Page 8 of Then There Was You

“What does that mean?”

“I’ve met him, remember? At the barbecue. He wasn’t interested. He barely spoke to me.”

She sighs. “Look, he had some stuff going on then. He was probably distracted. Come on. I’ll reintroduce you.”

She propels me forward, calling out to Seb before I can stop her.

“Hey, Seb. You made it.” She lets go of my arm and steps toward him, pulling him into a hug. “You remember my friend, Taylor, from Pittsburgh? She was at the barbecue a couple of months ago.” She steps back and gestures to me. I give him a small smile, willing my cheeks not to flush pink.

“Sure I do. Hi, Taylor. Good to see you again.” He leans down and presses a kiss on my cheek.

“You too, Seb.”

He’s even more gorgeous up close, and I try not to stare. His hair is messy in the sexiest of ways, and a dark layer of stubble covers his jaw. My skin tingles from where it brushed against my cheek when he kissed me, and my efforts not to stare fail. I lower my eyes before he realizes. I’ve only been in Hope Creek for a few days. I know how much the Brookes family means to Paisley. The last thing I want to do is come across as some idiot, crushing on her future brother-in-law.

CHAPTERTHREE

Seb

I’m grateful to see Paisley and Taylor on the driveway. It gives me time to get my nerves at spending a full day with the family I’ve been avoiding for weeks under control. I vaguely remember meeting Taylor a couple of months ago when Nash arranged for her to visit from Pittsburgh as a surprise for Paisley. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t make much of an effort to talk to her then, too caught up in my own head to notice anything that was going on around me.

“Ready to go inside?” Paisley asks, raising her eyebrows in question.

“Yep. Something smells good, even from out here,” I say, the smell of roast turkey permeating the air.

Taylor goes ahead of us into the house with Paisley and me following. Paisley reaches for my hand, tangling her fingers with mine.

“You okay?” she mouths when I look across at her.

I smile and nod, squeezing her hand. “I’m good,” I mouth back.

She holds my gaze before nodding and releasing my hand. I’m not sure she believes me. I’m not sure I believe myself, but I can’t avoid everyone forever. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid. I just need to get it over with quickly and with as little pain as possible.

The smell of Thanksgiving dinner is stronger as I get into the entryway, and my stomach rumbles loudly. Taylor laughs from in front of me.

“Someone’s hungry,” she says, turning to smile at me.

I chuckle and pat my stomach. “I overslept and missed breakfast. I’m starving.”

“Seb,” my mom exclaims, appearing in the entryway. “It feels like forever since I saw you. Come here.” She pulls me into a hug, and I wrap my arms around her, feeling guilty that I haven’t made the effort to come and visit.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around. Things have been crazy at the bar.” I don’t look at Paisley. Thingshavebeen crazy, but she knows that isn’t why I’ve been avoiding everyone.

“You work too hard,” she says, stepping out of the embrace and cupping my cheek. “You look tired.”

I smile. “I’m okay, Mom.”

She shakes her head. “Everyone’s in the living room. You should go and say hi. Dinner won’t be long.”

I head to the living room with Paisley and Taylor, taking a deep breath as I push open the door and walk in. Paisley slips past me and goes to Nash, who’s sitting on the loveseat.

“Hey, guys,” I say, raising my hand in a wave as I take a seat between Ashlyn and Wyatt on one of the sofas.

“Hey, Seb,” Ashlyn says. “You’re late. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I just overslept. It was after three when I got home last night.”

“The bar’s closed today, isn’t it?” Cade asks from across the room.

---