Page 89 of Second Chance with Seth

“Insurmountable ones?” he asks, taking off his jacket and throwing it over the back of the couch.

“Not yet, but I feel like I’m not handling it very well,” I admit, and he nods his head.

“I’m sure you are.”

“Tell that to Owen. He’s had to open up every morning since you left, and I know I haven’t been pulling my weight during the day, either. I’ve had to look after River instead of working, and it’s…”

“Hey… it’ll be okay.”

I stare up at him. “I wish I had your confidence.”

“Trust me. It’ll be fine. And stop putting yourself down, will you? You’re doing a great job.”

“How do you know?” I want to remind him he hasn’t been here, but that seems petty… as well as obvious.

He smiles, looking around. “Because this place looks fairly tidy, the dishwasher’s running, the bottles are sterilized, our daughter’s asleep upstairs… what more do you want?”

I shake my head. “The only reason the apartment looks tidy is because you tidied it and I haven’t had a chance to make a mess again yet. As for everything else, I did all of that a few moments before you arrived. I was just working out what to have for dinner when you knocked.” I step back slightly. “Have you eaten?”

“No. I finished up my chores in Concord and drove straight here.”

“In that case, would you like to join me?”

“Sure.”

I lead him into the kitchen, re-opening the fridge, and gazing inside. I’m aware of Seth standing behind me, the warmth of his body heating mine, and I suck in a breath as he reaches around me, grabbing a pack of gnocchi.

“Do you still make that incredible cheesy baked gnocchi?” he asks and I turn, looking up at him.

“I haven’t for ages, but it’s easy enough.”

He hands me the pack, grabbing the cheese. “What else do we need?” he asks.

“Broccoli and onions,” I say, watching as he takes the items from the fridge, and I grab the milk from the door.

Once we’ve got everything, I pull out a roasting dish from the cabinet next to the oven, and chop up the broccoli and onion, while Seth returns to the refrigerator, coming back with a bottle of white wine.

“Shall we?” he says, holding it up. I nod, and he fetches some glasses, pouring out a generous measure for each of us.

With the veggies ready, I put them into the oven to roast and turn to face him, clinking our glasses together.

“I know I’ve said this before, but I’ve missed you,” he says, taking a sip and putting his glass down.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

He smiles. “This is gonna sound weird, but I’ve missed River. Can you believe I woke up in the early hours of the morning, wondering if she was awake… if you were feeding her?”

“I don’t think that’s weird at all,” I say, moving closer to him. “She’s yours, after all.”

He takes my glass, putting it beside his, and pulls me into his arms. “Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Mine.”

“Always.”

His lips meet mine, and I surrender to his kiss, letting him push me back against the countertop, and feeling his body hard against mine. We kiss for ages, hands everywhere, touching, stroking, and breathless with need.

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