Page 32 of A Sudden Romance

“This seems pretty serious.” Joy shoved her breakfast skillet aside, then propped her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands.

Struggling to address the facts with all her friends focused on her, Iris drew out a breath. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Sabastian.”

Liberty bounced in the booth. Her eyes widened as she planted a hand on her chest. “And?”

“I think I’m falling in love.”

Tessa’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

Joy smiled, saying nothing.

“He’s always so quiet, but this week, we’ve been talking.” Iris told them everything from the day he’d picked her up at the airport until yesterday when she’d wanted him to kiss her. “All the years he’s been with my family, he’s never shown any indication that he likes me. He’s been so stiff and formal, barely giving me a word or two.”

“Just because he’s quiet doesn’t mean he’s not admiring you in the silence.” Joy smirked. “Whenever you’re home, do your eyes ever follow him around to know what he’s up to?”

“Well...” Iris had caught the heated looks from him, looks she’d never let her mind misinterpret or delve. But, somewhere deep inside, in a place she rarely ventured, maybe it crossed her mind that he might have feelings for her. She just never dwelt on it long enough to believe it.

However, Joy seemed to know something about Sabastian Iris didn’t. Iris shook her head, her hair prickling her cheeks as she peered hard at her sister-in-law, hoping she’d share something to make sense of him. “He’s always hiding in the shadows. Except this week, when we’ve talked, he gets all curt like talking to me is an imposition.”

“Sabastian talks just fine. He and I are good friends, actually. My kids adore him.” Joy’s face radiated with her fondness. “He comes to our house all the time, and he’s always eager to get involved in the community projects I organize.”

“Joy Stone—stop avoiding the question and keeping us in suspense. Loosen up.” Liberty, always a bit carefree and impulsive, reached across the wooden table to slap Joy’s arm playfully. “Just tell us what the man told you. Did he tell you anything about his attraction to Iris?”

Joy squirmed, likely uncomfortable being forced to blab. But this wasn’t gossip; this was serious. Iris pinned her with the no-nonsense glare she gave a contractor who was putting another project ahead of hers and needed to focus.

A sigh deflated her sister-in-law. “He’s probably not the kind of man you have in mind for sparks and chemistry.”

Last summer, Logan presumed Sabastian had a crush on her. Could he have been right? It almost sounded like Joy thought so.

“Take time and look back on all the years you’ve known Sabastian. Has he paid any special attention to you?” Joy’s brow lifted. “Not just looks, but attentiveness to the things you like or going out of his way for you?”

So Joy was going to make her figure it out for herself. Iris shrugged. “He cooks lots of lemon-infused meals I like.”

She couldn’t remember everything Sabastian did for her, but she’d scour her brain to support this suspicion he’d had a crush on her.

“As for Sabastian not talking to you, the same thing happened to me when I had feelings for your brother.” Joy pointed to their friends around the table. “Have you ever been so physically attracted to someone that you lost the ability to think around them?”

“Yep,” the other girls nodded.

Then Liberty pivoted in her seat beside Iris and grabbed her hands. “Do you feel any chemistry, flutters, or anything of the sort, with Sabastian?”

Heat flared through Iris.

And Tessa across the table laughed. “None of your previous dates ever made you feel that way.”

“I do get the flutters.” Iris tried to keep the thrill out of her voice. “When I’m not around him, I can’t stop thinking about him. I want to be around him all the time.” Not to mention her anticipation each night toward cooking breakfast with him.

“But it could also be that I haven’t been on a date for so long.” She couldn’t be sure about Sabastian yet. Giving him some space would be good. Good thing Dad came back tonight so she’d be hanging out with her parents. Next week, Sabastian would be getting ready for the taster and Grey’s visit.

While she’d entertained the idea of hanging out to help him prep, she’d best let him do his thing while she sorted out her feelings. After she left the girls, she’d go shopping with Mom, and by the time they got home, Dad would be there. So she wouldn’t be longing to seek out Sabastian.

***

THAT EVENING WHEN IRIS followed Mom into the house with their shopping bags, Dad was waiting for them in the kitchen hallway. Mom and Dad had chatted on the phone while Iris drove Mom home, so he’d known their whereabouts.

As much as Iris was looking forward to seeing him, Mom seemed more eager when she sped ahead as he stood there, obviously waiting for them to emerge.

“Honey.” Mom clasped his shoulders, and he beamed under the lights, then pulled her into an embrace before giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

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