The Secret Between Them, page 6
Somehow, Sean had thought that coming home to Cedar River would have felt more familiar...but nothing was as he had imagined. So, he remained apart from them, keeping a safe distance, convinced he didn’t fit in with their lives and there was no place for him within the frame of his family. Perhaps he’d simply stayed away too long. Or hadn’t visited enough.
Back at his house, Sean figured spending the rest of the afternoon alone was a good idea. He grabbed a novel he had intended reading months ago and tried to relax in front of the fire for a while, but by four o’clock he was wandering around the big house, going from room to room. Maybe he needed to renovate the place. It would give him something to do. Although he would have to hire contractors to do anything significant, since he hadn’t picked up a paintbrush or a power tool in the last decade.
He received a text from his old school friend, Will Serrato, and when Will invited him to meet up at Rusty’s for a drink and a possible game of pool, Sean decided to take him up on it—he had to admit the solitude was getting to him.
He spent the remainder of the afternoon tackling a few of the boxes that were still packed up in one of the spare bedrooms. Junk now, he supposed, looking at the box of awards and accolades he’d gathered over the years. He didn’t plan to keep them on display. Being reminded of the career he’d left behind wasn’t in his plans. He muttered a curse and taped the box back up, shoving it in the closet.
At seven o’clock, he showered and dressed and grabbed his car keys. He’d kept the fire-engine red Ferrari when he came home, knowing the thing stood out like a beacon in Cedar River. In LA, it had been nothing out of the ordinary. He should keep it garaged, he supposed, and buy a Jeep or a Ranger like his brothers owned. Certainly the all-wheel drive would be more practical for the local roads. But for the moment, the car was his only set of wheels, so he didn’t have a choice. Besides, he enjoyed driving it. Too bad if people thought he was a pretentious ass. People could think what they liked.
He arrived at Rusty’s just before eight o’clock. The tavern had been around for decades and now catered to a younger crowd, unlike the Loose Moose, which was family friendly, or the hotel, which he wanted to avoid. He spotted Will sitting at one of the booths. They’d been good friends in high school and had kept in contact over the years. He’d been best man at Will’s wedding, and had recommended a lawyer when he’d gotten divorced a few years later.
“Good to see you,” Will said and shook his hand. “How’s retirement?”
Sean shrugged, realizing the loud music was reverberating in his eardrums, and that hearing Will above the noise was going to be difficult. Maybe meeting at the bar wasn’t such a great idea after all. “Boring as hell. How’s life on the ranch?”
Will had been foreman at the big Pritchard cattle ranch for years. “Wonderful,” he said and made a scoffing sound. “Living the dream.”
“Is old man Pritchard still a miserable SOB?”
“Yep,” Will replied. “I really need to buy my own place. You know, and get a life,” he added, grinning.
He missed something his friend said amid the noise of the crowd and figured the best thing to do was pretend he’d heard. “You still want to raise goats?”
Will made a face, speaking loudly above the music. “You know very well it’s alpacas.”
“Same thing,” Sean replied and laughed. “Just bigger.”
“What about you?” his friend queried. “I figured you’d be stir-crazy for the city by now.”
“And leave all this?”
Will grinned. “Ah... I saw J.D. the other day. He said he hasn’t talked to you much lately.”
Sean looked at his friend, struggling to hear as much as he could. “You know how I feel about the situation.”
Will nodded. “About your dad? Sure I do. But since losing my mom a couple of years ago, I’ve realized that time with the people we care about can be short.”
Sean knew his friend was right. And he wasn’t deliberately ignoring J.D.—he just didn’t want to rehash any old resentment. The truth was, he was still mad at his father for lying to them all and then hooking up with Kathleen so soon after separating from his mom.
He looked around, and unexpectedly spotted Leah sitting at the bar with two other women. “Crap.”
“What?”
“My neighbor,” he explained and sighed.
Will glanced toward the bar. “Which one?”
“In the middle.”
His friend grinned. “She’s cute. Want me to invite her over?”
“No.”
Will was on his feet in a second. “Be back soon.”
Sean grimaced and watched as his friend wove through the tables and headed straight for the bar. Sean looked directly ahead, fiddling with the salt shaker, convinced he should bail and leave Will to the trio, since he wasn’t in the mood for any kind of socializing. Not so long ago he’d been very much at ease in all social situations. But the more reclusive he became, the more discomfort he experienced when he stepped out of his isolation. He could feel the music beating through his chest, and it filled him with both regret and nostalgia. In that moment he missed his old life more than he had for months. He was about to stand when he felt a soft hand on his arm. He turned his head and saw Leah standing beside the booth. She wore a short, long-sleeved multicolored dress that was cinched at the waist, a long sleeveless suede vest and a pair of high boots. Her amazing hair hung loose over her shoulders, and she had a small tray in her other hand, holding two beers. And damn, she looked hot. So hot that he had to remind himself that he wasn’t attracted to her.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hello,” Sean replied, looking at where her hand lay. She flushed a little and removed it immediately.
“Your friend said you wanted to speak to me,” she said and slipped into the seat, pushing a beer toward him. “Cheers.”
“Actually,” he said, staring at her, “I specifically said I didn’t want to see you. But Will likes to cause trouble.”
“You can be such a grouch, Sean,” she said and grinned. “So, what brings you to Rusty’s tonight? The music? The food? The girls?”
He lifted the glass in front of him. “The beer.”
She smiled and gestured to the bar, and to where Will was now seated between the two other women. “Looks like your friend has deserted you.”
“Just as well I have you to keep me company then.”
She laughed, and suddenly it was the only sound he heard above the music and clinking glasses. “I thought you told your friend you didn’t want to see me?”
“I did,” he replied. “But we both know that’s not true. Besides, as you pointed out the other day, if we hang out together as friends it will stop my mom from matchmaking.”
“Or make things worse?”
He shrugged. “It’s a risk, but I’ll take it.”
She laughed again. “Well, since I’m not your type, and I’ve categorically sworn off sex-on-legs guys, I’d say it’s a low-end risk.”
Sean chuckled. “That’s an insult, right?”
“Not exactly. I mean, I’d have to be a rock not to notice how attractive you are. Which I’m not. But I’d be happy to be your friend.”
Sean wasn’t sure what to feel or think. Being around Leah felt good. “Okay. Friends sounds like a great idea. So, in this new capacity of yours, can you recommend a good contractor?”
She frowned. “What?”
“I want to paint some of the rooms in the house.”
“How many rooms?” she asked, her expression softening.
“A couple.”
Her steep brows arched higher. “And you want to hire a contractor? What, no time to do it yourself?” she asked with bald sarcasm.
Sean shifted in his seat. “I’m not exactly a manual labor kind of guy.”
She guffawed. “Now you just sound like a typical O’Sullivan man. An entitled snob,” she said bluntly. “I’ll tell you what—we’ll go to the hardware store together and buy the paint, and I’ll help you. It’ll save you a wad of cash and help remove that thick top layer of city boy you have going on.”
Sean laughed. “I can spare the cash...but since you’re convinced that I’m useless, I accept your offer.”
“Good. How about tomorrow? I made plans for the morning, but I can change them.”
“Hot date?”
She laughed. “Horseback riding with my cousin Ellie,” she replied, and hooked a thumb in the direction of her friends siting at the bar with Will. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at eight o’clock.”
“Don’t change your plans. I’ll pick you up,” he corrected. “At twelve o’clock.”
She laughed and the image made him smile. There was something refreshingly authentic about Leah. Something that made him want to spend more time with her.
“Not a morning person, are you?”
He leaned forward, struggling to hear her over the music. “Not really. But the real reason is that I promised Kieran I’d drop by his place around ten to help him set up a new surround sound system for the kids.”
She nodded. “He’s really stepped up to be a good stepdad to his wife’s nephews, hasn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Sean replied. “Kieran’s a good man. Why don’t you come with me?” he asked, surprising himself.
“Okay,” she said agreeably, surprising him further. “Can you pick me up at the Triple C ranch at nine thirty?”
“The Culhane place?”
She nodded. “I am half Culhane, remember,” she reminded him. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at all,” he said.
“I should get back to my friends,” she said and sighed. “And send your friend on his way, since both Ellie and Winona are partial to cowboys and this is meant to be a girls’ night out.”
“And yet here you are, talking to me.”
“Well, I can’t help that you’re irresistible, can I?” she replied and got to her feet, grabbing the beer before she sauntered back to the bar.
Will returned to the booth seat a minute later. “Whose number did you get—the brunette’s or the redhead’s?” Sean asked.
“Neither,” his friend replied. “I was giving you some time to get your ducks in a row.”
“My what?”
“Ducks,” Will replied. “Or duck, in the singular. The cute little duck with nice legs and colorful bangs. You didn’t mention she was David McCall’s little sister. And Mitch Culhane’s cousin.”
“You didn’t ask,” Sean said and shrugged. “You know McCall, don’t you?”
Will nodded. “Yeah. He’s Pritchard’s accountant. And Culhane is one of the local brand inspectors, so he comes out to the ranch every now and then. She’s not your usual type.”
“She not my type at all,” he said and sipped his beer, leaning forward again so he could hear his friend speak above the noise around them. “That’s why we’re just friends.”
“Yeah,” Will said and laughed. “That’s why you haven’t stopped staring at her since we arrived.”
Sean didn’t deny it. But he wasn’t about to start thinking about Leah or anyone else in that way. Because if he started something, chances are she would want to know everything about him. And he wasn’t in the market to come clean and reveal his innermost hopes and dreams—or condition—to anyone. Friends was okay. Friends was enough. Friends was all he had the energy for.
Anything else was off the table.
* * *
“So...you’re actually going out with Sean O’Sullivan?”
Leah pressed her heels gently against the girth and urged Chico forward. The big overo gelding obliged instantly, and they jogged to catch up with her cousin, Ellie Culhane, who was riding her horse Valiant. She didn’t really want to have another discussion about her plans to spend the afternoon with Sean, or why she’d agreed to the idea in the first place. The truth was, she liked him. And once she pushed past his prickles, he was funny and quite charming. “I’m helping him paint his house.”
“Why?” Ellie asked and scowled.
Leah shrugged. “Just being neighborly.”
“But he’s an O’Sullivan,” Ellie reminded her. “And Culhanes and O’Sullivans generally don’t mix well.”
“Since I’m also half Petrovic, I don’t think that rule applies. And besides, I’m sure all that old schoolyard tension is forgotten. Sean’s brother Kieran looked after my dad when he had his stroke, and if I remember right, he was the doctor on duty when Mitch had that bad accident last year.”
“Well, yeah,” Ellie admitted. “Kieran’s a good doctor.”
“And besides, it’s not a date,” she added. “We’re neighbors now and have sort of become friends.” She checked her watch. “Speaking of which, I need to get back.”
Leah urged Chico into a lope, and they quickly made their way back to the ranch. When they rode through the gate behind the stables, she spotted a bright red sports car parked in the driveway.
“Nice rig,” Ellie said, and laughed as they rode to the hitching rail beside the stables.
A group of chickens scattered as they approached and Leah quickly dismounted, passing Chico’s reins to a young ranch hand who appeared at her side. “Thanks,” she said and smiled. “He’ll need a brush down.”
The young man nodded. “Sure thing,” he said politely.
Leah waited for Ellie, and they headed for the main house. The Triple C was one of the largest spreads in the area, aside from the O’Sullivan place on the other side of town, and Leah had spent much of her childhood on the ranch. Mitch Culhane bred and raised some of the finest horses in the state, as well as beef cattle. By comparison, her brother’s ranch was more of a hobby farm. She spotted her cousin Mitch sitting on the wide porch, and Sean was perched on the balustrade across from him.
“Good morning,” she said as she took the steps. Sean was on his feet in a second and greeted her at the top step. “You’re early.”
“A little.” He smiled and Leah’s belly flip-flopped. She really had to get a grip. “If you’re ready to go, I’ll just quickly clean up and grab my bag.”
“No hurry,” he said agreeably and grinned. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
Leah walked inside and made her way into the downstairs bathroom. She washed up, changed into a new shirt, released her hair from its ponytail and headed back outside. Mitch’s wife, Tess, was on the porch, holding their son Charlie, and Ellie was now standing on the top step, clearly laughing at something Sean had said. Stupidly, a little green-eyed monster rose up and tightened her chest, and Leah plastered on her best smile.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry,” Ellie said and laughed again. “I said, I bet it’s quick, not I bet it’s big.”
“What’s going on?” Leah asked cheerfully.
“Nothing,” Sean said and unexpectedly moved closer to her. He was smiling, but she sensed a sudden undercurrent of tension to his mood. “Just a flattering misunderstanding.”
“About his car,” Mitch said and chuckled. Then he reached out to shake Sean’s hand. “See you again.” He glanced in Leah’s direction. “No doubt.”
Color smacked her face, and she quickly hugged Tess and kissed Charlie’s head. “Thanks for the loan of Chico.”
“The offer’s still there to take him to David’s,” Mitch said and hugged her.
“I can’t afford to buy him,” she said and sighed. Then she spoke again when her cousin opened his mouth to speak. “And I wouldn’t think of accepting him as a gift.”
Chico was an extremely valuable horse, and although Mitch had offered the animal to her on several occasions, Leah had no intention of accepting charity—not even from her family.
“Stubborn,” Ellie said and grinned, one brow arched.
“Realistic,” Leah corrected. “One day maybe.” She looked at Sean. “I’m ready.”
He nodded. “Sure,” he replied, and said goodbye to her family before they headed directly for his car. When the vehicle came into view, Leah raised her brows. “Really...a red Ferrari?”
He shrugged, not looking the least bit embarrassed. “It didn’t stick out so much in LA.”
Leah laughed. “You know, Sean, your thick skin and monumental ego are oddly likable.”
He grinned as he opened the passenger door and gestured for her to get in. “Watch your head,” he said, and she ignored the odd sensation whirling around in her belly at the warmth of his voice. She really did need to stop having such out of control reactions to him. They were friends. Nothing more.
The seat, she discovered, was surprisingly comfortable, and there was more legroom that she’d expected.
“Um, where exactly are we going to store the paint and brushes?” she asked as she pushed her tote to her feet.
He didn’t respond, and quickly closed the door and moved around to the driver’s side. “Seat belt,” he instructed.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
He frowned. “What question?”
“The paint and brushes—where are we going to put them?”
He shrugged and looked away for a moment. “I figured I could get the stuff delivered. If not, I’ll drop by the hotel and borrow my brother’s Silverado.”
