after her car accident not much put him in a foul mood anymore. Now he could even carry on a polite, if not almost friendly, conversation with Ray Larson again. His relationship with his father was even improving. While they may never have a relationship like Tony Bates had with his father, they could interact with each other and talk without him losing his temper.

"You'll be here for Christmas Eve?" one of her cousins across the table asked.

Sean thought the pregnant cousin was Rae Ann, but he wasn't positive. He'd met so many of her relatives today.

"I'm not going back to California. Well, at least not for awhile. I'll be living in North Salem, so I should be around a lot."

As they'd discussed in the summer, Mia had not accepted any new projects despite being offered several proposals. With no commitments to fulfill, she planned to take an unspecified amount of time off from acting. She'd explained that while she didn't want to officially retire, she wanted to work on more important areas of her life. She'd even mentioned them getting married and having children.

A year ago, discussions like those with anyone would have seemed improbable, but not now. In fact, he planned on taking a giant step closer to one of those things tonight when they got home. He'd picked up the ring earlier that week and now it sat in their bedroom. Anxious to ask her, he'd considered taking the ring with him that morning. He'd even gone so far as to put it in his pocket, but before he left, he returned it upstairs. As much as he wanted to ask, he didn't want an audience.

Between dinner, dessert, and some football in the backyard, Thanksgiving dinner stretched throughout the entire day. Only when the sun began to set did family members began to trickle out. Even then, those that left first were the ones with a long drive home, including Sean and Mia.

Despite the day's early start, the long drive out to western Massachusetts and the drive back home, he wasn't tired. He suspected enough energy buzzed around inside him to light up an entire city block.

"Wow. It looks great from out here," Mia said when they pulled into the driveway.

The last time she'd seen the house it'd still been in desperate need of paint and the outside lights had been missing. Now a fresh coat of light blue paint covered the Victorian and all the exterior lights had been replaced. To make the place look even more inviting for her return, he added colorful mums to the front steps.

"I'm glad you went with the blue and not the red."

"You were right about it needing to be different from The Victorian Rose." Sean pushed the front door open and waited for Mia's opinion on the interior.

On her visit in October, they'd still been using the living room as their bedroom. Since then the entire first floor had undergone a complete transformation. The hardwood floors gleamed under the light thrown from the new fixtures. The main stairway was repaired and a thick runner covered it. The dining room and living room lacked much furniture, but thanks to help from his mom and Jessie, curtains hung from all the windows.

He watched the expression of surprise and wonder flutter across Mia's face and pride exploded in his chest. "I thought you might want to help decorate, so I didn't buy much furniture."

"This looks amazing." She turned toward him. "But you said the upstairs wasn't done yet."

"It's not. Only our room and one of the spare bedrooms are done. Or maybe I should say only our room and Taylor's room."

Since their first meeting, he and Taylor had developed a strong brother-sister relationship, and she often spent weekends with him. Sometimes she'd help with work around the house; she loved to paint. Other times they'd go hiking or just hang out and watch movies. He'd even started to teach her how to play pool.

Sean tugged her toward the stairs, his heart rate accelerating with each step. "Come on. I'll show you."

Mia followed him up the stairs. "Is your dad dropping her off tonight?"

With Mia back, and Taylor on Thanksgiving break, he'd surprised them both and announced they'd go to Mount Washington Valley for some skiing that weekend.

"No. We'll stop and get her in the morning." He led her down the hall toward what he'd turned into the master suite by removing the wall between two bedrooms and turning a half bath into a full bathroom. The project had been a major undertaking, but he was pleased with the outcome.

"Let me guess, Taylor decorated this room." Mia paused near an open bedroom door. Two of the walls were painted purple while the other two were red. A crimson bedspread and purple pillows covered a twin sized bed and a purple throw rug covered much of the floor.

Sean pulled her away from the door and across the hall. "She picked out the colors herself and helped paint. I can always repaint when she gets tired of it."

"In a hurry tonight?" she asked, teasing him.

_Yeah, but not just for the reason you think._

All week she'd looked forward to this moment. With her contract obligations fulfilled, she could focus on her relationship with Sean. She hated spending so much of the last few months apart. Even with the almost weekly visits, it'd been hard.

Now that filming was done, she had no intention of returning to Hollywood in the near future. Her relationship and future with Sean meant more to her than movie credits and money.

Almost cautiously, Sean pushed the door open for her and ushered her in. He'd left a few decorative lights on inside and they bathed the room in a warm romantic glow. Several vases of flowers sat around the room. A king sized four-poster bed with a light blue-and-black damask bedspread took up much of one wall with a matching dresser opposite it. What really caught her attention, though, was the small table near the windows. A large vase of red roses sat in the middle with a wine bucket next to it along with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. Drawn by her curiosity, she headed straight for the table.

"How did you manage this?" She pulled a bottle of chilled champagne from the ice-filled wine bucket. "It's cold."

Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. "I wanted to make tonight special for you. Before we left your grandmother's I called Ma, and she came by to set this out for me."

Turning in his arms she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "You're a bit of a romantic, do you know that? I never would've guessed."

Sean swallowed and pulled away but never broke eye contact. "I know we haven't been together a long time," he began before he paused and cleared his throat, "but I love you more than I ever thought possible."

"I love you, too."

"I can't imagine my life now without you." He leaned past her and took something from behind the vase. Opening the box in his hands, he held it out to her. "Will you marry me?"

Tears slipped down her face and she broke out in a smile as pure giddiness overcame her. "Yes." Without even accepting the ring, she lunged forward and embraced him.

_The End_

Read on for an excerpt from Jessica Quinn's story in book 2 _Hometown Love_ available now.

# Excerpt

Perspiration trickled down Jessie's temple as she crossed Main Street. She heard the sound of children in the playground on the Town Common, but she didn't pause to see if she knew anyone there. If she stopped, it was more than likely she'd see someone she knew and that would interrupt her morning run. Already it was taking longer than usual thanks to the four weeks off she'd been forced to take after pulling her hamstring.

She turned onto Union Street as her thoughts went back to the day before. In the five years since she'd ended things with Jeremy Flynn, she hadn't seen or heard from him, despite the fact he lived just ten miles away in Danvers. That wonderful record, however, had come to a screeching halt yesterday--when she'd walked into the coffee shop next to her doctor's office in Salem and saw him sitting with Sharon Pelletier. Jessie had stopped dead in her tracks. When their eyes met, he'd smiled, but she'd turned and walked out.

Ever since then, she'd struggled with the same question. Should she talk to Sharon? A few years younger than her, Sharon lived in North Salem, too. While they were not friends, they knew each other. Depending on how long Jeremy and Sharon had been together, Sharon might not have seen the real Jeremy yet. He hadn't showed Jessie the real him for almost a year. Maybe she could save Sharon from all she'd experienced with Jeremy.

Side-stepping a puddle leftover from the previous night's rain storm, Jessie continued down the sidewalk, passing the well-maintained homes lining the street, her options going back and forth in her mind until she noticed the rented moving truck parked at the old Kerry house. Built in 1796, it was one of the oldest homes in town and had been in the Kerry family for over one hundred years. Earlier that year, Lincoln Kerry had passed away and his son had come home just long enough to clean it out and put it up for sale. If Lincoln were alive, he'd be devastated, but perhaps he'd be glad to know a fellow North Salem resident had purchased it and not some stranger.

She'd known Matthew "Mack" Ellsbury and his younger sister, Erin, all her life. And while Erin and her parents, Rose and Matthew Ellsbury, remained in North Salem, Mack had moved not long after college to be closer to work.

A dull ache in her leg caused Jessie to slow down as she passed by Mrs. Mitchell's house, and she waved at the widow working in her flowerbeds.

Trying not to think about the ache or what to do about Sharon, Jessie pushed on. Maybe she'd started running again too soon. Tomorrow, she'd head over to the gym for a swim before opening the store.

"Hey, Jessie," a familiar voice called out as she approached the Kerry house. "How's it going?"

Jessie stopped, grateful for the distraction as Sean O'Brien came down the front steps on his way back to the moving truck. "Hi, Sean. I was going to call you this afternoon. The bathroom vanity you ordered came in yesterday."

Sean stopped in front of her. "Excellent. If we finish up here early enough, I'll pick it up. Otherwise, I'll get it tomorrow." Sean uncapped the water he'd grabbed on his way over and took a long swallow. "I want the downstairs bathroom finished before Mia comes back for Ma's wedding."

"She won't make it back until then?" She'd become friends with Sean's girlfriend that summer when Mia had stayed at The Victorian Rose. Earlier that month, Mia had returned to California to finish the movie she was staring in.

Sean shook his head. "Doubt it, but I'm flying out to California next weekend."

"Need a break already, O'Brien?" Mack emerged from the house, a backward baseball cap covering his dark hair. "I guess that's what happens when you get old."

For a moment, Jessie spiraled back fourteen years and her tongue went from being a useful organ to a giant bowtie just like it had every time Mack had tutored her in geometry during study hall. A senior, and one of the most popular guys in school, Mack was the number one crush of most of the girls in her freshman class--including her. Not that he ever noticed any of them. Why would he when every cheerleader in North Salem and Danvers were constantly throwing themselves at him?

"Hi, Mack. Congratulations on the new house," Jessie said once the knot in her tongue loosened.

Mack's forehead creased and his eyes searched her face. "Jessie?"

Jessie let Mack's surprise go over her head. After all, he hadn't seen her in a while.

Sure, he visited his family frequently with his daughter, but he didn't make a habit of stopping in at the hardware store. In fact, before today, the last time they'd seen each other had been six months ago when he'd come in for the security videos. Back then, she'd still had long hair and glasses. Not to mention, she'd been wearing her favorite oversized cranberry sweater and a long skirt, a fact she shouldn't remember but did because, well, this was Mack, so he wouldn't have noticed the weight she lost.

"It's nice to see you. Your parents must be happy you're moving back."

"Yeah. Grace, too. She already has plans to spend every weekend at my parents' house. They haven't agreed yet, but she's well on her way to convincing them."

"She does adore your mom," Jessie answered, thinking of all the times she'd seen Mrs. Ellsbury with her granddaughter.

"You've met Grace?" Mack asked with surprise.

"This is North Salem, remember? Your mom brings Grace to my grandmother's every Sunday for quilting club if she has her. And your dad comes in the store with her."

Another look of surprise passed over Mack's features. "I didn't know that, but it makes sense."

"She even started her own quilt. Your niece did, too. Your mom brings her over on Sundays sometimes, too."

Jessie waved at another of Mack's friends as he came down the front steps. "Hi, Tony."

"Hey, Jessie." Tony Bates smiled as he walked toward them. "Unless you ladies want to finish alone, get your asses in gear. I've got things to do this afternoon."

"I gotta go anyway." Jessie took a step backward. "Will I see any of you at the block party tonight?" Once a month, starting in late spring, their community threw a block party on the Town Common, shutting the whole area down to traffic.

"Not me. Too much work at the house, but have fun," Sean answered. "I'll see you later." With that, he went back to the moving truck.

"I might pop in. If I do, I expect you to save me a dance," Tony said.

She rolled her eyes. She never took anything Tony said seriously, especially not lately. Ever since she'd lost the weight and ditched the glasses, he'd been saying things like that, but she knew better than to get into any kind of relationship with Tony. While he was a good guy, he didn't understand the concept of monogamy. He went from one woman to the next much like the way people changed their underwear.

"Bates, get your ass over here and help me with this," Sean called from the truck.

Unable to contain her smile, Jessie glanced at the ground. Whenever Tony flirted with her, Sean went into his protective guardian role. Thanks to her close relationship with his sister, Charlie, Sean treated her a like a baby sister.

"I might take Grace if she's not too tired. I think she'd like it." Mack waved at a car passing by the house.

"She loves it," Jessie answered, looking back up.

"My parents?"

"And your sister."

"I should've known." Mack readjusted his baseball cap, a habit he'd had for as long as she could remember. And she could probably remember every time he'd done it. Yeah, she'd had a big-time unrequited crush. Apparently, that hadn't faded too much because he was still the hottest guy she'd ever seen.

After saying goodbye, Jessie continued down Union much slower than she had been when she'd started her run. Yup, a run tomorrow was out of the question.

As she passed the senior center, she waved at the group doing Tai Chi, one of the many programs the center offered. She spotted Mack's grandparents and a few of her former elementary school teachers there. She'd tried to convince her own grandmother several times to try some of the programs, but Gran insisted that eighty-three wasn't old enough for the senior center.

By the time Jessie turned onto Pleasant Street, she'd stopped running and limped the final distance to her apartment.

"Morning, Jessie," Morgan Lee said, coming out the door before Jessie could open it.

"Are you going to work?" Although she'd known Morgan for several years and considered her a good friend, Morgan had only recently moved into town.

"Someone called in sick. I doubt I'll make it tonight, sorry."

As a newcomer to North Salem, Morgan had never been to a block party, and Jessie had invited her to join her and her friends tonight. She figured helping Morgan settle into town was the least she could do because if it hadn't been for Morgan, Jessie would never have found the strength to leave Jeremy.

"Next time."

Morgan nodded and started toward the parking lot behind the building. "Have fun tonight."

Upstairs in her apartment, Jessie kicked off her sneakers and tossed them in the bedroom closet next to the boxes she still hadn't unpacked. She'd moved into the apartment the winter before but somehow still hadn't finished unpacking. By now, she wasn't even sure what was in some of the remaining boxes. One of these days, she'd get around to them. Or not. At the beginning of the summer, she'd made a to-do list, which included emptying those boxes. So far, she'd only crossed off half the things on that list.

It wasn't as if the boxes were going anywhere. She went into the bathroom, dismissing the boxes from her mind as she again wondered whether or not she should speak with Sharon.

Forty-five minutes later, dressed in a denim skirt and Quinn's t-shirt, Jessie walked into the hardware store, her home away from home.

***

"Thanks for the help today," Mack said to Sean, Tony, and Striker over the pizzas and beer he'd bought for them when they finished emptying the truck.

"Still surprised you moved back," Striker said as he reached for another extra large slice of meatball pizza.

Part of Mack was surprised, too. Growing up, he'd had a love/hate relationship with North Salem. While he loved the people, it wasn't always easy growing up in a place where everyone knew everyone's business. Thanks to the fabulous grapevine in town, it was highly likely that if he got into trouble at school, his parents would know about it before he even handed them the note from his teacher. If he made out with a girl in the park by the river, the girl's parents would most likely know before he brought her home.

Yeah, as a teenager, he'd looked forward to getting out of North Salem. Watertown had been a perfect spot for him. It was close enough to his family, but far enough away that the entire town didn't know his business. Or at least it had been a perfect place before Grace.

The older his daughter became, the more he recognized the benefits of a small town. Here, she was closer to her grandparents, and she'd grow up in a place where people cared about each other. For all their quirks, residents in North Salem took care of their own.

"Changed my mind about the town."

"Change seems to be a theme around here these days," Striker said beside him.

From all he'd heard and seen, he couldn't argue. "How's the Victorian Rose doing without your mom and you in charge?" The bed and breakfast Sean and his mom ran for years had become part of Sherbrooke Enterprises a month ago.

"Seems to be doing well. The place is always booked solid. Ma couldn't stay away, though. She pops in one day a week and helps in the kitchen."

"Talking about change, what do you think about Jessie?" Tony asked, his beer halfway to his mouth.

"Almost didn't recognize her," Mack admitted. She didn't look at all like the woman he remembered from his last visit to the hardware store, and she _definitely_ didn't look anything like the skinny girl who'd played soccer with his sister and attended her slumber parties. "She looks good."

"Good? She's hot. Don't know how it happened. Thinking about asking her to the baseball game in Boston next weekend."

Mack laughed. To hear anyone refer to Jessica Quinn as _hot_ struck him as crazy, but Tony was right. She had changed. He hadn't missed her cute ass or toned legs when she'd jogged away. In fact, he'd stared at her until Striker called him over to the truck.

"Find someone else, Tony." Sean reached for his beer.

"Evidently, O'Brien's the only one allowed to have fun." Any humor in Tony's voice was overshadowed by his sarcasm. "You know he's dating Mia Troy, right? The movie star."

"Christ, Tony, you know Jessie's not your type. All you're looking to do is score. If you'd stop and think with your brain and not your dick, you'd realize she's the kind you bring home to meet your mother. She'd be better off going out with Mack or Striker," Sean said, sarcastically.

Tony chugged the rest of his beer. "Have you met Striker's last two girlfriends?"

Sean shrugged. "Okay, she'd be better off with Mack, then."

"There wasn't anything wrong with Charlene." Striker finished his pizza.

Tony laughed before opening another beer. "Did you forget the Fourth of July already? I thought Mrs. Mitchell would have a heart attack when Charlene showed up on the Common wearing that dress and with the little peep show she gave Father Perkins when she bent over to pick up her purse."

Grace had gotten sick while waiting for the fireworks, so they'd left early--a fact Mack hadn't been happy about until just this minute. "Sounds like I missed quiet the show that night."

"Forgot about that." Striker shrugged. "Guess that only leaves you suitable material, Mack."

Right now, Mack wasn't sure he wanted any woman in his life. He had his hands full with a growing daughter. "All set. You'll have to find someone else to play matchmaker with."

"Bet he has a hot piece of ass in Boston." Tony nodded Mack's way.

Before Mack could confirm or deny that--not that he planned to--the doorbell chimed. _Saved by the bell_. He wasn't up for the ribbing his buddies would give him if they learned he hadn't been out with a woman in eight months.

Leaving his friends to finish their pizza, he made his way around the maze of unopened boxes to the door.

The minute he opened it, Grace rushed in, grabbing him around the waist. "Daddy, look what Grammy bought me for my new room!" Grace pointed at the lamp his mother held in one hand while she clutched a large shopping bag from the mall in the other. "And she got me a new comforter that matches the lamp. Can we go put it on right now?"

Mack took the items from his mother. "You didn't need to do this," he said, even though he realized his words were falling on deaf ears. His parents spoiled their two grandchildren, and nothing he could say would change that fact.

"I know that." His mom closed the door then hugged him with her typical kiss on the cheek. "But I wanted to and Grace wants her new room to match Brianna's."

Brianna, Grace's cousin and best friend, seemed to be the defining entity on anything and everything in Grace's world these days.

"So can we go put it on my bed?"

Mack placed the items on the couch. "I haven't put your bed together yet. As soon as I do, we'll make it with all the things Grammy bought you."

"Let's put it together now!" Grace grabbed his hand and pulled.

His daughter might have gotten her looks from her mother, but she'd gotten her impatience from him.

"In a few minutes. I'm almost done eating."

Just as he expected, Grace pouted but didn't argue.

"Did you get everything moved in?" His mother ruffled his hair, something she'd done for as long as he could remember. "If not, I can bring Grace back later."

"We got everything off the truck. Now it's just a matter of unpacking." Grace had spent last night and all day with his parents, so he could move everything into their new house. "She's fine here."

"If you're sure. I don't mind if she stays with me a little longer. Or I can stay and help you unpack."

"We're all set, Mom. The guys will be leaving soon, and then Grace and I will tackle the unpacking. The two of us can handle it. Right, buddy?" Reaching out, he ruffled his daughter's hair and instantly a smile replaced her pout.

"Right," Grace answered with the kind of determination and enthusiasm only a five-and-a-half-year-old could muster.

"Okay, but if you change your mind, call me." His mom gave Grace a hug and kiss. "Will we see you tonight at the block party?"

"I don't--"

"I want to go. Please," Grace said before he could finish his sentence.

"It would be a great way for Grace to meet more children her age before school starts."

Mack looked from his mother to his daughter's expectant face. The very face she knew he couldn't say _no_ to.

With an audible sigh, he nodded. "Okay, but only for a little while. I want you in bed on time tonight." He looked back at his mother. She always claimed Grace went to bed around her normal time, but he knew better--not that he would ever fault her for it. As a kid, when he'd stayed over his grandparents' house, he'd never made it to bed on time either.

"Great. Then your father and I will see you there. Don't forget to call if you need anything." After giving them both a kiss, Rose left.

Reaching down, Mack scooped Grace up so that their eyes met. "Did you eat already? We have some pizza in the kitchen."

Grace hooked an arm around his neck. "Grammy took me to lunch. We met Auntie Erin and Brianna."

"Okay then, let me finish my pizza, and then we can start on your room." He carried Grace into the kitchen where his friends were hanging out.

"Hi, Sean. Tony." Grace sat in the seat next to Striker when Mack put her down. "Hi, Striker."

"You remember them?" Although he kept in regular contact with his friends, he could only recall a handful of times when Grace had been around them.

"Your parents take her all over town when she visits," Sean explained before Grace answered. "She probably knows more than half the people in North Salem already."

When he'd first decided to move back, he'd worried how Grace would handle it. She'd lived in Watertown in the same condo complex her entire life. Evidently, he'd had nothing to worry about.

***

Music from the Town Common greeted Mack as soon as he pulled open the front door. The town always arranged for live music at each block party. Most of the time they hired local bands, but occasionally they'd pull in someone from Providence or Hartford. At the moment, he was still too far away to see who was in the bandstand tonight.

"Don't forget. Only one special treat tonight," Mack said as he and Grace crossed the street. In addition to food from the many grills, there was always an abundant supply of sugary snacks on hand at this gig. As a kid, he'd once managed to consume cotton candy, ice cream, and a bag of mini homemade donuts all in one night. He'd then proceeded to spend the remainder of the night sick in bed with a stomachache.

Next to him, Grace nodded, but although she hadn't argued with him, it didn't mean she wouldn't try to get more than one treat later on.

Cutting through Saint Mark's parking lot, Mack led his daughter toward Main Street. As they got closer, the air around them changed as the smell of burgers on the grill mixed with the scent of popcorn in the old-time popping machine the senior center brought over for every town event.

At the edge of the Common, Mack paused, his daughter's hand still clasped in his, and he took in the view. The scene before him looked like every block party he remembered. Everywhere he looked, people he'd known all his life interacted. Some danced to music performed by Gage Larson's band, while others sat at the tables enjoying food and conversation. A sense of coming home washed over him, and he realized how much he'd missed this place and these people.

"Can I try the games?" Grace asked, shaking him from his thoughts. "I won the ringtoss with Grammy."

"Lead the way." No sooner did he speak the words, then Grace started off as fast as her legs would carry her toward the carnival games the elementary school's PTA had set up.

"Which one first?" Each one already had a short line of children waiting their turn.

Going by the look on Grace's face as she considered the booths, one would've thought he'd just asked her how she'd solve the government's national debt.

"The ringtoss," she answered after several moments.

As they joined the line, Mack pulled out his wallet. He knew the PTA used the games as a fundraiser, so dishing out a few dollars didn't bother him.

"Mack Ellsbury."

At his name, Mack looked up at Kenny Adams. They'd graduated high school together. Back then, they'd hung out a lot, but had lost contact since.

"I heard you were moving back. You bought the Kerry place, right?"

Mack nodded. "Moved in today."

"Welcome back. Is this your daughter?"

"This is Grace." Mack and Grace stepped forward as the line moved.

"She looks about the same age as my son, Gabe. He's starting kindergarten this year." Kenny put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Me, too." Grace pointed toward herself.

"Then I guess we'll be seeing you around." Kenny clapped him on the back and then led his son toward the food tables.

The next hour or so went much the same way as people came up and welcomed him back. Over the years, he'd kept in contact with some of his childhood friends, like Sean and Striker, but others he hadn't seen in years despite his regular visits back to see his family. Most looked like they did in high school, but there were others he barely recognized.

"So are you ready for a snack?" Mack asked as Grace climbed down from the bounce house the Parks and Recs department had set up. She'd already gone in the thing three times since they'd been there, each time coming out with the name of a new friend she'd made while inside.

"And something to drink," she answered with a pink face.

Pleased that she'd agreed without any fuss, he took her hand. "Sounds like a good idea. What do you feel like tonight?" Together they crossed the makeshift dance floor, which was empty at the moment while the band took a break. "The ice cream truck is still here." During the summer, the ice cream truck still made daily runs through town. He didn't think there were many that still did that. At least, he'd never heard one in Watertown.

"Nope. I want a donut."

He liked the way his daughter thought. The homemade donuts the church sold were better than the ones from the store or popular coffee shops. "A donut it is. Let's go."

Weaving through the crowd, they headed for the table where Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Quinn manned the electric pan fryers cooking up homemade doughnuts and fried dough on the spot.

"You did make it tonight," a female voice called out as he passed a table.

Mack turned, ready to reply, but his daughter let go of his hand and rushed forward before he could speak.

"Jessie!" Grace called out with glee as she rushed toward Jessie, then proceeded to hug the woman.

With no hesitation, Jessie's smile widened and she hugged Grace. That afternoon, she'd mentioned she knew Grace, but he hadn't realized they were so friendly.

"Jessie, I live here now." Grace released her and bounced up and down as she shared her news.

"I know. Your father told me today."

Jessie smiled at him briefly, but then turned her attention back to Grace, giving him a chance to give her a once-over. Now, like earlier, he was surprised by how much he liked what he saw.

"How do you like your new house?" Jessie asked.

Grace shrugged her little shoulders. "It's okay. I don't like the color of my room. It's light green." She pouted before she continued. "Daddy promised we'd paint it."

"Let me guess. You want it pink?"

"Or purple. Daddy said we'd see."

Grace sighed and Jessie looked back up at him as she tried to hold back a laugh.

"I promised we'd stop in the store and decide on a color we both like." Mack put a hand on Grace's shoulder

Jessie turned back to Grace again. "We have a lot of nice colors at the store. You'll find something you both like."

"Will you help us look?" Grace asked. "Daddy's not a girl, and girls are better at picking out colors."

"You got it." Jessie gave one of Grace's pigtails a playful tug. "What do you think about the rest of the house?"

"It has a big backyard." Grace's voice went up an octave. "Daddy promised to get me a swing set and a dog."

Grace had been asking for a dog since her fourth birthday, and he kept telling her a dog needed a yard, something they didn't have in Watertown. When she'd seen the backyard of their new house, it had been one of the first things out of her mouth. "I said I'd _think_ about the dog." He didn't want Grace getting her hopes up.

"But, Da--" Grace started.

"We'll talk later, Grace. Besides, I thought we were getting donuts." Perhaps a minor distraction would get her mind off a dog, if only for the night.

Grace's pout disappeared as if just remembering their initial destination. "Oh, yeah. Can I wait here with Jessie while you get them? My feet are tired."

He didn't believe her feet were tired for a second. She just didn't want to wait in line. "As long as Jessie doesn't mind." They would have to sit down and eat somewhere anyway.

Jessie pulled out the seat next to her. "She can stay. I don't mind."

"Can I get you anything?" Mack asked as Grace zipped into the chair.

"Just finished some popcorn, but thanks."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Alone, Mack joined the line for donuts. Every once in a while, he glanced behind him to check on Grace--not that she noticed. His daughter was too busy talking Jessie's ear off. The little girl loved to tell stories, and she'd talk to just about anyone, even complete strangers in supermarket checkout lines.

"Decided to join everyone tonight?" Striker asked as he got in the line.

"Yeah, Grace wanted to come." The person in front of him at the concession table moved and Mack stepped forward. He glanced over the freshly-made donuts. "I'll take two of the apple cider and two of the powdered, please, Mrs. Mitchell."

"I was so glad when I heard you were moving in next door, Matthew," Mrs. Mitchell said.

Although everyone else in his life called him Mack, Mrs. Mitchell insisted on calling everyone by his or her true name.

"Where's your daughter?" she asked, looking around.

"With Jessie." He pointed in their direction.

"Grace does love my granddaughter," Mrs. Quinn chimed in. "If your mom brings Grace to quilting club, she doesn't leave Jessie alone."

Mack accepted the donuts, surprised he was hearing about all of this now. To the best of his knowledge, Grace had never mentioned Jessie. Mack moved down the line to pick out drinks and pay.

Before he left, Mrs. Mitchell called out to him. "If you ever need anything, please just stop in, Matthew. That's what neighbors are for."

Mack nodded.

"And what can I get you, Alfred?" He heard Mrs. Mitchell ask his friend, and for half a second, he wondered who she was talking to. He, like just about everyone else in town, had called his friend Striker so long, he'd forgotten his real name.

Next to him, Striker grumbled a response but didn't correct the old widow. No one in town ever did. _Man, it's good to be back._

"Anything else, Mack?" Mrs. O'Brien, who sat with the other two women, asked.

Mack held out a ten. "Two bottles of water, please."

With a nod, Mrs. O'Brien grabbed two waters from the cooler. "The same goes for me, Mack. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call or come over." She handed him his change.

"Thanks."

Mack waited for Striker to pay for his food and then they walked back toward Jessie and Grace.

"I don't know why she does that. Not even my mother calls me Alfred." Striker opened his water bottle.

Mack couldn't blame his friend. He wouldn't want to be called Alfred either. "You could always correct her."

Striker threw him a 'get-real' look.

"Do you want to join us, Alfred?" Mack asked when they stopped at the table.

Striker elbowed him in the ribs. "Another time. Nicole's waiting for me." He gestured toward a woman seated at another table.

Mack tried to place Nicole as he put down the food.

"Who's Alfred?" Grace asked from the other side of Jessie.

"What?"

"Who's Alfred?" Grace asked again as she reached for a donut.

"Just giving Striker a hard time. His real name is Alfred." To make the conversation with both his daughter and Jessie easier, he took a seat on the other side of the table.

Grace considered his answer as she started on an apple cider donut. "Why do you call him Striker?"

"It's a nickname. Like you calling Jessie 'Jessie,' when her real name is Jessica."

"But Striker doesn't sound like Alfred. I thought a nickname sounded like your real name."

He could understand how she'd reached that conclusion. "Sometimes, but not always."

"Striker is his last name," Jessie added.

Happy with the answers, Grace fell silent as she munched on her snack.

Before Mack could continue his conversation with Jessie, she raised a hand and waved at someone.

"Maryanne and Kelsey just got here. I'm going to say hello." She pushed back her chair, prepared to leave. "I know you have your mom and sister to help out, but if you need anything, let me know. I'm always around."

"Thanks." Mack watched Jessie walk toward Maryanne and Kelsey, both life-long North Salem residents, and was again surprised by the physical changes in her. Maybe everything in North Salem didn't always remain the same. Jessie Quinn certainly hadn't, and he wasn't the only one who noticed how great she looked tonight. He saw several other guys watching her as she walked away, and he understood why.

End of excerpt.

# Other Books By Christina

**The Sherbrookes of Newport Series**

Loving The Billionaire, a novella

The Teacher's Billionaire

The Billionaire Playboy

The Billionaire Princess

The Billionaire's Best Friend

Redeeming The Billionaire

More Than A Billionaire

Protecting The Billionaire

Bidding On The Billionaire

Falling For The Billionaire

The Billionaire Next Door

The Billionaire's Homecoming

The Billionaire's Heart

**Love On The North Shore Series**

The Courage To Love

Hometown Love

The Playboy Next Door

In His Kiss

A Promise To Keep

When Love Strikes

**Elite Force Security**

Born To Protect

His To Protect
