Page 81 of Fire and Rain
Eden laughed. “You just want that shark’s tooth.”
He grinned. “You know it.”
* * *
Sean readMaverick his bedtime stories, gratified by the boy’s laughter at his silly voices. Then he stood in the hallway, listening while Eden rubbed Maverick’s back and sang him a lullaby, the tenderness of it hitting him in a soft spot he hadn’t known he had.
I hope you find someone, too, my friend. Don’t live your life alone. You’ll miss out on so much happiness if you do.
A year ago, Sean would have brushed off Justin’s words. He’d been single for thirty years, and it had worked well for him. He’d moved from one duty station to the next without having to worry about uprooting a wife and kids. He’d spent his free time doing whatever he felt like doing—surfing, fishing, sea kayaking, sky diving, or just catching up on sleep.
But so much had changed since Justin’s death.
In the past week, Sean had changed Maverick’s poopy diapers and given him medicine. He’d read him bedtime stories using funny voices and had gotten a kick out of every little giggle. His heart had lit up when Maverick had come running, arms outstretched, to greet him earlier. And he’d just spent two hours on a beach in the rain finding interesting things for Maverick and Eden to put in their buckets—and he hadenjoyedit.
You left out the part where you slept with Eden.
Yeah, there was that.
You’re in love with her.
The thought hit Sean like a ninety-knot headwind, his pulse skyrocketing, adrenaline hitting his bloodstream.
No. No way.
He strode to the door then stepped outside onto the porch where he stood in the darkness, sucking in deep breaths, his pulse still racing, rain falling from a starless sky.
How could he fall in love with her so quickly? Five months ago, she’d been the wife of his best friend, and now he was in love with her? What the fuck?
He wasn’t an impulsive man. It made no sense.
Except that it made perfect sense. He’d never had inappropriate thoughts about her before Justin’s death, but he’d spent every day since he’d met her thinking how lucky Justin was. He’d tried dating women in Kodiak, but none of them had held his interest.
Had he subconsciously been comparing them all to Eden?
Sean leaned against the railing, eyes closed, listening to the sound of the rain. He’d always imagined falling in love would be more like a lightning strike, a sudden attraction to a woman who ticked all of his boxes—single, beautiful, independent, successful in her own way, sexually compatible, and not the least bit interested in having children.
Well, Eden was beautiful, independent, and incredible in bed, but she was already a mother. She had an entirely different idea of what constituted success, one that was simpler and more about living in the moment than climbing a career ladder. And like the slow, steady rising tide, she’d gotten into him, filling him in places he hadn’t known were empty.
The door behind him opened.
Eden came to stand beside him, and for a moment they stood together in silence. Then at last she spoke. “I’ve always loved the rain.”
I love you, Eden.
Sean thought it but didn’t say it. He put his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go inside.”
He locked the front door behind them and walked with her to her bedroom, his fingers laced with hers.
She motioned to the room. “We rearranged it. It was time for a new start.”
“Nice.” In truth, he’d barely noticed.
The only thing he could see was Eden.
He cupped her face between his palms and kissed her, deep and slow, drinking her in, cherishing the feel of her lips against his.
Eden.HisEden.
