Page 61 of Just a Heartbeat Away

“Vacation?”

She shook her head and her eyes filled. “There was just something I had to do. And once I got back, well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Fin.”

He was deeply relieved to hear she’d been spending time with her best friend. Maybe it was because he didn’t know anyone else who resembled her—the slightness of her physicality, gold skin, dark eyes, that squished nose—but looking down at her now, she just looked very solitary. It worried him. Because of Matty, Seb’s mini-me, Sebastian never had to worry about being completely alone. But Via on the other hand, she had no family. Not even a Muriel to criticize her in her kitchen. It made Sebastian want to invite himself over to her house, bring his kid and dog and make sure that there was enough noise in her life.

She used her wrist to push at the tears that swelled in her eyes and looked away from him, out toward the field. He wasn’t made uncomfortable by other people’s tears, but he knew when it wasn’t the time to push. “What’s the purple for?” He nodded at her necklace.

Her fingers brushed it again. “Amethyst. Apparently, it’s kind of a cure-all. Or so Fin says.”

“So you’re not okay.” He crossed his arms over his chest and searched her face for an answer. She looked so small right now, her delicate collarbone peeking out of her shirt like a piece of elegant jewelry. The only things big about her were those baleful eyes, and they were filled to the brim with unshed tears. He had the insane urge to make her soup, turn on a Disney movie or soft music. Damn it. He kind of wanted to rub her feet. He inwardly grimaced. Now was not the time to perv out.

She laughed at herself, the sound tight with tears as she swept her cap off her head and rubbed at her eyes with her wrist. “I don’t know what I am. Don’t mind me. I’m just a crazy lady who came to play softball.”

“Man, I’ve been there before. Well, except for the lady part. Trust me, I was a crazy man for just about all of Matty’s year four on this Earth.” He nudged her gently with an elbow. “You were there.”

“Oh, Seb, you were just fine. And don’t worry, this isn’t that kind of crazy. I think I’m just having a midlife crisis.”

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed at that one. Really laughed. His cap came a little loose at the movement, and he jammed it back on his head. “Via, I hope to God you live longer than fifty-four years old. There’s no way this is a midlife crisis.”

She gave him a watery smile. “Fine, an identity crisis, then.”

He cocked his head to one side. He’d always thought of Via as someone who was very certain in who she was, but he supposed everybody put up a bit of a front in that regard, particularly at work.

“Hi, Sebastian.”

Seb turned and spotted Giles. He attempted not to wince at the interruption.

“Hey, man.” He held out his hand.

Giles shook his hand and kept a straight face for only a second before he melted into bubbling, effusive praise. “We are over the moon about the mirror we commissioned from you. Seriously. It is gorgeous. And exactly what we wanted. And hand delivery, my, my,my! Expect a positive review on your website.”

“You’re the client he was building the mirror for?” Via’s eyes were wide, but she was, thankfully, holding in the smile that teased at the corners of her mouth.

“You saw it?”

“I saw it in an intermediary stage. He does good work. It was very cool.”

She hadn’t liked it any better than Seb had, he knew, but she was sweet.

“It’s more than cool—it’s revolutionizing our living room. Seriously, if I could turn my eyes into heart emojis, I would.”

The mirror had been a real bitch to make and boring as hell. But Seb couldn’t argue with that kind of customer satisfaction. It was always nice to feel appreciated. And Giles looked like he was about two steps from wearing a shirt with Seb’s face on it.

“Well, I’m glad you like it, man. I truly appreciate your business.”

The inning ended and it was time to shuffle back to the outfield. Via winked at him, a little pink in the cheeks, as soon as Giles turned away. Seb swallowed back his laugh and tried not to watch her jog out to shortstop.

Instead, he turned and looked into the bleachers. Art and Matty were playing some card game, facing one another, Crabby was sniffing around underneath, and Muriel was looking right at him.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SEBASTIANWASJUSTchatting with one of the lunch ladies when he heard the shouting from down the hall.

Becca, the lunch lady, scrunched her wrinkly face up. “What the hell is that?”

Seb was already skirting around the lunch tables and jogging down the hall.Thatwas a man screaming his royal head off. Not the kind of sound anyone wanted to hear in an elementary school.

Lunch wasn’t scheduled to start for another fifteen minutes, so Sebastian wasn’t worried about kids flooding the hall immediately.

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