Page 5 of Seal of Approval

Was he being dismissive? Or sarcastic, like he thought we were always crazy? I straightened my back. Why was I being so defensive? The poor man had just driven seven hours. He was probably tired. And then he was faced with having to share a house with three strangers.

I led him down the hall to the bathroom, conscious that his eyes were on me the whole way. “This bathroom will be yours. The kids and I will share the other bathroom.”

“Thanks.”

“The other two bedrooms are down that way,” I said, pointing down the hall. “And this is the living area. I didn’t know if you’d want to share meals or make your own. We can make space for you in the fridge and pantry. Let me know your preference once you’ve settled in.”

He nodded. He didn’t say much. He merely looked at me with those intense hazel eyes. Maybe ten words during our whole conversation, while all I’d done was ramble on. Did he think this was as awkward as I did?

I hoped it was shock on his part that made him so aloof. I didn’t want the kids to feel uneasy. I wanted them to be free to express themselves. They hadn’t been free with Max. His judgement had reigned supreme. Little by little, I’d seen their self-esteem erode. They had begun to overthink everything they said. I wouldn’t allow that to happen again.

I showed him the laundry and the small backyard. “There is a road that leads to the back of the house as well.” I pointed it out. “We use it if the beach road out the front is impassable for some reason.”

He ran his hand through his hair and looked around. There was a small crease between his eyebrows, indicating he was thinking about something. He nodded and gave me that half smile again. “Thank you.”

That half smile showed me that while he may have been fighting with other emotions, he was trying.

My defences had me jumping to conclusions. And that wasn’t fair on either of us. Hopefully, he would relax and this whole experience could at least be bearable. Especially since we’d be living together and working together.

Maybe he had a family back home and living with us would make him miss them more. Or maybe he was an introvert who liked his own space. He was here for six months, but he wouldn’t need to live with us that whole time if I could get all the tradesmen sorted.

What could I do to make this better for all of us?

CHAPTER FOUR

Ethan

I needed space. I needed to get my head around these living arrangements. The last woman I’d shared a house with was my wife, now ex-wife. She’d left five years ago. And kids? My brother had two but I had none of my own. His house was like bedlam some days. I imagined it was the same here with those two kids I saw earlier.

Uncomfortable didn’t begin to describe how I was feeling. If you added in a little fear, that’d be closer to the mark. I’d never had children for a reason. I liked them well enough. But being a father was not in the cards for me. Not with my father’s genes running through my blood.

“Would you like a tour of the town?” Jasmine asked after she finished showing me around the house. She smiled, but her serious brown eyes were studying me. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

“No, that’s OK. I’ll just go for a short walk to stretch my legs.”

She nodded. “Well, you can’t get lost. There’s only one road in and out.”

I made my way down the stairs. Directly across the dirt road was a sandy beach. And beyond that the bay stretched into the distance, the water a soft fusion of dark blue and azure. It was a stunning October day—sunny with a slight breeze that didn’t chill to the bone. I absorbed it all, tension leaving my shoulders. I glanced back at the porch. It looked like it was set up to enjoy the scenery and ambience, with chairs looking out over the beach and a hammock as well.

I was certain Jasmine was a single mom. She hadn’t mentioned a partner and the photos I’d seen on the living room wall were of her and the two children. Did it matter? I didn’t know. She made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t anything she’d done specifically. Perhaps it was the way she looked at me like I was a specimen whenever she spoke.

I laughed to myself. I’d been accused of the same thing many a time. I always thought it was because of the scientist in me. According to the department, Jasmine wasn’t a scientist though. What was she trying to figure out?

This housing situation was not ideal. How was I going to conduct my research and complete my dissertation under these conditions? There was no space here for me to have a permanent set up. Maybe I could squeeze a desk into my room. That would give me some sort of separation from the rest of the house at least. I nodded to myself as I kept walking.

A young woman with blonde hair up in a messy bun was setting out flags next to the café as I passed. She gave me a wave and a smile. The two people at the general store were finished with their sand duty. I walked up the stairs, curious to see what the one store in town sold. Light laughter flitted up from the beach. I glanced over my shoulder. The two children from earlier were running across the sand with the kitten.

The bell above the door rang as I entered. The man at the counter lifted his eyes from the newspaper he was reading. A peal of laughter followed me through the door. His attention turned to the children, looking at them with a small smile before his gaze settled back on me. “How can I help you today?”

“I was just curious to see what you sell,” I told him.

He inclined his chin. “Ethan Shaw? The new ranger?”

“Yes.” How did he know?

“Lily,” he called out toward the back of the shop. “Come and meet Ethan.” He turned to me and gestured out the window. “You’ll never have a dull moment with those two.”

I imagined not. They seemed as free as the sea breeze that tugged at their brown hair. The boy—Bailey?—lifted the kitten onto a paddle board on the sand and swayed it from side to side. The kitten lowered its centre of gravity, stabilising itself. Once it had had enough, it jumped off. The boy gave it a gentle pat.

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