Page 46 of One Chance to Stay
“Aren’t we all?”
I still couldn’t tell if the men dialed up their romance for the sake of humor, or if they were truly the best of friends. If they were younger, it might have been obnoxious. Seeing these twooldergentlemen celebrate one another warmed my heart. I wondered if Audrey understood what she got herself into. Would they go on dates, the three of them?
I chuckled.
“Are you having a laugh at my expense?”
I nodded. “Just imagining you and Audrey going on dates with Harvey. The three of you will make a cute trio.”
Walter paused for a moment before laughing. “We’re from Maine. It’s not like going on a date with your sister is unheard of.”
My head cocked to the side. Things worked a little differently in the smaller towns in Maine. Options were limited if you wanted to ensure you weren’t dating a relative. Yet, after seeing his relationship with Harvey, it was almost the same thing.
“You’re marrying his sister?”
He scoffed. “She’s marrying her brother’s best friend.”
We both eyed the other before cracking up laughing. He had an undeniable charisma, and both Harvey and his sister were lucky to have him. Once the laughter died down, the silence crept in. It went from giggling like children to tense, and that made me think we were about to havethetalk.
“Consider yourself invited.”
“To the wedding?”
“Well, not the honeymoon! What would Harvey say?” He cackled, capable of amusing himself without any external help. The hostess dropped a coffee in front of me, and without asking, added another mug in front of my companion.
“The whole town is invited. It’s only fitting you go.”
“I—”
“Son.” Did Walter pull rank? He slid the cup out of the way as he leaned forward on the table. His larger-than-life personality hushed to a whisper. “There’s an individual who could use a dancing partner.”
I wanted another dance with Seamus. While I stepped on his toes, he’d patiently lead, commenting on my two left feet. In the quiet of his living room was one thing, but with the eyes of Firefly watching?
“I don’t think this individual wants that kind of attention.”
Walter let out a sigh. I suspected he knew more of Seamus’s story than he let on. I wanted to find out the moment Seamus pulled away. Not from Walter, nor Firefly, just life in general. While we lay in bed, he shared at a speed that made him comfortable.
I was about to tell Walter I didn’t want to hear any details when he held a finger to his lips. “Some things aren’t mine to share.” He acted a lighthearted fool, but Walter had depth he didn’t always put on display.
“But—”
He smacked his forehead. “Son. Listen, before I open a can of whoop ass.” I bit my tongue. “We are all terrified of the unknown. When we’re young, we make our mistakes.” He gestured to me. “I’m sure you made plenty. We learned to rebound while we figured out who we are.”
“But when it happens as an adult…” Seamus had never shared his secret, or at least I didn’t think he had, not intentionally. He’d let me in, but not the world. And that was the scary part—letting them see what I already knew.
Walter nodded. “Us old guys need a little guidance, seeing that the world isn’t as scary as it seems.”
I wanted to ask if something had sent Seamus running or if this was a prison of his own creation. It didn’t matter. I imagined him holding out his hand under a wedding tent and asking me to dance. I could hear the audible gasp from Jason and the ear-piercing squeal from Jon. There’d be questions I couldn’t answer, not yet. For the man who folded my clothes in the morning, I’d endure the speculation.
“We’re not unteachable, especially when we get out of our way. Perhaps this individual needs somebody willing to show him the way.”
“Walter.” I leaned forward, whispering. “You’re… consider me impressed.”
“Whoa, now.” He held up his hands. “Good sir. I know I’m irresistible, but I’m an almost-married man.” And just like that, the Walter who insisted we drink straight from the bottle returned. “I hear Dorothy is looking for a man.”
“Ha!” The hostess said as she put my French toast on the table. “I have too many men to deal with. You take a number, and if my dance card has a vacancy, I’ll call you.” My jaw dropped, and before I could stutter out a reply, she zoomed off to seat a couple who walked in.
Walter gave me a wink before he groaned, clamoring to his feet. “Oh, and don’t forget, it’s a Christmas theme.”
