Page 28 of The One for Me
“Especially me.”
He can talk all that crap somewhere else. I know better. Sean has always been a good guy. When he was a kid, he wasn’t chasing girls around. He was either at the ballfield or with me.
“Anyway, he knew what to say and how to search out naïve and stupid girls. I learned after my dismissal from school that I wasn’t the first girl he was inappropriate with.”
Sean releases a heavy sigh as his fingers tighten on the glass bottle. “If you tell me his name, I’ll happily kill him.”
I lean my head against his shoulder with a smile. “I love you for that.” I sigh. “The point is, my mother thinks this is some flaw that I have. She has spent the last nine years reminding me of it.”
He leans back on the couch, pulling me with him. I nestle against his chest, tuck my legs under my butt, and relax. The long, steady thumping of his heart fills my ears, and his musky scent calms me.
Sean is home. He’s comfort and the sunshine that breaks through the clouds. He’s laughter in the rain and the constant in a sea of uncertainty.
I’ve never had to wonder where I stand with him.
“Your mom is angry at herself, and she’s never been good at dealing with that.”
“No, but I’m tired of hearing it.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”
I lift my head to meet his eyes. “You’re here now.”
He presses his lips to my forehead. “And even when I leave, I’m always here for you.”
If nothing else, this time together will give me a friendship I’ve been desperately missing. And for that . . . I’m grateful.
Chapter Nine
Devney
“Let’s go, Austin!” I yell, clapping my hands as he gets up to bat.
“Sean sure draws a crowd,” Hazel says as she bumps my shoulder.
I’ve been trying to focus on anything but him. It’s as if there were some announcement for single and desperate women to come to the nine-year-old boys’ winter league game.
“Who knew that off-season kids’ baseball was so popular?” The sarcasm is thick in my voice. “It’s really gross.”
“What?”
“That!” I point at the five women with their hair done, makeup on, and breasts on display.
Hazel laughs. “He seems to be handling it well. Plus, he’s been back a month, and they’ve kept their distance.”
I glance back down at the gaggle of desperate housewives, and he’s giving them one of those dazzling smiles. This is exactly why I could never think about dating him. It’s part of his job to be charming. He excels at it, and I would never be able to handle knowing this is how he would spend nights away from me.
“Yes, he revels in it.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I haven’t seen him do anything flirtatious or encouraging. I’m saying he rebuffs them better than Jasper or any other man probably would.”
I roll my eyes. “Desperate Denise is by far the pushiest.” I watch her wrap her fingers around the metal fence, lifting one foot in the air as she giggles.
Hazel shifts to get a better look. “Really? I think Psycho Sara is pretty bad. She keeps pulling down her shirt to reveal more.”
I laugh. “What about Clinger Karen? She really seems to be laying it on thick.”
We both nod slowly as she shoves Denise aside to get closer. “Do they think he came back to Sugarloaf to get married like his brothers?”
