Page 21 of Merry Little Midlife Matchmaker

Sean

You’re relentless.

Lizzie

One of my many talents.

My mind took about three milliseconds to go straight to the gutter, and my fingers moved before I could stop myself.

Sean

What other talents have you been keeping hidden all these years?

I hit send, then I froze. Three dots appeared on the screen to show that Lizzie was typing a response. Then they disappeared. Then reappeared and kept flashing for an excruciating two full minutes. Then they disappeared again.

I swore quietly and tossed my phone aside before scrubbing my face with my hands. The light from the TV flickered over the room as I slumped down on the couch, and a gust of wind blew against the house. My phone remained still and silent.

What was I thinking? I couldn’t flirt with Lizzie. And Ihadbeen flirting. I’d been thinking about those sparkling eyes and the curves I hadn’t noticed when I’d first run into her. Or the cute way she glared at me outside the school, and how it made fizzy bubbles explode in my chest.

I was thinking about untying that red sweater she’d worn to Thanksgiving and letting my fingers drift over the edges of her bra. I’d been thinking about laying her down on my bed and watching her back arch while I tasted her. I’d been thinking about how my cock ached to feel the heated clasp of her.

But I couldn’t have her.

She was my best friend’s little sister. Worse, I’d just moved back to Heart’s Cove, and the whole point of coming here was to try to build a more robust support system.

How would Aaron react if he found out I was texting his sister? He’d probably punch me in the face; he’d been protective of her when we were younger. He didn’t seem to appreciate her now, but that didn’t mean he’d want her dating the likes of me.

Indulging this attraction would only get me in trouble. Maybe contacting Laurel was a good idea. That way, I could get Lizzie out of my mind and get this tension out of my system. But instead of grabbing my phone and making contact with the other woman, I flicked off the television and made my way upstairs.

I’d rented this three-bedroom house for a year’s lease and hired movers to get all our stuff up here in one truck. The kitchen was half-unpacked and most of the furniture was in place, but boxes still gathered in the corners of every room. Mikey had unpacked his clothing and made his bed, and a few of his favorite toys were lined up along the wall, as if waiting for the appropriate shelf on which they could be displayed.

He’d been excited about the move, but it had been hard to pull him out of school and away from his friends. Now that wewere here, I wondered if I’d made the right decision. All this upheaval, all these boxes, the packing and unpacking…for what?

I couldn’t mess it up. He only had me. I couldn’t afford to make big mistakes when my son was involved.

He pulled his headphones off when he saw me in the doorway. His game froze on the screen when he paused it, and he arched his brows at me.

“Almost bedtime, buddy.”

Mikey’s shoulders slumped, but he nodded and got up. He brushed past me on his way to the bathroom, then paused at the doorway. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we get a Christmas tree this year?”

My lungs collapsed on themselves and cut off my breath. The discomfort stopped the immediate refusal from leaving my lips. Instead, I swallowed hard, inhaled, and forced myself to sound as calm as possible when I said, “Your mom does Christmas, Mikey. You know that.”

The look he gave me was a punch to the gut. He nodded, lips turned down. “Okay. I just… It was fun decorating the tree with Zach and Hazel. I thought…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Never mind.”

When he’d disappeared into the bathroom, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. The coming month would be excruciating. It always was. Memories pressed on me from every direction, each and every one of them like a razor blade across my chest. I wanted to be the best father I could be, and I wanted to give Mikey the world.

But could I give him this?

Could I pretend to put on a happy face? Put decorations up with him and celebrate a holiday that had only brought me misery?

TEN

LIZZIE

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